Great game with unsatisfying combat compared to past FS games

[Mike]

To preface I played 120 hs of ER on release and I liked the game a good bit but I bounced off of it pretty hard because that initial playthrough burned me out to the point I did not even want to hear the word Elden Ring anymore lol. I have also been a souls-like enjoyer since Dark Souls 1 and Demon Souls and recently I have been going back and playing some of them (just finished a full DS2 playthrough), and with all of the ER DLC hype I gave in and started a fresh playthrough in preparation for the DLC.

Well long story short after starting a new playthrough 2 years later and getting about 20 hrs into my new playthrough, I realized that I do NOT really enjoy the combat in this game compared to past Souls games like DS1, DS2, and Demon Souls.

The reasons why seems to be enemy attack speed and aggression in comparison to the player, the poise of certain very fast enemy attacks eating through your counter attacks (even with faster weapons) and the very bad feeling "interrupt" animation that happens every time you get hit out of something. I'm even doing a fist playthrough right now and even with these faster attacks it feels like they come out too slow to really punish normal enemies. I started off with the spear class and the R1 thrust attack was so bad that it literally got beaten out 99% of the time even if your are going for a follow up attack after a stagger (its insane).

The funny thing is I find ER one of the more accessible and easy Souls games because of ease of power leveling through everything and the increased mobility allowing players to avoid fights much more often. So its not a "get good" type of issue, its just the combat flow feels off in this game, almost like there is never a situation where I feel in control of the fight, as its always some lighting fast attack, enemy poise, lingering enemy hit boxes or my sluggish counter attacks and attack speed that make combat feel very unsatisfying.

I'm sure I'm probably in the minority, but I wanted to share my thought after these past few sessions. Maybe its because I just came off of a really enjoyable DS2 playthrough and while that game is much slower the flow of the game felt really good.

Curious if any other souls players feels this way about combat in this game?

[zab]

git gud

[Mike]

Originally posted by zab:

git gud

Lol already have gotten good, I have 120hrs in my first playthrough and the game was pretty easy outside of a few infamous bosses.

I'm looking for discussion on this I'm not needing help with anything in this game lol.

[yukiof]

120hrs = not a lot... ive deleted several saves with 100+hrs without caring... ER has the best combat in the soulsborne series because it's a refined version of DS3 combat. if you can do playthroughs of DS3 by killing everything you run into then ER combat shouldnt be an issue

[pix]

i feel like the combat in eldenring is the cleanest its ever felt.

[Mecharion]

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by zab:

git gud

Lol already have gotten good, I have 120hrs in my first playthrough and the game was pretty easy outside of a few infamous bosses.

I'm looking for discussion on this I'm not needing help with anything in this game lol.

git more gud

[McMarc]

Combat feels the cleanest in the series to me, the only thing I agree on is that some enemies CAN be kind of BS (looking at you runebears), but that's just part of the experience and something you can mostly adapt to. I have played through the game about 10 times now and the whole fun with it is playing different weapons and playstyles because many of them just feel amazing, are distinct and play very well (except for axes, they frickin suck).

[Mike]

Originally posted by yukiOF:

120hrs = not a lot... ive deleted several saves with 100+hrs without caring... ER has the best combat in the soulsborne series because it's a refined version of DS3 combat. if you can do playthroughs of DS3 by killing everything you run into then ER combat shouldnt be an issue

Well for one is did not say combat was an issue for me, I simply said it does not feel that good as past DS games because it feels too floaty/loose. I;m not sure where you read I was having "issues" with the combat in this game as I've already beat it lol.

Secondly 120 hrs is PLENTY to give a fair assessment of the combat system, and if you say otherwise your insane and have a very huge bias towards the game.

Lastly its funny you mention DS3 because that was the Souls game I liked the least of the trilogy, and it may have been due to the combat getting closer to that fast paced floaty feeling if game like BB, which works great in a very aggressive action game like BB, but terribly in a slower paced game like the souls series.

You don't have to agree with my opinion of the combat but please stop making assumptions that I'm only posting this because "I'm having issues with the combat". The game is prety easy outside of a few bosses, my issue is not difficulty its lack of player control and the FEEL of the combat mechanics compared to past games.

[Mike]

Originally posted by pix:

i feel like the combat in eldenring is the cleanest its ever felt.

Cleanest animation wise oh 100%, but controlling those animations is my issue as I never feel in control and it feels too slippery compared to past games.

[pix]

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by yukiOF:

120hrs = not a lot... ive deleted several saves with 100+hrs without caring... ER has the best combat in the soulsborne series because it's a refined version of DS3 combat. if you can do playthroughs of DS3 by killing everything you run into then ER combat shouldnt be an issue

Well for one is did not say combat was an issue for me, I simply said it does not feel that good as past DS games because it feels too floaty/loose. I;m not sure where you read I was having "issues" with the combat in this game as I've already beat it lol.

Secondly 120 hrs is PLENTY to give a fair assessment of the combat system, and if you say otherwise your insane and have a very huge bias towards the game.

Lastly its funny you mention DS3 because that was the Souls game I liked the least of the trilogy, and it may have been due to the combat getting closer to that fast paced floaty feeling if game like BB, which works great in a very aggressive action game like BB, but terribly in a slower paced game like the souls series.

You don't have to agree with my opinion of the combat but please stop making assumptions that I'm only posting this because "I'm having issues with the combat". The game is prety easy outside of a few bosses, my issue is not difficulty its lack of player control and the FEEL of the combat mechanics compared to past games.

sounds like op here likes games to feel chunkier. im not sure how you feel about them but i think the newer god of war games might have combat you will like ^-^

[Mike]

Originally posted by pix:

Originally posted by Mike:

Well for one is did not say combat was an issue for me, I simply said it does not feel that good as past DS games because it feels too floaty/loose. I;m not sure where you read I was having "issues" with the combat in this game as I've already beat it lol.

Secondly 120 hrs is PLENTY to give a fair assessment of the combat system, and if you say otherwise your insane and have a very huge bias towards the game.

Lastly its funny you mention DS3 because that was the Souls game I liked the least of the trilogy, and it may have been due to the combat getting closer to that fast paced floaty feeling if game like BB, which works great in a very aggressive action game like BB, but terribly in a slower paced game like the souls series.

You don't have to agree with my opinion of the combat but please stop making assumptions that I'm only posting this because "I'm having issues with the combat". The game is prety easy outside of a few bosses, my issue is not difficulty its lack of player control and the FEEL of the combat mechanics compared to past games.

sounds like op here likes games to feel chunkier. im not sure how you feel about them but i think the newer god of war games might have combat you will like ^-^

No I would argue ER is clunkier then past Souls games because input buffering is the worst its every been in the series imo. Also goodness no I can't stand the newest GOW games lol

[pix]

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by pix:

sounds like op here likes games to feel chunkier. im not sure how you feel about them but i think the newer god of war games might have combat you will like ^-^

No I would argue ER is clunkier then past Souls games because input buffering is the worst its every been in the series imo. Also goodness know I can't stand the newest GOW games lol

i meant chunky like slower paced. seems i may have misunderstood what you were getting at, i if i did my mistake. i dont feel the input buffering it any of them tbh but i hear people talk about it a lot so i think its just me.

[Mike]

Originally posted by csand:

Hyper armor works is different in this game especially since 1.10. Personally I love it but you have to get used to it.

Google up Elden ring 1.10 hyper armor, there are a couple good YouTube vids about it

I too love the slower pace of DeS to DS2, but I also love the wild and wacky fights of DS3 and this game. Jumping and crouching and counterattack eally add a lot of variety to the fights, and balance is actually pretty decent (host and 3 phantoms spamming stars of ruin notwithstanding 😂)

For one I appreciate at least one response that while does not agree with my pov sees where I'm coming from. I obviously do prefer the older Souls games, and I do like this one too, its just after a fresh DS2 playthrough, this game feels too loose and inputs feel super delayed. Its weird because DS2 is considered the slowest paced Souls game yet to me the animations felt more snappier in terms of inputs then ER.

I can't tell you how many times to eat damage or get killed because I push the jump button or roll and it comes out like a few milliseconds too late.

I'm sure I will get use to it but I noticed it immediately when I started getting in more and more combat.

[Mike]

Originally posted by pix:

Originally posted by Mike:

No I would argue ER is clunkier then past Souls games because input buffering is the worst its every been in the series imo. Also goodness know I can't stand the newest GOW games lol

i meant chunky like slower paced. seems i may have misunderstood what you were getting at, i if i did my mistake. i dont feel the input buffering it any of them tbh but i hear people talk about it a lot so i think its just me.

Yeah the older souls games are 100% more slower paced that I won't deny but for me personally the input buffering is way worse in ER which leads to combat encounters feeling uncontrollable some times. I also use a PS5 controller, with steam input and steam overlay off, so idk if a different controller would help (it worked fine in DS2 lol).

[𝑀𝓊𝑔𝑒𝓃]

Slow clunky combat of DS 1 + the floaty even clunkier combat of DS 2 vs Faster refined combat of ER , hmmmm

[Mike]

Originally posted by 𝑀𝓊𝑔𝑒𝓃:

Slow clunky combat of DS 1 + the floaty even clunkier combat of DS 2 vs Faster refined combat of ER , hmmmm

I literally finished up a full DS2 playthrough a day before jumping into ER and I can say from my own experince that DS2 combat feels more snappier in terms of responsiveness (NOT faster, but more responsive), then ER. DS2 is the slowest of the souls games, but it felt better to control then ER imo.

Heck in DS2 its easy to play with no lock on and manually aim your attacks, but in ER your literally DEAD if you try manual aim with a mob of enemies.