This game is so poorly designed.

[Mu'Ammar of Carthus]

Gamers must have really low standards if they think this is what a good game plays like.
This game clearly thinks it's Dark Souls and clearly felt the need to have Souls-like elements that really don't belong in a game like this.

Why is there a stamina bar at all?
Why can't you even cancel lights into dodge?

No reason, we just wanted to be Dark Souls but fast.
Ok, but these don't work with faster combat, you get that, right?

[Giganx]

If this is an action game it's a bad one. Very basic combat with limited attack options, no combos, no transitions, barely any cancels; basically just spam dodge until you get an opportunity to spam light attack.

If it's a soulslike it's merely a decent one. The bosses have cool designs and impressive animations, but the fundamental combat mechanics are sloppy and it lacks souls trademark sense of exploration, scale and atmosphere.

[howie]

Originally posted by Nonexistinghero:

Originally posted by Howard Low:

I just posted my comment on a separate thread, some are great design, some are horrible. The combat mechanics are highly questionable imho, it's like they want to make souls game like god of war, which doesn't work well.

You just don't understand them and aren't willing to understand them basically.

So for context, i've completed the game on NG+2, level 210+, platinum it (on ps5, so no way to cheat). Also, I'm a speedrunner on sekiro (global top 50 on glitchless), completed GoW x2 on hard mode, killed sigrun berserker king and gna on no damage.

If i describe a boss this way:

"You'll damage 5% of the boss' health per attack, at best, and the boss will jump around the whole battle field, bad camera angle when you lock onto the boss, and each attack from the boss takes half your health bar."

That's a classic souls game description, but this description applies to a few bosses on chapter 6. You can obviously cheese the boss by using all the magic spells and wait for it to reload.

And far as boss design go, you always include a charging up animation so tell the players what he's going to attack. This charging up animation appears in every game, except for this game, where many instances of the boss attacks (again, in chapter 6) didn't have charging animation, and it just hit you.

This is a very crucial element of the game because I've played plenty of no damage attack (including Sigrun, Gna and Isshin Ashina) and in this game, not only some bosses do not have charging animation, they would counter your attack or dodge your attack. The enemy AI is designed such that the 1.5s charging time for smash stance heavy attack is ineffective against them (this is more prominent in NG++, because bosses will dodge your attack more frequently).

Then the next problem of hurtbox. Big bosses generally have the issue of hurtbox where you can't hit it even though you are hitting it.

Timing for the boss isn't consistent, I was watching Asmongold and he said "the timing for the Yaksha boss is weird" and I agree. Basically it's difficult to visualize when you're supposed to dodge because sometimes you have to dodge before the boss attacks (due to little frames for attack) and sometimes after. I've noticed the same timing problem for other bosses including Erlang (Note that I have defeated him 3x up to NG++). You need to master his timing but that doesn't make an excuse for weird timing.

These are just some mechanics the game designer used to make the game "more difficult" but the design direction just isn't consistent. If you're playing sekiro, isshin hard but it's not unfair. You know you screwed up when you're dead. Not for this game, the bosses can dispel your immobilization, dodge your heavy attack, discover your heavy attack even when in cloud step, kill all your subordinates in a pluck of many, or launch counter attack depending on the spell you've unleashed (if you use the fan on great sage at the end, there is a chance for him to use the pillar stance or a pluck of money from the sky attack which will render your wind attack useless against him).

Don't get me wrong, the game is great, and considering that the developers came from mobile developer and made it to AAA game, that's an incredible feat. I can see some influences of mobile game design elements to get people addicted in this game. But that doesn't excuse some poor game design mechanics.

Edit, I've also finished dark souls 2 and bloodborne.

[palacentes]

you havent played dark souls then, you could never cancel an attack in dark souls and roll. You might think that if you have a knife or sword, but note that you finish the attack first then roll, its just that the attack is fast. Its part of the skill aspect... you have to know what you are doing or you risk getting punished. The monkey's light attack actually gets slower( more animation lock) towards the finisher, with the end having massive commitment like a strength weapon. Prepare the counter, or a dodge . If the whole light combo wont fit, dont do it.

[howie]

Originally posted by palacentes:

you havent played dark souls then, you could never cancel an attack in dark souls and roll. You might think that if you have a knife or sword, but note that you finish the attack first then roll, its just that the attack is fast. Its part of the skill aspect... you have to know what you are doing or you risk getting punished. The monkey's light attack actually gets slower( more animation lock) towards the finisher, with the end having massive commitment like a strength weapon. Prepare the counter, or a dodge . If the whole light combo wont fit, dont do it.

agree, that's why why i feel that this game tries to be the middle ground, punishing you for making mistakes but also not punishing you enough as a souls game. but in trying to do so it created an inconsistent gaming design

[DeJaVuRick]

I have not found the combat to be that bad but I find the game overall to be incredibly boring.

[someoneproud]

Sucks that you suck but thanks for helping fund the sequel so that those who know what the ♥♥♥♥ they're doing can get more great games.

I'd suggest you stick to simpler stuff for your own good but if you wanna keep funding the games I like I won't complain. At least you "tried".

[Nonexistinghero]

Originally posted by howie:

Originally posted by palacentes:

you havent played dark souls then, you could never cancel an attack in dark souls and roll. You might think that if you have a knife or sword, but note that you finish the attack first then roll, its just that the attack is fast. Its part of the skill aspect... you have to know what you are doing or you risk getting punished. The monkey's light attack actually gets slower( more animation lock) towards the finisher, with the end having massive commitment like a strength weapon. Prepare the counter, or a dodge . If the whole light combo wont fit, dont do it.

agree, that's why why i feel that this game tries to be the middle ground, punishing you for making mistakes but also not punishing you enough as a souls game. but in trying to do so it created an inconsistent gaming design

What you sad makes absolutely no sense. Sounds like you just want cheap ass games where a single minor mistake ends up in instant death. There's terribly designed games like that. Go play Nioh or something.

[STOPchris]

Originally posted by leo_gear:

Originally posted by STOPchris:

The game is overrated garbage. It really sucks. People have some pretty low standards for games nowadays.

Being a contrarian is fun sometimes. Rooting for the underdog or ragging on popular stuff isn't uncommon.

I personally was never a fan of FPS games but all thru highschool, everybody was riding that FPS schmeat even to this day. I'm above it now. I just play what I like and like what I like...but sometimes ragging on popular stuff is still funny.

That has to be the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a very long time. If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.

[Valithin Drathyr]

Originally posted by Nonexistinghero:

Originally posted by howie:

agree, that's why why i feel that this game tries to be the middle ground, punishing you for making mistakes but also not punishing you enough as a souls game. but in trying to do so it created an inconsistent gaming design

What you sad makes absolutely no sense. Sounds like you just want cheap ass games where a single minor mistake ends up in instant death. There's terribly designed games like that. Go play Nioh or something.

Nioh is the better game to be honest

[Spanko]

Originally posted by CheersMate:

2 million people must have low standarts except you the special one

Taylor Swift is worth a billion dollars. So yes, 2 million people can easily be ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ idiots.

[Valithin Drathyr]

Originally posted by Spanko:

Originally posted by CheersMate:

2 million people must have low standarts except you the special one

Taylor Swift is worth a billion dollars. So yes, 2 million people can easily be ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ idiots.

Never forget, the united states voted taco bell as the best Mexican restaurant, so ya, the masses are ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ dumb as hell.

[BinaryJay]

My standards are so low I played until I had all of the achievements.

[Chacheya1G]

Originally posted by Sevyhastig:

go design a perfect game then. omfg

It already exists, its called Lies of P.

[Chacheya1G]

Originally posted by Consoomer#911420:

You just need to git gud

there is nothing to be good at in this combat system. the skill ceiling is so low, it also serves as the floor.

[alrik1119]

go feebly "try" to design a perfect game then. omfg!