Finally, a souls-like that isn't actually a counter simulator

[kami]

Honestly, of all the recent souls-likes I've tried, this is the first one to actually not secretly be a counter simulator under the covers parading as a souls-like. Sure, this game has a counter, but it's not broken like in other games where basic attacks do nothing and perfect countering shaves off chunks. That said, while I like most of this game I do have 3 things I didn't like:
1) The game doesn't autosave if you close before resting, so if you kill an elite, but don't have time to go find the next rest point and exit the game, you just lost your progress by closing (yes, using the game's close, not forcing the game to close).
2) Finding a new rest point forces you to rest.
3) Customizing controls won't let you do new key combos. So you can't change counter to alt + q. You can only change to existing key combos or single button presses.

That said, I'll probably still be buying this cause it's a solid souls-like that brings its own new ideas to the genre.

[MassSpecFella]

I loved the demo. Its probably not a game for everyone.

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by kami:

I'm not saying there's no parrying, I'm saying that you aren't required to parry to do damage. You can block or dodge and then punish and the damage of those is on par or better than parrying. Put another way, countering is simply a part of your kit, not the entire kit. That's the difference that makes games counter simulators.

You can beat Sekiro without parries too. It doesn't mean it is a good strategy or that the game is not a parry simulator.

[电动天使]

Parrying is more memory and prediction than reflexes. Blaming deaths on some (fixable) issue like reflexes will hold you back, just like in Lies of P based on the review I saw.

[kami]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Originally posted by kami:

I'm not saying there's no parrying, I'm saying that you aren't required to parry to do damage. You can block or dodge and then punish and the damage of those is on par or better than parrying. Put another way, countering is simply a part of your kit, not the entire kit. That's the difference that makes games counter simulators.

You can beat Sekiro without parries too. It doesn't mean it is a good strategy or that the game is not a parry simulator.

The fact that it isn't a good strategy to do so means that parrying is not simply a part of the kit, but the most important part and everything else is just extra and to the point that it might as well be the entire kit.

Glad to hear that people seem to accept that the everything else I had to say was valid since no one wants to talk about anything but how I don't like counter simulators despite enjoying most souls-likes. I'ma block the haters/griefers though that are hating on me for my review of Lies of P and that's all I'll say on the subject cause this isn't Lies of P, this is The First Berserker so go discuss each in their proper forum.

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by kami:

Glad to hear that people seem to accept that the everything else I had to say was valid since no one wants to talk about anything

False. That singular point was so blatantly wrong that everything else got pushed to the back burner.

[kami]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Originally posted by kami:

Glad to hear that people seem to accept that the everything else I had to say was valid since no one wants to talk about anything

False. That singular point was so blatantly wrong that everything else got pushed to the back burner.

Alright, then what's good about the autosave not autosaving, rest points only activating if you rest, and custom controls not allowing combination keys when defaults have that? Let's talk about that instead.

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by kami:

Originally posted by D. Flame:

False. That singular point was so blatantly wrong that everything else got pushed to the back burner.

Alright, then what's good about the autosave not autosaving, rest points only activating if you rest, and custom controls not allowing combination keys when defaults have that? Let's talk about that instead.

Nah, until we agree that this game is a counter simulator, nothing else matters.

[kami]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Originally posted by kami:

Alright, then what's good about the autosave not autosaving, rest points only activating if you rest, and custom controls not allowing combination keys when defaults have that? Let's talk about that instead.

Nah, until we agree that this game is a counter simulator, nothing else matters.

It's not, have a good life!

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by kami:

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Nah, until we agree that this game is a counter simulator, nothing else matters.

It's not, have a good life!

You're objectively wrong, but if living a delusion makes you happier, then I wish you a happy life.

[kami]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Originally posted by kami:

It's not, have a good life!

You're objectively wrong, but if living a delusion makes you happier, then I wish you a happy life.

If saying that helps you sleep at night, then sure.

[sgrey]

Originally posted by kami:

Originally posted by D. Flame:

You can beat Sekiro without parries too. It doesn't mean it is a good strategy or that the game is not a parry simulator.

The fact that it isn't a good strategy to do so means that parrying is not simply a part of the kit, but the most important part and everything else is just extra and to the point that it might as well be the entire kit.

Glad to hear that people seem to accept that the everything else I had to say was valid since no one wants to talk about anything but how I don't like counter simulators despite enjoying most souls-likes. I'ma block the haters/griefers though that are hating on me for my review of Lies of P and that's all I'll say on the subject cause this isn't Lies of P, this is The First Berserker so go discuss each in their proper forum.

The reason why everyone likes parreis is because it's the best and most engaging type of combat. What is the alternative? Roll 10 times and strike once? That's what you like? Really? Your favorite way to engage is combat is not engaging in combat, but running away?

Sekiro is almost universally accepted as having the best combat in FromSoftware games. You don't like deflect? Sure, don't play the game. I don't understand why you don't like it because it requires the timing just the same as dodging, but a lot more engaging and fun.

Anyway, if you don't like it, it doesn't make it a bad game. You can play something else. Lies of P, for example is more dodge-focused imo, even though it has parries.

[D. Flame]

Originally posted by sgrey:

Sekiro is almost universally accepted as having the best combat in FromSoftware games.

No. DS1 has the best combat, and least as far as PVP goes, and BB had the best combat for single player. Best overall combat in a souls game is from a game not made by Fromsoft, and that is Nioh 2.

[kami]

Originally posted by sgrey:

Originally posted by kami:

The fact that it isn't a good strategy to do so means that parrying is not simply a part of the kit, but the most important part and everything else is just extra and to the point that it might as well be the entire kit.

Glad to hear that people seem to accept that the everything else I had to say was valid since no one wants to talk about anything but how I don't like counter simulators despite enjoying most souls-likes. I'ma block the haters/griefers though that are hating on me for my review of Lies of P and that's all I'll say on the subject cause this isn't Lies of P, this is The First Berserker so go discuss each in their proper forum.

The reason why everyone likes parreis is because it's the best and most engaging type of combat. What is the alternative? Roll 10 times and strike once? That's what you like? Really? Your favorite way to engage is combat is not engaging in combat, but running away?

Sekiro is almost universally accepted as having the best combat in FromSoftware games. You don't like deflect? Sure, don't play the game. I don't understand why you don't like it because it requires the timing just the same as dodging, but a lot more engaging and fun.

Anyway, if you don't like it, it doesn't make it a bad game. You can play something else. Lies of P, for example is more dodge-focused imo, even though it has parries.

While I get that you're assuming I'm like the meme souls player dodging all the time, I'm not. I like dodging to the blind spot or just out of range and then punishing them or if they're really fast, blocking (I do like the bring guard, but it's not the same as their counter) and then punishing. If it's a weak mob I can kill easily, I like to quickly take them out rather than give them a chance to do anything. Note, that's 3 different styles of fighting, not restricting myself to one but having options.

I don't agree though and I know others who don't, so that's not universal. I don't like Sekiro for more than just the heavy reliance on parries, but it lacks any variety to combat. The only way to vary combat is to change up the side weapon/arm, but you're stuck with the same primary weapon which also kinda leads to a lack of allowance on what you can do in combat. You can't use a spear for more range/speed or a nodachi for heavy attacks. It's katana only.

Bro... I said I like The First Berserker, cause it's NOT a counter simulator lol. I liked Lies of P except for the final boss because you could only either parry or redo your entire build for a very specific build with the shield.

[sgrey]

Originally posted by D. Flame:

Originally posted by sgrey:

Sekiro is almost universally accepted as having the best combat in FromSoftware games.

No. DS1 has the best combat, and least as far as PVP goes, and BB had the best combat for single player. Best overall combat in a souls game is from a game not made by Fromsoft, and that is Nioh 2.

That's your taste. I've seen quite a few people believing Sekiro to be the best FromSoft game. Sometimes they draw distinction and say it's the best non-souls game while BB being the best souls game. My personal favorite is Sekiro among the FromSoft games I've played.

[sgrey]

Originally posted by kami:

Originally posted by sgrey:

The reason why everyone likes parreis is because it's the best and most engaging type of combat. What is the alternative? Roll 10 times and strike once? That's what you like? Really? Your favorite way to engage is combat is not engaging in combat, but running away?

Sekiro is almost universally accepted as having the best combat in FromSoftware games. You don't like deflect? Sure, don't play the game. I don't understand why you don't like it because it requires the timing just the same as dodging, but a lot more engaging and fun.

Anyway, if you don't like it, it doesn't make it a bad game. You can play something else. Lies of P, for example is more dodge-focused imo, even though it has parries.

While I get that you're assuming I'm like the meme souls player dodging all the time, I'm not. I like dodging to the blind spot or just out of range and then punishing them or if they're really fast, blocking (I do like the bring guard, but it's not the same as their counter) and then punishing. If it's a weak mob I can kill easily, I like to quickly take them out rather than give them a chance to do anything. Note, that's 3 different styles of fighting, not restricting myself to one but having options.

I don't agree though and I know others who don't, so that's not universal. I don't like Sekiro for more than just the heavy reliance on parries, but it lacks any variety to combat. The only way to vary combat is to change up the side weapon/arm, but you're stuck with the same primary weapon which also kinda leads to a lack of allowance on what you can do in combat. You can't use a spear for more range/speed or a nodachi for heavy attacks. It's katana only.

Bro... I said I like The First Berserker, cause it's NOT a counter simulator lol. I liked Lies of P except for the final boss because you could only either parry or redo your entire build for a very specific build with the shield.

As it happens, I just beat NG++ in Lies of P the other day and almost didn't use parries against the final boss and just ran away to the side against his combos. So that's possible.

And well, I don't know what souls game you are playing. If you are playing or talking about some older original Souls, then sure, what you describe is possible. And I was also specifically talking about bosses as I am not sure why you would draw out battles against basic enemies and dodge and such their attacks if they die in 1-2 hits. I had Elden Ring specifically in mind, where bosses quite often have long combos and you are basically forced to keep dodging forever to hit them once. Or you can play it full time instead of going to your job or school, commit all patterns to memory and do what you describe - roll and punish during the combo.

This game, btw, is very similar in that regard. You can just kill basic enemies, you can dodge them and you can also dodge bosses. You have a long range attack that you can use to take out archers and it will be required if you want to have a better time in the next section. The weapons also make for quite varied plays. But you do have to use brink guard as well. It's actually a positive thing because you are engage with more game mechanics. And if you like this game so much, why leave a negative review? :D