New Game plus or new game ?

[CaleoGaming]

Just got the Shura ending, would it be better for me to just go make a new game for the purification ending or is the game doable on NG+ for a first timer?
Like, will I be having a super hard time getting the last mini bosses and main bosses i.e demon of hatred done?

[Xaphnir]

NG+ is generally easier than NG.

[E.P.D. Gaffney]

NG+ is significantly harder in these games. That said, if you beat the game I imagine NG+ is fine as it's just that but harder, and moreover, if you are going for achievements, you want to stay on the same file to get all the skills, as the XP gain increase with each NG+ cycle is massive compared to NG. I got all the skills as I got the four endings, with minimal 'grinding' involved. If you stick to NG only, there would be a huge amount of grinding to get that achievement.

[Xulter]

never make a new game just go to new game plus, its so much more fun having your items than doing it all over again

[Xaphnir]

Originally posted by E.P.D. Gaffney:

NG+ is significantly harder in these games.

I'm gonna guess you've only played NG+ in Dark Souls games.

In this one, enemy health and damage in the early part of the game does not scale enough to compensate for the increased health, healing and damage you have, as well as having access to all the combat arts and prosthetics. The early game is very easy compared to NG, with the late game being slightly harder as enemies do have more health and do more damage than NG.

Also, one other thing to note, if you're going for achievements, from what I've heard (can't confirm this myself, as I just did all of them before starting a second save file) you need to defeat all bosses on the same save file for it to count.

[CaleoGaming]

I went ahead and made NG and already by the Guardian Ape again, it's not a long way to the end so it was completely fine for me to start over. Demon of Hatred and Isshin are gonna beat my arse either way but I'd prefer if they do "Normal" damage and posture damage.

[MadTing]

ah the damage and posture damage depend more on Kuro's amulet and Demon's Bell, so don't worry, every NG+ wont be a pain at all if you played once and know basics

[E.P.D. Gaffney]

Originally posted by Xaphnir:

I'm gonna guess you've only played NG+ in Dark Souls games.

In this one, enemy health and damage in the early part of the game does not scale enough to compensate for the increased health, healing and damage you have, as well as having access to all the combat arts and prosthetics.

Never played NG+ in DS actually, just heard about it. But bosses like Isshin and Owl were relatively easy for me on NG and wound up destroying me on some of my early NG+ playthroughs in Sekiro. And now on NG+9 or whatever I'm on, a lot of boss attacks are basically one-hit kills, which is only offset by the fact that I'm much better at the game now, doing charmless bell demon runs and everything and still finding it fairly easy.

There are other changes in NG+, like hugely increased posture damage when blocking, to encourage deflecting more. Certain RNG AI decisions become weighted more towards either varying their moves or preferring deadlier ones as well. Granted, some of this may not be in full force on the first NG+, but as your HP and Posture remain static through the NG+ cycles, it really starts to punish mistakes more as you progress.

[nullpo]

just start a NG+ cycle, only finished hirata estate and enter ashina castle, so far NG+ is far easier than NG just because you already have your items, but i reckon NG+2 or NG+3 might be harder since no more prayer beads to increase health and posture while enemy damage gets increased every cycle

[E.P.D. Gaffney]

I do remember the early part of my first NG+ being easy, which is what threw me for a loop later on when it got harder. But in later NG+ cycles even the early game isn't easier.

Also, should be noted that although your Attack Power goes up to 99, there are soft caps and whilst you will feel a big difference betwee say AP 1 and AP 5, the difference between AP 51 and AP 99 is sort of negligible.

[Xaphnir]

Originally posted by E.P.D. Gaffney:

Never played NG+ in DS actually, just heard about it. But bosses like Isshin and Owl were relatively easy for me on NG and wound up destroying me on some of my early NG+ playthroughs in Sekiro. And now on NG+9 or whatever I'm on, a lot of boss attacks are basically one-hit kills, which is only offset by the fact that I'm much better at the game now, doing charmless bell demon runs and everything and still finding it fairly easy.

I was talking mainly about early NG+, since OP is asking whether they should do NG again or go to NG+. Later NG+ certainly is harder. Also, the difficulty caps out at NG+7 (playthrough #8).

Originally posted by E.P.D. Gaffney:

There are other changes in NG+, like hugely increased posture damage when blocking, to encourage deflecting more.

That's charmless that does that, not NG+. AI attack weighting is not changed by anything beyond the player's actions in that fight. Onyxia is not deep breathing more.

The only way the difficulty changes with successive NG+ is bigger numbers.

[E.P.D. Gaffney]

Originally posted by Xaphnir:

I was talking mainly about early NG+, since OP is asking whether they should do NG again or go to NG+. Later NG+ certainly is harder. Also, the difficulty caps out at NG+7 (playthrough #8).

Yeah, I thought it was important as the idea would be to keep progressing in NG+ to get all the skills, most likely, and I don't remember it staying easier for very long (maybe until about the Owl fight?), though that was at least a year ago when I played it on my first NG+.

Originally posted by Xaphnir:

That's charmless that does that, not NG+. AI attack weighting is not changed by anything beyond the player's actions in that fight. Onyxia is not deep breathing more.

The only way the difficulty changes with successive NG+ is bigger numbers.

I don't know, I never saw Owl do firecrackers till I fought him at Hirata on one of my NG+ games, and now he does it to me constantly in the roof fight from NG+5-ish on. Watched my girlfriend fight him NG on the roof last week and he only did it once or twice in her maybe ten attempts on him, to the point where she was absolutely shocked he had a move like that. Seen similar things with other bosses but I suppose it could just be a coincidence. I only went charmless for my last couple playthroughs, though.

And what I was remembering regarding posture seems to be that your posture refills more slowly in general, but much more slowly if you're not blocking, to encourage you to deflect more. At least according to the wiki. Can't say I really noticed it as I already attempted deflects 100% of the time from my first playthrough as I thought that was basically the point of the game.

[Enderspoons]

I would encourage moving on to NG+, as there are some features that aren't attainable by simply starting the game over (notably unlocking the Gauntlet of Strength: Shura, which requires both Isshin Ashina (Shura Ending) and Demon of Hatred to be defeated on the same save file).

[MundM]

Holy cow, Shura first time? You'll have a hard time in NG+. You don't have the mask, and you missed out a lot of health and attack power upgrades because of Shura, so it'll be a hard run. I mean, of course, the enemy attack patterns are the same and only deal more damage, so you will be able to handle it up until that point, but everything you encounter for the first time after it, will be balls to the walls hard.

[Xaphnir]

Originally posted by MundM:

Holy cow, Shura first time? You'll have a hard time in NG+.

I did Shura first playthrough, too, it's still easier in NG+.

[CaleoGaming]

Originally posted by MundM:

Holy cow, Shura first time? You'll have a hard time in NG+. You don't have the mask, and you missed out a lot of health and attack power upgrades because of Shura, so it'll be a hard run. I mean, of course, the enemy attack patterns are the same and only deal more damage, so you will be able to handle it up until that point, but everything you encounter for the first time after it, will be balls to the walls hard.

Not having a hard time, made a new game instead