Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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Reemul
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by Reemul »

Blackhawk wrote: Sat May 18, 2024 3:13 pm I generally dislike doing the same thing over and over. I sometimes think it comes down to why you play games. If you're the type that thinks in terms of mechanics and challenges, then repeating something to get it right makes sense. It's the gaming equivalent of iteration - start off with a prototype and keep tweaking it until you're happy (or you survive.) If you primarily enjoy the narrative and/or the immersive experience (this is me), then repeating the same section feels like reading a great novel, but reading every third chapter six or eight times.
Yeah I haven't looked at it liek that but it's correct. I don't liek doing things I already know the answer to or I know what is going to happen. I need a continual fresh experience esecially in gaming.

I do re read a few book series that are my all time favourite and teh same with movies but that's more like a comfort exercise
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by hitbyambulance »

Blackhawk wrote: Sat May 18, 2024 3:13 pm I generally dislike doing the same thing over and over. I sometimes think it comes down to why you play games. If you're the type that thinks in terms of mechanics and challenges, then repeating something to get it right makes sense. It's the gaming equivalent of iteration - start off with a prototype and keep tweaking it until you're happy (or you survive.) If you primarily enjoy the narrative and/or the immersive experience (this is me), then repeating the same section feels like reading a great novel, but reading every third chapter six or eight times.
this is a succinct summary (and i fall into the former category, so one thing i like about 'roguelikes' is that it keeps changing up the environments in which to practice the mechanics and challenges)
Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat May 18, 2024 1:48 am Which may sound something like a Roguelite. But Roguelike games typically encourage players to try again and again with incremental improvements and boosts between runs.
(which was not a thing in the original Rogue)
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GreenGoo
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by GreenGoo »

Black Myth: Wukong has taken a top spot on my list. Fast, exciting combat, interesting skill trees, souls-like hidden secrets (I need a guide for most of these). Transformations, spells and spirit moves add to the fun.

Combat relatively forgiving compared to many souls-likes, although still requires you to pay attention and anticipate.

If it's not my favourite, it's close.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by coopasonic »

GreenGoo wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2025 1:40 pm Black Myth: Wukong has taken a top spot on my list.
Interesting since I found it both frustrating and the world uninteresting. I know a lot of people that really loved it but it didn't click with me at all. 3.6 hours played per steam.

I think a big part of it is the weapon. Meh.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by GreenGoo »

Yeah, I can see that, although I personally find it fun. You can craft different weapons, but they are all staves and they all have the same 5 swing light attack combo. It's what you can do between the swings while keeping the combo going that makes it fun.

I find the world interesting because I'm not overly familiar with Chinese folklore/novels. It is quite linear, but at this point I mostly find that a net pro rather than con. I'm there for the combat and skill trees, not the exploration.

Different aspects of these games appeal to different people, I guess.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by GreenGoo »

GreenGoo wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 2:07 pm No Lies of P experience.

Mortal Shell looks interesting. Have only played through the tutorial and early stage. I did not pick it up quickly (skill-wise).
Having now finished Mortal Shell, I have good things to say about it. Gameplay mechanics were interesting, fun and new. Combat, my favourite part of these games, was excellent. Fast and dynamic.

However, the game is short. Like, really short. And the world is kind of empty. This seems to be an indie game without the resources to make a fully fledged souls-like. However, whoever was in change of game design deserves an award.

I can't escape all the good opinions of Lies of P, so it is now on my wishlist.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by Scraper »

GreenGoo wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 10:45 am
GreenGoo wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 2:07 pm No Lies of P experience.

Mortal Shell looks interesting. Have only played through the tutorial and early stage. I did not pick it up quickly (skill-wise).
Having now finished Mortal Shell, I have good things to say about it. Gameplay mechanics were interesting, fun and new. Combat, my favourite part of these games, was excellent. Fast and dynamic.

However, the game is short. Like, really short. And the world is kind of empty. This seems to be an indie game without the resources to make a fully fledged souls-like. However, whoever was in change of game design deserves an award.

I can't escape all the good opinions of Lies of P, so it is now on my wishlist.
I tried Mortal Shell three different times and I always bounced off of it really quick. Lies of P on the other hand is at the top of the non From Software Souls Like Pile. I will play through it again when the DLC comes out, if it ever does come out.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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I'm 90% of the way through Dark Souls 2 right now. I've enjoyed it, but not as much as DS1. At the moment, I'm stuck behind an infamously difficult boss - the Fume Knight - and he's been one huge PITA (despite the easiest runback in the series so far.)
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by Scraper »

Blackhawk wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 1:18 pm I'm 90% of the way through Dark Souls 2 right now. I've enjoyed it, but not as much as DS1. At the moment, I'm stuck behind an infamously difficult boss - the Fume Knight - and he's been one huge PITA (despite the easiest runback in the series so far.)
If I'm thinking of the right boss he's an optional DLC boss. But I think you need to dodge most of his attacks towards him that way you get behind him. Get 2 hits in and rinse and repeat. The big sweeping attack and the massive area fireball attack are the only exception to this. For those you just want to back away once he telegraphs them. He is really slow, so getting behind him will work as long as you don't get greedy and try to get too many hits in.

Here's a video if you need to see what I'm talking about.

https://youtu.be/NQZufRr2zI4?feature=shared
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by Blackhawk »

He's the only boss in the DLC that isn't optional. He holds the object that the DLC is about acquiring, and he blocks the way to the other bosses.

That's just phase 2 (he's using a trick to lock him into that phase.) In phase 1 he's anything but slow, but I have more problems with phase 2. I've read the strats, and tried a number of them. My problem is that, as a hexer, I don't have health. I can't get hit. I've gotten his patterns and the dodges down, but maintaining that level of reaction for the duration is what sinks me. By the end I start getting slow, and then I get dead. Stupid aging.

But at the end of the day, it's a Souls boss. Live, Die, Repeat. I've gotten him to 20% twice, so it's only a matter of time.
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Blackhawk
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by Blackhawk »

Sure enough, he died. There was some panic rolling, a random parry, and some missed strikes there at the end - getting the last hit in without dying is a very, very nervous thing.

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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by MCQueen2 »

Bloodborne is easily my favorite. The gothic horror atmosphere and the fast, intense combat just hit differently. Dark Souls III comes right after, it’s like the perfect mix of everything the series does best. Elden Ring is amazing, but it’s so huge that it can feel a bit overwhelming sometimes. And Sekiro deserves a mention too, even though it wrecked me more times than I’d like to admit.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by coopasonic »

coopasonic wrote: Sun May 12, 2024 8:57 pm 1. The Surge
This is $2 on Steam right now so if you are curious that about as cheap as it gets. If you don't want to spend the $2 let me know and I will gift it (until my steam credit runs out which should be around 8 copies).
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by Scraper »

Blackhawk wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 8:41 pm Sure enough, he died. There was some panic rolling, a random parry, and some missed strikes there at the end - getting the last hit in without dying is a very, very nervous thing.

Congrats. Getting in just 2 hits then dodging really seems to be the key. Everytime you get greedy and go for 3 you get hit.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by GreenGoo »

coopasonic wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 10:19 pm
coopasonic wrote: Sun May 12, 2024 8:57 pm 1. The Surge
This is $2 on Steam right now so if you are curious that about as cheap as it gets. If you don't want to spend the $2 let me know and I will gift it (until my steam credit runs out which should be around 8 copies).
This was one of my first souls-likes. I friggin loved it. I tried Surge 2 recently and it felt a bit clunky, but targeting body parts to cut off for upgrades is a pretty cool mechanic. It wasn't until Nioh that I started to get frustrated with souls-likes and had to adjust my thinking, so that makes me believe that the Surge was not particularly difficult, comparatively.

At 2 bucks it's a no brainer, if you have any interest in Souls-likes at all. They also had rewards for defeating bosses in certain ways, which I found really fun.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by GreenGoo »

Wait. I just realized coop listed the Surge ahead of Bloodborne. My world view has been shattered.

I also forgot Wo Long exists. Opinions?
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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Wo long is really Nioh 3. So if you liked Nioh then you'll like Wo Long.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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Scraper wrote: Wed Jan 29, 2025 5:37 pm Wo long is really Nioh 3. So if you liked Nioh then you'll like Wo Long.
:handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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GreenGoo wrote: Wed Jan 29, 2025 3:18 pm Wait. I just realized coop listed the Surge ahead of Bloodborne. My world view has been shattered.

I also forgot Wo Long exists. Opinions?
Opinions change over time and I haven't played Bloodborne in a LOOOOOOONG time. I've replayed the Surge a couple times in recent years. I think the combat in Bloodborne is better, but the build and gear system in The Surge makes me really happy.

I was kind of disappointed with Wo Long. I didn't like it as much as the Nioh games but it's definitely worth playing.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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Stellar Blade. Souls-like or no?
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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GreenGoo wrote: Fri Jan 31, 2025 11:23 am Stellar Blade. Souls-like or no?
Yes-ish. It’s a blend of souls-like and action RPG. The combat is 100% souls-adjacent.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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How was it?
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

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I enjoyed it. There's a good bit of fan service in there that's a little uhhh distracting. Eventually you get access to an outfit that's family friendly. It's not nearly as bad as Code Vein in that regard but it's hard to ignore. There are some puzzle-y elements that are pretty simple but still kind of interesting. There is really only one weapon, but some decent variety in the skill trees and different equipment and enhancements that can benefit different play styles. The story is nothing amazing, but it served its purpose.
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Re: Rank your favorite Souls/Souls-likes

Post by GreenGoo »

I heard about the fan service but I don't really care either way. Same with story. Don't even need one for me. Mortal Shell's seems to be something like "Figure it out like Dark Souls" to which my response is "No".
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