I tried Elden Ring game and couldn’t believe how poorly designed it is and why it has such a high rating among players. I went so far as to google “why is Elden ring so bad”, and discovered a giant Reddit thread on this topic. The post thoroughly outlined the issues I noticed after spending a bit of time with it. Weirdly enough, there is a giant base of cult-like followers who defend all the poor aspects of the game like their life depends on it. Never seen anything like it.
Discussion
I never understood either. Same with the new path of exile that just came out.
Its a very hard game, I do think some of the enemies should be toned down a tad but over all I like the game.
My problem was not the difficulty itself but the overall sluggishness, poor responsiveness and super unintuitive UI. The game is really empty and repetitive like it was designed by 3 people who just didn’t have the time to put any thought into it. The combat system and targeting are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. There’s no way to get better, just more lucky. This was my experience on PC - the gist of it, but I noticed so much more that I won’t get into here.
I always get destroyed just before I try to dodge.. it is very clunky..
How many hours have you played? There is a steep learning curve to get used to if you have no history playing a FromSoftware game. Not everyone wants to do that, understandably.
I have hundreds of hours in all the Elden Ring/Dark Souls/Sekiro/Demon's Souls games, and consider ER to be one of the greatest video games ever created. The art, music, gameplay, controls, etc. Absolutely incredible.
One of my most played games on Steam.
I spend only 2 nights in it and found it unplayable. The first knight out of town 2 shots me 🤣 I thought maybe I ran into a an OP “town guard” or something.
But combat system is unbearable. Super weird targeting and hit boxes.
The Tree Sentinel is a beginner trap, meant to slaughter you out of the gate. 😂
The combat takes time. Like a lot of time. I must have quit and retried Dark Souls 1 five or six times before it clicked with me.
These games are not for everyone. That said, I'm glad I gave my first FromSoftware game many hours until it all clicked. You have no idea how incredibly beautiful ER is until you get a chance to explore every little bit of it.
There’s a huge difference between hard based on game play mechanics and hard based on gameplay UX. ER seems to have missed the memo about which one to optimize for 🤣
But yeah I guess it’s just not a game for me.
A perfect example of hard done right is black myth wukong. The bosses can be pretty difficult as there are various stages and timings you have to get correctly. There are also various things you can do to tip the odds slightly in your favor but still requires practice. But the game UX is incredibly intuitive, smooth and enjoyable. It’s hard to not feel a sense of joy after playing that, even if you fail to beat a boss after trying 30 times.
I felt like Wukong was a good game but not that great. I know I'm in the minority, but it felt too easy (not a criticism), combat didn't feel that great, and the invisible wall shit was frustrating as hell. Map design was questionable.
Art style was obviously incredible and the soundtrack was spot on. But it felt like a better-than-most Soulslike a few notches below a FromSoftware game.
I think I one shot most everything. Hardest fight took maybe 4-5 attempts.
It may feel that way, but it's completely intentional. It's how their games function. It's part of why people call them the hardest games ever.
You either adjust to it or give up. I understand why a lot of people get frustrated and quit. I was one of them. 😂
If you can hold on and put the time in (might be 10+ hours), it will eventually click and you will be rewarded with one of the greatest gaming experiences of your life.
Have you played any other Souls-likes?
Not that I know of.
It sounds somewhat like the first time I played Demon's Souls back on PS3. It took me a long time to understand the way it wanted me to play it -- if that makes sense. I eventually did fall in love with it but the learning curve was brutal. Everything after that has been iterations, including Elden Ring.
If it's not your thing, it's not your thing. 🤷♂️
There's a Reddit thread with people complaining about something? Unbelievable
Who would have thought 💭
