Soulslike - Discussion, News, Memes
This is a community for discussion, news, and memes pertaining to the video game sub-genre "soulslike".
Given Lemmy's size, the definition of soulslike may be treated relatively loosely. While games like the numerous FromSoft titles, the recent Star Wars Jedi games, Lies of P, Nioh and similar games should be the focus, games that incorporate soulslike elements - like Hollow Knight and Blasphemous, for example - may also be discussed here.
Basic Lemmy-quette applies. Additionally, since flairs don't exist yet, please do make sure to include a marker to denote what game your post is about in square brackets for clarity's sake. An example could be:
[BB] This enemy is so difficult!
or
[DS1] Anyone struggling with the gargoyles?
Friends:
Should you have any questions, please do let me know.
- Druid
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"This is true and a valid argument, but I will dismiss it out of hand with an insult because while high on copium I created an interpretation where Tanimura is actually a surrealist genius and everything is a masterplan, despite admitting to being aware of the common knowledge that there was no such deliberate intent behind the world design".
We get it, you love DS2. But I wish you'd focus more on highlighting the great parts instead of trying to justify even the stuff that gets fairly criticised.
Yeah, its surprising to me how many fans of DS2 can not admit that it has its flaws. After not liking it in the beginning 30 hours for not being DS1, I loved it at the end for what it is. Especially the DLC areas are full of atmosphere and Aldia is always a welcome guest at my bonfire. The variety of areas is also something I like, in addition to the different covenants and their interplay.
And the claim about surrealism would be stronger if it would be included in other parts besides only the stitched togetherness of non fitting maps. Inside the maps they are all coherent, which weakens that argument a lot.
The central theme of DS2 is that you're the Cursed One and that the Curse is slowly eating away at you so that you don't know who you are anymore, where you are, or why you are there.
For me, that is a pretty surreal setting.
Yes, but that setting is only portrayed in the introductory cutscene and some of the NPCs dialogue. You can play the full game without interacting at all with that theme. And gameplay IS the biggest part of FromSoft games, so I would argue that everything that isn't directly connected to that is not part of the central theme of the games. Humanity in Dark Souls 1 and 3 would be a good example of what I mean. It is part of the story, of the lore and also directly connected with the gameplay.
As I said. I find the idea fascinating and would like to play the game that they envisioned. But the current DS2 just doesnt really have a strong theme that is connected to everything, besides the monarchs and their crowns.
In my opinion, cutscenes, a shitton of NPC dialog, and visual design are more than enough to establish a theme. The main theme for DS2 is about the curse and the destruction of self that it brings. And the curse is very, very central to DS2. Since, as a gameplay example, when you die, you permanently lose a chunk of HP until you use a human effigy, which helps you remember yourself.
Yeah, I have noticed that too. I don't think DS2 is a terrible game, despite itself. But it does amaze me that you're more likely to get an essay about how ADP or the level design is actually good instead of a more balanced take that appreciates the good and acknowledges the flaws. Though to be honest, fans like that exist everywhere and in all sorts of fandoms. Ninja Gaiden 2 faces the same problem. It's a beautiful mess of a game, but its diehard fans just can't admit that parts of it are unfinished, untested and unbalanced. You can still love the game for its amazing highs even as you acknowledge that some parts are absolute toss.
Well, yes. That's the thing. Tanimura basically had to salvage the project halfway through after its very troubled development, and said himself he would have preferred to start over from scratch but didn't have the time. So yes, it was quite literally stitched together.
DS2 is one of those art projects where I would have really liked to play the original vision. The inclusion of time travel and changing the future in the past would have been an interesting concept for a FromSoft game with their interconnected and freely explorable world.