Comment on Hollow Knight: Silksong Sparks Debate About Difficulty and Boss Runbacks
4am@lemmy.zip 2 days agoThe problem with “old difficulty” was that in arcades especially, and even on consoles by way of the industry being smaller and the same people working on both, were designed around quarter-munching.
Stuff was hard to get people to pay up.
I would have preferred modern ideas like bosses are hard because you have to learn their patterns- and to be clear, this is also present - but also the feeling that I’m not strong enough to do anything more than chip damage is a bit annoying.
I think there’s validity in all the arguments I’ve seen people making; but at the same time I’m glad the game’s not easy. I just don’t know if it always needs to be punishing through frustration.
(The thing that pisses me off the most are those
Red flower buds you need to pogo off of. Do they REALLY need to be over spikes every time? Does my downward thrust really need to be at an angle to bounce off them?? I started out being ok with that movement and I’ve never regressed so fast or so hard at anything in a game before. I swear I’ve lost more lives and to that than bosses; and by the game’s very nature that means a run back every time! Ugh!
So that’s why I say there’s a difference between “tricky” hard and “annoying” hard.
I know what you mean with the downward thrust. It just fucks with my platforming.
There's a Wanderer Crest that makes your downward attack like it is in Hollow Knight. That was a game changer for me.
Some arcades were actually a bit more manipulative than that in that they’d get harder depending on how long it was since you last put a quarter in.
Mortal Kombat was one. I noticed this pattern on the snes version of MK3 (can’t remember if it was ultimate or not that I had): I’d easily win one fight, then get demolished by the next fighter. Then continue and that same fighter would be easy, only for the next one after that to be much more difficult. I didn’t have to put quarters into my snes but they just used the same tuning from the arcade machines.
Eventually when I played that game, I was spending much more time on the space invaders minigame lol.
I would have preferred modern ideas like bosses are hard because you have to learn their patterns- and to be clear, this is also present - but also the feeling that I’m not strong enough to do anything more than chip damage is a bit annoying.
This is why I stopped playing Elden Ring. I have no problem learning patterns for boss fights but the perpetual feeling that I’m fighting Godzilla with a badminton racket is obnoxious. Especially after I spent the last 20 hours of play grinding out equipment upgrades and levels. It doesn’t feel fun or rewarding.
Might I ask for which boss this applied to you? I only had this for optional bosses for which I was underleveled and never for required bosses.
I enjoyed getting the shit beaten out of me when fighting the Black Gargoyle in Caelid. I never struggled like that with the required bosses, except a bit for the final boss, which I enjoyed.
Maliketh. First phase I can handle but his second phase can eat my whole ass. I stopped playing after 40 or so attempts. I like a challenge. I’ve beaten every Soulsborne game aside Demon and Sekiro. But there is a point where my frustration overrides the fun I’m having.
Maliketh was pretty easy for me, but everyone struggles at different points.
If your still interested there is an item in Farum Azula (same place as Maliketh), that helps with the fight: Blasphemous Claw.
Maliketh has also pretty low Stance; heavy attacks and/or weapon arts can easily stance break him for a critical attack.
Or you could cheese him with Moghwyn‘s Sacred Spear and maybe the Mimic Tear, but that is probably overkill.
I can’t recall a boss that can’t be dealt with just being overleveled? Maybe Malenia? But she’s human sized not a giant boss. Yeah the final boss kinda sux though but hey it’s the end of the game already might as well power through it.
Hmm maybe the DLC, some of those are damn nasty fuckers.
ozymandias117@lemmy.world 1 day ago
::: spoiler If you’re having trouble with red flower buds, maybe explore a different area.
I found them much easier after I unlocked some other things :::
4am@lemmy.zip 23 hours ago
Thanks for the reassurance. I was starting to do just that, but I’ve only had about 6 hours in game so far and of that I feel like I’m moving pretty slow. So perhaps there is hope yet!