I think the ledge shimmy mechanic makes sense for the opening area of the game, but it doesn't for every section after the prosthetic arm is introduced. One of my major gripes with Sekiro is that the arm's grapple mechanic has a dedicated button, yet is detrimentally underutilised in combat outside of some rare uses in boss encounters to close gaps. I do wonder how much of the excessive HUD details and game-pausing tutorials were implemented to appease Western audiences, on account of Activision publishing it.
@franklinshure9602 жыл бұрын
Maaan, you're so right about the Japanese VA. The English VA for Kuro sounds like Timmy Turner LOL
@swootproonce6342 жыл бұрын
Gyoubu Masataka makes English the way to go
@franklinshure9602 жыл бұрын
I like that yell, but Im not willing to give up R-O-B-E-R-T-O to get it.
@zlodrim92846 ай бұрын
@@swootproonce634 Nope, Spanish one is better.
@journeration12 жыл бұрын
One thing that fits nicely with your take but that you don't mention directly. Game shows story cutscene before every try on a boss. Wasn't true in earlier games, that only showed cutscene the first try. Maybe less of a problem on PC, but on console this adds some seconds of loading before I can skip the cutscene every try. And sometimes it's a lot of tries so that adds up.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Yes, that is yet another small problem. Well said. Sad to see an issue like that (which they had already solved) crop up here. And that is something I had in mind when I wrote the line about the increased cutscene frequency. That said, the main reason the addition of that to the game annoys me is that it makes precisely zero sense from a story standpoint. Deaths and respawns are canonical parts of the narrative. A person could conceivably argue that all enemy respawning, including the requirement to repeat early phases of boss fights, is somehow related to Ashina's rejuvenating waters, sediments, dragon's heritage, etc---but there is no conceivable argument along those lines in favor of the repeated cutscenes.
@connormccarthy27452 жыл бұрын
Just to offer another perspective, I'm a huge fan of that on PC, so I hope they'd at least decide to leave it in there. On subsequent playthroughs when you're familiar with the lore it can become really nice to zone in and watch those events play out after each death, you notice ingenious little details and moments that you wouldn't have before. I definitely understand how it could be seen as an outright flaw without near instant load times though, engagement is just as important to immersion as that repetition can be.
@dumbfish972 жыл бұрын
This is crazy, never seen my thoughts on top tier game design represented so well. The trust in players is 100 percent the thing I appreciate in games, and the uninterrupted gameplay loop is genius. I mean idk how I didn't realise this earlier when my fav games are soulsborne, dead space, shadow of the colossus, hotline miami, zelda games etc etc Even like the classic approach to tight, gameplay packed missikns in older games like Halo, Doom, Blood etc provides amazing pacing compared to the modern tropes we see in ea, ubisoft and other triple a games.
@Pharexus2 жыл бұрын
🤝
@JC-kl3uc2 жыл бұрын
Preach
@GasStationMan2 жыл бұрын
There's way to criticize something beloved to not only avoid (most) imature backlash form it's fans but also gain their attention and respect as well, and you clearly know how. By recognising why something is loved not by blatant praising but by accurate and honest assessment of it, you show you have clear understanding of the subject which makes you're criticism stand on solid foundation. This (in my opinion) is the reason why most criticism about these games difficulty is dismissed immediately because most people advocating for easy mode do not understand how much difficulty and the gameplay of these games are intertwined with the games very identities.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Ha, thank you. I imagine it helps that I am personally a big fan of the game.
@GasStationMan2 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok you're the GOAT ma man. Made me sub on a video criticising one of my favourite games so you know you're good at what you do. Most well earned sub in a very long time.👍
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Wow, thanks! The video I'm working on for this month is about a movie, but the next video after that---ideally releasing at some point in April---will be about Elden Ring.
@MrFr2eman2 жыл бұрын
All the cons you mentioned were incredibly annoying and disappointing to see on my first playthrough, when I finished the game the first thing I did was look for mods that remove at least some of the pop-ups and HUD. Getting rid of tutorials and alert indications alone made the experiences much better. I hope that was just Activison influence and not the direction Fromsoft is heading. I'd also add to the list how Sekiro handles the skill progression in the early game, where quite a few basic movements like using block, prosthetics or combat arts in the air, or even simply sliding across the ground are needlessly locked behind level-ups, which often happens in formulaic AAA games. Also, I had the opposite experience of comparing Sekiro to other Fromsoft games, it made me love Sekiro more because it felt like Fromsoft had been making roughly the same game for a decade, with everything going slightly downhill after Dark Souls 1. And even Dark Souls 1, which I love dearly, felt very similar to Demon's Souls, less like a spiritual successor/sequel and more like a second try at making the same game. So when Sekiro came out with different movement and combat systems, and story presentation, it was a breath of fresh air for me. The different story approach was my favourite part, having a set protagonist, who can have a dialogue and build relationships with a tight cast of main characters is something I found to enjoy more than the storytelling style of previous games, where a lot of things felt independent of each other.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Well, it sounds like you might actually agree with the whole video then: the pros are the gameplay and the aesthetics/narrative; the cons are the AAA tropes. To quote some guy talking about the big departures the game risked from their previous games: "the risk paid off!" It's not the big departures, but the many small departures, that are criticized here.
@xBINARYGODx2 жыл бұрын
Activision is an easy scape goat - but the large pubs are the not the reason for BS as much as people want to think.
@serraramayfield92302 жыл бұрын
@@xBINARYGODx They absolutely can be
@kevinvolchok142 жыл бұрын
Not starting the game with mikiri makes no sense
@JJPA322 жыл бұрын
This is a fantastic video that helps describe what felt "off" about Sekiro for me on top of the issues I already had with it. I love the game too don't get me wrong. But I don't find myself wanting to come back to it for the third time when I get into a action game mood. Funnily enough, Dark Souls 3 gave me this same problem but I eventually figured out that while I heavily Enjoyed Dark Souls 3 as a first time playthrough, I realized that the game lacked any sort of player agency or depth outside of the streamlined story they provided you. The fact that all the side characters more or less didn't change the world in any substantial way made me realize I was just following a flowchart and had no personally beneficial reason to do anything inworld that benefitted me or even my character. Kill Boss -> Get Souls -> Level up -> Repeat. The world didn't move when I tried stabbing it because it was already dead from the onset. Dark Souls 1 really captured magic in a bottle when they provided players ways to change how you interacted with the world. Covenants having penalties for leaving and providing benefits such as new PVP interactions or Spells or even the ability to kill off covenants from that playthrough permanently led to players having reason to pick their personal ideals and even the ideals of their character in a roleplaying sense instead of ticking off boxes for covenants like an achievement hunter. Massive world interactions such as killed characters gave weight to the players decisions both in the initial playthrough and in future playthroughs by having quests and interactions cut off or even just outright missed instead of the characters just sitting around the hub world forever as glorified merchants at the beck and whim of the player. Being Human or Hollow which changed how the world interacted with you (NPC Invasions, Character interactions) which had their own branching paths such as Mildred being summonable for Quelaag if you were to defeat her as an invader. I really hope Elden Ring goes back to these ideals where the Player isn't in control of the world via being the main character. The world needs to breathe and live on it's own so that we can project our values on the world around us which is what gave Dark Souls it's vast repeated replayability.
@dillylongwaves2 жыл бұрын
I love dark souls 1 and 2, and I just can't seem to keep it up with bloodborne, dark souls 3 and sekiro. I thought this was because of issues I was having outside of gaming, and sure, maybe it is... and maybe that's why I enjoyed dark souls 1 and 2 in the first place; they have an intimacy for me that I just couldn't find in those other games.
@smokeyjo74202 жыл бұрын
The world needs to be the world Miyazaki intended. Sekiro is the masterpiece it should be.
@V0liathon2 жыл бұрын
@@smokeyjo7420 can't see how someone can sound so circlejerky lmao
@smokeyjo74202 жыл бұрын
@@V0liathon Sure ya can. U just tried to make my comment sound extreme and out of the ordinary despite its mild and ordinary nature. It's the language equivalent of junkfood. Kids do it all the time. Take care of yourself and have a great day!
@V0liathon2 жыл бұрын
@@smokeyjo7420 anyone who has put In the hours in each Miyazaki game can realize how each game has rushed elements, its just another thing to consoom. How elden ring now had the first boss in the open world you encounter have lag in the area you fight him, and people act like it's the Mona Lisa
@rob404802 жыл бұрын
Such good content, love your stuff, keep it coming!
@Nabrashaa2 жыл бұрын
I have a real love-hate relationship with cut scenes. I really like the storytelling, and in games as beautiful as this one they are definitely nice to watch. But they can really be too much. Pop ups are just annoying, outside of like a tutorial or a really important item.
@cashhcoww2 жыл бұрын
I want an actual answer for "has anyone ever enjoyed pressing x to hug wall". I just finished playing through God of war and there was soooo much of those annoying and slow climbing and crawling events. Surely there's a reason for it, I haven't been able to find an answer though
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Well, I haven't played that game, but sometimes things like that are used to hide loading of upcoming areas. That is pretty clearly not the case in Sekiro, though, so I'm not sure.
@JC-kl3uc2 жыл бұрын
On top of that GoW commits the first cardinal sin of video games - unskippable cutscenes... It's a genuinely better experience if you whatch it on YT then play it yourself, sadly.
@SleepyMatt-zzz2 жыл бұрын
I think the thing that drove me to stop playing the game was farming talisman for prosthetic tools. I'm currently stuck at Guardian ape, which for anyone who has beaten the game knows how difficult the fight can be (I'm sure there's some giga chad that beat him on their first go). A key strategy to beating him involves using specific prosthetic tools, which can be a huge risk considering talisman are consumable items. This has also happened to me with other bosses too, particularly monstrous and headless ones. I think making them a consumable item was misguided, since it is a secondary mechanic that punishes players who die after using them. The limitations presented from this mechanic prevented me from experimenting because I did not have the flexibility to lose talisman by mistakenly dying. I think the devs realized this too, as they also gave players consumable items that makes it easier to farm such items. Sure you can buy them, but what if you have no balloons, or no money because you are busy making expensive mistakes? No one liked farming grasses in DemonSouls, no one liked Bloodviles in Bloodborne, so I don't understand why they reintroduce it in Sekiro with talisman. I think the last thing struggling players want to do is run around in circles farming for items that randomly drop from enemies. It seems like they balanced the scarcity problem in Dark souls 3, were you receive flasks for both health and magic/arts. I feel like they should have done something equivalent in Sekiro.
@abhishekvalsangkar2 жыл бұрын
Is it really that big of a deal? Spirit emblems are super cheap and drop all the time from enemies, and unlike Bloodborne you don't even have to sacrifice any levels for it. If you haven't beaten the ape, they cost like 20 sen. Just find a money farming spot, get a hundred of them and never think about it ever again. Yes, I agree, they should've given you a minimum 5 or something, but the game is fairly generous with them. Hardly what I call a deal breaker.
@MrMetalhorse2 жыл бұрын
Dude, if you're running out of those you must be spamming the prosthetic arm like crazy. I clearly remember getting to that fight and having like 900 emblems.
@griffithdidnothingwrong71172 жыл бұрын
The only time I had a small problem with that was ishiin cause he beat my ass so many times I ran out but if you just stick to it you don't even need spirit emblems
@afterastrum2 жыл бұрын
Sekiro to me is one of the best games ever made, and I started to get that ‘oh he just wants it to be more like Dark Souls’ feeling, but on watching the whole video and doing a bit of reflecting you’re completely right. I think for me I loved the game so much I overlooked and probably didn’t even notice the flaws as flaws while playing, but looking at it objectively, so many of the little details add up to take away from being fully transported into the world. From the intrusive pop-ups to the ledge shimmying, they all culminate to make you feel like you’re in a room playing a video game. And that’s where the genius in this video is: you perfectly explained how DS1 makes sure to NOT give you that feeling. The long stretches of just exploring, combat, and even the lack of music throughout large swathes of the game pull you in and keep you there, punctuated at appropriate times by NPC dialogue and cutscenes to break it up. I think Sekiro’s larger reliance on dialogue and cutscenes were necessary for being more cinematic and story-driven, which is what the game set out to be and so isn’t bad by any means, but as said above, add to the video game feeling. I think a good litmus for how well a game immerses me is by playing high, because the annoyance of being stopped by a pop-up is tenfold when I’m stoned and really want to escape into a game’s world hahaha
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for taking the time to consider the subject and understand my perspective. I genuinely think that my writing on this particular video could've used another draft to make it more clear, as I should've drawn a sharper distinction between 'FromSoft's best design philosophy' and 'the details that cause Dark Souls to embody FromSoft's best design philosophy'. As it stands, I think it's much too easy for viewers to come away from the video mistakenly thinking that I'm saying Sekiro should've done specific things that Dark Souls did (which, of course, I'm not). For that reason, it's certainly comforting to hear that someone who felt the video was leaning in that direction was still able to see the actual point in the end.
@user-zy7jx2rn1j2 жыл бұрын
I still think on the cutscenes thing it really is based on preference. Personally I like being told the story more directly and cinematically like it's a movie rather than having to read item descriptions or talk to some random npc's (albeit sekiro still has that too). For me it makes it so I actually can understand what's going on in the story instead of having to watch a vaati video to know what the fuck is going on.
@afterastrum2 жыл бұрын
@@user-zy7jx2rn1j yeah i don’t have a problem with cutscenes at all, and i like the ones in sekiro a lot. but it’s definitely a small part that adds to many other small parts that kinda ‘video game’ the setting, which dark souls doesn’t do. whether you see that as bad or not is like you said preference, i don’t mind either but it does show how unique dark souls is
@Alpha_beef2 жыл бұрын
underrated as hell. Keep up the good work!
@riptide_w2 жыл бұрын
having all these popup UI elements and reward items made me feel like you are not fighting the bosses due to reasons the player can decide for themselves but rather in order to unlock a new ability or prosthetic additionally i think the punish upon death could have been a lot higher, i felt a clear difference between my yolo wolf gameplay and the iconic precarious walk to the next bonfire. losing your money in sekiro does not really matter at all, especially when being able to convert it to item form and even the spirit meter or whatever its called rarely has important abilities that cost more then 3 levels which you can collect in a breeze
@customersupportdeer61502 жыл бұрын
Thats because you can sprint through every level and checkpoints are abundant. That is simply a result of the level design and type of game that Sekiro is. Personally, I would have favored the Bloodborne approach, where the enemies that kill you take your bloodstain. It would even make much more sense thematically, since most of the Sekiro enemies probably are interested in your money. What I find much worse is the permanent loss of xp. You loose about 50% with every death. This does not really matter in the early game, but in NG+ and beyond, where it takes several bosses to level up once and everything kills you in one hit, this is infuriating. I have tried to get all techniques for the achievement, and it is the most brutal thing ever. I doubt most people have gotten that achievement without farming.
@tomorrowland80262 жыл бұрын
Another excellent video, thanks!
@jodyestevens99112 жыл бұрын
cant wait to see how elden ring holds up to fromsofts high standards of flow and immersion
@customersupportdeer61502 жыл бұрын
This henious trend to stop the game and fill the screen with a tutorial message is simly the worst. I hated it in Sekiro and I hate it in Elden Ring. What I don't understand is that it has such a simple and elegant fix: just one "display tutorial messages?" option in the menu. The team at FromSoft are so talented, they MUST know how outrageous these messages are on repeat playthroughs, yet they did not bother with the menu option. To me this shows a real lack of care for the game(s). Even worse, in Elden Ring, there is a whole section in the inventory with "clues and messages", which shows the tutorial for every system. The next best thing apart from the menu option would have been a small "hint/tutorial added" popup, not a full-screen tutorial.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Elden Ring does have that option! One of the first things I turned off in the menu. It was a very welcome change.
@customersupportdeer61502 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok ... damn it, I know I was drunk when first starting the game and playing with the menu, but not this drunk... It really couldn't be more obvious xD thanks.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
@@LazarusBell Well, yes, you're right. I'm hoping to have a video on Elden Ring done next month. But it's not a philosophical analysis like the Dark Souls video---it'll be closer to this Sekiro video (although I am also actively working on another FromSoft philosophical analysis video).
@RobinKannagi2 жыл бұрын
I see and enjoy all the points you brought up on this. You got my sub for sure. Those minor gripes do have a toll on how I’ve played Sekiro. The pop-ups do throw me off so heavily when I rerun through the game, simply since I’m bored and want to jump in to a game on a whim. I still absolutely love the game though, and it is among my favorites. The Soulsbourne series and Sekiro are among my top games.
@shrekneutron15872 жыл бұрын
This is totally unrelated to any topic brought up in the video but where did you get that outro music? I freakin love it, it's always a little low key highlight of your videos
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Ha, it's a partial track made by a good friend of mine. More of his musical experiments can be found on his defunct KZfaq channel: kzfaq.infovideos
@shrekneutron15872 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok lol thanks man, I appreciate the pointer!
@hamdiatasoy24562 жыл бұрын
You are very good at writing. I always look for more good quality gaming video essay channels but most of this platform is filled with derivative "Dark Souls: A Flawed Masterpiece" or sappy "I was going to kill myself but ds2 dlc saved my life" videos.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for saying so! One of my guiding principles is that I try to make the kinds of videos that I personally prefer to watch---so I know exactly what you mean about how hard it is to find this kind of stuff.
@ty-xq7bl Жыл бұрын
he also doesnt have a bri-ish accent
@MarkHogan994 Жыл бұрын
@@ty-xq7bl Kinda funny that British accents bother you, lol.
@zlodrim92846 ай бұрын
@@ty-xq7bl British accent isn't the problem, the dry, whiny, "wah, I'm so cynical" style many wannabe video essayists and analyses videos use is tired, annoying and became a trope at this point. It's also a cowardly way to give a video faux perception of depth.
@Shakedown19692 жыл бұрын
Glad to see my favorite game talked about. I wish you would have mentioned the Gauntlet of Strength and the additions it made. Remixes of the most story important bosses with new moves and behavior and a grueling challenge make the games combat shine even brighter than normal.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
The gauntlets are certainly a nice touch that plays to the game's strengths---but even if they were mentioned in this video, it likely would've just been in a single sentence in the section that's already heaping praising on the combat.
@mrickard36212 жыл бұрын
Shadows Die twice, and Whispers die thrice…. BUT GOONIES NEVER DIE!!!!
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I'm most intrigued by your premise that whispers die thrice.
@mrickard36212 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok it is common knowledge that whisper is derived from the root words WHIZ and PEAR. WHIZ as in cheese whiz which is dead milk, and PEAR as in squishy fruit that dies quickly after purchase. The 3rd death is from the ears who have to strain to listen to the softly spoken word. COME ON GEMSBOK EVERYONE KNOWS THIS DONT BE A THICKY.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Ah, makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.
@aperson98472 жыл бұрын
I always say that Sekiro is the best game I don't like. What they pulled off with the combat system is objectively impressive, but I don't even include it as a Souls game because almost everything I love about Fromsoft's traditional game design is missing here. I love all the ways that Souls games break away from standard gaming tropes, and the fact that so many of them are added into Sekiro is not a positive thing. I didn't think about a lot of the things you pointed out here, but you're completely right. I actually really like how Elden Ring updated their item pickup display, that it never actually interrupts gameplay, and the larger prompt only shows up the first time you pick up an item of that type.
@qwill609 ай бұрын
I think it's another instance of publisher sticking their fingers where they aren't wanted/needed. Activision influencing the design philosophy in that way was what I've been going back to while watching the video, they are famous for being a very hands-on publisher, especially for their cash cows. I'm honestly just glad they didn't insist on filling the game with some sort of micro-transaction(who am I kidding they absolutely did insist but it was just a make-or-break thing for from so they backed down), but I overall agree with your thesis of it detracting from the game. Your only critique that bothered me, was the likening the kill animations to mortal combat. Like many things in Sekiro from the pacing to the dialogue presentation, The kills being cartoonishly graphic is a very overt homage to Akira Kurosawa's Samurai movies. I think it's one of from strengths and maybe sometimes weaknesses how much the lift directly from other media.
@Wenyfile2 жыл бұрын
While Sekiro is my favorite fromsoft game. (haven't played bloodborne or demons souls) The reason it is my favorite is because I value the combat system of a game, especially fromsoft games extremely highly and I think Sekiro does it the best. Dark souls does immersion and world "feel" a hundred times better. Dark souls 1 world design is so good and dark souls 3's level design is so good. I recently replayed ds3 and Sekiro and ds3 makes you feel so immersed in the world. The atmosphere is excellent. Sekiro has almost none of those qualities, the story in Sekiro while actually being a story is way less intruiging than the seemingly random ramblings of characters in dark souls. You explained really well some of the reasons why Sekiro doesn't have the same immersion (for lack of a better word) as dark souls. If I valued combat just a little bit less ds3 would probably be my favorite. While I respect ds1 for the things it does its bosses are extremely trivial and simple to the point where only a few took more than 1 try for me, except for capra demon, fuck capra demon, unironically the hardest fight in all souls games i've played for all the worst reasons. I think the dark souls combat system has reached it's limits shown clearly by elden ring. Sekiro showed how masterful fromsoft is in creating a combat system when the scope of the system is limited. I hope fromsofts next game will be a narrow-scoped focused system like Sekiro. Maybe they can create a magic focused game that has the excellent feel of Sekiro, instead of it feeling secondary and almost cheat-like like in the souls games.
@jimmyrustles3582 жыл бұрын
Sekiro is my favorite game of all time and I agree with your points. I feel like From was a little too scared to "let it rip" and did everything they could to make entrance to the game easier for new players, even at the games detriment. I have even more criticisms of the game, but it all really stems from From really holding themselves back (whether intentionally or not).
@noxanneballadynasowacka61252 жыл бұрын
Hey Daniel! Fantastic video as always. Thank you for sharing your extremely well spoken perspective. Allow me to add a few of my thoughts to the discussion. (Regarding cutscenes). While I resoundly empathize with your disappointment over the abundance of cutscenes in Sekiro, it makes me think of what Matthewmatosis frequently comments on: developer's intentions. Though Matthew laments FromSoftware's lack of design ingenuity in their titles following DARK SOULS, his insights do shed some light on perspectives that Sekiro was formulated on. Sekiro lacks the purposeful roughness of FromSoftware's previous games, since its aspirations are very different: you don't make a character in Sekiro. You do not choose a loadout more substantial than your choice in prosthetic tools and combat arts. The story is considerably more focused and involved than it ever was in the Soulsborne games. If DARK SOULS had Sekiro's cutscenes and dialogue as frequent as that in Sekiro, I think I would've hated it, but Sekiro would be laughably directionless without them. I can only speak for myself, but I strongly applaud From's commitment to not rehashing their old beats to such a degree as to pander to the community obsessed with the stamina bar, item descriptions, online interactions and build customization. I love that we did get something unapologetically different. (Interruptions). Again, even though DARK SOULS entrusts the player with the freedom to roam about and kill just about any NPC, to their chagrin or otherwise, I can see why the same level of freedom would’ve been very out of place in a game weaving a more focused narrative. I can see where are you coming from when advocating for fewer cutscenes, but the opposite of it are results independent on the abundance of cutscenes themselves. Take the Corrupted Monk for example. By that stage into the game, you as the player have full knowledge of why you’re headed towards the Fountainhead Palace; the Dragonrot must be stopped, Kuro will (presumably) have to die, the player has seen the uncomfortable implications of what the Dragon’s Heritage does to men. To this end, you must vanquish a powerful adversary you had encountered earlier, and the dramatic soundtrack only empowers that feeling of high stakes. I personally found the more story-driven motivation working wonderfully in Sekiro, whereas in the Soulsborne games I often felt driven just because the boss itself was fun to fight. I absolutely do feel for your disappointment with Sekiro lacking many of the Souls-like elements that did elevate DARK SOULS far above its competitors. When I first played Sekiro, I was almost upset with how little DARK SOULS there was in it; I just wanted a Souls-like game with more samurai. That said, in 2022, having replayed Sekiro many times over, I’d never want it any other way and it is by far my favorite FromSoftware game (and I personally herald that it is their *best* game, when accounting for what the developers set out to do vs. how much they’ve succeeded). Some grievances, such as having to skip a cutscene between boss phases, are, to me at least, an acceptable stumble in a game so otherwise beautifully constructed.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough and perceptive comment! If you're curious about my own (over-lengthy) responses to your points, read on: There are two levels of commentary occurring in this video. On the one hand, there is the macro-perspective, theoretical level where I am discussing the art-first philosophy which seems to have governed the production of games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls moreso than Sekiro. On the other hand, there is the micro-perspective, technical level where I am discussing the specific set of obtrusive AAA design cliches that appear in Sekiro (these often don't appear in their earlier games, but that is not crucial to the point). As it stands, these levels are somewhat mixed up in the content of the video, and with another draft I am certain that I would have separated them more clearly. But because of this confusion between those two points, several people have misunderstood the video as saying that Sekiro should've been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but you are not alone in thinking that it is. As I say, I blame myself for this. What I am actually arguing is that the elements listed in that second level provide independent evidence for Sekiro's change in the first level. It's not quite a coincidence that those elements are less prevalent in their earlier games (after all, I take it to be a result of the macro-level philosophy in question), but it's still practically irrelevant to the main point being made. That is, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of such things. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) This mismatch between that set of intrusions and the majority of its design in turn demonstrates a departure from the art-first approach implied by the production of their earlier games. This kind of mismatch would be a flaw in any game---I just don't hold most games to such high standards because the vast majority of the industry has not showcased the level of care that FromSoft has in selecting mechanics and designs. In other words, I am not asking for the removal of narrative material, instruction, or even outright tutorializing---just better blending of narrative and tutorial into gameplay. It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text; for there to be an option to disable the tutorial messages and 'tips'; for bosses to speak more during combat rather than primarily in cutscenes (and even then, only having those cutscenes or that dialogue present for the first time they are seen/heard); and for Wolf to be able to continue sneaking around while eavesdropping. In the end, Sekiro only does a mildly better job of leading players through its world than FromSoft's earlier games. If you think otherwise, you should take some time to browse through the game's Steam discussion forums. Numerous players fail to find all three critical paths on their own after their first trip through Ashina Castle; although I had no trouble with it myself, level design, enemy placement, and/or dialogue should have been reworked to make those paths more clear, not less clear, to players. The big ways that Sekiro is different from FromSoft's earlier games are the greatest strengths (one might even say 'pros') of the game; it's the _small_ ways it's different that are regrettable. But it's still a terrific game, and I respect it---and even enjoy it---more than Dark Souls II or Dark Souls III, specifically because of its many excellent changes to the formula.
@Maxx__________ Жыл бұрын
"Instruction manual on controller usage", nice.
@forlidman2 жыл бұрын
On the topic of invisible walls. I find that the invisible walls that prevent you from falling off ledges unless you jump kinda make all of the platforming feel non engaging. There is no challenge or nuance to it. For how awkward dark souls platforming was, at least you could feel the danger of gravity and strategized and develop technique to get through the encounters. I love sekiro as one of from's best but some of this stuff let me down.
@tombcruisin2 жыл бұрын
This is the exact reason I specify to people that Modded SekiroTM is in my top 10 games but vanilla is not. Great vid.
@wedding27102 жыл бұрын
This was a really good video. Would like to see a similar critique of DkS3 from you. I think it's missing something that Dark and Demon's had, but I haven't figured it out yet beyond the obvious linearity and immersion-breaking fan service. It feels more like a gauntlet than a world to me, whereas the opposite was true for the first two Souls. Edit: "Fan service," not "fanservice." There weren't any gratuitous anime titties. As far as I can recall
@shawnmarcum80782 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't say it goes way overboard with fan service as much as I thought it did, but there is a lot in there. Aldrich and Anor Londo are nice mix-up of that fan service because the castle is pretty much ruined and Aldrich has eaten Gywndolin. Sure there's your firelink shrine, but it still felt different and I think Ds3 was a montage of the good moments they had with Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, and even Bloodborne. Was it a regression? Maybe. But they did it the way they wanted to do it. And it introduced more people to the series while not trying to take an obsene amount of stuff out.
@741852BEC2 жыл бұрын
I never get this "too much fanservice" critique. It pissed me off why it is always here as if it's a damning point to the game. Oh, the 3rd game of the series has stuff from the first 2 games, what a shock. So if Miyazaki wants to tie up something in Anor Rondo then which is more effective? A: Put down some note/ NPC beside a completely unrecognizable ruined building that may or may not be Anor Rondo or B: actually put Anor Rondo in the game so you can see how much it has been ruined? The entire plot of DS3 is basically a very meta story of how people keep trying to prolong a dying world and bring back the glory of the past and reflect in reality how the Dark Souls series is forced to make sequels that resulted in lower quality products. DS3 is Miyazaki putting his foot down and giving the series a send-off before it can degrade to something like yearly CoD. I feel the placement of "fanservice" is more than earned since this is the last time we will ever see this game universe. If anything, I feel there isn't enough called back actually (RIP a lot of interesting DS2 things) for a grand final. I suggest watching "Dark Souls 3 is Thinking of Ending Things" by Jacob Geller, he puts up a much better analysis than I can here.
@johnhenryfrankel59482 жыл бұрын
I agree that DS3 doesn't feel nearly as immersive as DS1/2/demons, but I'm not sure if it's the fan-service. I think it might be the world design. There are incredibly immersive individual levels, but the distinct aesthetic changes and breaks between them kind of soften the otherwise insanely high immersive-ness. Even DS2, with some definitely weird fucking level switches (windmill is the most obvious example), still feels more like a cohesive world than a set of levels.
@wedding27102 жыл бұрын
@@741852BEC I mean, you're right in that the fan service ties in with the themes and it's not poorly-done at all. I suppose it's a matter of personal taste. I can't help but roll my eyes at a lot of it, and while it's fairly well justified in the context of the world, story, and meta-story, that doesn't undo the initial cringe response. For me. Most people probably aren't that bothered by it, which is good. Maybe I'm more alone in this than I thought, which is good too.
@JC-kl3uc2 жыл бұрын
@@741852BEC The problem is it doesn't just reuse locations and characters from the first 2 games. It also resuses locations and scenarios from Demon's Souls as well. If DS3 trully is a metanarrative on stagnation like Jacob Geller suggestes in his video essay, that still doesn't excuse it being a derivative game. To me It feels like a quick cash grab forced by a publisher contract. ER is what DS3 should've been, and even that game isn't orginal enough imo.
@jamesarthurkimbell2 жыл бұрын
I have a similar complaint about Resident Evil games, how the best ones leave you alone for hours of uninterrupted exploration, and how cutscenes can break that. But nothing in Sekiro triggers the same effect for me, and it's hard to say why, other than "these things are subtle and ineffable." Dark Souls 1 had something that crushed my immersion, which was the language. They would throw "eth" and "est" onto random words in an attempt to appear fancy, and they would totally get it wrong, which meant that the most regal characters sounded the dumbest. (This was fixed in DS3, btw.) That's because I have enough familiarity with Early Modern English to know what works, but for someone else that simply wouldn't be a problem.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I've studied many works in Modern English, Early Modern English, and Middle English. Although I know they're generally wrong, for whatever reason those pseudo-archaisms don't bother me. Strange as it seems to us, that's just how early generations of sentient beings spoke in the Souls universe.
@olav_2 жыл бұрын
I 100% agree will bacicly everything that you said in the video. Personally there are also some other things why i personally prefer souls games and bloodborne. The build diversity is one big thing for me and I find repeat playthroughs to be much more interesting in souls games and bloodborne (except of cource DS2 since well that game just feels meh to play). Good example is that a couple of days ago i started a new challenge run for DS1 just because it sounded fun. How ever I personally do really like Sekiro. I would probably personally rank souls games (on repeat playthroughs atleast): 1: Bloodborne 2: DS3 3: DS1 4: Sekiro 5: DS2 And even then the top 3 is not set. like all 3 of those games have their strenghts and in some situations feel better than the others.
@olav_2 жыл бұрын
@@dmytrokovchenko6079 the reason why i dislike DS2 even though there are many build options is that is just feels so awfully to play comparing to the other souls games. I also find the vast majority of the bosses to be meh at best all this combined with a at best mediocre level design... Yeah. And then when it comes to build variety something like Bloodborne and to some extent ds3 might have less individual options but the options they do have are imo a lot more interesting. Like for example bloodborne. You don't have 30 different straight swords but you have single weapons that are more complete.
@vefafox2 жыл бұрын
✨Engagement✨
@mr.beamless16092 жыл бұрын
Yeah, agreed. Sekiro feels kind of like a bigger studio trying to make a From Software game. I guess this is the direction the company is going, but I still got my fingers crossed that Elden Ring will dial back some of the cluttering and interrupting stuff...
@thecountbassy_2 жыл бұрын
Another excellent video! As a fellow FromSoft fanboy, you’ve very succinctly described many things that were subtly bothering me while playing without my being able to put it into words. On top of what you state, I also felt severely tactically limited and mechanically bored by the end of the game. Dark Souls spoils us with so many different play styles and strategies, and I even honestly had more fun in Dark Souls 2 than Sekiro. It was disappointing and kind of funny to play such a fantastic game from a fantastic developer and being let down by the game being just short of the perfection they’ve so clearly proven the ability to reach. Anyway, Elden Ring next week! What a time to be alive! Looking forward to your next video, thanks Gem!
@Enraric Жыл бұрын
In my opinion, many of the cons you listed aren't cons at all, just ways that Sekiro is different from From's Soulsborne games - and sometimes for the better. Take the increased number of cutscenes and dialogue scenes, for example. True, they take control away from the player. But they also add context and identity to the enemies and bosses you will face. Many of the bosses in the game have a personal relationship with Wolf in a way that the bosses in Dark Souls don't. The final boss fight is so awesome in part because you've built up a relationship with Genichiro and Isshin across the course of the game. I think the increased number of cutscenes and dialogue scenes add more to the game than they take away. To be honest, it sounds to me like you wanted this game to be another Soulsborne game, rather than what it is. Miyazaki himself said Sekiro wasn't meant to be in the same lineage as Dark Souls and Bloodborne. I find it ironic, then, that you criticized Elden Ring for being too derivative of Dark Souls. Personally, Sekiro is my favourite From Soft game. I think a major point in favour of the game that you didn't mention at all is that it never drags or drops off in quality. Almost all of From's other games have unfun areas or drop off at some point (e.g. the post-Lorvessel portion of Dark Souls 1). By contrast, Sekiro is all killer, no filler. Despite loving them, I have significant issues with all of From's games - except Sekiro. For Sekiro, I have only nitpicks. For that reason, I consider it their best work.
@TheGemsbok Жыл бұрын
That all sounds fair enough to me! The position you are arguing against, in fact, seems to be somewhat different than what is actually argued in the video. But that's not your fault; I honestly believe that this video in particular is written---or at least structured---less clearly than it should be. If you want an explanation of that, I have copied and pasted the (somewhat lengthy) remarks which have accumulated on that subject in my other comments here over time: "There are two levels of commentary occurring in this video. On the one hand, there is the macro-perspective, theoretical level where I am discussing the art-first philosophy which seems to have governed the production of games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls moreso than Sekiro. On the other hand, there is the micro-perspective, technical level where I am discussing the specific set of obtrusive AAA design cliches that appear in Sekiro (these often don't appear in their earlier games, but that is not crucial to the point). As it stands, these levels are somewhat mixed up in the content of the video, and with another draft I am certain that I would have separated them more clearly. But because of this confusion between those two points, several people have misunderstood the video as saying that Sekiro should've been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but you are not alone in thinking that it is. As I say, I blame myself for this. What I am actually arguing is that the elements listed in that second level provide independent evidence for Sekiro's change in the first level. It's not quite a coincidence that those elements are less prevalent in their earlier games (after all, I take it to be a result of the macro-level philosophy in question), but it's still practically irrelevant to the main point being made. That is, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of such things. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) This mismatch between that set of intrusions and the majority of its design in turn demonstrates a departure from the art-first approach implied by the production of their earlier games. This kind of mismatch would be a flaw in any game---I just don't hold most games to such high standards because the vast majority of the industry has not showcased the level of care that FromSoft has in selecting mechanics and designs. In other words, I am not asking for the removal of narrative material, instruction, or even outright tutorializing---just better blending of narrative and tutorial into gameplay. It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text; for there to be an option to disable the tutorial messages and 'tips'; for bosses to speak more during combat rather than primarily in cutscenes (and even then, only having those cutscenes or that dialogue present for the first time they are seen/heard); and for Wolf to be able to continue sneaking around while eavesdropping."
@Enraric Жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok Ah, that's all fair enough then. I'd still consider Sekiro to be From's best game, because those kind of minor nitpicks are the only issues I have with the game, rather than the more serious issues I have with all of their other games. (Again, I love all of From's work, but it's hard to deny that Dark Souls 1 drops off heavily after Anor Londo, or that Dark Souls 2 is much less careful with its enemy placement, or etc.) But I see where you're coming from now. Also, I just want to say, I really respect you replying to a mostly-critical comment made over 6 months after the video's release. Most creators barely engage with comments at all, and when they do it's usually only for the first few days after the video drops. Thanks for taking the time to clarify the main thesis of your video.
@Lojdika2 жыл бұрын
Other masterpieces without interruptions: Half Life(s) and Portal.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Agreed! Both are absolutely top-tier experiences.
@JC-kl3uc2 жыл бұрын
Cyberpunk kinda tried that to a degree in a huge open world environment, which I think gets overlooked because of its bad reputation. The control is rarely fully taken away from you even during lengthy conversations.
@highwind19912 жыл бұрын
As a huge fan of 3rd person character based action games, having sekiro being a from software version of that, is the reason why this was the best game of 2019 for me. I think that pure immersion works better for something like dark souls. Sekiro was such a departure from that and had a few more mainstream elements and the combat was clearly the main sole focus here. But it still felt like it had that from software touch with it. Playing the entire game in Japanese really made the cutscenes and in-game story elements work for me. But the incredibly different asthetic but still incredibly colorful art style, the more helpful use of checkpoints and even the (yes I agree slightly annoying) use of tutorial screens didn't take away from the incredible difficulty here. I still think this is easily from software's hardest game but also their best combat system thus far. I love the souls games and Elden Ring (which is probably their best overall game) but I also love when they make games that are such a departure from their usual formula like Bloodborne and Sekiro that I kind of want them to make more of that. Games like those remind me that from software is capable of taking chances while still maintaining that level of quality we expect from them
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Well, I am glad to agree that Sekiro is a truly excellent and mechanically original game, and is my favorite game released in 2019. (For me, the only other title that comes close to that ranking for that year is Slay the Spire.)
@j.j.47082 жыл бұрын
Luckily there's a mod that removes item popups. Also one to reduce or remove UI elements
@wilfredwayne71392 жыл бұрын
Just beat genichiro earlier today and now I'm on that pain in the ass guardian ape and boy is he annoying.
@zwhsantwnopoylos5972 Жыл бұрын
Honestly i didn't enjoy the game all that much and difficulty was not an issue. Going for the platinum right now and i can't stand it for more than 1 hour at a time whereas i could play ds1 and da3 non stop even today. My issue is that once you get the parry feeling the game becomes a simple puzzle where you just need to figure out a specific enemy's timings over and over again. It's too short and recycles the ashina castle 2 times, the enemies are not interesting , not a single game defining boss , terrible death system where is a worse version of Bloodborne's system , horrendous skill trees where most are completely useless and worst of all these is no exploration. In my first playthrough it took me 2 hours from the moment i defeated the divine dragon to finish the game. It ends so abruptly and the story is not nearly interesting enough to make you replay it at all.
@willkersey734010 ай бұрын
Honestly a lot of the cons that you listed are things that i had noticed and was disappointed by to varying degrees on my first playthrough. However, i had completely forgotten about the small letdowns by the time i finally defeated sword saint isshin. The exhilaration of Sekiro's combat and world design completely erased any misgivings i may have had momentarily. The flow of combat is so tightly engineered that i will still tell people that Sekiro *might even be* my favorite From Soft game that I've played to date. Truthfully, Dark Souls 1 or Bloodborne have just as much claim to that title for me, with each accruing at least double the playtime i invested in Sekiro. Nonetheless, Sekiro is one of the very rare games that can truly put me into the much vaunted and highly sought after gamer flow state - laser focus that can almost feel euphoric as i am compelled to track the action frame by frame. The only other games that have accomplished a similar feat have all found themselves among my favorite games of all time. Doom Eternal, Burnout Paradise, and F Zero GX come readily to mind. I'm not really a huge fan of racing games but it's interesting to me that Sekiro scratches a similar itch as the best racing games I've ever played. The high octane, high precision, rhythmic gameplay produces a truly unique sensation.
@batchagaloopytv5816 Жыл бұрын
only fromsoft game i havnt put hundreds if not thousands(DS2 DS BB ) of hours into -thousands
@gianlucaangeli Жыл бұрын
while i understand the general idea behind your criticism , there is definitely too much emphasis on stuff that can easily be disabled or outright skipped. Plus some aspects of the game game design of DS1 like the absence of teleport from the beginning or the (sometimes) huge distance between a bonfire and the boss make it an objectively more frustrating experience. There shouldn't be a trade off between immersione and QoL.
@TheGemsbok Жыл бұрын
'Objectively' is a difficult word. I'd venture to say that, among players who have completed both games, no one has spent remotely as long on their first kill of any individual boss in Dark Souls (runs through the level included) as they have grinding out attempts against Devil of Hatred or Sword Saint Isshin. And speaking for myself, I'll never be as frustrated or annoyed by sparse checkpoints as I will by having to manually skip hundreds of micro-interruptions like cutscenes, tutorial tips, and full-screen item descriptions in every session. As to the general point about immersion and quality-of-life not being necessary tradeoffs with each other, I'd agree. But neither game is a shining paragon of quality-of-life polish, while I would contend that Dark Souls is at least a very impressive example of immersion.
@TheGemsbok Жыл бұрын
@@scandalouspanda7489 Yes, it would've been more accurate for me to say that I'll almost never be annoyed _period_ by sparse checkpoints in a FromSoft game. But that would have muddied my main point in responding to the other commenter, which was simply that the elements in question---even if arguably similar in being potential sources of player annoyance---do not affect player psychology, immersive potential, or the overall experience of a game in the same way.
@chadtucker4267 Жыл бұрын
One issue I take with your critique, while astute, is that it seems it stems from Sekiro’s divergence from the Dark Souls series formula. While player autonomy is definitely more restricted in Sekiro than prior Souls games, it is the first “Soulsborne” to have a definitive narrative that is expressly told to the player at the beginning of the game. You know who you are, what your purpose is, and why you are playing the game. DS1 tells you about a legend of the undead pilgrimage, but you are intended to uncover the narrative on your own. The story they told in Sekiro would not have been easy had they done it in the same manner. It is precisely how much the game forces you to interact with the other characters dialogue and watch cutscenes that causes the player to form relationships to those characters. Would anybody really care about helping Kuro if they had to figure out their relationship to him on their own? Also, Sekiro may share similarities with the Soulsborne games, but I don’t personally feel that you can classify it as a “Soulsborne”. Arguing the point that sekiro doesn’t have enough dark souls game design is almost akin to arguing the Armored core doesn’t have enough dark souls game design. My main point is, in imagining that Sekiro had stayed closer to the original dark souls game design philosophy, it is hard to imagine what kind of game it would have been. It wouldn’t be Sekiro, it would be dark souls in ancient Japan.
@TheGemsbok Жыл бұрын
The position you are arguing against is different than what is actually argued in this video. But that's not your fault; I honestly believe that this video in particular is written---or at least structured---less clearly than it should be. If you want an explanation of that, I have copied and pasted the (somewhat lengthy) remarks which have accumulated on that subject in my other comments here over time: "There are two levels of commentary occurring in this video. On the one hand, there is the macro-perspective, theoretical level where I am discussing the art-first philosophy which seems to have governed the production of games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls moreso than Sekiro. On the other hand, there is the micro-perspective, technical level where I am discussing the specific set of obtrusive AAA design cliches that appear in Sekiro (these often don't appear in their earlier games, but that is not crucial to the point). As it stands, these levels are somewhat mixed up in the content of the video, and with another draft I am certain that I would have separated them more clearly. But because of this confusion between those two points, several people have misunderstood the video as saying that Sekiro should've been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but you are not alone in thinking that it is. As I say, I blame myself for this. What I am actually arguing is that the elements listed in that second level provide independent evidence for Sekiro's change in the first level. It's not quite a coincidence that those elements are less prevalent in their earlier games (after all, I take it to be a result of the macro-level philosophy in question), but it's still practically irrelevant to the main point being made. That is, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of such things. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) This mismatch between that set of intrusions and the majority of its design in turn demonstrates a departure from the art-first approach implied by the production of their earlier games. This kind of mismatch would be a flaw in any game---I just don't hold most games to such high standards because the vast majority of the industry has not showcased the level of care that FromSoft has in selecting mechanics and designs. In other words, I am not asking for the removal of narrative material, instruction, or even outright tutorializing---just better blending of narrative and tutorial into gameplay. It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text; for there to be an option to disable the tutorial messages and 'tips'; for bosses to speak more during combat rather than primarily in cutscenes (and even then, only having those cutscenes or that dialogue present for the first time they are seen/heard); and for Wolf to be able to continue sneaking around while eavesdropping."
@chadtucker4267 Жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok I see. If your ultimate goal is to express how certain technical aspects of the game ruin the immersion, enjoyment, or whatever the ever elusive “dark souls vibe” is, then I can see and even agree with you on that count. From a purely mechanical perspective, Sekiro did impede the player far more than in previous From Software titles. (I didn’t care for many of the UI elements you mentioned in the second half of your video myself). In regards to the structuring of your video, I didn’t mean to imply your argument was explicitly “not enough dark souls in Sekiro”. Perhaps it’s my own interpretation of the points you made in the first half of the video, but the two halves seemed disconnected. It appeared as though you were trying to address two separate grievances, the first being a disappointment in Sekiro’s divergence from things that made you love Dark Souls, and the second being technical game elements you felt subtracted even further from your experience of the game. Saying now that your issues with the latter case heavily influence the former, your position makes more sense to me. As a side note, I’m not offended by your opinion or anything like that. I was just a little surprised as I know your other videos to be very philosophical and thorough. This one seemed to me at first to be a little contrived, and for one of my favorite games of all time lol. Love your videos btw.
@finalscenedev40952 жыл бұрын
FROM basically wanted to do something different - its obvious from the beginning when you step into the shoes of Wolf and not your own player created avatar. I think the main goal of the game was to recreate and exaggerate the thrill of life and death sword combat , and that core goal informed every other design decision. From there, they were probably like, we want to focus on the one fighting style and make it very deep, we wont add any more main weapons. Since the player doesnt have the choice of how to play, why give them the choice of creating their own character when they'll have to play the same way? Now since we've decided on a main character, it would make sense to have a story around them and give it greater importance, etc etc. All these things probably influenced each other in a feedback loop until we got the final game. And that's fine. I also prefer the more Dark Souls atmospheric approach of letting the player figure things out and reducing the gamey elements which break immersion, but Sekiro was going for something else and I think it nailed it for the most part. The game would not be able to work if it did take the Dark Souls approach for a lot of things, or at least it wouldnt be what it is and its strengths would be diluted.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
It seems like you may have slightly misunderstood what is argued in this video. All of the things you praise in that comment---the combat mechanics, the targeted alt-historical atmosphere, the presentation of Wolf, the details of the story---are exactly the strengths (one may even say 'pros') that receive enormous praise here. The big ways that Sekiro is different from From's other games are excellent; it's the _small_ ways it's different that are regrettable. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text. To put it another way, it's not remotely important that Sekiro didn't do specific things that Dark Souls did. What's important is that the philosophy of art-first design which produced Dark Souls without reliance on obtrusive design clichés seems to have faded from the minds of the team when producing Sekiro.
@kokoberi6002 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok after playing elden ring i have a suspicion that those things present in darksouls might have been accidents and not masterful consideration to detail from fromsoftware, maybe if someone had idea back then there would be item pop up in ds. Now when they a a bigger company they are slowly drifting to mainstream game design and are just taking a niche of a hard swordy games, with haphazardly implemented mechanics from demonsouls/darksouls1 in just so hardcore fans dont review bomb the game. But one day people will realize that the true immersive forward thinking game design isn't souls but Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie™ and we shall all praise the random french team whom made it.
@JC-kl3uc2 жыл бұрын
@@kokoberi600 " might have been accidents and not masterful consideration to detail from fromsoftware, maybe if someone had idea back then there would be item pop up in ds." Well they've actually mentioned in one of the interviews that they're not very good with tutorials, and that's why they are doing partnership with Activision. So yeah... that's exactly what it was, a happy accident.
@talcono44762 жыл бұрын
My big complaint with Sekiro is precisely one difficulty spike I experienced at the end of the game with Sword Saint Isshin. He was *SIGNIFICANTLY* harder for me than every other boss or area of the game. Beating him over the course of several days felt like completely relearning combat from scratch. I've gotten stuck on bosses in Soulsborne games before, Owl and Geni definitely gave me trouble, but nothing has ever been like Isshin. My internal explanation is that I never really learned combat the intended way, and I have always been able to limp along in other Fromsoft games by getting overleveled. Either way, it was extremely rough to hit a brick wall that big and that late in the game. Obviously not at all a universal experience, but I imagine this could be common for anyone else who comes from the more casual gaming side.
@biblequotesdaily66182 жыл бұрын
i blame activision
@zacheryburgett1602Ай бұрын
Sekiro was my first FS game, is my favorite game of all time, and I deeply love it. I don’t think I disagree with your critiques outside of personally enjoying the frequency of cutscenes and perceiving the UI elements that exist as a necessary evil to the functionality of the type of game it strives to be. That said, the combat and aesthetic for me is enough to carry my love of the game passed any of the gripes I may have with it overall. It’s *that* game for me personally. I was praying for a direct sequel, or if not then a proper spiritual successor; something that takes a nearly identical approach to combat generally. I would hope the envelope could get pushed with the addition of 2-4 different primary weapons to use. I understand that may make balancing bosses or general encounters more difficult and that Sekiro is what it is because you only have access to the one katana, but were FS to somehow pull off engineering such a game I could easily die happy. Sadly, I don’t think Sekiro 2 is coming any time soon. But a boy can dream…
@gailardiagalane2 жыл бұрын
It seems that's what we're gonna get from now on. *MICRO ELDEN RING TRAILER SPOILER* It was a major disappointment when I watched Elden Ring character open up a map, select a place, and a pillar of light suddenly erected ingame. I understand the necessity in an open world game, but it kinda destroyed my hope that they'd dial these extradiegetic mechanics.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Well, uh, maybe it's a magic map? Haha, I don't know. Sadly, I agree with you that significant improvement in this area of design is unlikely. It feels inevitable that the more popular a studio becomes, the more it will cater to broad industry trends rather than continuing to improve at serving its original niche. I'm just holding out a little sliver of hope that I'm wrong about one thing I say in this video---that the earliest Souls games are very 'forward-looking.' It would be a real shame if Demon's Souls and Dark Souls actually continue for another 10 or 20 years being some of the only games at their budget level that have the same level of immersion, scope, and trust in the player.
@gailardiagalane2 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok I honestly think we won't see another Dark/Demon Souls equivalent again. Unless the industry starts realizing that creating AA games with smaller teams is better than pooling the population of Kentucky to create one AAA game. It seems that all studios are scared of implementing anything that induces any discomfort to players, even if it enhances the experience. I get it honestly, I had to help my friends multiple times in their Dark Souls play throughs so they wouldn't quit, and even though everyone of them LOVED it. All of them that tried Demon's Souls dropped it cause they faced an inconvenience at some point. I don't know if broad appeal declines games' quality, but it seems that most masterpieces, arguably, are alienating/inconvenient in some way. My only hope with Elden ring at this point - which am excited for - is for it to have a lot of new interesting things happening in the world, and not focus on "difficult" bosses and combat as much as DS3/Sekiro. But I've kinda given up on getting another DS experience.
@Caradeconcha-qd6df2 жыл бұрын
Fromsoft learned that making games more accessible and easy to understand is better in general, DS1 design of constantly getting lost and the only bonfire in 2 hour of gameplay being hide in a secret wall is not very...fun. Imagine Sekiro in the DS1 design, throwing you into a complete new game and don't explain NOTHING about it. i know that those HARDCORE GAMERS love dying and having to rush 1 hour to the same area again e get lost, but people in general like to know how a game works e know where they need to go, like a tutorial on Mikiri Counter ou a indicator in a open world game, how can this be bad?
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
@Caradeconcha1702 If that's your takeaway, I'm afraid you've strongly misunderstood the video. No one is asking for the removal of tutorials---just better blending of tutorials into gameplay. A greater emphasis on Hanbei, for instance, and maybe the addition of a second training partner elsewhere in the world, could've served this purpose well for combat techniques like the Mikiri counter. And if you think people don't get lost when playing Sekiro, you should spend a few minutes browsing its Steam discussion forums. Aside from increased linearity, it does little more to help players navigate than their other games. Many players don't seem to find all three critical paths on their own after their first trip through Ashina Castle, and steps certainly should've been taken in the design to make these paths more clear to players. This video is not about the need for less instruction; it's about the need for less interruptive and less immersion-breaking forms of both instruction and narrative.
@Caradeconcha-qd6df2 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok no no i am not disagreeing with the video or something you said, i am talking more about "studios are scared of implementing anything that induces any discomfort to players", because most of the time people that say this are DS1 fans that think instructing player about the game or just guiding you to a place is "breaking the imersion". I have seen DS1 fans crying about the existence of tutorials in Sekiro, not immersion-breaking tutorials just tutorials in general. i am all for more imersive forms of guidence in games, i just don't agree with guiding the player being a bad thing. i am not criticizing you or your opinion, i am criticizing people that think throwing the player into the world blind is good game design and any form of help (like a pillar of light showing the way) in bad, with i know is not your case :]
@weebto2 жыл бұрын
(Sekiro spoilers ahead) While I do agree with you on many sub-points, such as looting being annoying, being locked in place when talking with npcs or the unskippable pop-up prompts, I respectfully disagree on the complaint towards cutscene density. I mean, elden ring aside (I can't mentally fast forward through its main plot elements yet - even tho 90% of main bosses do indeed have at least one cutscene associated with them), most modern games by Fromsoftware are heading towards the same design direction, and I'm namely referring to Bloodborne and DS3, where even relatively irrelevant things such as discovering Oedon chapel, the arrival of the Cainhurst carriage in Hemwick, unlocking the ladder to Lothric castle etc. get dedicated cutscenes. I humbly think it's merely a matter of From's budget getting bigger and them wanting to show things more theatrically than ever before, when it didn't use to be possible because of budget constraints. Are cutscenes overused? Yes. Are they THAT detrimental to the flow of the game? Arguably not imho, especially in Sekiro where character motifs, plot twists and general story exposition heavily rely on human-to-human interactions, aka dialogue lines. Plus, there aren't even that many boss cutscenes to begin with: 5 for Genichiro(s), 2 for Isshin(s), 2 for the divine dragon, 2 for the folding screen monkeys, 1 each for Emma, Owl and lady butterfly. Most of these are either introductory or they're used to justify crucial phase changes (the 2 separate Isshins, divine dragon) or warps (folding screen monkeys, divine dragon), which also totally happened back in DS1. Also, other "important" bosses such as Gyoubu Oniwa, Owl 2.0, true corrupted monk or the demon of hatred don't even get cutscenes to begin with. To sum it up, I don't think Sekiro is any different from previous Fromsoft games in that regard, and that relying on cutscenes to deliver a message is alright, most of the time. I'm taking the chance to list what I see as the worst flaws of Sekiro in my eyes: 1. Unseen aid. The fact a random number generator replaced bloodstains is awful, and it totally clashes with Fromsoft's signature design philosophy. Dragonrot also sucks; 2. Spirit emblems feel exceedingly limited, and thus prosthetic tools can't properly shine outside of certain scenarios. The "+1 emblem" skill tree upgrades simply don't feel like they're worth it, I'd personally fix this by having each upgrade grant 3 more emblems instead, for a total maximum of 30; 3. Minibosses and respawning ganks. I don't even need to expand upon this point, we all know they suck lol. With that out of the way, thanks for the well-put together video and the constructive criticism! I'm probably gonna binge through your other works in the next few weeks hahahah
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed response! When you say, "Are cutscenes overused? Yes. Are they THAT detrimental to the flow of the game? Arguably not imho," it seems that we are in agreement. In the video, I also pin the uptick in cutscenes on growing budgets for their projects. Yet the increase in cutscenes is indeed relatively minor; I would like to see gameplay and/or in-gameplay dialogue replace some of them, but ultimately higher cutscene density is still just one small point in a list of seven such minor points which (when taken altogether) sum into my only con for the game.
@toggafamai42242 жыл бұрын
Could you review Elden King? Thx
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
A video on that subject is in the writing stage, but is not likely to be completed and published until late April.
@thesanesociety59482 жыл бұрын
this is pretty good
@20thcentury_toy2 жыл бұрын
Lol I literally I've just beaten ishin for the first time
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Ha, great timing. I made this video for you . . . (and everyone else, but you can ignore that part if you want).
@20thcentury_toy2 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok lol, I agree with most of your cons however I give them a pass for trying to make something different and for me the pros overshadow them, but one thing that I feel made a difference is the publisher being Activision, something tells me they'd try to make the game more accessible, and fromsoftware doesn't hide the fact they don't like being exclusively tied to Bandai so trying to favor Activision may have happened
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I hope it's clear from the video that I strongly agree---about the pros ultimately outweighing the cons.
@20thcentury_toy2 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok no I got that, I think my statement was incomplete, I said as a way to say I regard sekiro above ds2 and 3, it'd be probably lower than bloodborne if I had played though
@Ridley702 жыл бұрын
You concluded with what I had in mind, it's more "videogame-y". I agree on all of your points, though I'm very fine with these cons. Sekiro feels way more arcade in its gameplay than the Souls games, and I welcome this diversity. It's a faster paced gameplay loop, with often times unrealistic situations (parrying a flaming bull with a katana, for instance), and from what I'm feeling while playing it, it seems to me that the devs committed on purpose to this aspect and embraced it. This is why I don't think they're cons per say, just a different approach. Good thing the Souls games are going nowhere, being a long time MMO player I'm always happy knowing that these other types of games will remain in their original states for us to replay them at will. To me this makes Sekiro even greater, being as unique as it is. Though we can agree on the tutorial pop-ups. It's interesting seeing how I didn't mind them so far, but now I'm sure I'll be bothered by every single one the next time I'm playing the game. :p It's a nice thing they added a toggle for them in Elden Ring.
@dominiccasts2 жыл бұрын
3:25 even without the perilous notification the game is still very readable thanks to the little glints of light on the sword for stabs, and the fact that all jumpable attacks involve a wide sweeping animation. Granted you have to mod it to play like this, and I'm not sure mods that do so work in 1.06. If they do, I can't recommend enough playing through Sekiro like this (also with tutorials and such removed) as it's both a showcase of how well the underlying animations and VFX design carry the game without anything breaking the 4th wall, and feels a lot more engaging for the reasons you listed. Heck, even playing with the HUD off completely is viable, as the equipped prosthetic is clearly visible on your model, though grapple points are a bit of guesswork if you haven't memorized them.
@mrrixel282 жыл бұрын
2:18 Play kamia’s Wonderful 101 that game has one of the best combat systems ever.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I do intend to play that, but haven't yet.
@simonsgaard3282 жыл бұрын
We want a philosophical analysis of Elden ring pls
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I do have a video about Elden Ring in the writing stage (likely over a month before it's published here), but it is not about philosophy. That said, I am actively working on another FromSoft philosophical analysis---but it will be a long time before it is finished.
@hacman87322 жыл бұрын
You know I wish sekiro had the souls UI option where the HUD would only appear when attacked or interacting with items.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, they get close to this by having an option that auto-hides the primary HUD elements (vitality, prosthetics, items, etc) when they aren't in use. But it has no effect on the presence or prominence of indicators, text prompts, button prompts, etc. For that, they make you turn everything completely off. It's a shame.
@dumbo19502 жыл бұрын
The only issue I can say for sekiro is how difficult it is to know where to go and maybe the difficulty. If someone told me sekiro is the best souls game I'd be OK with that cuz it has the most free combat and the stories more serious than other souls games.
@henriquemedranosilva71422 жыл бұрын
21:09 Am the only that prefer better boss battles, combat system and gameplay over immersion? Like it immersion is great and all, but I won't sacrifice Ishim the sword saint over Cabra demon for it, nether would I want Tomb of the giants or that generic fire demon place in my game . That is my major grip with dark souls one, it is some time brilliant, but it lows are wide and deep.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Where we seem to differ is that I don't think it's impossible for a game to have both core mechanics as strong as Sekiro and immersion as strong as Dark Souls.
@Songbearer2 жыл бұрын
I know this isn't a challenge discussion but I loved Sekiro right up to the last boss. I spent the entire game feeling like I was on the knife edge of the challenge the game offered, finding things very difficult but ultimately manageable with perseverance, but my God is the last boss a brick wall of difficulty. Wound up cheating my way past it because, quite honestly, I just wanted it to be over.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Interestingly, while the last boss took me a couple hours on my first playthrough, I managed to beat it first-try on my second playthrough. Story is the same with Demon of Hatred---more attempts than the final boss on my first time through the game, beat it in two tries on my second. Those are much more dramatic ratios than similar comparisons for Souls bosses in my experience, which to me indicates that Sekiro accomplishes its goal of both demanding and rewarding mechanical skill with its systems. I personally think people evaluate the bosses in Sekiro as more difficult simply because the gameplay is more fatiguing, especially for someone new to the game.
@Navelofman2 жыл бұрын
Isshin's extra long combos in the third and fourth phases really forced me to learn the perfect parries to finally beat him. It didn't help that I kept the Bell Demon Curse on; because for some reason Sekiro makes me want to do things the hard way, even if it makes me miserable. I thought utilizing the Prosthetic Tools would make things easier on myself, but I always ran out of Spirit Emblems before learning how best to use them on bosses. I felt forced to just learn each bosses patterns and focus on countering them with the basic mechanics, and Isshin definitely took me the longest out of everyone to do so.
@ElBoyoElectronico2 жыл бұрын
I had the exact same experience! I had a lot of fun playing the game and some bosses were quite a challenge, but the last boss really ruined my experience. It took me more than 300 tries to beat him and I hated the whole experience.
@RealMonkeyDKirby2 жыл бұрын
The exploration and immersion is amazing
@kode-man232 жыл бұрын
For me it was 100% just the combat. I didn't mind the pop-ups, or rather I got used to them. I loved the new traversal mechanics, it plays more like a character action game/ action platformer, which is cool. I thought that the story was fine and didn't mind the cut scenes. I just can't stand the combat. Even basic enemies are a chore to take down with the song and dance mechanic. I just want to be basic and abuse i-frames while I cleave huge chunks of boss health bars, and Sekiro basically told me to sit there, be patient and play DDR.
@jbr1255 Жыл бұрын
I think your conclusion is somewhat faulty here, given that Sekiro is not inspired by Dark Souls. They're similar enough to be comparable, but by comparing it to something it wasn't trying to be can lead to missing the point. If you compare it to Tenchu or Metal Gear Revengeance it's incredibly refined, far LESS gamey and given much more atmosphere and nuance thanks to their experience creating Dark Souls. It's all a matter of perspective and expectations we've built from what games we've played. Though I will concede some of their lessons learned from Dark Souls could have been put to better use at some points as you said in the video. For the respawn mechanic, most of the enemies haven't revived so much as more soldiers or monkeys etc have filled the area in your absence, otherwise those who hadn't drunk the rejuvenating waters would stay dead from just the Kusabimaru. Great video as always. :)
@TheGemsbok Жыл бұрын
Thank you for a reasonable and worthwhile comment! But just to clarify, like I say or imply at a couple points: if Sekiro was made by a different team, I can't imagine I'd bother making a video like this one. You're certainly correct that the vast majority of other developers have not demonstrated facility with the kind of 'mature, art-first design philosophy' that I highlight here as being behind the production of the earliest Souls games (and the production of some of the best aspects of Sekiro). But the industry is still playing catch-up with FromSoft in many ways, and so for the time being it's almost a truism to say that their games are superior in many important regards to other games within their respective genres. It doesn't help a master improve to hold them only to the standards set by a novice. Also, it's worth highlighting that it's a common misconception that this video is saying that Sekiro should've simply been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but I blame myself for not avoiding that implication better at the writing/structuring stage of this project. Dark Souls is included here as an example of a game produced by the same team with a preferable (possibly ideal) underlying design philosophy, not an example of a game with preferable mechanics or somesuch. So, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of the list of tropes and mechanics listed in the 'con' section. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.)
@jbr1255 Жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok Well I can completely agree with you there, i think you're copping more flak because of the prevalence of other youtubers who do put them in direct comparison without much nuance. It's why I could only say "somewhat" faulty, you make good points. Lessons learned in previous games should benefit the newer ones. Pro, the estus inspired gourd flask is a good use of previous ideas. Con, reusing multiplayer recordings impacts the story and makes Sekiro feel less of an individual. Very well said Gem, thanks for the thoughtful reply.
@noahdavidson1343Ай бұрын
I don't view anything here as cons, but I also don't hold ds1 to the same high esteem you do. I definitely value some of what you say here, in terms of respecting the player, but from the backlash sekiro got, I think it clearly did need some tutorialization. I can see how the pop ups would bother someone, but it doesn't bother me. It's hard for me to imagine how these things impact your enjoyment so much, it seems moreso like these represent a fear of where fromsoft may be going.
@AkaiKnight2 жыл бұрын
Ngl a lot of your critiques kinda boil down to “this isn’t dark souls” regardless of whether or not the features of the game are flaws or improvements. Like the complaints about UI elements. The game has mechanics Dark Souls doesn’t. So why would you expect the same UI? Is it really “cluttering the UI” to show enemy attention indicators or stagger meters in a game where stealth and deflecting are major mechanics?
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
The position you are arguing against is somewhat different than what is actually argued in this video. But that's not your fault; I honestly believe that this video in particular is written---or at least structured---less clearly than it should be. If you want an explanation of that, I have copied and pasted the (somewhat lengthy) remarks which have accumulated on that subject in my other comments here over time: "There are two levels of commentary occurring in this video. On the one hand, there is the macro-perspective, theoretical level where I am discussing the art-first philosophy which seems to have governed the production of games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls moreso than Sekiro. On the other hand, there is the micro-perspective, technical level where I am discussing the specific set of obtrusive AAA design cliches that appear in Sekiro (these often don't appear in their earlier games, but that is not crucial to the point). As it stands, these levels are somewhat mixed up in the content of the video, and with another draft I am certain that I would have separated them more clearly. But because of this confusion between those two points, several people have misunderstood the video as saying that Sekiro should've been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but you are not alone in thinking that it is. As I say, I blame myself for this. What I am actually arguing is that the elements listed in that second level provide independent evidence for Sekiro's change in the first level. It's not quite a coincidence that those elements are less prevalent in their earlier games (after all, I take it to be a result of the macro-level philosophy in question), but it's still practically irrelevant to the main point being made. That is, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of such things. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) This mismatch between that set of intrusions and the majority of its design in turn demonstrates a departure from the art-first approach implied by the production of their earlier games. This kind of mismatch would be a flaw in any game---I just don't hold most games to such high standards because the vast majority of the industry has not showcased the level of care that FromSoft has in selecting mechanics and designs. In other words, I am not asking for the removal of narrative material, instruction, or even outright tutorializing---just better blending of narrative and tutorial into gameplay. It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text; for there to be an option to disable the tutorial messages and 'tips'; for bosses to speak more during combat rather than primarily in cutscenes (and even then, only having those cutscenes or that dialogue present for the first time they are seen/heard); and for Wolf to be able to continue sneaking around while eavesdropping."
@RobertEdwinHouse92 жыл бұрын
As someone who absolutely hates tutorials none of these "flaws" are worth talking about
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
In isolation? I would agree. That's why seven minor things like that are added together into a single con.
@RobertEdwinHouse92 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok I mean I just have to press select a couple of time not a big deal
@ivy79192 жыл бұрын
you're the most reddit guy of all time
@xavier846237 ай бұрын
i just dont like the button prompt based gameplay. sekiro feels like guitar hero to me. its not really combat, there isnt moment to moment strategy or positioning or anything really, you just mash the counter button when you see it. to me dark souls feels like street fighter and sekiro feels like rhythm heaven. the combat just feels like a reflex and memorization check, and it doesnt feel fun or rewarding to me.
@xavier846237 ай бұрын
16:30 i find it slightly funny you dont like this quick time adjacent movement, but to me the combat itself is basically a quick time event
@WhiteFieldl11l2 жыл бұрын
You totally about they abuse those reused boss design looool look like their mini bosses I’m not a hater but I don’t like to beat a same boss for a third time
@keziarosenstock31535 ай бұрын
Fair criticisms but it’s the best From game so far
@abhishekvalsangkar2 жыл бұрын
It's interesting how everyone has a slightly different explanation for why dark souls is a good game.
@authenticbaguette66732 жыл бұрын
I'm going to play the devil's advocate here: while I absolutely loved Dark Souls' emphasis on player agency and immersion, I don't think it's entirely fair to criticise Sekiro for lacking in this department. Sekiro is a different game, and it's most certainly not an RPG. Wolf is a fixed character with a voice and a backstory who is established to be an unfathomably refined and talented swordsman and has his own values and beliefs, therefor it is only natural that you have limited control over him. My headcannon for the pop-ups (for items and mechanics) is that they are Wolf's thoughts occupying the forefront of his mind, and with some success the game does manage to put you in his shoes and close the gap between you and him using this admittedly heavy-handed framing of the world around you. This extends also to the perilous attack Kanji, strengthening this idea that Wolf has his own agency and can respond to things that you otherwise wouldn't notice, as well as his inability to (for the most part) attack NPCs... "A shinobi's job is to deliever death, but even a shinobi should not forget mercy... A mantra the blade itself seems to manifest." ~the item description of the Kusabimaru (paraphrasing)
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
That all sounds fair enough to me! The position you are arguing against, in fact, seems to be somewhat different than what is actually argued in the video. But that's not your fault; I honestly believe that this video in particular is written less clearly than it should be. If you want an explanation of that, I have copied and pasted the (somewhat lengthy) remarks which have accumulated on that subject in my other comments here over time: "There are two levels of commentary occurring in this video. On the one hand, there is the macro-perspective, theoretical level where I am discussing the art-first philosophy which seems to have governed the production of games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls moreso than Sekiro. On the other hand, there is the micro-perspective, technical level where I am discussing the specific set of obtrusive AAA design cliches that appear in Sekiro (these often don't appear in their earlier games, but that is not crucial to the point). As it stands, these levels are somewhat mixed up in the content of the video, and with another draft I am certain that I would have separated them more clearly. But because of this confusion between those two points, several people have misunderstood the video as saying that Sekiro should've been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but you are not alone in thinking that it is. As I say, I blame myself for this. What I am actually arguing is that the elements listed in that second level provide independent evidence for Sekiro's change in the first level. It's not quite a coincidence that those elements are less prevalent in their earlier games (after all, I take it to be a result of the macro-level philosophy in question), but it's still practically irrelevant to the main point being made. That is, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of such things. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) This mismatch between that set of intrusions and the majority of its design in turn demonstrates a departure from the art-first approach implied by the production of their earlier games. This kind of mismatch would be a flaw in any game---I just don't hold most games to such high standards because the vast majority of the industry has not showcased the level of care that FromSoft has in selecting mechanics and designs. In other words, I am not asking for the removal of narrative material, instruction, or even outright tutorializing---just better blending of narrative and tutorial into gameplay. It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text; for there to be an option to disable the tutorial messages and 'tips'; for bosses to speak more during combat rather than primarily in cutscenes (and even then, only having those cutscenes or that dialogue present for the first time they are seen/heard); and for Wolf to be able to continue sneaking around while eavesdropping."
@authenticbaguette66732 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok In that case, I see the nuance in your point more clearly and wholeheartedly agree. Also, thank you for taking the time to respond, and I admire your willingness to set a high standard for yourself. It's important to note that I was playing the devil's advocate... In practice, those tutorial and item pop-ups were grating, especially on repeat playthroughs, and I totally think Fromsoft was capable of more elegent solutions to this problem that capitalise on the different nature of this game. Concrete example: Item pop-ups. Those could have been made more tolerable if they either stopped appearing after having picked up the item before, or (better yet) provided a different text depending on the location of the item pick-up, just like the prayer beads, or a combination of the two solutions. The dragon-rot mechanic also could have been, especially considering that you can't attack NPCs, similar to world-tendancy, because as it stands you can't really affect the world around you, and in an action game it's always cool to see how the fixed in-game character responds to and changes along the story. They already did that with Wolf's animations becoming more violent and such in the shura ending, it would have been interesting to see World Tendancy return in place of Unseen aid. Such changes could have only strictly benefited the pacing of the story and our ability to connect with Wolf by reducing the jarring contrast between the "menu mechanics" which often feel like they affect us, the player, as opposed to Wolf (the most heinous example being Unseen aid), as opposed to the mechanics which originate from Wolf's own agency (refusing to attack NPCs, the perilous attack Kanji... etc.) I suspect this to be a fault in priorities, in which case streamlining the gameplay beyond what the souls formula would have allowed screams wasted potential.
@simonholmvik3122 жыл бұрын
Though i find myself disagreeing with most of the negative points made in the video, the video was still of great quality and i’m not gonna let my opinion overshadow that, good work!
@dohnjoe92112 жыл бұрын
The deathblows are actually the opposite the opposite of silly: they're more realistic than Dark Souls and Elden Ring. In normal Souls games, you can somehow kill plate-armored enemies with a sword. In Sekiro, the deathblows go for the gaps in armor.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
In theory, they are realistic for the reason you describe. In practice, the acrobatic and gory set of animations used for them are what cause me categorize them as silly and reminiscent of Mortal Kombat.
@pratikchakravorty9834 ай бұрын
None of the cutscenes ruined the flow of the game for me at all you need to realize that this is not a Souls game at all it shares some minor DNA but that's it.
@ebayaccount6752 жыл бұрын
Sword Saint ishiin & genichiro is the hardest boss in any game ever.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Quite a tough one, yes. But, speaking for myself, it seems to be neither the hardest From has made nor even the hardest in Sekiro (let alone hardest ever). In fact, it took me less tries than solo Midir, solo Lud and Zallen, or Demon of Hatred.
@ebayaccount6752 жыл бұрын
@The Gemsbok Demon of hatred was easy, just jump on the roof. & he offs himself, Midir I haven't fought, father owl is second for sure in my list for sure. I can't think of a boss that's harder, I've played all the souls games too. Just didn't fight midir.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Sounds like your experience of fighting Midir is quite similar to your experience of fighting Demon of Hatred.
@ironstark9172 жыл бұрын
@@ebayaccount675 I agree with Gemsbok, you cheated yourself out of properly fighting the Demon of Hatred, thus like Midir, did not truly experience.
@ebayaccount6752 жыл бұрын
@IronStark917 I beat him without the cheese as well the fact its in the game means it can be used thus making the boss easy is my point. I just wanted to beat the game at that point, needed the extra health for sword saint. All you need is the umbrella shield fully upgraded & the demon is a cake walk. Father owl embarrasses demon of hatred
@jamesteavery02 жыл бұрын
I agree with all your points, I definitely think that the text boxes and tutorialisation are a big problem, but I don't think that it's actually that much better in the original dark souls. Presumably you had the initial experience most players do of being unable to find any immersion as you read dev comments teaching the controls in an extremely unhelpful way where you couldn't be sure you'd read all the important messages?
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
To be honest, I don't have a very clear memory of my first experience of a 10-minute tutorial from 6 years ago. And maybe that's the key: replaying that section doesn't feel like going through the tutorial again since the messages can so trivially be ignored. At any rate, I do agree that it is absolutely the case that Dark Souls would have benefitted from having a completely 'invisible tutorial' that prioritizes learning as one plays rather than using dev messages. In fact, I would go further than that and say that the message system in general harms immersion somewhat, as it nearly always breaks the fourth wall. However, there are many reasons that I vastly prefer how the tutorial is done in Dark Souls to how it's done in Sekiro. The messages are brief and to the point, and entirely optional. No points are ever repeated or appear as grating reminders later. It's shorter. There are only cutscenes before and after it, never during. There's only one NPC interaction, and it's a vitally important one both mechanically (grants Estus flask) and narratively (tells undead legend). And on and on.
@jamesteavery02 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok I do really like the original dark souls tutorial, especially in retrospect, the level design of the tutorial is far smarter than sekiro's (and i love sekiro despite this) but I just also remember bouncing off the game originally, and I think I did feel overwhelmed by the immersion breaking messages at the start. I do believe that sekiro deserves its place amongst the rest of souls, so perhaps I was feeling a bit defensive despite agreeing with the core of the issue.
@gediminasmorkys35892 жыл бұрын
I agree with more cutscenes and tutorials being a con. I don't agree that pointlessness (like dead ends with no reward) are a strong point in the "pantheon". I don't agree with fewer spawn points as a good feature of your beloved "pantheon". If anything, I would reduce the farming in these games, and the amount of consumables. Prayer beads from the bull could be something Sekiro adds to his collection upon defeating a miniboss, not something the bull carries around. Also, the bull could be a demon, who had the beads in the first place.
@RealMonkeyDKirby2 жыл бұрын
Bro. The game needed to teach the mechanics it's not just dodge and hit, it has an incredibly complex combat system. Cutscenes are so rare and they tried to tell a story instead of just get lost in the world. Turn the Hud off if you Hate it so much. How else would they show perilous attacks
@KaueBR892 жыл бұрын
I am sorry, but some of those complaints seem arbitrary or kinda irrelevant. I mean, if a game doesn't have invisible walls is a plus. But a game that does have and manages to be not that blatant about it (which is the case of Sekiro, IMO) is not a negative. For example, you complained about the invisible walls during the geninchiro fight at the top of the castle. If the arena was covered by the "fog" at the boundaries, would that be better to you? Because Dark Souls traps you with a fog wall. It is basically the same thing to me. It is irrelevant in the game moment, in the battle. It is just a wall you can't pass for a reason that the developer wanted you to don't cross it. And to that point, I think immersion (in the way a lot of people view it) is quite overrated. I never forget, in any game, that I'm playing a game lol. Why people need to feel this feeling? I can feel immersed in a game/world and I still will be concious that I am playing a videogame. This notion of immersion always baffled me.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Strictly speaking, there are no fog walls in Dark Souls. Passing one of those hazy barriers provides a prompt that says, "Traverse the white light." It says that because the presence of bright light in Dark Souls indicates magic, power, or illusion done by Gwyndolin or a related god of light. The light walls are representative of the control of agents or descendants of Gwyn over the important areas and beings of the world. They're only called 'fog walls' by the community because that was what they were called in Demon's Souls (the prompt for passing a hazy barrier in that game says "Enter fog"). The entire plot of Demon's Souls is happening because the Old One is spreading a colorless, demon-spawning fog throughout the world. So the presence of that fog in the game, especially near demons, reinforces the connection between its plot and its gameplay. In other words, yes, that's better. Those methods of limiting movement have context and sense in the universe in which they're placed. At any rate, the presence of invisible walls in Sekiro is very minor; that's why it's only one of seven such minor details listed in that section of the video, which sum together into the point being made.
@KaueBR892 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok dude, there's a fog wall before the fight with capra demon and two dogs, all of which are regular enemies at some point. It is just an invisible wall with a texture.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
The demons acted as soldiers of Izalith's army in a war fought between Gwyn and Izalith. Some, like the batwing demons and asylum demons, were apparently ceded to Gwyn's forces after the war. The presence of a Capra and a Taurus above ground is something Gwyndolin would definitely take a keen interest in.
@KaueBR892 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok you take immersion too seriously lol. What you are saying is just speculation. To me and the majority of players it is just a fancy invisible wall.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
@@KaueBR89 It's visible.
@AmritZoad2 жыл бұрын
Looking back now see how demanding we were as From Soft fans from their games? Now that Elden Ring has released, everyone is mind numbingly praising it giving it a 10/10 score. Sekiro was so good and so was DS3 and DS1 and these games feel more better, more refined than what Elden Ring turned out to be. Speaking of boss fight cinematics Never before I cringed hard in a From Soft cinematic except for transition to Hourah Loux, Warrior (Who calls themselves that? You mean Barbarian?) and his entire basketball tournament, delayed attack phase.
@coreydaprince2 жыл бұрын
So you don’t love Sekiro because it’s not like dark souls, therefore it doesn’t feel like a true video game? Hmmm…hmmm…. Interesting. Good video.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Ha, that seems like an odd summary . . . considering a substantial chunk of this video is about how Sekiro's big departures from games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls are by far the biggest strengths (one might even say "pros") of the game.
@coreydaprince2 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok exactly what I was thinking. You give all that great praise about literally everything in the game but then you say, but it wasn’t good “enough”. I watched and re watched the con section to come to that conclusion of my initial comment and you kept pointing out how it doesn’t feel like a “game for gamers” like how dark souls was. You gave examples of dialogue and pop up boxes, basically saying that Dark souls is a true video game because it’s doesn’t do that, but Sekiro isn’t because it does.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I've responded to a similar comment previously. If you're curious about it, here is a copy-paste of that response: "It seems like you may have slightly misunderstood what is argued in this video. All of the things you praise in that comment---the combat mechanics, the targeted alt-historical atmosphere, the presentation of Wolf, the details of the story---are exactly the strengths that receive enormous praise here. The big ways that Sekiro is different from From's other games are excellent; it's the _small_ ways it's different that are regrettable. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text. To put it another way, it's not remotely important that Sekiro didn't do specific things that Dark Souls did. What's important is that the philosophy of art-first design which produced Dark Souls without reliance on obtrusive design clichés seems to have faded from the minds of the team when producing Sekiro."
@vladi3784 Жыл бұрын
I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take a video like this seriously when half the cons presented are "it's not Dark Souls therefore it's inferior". As if Dark Souls is objectively the only correct way to design a videogame and other approaches are to be seen as lesser.
@TheGemsbok Жыл бұрын
The position you are arguing against is different than what is actually argued in this video. But that's not your fault; I honestly believe that this video in particular is written---or at least structured---less clearly than it should be. If you want an explanation of that, I have copied and pasted the (somewhat lengthy) remarks which have accumulated on that subject in my other comments here over time: "There are two levels of commentary occurring in this video. On the one hand, there is the macro-perspective, theoretical level where I am discussing the art-first philosophy which seems to have governed the production of games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls moreso than Sekiro. On the other hand, there is the micro-perspective, technical level where I am discussing the specific set of obtrusive AAA design cliches that appear in Sekiro (these often don't appear in their earlier games, but that is not crucial to the point). As it stands, these levels are somewhat mixed up in the content of the video, and with another draft I am certain that I would have separated them more clearly. But because of this confusion between those two points, several people have misunderstood the video as saying that Sekiro should've been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but you are not alone in thinking that it is. As I say, I blame myself for this. What I am actually arguing is that the elements listed in that second level provide independent evidence for Sekiro's change in the first level. It's not quite a coincidence that those elements are less prevalent in their earlier games (after all, I take it to be a result of the macro-level philosophy in question), but it's still practically irrelevant to the main point being made. That is, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of such things. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) This mismatch between that set of intrusions and the majority of its design in turn demonstrates a departure from the art-first approach implied by the production of their earlier games. This kind of mismatch would be a flaw in any game---I just don't hold most games to such high standards because the vast majority of the industry has not showcased the level of care that FromSoft has in selecting mechanics and designs. In other words, I am not asking for the removal of narrative material, instruction, or even outright tutorializing---just better blending of narrative and tutorial into gameplay. It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text; for there to be an option to disable the tutorial messages and 'tips'; for bosses to speak more during combat rather than primarily in cutscenes (and even then, only having those cutscenes or that dialogue present for the first time they are seen/heard); and for Wolf to be able to continue sneaking around while eavesdropping."
@vladi3784 Жыл бұрын
@TheGemsbok I see, thanks for clarifying. The wording and structure of the video did make your point less clear, but I get what you mean now and I apologise for misunderstanding.
@TheGemsbok Жыл бұрын
@@vladi3784 No problem at all! Thank you for the kind response.
@RealMonkeyDKirby2 жыл бұрын
Sekiro isn't dark souls, it's not meant to be. It did what it wanted to almost perfectly. Each game from soft makes has its own purpose, it's own journey it's trying to have you experience. You basically complained it's not dark souls lol. It's not meant to be. Each from soft game has plenty of flaws. Boss fights and junky mechanics ds1, not great level design ds3, er is terribly balanced with ridiculous bosses and adding summon spirits (which was probably meant to fix the balance issues) actually made it worse because it's like a couch, sekiro is the closest to a perfect game they've ever made. It did what it wanted to do. There is plenty of immersion and exploration. Your hand is not held on where to go at all. They needed to put some of those things in the game in order to explain it, they couldn't have you just figure out perilous attacks. Do we need to be told to hug a wall no, does hugging a wall break immersion no. It's not dark souls bro lol so many from fans hate when they make a game that isn't what they expect and want from previous titles but how boring would it be if they never branched out
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
The position you are arguing against is somewhat different than what is actually argued in this video. But that's not your fault; I honestly believe that this video in particular is written---or at least structured---less clearly than it should be. If you want an explanation of that, I have copied and pasted the (somewhat lengthy) remarks which have accumulated on that subject in my other comments here over time: "There are two levels of commentary occurring in this video. On the one hand, there is the macro-perspective, theoretical level where I am discussing the art-first philosophy which seems to have governed the production of games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls moreso than Sekiro. On the other hand, there is the micro-perspective, technical level where I am discussing the specific set of obtrusive AAA design cliches that appear in Sekiro (these often don't appear in their earlier games, but that is not crucial to the point). As it stands, these levels are somewhat mixed up in the content of the video, and with another draft I am certain that I would have separated them more clearly. But because of this confusion between those two points, several people have misunderstood the video as saying that Sekiro should've been more like Dark Souls---and that by doing specific things that Dark Souls does (being more open, having a more ambiguous story, etc), it would've been improved. That is not what I'm arguing at all, but you are not alone in thinking that it is. As I say, I blame myself for this. What I am actually arguing is that the elements listed in that second level provide independent evidence for Sekiro's change in the first level. It's not quite a coincidence that those elements are less prevalent in their earlier games (after all, I take it to be a result of the macro-level philosophy in question), but it's still practically irrelevant to the main point being made. That is, what I'm really arguing is that Sekiro's own separate goals as an immersive linear stealth/action game are not well-served by the inclusion of such things. Elements like invisible walls, repeated tutorial messages, contextual button prompts, full-screen item descriptions, etc---either do not serve its goals, or only do so in a clumsy way. (Think of the clip in this video where I am paused in mid-air after jumping off a building toward an enemy . . . so the game can explain the 'Unseen Aid' system.) This mismatch between that set of intrusions and the majority of its design in turn demonstrates a departure from the art-first approach implied by the production of their earlier games. This kind of mismatch would be a flaw in any game---I just don't hold most games to such high standards because the vast majority of the industry has not showcased the level of care that FromSoft has in selecting mechanics and designs. In other words, I am not asking for the removal of narrative material, instruction, or even outright tutorializing---just better blending of narrative and tutorial into gameplay. It would be nothing other than an unmitigated improvement to the game, for instance, for the combat techniques to be taught primarily through a character like Hanbei rather than primarily through big slides of text; for there to be an option to disable the tutorial messages and 'tips'; for bosses to speak more during combat rather than primarily in cutscenes (and even then, only having those cutscenes or that dialogue present for the first time they are seen/heard); and for Wolf to be able to continue sneaking around while eavesdropping."
@alguienanormal30402 жыл бұрын
I have not yet seen a literary analysis of this game and if this is not it (I have not yet seen the video) I will do it myself
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Sadly, this is not that. I look forward to your analysis!
@kylerickert22402 жыл бұрын
So basically, Sekiro is the problem with Elden Ring.
@LexBeatsWorld2 жыл бұрын
I felt a similar way about the ledges but I saw some speed runs and they use the wall kick to clear a lot of gaps. So you have to time getting your stick in position and a button press to skip the qte at the risk of falling and losing health. Also you can jump from holding a ledge and grab again which also asks the player to have execution to speed up these parts which I think falls in line with the rest of the game.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Oh yes, it is perfectly true that some can be skipped with wall jumps and other moves. As soon as I realized that while playing, I certainly skipped as many as possible. But there are some ledges too long or too curved for that method to be reliable (albeit possibly not on the path taken by speedrunners). At any rate, even if it can eventually be avoided in many situations, I still don't feel it should've been included in the first place; no singular part of Wolf's moveset needed to be so significantly slower than the rest.
@LexBeatsWorld2 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok yeah I only did one new game run after I saw that strategy so I’m sure missed a lot of ledges you have to take because I didn’t explore the same areas thoroughly. And regardless I do agree with your point because when I have to use the ledge and it’s not to avoid enemies I do find it disruptive. Also hey nice Dark Souls philosophy vid.
@baconboi46542 жыл бұрын
Every south african hard cringing at your intro
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I am guessing that you made that comment because you are familiar with the pronunciation of the word 'gemsbok' in Afrikaans, although the origin of the word (before Afrikaans and Dutch) is German. At any rate, the word 'gemsbok' is now also a word in the English language, where it is pronounced with a hard 'g' sound, like that found in the words 'guy' and 'gap.' You can confirm this by listening to the pronunciation sample for the word in an English dictionary: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gemsbok
@baconboi46542 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok damn That was 12 years of Afrikaans wasted
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
@@baconboi4654 Hahaha, whoa, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you then.
@brooks12862 жыл бұрын
✨ Promo'SM!
@JC-kl3uc2 жыл бұрын
11:25 Yeah this bothered me as well. A lot more than I expected. I believe that's what their collaboration with Activision has led to. DS games are known to be uninviting to new players so FROM apperabtky were trying to fix this.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Yes, many people in the comments here have pinned the change on Activision. And there may be truth there. But knowing that development on Sekiro actually began well after the start of development on Elden Ring, I suppose we'll have to see how things are handled in their next release to know for sure. I should say, though, that I have nothing against their games being inviting to new players. I simply want any changes made in that regard to be consistent with their earlier excellence at making such elements unobtrusive, immersive, and (where applicable) entirely skippable for experienced players.
@neeeiiil2 жыл бұрын
I don’t understand how any of the fromsoft games could be considered immersive, I really enjoy them but at no point while playing them can I suspend my disbelief. I’m keenly aware that I’m controlling an avatar in game rather than being in another world
@enriquewicks77972 жыл бұрын
To say a menu that pauses the game is enough to knock down a masterpiece to good while the way the combat is glanced over as a nice thing and not the embodiment of sword clashing is surreal to me. I actually challenge the notion that this is a game as good as other company's best, there is no fight in all of DS1, DS3 and Elden Ring that came close to the thrill of Isshin or Owl. Give me one game with as good combat that floods the combat with personality enough that you can almost believe the machine wants to fight you as much as you want to fight it.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
The combat of Sekiro is not glanced over. It stands on its own as one of the listed pros of the game, in its own dedicated section. "A menu that pauses the game" does not stand on its own in this video that way; that's just one of seven minor annoyances listed in the relevant section, which altogether sum into a single con.
@enriquewicks77972 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok "Combat good, list of mechanics:" does feel like a glance over, do you really prefer any of Dark Soul's boss fights over Isshin? I'm for real, give one of the games you were thinking when you said this game is just as good as another company's best. I can't think of one game in the action adventure genre that mixes the perfection of Sekiro's combat with its living boss design, not even other From titles I played get close to it (DS1,3 ER).
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Again, I agree with you about its combat. I consider it, and in particular how it differs from the combat in FromSoft's other games, one of the primary strengths (one might even say "pros") of the game.
@enriquewicks77972 жыл бұрын
@@TheGemsbok The explosion lolypop has a pro, it tastes good, the con is that it explodes my head... I guess 1 vs 1 makes it ok 👍 Blah, this dance isn't clicking for me. Do keep up the good content though, your channel's subject is amazing.
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
I think you're deliberately overlooking the many times in the introduction, conclusion, and other parts of this video where I explicitly state that the game's demerits are outweighed by its virtues. At any rate, the explosion lollipop would still be noticeably worse if it happened to taste quite bad before exploding your head.
@MAYOFORCE2 жыл бұрын
We get it, you watch Matthewmatosis
@TheGemsbok2 жыл бұрын
Haha, yeah, I went back and forth about whether to bother with quoting him here, given that I've done it in a couple other videos. He is a perceptive critic, though.
@christopherkline40422 жыл бұрын
I didn’t like sekiro, but I will never say that in don’t think it’s a good game. It’s unfortunate to think that there are people out there that think the only criteria needed to decide if a game is shit or not is simply for them not to like it. People don’t take into account the love and care that goes into crafting a fromsoft game.
@smokeyjo74202 жыл бұрын
Sekiro has cons?
@nemeru33522 жыл бұрын
Play Ninja gaiden black. Sekiro counter part and grand daddy