I’m currently playing lots of games none of which are soulslikes, though, funnily enough :D Juggling Hunt Showdown, Slay the Spire 2 and Esoteric Ebb right now - enjoying my time with all of them.
What I mean by genre mash-up is a game of a different genre that uses aspects of soulslikes and incorporates them in a transformative way to create something new. Think, something like Nine Sols which is a sidescroller, maybe a metroidvania too? (please correct me if I’m wrong) that took inspiration from Sekiro’s combat with its heavy focus on parries to create a cool mix of both. Or Hollow Knight for an easier example.
I don’t think I’ve ever played a game like that before outside HK, maybe, but purely concept-wise, I like the idea of Remnant. Shooters are usually relatively light on using gear and spatial movement during combat, exceptions like DOOM or Borderlands proving the rule, which makes Remnant an interesting mash-up. It borrows from soulslikes but is primarily a shooter, still.
What’s yours?
I have been playing end game valheim. The ashlands biome has some super intense combat. It’s crazy to think this same character was shooting a crude bow at a deer in the meadows
Proud to say that I got Elden Ring working on Linux in VR, using Steam’s Proton implementation and the RealVR (DMCA taken down now) mod - neither of which are intended to run on Linux. Had to do a bit of research into the Windows artifacts in the Steam compatibility data folders, then do some tweaking in a couple of XML and INI files for Elden Ring’s graphics and the RealVR mod’s config.
It’s running at about 2160x2160 per eye with a Pixels Per Degree value around 14 - doesn’t look as crisp as playing it on a high-res monitor, but it’s 3-dimensional in VR so it’s fuckin’ awesome. Still working on finishing NG+ quest through the DLC, getting close to defeating Messmer. It looks amazing when he turns into a giant snake and you can just look up and follow where it’s going naturally, helps to dodge attacks.Holy shit, you can play soulslikes in VR?! I get motion sick just thinking about it. Was it difficult for you to adjust to the different perspective compared to regular gameplay? How do you like it so far?
You can play Dark Souls 1 - 3 in VR with that mod as well as ER, if you can find it and have a VR headset that can do SteamVR. It’s the Luke Ross RealVR mod, recently got taken down by DMCA threats. It’s a Windows-native mod, not made for Linux, but works mostly OK with Proton somehow.
The Souls games all work well in VR with the mod, when I used to play on Windows 10. Personally I found it a lot better than playing on a 2D monitor or TV, and I actually got better at Elden Ring due to having a better perspective of the distances between things in 3D (better at dodging, landing hits, etc). It wasn’t hard to get used to but I’m experienced with VR gaming and don’t have any motion sickness troubles with it.
So far I’ve tried DSIII and ER this way on Linux and they both worked. I assume that all 3 Dark Souls would. Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Demons Souls can’t be played in VR as far as I know.
That’s so cool. Are the games in first person then? That would probably give me trouble. It would also make some of the areas quite scary to traverse through, I imagine D:
It defaults to a closer 3rd-person view but you can change to 1st person in the mod menu. It’s harder to play in 1st-person to me, but would be more immersive. The close 3rd person view is like hovering along behind your character, but the world is still in 3D all around and you can just move your head to look.
Congrats! what an immersive way to play, I feel envious! Enjoy!
I’ll be playing more Rise of the Ronin, which I’ve been mainlining for the past week. It probably counts as one of the mashups you mentioned, using some Souls-lite elements in an otherwise Ubisoft-esque open world action game. I have to say I’m really digging the combat. Very heavy focus on parrying, so if you like that it’s got you covered. Overall I am enjoying it more than I did Ghost of Tsushima, which is of course the most immediate parallel. GoT had better graphics and presentation, but combat in Ronin is a lot more fun and I also find the characters more enjoyable so far and the writing having a little more levity, charm and humour. Tsushima was so fucking serious all the time with everything delivered in the same dour monotone that it wore me out.
In terms of the open world they’re fairly equal. Standard issue Ubisoft style collect-a-thon, if you’re in the mood for it you’ll enjoy the mind numbing nature of it and if you’re not you’ll be bored. I will say I’m keeping myself more entertained in Ronin compared to Ghost simply because I am having enough fun with the combat.
Does Clair Obscur count as a souls-like mash-up? Because hoo boy has it been a lot of fun. I’ve been describing it to people as the midpoint between dark souls and paper mario
I can see it!
Oh hey - I’m playing through Remnant 2 right now! Just finished 100% achievements in the first Remnant a couple weeks back (I do not recommend going for that, by the way, it’s a grind tha t sucked a lot of the fun out by the end). Remnant is by far my favorite “AA” game series. It really feels like human beings with creativity made it and didn’t hate themselves doing it. There’s polish in places you don’t expect it, and there’s lumps and bumps and grime all over at the same time that makes it flawed, but in a charming way. My only real gripe is there are a handful of “insta-kill” boss fights/puzzles in 2 that are not optional and legitimately hamper the experience. I don’t feel good after finally completing them… Too much rng combined with figuring out the puzzle/pattern to where even if you perfect the motions there’s still a small chance you fail anyways because the digital dice deemed it so. But that one (large) complaint aside I’m having a blast even though I’m playing it solo. The story is nothing to write home about, it’s a UE5 game so YMMV on how it runs, but I’ve sorely missed games that aren’t live service or mega-blockbuster in design and scope. If you like the Soulslike formula, and/or enjoy a bit of a gear grind and buildcraft, you’d probably enjoy Remnant and Remnant 2. Definitely worth it on a steep sale if nothing else. Plus, it has up to 3 person co-op!
Which of the two do you prefer overall? And have you played them in co-op yet?
I’ve played through the base game of the first co-op. Otherwise I’ve been solo for the DLC of the first and all of the second so far. I definitely prefer the second overall. It’s an upgrade in virtually every way.
Oh! A shooter with some soulslike elements sounds intriguing, might check some gameplay out to see what that looks like.
In the mash up category I like Hollow Knight a lot. It’s delightful, the exploration is fantastic and finding my way is by far my favourite thing about the game.
The atmosphere, design and soundtrack are superb, and everything is cute as hell!! Combat is fun, and there are some really challenging bosses.
I wish I had a handheld to play it laying on the couch or something, it’s like a cosy game in a weird way.
I’ll be playing
DS3, feels like I’m slaying a test I have extensively studied for XD. Does this mean I have finally gotten gud (‘-’)? It’s been very fun, wtih a parrying shield and the uchi. …My only gripe with it is
Tap for spoiler
The inclusion of Anor Londo :/ what a let down.
Meanwhile in Sekiro I’m being responsible for
Tap for spoiler
essentially the plague XD.
So. The scales remain balanced.
Finally getting to DS3, huh? Glad you’re enjoying it, how far in are you?
Yeah! it took a while, heh. (And I’m saving DS2 for later :P) Last thing I did was defeat the Dancer, but before pressing on I think I’ll go back to the catacombs cause I remember some enticing shiny items calling my name below the bridge.
Eta: Oh and I’m already itching for NG with the Farron great sword… I couldn’t help myself and betrayed my usual quality build , the early uchi overrode my system.
Ooh, I really like Dancer, probably my favourite boss in DS3. There is something really satisfying about fighting her, really feels like a dance. Shame her boss weapon is absolutely garbage.
Shame her boss weapon is absolutely garbage.
Ooh what a bummer, 'cause her swords look sick af. (Btw, Do you have any other boss weapon recs?)
Yeah, it’s a really cool fight. I whish she had a little more hp, tho. I had already "spoiled"myself for her, and nameless king, since they show up in nightreign. But nothing beats doing the fight in context.
Honestly there are a lot of pretty decent to good boss weapons. Vordt’s hammer is really good and you get it right away. Same with Hollowslayer Greatsword. Dragonslayer Greataxe weapon art destroys everything. Also Moonlight Greatsword, because of course.
It’s not really a boss weapon but Onikiri and Ubadachi are great if you like katanas.
I am personally a big Farron Greatsword enjoyer as you know. Using the L1 attack to throw yourself under and to the side of an incoming attack hitbox while landing an attack is just so much fun.
What’s your favorite soulslike genre mashup?
Not played many, but I got into Arknight: Endfield because it has soulslike combat mixed with Satisfactory-like automation shit.
But I have like 20 hours in game and I am still basically in a god damn tutorial. The pacing is slow as fuck and I haven’t yet got to a point where the factory building means anything. 😩
The combat is pretty similar to Code Vein’s. So not terrible, but not my favorite. It does at least have good feedback which is kinda rare for an anime styled game and especially a F2P gatcha bs type game.
I have been playing so much Lies of P in the last week. It’s so much fun!
I just beat Laxasia last night. Probably for me the hardest fight in the game (yet). She taught me: That face-tanking if been doing? Well, I gotta stop that. She can do so much in a single hit, but the real problem is that it’s never a single hit with her; she has so long attack chains. I need to watch a hitless level 1 fight with her or something of someone deflecting everyone of her attacks. I was kinda mentally prepared for her to have a phase 2 when I first depleted her health bar. But damn, she goes full anime on you! Deflecting lightning bolts is super fun, and she is so incredibly fast. I’m glad she is way squishier in her second phase.
I’m probably going to beat Lies of P this weekend – depending on how much game is left and how much time I have. Then, next week, I’m probably going to start the DLC?
My favorite mash-up is Souls + Open-World ;) (I’m a massive Elden Ring fan)
But beyond that? My brain is currently too deep into “classical” Souls games. But I’m really interested in what I know of Expedition 33, parrying in my turn-based combat? Also I bought Hollow Knight forever ago for like 7€. Souls + Metroidvania. That game always gets such high praise. I gotta play it at some point, even though I’m not the biggest fan of Metroidvania’s … simply because I haven’t played any yet, but you gotta start somewhere.
Laxasia was such a pain the first time around. Once you know what to look out for, phase 1 is quite easy imo since most attack chains can be deflected quite easily with the right timing. Still struggle with phase 2 and end up panicking half-way through because so much is happening and how little time to gather yourself she leaves. Glad you enjoyed it!
There’s not a lot left for you unless you still have some side quests to finish. :)
Right, you’re the Elden Ring fan - doesn’t surprise me at all :D
HK is awesome. It’s well worth the time it takes to get into the mood and to lose yourself in the exploration. It can be quite frustrating at times, but it’s such a lovely game.
Laxasia phase 2 gave me some heart palpitations the first couple of times. But it’s suuuch an excellent fight.
Then, next week, I’m probably going to start the DLC?
↜(𓄼 .̀ ̮.́)Ψ Do it I already have a couple questions I want to ask you when you finish the whole game… if you don’t mind of course, no pressure. :P tee-hee
I finished the game last night! Simon was easier than expected. Does he have lower HP than I expected or is it simply because of his large openings? Great visuals in Phase 2!
And then I made a mistake, since he wasn’t the final Boss I just thought I’d look what awaits afterwards. Yeah… after having told Geppetto to fuck himself. Nameless Puppet took me apart. Phase 2 is so brutal. Great unerving theme for the fight. I had to beat phase 1 near flawlessly and then use up nearly all my heals in phase 2. Damn that was satisfying. But it did cost me a couple of hours I should have been sleeping.
I also just purchased and installed the DLC.
I’d loved to answer some questions about my playthrough. I’m probably going to write a rambling “review” that I’m going to post here after I’ve beaten the DLC.
Woooo… Fuck yeah!!! Congrats!!!
Simon was easier than expected Does he have lower HP than I expected or is it simply because of his large openings?
I think Simon has the most HP of all the bosses in the base game?. . . but maybe not by that much.
The first playthrough was the other way around for me, simon phase 2 I struggled with but NP phase 2 was not terribly hard (I truly felt his difficulty on NG+, and holy shit he gets tanky )
I had to beat phase 1 near flawlessly
I love how the two health bar concept worked narratively and design wise. For me there were like… 3 cases , in which the difficulty gap between the two phases felt too large, and flawlessly doing phase one ended up being the strat as well ( It does add to the high of the win. Wins are so fucking sweet in this game.)
Ok, 3 questions for now, and I’ll save some specific ones for later.
1.- Since these last two fights are fresh on your mind: How did you like the FS homage elements in them?
2.- As a build variety enjoyer, do you feel that the tools that the game gives the player sufficiently make up for the lack of it? Does it impact replayability for you?
3.- Who’s your favourite boss so far? (And why?)
Lastly, enjoy the dlc!! It’s fantastic… I’m vicariously excited for you to experience it!
Thanks :)
Answers:
1.) Damn, did I miss FS homage elements? Nameless Puppet reminded me, based on the arena and the stance and the flips, a bit of Artorias. Simon looks a bit like Morgott in his initial presentation. I’m thinking about his mid-battle cutscene, but that reminded me of that Michelangelo painting, only here it’s not Adam touching God but Simon reaching out to his own divinity, pretty egocentric but on point.
2.) Not entirely. You don’t have a magic system or similar and Perfect Guard seems to be what you want to do in most situations. And also though it has many different weapons you can’t access them immediately. In other Fromsoft titles you can make a beeline directly to your choosen weapon. For example, I once fought Elemer of the Briar as my first Boss in Elden Ring to get his sword. In Lies of P you have to go follow the linear path until you can pick the stuff up. BUT I haven’t seriously tried many of these weapons even early game ones and I haven’t really tried item spamming or the Legion Arms. I don’t think a build centered on items would be that fun (I don’t know how viable that even is.). Legions Arms seemed a bit dull and underutilized, but I just picked up a DLC Legion Arm where you throw disc blade – very fun.
It probably impacts replayability for me, but on the whole my game knowledge is a bit lacking and even with what I know now I’m probably going to replay it a bit. The promo weapon you get at the beginning with the parry dodge looks quite interesting.3.) The last 3 Bosses were each uniquely, extremely good. It might be because I’m riding still a bit on a high, but Nameless Puppet might be my favorite. Presentation, difficulty, and the satisfaction you especially get from this fight were quite special. Cutting of halve of their head and their strings and then the craziness that ensues. Oh also the music, it puts you immediatly on edge the moment you cross the threshold onto the arena and keeps you in the fight as it ramps up.
Other than that? I have a soft-spot for Scrapped Watchman. His presentation is decent but nothing to write home about. It’s still the early game and we’re still ramping up. But this fight made me fall in love with this game: standing in front of a giant boss and just taking his attacks. He has long attack chains that are easy to completly deflect, delayed attacks that are slightly harder to deflect, which also force you to move in phase 2, Fatal Attacks which give you a big attack window when you successfully defelct them. Oh, and he has a grab attack that’s not bullshit, this should immediately disqualify him from being a Souls Boss XD. I know he is just a trainings boss and the stuff he teaches is there more extreme in other bosses, but dammit he’s a very good training boss. I fought him in the boss rematch feature at difficulty 3 where he has a lot more health, and yes I’m enjoing his fight even more when he can actually take abuse.Sorry for the long ramble :)
Also I thought Lemmy has numbered markdown lists; hmm it does according the docs, but I only get unnumbered lists.Thanks for the juicy answers! and please don’t apologize, I like your observations and insight. this is exactly what I wanted :)
Damn, did I miss FS homage elements?
Now, brace yourself for the imcoming infodump on the homage thing. This is what I got in regards to these particular bosses references/inpirations:
Nameless Puppet
As I see it, Nameless Puppet strongly parallels Lady Maria. For starters, he is an undead corpse (one that should’ve been left well alone) he’s also part “doll” (well, puppet).
-Both Carlo (after dying) and Maria were respectively the subject of Geppetto’s and Gherman’s fixation. (Both skilled weapon craftsmen and leaders of a workshop)This resulted in the creation of another being (P/ the Doll) made in their image, that despite being inorganic, is alive and connected to the “original one”, through latent memories / other metaphisycal way.
-NP wields a weapon that transforms simmilarly to Maria’s Rakuyo, and his moveset takes a lot from hers as well, but is cranked up to 11: ,They share the spining slashes, their attacks have extended reach on phase two, both do a delayed stab, go up in the air and strike down, etc etc… (Plus both fights use lots and lots of red vfx :V) I do see Artorias as inspo as well, now that you mention it.
-And (This one is a reach, but indulge me for a moment) Thematically P breaking his bond with Gepetto in the events that trigger the fight, (and later cutting NP strings as well) could somewhat echo a broken bond between Maria and Gherman (a possible father figure to her) after the events in the fishing hamlet.
Feel free to tell me if I’m tripping balls with this.
Simon Manus
Simon is more on the nose, as the reference is in the name. I played Lies of P and DS1 simultaneously; I did Simon Manus first, and later Manus, father of the abyss, And then I went: Ooooh…
-Both started as human (but not regular humans) and got corrupted and transformed into something beyond.
-Design wise Simon phase 2 borrows the Big Hand TM and horn-like growths, DS Manus wields a big magic catalyst and Simon his ergo imbued mace.
-Moveset wise they both spin, do weapon sweeps, hand smacks/slams and take big leaps in the air,; they cast magical orbs in phase 2 that close in on the player.
-After defeating Simon, P goes down the elevator and meets his father in a location called “under the abyss.”
Doing OG Manus actually elevated Simon’s fight for me.
I think in these fights illustrate how the FS references were cleverly and seamlessly incorporated through out the game, and I greatly enjoyed catching these and othrr details.
Do try the promo weapon, it’s seriously broken and fun!
Simon >Manus<, whose above the Abyss… Okay, super obvious when you put it like that. I totally missed that. Viewing the fight through that lense reveals all the other details you listed.
Yeah, I can definitely see Maria in the Namless Puppet fight: The Scissor weapon and the Rakuyo, both splitting in Phase 2. Also in Phase 2 the red glow around the weapon. Also, yeah, some of the acrobatics are kinda reminisced of her.
If those two thematically fit together… I don’t know. I need think more deeply on the story of Lies of P after the DLC anyway. You can definitely make them fit together with the puppet parallels, but I don’t know if this actually meant to appear that way.
One quick tought: Maria’s has agency still in protecting the secrets. Nameless Puppet only ever had, if it had agency at all, hatred as it’s driving force at least according to an item description (I think the boss amulet). So I think you can make the story connections around the characters, but not between those two characters specifically. Maybe, I don’t, I need to think about more.Anyway, thanks for the story insights and this Lies of P disussion as a whole :)
