The (last) Elden Ring Review

[@Maffo__]

Great video, well worth the wait. Unsubbed

[@absta1995]

Wait please don't leave, we'll miss you so much

[@simonezotta2454]

Based

[@federicosavorani6320]

Wow un italiano che segue Dj? Che chad

[@Pestigirioso]

@@federicosavorani6320 She could be argentinian, and here Andrea is a female name

[@bigbaby1356]

the vid was so good he cant take another vid from him lol

[@yellowfellow7246]

You think darksouls is hard? Back in my day, we used to work in the salt mines for 23 hours a day, and we still found time to play Demon Souls (50 mins) and give our family love (5 mins).

[@deathsyth8888]

What did you do for the other 5 min of free time? Play with you shmeat?

[@erdalbuumer1109]

What did you done with the last 5 minutes

[@yellowfellow7246]

@@erdalbuumer1109 Write comments on youtube, obviously.

[@liquidsweg4858]

@@yellowfellow7246 oh man brilliant

[@davesargent8748]

Silly me, I almost forgot sleep was invented after demons souls

[@st0ox]

I am not sure if I can take an Elden Ring review serious by someone who is clearly not Maidenless.

[@satyropodobny101]

Thank you! What if his opinion is influenced by cooties?

[@ShadowCoH316]

I dunno, I think he might be maidenless now based on that intro

[@Thenapesofwrath]

It’s called acting, did you lose SAG card again? That’s clearly his sister playing the role of lonely wife to a man boy.

[@norsethenomad5978]

Not yet

[@docchicken245]

@@Thenapesofwrath I don't think that's his sister

[@eggskenedict]

“The only thing video games kill is women’s interest in you” - DJ Peach Cobbler

[@fakeperson9788]

So you watch a video posted 17 minutes ago and watch 5 min. of it Praising it

[@madmorgo6233]

@@fakeperson9788 there are edit & delete buttons there :3

[@fakeperson9788]

@@madmorgo6233 oh so you watched way less than 4. Minutes and editing shows on other accounts btw.

[@eggskenedict]

@@fakeperson9788 I still don’t understand your issue.

[@ralar]

@@eggskenedict He's a fake person you know.

[@JetBalrog]

You know what's really, *really* funny to me about the Tree Sentinel? I saw him for about 2 seconds on my first viewing of the area. I was vaguely aware, but my natural exploration instinct kicked in and my easily forgetful brain just... forgot where he was. I was literally on the Altus Plateau, having taken down the *double* tree sentinel fight, before I remembered seeing some big dude on horseback *somewhere* near the start. I then spent HOURS trying to find him again. I legitimately couldn't even track him down. So many people complaining about not being able to move on until killing the Tree Sentinel and I barely even knew he existed.

[@cbl1199]

I personally only realized he actually existed in ng+ because I went left when coming out of the start mausoleum or whatnot and never saw him, and never went back there. Imagine my shock when I saw a tree sentinel wandering about right outside the starting area, I legit thought it was an addition to ng+

[@organicbadboyx3948]

Got my booty clapped by him the first time I was treating this game like DS3 for the first boss then realized it was optional. Came by after I made it to the mountain of the giants proceeded to booty clap him

[@Mosamania]

I got the game when it first came out, I purposefully kept myself in the dark regarding everything about the game, didn't see trailers, didn't touch anything. I played all Fromsoft games before it, the moment I saw the tree sentinel, I was like "yo fuck that, this is the troll area of this game, I am going to go the other way instead".

[@henrypaleveda7760]

@@Mosamania good instincts

[@halcyon6098]

@@Mosamania my brother 🤘🏾😎

[@Pellemain]

I agree so fucking hard on the whole "community destroying your experience" conundrum... The amount of people that has walked into the Catacombs immediately in Dark Souls 1, I promise you most if not all of them would have turned around immediately and thought "well this can't be right", had their expectations not been completely shattered by the community telling them that "this game is soooooooo hard you have no idea".. While Miyazakis intention clearly is to say "hey dummy, you are going the wrong way", the community actively gets in the way of the very first lesson the game is trying to teach you lol...

[@CharlieKellyEsq]

Just git gud and stop complaining newb

[@TommFoolery]

Dark Souls 1 had an edition called PREPARE TO DIE EDITION! The opening of DS2 litterally has a group of old ladies laughing in your face telling you you're going to die over and over again. These games litterally fucking advertise themselves on the fact that they are tough, of course the community is going to talk about how tough the game is. The blame isn't on them because these new players are genuinely braindead. If you played through the whole of the Undead Asylum, got to the graveyard and instead of saying to yourself "Oh, this difficulty spike is fucking INSANE, let me look around", you kept slamming your head against that wall hoping you'll eventually break through, then the blame isn't on the community for saying the game is hard, the blame is on your for being a fucking idiot.

[@Mentelgen-1337]

ay. ever heard of undertale? same fucking thing. the community was next to terminal cancer in my eyes. honestly? screw the suggestive fan arts and stories created but literally being forced by your own fans to not play the game like an rpg to get your immersion ruined is just another level of stupid.

[@MathHomework.]

You… aren’t supposed to go straight into the catacombs…?😭

[@Snacks306]

@@MathHomework.Dude for real, I went there and realized the path was for later and not the main one. I thought DS1 was super difficult lmao

[@stereorapier7919]

DJ I LOVE YOU NOW I KNOW WHY I WAS HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME WITH DARK SOULS 1. I WENT DOWN THE GRAVEYARD AND JUST POWERED THROUGH. I AM LIKE 4 BONFIRES DEEP THIS ROUTE AND CANNOT ADVANCE. YOU JUST SAVED MY SOUL.

[@tartoflan]

I'd be laughing, but I was you at some point. GL on your journey

[@Aryan-is5yz]

@@tartoflan I am laughing

[@datboi7197]

The soul was the dark we made along the way.

[@omerkhan8972]

Yeah this was me when I first played ds1

[@nathanielholzgrafe5274]

Honestly: you're a total badass for getting that far.

[@lowstandarts894]

Elden Ring's difficulty comes from trying not to imagine what Ranni can do with those 4 arms.

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

And 2 faces

[@justyouraveragecountrybump5558]

I mean....can you imagine what her 4 armpits would smells like?

[@ericschuster2680]

wife: Ranni side hoe: Fia actual simping for: Millicent The real Elden Ring struggle!

[@Duck_Rider]

Pringles can

[@SPACECOWBOY705]

Jesus Christ

[@Tkokat]

I remember playing Dark Souls 1 after my first "big" relationship came to an end. I broke up with my ex after weeks of wrestling with the thought, not sure if I should have kept going, working hard on our problems... or just let go, let it die. Playing Dark Souls 1 was eye opening, it struck me as something wonderful. We wake up in a fucking prison and we are fighting nail and tooth, against demons and literal gods, to keep the same status quo? The same status quo that kept me in a cage? The whole game, presenting this dilemma; "which snake is telling me the true?" is so "in your face" but still, I didn't realize. I sacrificed myself in the first playthrough. Not realizing that it did not do shit (canonically speaking). I played video games since I was 9 but for the first time I was left pondering, thinking, like this game was actually trying to say something. Fast forward 12 years and I am great. Found love, found myself, found a nice job. I realized that change is good. I read a lot, I have been around. But nothing "spoke" to me so gracefully, so honestly, as this game did.

[@halcyon6098]

👊🏾😢

[@Tkokat]

@@halcyon6098 thanks man, doing great now

[@SeaSerpentLevi]

Epic man. Very hapoy for you, quite similar story here. For ever thankful for having the chance to experience this masterpiece and grow with it. Take care :D

[@vmk2466]

Inspiring story, you spelt struck wrong, not enough water 7/10

[@Tkokat]

@@vmk2466 true, I edited it. Stroke is a heart condition. Thank for your review

[@speedy9495]

When I first played dark souls, I didn't find the starting weapon, and struggled for 10 minutes on the zombie on the stairs with a half broken knife, I was like "dang, this game really is hard"

[@halcyon6098]

😂😂😂

[@ninjahattori7576]

thanks miyazaki

[@vodago]

my man unknowingly did a broken sword run, ZeroLenny would be proud

[@Katomatic]

I also had a similar problem. I didnt know how to equip items

[@mr_blank4413]

after reading this i just started to realize why this game was so hard at the start

[@Itsjumbintime]

I have waited five months to hear the sweet sound of Shmeat in this review. Thank you, Cobbler. For the Shmeat.

[@MizukiTheUnderPro]

Cobbler out there, inventing the post modern video game youtube essay

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

post post modernist essay when though?

[@robertspeedwagon982]

@@zaidlacksalastname4905 give him one more month and 675426 kg of cocaine, and he will invent it

[@ThisChangeIsAwful]

My first time playing Elden Ring I step out into Limgrave, got smashed by Tree Sentinel a half dozen times and then refunded. Everyone told me Souls games are hard so Tree Sentinel ended up teaching me the wrong lesson, I thought I was learning Elden Ring isn't for me. After I learned I had taken the wrong lesson away from that encounter I rebought Elden Ring and it became one of my favorite games of all time.

[@dathkakashi1034]

Happy to hear that you still enjoyed it in the end :)

[@Rebell-mi4zu]

Yeah, what tree sentinel is SUPPOSED to teach you is to not be afraid to run away when facing something stronger then yourself, this is meant to be an open game after all, so go out and look for better gear. But I don’t agree with his placement being where the tutorial basically ends and where the real game begins, because then, he just gives people the wrong impression and thus the wrong lesson.

[@merlenclownshuffles]

Lol my brother wanted to do that with dark souls 2, if he did i think we rebought it.

[@Vanadium]

Question , how long are you playing video games?

[@TheCohesiveGarage]

Its funny, Mega man 2 taught me that in 1989.

[@stefansavic8944]

As a Serb, I can confirm that life is just not that easy sometimes

[@markokrcmar5940]

What do you mean kinsman, don't you just love the public transport system here? You can live a whole life in transit, peaceful, serene.

[@shomzlezilebovic]

oh, how I appreciate the subtle suggestion of relationship between Serbia and Russia. Kudos to your peach, cobbler!

[@stinkystealthysloth]

@@shomzlezilebovic two countries who don't see neighbours, only land to steal and people to brutalise

[@Mentelgen-1337]

you clearly arent serbian enough. if you cant handle it remember this, all the problems wash away with rakija!

[@Foxyoner367]

As a Bosnian I cannot confirm if you got it worse or if we got it worse but at least we both get our shit kicked in by certain bosses in souls games

[@th0rn42]

The dodge and bonk play style is my favorite because it feels like you’re mastering a dance. You learn just how many times to dodge, which direction, when you have to strike back, how many strikes you can get it safely before you’re punished for it, and so on. It feels like mastering an enemy so deeply that I don’t feel you quite get by with summoning ashes or even magic personally. I respect the timings of magic and it’s playstyle, but I don’t feel it quite compares to a one on one with a sword or a lance or something

[@devilvocano420]

Facts I feel Im not learning a boss' attacks unless im solo and melee But i had that free time to play it that way, others prob dont

[@tounsiforlife2317]

def agree with you there. My first play through is always a melee roll spank build (you get to learn all the boss fights so the next playthroughs are easier.). My 2nd play through i just use whatever i feel like and my 3rd playthrough i let my mimic tear solo everything cus i wanted to c how op it can get lmao. The first soulsborne game i played was bloodborne and because of that I am used to rolling and striking. the sword and board gameplay looks rather stiff and boring imho.

[@bruh-uy3vn]

And then you have parrying. I started a parry god build on my 3rd playthrough and though im still not great at parrying there is nothing like seeing a boss the size of a school bus put every ounce of power into their swing just for you to literally deny it. After rolling around avoiding every attack just facetanking a sword larger than your character model and then getting a critical hit is so satisfying.

[@th0rn42]

@@bruh-uy3vn oh I bet man I’ve only hit a few parries here and there but practicing them is so hard for me😮‍💨

[@crassiewassie8354]

I feel like this is the main difference between someone who enjoys speed running and someone who doesn't see the value in it. Not that speed running isn't impressive. It's also impressive to master a boss to the point where the boss looks stupid as you slowly lower its health to zero with a paperclip as a weapon A lot of people dont need to master a game to interpret its themes. and for some people they're not looking for mastery. They're looking for themes and reflection. When I play a game I like to immerse myself into the story and ask questions about my own life and about the story.

[@henrysmith8446]

Damn, DJ Peach Cobbler been using that rage in all the right places

[@ChazMcClure]

Tren Cobbler

[@DJPeachCobbler]

@@ChazMcClure synthol 💪

[@nope2957]

@@DJPeachCobbler damn thats rough ps:gr8 vid

[@bobransom4359]

@@DJPeachCobbler nice job I’ve watched most every video and enjoyed all of them for the most part thank you for being willing to say what us people need to hear

[@igotbanned3timesfromyoutub883]

Mf is a Sith Lord

[@موسىالعامر-ك3ن]

Cobbler is the dark souls of videogame essays

[@samalmond2321]

You mean convoluted and hard to understand, or a deep profound and meaningful experience?

[@-Scrapper-]

@@samalmond2321 yes

[@موسىالعامر-ك3ن]

@@samalmond2321 yep

[@blackwinter2127]

@@samalmond2321 of course

[@randomness1456]

@@samalmond2321 No doubt

[@pmshe8273]

The video felt like a few minutes when it was actually 20 mins long. Great job, man!

[@archivist_13]

As one of the three people who haven't ever played one of these games, I thank you for convincing me to give them a try

[@GalactiCadet]

Bad choice

[@BobBobby-kt4sc]

Hey! Good luck on your Fromsoft journey! Regardless of which game you want to try first, know that your first one is going to be your hardest one. And thats ok. Because despite popular belief the majority of Fromsoft fans are not edgy gatekeeping try hards. We are "casual" gamers who found a hard game and were just stubborn enough to stick through it. Dont be afraid to reach out to the community. Most of us will eagerly help you through the lands of Miyazaki. Just remember to never give up, and that asking for help is ok. Summoning your friends and gaming with them is over half the fun and is literally a core mechanic in every FromSoft game (barring Sekiro). Dont you dare go hollow!

[@flamingmanure]

@@GalactiCadet get back to fortnite my dude.

[@ignoreme975]

You plus me, wow we almost have everyone here.

[@archivist_13]

@@ignoreme975 no kidding lol

[@KO-tq3ns]

Watching this after having beat elden ring three times, I couldn’t agree more, there is so much more to these games than just their difficulty. Thank you for blessing us with your almighty KZbin review Dr. Peach Cobblestone.

[@gamestructoutopiaman4487]

Also I'm glad to see you working out since that statistically increases your lifespan which means more content over a longer period of time, or something Edit:typo

[@rolandmazurel8029]

Congratulations, you did what you set out to do. Due to this video i am no longer on the fence on buying Elden ring. You did what no other review was able to do for me, thanks. P.s. I'll be looking forward to your second Rome video.

[@bobransom4359]

This was the first from-soft game I have ever played it was so enjoyable I am trying bloodborne now and am a bit annoyed at the checkpoints where you need to run for 10 min back to that boss to die again but it’s part of it

[@cap3423]

If it ever gets too tough just upgrade the mimic tear to +10. Thats what i did 66 hours of bliss

[@robertfrenken4917]

I was in the same boat, but pulled the trigger last month. I'm maybe like 2/3rds through, but for me it has been BoTW tier of pure engagement. And I have the temperament of trying a boss like 5-10 times, and if I don't beat it I just do other things and come back when I have leveled up some more.

[@dinucojocaru9507]

Looking forward to Rome the sequel

[@docchicken245]

We need the rome one

[@spilledpizza]

“Play the game however you want” can’t hit closer to home. Friend got ER, hated the multiplayer system, refunded. Seamless co-op came out and we beat it together, and now he’s playing every souls game.

[@Chopstorm.]

Now if they can actually fix up M&K controls, I might give it a try again. That, the frequent crashing and bugs (If I remember correctly it didn't support ultrawide either) brought me to uninstall.

[@khalilrahme5227]

@@Chopstorm. you can change the controls to your liking dude

[@Chopstorm.]

@@khalilrahme5227 Not sure about now, but when the game came out you couldn't. Most of the controls were locked.

[@khalilrahme5227]

@@Chopstorm. oh idk then, I changed a few but I'm mostly okay with the M&K keyboard controls tbh

[@grilledleeks6514]

@@Chopstorm. no they weren't.

[@daneherron7014]

man i can’t express enough how glad i am that you didn’t go into an ad read for audible at 19:58 this was an incredible review and it deserves so many more views.

[@kingofthefleetians]

I never understood how someone went the wrong way at the start of ds1 because the path to the undead burg is obvious as hell and the crest fallen tells you to go that way

[@RegiusEques]

I completely missed the staircase somehow. Explored all of Firelink shrine looking for the path. Finally I went to the internet and realized I'm a moron for missing what is clearly a very obvious staircase.

[@TehGhostWhoPlay]

to be fair i went the wrong way during ds2 and ds3 even though the path was obvious as fuck

[@Blandy8521]

I didn't see the path on my first playthrough

[@ashutoshbundela3744]

Crestfallen mentioned up first. I go up first.

[@kingofthefleetians]

@@ashutoshbundela3744 would've been funnier if he told you to go to the graveyard first to prank you

[@AluminumHaste]

That tie in "play the game how you want to play" theme, overlayed with the minecraft music is fucking genius. I love your reviews, spot on.

[@chrisn3819]

i thought this very same thing. After thinking to myself "wait did I accidentally open minecraft?"

[@Narko_Marko]

As a Serbian I can say that soldier of Godrick is the hardest challenge I have ever overcome.

[@zviyeri9117]

As a Croatian I am going to be your next

[@Narko_Marko]

@@milutinpetrovic32 ne jebem

[@Donksy]

That challenge has been overcome many times 💀

[@Narko_Marko]

@@Donksy so has living as a Serbian, many more times in fact

[@team2735]

fantastic take on the game series, in dark souls 3, i beat the game 200 times on one character, people would always claim that i am in some elitists mindset without even knowing me but the truth is, i still die, and i still use magic in dark souls, it feels good to dodge and melee, especially in the fire giant fight, but theres a difference between elitism and getting as heavily involved in a game, as someone who loves the game just as much as i. if i were to tell someone how to play a game, then id be projecting my opinions on them, im not a dev of the game so i should have no say.

[@KnjazNazrath]

I've been completing erry Souls game w/ a dagger using a Tonberry build. Once to complete, and later to ironman. Between these tries I might experiment a bit w/ weapons and what not. I'm not good at games, but luckily Souls games are merely pattern recognition rather than actual difficulty. I'm just stubborn, and imo these games have been about trying to teach or remind people the importance of perseverance in their own lives.

[@AluminumHaste]

I try to tell people "this is how I beat this boss, or got through this section", instead of "you should do *****".

[@tytar1037]

I have 800 hours in Elden Ring. I multiple lvl 150 characters for six different builds. Helping people beat bosses was my favorite. Playing DS3 now and loving it. No boss in Elden Ring kicked my ass as much as Midir. I’m a dark build so Midir was brutal!

[@enman009]

@@tytar1037 Oh, Midir used to be the Radahn of DS3: impossible and hated by many. Just remember to always focus on his head and run when necessary. His second phase's lasers can be avoided getting some distance.

[@tytar1037]

@@enman009 I learned getting under him makes him to that fire attack that always hits you. You were right about the head!

[@Stolipotamus]

"ignore the shmeat" IT IS LITERALLY THE BEST LINE IN THE EPISODE.

[@FavynTube]

Played playthrough 1 using whatever I could find. Exploring the world, finding my way through, utilizing the tools the game gave me. It was brilliant and I'd say Elden Ring has some of the best exploration in gaming history But playthrough 2? I knew where everything was. I knew every surprise that was waiting for me and so to even the odds...I channeled the spirit of rollipolliolli, I forgo my shield and swore off magic of any kind. And I rolled....I rolled like I had never rolled before. And I also had a really good time doing that AFTER I absorbed all of the games goodies the first time through

[@vodago]

Ah, a fellow user of the Rolly Polly, and witnesser of Viva la Dirt League.

[@WokeandProud]

I made it more interesting by having the taunters tounge always active running through the level while being chased sometimes by two invaders avd having to find unique strategies to defeat them defiantly added to the fun factor for me.

[@DanChippendaleMusic]

I played through 4 times and loved it more each time. Because it becomes so familiar and a sort of 'arcady'. Doesn't mean you can't still get annihilated by three rats though. That's why it's so great. Once you learn the rules it's more fun breaking them and the risk/reward is like no other game I've played

[@skyguy1230]

Souls games are literally a cure for depression. The feeling of reward after progressing, and beating hard bosses or areas legit kept me from killing myself at one point in my life. Not only do the games make you feel accomplished, but they teach you to have patience and resilience in tough situations. As corny as it sounds, souls games can be life changing 💯

[@gummy3584]

I have depression but I just like playing the games lol they never rlly helped me 'overcome' mental illness unfortunately

[@Free-4554]

@@gummy3584 Everyone has their own unique way with dealing with things, and I can understand how hard ass video games don’t really work for some.

[@Mzuka-Moto]

@@gummy3584 get help dudes

[@skyguy1230]

@@gummy3584 I guess they’re not a full on cure lol but I think the souls games definitely help give you the mental tools to cope better

[@Fiddy.]

They make my depression stronger

[@empyrean5183]

You wanna know what i loved the most about this franchise? The experimentation. It allows you to go at it with anything you want even if it's utterly stupid. Although if you have a poor mindset and find an answer to the theories produced by that mindset. It could lead to either you feeling disenfranchised by the world as is or you spreading a false ideal successfully. Doom 3 tried being what was already present in the industry and done better elsewhere. However doom 2016 did it's own thing from the lessons the team behind it learned. They tested something and it didn't work so they came back with something new after actually being more open. A closed perspective leads to entropy, this being told many times throughout the souls series. An although a refined singular mindset may work in a particular place we have to be adaptive in that craft and not everyone is able to do so at all. However when you push boundaries actually seeing what could work and see what doesn't work that's when you truly grow in your wisdom. Growing sharper than the one guy who got good at one thing and more prepared than he was.

[@LordTrashcanRulez]

Isn't that possible with virtually every single game ever made? TES, fallout, Metal Gear Solid 5. Dark Souls didn't exactly invent experimentation. Unless I completely missed your point, sorry I don't understand big words.

[@Soul-Burn]

The experimentation was the most noticeable with Sekiro. FromSoft, with the Souls games, pretty much created the "stamina based, roll, attack, roll back, regain stamina" style of combat many games copied over the years. Then came Sekiro: "lol stamina is infinite, dodging sucks, a dance of cling cling clang until one of you break", making one of the best feeling combat games ever.

[@phoenixpeng8822]

Cobbler: *using strong items in the game Tryhards: wait that’s illegal

[@hamdizthecat]

and it's and it's good and that's the time to let go let the new community have fun play it how they want to play it

[@xenosayain1506]

there is fun, then there's broken lol. the tryhards have a point when it comes to abilities like bhs. one ability shouldn't allow a player to ignore all evasive, dodge, and blocking mechanics with a flammable ability. seemed like an oversight, I see a lot of them in elden ring. makes me wish more dev time was put into weapon and abilities rather than the open world.

[@soniccry]

@@xenosayain1506 u clearly didn’t watch the video then. The point is that the game is an rpg not some annual challenge that gamers must overcome. Leave that for dark souls. If people have fun one shotting a boss with a funny magic ability then they’re in their right too. I don’t think the devs at from softworks would have put such things in the game if it was meant to be a miserable hard challenge thats boring. This is also why I think bosses don’t drop anything valuable due to the fact they can be easy to kill.

[@maybeiamepic2263]

@@soniccry I’m sorry but you have you used the most spear lmao

[@xenosayain1506]

@@soniccry how is pointing out imbalance not watching it. Did you read what I said? By your logic the fires deadly sin and erdtree machine gun glitches were just playing your way. I have no problem with the strongercweapond. I just think the devs made an oversight or two.

[@altoidius6252]

This is with out a doubt the best review of Elden Ring I've seen. I definitely think the endgame of Elden Ring (mainly mountaintop of the giants) could have used more polish and consideration, but It's difficulty was far from unfair. Yes, you can get two shot by certain enemies and bosses, but at that point in the game you can summon a jojo stand that can bring the stars crashing down on their heads while you dual wield industrial equipment sized weapons. Playing the game on your own, completely naked, with zero items apart from a big stick is basically a challenge run.

[@MachGlacier]

I was one of those three people who never played a souls game. Because of this video, i went ahead and got elden ring. And i can honestly say it is one of the best games I've ever played and has spurred me to play other souls games.

[@hunterfarrar4204]

You’ve beaten the hardest boss of a souls game, getting a girlfriend

[@andrewbaker3651]

it was so funny how i thought you hadnt posted a video in a while. I checked your channel just to make sure then saw your vid from a month ago. Took a shower and came back to see this. How funny

[@MegaCygnusX1]

Heh, I had a similar first experience as you, but with the first Dark Souls. I tried beating the Asylum Demon for about an hour with my broken sword, because all I knew going in was the game's reputation for difficulty. So yeah the relief and stupidity I felt when I noticed the door in the back left of the room has stuck with me to this day.

[@zoidsfan12]

The bit about restricting your playstyle to bonking things and dodging is a you thing hit me. I specifically enjoy playing in this way, but I can easily see how that could burn someone out with elden ring. Every souls game I find the greatsword and roll a strength build, not upgrading my vitality until I get to a point in the game that I feel I need extra health. This playstyle actually still works quite well with elden ring, half the bosses in the game get stuck in staggerlock cycle. But the mature falling star beast was the first roadblock, the first thing which truly felt like I needed to just learn every animation's dodge timing to perfection. That thing took about 30 attempts to even get it half health, eventually after talking about it with a friend she offered to come help me and I took her up on the offer. But honestly that banging my head against the wall felt good. That genuinely is just how I enjoy these games, I enjoy treating them like a rhythm game. In a rhythm game you can pass a song with some mistakes, but you only get good high scores by doing most if not all the song flawlessly. This is how I play the souls games, and I engage in the same habits too. In rhythm games if I make a mistake early I just restart, if I have score a particularly high combo before and I mess up before that combo amount I restart. Same thing with the souls games, if I take a hit super early I just let myself die, if I have used more estus than I usually do by the halfway point I let myself die, etc. But that's my way of playing these games lol. I like to be able to do fights hitless. To me the whole thing that got me into these games in the first place was the feeling of returning to the undead parish for the first time in DS1. After having died countless times in the parish, then the deep descent into the depths, and even deeper descent into blighttown and to the second bell of awakening, the return to the parish felt so different. It felt tiny, being able to parry and backstab these enemies which once had killed me hundreds of times felt so liberating and empowering. That empowerment is what I seek in these games. I want to be tested, I want to struggle, and I want to overcome. For me these games a macrocosm of what it is to truly learn any skill set. To improve you must first realize your own inadequacy, that feeling of weakness is what spurs us to improve. When I got into combat sports if I hadn't had my ass kicked for a whole practice I wouldn't have come back for the next practice because I would've felt I had nothing to learn.

[@LAK_770]

Full-Grown Fallingstar was also the point for me where I had to finally buckle down and git gud. I didn’t even realize that I could skip him, lol, but I’m glad I didn’t. He taught me so much about the system, everything from dodge timing to managing poise breaks. From that point on I basically wasn’t satisfied with a boss win unless it was nearly a no-hit. If I used more than 5 flasks I would just accept defeat and try again, did this countless times. Barely making it through a boss felt like a missed learning opportunity, like I was clearing content just to clear it.

[@MiloAC]

I dunno how to properly say this, but damn. It isn't everyday that I find a you-tuber who can so easily touch someones heart strings, you speak so eloquently even while being hilarious. You managed to capture that essence that so many other people try but fail to achieve. You manage to build and build and build the narrative you were weaving in a way that utterly compels the listener to head your words. I am undoubtedly touched by this video, and am going to go buy Elden ring and give it a shot. It will be my first SoulsLike game I have ever played. I think I will edit this comment to report my completion of it. But damn that was a good video, and I must say you have wholeheartedly earned my sub!

[@Ralwor]

I have seen probably 200 or so reviews for this game by now, and nobody has been able to articulate just exactly what ive been trying to tell friends this whole time. Aplause! 👏 Amazing Video!!! 🤘

[@konundrumite]

I've definitely softened up a bit on the difficulty scaling of this game as time went on. But spirit summons still irk me in the sense that them being summonable only in certain locations makes fighting things like a basic ass rune bear more challenging than the big bombastic bossfights that I think should earn more of your effort. I obv have the choice not to use them which obviously fulfills that desire, but still think this whole system could've been designed much better, on account that most ppl will be using summons.

[@K40005]

Yeah spirit summons definitely feel very cheap and kind of beat the boss for you

[@yohnjates]

So your point is you wish the system was built in your favor more. The game was built with the ability to choose your challenge level. Don't fight the runebear. Or having trouble? Sleep it. Poison it. Rot it. I mean there's so many ways to expand gameplay beyond melee or summons only

[@benitoswagolini3827]

@@yohnjates They just don’t find it fun fighting a boss with summons and the entire game is built around using summons

[@yohnjates]

@@benitoswagolini3827 it's literally not. The entire game is flat out not built around using summons. That's like saying the entire game is build around great swords or bows just because they exist and thus the game was balanced with their existence in mind. Your exaggerating like a moron rn

[@enman009]

@@benitoswagolini3827 that's false. The AI reacts to your actions and distance, meaning that bosses and mini bosses have more awareness. Not all summons are as effective as mimic (being the only example of too strong), but they take agro from you, and that's just a tool but not the primary way. Pure melee just need positioning and posture breaking to do the job. Also, there's videos showing how to fight bosses with no summons nor "op" weapons, which were always in Soulsborne.

[@beggar_nugs]

The problem I think for a lot of people is that then using spirit ashes or something akin after failing with melee makes the fight way too easy and felt like you didn’t get to even experience the boss properly. This game sometimes lacks that middle ground of difficulty where it’s tough but it’s fair, an aspect embedded in all soulsborne games for the most part.

[@Rebell-mi4zu]

Yeah, that’s why I think that elden ring bosses are actually the worst in the series to be honest. They all are simply way to god dame fast and spammy, and they hit hard on a suspicious level. It’s like in a race, all the bosses have different cars, trucks, etc. but you’re the only one with a bike. It feels…. Unfair. Which basically goes against everything the souls series stood for.

[@younggod5230]

completely correct. spending half an hour trying to get a dodge timing right, only to give up and use spells or spirit ashes, killing the boss and simply not ever having to deal with that dodge timing is just not very fun in my opinion. I think, the more moves a boss has, that are fun and fair to deal with (dodge timings+finding attack windows) the better and mkre interesting a boss becomes. Now, the more moves of the boss you can just ignore, the less interesting a boss becomes. It's why there are also people who complain about bleed+forst dual uchigatana. Not because it's an invalid or "cowardly" way of playing, no, it's as valid as any other, it's just that you sort of circumvent the game by using such a high damage build. For example, which fight do you consider to be more interesting? The typical undead soldier, or Godrick, who can die in one to two hits, IF you have enough damage? It's basically the same fight. Image someome gives you a math problem. And tells you the goal is to get to the next page. You can either solve the math problem (it is very difficult) or you can also just turn to the next page without even looking at the question. People know I'm right, because in Undertale, sans puts a riddle on a piece of paper infront of you as a challenge, but the joke is that you can just walk around! People find that hilarious! But when people explain that fighting malenia with mimic tear dual uchigatana blees+frost, is probably easier, they get called gatekeepers. I'm not gatekeeping, play however you like. But don't you ever dare tell me, that the game is not supposed to be balanced for playing as a naked guy with a stick! This is why, when I die to Isshin, I think "well, I mean at least I get to fight isshin again" but when I die to malenia I think "Well, if she does waterfoul dance I'm just dead. Like just dead. No other way. I just have to hope she doesn't do that move" And yes, the first time I beat malenia, it was because she only did waterfowl once in her second phase, meanwhile in my other tries, she would do it up to four times per phase. I felt like the game just decided randomly "ok, you can win now" people want tough but fair because tough but fair just means fun and fun. Tough but Moonveil bloodhound step ash of war is actually just tough but fuck you game.

[@nebeskisrb7765]

Waterfowl dance is absolutely dodgeable. You can see videos of people avoiding it completely WITHOUT ROLLING. I, personally, have shit reflexes and streamed the game through steam (so I had a slight delay) and I still managed to avoid all but one damage instances from it.

[@jwanikpo]

i never used spirit ashes unless i thought the boss was utter bullshit and i couldnt figure out how to beat it pure melee (cuz thats how i wanted to play)

[@GangsterFrankensteinComputer]

@@Rebell-mi4zu I found the bosses to be really slow and sluggish, I've not played a "souls" game before though.

[@Galimeer5]

Cobbler: "Dark Souls was, unquestionably, the most influential game of the 2010s" Also Cobbler: **ends the video with Minecraft music**

[@janpamua7714]

Yes

[@k.-flynn]

Popular =/= influential

[@Spiderella3959]

@@k.-flynn Do you mean Minecraft/Dark Souls was popular but not influential? I don't think l understood you

[@JujuInFlames]

What pisses me off about the “oh you’re using magic? Easyyyy mode” is it immediately got to my friends, which Elden ring is their first front software game. My response was “oh you’re a pro now huh?” Because for some reason some people watch a couple tier lists and rant videos and now they’re experts on everything 💀

[@CorwinTheOneAndOnly]

The problem for a lot of veteran souls players is that if you don't use the OP tools, and try to play the game like bloodborne, then you get stomped on until you get into the top 1% of skill by some of this game. The *alternative,* if you use all the tools the game gives you, is that the game becomes piss-easy, and for someone who *wants* to play the game as if it were DS3 or Bloodborne or Sekiro, that just kills our opinion of the gameplay possibly irreparably. There is an in-between, where you only use *some* of the special tools and are able to reap *some* benefits without being a broken unfun mess of a character, but that to a lot of people feels like a lot of *unfun* effort to simply *pretend* at having fun, when in reality you feel like you're stuck in this limbo state between two people who are trying to do completely different things, and never really succeeding at either. We aren't even going to get into the overall boss design philosophy situation for this example. The thing about Doom Eternal, the flame belch for example, is that you *have* to use it, or the game becomes piss-HARD, but the game never becomes piss-easy, until and ONLY until you hit that top 1% skill grouping. Everything that Doom Eternal gives you are things that the devs *made you need* to continue playing the game. The one exception is the BFG, but even that has multiple limits placed on it. TL;DR - A lot of souls vets feel like Elden Ring is ironically one of the *least* rewarding souls games, because the thing it gives you isn't a mastery over the game's mechanics, but *subversions* to the game's mechanics. Great examples of this are the multitude of "boss off-buttons" that exist, that completely turn off boss mechanics or disable them for several several seconds. Maybe the souls vets in question have come to expect the wrong thing from Elden Ring, who knows. But, whether they're "right" or "wrong", I do think it is at least *very important* that there are large numbers of the people who have been obsessed with Fromsoft's games for years, who are now having some major problems with this game specifically. That lingering fear that Fromsoft has finally abandoned their old ways and have capitulated to the cesspit of western marketism, is certainly there. As you said yourself; All they need to do now is bring out the dog. Tl;dr2 Game is too easy to beat, too hard to play.

[@Buddhaa33]

That’s also my only problem with this review. He keeps saying that this game is the one that allows all options to be viable while the past games mostly stuck to a certain area. But my main issue with elden ring is that it makes the option of using very few resources pretty unviable. In Every single from game in the past naked, no hit, SL 1 runs were very challenging sure but still do able because the bosses were designed so well that you could succeed because of studying the AIs movements and getting so good at them that you could overcome them. While in elden ring it feels like the bosses were designed in mind that every single player would be using every single OP resource at their disposal and because if that the bosses lack that tight design they had in the past. I love ER but it just seems that the game was made more for spectacle than for tight refined combat

[@avidsatanist]

Yeah you bring up a very fair, honest, good faith, and detailed point, but like; cheeto dust + no significant other + reddit or something

[@saulgoneman]

The thing is, I don't think playing the game in pure melee, no spirits/spells, is any harder than Sekiro. Outside of Malenia, I found mastering every boss as fun as ever (more fun honestly). You don't need to use tools you don't want to use, as long as you adapt to the melee systems of this game (don't panic roll, jump over attacks where you can, keep up pressure to stance break etc.). You can't play the game identically to DS3 because its a different game, but pure melee is nowhere near as bullshit as I've seen many claim. I think too many people refuse to adapt, get punished and decide the game is bullshit, just as many 'Souls vets' did in Bloodborne and Sekiro.

[@enman009]

There's a problem in your argument: people can beat the hole game pure melee without summons. How? Jumping attacks, counters and positioning are the main pillars of the game, the rest is part of your arsenal. In fact, considering that most of the +30 weapon types are melee, is easy to see how most spells and summons are an extension to your offensive, rather than a full necessity. You learn patterns and react accordingly, animations are so detailed you have an idea of what you should do. This situation is no different than Bloodborne, DS3 and Sekiro's: they brought a different rhythm and mechanical focus, and took people years or months to adapt.

[@mingQWERTY]

@@saulgoneman That's basically it. I mean just compare a boss like Margit and Maliketh to a boss from basically any previous Souls games (excluding Sekiro because that's different) and you can see how much different and more complex those 2 are. In Elden Ring, you have to adapt to the new bosses. Blocking is now better than it was in DS3 with guard counters, you can now jump to avoid non-explosive ground aoes/low sweeping attacks, run away from longer combos and or just dodge towards the correct direction instead of instinctively rolling backwards thinking that your i-frames can save you. Play proactively, not reactively.

[@smergthedargon8974]

"I cannot imagine how anyone who just hits and dodges enjoys this game." Me: Entire first playthrough was curved greatswords and colossal weapons, no bloodhound step, no magic, no spirits, loved the game.

[@szalyn8849]

Same I just had a longsword, a shield, for the most part I used the Bloody Slash, but I stopped using it after Morgott (Not counting the godforsaken Godskin duo which I still beaten Solo) Every boss in the end game was really fun just dodging and R1 on occasion. Now that I think about it, maybe I'll try doing it for a full game just good ol' R1 and dodging Thank you for your comment, it inspired me

[@chubbysolaireeaterofpussy3192]

facts, except for when i fought malania i caved and used blood hounds step still took me around 70 tries tho

[@smergthedargon8974]

@@chubbysolaireeaterofpussy3192 Hehe, not even for Malenia did I use spirits or ashes - but I am a bit of a tryhard, given that I've 100%'d all the Souls games and Sekiro.

[@enman009]

Finished my curved sword build a couple weeks ago, now doing pure melee with greatsword: the game feels really tight, you actually feel the weight of your actions, you have to commit to punish, and boy, is cathartic. Long story short: Melee if great in this game.

[@SSJGaelY0]

wow so cool

[@--.--.--.--.--.--]

Godskin Duo seems like a bullshit boss, until you learn that sleep throwing pots instantly put the bosses to sleep. I never used the sleep mechanic before that, and I think it's neat that they do have that specific weakness.

[@poutineausyropderable7108]

You are skipping key elements of the design of the boss by using that. It's a smart move. Let's be honest. My problem is that Godskin Duo is the epitome of "Use item to skip a problem rather then deal with it". And so many bosses and enemies have this. My other problem is that if you don't skip the problem, it's an unfair one. One that needs a form of cheese to be beaten. I feel like even melee fighting the boss, even the most skillfull type play... the way you deal with lots of attacks feels like cheesing the AI or the code. It's not immersive. You feel like driving with the handbreak on. Constantly held back. Like the challenge you are given isn't one ment for the game. It feels unatural. It's not aggressive or tactical. Yet it's still in an uncanney valley where you feel it might be possible. Basically, positionning became way too important, but the game has no way to communicate to you, in an intuitive manner the correct positioning. Also, it's not a platformer or a roguelike, the movement controll aren't fluid enough to have fight be 80% positionning and pathing. Furthermore, there's way too many unreadable attack. The game wasn't polished enough so that animation perfectly follows physics, stopping a trained eyes from seeing stuff coming. It became a memorisation game. The tells don't tells you whats gonna happen, they are but an easier to spot stage in an animation, used as a benchmark for pressing a button, after painfully memorising it. --- And so the problem. You uses stuff to skip an attack, that if you didn't skip, would be unsatisfying to deal with. That's really it. I feel like whatever path you take, success is unsatisfying.

[@brandonclarke436]

Then there’s me who put those mfs to sleep a million times and still died an innumerable amount of times 💀💀💀💀

[@0x6e95]

I doubt this was even intended by From. If it was they did a shit job of giving the player hints because I can bet you majority of the players did not use sleep pots. So no, Godskin Duo is still a shit boss.

[@GobaGNon]

No its still a bullshit poorly designed boss. It’s a bullshit poorly designed boss with counterplay, but that definitely doesn’t redeem it.

[@donald12998]

Pretty easy with a ghosty boi for distraction.

[@thatonebrazilian3406]

16:12 General Gigachad fucking waited for the bitch to buff and heal while he had a Strength build

[@nimay13]

The whole point of this video is, don't gatekeep Dark Souls series and don't let them gatekeepers get to you. Struggle defeating a boss? Overlevel, overequip, do whatever it takes. and btw, bosses input reads you that's why they're hard.

[@gamestructoutopiaman4487]

Nice to see dj peach posting again

[@Shredow2]

"Games aren't hard, life is hard" Where have I heard that line of reasoning in regards to Elden Ring before? Hey hey people, Sseth here.

[@97Multiphantom]

Excellent job as always, Cobbler. Also thank you for being the first I’ve seen to call Malenia what she is in-game and in canon: a cheater.

[@user-jb1ic3fb4d]

You're right on the money: this is exactly why I dropped Elden Ring like a week after starting. But now that I'm back into it, I actually adore the difficulty scaling. You can turn tail and grind for items and runes to make any enemy as easy as you want, or persist if you feel like it's just the right challenge. It's a perfect "play-your-way" Souls game. Edit (addendum): That Hooters line got me real good. Holy hell.

[@daladams]

Jesus dude, I miss so many things because I’m still sitting here holding my head in my hands trying to unpack some throwaway line you said 3 minutes into the video

[@TheNoxmage]

Rewatching this for a third time. So good

[@mrrixel28]

I really cannot stress this enough but 2 years ago when i was in a deep depression and i has nothing in my life dark souls saved and forever i owe fromsoft and their games my life

[@hugostiglitz491]

Them games will make you more depressed bruh

[@uthergoodman401]

@@hugostiglitz491 Not really. Overcoming the challenges the game gives is a real healing moment for some people

[@hugostiglitz491]

@@uthergoodman401 I bet it is really satisfying, it's how I felt when I completed Dishonored 2 without killing anyone

[@uthergoodman401]

@@hugostiglitz491 Exactly that. Theres this incredible rush you get after beating a boss in this game. Because it actually took effort to beat it

[@Budd631]

This has basically become a meme at this point

[@samhughes729]

Massive fan of this review, massive fan of this game. I haven’t beaten the game and doubt I ever will but that does not change the fact that it made my heart leap for joy at every turn. With every step I traveled I felt more connected to the world, a feeling that I have not had in a long time. Thank you for putting the effort in to this video and sharing it with the world.

[@aa1469]

I've always said, the greatest disservice soulsborne "fans" has done/do is prancing about how "difficult" the games are. Yes, the souls games are fairly challenging at first, but once you understand them, it just clicks. The experience you gain from one game, trancends into the other, even if they are completely different. The hardest souls game is always your first, but once you get the click, they become such enriching experiences, with so much more to offer than simply "git gud"

[@Mr_JManM]

Finally someone gets it. I remember playing Sekiro and being envious of all the bosses and their cool move sets. Then Elden Ring came out and From was all like, you be the boss dude. Get all the flashy moves, summon mobs, you can even throw things a people like you're Donkey Kong. It hit that perfect mix of Devil May Cry style and Souls weight.

[@TheSilvantor]

The reason people have issues with certain playstyles or items isn't because hurr durr it makes it easy for casuals, but because some of these things are so broken to the point they become a crutch and take away from the experience of the game. The experience loses meaning if you steamroll through everything in it using a couple busted tactics that completely trivialize the game. "The way you play is the difference between victory and defeat. It is the difficulty of Elden Ring which makes the experimentation meaningful. What you use matters because the game doesn't pull its punches" But that is simply not true when the bosses and enemies become virtually incapacitated when you pull out a summon paired up with some no risk high reward skill/spell. What is the meaning of that? This game does the equivalent of the Skyrim blunder of funneling you into the stealth archer playstyle, it strips the game down to one or two overwhelmingly dominant strategies that completely carry you throughout the game and remove any challenge. After all, the risk and struggle gives the adventure meaning. Pulling up on Malenia with your decked out mimic tear, rivers of blood and perhaps comet azur certainly achieves the same thing in the end, which is victory, but in the process it strips away the gameplay. You have no need to learn anything, to overcome anything, you just press your free win buttons. Does that experience have any meaning? Will a player cheesing through the game, having barely struggled, come out of it with the same experience that you yourself value so much from your prior experience of the Souls games? "...and all these other mechanics the developers clearly spent a great deal of time refining and balancing" You cannot compare this to Doom Eternal and make the argument the souls community is akin to saying the flame belch is a crutch for casuals. The statement is simply not true when there are weapons, ashes of war and spells that are overwhelmingly more powerful, less risky and consume less resources than other spells for no reason. There is no way you can have Corpse Piler in the game and say it's balanced because, well, the devs put it in the game, when you have skills/ashes of war that are orders of magnitude inferior in damage, FP consumption, risk vs. reward, poise damage and other things. There are things in this game with much less powerful effects, that cost 10x the FP, which are less reliable and deal less damage than the things "souls vets" are complaining about. In all of these games, there is clearly an intended experience to be had. Why else go through the trouble of designing bosses with various moves, punishes and openings, if you they wanted you to just pull out your damage sponge spirit summon to distract the boss while you erase it out of existence? What's the meaning in that experience other that victory for the sake of it? Players will optimize the fun out of a game given the chance, and I just think it's a damn shame so many people missed out on the core experience of overcoming the game's challenges by pulling up KZbin, Fextralife and what have you in 10 tabs to find the best way to beat the game. But the best way isn't always the most fun way. I genuinely believe spirit ashes as they are were a mistake. The bosses and enemies are not designed to deal with anything more than the player. They will just focus one or the other, and sometimes the act of just switching aggro just leaves the boss a sitting duck, when he otherwise wouldn't be. There is nothing more powerful in a Souls game than having a meatshield take off the aggro of an otherwise dangerous enemy.

[@willmackaness2991]

This is one of the best game reviews I've ever watched - thorough, but concise. Meaningful and well-worded, but actually digestable. Thank you.

[@tallspartan117]

I feel like the problem with the difficulty in elden ring is that its either the ultimate channel in gaming or its so easy that that you can just spam one button basically by using one of the broken weapons or abilities like rivers of blood spam or summons. I only really feel like this happened on the difficulty spike around the mountain area in the game tho but also people can play how they want but I like a challenge but I don't want to spend 5 hours on Melina bc I don't want to make the fight easy as hell with a summon that's exactly why I don't like mage builds in the dark souls games it makes the game to easy but also just spaming one button is boring.

[@Aconspiracyofravens1]

5 hours? I spent a week on isshin the first time

[@flamingmanure]

another old souls veteran that wants the games to be as archaic and robotic as the old games XD

[@maudley]

@@flamingmanure not wanting to just hit the same button and stunlock the boss to death is wanting them to be archaic and robotic?

[@aschelocke5287]

There is no melina fight

[@enman009]

Challenge is subjective depending on your build, tools, and overall mastery of the game. The argument of being too difficult falls apart, for me at least, because there's so many variables that will change from player to player.

[@gitarmats]

I went to the graveyard on my first attempt of Dark Souls 1... Got nowhere and left it. Picked it up again later and got absolutely hooked once I started figuring things out.

[@halcyon6098]

Thats my experience w Nioh 2. Bought. Got mercd by some baboon w a stick. Quit for two yrs. Played dark souls. Then got in again and parried the crap out of that monkey

[@malcolmcarey6519]

This video was 10 seconds shorter than your last Elden Ring video. I should have known after you showed the dog in the last vid

[@djrcreations835]

I played with the watchdog greatsword, with S strength scaling and with braggard's roar on it. Along with the jar cannon. I used all the support incantations that only need 10 faith or less and I only used mimic tear against Melania. I destroyed everything in the game, especially casuals with ROB spam. Never once complained and just enjoyed every moment of it. The game is fun, no matter how you play it. But I'd say don't play it too often.

[@jerrodshack7610]

The intense 1v1 combat of the series is my favorite part. I understand the ashes are there and meant to be used. I just don't find them fun to use. And it's also not very fun to not use them in some situations because the game seems to be balanced around using them. I think that's a pretty valid criticism.

[@samuelhunter4631]

Isn't the idea of "fun" inherently subjective? Like most others found using ashes to be fun, especially when they complement your playstyle (Mage, Archer, etc) But yeah, some fights feel like you kinda have to use Ashes (even though you can still win if you don't)

[@yohnjates]

The games not balanced around ashes. The games balanced around changing your build to defeat whatever is roadblocking you. That's why it's so easy to respec

[@jasoniusthegreat5584]

@@yohnjates that’s not fun or good, it’s even worse! Yeah fuck trying to build your character and role playing IN AN RPG

[@fifthpint4571]

@@yohnjates Where's skill in that? That's still essentially working around the problem, rather than dealing with it. If that is what the game intended for players to do, then it isn't really an RPG at all. It's more an action game, where you pick different characters (builds) to deal with different obstacles. Sort of like the 1998 Vikings game did.

[@saweendra8690]

@@jasoniusthegreat5584 not necessary true you see its not even about respecing. Its about using all the tools the game expects you to use lot of weapon types. Not just one. And every build can can weild a wide selection of weapons and spells. Its literally why there is strength scaling incantation seal in game. Or different damage types and enmies weak to that damage type and every one gets acess to x dmage type one way or another. Use all of them and honestly its not hard the hard part is figuring out what you wanna use to get that damage type. It could be upgrading and finding weapon you like for that. Or a pot or grease ..etc. craftables Or respec. Tighter your personal preference is harder the game.

[@SevenPr1me]

Your final point hits it on the nail. The game is pretty easy and fun if you don't get pigheaded about your playstyle. But if you want the game to be challenging, you can do that too. It's difficulty is really quite variable

[@Zackinator2017]

Even though you might not see this comment (and it's cliché), I want to thank you for the effort you put into these videos DJPC. You really stand out to me in the sea of creators online and your approach to delivering the content always feels heartfelt even when it's near aparant you're borderline shitposting. I hope you continue to do KZbin and I'm here to watch every video that comes out.

[@XDWASDX]

Decade+ souls vet here. I share DJC's frustrations with the community's insecure insistence that only the best gamers can conquer the series. The games don't adhere to the same appeasement cycle as other popular titles, bust they're really not that hard, and I'm tired of baby-raging baby boys saying they are. Many games demand meth-adjacent focus. Such focus can help in Soulsborne games, but the series mainly encourages patience and analysis as a response to defeat, not guitar hero relfexes.

[@rmeng3]

@ 20:50 Nice touch of the Minecraft music to draw the parallel of "Play however you want." I dig it.

[@MrHeorhe]

12:00 What the fuck.. 250+ hours in DeS 600+ hours in ds1 400+ hours in ds2 1k+ hours in ds3 500+ hours in bloodborne 2k+ hours in elden ring I AM HEORHE THE SOUL EATER. I literally rack up that many hours playing coop and helping people through tougher areas. I have 100s of hours per boss if they are tough like O&S, Dragonslayer armour, bloodstarved beast, Radahn, Rykard, etc. Holy shit dude i didnt expect to get called out in an elden ring review, even if it was just a coincidence. My mind is completely blown away

[@diccchocolate416]

2 THOUSAND HOURS!?

[@MrHeorhe]

@@diccchocolate416 how I play these games is when I get to a boss fog I put my summon sign down before even attempting it. And I will co-op the boss fight until I am carrying the entire fight on my back and at that point I will attempt it solo on my end. There were several caves and grottos that I spent 5-10 hours just playing co-op against the boss before beating it and moving on. When I got to radahn, I spent 2 months fighting him until I could kill him before he transitioned into phase 2 (pre nerf) the only reason I stopped was because he got nerfed and I felt it was no longer a tough enough boss for me to be carrying players through. I spent 1 week on godrick, a few weeks on malenia (I still hop back in every now and rhen to fight her again) etc. This game is the most MMO a game by fromsoft has ever been and I'm here for it 100% of the way. Even down to fighting specific dungeons for specific items, unlocks, and upgrades to take on tougher legacy dungeons is like completing dungeons to prep for a raid

[@diccchocolate416]

@@MrHeorhe you are... Insane I love you

[@marshallsmith619]

To be fair I am a souls vet: I started my playthrough with the claymore then went guts colossal sword (which is my play style for every game) and carried til end game. I respected to a shitty strength bleed build to beat melania, then went back and beat the elden beast with the giant crusher hammer. I will say I found myself using weapons skills, consumables, and buffs more in this game than any other title. To me, the same way DS3 felt like DS1 part 2, ER feels like DS2 part 2. I've played Bloodborne more than any other title. I'll probably play sekiro again then maybe some DS2.

[@nolansaulnier8081]

17:20 is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.

[@egggge4752]

How did i somehow miss this channel? It feels like im in 2015 again.

[@confusedcabal342]

The Minecraft music at the end was just- the perfect touch.

[@tallspartan117]

I made a int strength build (a club and staff like the battle mages) a few days ago and yeah its definitely harder than the other souls games mainly with the very aggressive enemies that close the gap then you have to reposition to get away from. I've also noticed that many enemies dodge ur spells so you have to bait attacks a lot of the time giving even more depth to the gameplay. I have never liked int builds but they are fun in elden ring and side note but fuck the moonveil.

[@yavvivvay]

Let's be onest, there is a difficulty spike, which is very punishing to heavy builds and can be avoided by magic/dex builds almost completely.

[@misterbright1336]

Naw. My second play through (not new game+) was a heavy bonk play through, and it was soooooo much easier than my first magic play through. Never even used mimic ash, and beat most bosses without summoning another player

[@yavvivvay]

@@misterbright1336 was heavily patched afterwards :)

[@unidentified2026]

I played with a greatsword and had no problems. If you are referring to ultra greatswords their roll attacks are very fast.

[@Hehe-nt4oe]

My favorite part of elden ring was when Miyazaki said “It’s Elden time”

[@Zomboy123456789]

Personally I prefer the part where Godrick told me to throw the ring into the lava. Very powerful stuff.

[@liquidrufus]

I was moved when Rykard said TOGETHAAAA...I clapped.

[@Dan-zc3ou]

Lol in a couple of years someone will do a "Elden RIng retrospective" or "Elden Ring: 5 years later" or "Is it still worth buying?" review.

[@VoltaDoMar]

you're right. Majula is the best, I wish I lived there. That's funny, you did the Dark Souls 2 version of going immediately to the graveyard in Dark Souls 1

[@MegaRolotron]

Great content. My first play-through of ER was a real slog. I’m a 💯 type player. So, not a single stone was left untouched. This made me appreciate NG+ even more. It was the victory lap I so desperately deserved after such a long journey. I could more easily destroy the bosses that had tortured my psyche for many hours prior. All the while, this game was beautiful and brilliant.

[@bigboibebop]

12:20 no wait, you actually said progression though. Maybe being used to my family’s accent is playing tricks on me but I didn’t notice anything wrong with your pronunciation.

[@Squiggly6942]

14:49 I feel like you are directly calling out ppl like VideoGameDunkey. That dude delusionally beat the game 4 times having never hit level 100+ and never putting enough stats in vitality. He straight up skipped half the game four times then had the nerve to call it too hard and call himself the realest gamer. I gained significant disrespect for him at that point. His brain is for sure smoother than yours...

[@rotisserieprotocol3582]

You put it best at the end when you say to, "play these games how you want to instead of how people tell you to". That is genuinely how you get the magic from these games. Sure there are super skilled gamers that can beat this game solo with a club and naked on a potato for a controller, but that doesn't matter. These games offer something unique that test your resolve and patience and understanding and you should use every advantage that you can get. That's what Dark Souls 2 taught me.

[@user-yj6zz5xx8g]

I legit did the same thing with heide’s tower in ds2😂. My mom got the game out and of the Redbox and told 15yo me that she read it was supposed to be the hardest game these days so I should get a challenge. I then proceeded to activate that stupid shrine in Majula that makes you take more smug or whatever it is. And got gangbanged for 2 days until I somehow just brute forced my way through. I don’t thing I noticed the other area until I got stuck fighting the boss in no man’s wharf. THEN it wasn’t until I went back to level in majula that I stumbled upon it while fat rolling around in some new armor😂. Good times

[@naproupi]

Wow someone actually able to discute how great and varied magic feels in elden ring and not just whine about it being too strong while completely ignoring the numberous weaknesses ? You earned that thumbs up.

[@unidentified2026]

But those weaknesses are completely avoided by using a summon.

[@rutt7147]

@@unidentified2026 Which is completely intended gameplay or they wouldn't be there.

[@draxxilion5957]

17:51 I do, it’s like sekiro but replace deflecting with dodging. That’s literally it. End of story. Gotta also point out the irony of this statement when one of the key points of the video is “play however you want”

[@diccchocolate416]

He's not saying you're wrong for playing this way, he's saying you're wrong if you ignore half the mechanics and then complain that the game is too hard. I play that way, too, but I don't think the game is bullshit because I KNOW I could make it easier.

[@rachitgupta8345]

i hate dodging its just such a bitch way to do it, the animations on deflect look the dopest and require actual input

[@curiousfox76]

This video, as all on your channel, is a work of art. I rarely ever comment but the quality of pacing, humour, sincerity and relevant content moved me to write at least one comment in the hopes of signaling to the youtube algorithm that your videos are worth watching! Thank you for amazing work!

[@annslow41]

"we need to talk about our relationship" "7 out of 10" ... At least your priorities are in the right place

[@SoulsBourne101]

You helped me remember what made me fall in love with these games too begin with, thank you honestly❤

[@wavierdig]

The intro is so true I played as the thief my first time in dark souls one and got to blighttown way to early But its hard so i just kept throwing myself against it

[@holcomx]

I like how he says “play the game your way, throw poison pots 24/7” but when I want to play it like a DS3 you literally can’t beat the game

[@DarrenSmith-j8m]

i beat the game playing it like that though

[@ggwp638BC]

This video says something that has been on my mind for quite a while, thanks Cobbler. This wave of "IF YOU DIDN'T BEAT IT SL1, NAKED, FISTS ONLY" comments come from newer players, particularly from DS3 onwards. Before that, even if people still talked about "it's meant to be hard", there was still a sense of "it's hard, so take every victory you can". If anything, people were encouraged to throw every item, spell, weapon and exploit at bosses. I find it so weird that now in Elden Ring, a game that incentivizes you to throw everything at bosses, because the bosses will throw everything back, people have become sumarai-weeaboos expecting fair fights against the AI.

[@caspergible4264]

Of course people expect you to try your best. However, I think the point most people make is that *you* dont beat the boss yourself if you spam rivers of blood or moonveil while letting a summon tank. You don't know how to dodge their attacks, you dont know their opportunities to attack, you dont know the fight rythm, you just spammed l2 (and look like a samurai-weaboo). People miss a great deal of the game because they will use these mechanics as crutches. And others dont want them to miss the accomplishment. In the old ds games it has never been as easy to skip the gameplay (except maybe with pyromancy in ds1) than with ER. I think this frustrates players (not mentioning their impact on pvp invasions) especially when the game has mechanics that punish them (like the godskin duo fight) but not those with a strong summon and a moonveil.

[@ggwp638BC]

​@@caspergible4264 These exploits ALWAYS existed. For most bosses up to DS3 you could pretty much just hug their left ass cheek for free damage. Not to mention you always had at least one summon per boss. You don't need to learn the bosses' to enjoy the game. The whole point was always getting accomplishment out of overcoming a great obstacle. If the player is feeling that, then they are enjoying 100% of what the game can offer. This idea of needing to reach mastery is something new coming from the speedrun boom. Yes, spamming RoB or Moonveil on PvP is trash, but these games aren't about PvP, they are about PvE, and there is nothing wrong with doing that on PvE.

[@caspergible4264]

@@ggwp638BC that's true, however these exploits felt more as part of the intended gameplay loop. Summons made bosses have more health and could be unreliable, and hugging their side is definitely a big counter, however this was slowly being worked on since the free backstabs in the first game and can now could open you up to new attacks (like the crabs quick slam or the shield slam of lothric knights). I don't know anything about speedrunning, but it seems to me experiencing and mastery of the game is not their concern(looking at the glitches in what I did see). It's clear to see that if you use rob or moonveil you did not fight the same boss as other players, which is exactly why it defeats the point on beating a great obstacle(there is none). Through mastery you pass obstacles right? Otherwise, bed of chaos might be the best boss in the series.(being a very big obstacle to overcome with no mastery). Subsequently, since you miss the learning of movesets or ever thinking of a strategy (like positioning the pursuer to using an ballista), it's not 100% of what the game can offer.

[@ggwp638BC]

​@@caspergible4264 "Summons made bosses have more health" They didn't. I'm not talking about multiplayer summons. And all a summon has to do is split aggro. Sure they weren't as powerful as the Mimic, but the overall difficulty was also a lot lower as well. "however this was slowly being worked on " What does that has to do with the topic? The point isn't if the exploits persist, but how the community views them, and what I'm arguing is that back then you were ENCOURAGED to exploit, and now you're shamed for using a strong build. "experiencing and mastery of the game" Literally watch any speedrun to see them solo bosses with minimal tools with no hits at blazing speeds. And while not correct, I'm using this term to also refer to challenge runs (SL1, no hit, no damage, etc, etc). "did not fight the same boss as other players" If you used spells and incants you did not fight the same boss. If you use bows and cannons you didn't fight the same boss. Status effects? Not the same boss. So what is the default fight? Are we all supposed to be running big stick bonga wonga two handed great clubs? Is that the epitome of the Elden Ring/soulsborne experience? Really? Strategizing, using different tactics, this is all part of this playstyle. Using the terrain to block the Tree Sentinel, for example. Because mastering the game =/= mastering the each individual boss. You can be bad at combat itself, but be good at exploiting bosses weaknesses, and still get the same experience of try and fail.

[@caspergible4264]

​@@ggwp638BC "Summons made bosses have more health" They do tho, try it out.(ds3 at least). I like to try both with and without, see which I find more fulfilling. "What does that has to do with the topic?" I dunno just that ur comment on hugging left is slowly dissapearing with each release, so it doesn't matter. "experiencing and mastery of the game" I dont think challenge runs and speedruns are the same. By your logic if a player wrongwarps to the end of the game using a guide they found online, then they are enjoying 100% of what the game can offer. Mb on drawing a line, guess everything is just strategising. Might as well let my summon play the game for me and throw firebombs from outside (without ever looking in), it is after all a strategy so might as well feel that accomplishment. Im overreacting, but I just think some things are a little busted, and of course not everyone will come to the same conclusions but people can come to a consensus by talking it out. I personally love original or insightful ways to beat a boss like using terrain, but think if this involves getting its ai stuck before it makes a move or doing something else that to me seems you haven't experienced its intended moveset (the one people worked on for a long time that you will probably like to find out since ur playing the game) that run. Strategizing is the act of *thinking* of a way to beat them. If all bosses lead to the same answer (l2 spam on op wep + mimic) you found online, wheres the thinking again? Ur notion that I hate ur exploiting a bosses weakness simply isn't there, but go ahead and think it. I simply think that if you spend 4 hours learning patterns and then give up and shoot manus through his pit(naughty) cause u saw it online, you miss the joy of beating it the first try next morning and feeling like a legend. Mastery is fullfilment, strategising is fullfilment, letting ur big brother do it for you is maybe even fullfilment. But you didn't kill the same boss I did, you asked your brother.

[@MiniWhiteDragon]

I fully understand that I'm being an idiot when I choose to continue using my strength Zweihander build that I beat DS1 and DS3 with. I fully understand that spirits and magic are an ok part of the game and are meant to be used. BUT I AINT NO BITCH

[@miflofbierculles5117]

To be fair on rolling around with a bonkstick and calling the game too hard, if you really go all in on that it's actually commicly overpowered. Every problem looks like a nail if the only tool you have is a 2 ton hammer that flattens everything in two hits.

[@bradmartin5643]

You didn’t need to make a 20 minute review just to hide a confession about how you used meta cheese tactics to beat the game. It’s alright, man

[@cobraglatiator]

12:10 so, is it just me or did anybody else also hear him say "progression" instead of...progression w/o the n??? like idk what the following screen is on about. dude said the word.

[@dathkakashi1034]

I usually hear it with the n but if I focus my attention only to his voice I can hear progressio.

[@cobraglatiator]

@@dathkakashi1034 hmmm. idk man, feel like the follow up is doing more to alert people that he may not have said the n than if he hadn't said anything. /shrug

[@rachitgupta8345]

​@@cobraglatiatorword prolly got cuz in editing when he was placing the transition slide

[@cobraglatiator]

@@rachitgupta8345 i honestly have no idea what i was on about anymore. tbh haha.

[@Fraycon]

I personally love the gameplay loop of mastering the boss' attacks, dodging and punishing, but Elden Ring actually had me using spells, buffs and weapon arts even with a dex build - it had me upgrading my FP bar and actually managing FP potions - it had me trying different strats within that main strategy of me just dodging and hitting - it had me asking questions - is my weapon art worth the commitment, or should I just attack normally and get more healing potions instead? Is this buff worth the FP if it lasts for such a short time? Even with that main approach of me wanting to be good at dodging and hitting, I still tried different ways to tackle each major enemy. And now, on my second playthrough, using a faith build with dragon incantations - I can see how much different my attacking style is - I dodge, block with my shield (which I didn't do before because 2 handing my sword = more damage which is something I cared about a lot it seems), I manage my FP like hell and just look for a big hole in the enemy's attacks so I can use my dragon head to chomp off 1/3 of their health bar in an instant. It's much less about me getting into the flow of combat and constantly engaging, dodging, disengaging, etc, but about me just doing one long math equation in my head and pressing the button at the right time. It just shows that everything is different and everything is viable.

[@GeneralOccam]

People try way too hard to cope Melania. I ended up beating her after an hour and a half of memorizing anyways, but her "lore accurate" play style just isn't very fun. It's especially sad when it's just a couple elements of a boss that make it feel so bad. Healing when hitting you is not bs. It's honestly the only thing that sets her apart from every other boss. Having wonky timings can be annoying but ultimately isn't an issue for me, it's basically a series staple at this point. Having an attack that is virtually impossible not to take damage from without extensive trial and error is bs. Animation cancelling is bs. Having a visual design in the second half that seems explicitly made to be obfuscating is bs. These don't make me think "super aids infested monster unleashing true power." That would have been better expressed with a more drastic transformation and more grotesque imagery. She's just another dude with a sword in the end, that'd be totally forgettable without her issues.

[@CrazyzzzDudezzz]

My only problem with Elden Ring is that the more you play, the smaller it becomes. You realize where everything is. Where the fun stuff is versus the stuff you can run. For a game so large, breathtaking and ambitious to the point of my first playthrough I thought it was nearly endless, it’s not. That’s what everyone online said. “This game is big”. Might as well be the tag line for this game. But it’s not that big, is it? It’s not really that big when you realize how much there is to do in subsequent playthroughs. The truth is, Elden Ring, once you understand it’s mechanics is a medium sized game caked with content that isn’t worth repeating. And if you do decide to repeat, it will only take you a handful of minutes to do each extra cave or catacomb. All of this so say, there is an amazing game here but a lot of empty space between it.