FromSoftware's Game Design Changed Everything

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that rat really was a king at one point
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[@NakeyJakey]

i always end up writing these pinned comments while im delirious and sleep deprived (or sleep DEPRAVED on my fromsoft shit lmao) but thank you for coming by and tuning in i really really love these games and I know they also mean a lot to many other people too and I think thats really cool and video games are so magical. i hope this video is good! and i hope you're doing good too. and i hope the people who wanted ROMCOM merch are happy too! the hoodie is high quality 14oz heavy blend for size ref and im really really proud of how both pieces turned out and feel on my bod. anyways im gonna finally play tears of the kingdom!!

[@mide8845]

Jakey🥰🥰❤❤❤

[@ShyPaPaya]

I will listen and watch any video you make Jakey. I love to binge listen to all your vids in a playlist while I’m at work. They make my boring bland days full of laughs and joy. Please never stop making videos because I will always be waiting for the next one.❤

[@XeroPf]

I’m 11 minutes into the video and and it’s pretty good! I appreciate to see a video essay on FromSoft for a hot minute and and I’m glad we got it, keep up the amazing work naked jacket.

[@gregheffley4830]

Jakey plz physical copy of ROMCOM

[@hilltop.dreamz]

totk video whenn? so excited for more content love u jakey

[@VaatiVidya]

All hail the rat king. Honestly one of my favourite characters in all of Demon's Souls

[@gallow_]

The Rat King and the Worm Lord, two exceptional and underlooked bosses in DeS

[@NakeyJakey]

this made my day 🤯🐀

[@cellophaneoxygen]

i thought you were talking about jake for a second

[@Taveren]

if you fuckin drop a rat king lore video on april fools day next year i swear to god

[@fucyu3528]

IMM THE GIANT RAT WHO MAKE ALL OF THA RUUULES

[@arthurdurham]

Taking a left instead of a right at Fire Link Shrine has probably ended the start of more Fromsoft game careers than anything else in their catalog.

[@wrongtoothbrush2175]

LMAOO

[@Cavemanner]

Yep, that's exactly why I still refuse to play any of their games to this day 😂

[@btchiaintkidding7837]

tbh, if anything the over exaggeration of difficulty in these games by both fans/players and haters/journalists alike have done this more than anything. i was a literal 13yo when i tried ds1 , heard it was hard af. so i didnt realize that i was going through a high difficulty area bit thought it was the intended path cuz it is supposed to be hard right?(also, every time i d^ed tk skeleton it still felt like my fault/impatience/misinput/spamming/bad stamina management etc) so it took me a while (a literal decade tbh) to figure that i was going the "wrong" away.

[@jgn]

nah bolt from last raven exists

[@shizzledink]

I was one of those people. Then I came back years later and was like "you know what? Maybe I should go the other way"

[@KeyDyer]

Between FromSoft and Ghibli, why are Miyazaki’s taking over my life rn

[@oswaldrabbit1409]

Damn Japanese.

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

​@@oswaldrabbit1409British people in 1943 be like

[@crangejo]

​@@oswaldrabbit1409USA in WW2

[@crangejo]

​@@oswaldrabbit1409USA in WW2

[@JemaKnight]

​@@zaidlacksalastname4905Swing and a miss.

[@soulstech414]

Dark souls 2 saved my life. I was in a sober living home and could feel myself slipping back so i went and bought an old 360 and got dark souls 2 because it looked cool. And i become obsessed with it. I started taking my recovery more seriously and i started buying all of fromsofts games and i have 4 years clean now.. i can honestly say miyazaki saved my life

[@teenageboyhormonalrage]

Congrats man. Keep going skeleton

[@themagnus2919]

Dark Souls made me want to take drugs.

[@Kaiser4Srbija]

Great stuff man, fromsoft games really do help when you are feeling down !! Keep going strong and have a great 2024 !

[@zaratustra00]

amazing, keep it up

[@RelativelyBest]

Ironic, considering these are games where you desperately chug out of a bottle whenever something goes wrong. :D But, seriously, good on you. Also, DS2 may be the black sheep of the series but it's still my personal favorite.

[@Berd]

congratulations to from software for making everything great for all the jacobs out there

[@wyzepoi_gamedev]

berd

[@Jayfeather-cu1gc]

As a Jacob, I can say confidently they have indeed helped us immensely.

[@J4keJ]

@@Jayfeather-cu1gcSame, brother

[@abdullahbughdady9408]

im so confused. to or from said software? also what is the software you're referring to?

[@fergusofdalibor4264]

​@@abdullahbughdady9408 😂

[@CriticalNobody]

I was working at GameStop when Demon’s Souls came out. We didn’t get many copies at first, but slowly over the next several weeks more and more people came in asking for it and we kept getting more and more copies due to demand. That natural word of mouth growth was something that rarely ever happened

[@DimitriDeimos]

I remember at launch of Demon's Souls on the PS3. My dad and I had to drive to 3 different Gamestops to find a copy. Was well worth it and I immediately loved the game. As a 30-year-old adult now, I appreciate that little adventure with my dad.

[@collisw8302]

I remember it well, all my gamer friends talking about this weird game that was actually extremely challanging but didn't feel unfair. Truly a masterpiece.

[@bladechild2449]

The game didn't even release in the UK at the time it was getting good reviews. Everyone was buying a Japanese copy which had English text off PlayAsia lol

[@cattysplat]

Played it at a friends house and couldn't understand why all the reviews were so crazy. I couldn't get past the first area dying to basic enemies over and over because I had 0 patience and just wanted to smash thing. You really have to learn some humility and focus on surviving rather than just brute forcing everything. At a time where games being more accessible = good to most people, a game that kicked your ass until you stopped trying to play it your way and started to play it correctly was incredibly polarising in games media and gamers.

[@DannySullivanMusic]

agreed dude. 110% right

[@Barrelridergames]

Sekiro fans already used to their favorite game not even mentioned in FromSoftware discussions

[@FrankenSama]

One aspect that doesn't get discussed enough is how FromSoft's success isn't an overnight thing, but purely years and years of iterative design. From the King Fields, Armored Cores, Otogi, Evergrace, and Souls, each one of them is just years and years of iterating on those same ideas and moving the needle just enough to make it feel fresh, and Elden Ring feels like a perfect culmination of those 36 years of existence.

[@mashin4104]

hey dont forget about The adventures of cookie and cream

[@yurilopes420]

instead of banking on their previous mediocre success and releasing low effort shit because "it'll still sell" that's why they're legit with no exaggeration the only good AAA company left. they truly want to deliver QUALITY

[@TheStraightestWhitest]

@@yurilopes420 Exactly. Pure perfectionism.

[@AhmadAlmilli]

@@yurilopes420 not true, nintendo and capcom are top notch, personally i like fromsoft the most though.

[@PurpleCh4lk]

@@AhmadAlmilli Nintendo makes good games but as a company they're but a flaming pile of shit.

[@Pyrocynical]

I like how you shown the Crucible Knight as an example of a weaker boss

[@willuigi64]

Why hello Pyro, nice to see you here

[@EthanLeeV]

Pyro?!

[@HiImZeke]

Vore

[@bromomento3862]

From what I've seen, Crucible Knights seem really easy if you're decent at parrying. (Which I'm not lol)

[@songsfordustmites]

THICC SOULS III

[@MsPoopdragon]

Realizing the Miyazakis approach to storytelling was akin to reading a book in a language where you only understand about 75% of the words explains SO MUCH!!

[@jon4715]

It's kind of a revelation, really.

[@zeeboss7553]

It may be a hot take but I love that the story and lore of the worlds is left purposely vague. It makes it so much more compelling and interesting.

[@OldSchoolDudeGaming]

@@zeeboss7553 I've never seen so many people glorify bad writing.

[@Wailingllama]

@@OldSchoolDudeGaming you not wanting to put the effort in is completely fine and your right to choose, but that doesn't make it bad, just different

[@CelestialDraconis]

I'm not really serious about the lore in these games (with the exception of Bloodborne), but the _vibes_ are just so immaculate that it's enough to sustain me.

[@rockyboy504]

This guy's channel made me want to try my hand at video essays back in 2019 (didn't work out) and my first idea was making a piece about FromSoft's design and the impact of it. Years later, this video is easily the best thing I've ever found in my sub feed. This truly is the Elden Ring of The Dark Souls of FromSoft Video Essays.

[@noahwhite659]

You should definitely give it another try!

[@HA-Z1]

How come it didn't work out? Is it not something you could work on and retry??

[@mynamejeffgaming]

​@@HA-Z1probobly not, from my personal experience I'm an idiot with no creativity so when I tried video essays it was never gonna happen . O.p might have had a similar reaction

[@kosmo4633]

The sense of scale they captured when you first open the doors to lands between is unmatched. Never fealt daunted by how big a game was but the start gets me everytime.

[@C.J.T49]

It's funny that you say that, when they directly made that scene as a nod to BOTW

[@kosmo4633]

@@C.J.T49 Never got around to switch gaming sadly. I didn't know it was a nod that's dope.

[@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051]

@@C.J.T49 I always thought the scenery in BOTW was boring, most of the place is... well, the wild forest, ya know what I mean?

[@WillToNihilsm]

Literally just copied fallout 3

[@WillToNihilsm]

​@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051no. There is also a desert, jungle, fairy forest, tundra, volcano, and lake/river biomes.

[@xSaintxSmithx]

I love how Jake's fans have all collectively decided that he's our cool older cousin that we never see. It's just so fitting.

[@gavinclark6891]

no fr he's the best

[@thinguswingus5602]

can anyone tell me what the song used at 31:51 is?

[@umbela5646]

The cousin that gives his old games to you and and is for some reason a expert in everything

[@staticwolfblogson8154]

I have 27 cousins and is till see Jakey more often that most of them

[@bighomso]

@@thinguswingus5602 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpOpi6aboJueibM

[@joaquincardona8256]

That shortcut elevator in DS1 is top tier game design, the feeling of being utterly lost, fighting knights on your last estus, running away trying not to get killed until you see THAT elevator. Going down that shortcut and seeing the firelink shrine made a click in me, that was the moment that I realized I was not playing your average video game no, this is somethin else.

[@morgannyan2738]

Theres been plenty of games with shortcuts before Dark souls

[@icipher6730]

@@morgannyan2738 That's not the point. The point is that the entire DS map is designed around Firelink Shrine serving as the central hub/nexus area that has multiple paths leading to it. It's not a regular shortcut, it's DS1 interconnectedness, with multiple zones and areas looping into each other, that is still unparalleled.

[@i_marcus_quintus]

I remember literally sighing in relief and feeling the grip on my controller soften when I saw the fire link shrine.

[@bert6527]

you lucky mf. i took so long to find it i didnt even need it when i actually did lol

[@Pestigirioso]

how many hours do you need to put into it to finally discover this game is something else?

[@estebanembroglio6371]

i dont think theres a single more triumphant moment ive felt in any video game besides finding the top side of the ladder in the undead burg and kicking it down for a shortcut

[@caindis-abel-dhisbrother9601]

i was in blighttown, blind run, total green boy not git gud scrub, after days of torment (with toxic and gravity) I made it back to firelink... I felt in my whole body CLEAN. I am forever grateful and impressed that some pixels made me feel from dirty to clean/safe.

[@TheShinyHaxorus3D]

33:00 the game design problem with this approach is that it basically means you can fully upgrade like 2 weapons and basically never have to look for upgrade materials ever again, which is obviously not what they wanted. One way to get sort of around this would be to only give you half of your upgrade resources back from your old weapon, but that's more like putting on a bandage than actually solving this design issue.

[@thelovebelow3378]

I think it’s fine having some of your choices matter and be permanent

[@HadalStreetlights]

I think part of the issue is the entire rune economy to be perfectly honest. There's a discrepancy in how easy it is to get runes as you get deeper into the game, and at later stages, absent relentless farming, it can be very tough to gather enough runes to reliably level weapons up to full. If, however, the rune economy was leveled out more, then I think the diminishing returns from the upgrade materials would be alleviated because you'd be able to easily BUY entire stacks of early game upgrade mats, the way the system clearly intends. Instead, people have to rely on Bird Farm Spot or Cooping Bosses with Rune Farming Gear. Both viable strategies, but ones that very much step on the immersive qualities of Elden Ring in a substantial way.

[@BornToPeeForcedToDrinkIt]

@@HadalStreetlights While it does step on the immersion a bit to have to resort to farming runes, this is still a video game and an open world one at that. Enemies respawn for a reason, and I think the reason weapon upgrade materials are scarce as they are without the bell bearings is as thelovebelow3378 said, it's to give your weapon upgrades and choices some meaning. I find it weird that Jake even acknowledges that the bell bearings exist but that you won't know about them because, well, you won't know about anything. That's why you have to go searching and exploring. Y'know, like an open world game? You're going to end up looking for smithing stones in mines which is where most of the bell bearings are. Fully upgrading a weapon should be something infrequent and special. Maxing every weapon in your inventory before deciding what you want to use isn't the way this game is meant to be played. Experimentation happens before you +25 (or +10) a weapon, not after. It's a reward for discovering your ideal tool to be able to fully upgrade it, not a prerequisite.

[@LeekLone]

Seeing this man is like reading Game Informer or Gamepro as a kid, and being immersed in playing a good ps1,N64 or Dreamcast game. Or reading a classic manga that wasn’t popular but was well known. A wholesome, informative, funny, and well crafted tv show or movie. It’s a heart warming feeling that gets rarer as time goes by.

[@Leitefsj]

Perfect comparison

[@alexrush4140]

Wow, high praise! Hoping I feel the same after watching this

[@Marzimus]

Next Generation used newspaper-like pages. It's the ultimate Nostalgia 1-2 Punch flipping through one of those this decade.

[@CharChar2121]

Reading game informer as a kid..yeah, you nailed it. That's exactly it :)

[@LoganRonin-vn2we]

Thank you for putting into words what I feel whenever I watch Jakey.

[@Bl1tzkn1ght]

The feeling i felt when i was unlocking all the sections of the map and it just gradually getting bigger and bigger filled my heart with complete joy.

[@gothxm]

-Man describing Assassins Creed : Valhalla

[@PIRATEOTR]

I remember at first thinking limgrave and stormveil would be like... most of the game and then just being blown away when the map opened up and Liurnia was as big again and realizing this was just the beginning.

[@ChuCannon]

Right? I remember leaving Limgrave for the first time and thinking "There's no way the map can get any bigger than this. It's already huge!" And I had the same thought every time I found myself in a new area. And then it just kept going... and going... and going... What a massive, beautiful world. Elden Ring really is a magical experience.

[@traviscue2099]

I enjoyed it at first, then it just felt like Assassins Creed and every other open world game.

[@jase276]

The best was going underground and realizing there's an entirely separate map

[@Axunen]

I really liked the DS2 healing system the second time I started to play the game/when I restarted and knew what I was doing. The small healing orbs were so afodable that I would buy max amount and roll through the whole game with them. Made the whole exploration side so much more manageable

[@sgtpastry]

I loved how Bloodborne did away with affordable healing items and fully embraced capitalism.

[@DungeonMartian]

But you see how that's bad right? It removes all tension from the game if you never have to worry about healing. I know you often don't die from attrition, but it's still something to consider in the games without consumables.

[@DatBoi-mo9vc]

​@MarcelineClarke ds2 balanced it out with higher deteriation rates on weapons and by giving the health items a slower uptick when filling up your health bar. Demons souls had a ton of easily collectable healing items and id argue its harder than anything from soft made after, sekiro excluded cause im fucking horrible at that game.

[@DungeonMartian]

@@DatBoi-mo9vc the game being hard isn't a marker of quality, necessarily. If ds1 had twice as many enemies, or if the existing ones had double health and damage, the game would certainly be harder but it certainly wouldn't be more fun. It was very rare that I couldn't back off from an enemy and pop a life gem or two to heal back to full during combat. They do tick up slowly, but that's a good thing in some cases, because it keeps healing after you get hit. I never ran into weapon degradation issues in my playthroughs of ds2, but if I had, repair powder is plentiful, or you could upgrade a second weapon. I haven't played demon souls, so I can't make a judgement on the balance in that game. I have probably 500 hours in ds1, 200 in ds2, 100 in ds3 and I 100% Elden ring.

[@wreagfe]

I'm so glad I never realized I could buy unlimited life gems from the witch in Majula.

[@TheObicobiHD]

Bloodborne in 2015 was one of the best gaming experinces in the last decade for me. Favorite game of that year. After school in my junior year of HS, coming home and playing the game till i had to go the school the next day 😂 From the atmosphere, weapons, gameplay, lovecraft/berserk inspired worlds and enemies, what a game! 💜 Great video mate

[@jacobsaul]

as a jacob, i can confirm that it has had a huge impact on the industry of jacobs. we'll never be the same

[@AngryLygas]

I am a friend of several Jacobs (Jacobi?), and I can confirm they changed post-Demon's Souls release.

[@JakeDaSnake7771]

As another jacob, i agree

[@jacobjones3612]

Agreed

[@AsteroSloth]

@@kingsrevenge9234 GO TO COLLEGE🔥🤑🔥🤑🔥

[@DannySullivanMusic]

i know! without a doubt correct man

[@mattzientek1222]

JAKEY OMG IM SO HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR VOICE! Bro your videos have kept a special place in my heart. I just watch my favs over and over. I can listen to your opinion and know that it's genuine and coming from a place of love. Please never stop! Youre a straight up G

[@thatfunkadeus]

Hes not even nakey

[@glennhall3222]

Just Jakey

[@Rocco049]

He do be Jakey tho

[@Sean-sn9ld]

I know right?!

[@Hummabubba]

Rejoice fellow gamers. This is some of the most consistent Jakey content we have seen in a long time.

[@DrSpaceman69]

Dog has blessed us

[@pierreo33]

If anyone is rejoicing it's Jakey Making 2000 dollars every month of patreon Makes 4 videos a year Yeah I'm jealous

[@youraveragepasser-by7367]

@@pierreo33 each vid probably takes over 2 months depending on length and topic density

[@pengmaeda9908]

I sometimes forget about how Jakey is an attorney when he isn't making videos for years at a time.

[@foxbuns]

he's *what*

[@boofmac6978]

an attorney

[@georgewilliamson5667]

*JAKEY IS AN ATTORNEY!?*

[@___joez]

JAKEY AND JAKEY

[@icholasyurgh]

A key member of Jakey, Jakey, and Jakey.

[@dude6200]

the lack of Sekiro mention is slander. It reinvented their formula combat wise, and it also brings back the interconnected concept of DS1. Also, the fact that you can come back to areas like Ashina Castle and they completely change throughout the story is SO COOL. New enemies, new pathways unlocked in an area you’ve already explored, etc like idk man. Sekiro is FromSoft’s In Rainbows to me more so than Elden Ring ever could be

[@F4c2a]

yeah but... that's like some weeb shit

[@felipecouto1102]

Sekiro's less interconnected then Bloodborne tho

[@wreagfe]

Sekiro didn't reinvent anything, it just had a completely different combat and progression system therein, for that game (and it worked and was good). Sekiro is nothing like the Souls games, as it's not an RPG with RPG mechanics.. In that sense your analogy for In Rainbows is in that sense more apt.

[@zilliq-qz5uw]

He mentionned sekiro though

[@Ohfukmoment]

I love that “really makes you feel like Batman” joke because I remember all those reviews for Arkham Asylum. They all said that over and over, so much so that the instant you said it I remembered them

[@patgilroy7627]

Are we ever gonna acknowledge the insane amounts of drip this man has acquired over the years

[@jonathanwilson7949]

yoga drip gamer

[@drinfernodds]

Ever since I first came across Jakey, his fashion sense has made me envious. I'd feel like a goof in what he's wearing, but Jakey rocks it well.

[@zeast1]

a hoodie and some dress pants? is that considered high fashion to you people?

[@px8]

@@zeast1 it's the way he wears it

[@IWantToStayAtYourHouse]

@@zeast1 They're gamers what do you expect

[@fishyfish1917]

01:19 Chapter I Hard, But (Mostly) Fair 08:30 Chapter II The "Dark Souls" of Dark Souls 15:20 Jakey, Jakey & Jakey: ATTORNEYS AT LAW 17:00 Chapter II Continuation (Dark Souls II, Bloodborne & Dark Souls III) 20:08 Chapter III Tarnished Magnificence

[@shiiche]

Jacob Geller made an amazing video (Dark Souls 3 is thinking of ending things) talking about some of the design choices and thematic directions Dark Souls 3 had taken and explains (in a purely vibesy way) why it is the way it is. Deffo worth a watch!

[@CircleToonsHD]

THIS GUY GETS IT

[@Keegos]

Love your animations brother.

[@oldman396]

you fell off 4 years ago

[@IAmValefree]

@@oldman396 ????

[@DIABETOR]

He really doesn’t

[@MadlockFreak]

This is the dark souls of youtube comments

[@koreboar4646]

I love Jakey being like "I forgot to talk about Sekiro, but Hollow Knight remixes the starting area" even thought From Software the company we're talking about did that with Sekiro

[@yungturkishman4211]

Lol so true

[@Lofirainbows]

And Demon's Souls/Dark Souls 2/Bloodborne, etc

[@PINKAS1]

@@Lofirainbows Memory might be a bit bad but when does bloodborne do this?

[@BenjoCovers]

@@PINKAS1 not many people know bc its still a fucking ps4 exclusive :O

[@koreboar4646]

@@PINKAS1 Since Bloodborne takes place in chapters like Sekiro and DS3, when the moon changes the world alters as well, first the sunset into night time makes some new enemies spawn and existing enemies more eldritch, as well as the blood moon awakening the whole world

[@AluminumFusion22]

It's pretty cool how accessible Elden Ring is compared to Dark Souls, whether it's the removal of the Durability stat that caused weapons to break, and even simple things like the compass marking where your Grace is when you die, or even the ability to choose what bosses you want to fight first. I can imagine it's surprisingly easy to jump into compared to other FromSoft games, other than Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or even Sekiro.

[@Yorikoification]

Or...You know, features that open world games have had for decades.....But it's cool that Fromsoft is finally catching up with modern game design, good for them! Maybe in 30 years they'll actually have random encounters in the open world and places changing depending on your choices :O

[@wreagfe]

@@Yorikoification What a retarded comment. As if "open world" is a progression in game design in itself (which it isn't), and as if Elden Ring's open world mechanics and features aren't superior to the average Ubisoft garbage. The "maybe in 30 years FROM will have an arbitrary feature that I subjectively like, but has no bearing on whether a game is good, better or higher in design"-comment tops what you said before.

[@psyo_nade3177]

​@@Yorikoification I think the invasions/summoning kinda is random encounters? and the changing world thing is present majorly in sekiro, it just doesn't work in souls games a lot. But they do exist though. like clearing out the lava to access lost izalith, or dropping meteors to access underground cities in elden ring.

[@ItsBunCha]

It’s so cool how they watered down the formula so iPad children wouldn’t feel bored

[@benjaminking3677]

I just found this channel and the fact that Jakey not only likes Radiohead, but also acknowledges In Rainbows as their best album makes me appreciate this channel that much more.

[@UltimateDailga12]

Only Jakey could get me to watch a half an hour video on a game series I've never touched in my life. I love all of your videos man

[@teleitda8805]

My advice: touch every single one of games you can get your grubby little mits on

[@kamitorings]

you're not missing much, this video is very big gaslight.

[@Milkshaco]

@@kamitorings i mean, that's a very subjective opinion.

[@octodaddy8322]

​@@kamitorings gaslighting how? Youre saying these games arent actually good?

[@UltimateDailga12]

@@teleitda8805 I just never been the target market for these kinds of games tbh.

[@TheRedstonian]

Slight correction: DS2 wasn't delirious because it wasn't directed by Miyazaki (at least not exclusively), it's because it was more or less passed to a new director about three different times and nobody could agree where it needed to go as a whole. The last director eventually figured out a theme to string all the "what the fuck is happening" into a narrative, being "human civilization is both cyclical and doomed to be overwritten by what comes next". If anything, it's even mastered by DS3, which is why it feels like "Fromsoft's Greatest Hits". It's the last hurrah of a dying world.

[@ReachStudioPro]

Yep. I remember that.

[@systemrecords9708]

its great that this game is so successful, its a good thing for the whole industry i say. this shows that well made single player games that are challenging are still very much so in demand and im all for it

[@jarodsmith3768]

Loved the video Jakey, see you in 3 months! It’s always worth the wait!

[@TNRTanhar]

He's the hero we need, but not the one we deserve. Welcome back Jakey

[@sitkinator]

Sad I probably won't be able to watch this one, since I haven't played Elden Ring yet.

[@lincolnehret]

@@sitkinator PLAY IT

[@HueyTheDoctor]

You either die a Jakey or live long enough to see yourself become the Jakey.

[@ErrorNV]

Please never stop making these passion projects Jakey, top tier as always.

[@aydennuula979]

Armored Core all the way back on the PS1 has that resource refund that you mention Elden Ring should have. AC lets you sell back any part you buy for full price. You can experiment to your hearts content with no fear of permanently losing money. Let's hope FromSoftware goes back to that.

[@ceciljones9704]

Excellent video man! Just discovered your channel and totally impressed!

[@joeguyman7423]

I won't stand for this Sekiro erasure

[@realtayo42]

Every time I see that Disney Channel Original Movie opening I know it's gonna be a video I'll be rewatching for several years. And frankly, your Rockstar and Naughty Dog game design analysis videos are my favorite on the channel, so to get one about the GOAT FromSoft is a real treat. Thank you for making this!

[@dougr8646]

Hows that nut taste

[@dandylionwine]

My thoughts exactly. Seeing Jakey sitting out in front of Horse Sense in the opening second is like a visual short hand that lets me know I'm gonna be in a good and cozy place for the next little bit.

[@thinguswingus5602]

can anyone tell me what the song used at 31:51 is?

[@smoothduck7151]

My favorite is his book fair video I think about it too much lol

[@mariahkitsune3625]

You are the only KZbinr who's in video ads I won't skip. Love you Jakey.

[@mattshu]

why have you escaped my recommendations for so long? love your style!

[@loganberkheimer1857]

I've always thought it was hilarious how far boss quality swings in each game. Every single games has at least one 11/10 masterpiece of a fight as well as some load of horseshit that should never have seen the light of day

[@D.H.1082]

Each one was made with love(Bed of Chaos, Covetous Demon, Deacons of the Deep, Micolash, and Ulcerated Tree Spirit aside. All those bosses were made from the shit smear on Fromsoft's tighty whities.)

[@DaLatinKnight]

Which is cool, because it means someone tried something and it failed horribly. A learning experience, even if some learning experiences should have been learned a while ago (e.g. gank boss fights)

[@loganberkheimer1857]

@@DaLatinKnight It seems like they learn things and then somehow forget them. They finally figure out gank fights with the Demon Prince in DS3, and then release Elden Ring without a single good gank fight

[@jameslough6329]

@@loganberkheimer1857 Thry expect you to use summons for the gank fights in Elden Ring, that’s why all of them are complete horseshit

[@D.H.1082]

@@jameslough6329 I mean, I don't see the problem. The game lets you fucking choose your difficulty. Want it hard with extra no lube? Play strictly melee, no magical AoWs, no summons. Want it easy with extra lubey lube? Use magic, summons galore. Want it kind in-between with the right amount of lube? Use stuff that compliments your build but doesn't create a power vacuum. There are a shitload of weaker support summons. Use them. A 2v1 is not supposed to be fair in the first place.

[@joelmorder9780]

"The illusion fromsoft sells is a powerful one" >shows anor londo I like what you did there.

[@mateusgreenwood1096]

No game has replicated the satisfaction that is overcoming Sen's Fortress, Anor Londo and Ornstein & Smough to witness that amazing chest.

[@spyrotikus]

In action games like God of War, secret areas are fun to find, but are secret compartments with a chest and a power up or some shit. In Dark Souls, secret areas are AREAS that are also secret. Their game worlds have a feeling of exploration that is really hard to explain to someone who hasnt experieced it before, because there isnt really anything that compares to it, and is as good as it.

[@egoalter1276]

I beg to differ.

[@Yorikoification]

Yeah I was thrilled everytime I hit an illussionary wall in Elden Ring, open a secret chest to find......3 arteria leaves, woooooop! Overrated piece of crud.

[@RatedJ32]

Every video you make is either nostalgia or an endearing video essay on why we love our different forms of media. You continue to demonstrate your craft in storytelling and you will always have me as a viewer.

[@AishiYoutube]

I really liked fighting the Godskins separately a second time, it gave me a chance to realize how much muscle memory I built killing them the first time, it was like my dodge button was pressing itself. Great experience.

[@UsernameyMcUsernameFace]

How did you feel the third and fourth time?

[@fernandofaria2872]

@@UsernameyMcUsernameFace Or the 92475629th time?

[@NotOnLand]

I remember my first exposure to FromSoft was the X-Play review of Demon's Souls. They were talking about how hard it was, and the phrase "You can't even _pause the game"_ is etched in my mind.

[@patriklunacek6846]

Everytime i see a new video from you man it feels like a little christmas 😂 keep up the good shit borhter 🔥🔥🔥

[@ThePersonNetwork]

My favorite part of all the souls games is sometimes you come across what you think is a hidden pathway and follow along to see where it leads, only to have it lead you to the next main area.

[@ArtistNotFound123]

Brother I just had a really tough day. I work in film production, so I'm used to 12-14 hour days. Today though I'm tired, everything is sore. It's going well, but it's been challenging. I'm gonna say this: I needed this video. This was an awesome video. I'm happy to be alive during the time of your videos.

[@thehybridtheory7109]

Me too man I'm a roofer and had the worst pain ever in the form of a heatstroke. This is what I needed while being bedridden today

[@shawnmarcum8078]

31:11. The From Software way would introduce an obscure mechanic hidden inside the dungeon or an item that would allow that. The closest I think to that was Bonfire Ascetics in Dark Souls 2. I think a lever would fit that, so then they could possibly fit it into the lore and potentially encourage discussion amongst the community. That's how they would do that

[@andresakra1283]

This channel is such good comfort food. I've been pretty sad lately and I've been binging it

[@jmegaffin]

The point about weapon upgrades is an interesting one. There's an indie Souls-like game called Hellpoint where, instead of upgrading weapons themselves, you upgrade chips that can be freely swapped between weapons and also work as elemental infusions. It's a good system, but I think there is something to be said about how weapon upgrades in Souls games have always been more important than levelling up, and that not being able to get upgrade materials back makes you form an attachment to your favourite weapons, which I think is an important component of a classic adventure story.

[@Yoshihara72]

That argument would only work, IF weapons in the game were actually balanced. But with how bad some weapons are, it just feels vrry punishing to have chosen the "wrong" weapon as your partner

[@alenezi989a3]

I don't know upgrade materials are plenty you can upgrade 3 or 4 different weapons simultaneously without farming too much, it's not really punishing, maybe it's just me but I never had problems with weapon upgrades.

[@Solaire_of_Astora13]

The way your weapons gradually turn into "stories" along with you and the way you have to force yourself to adapt to a new playstyle whenever you change them is always very immersive imo.

[@Jimera0]

One other advantage to the non-transferable system is that it makes finding smithing stones feel exciting, even if you've upgraded your current weapon as far as you can. Knowing that finding your 11th smithing stone (3) actually could matter makes finding them much more rewarding, since they never stop having potential value. If you could just transfer weapon levels or the materials for weapon levels, a large portion of the loot you find would feel much less rewarding to find, and keeps you exploring and hunting for them. Another thing I'd like to point out is that not being able to change your build super easily is an important design choice. It means that the decisions you make about your gear and stats when progressing through the game carry weight and feel meaningful, a feeling that would get lost if you could just tweak it as much as you want. It also creates a feeling of continuity that might otherwise be lacking; in games where you can super freely switch between radically different builds, it's often hard (for me at least) to see that character as a character because they can change so radically on a whim. The protagonist you control ends up feeling less like a person and more like a doll. In a game like Elden Ring where there are limited ways to define your character outside of their actions and playstyle, changing your build dramatically feels like being a different character entirely, which can be a problem when you're trying to build an immersive, epic adventure. I think this is actually why re-specing in Elden Ring is framed as "rebirth" the way it is. It's really conveys the sense that undergoing such dramatic change is a momentous and meaningful thing. This is reflected in the game design by making re-specing limited mechanically with the limited number of larval tears available. It reinforces the ideas and themes of the game, where transformation is not a simple process and is fraught with risk and consequence. Put shortly, being able to adjust your stats and gear without any restrictions would make the game feel so much more "gamey" and pull the player out of the experience. In a game like Elden Ring where the atmosphere and feeling of the game is such an important part of the experience, making sure your mechanics don't undermine that is very important.

[@raydark100]

I never had problems with the stones. Is it not clear that the stones are in the mines? Besides, finding the bells is quite easy, three of them are on the main road, the other two are in two mines.

[@PixelationMusic]

Dude, you put out an amazing album and then went back into making videos. You are killing it, and just know I’m proud of you.

[@Brickbreaker3313]

He ain’t gonna let you hit lil bro

[@l0ki6970]

​@@Brickbreaker3313BRO 💀💀

[@theflash9735]

Legit my favourite album bro its SO GOOD

[@HANKTHEDANKEST]

I went into Elden Ring having never played a FromSoft game before, only knowing that a) it was going to be tough and b) this one had a BIG open world, which is 100% my thing, so I gave it a try. I'll never forget my "jesus christ holy shit fuck" moment when those big doors first swung open and I got my first glimpse of the Erdtree. For a moment, I forgot that I was playing a game--a construct of scripts and triangles--and genuinely, truly, earnestly felt transported to another world that was alien, hostile, and infinitely compelling. I snapped back to reality, but the moment had come, gone, and left its mark on me. The very best games all have some kind of "special sauce" that makes them great. Elden Ring has a whole hell of a lot of special sauce.

[@Yorikoification]

So I assume that you've never played ANY open world game before, because they all tend to start like just how you've described. Enlighten me, what is the special sauce that makes Elden Ring so different from other open world games? Give specific examples and don't just say generic stuff like "oh the atmosphere and enemies and mechanics" no no no, WHAT did they do differently?

[@wreagfe]

@@Yorikoification So I assume you haven't played ANY FROM Software games, as the atmosphere/setting/story & narrative style and game mechanics are everything BUT generic. It's what sets FROM games apart from other "action RPGs"... and then they put that in an open world that largely doesn't suck, but has all the positives of exploration, and character progression. The irony is that there are many people like HANK that bought Elden Ring for it's open world (bc they like that) and the hype around FROM Software and accidentally got their first open world game that didn't suck, and now they won't like the garbage they were playing before anymore.

[@Yorikoification]

@@wreagfe Well your assumption is wrong as I've finished Dark Souls 1,3 and Elden Ring. That's why I can speak from experience that they're not doing ANYTHING that other open worlds have somehow missed. I will say that the narrative is unique as you won't understand what you even did by the end of the game. It could very well be the case that you accomplished fuck all, but then why even do it in the first place. But hey, that's what keeps all the lore tubers and fextralife in business. And again, give me SPECIFICS about what they're doing that's so bloody special

[@keydrag4309]

On my first playthrough of elden ring i will never forget when i first decended down the soifra river well and then see a beautiful starry roof in a cavern and seeing these grand bridges and building amongst a vibrant starry sky, as the whole area had this mystical and magical vibe to it with the mix of purples, pinks and blues lighting up the cavern will always hold a special place in my heart. And it was like that with a lot of areas, when you first exit the graveyard into limgrave or defeat the draconic tree sentinal to be soon met with the enormous dragon covering part of the capital and exploring all the other areas like mountain tops of the giants or lurenia lakes or Fareum Azula. Every place I went to i was just amazed and has definatly brought me into the soulsbourne fandom

[@michialphelps2339]

Please stop. I played every single game made by From Software. I quit Elden Ring after 60% of the way through and for good reason along with everyone else I talked to. Just because you loser scream louder than everyone else for how much you think you love this game it doesn't change the fact that most people don't like the game because of how confusing and long and drawn out the game is. It gets old so damn fast there is just too much of the same. Everyone wants to over hype it and that's great but facts are facts and after enough time goes by the hype of Elden Ring will die and it will become 3rd place like all other over hyped games made by the best developers. Veterans know what I'm talking about. All you band wagon nubes have no idea, you played yourself.

[@madmatt6343]

@@michialphelps2339I played every souls games before Elden Ring. And after finally 100% beating Elden Ring with 150 hours. I consider ER to be one of the greatest game of recent years and one of my best gaming experiences. In fact, for me and many others, the hype and anticipation for the DLC is real.

[@michialphelps2339]

@@madmatt6343 it's a good game and I understand you got really into it but it's still too long and repetitive. It gets boring

[@god4246]

the weapon respec is literally the #1 thing im wanting from the next fromsoftware game. in most souls games i end up sticking with a weapon i find good in the beginning, and then looking up what the strongest weapon is halfway through the game because my weapon sucks now and putting resources into a weapon that turns out to suck could flush hours of time down the drain. i would love to be able to try all the weapons but with the way the games built i always just go for the greatswords

[@user-pj1ec5om5g]

One of my favorite things about the souls series is how little the world cares about you the player, the world couldn’t care less. But you make it care, you make the world look at you through skill.

[@PsycheTrance65]

fr. you may be called "the chosen undead" in DS1 but the world doesnt bend over backwards to you. and even in the subsequent games, its shown that you're just one of the many undead, hunters, and tarnished that are trying to get by to resolve the issue.

[@milkwithnocalcium2902]

My favourite thing about the Souls series is the highly detailed feet textures. Have you seen Sister Friede? Holy moly, those frames in the first cutscene were quite stimulating, am I right or am I right? Anyways, of the course the world doesn't care about you, I think you should've gotten the hints from your parents but yeah, that's almost the entire point, it serves as difficultly to make the rewards more special. This is simple shit that even a braindead lunatic like me can comprehend. Anyways, does anyone know where a guy name Bill is? Homeless guy, smells like semen, hangs around the back alley between the 7/11 and local pub downtown? Any information would be helpful.

[@Bad_At_Parties]

Nothing quite matches the experience of randomly seeing a new Nakey Jakey video in my recommended feed. I never expect it and can never predict it, but when I see a new thumbnail I've not yet encountered and see how recently it's been posted, I'm instantly overcome with joy and smile ear to ear. Jake, the amount of heart and soul you put into your work is truly commendable, and I hope you know just how much your quirky, passionate and insanely clever style always keeps us entertained. I find myself regurgitating your work on days when I just need something playing that makes me laugh and smile, as you have a comforting and endearing way about you that makes it easy to uncheck from my problems. You are a refreshing presence on this platform and in the world, because you know who you are, what you think and feel, and don't compromise any of it for anyone. Whether I agree with your video arguments or not, I always come away from your videos learning something and appreciating the perspective from which you've created them, and that's a real rarity on this site these days. Keep on keeping on, brother, and congratulations on all you've accomplished to this point. You have a lot to be proud of.

[@themattbat999]

Loved this video. the Souls series has meant so much to me over the years of playing them, and Elden Ring was an amazing adventure to play. I do long for a game that is more akin to Dark Souls 1 in scope and design, but that's partly nostalgia speaking.

[@auauau202]

I appreciate the Tomb Raider 2 score in the background when talking about exploration, especially Venice Violins later on. Most unexpected :)

[@gigantomastiaCuddler]

I really appreciate you releasing this video only a few months after the last one. I'm sure that I speak for most of your fans when I say that we support you taking breaks to relax, work on yourself, or make music, but this relative increase in upload frequency is very much appreciated! Thank you!

[@ManSeekingMeaning]

Amen!

[@licencetostay007]

Well said

[@Matthew-jb4cc]

One of my favorite things I did when I first played Elden Ring was getting the maps, looking for an interesting spot like ruins, caves or weird markings and going there to find out what was that. It honestly was one of the best experienses I had with a game. Also, trying to teach my brother how to make a propper build and both of us figuring something out so that he could defeat a boss was great.

[@springsm5545]

(32:18) This is one thing they do in Remnant 2 mutators that I like. You can get back a percentage of rare resource, enough of a hit that you think twice before doing, but if you just need a few more [fill in the blank], then you can break down the other thing to do it.

[@KiLLA1740]

I haven't played a single second on any of these games. But I watched this whole video. Love your stuff jakey

[@Jake_Godsil_Music]

I’m so glad you spent the entire video proving that In Rainbows is the best album in the Radiolike genre.

[@theblaqcatonL]

I think it's cool how Miyazaki's lack of English skills made him fill in the gaps in the story with his imagination. It's even cooler that he translated that experience into a whole new genre of game!

[@Dwivil]

Dark souls storytelling method isn't really anything new, its just new for large scale video game productions. As I wouldn't be surprised if there are quite a number of games that are smaller scale that use mostly environmental story telling.

[@randomguy7951]

Some people dislike the speculation and "gap filling" side of Fromsoft' games lore, but honestly that's one of my favorite parts of them. I really love having theories popping in my head while playing the game and debating about them online, it really brings the community together

[@Frozenkex]

"community" aka vaatividya videos.@@randomguy7951

[@belladonnaofsadness981]

ironic that many players suffer now from poor quality of translation to the other languages

[@jamesmillerjo]

@@Dwivil "Noot neew" (no else)

[@PseudoWounds]

wonderful video as always, nacob jacob

[@SeanyBricks]

jakey congrats on the role in Tetris, u played an amazing alexi

[@lucaslimadocouto495]

Sometimes it's just nice to see a 30 minute video about a game you really liked, kind of like a tribute to this amazing masterpiece. Also it was very interesting to see you talk about the timeline of fromsoftware making games, and the evolution/changes they made to the games, very good video jakey.

[@MA-go7ee]

I highly recommend watching The Act Man's video on Dark Souls. It is a masterpiece.

[@spiritualhuntr]

Mm m1​@@MA-go7ee 😮 m2mmm

[@lukelaws3545]

Great video Jakey! One thing I love about the corpse run system that probably is intentional but idk for sure is that when do you lose everything because you didn’t make it back in time, you have NOTHING to lose and nothing but pure rage, focus, and determination is going on our gaming bodies. It is so satisfying when you kill a boss after something like that happens and motivates the player to keep going oddly enough.

[@Punkandcannonballer]

I realized that From Software was on a different level when I found the Great Hollow and Ash Lake. They built two pretty massive areas, filled them with really great loot, put music in one of them, a covenant, and a couple mini hosses... and hit them behind TWO invisible walls. You smack the first invisible wall and find a chest and I guarantee so many people take that at face value, grab the loot and leave. And the makers of this game were entirely fine with hiding a massive chunk of their game that required so much work to put in... To this day it still blows my mind.

[@ADreamingTraveler]

And that's what makes them one of the best in the industry. So many games are worried about shoving as much stuff into it that you HAVE to experience. But Fromsoft is putting hidden areas with all kinds of stuff behind multiple invisible walls that most players will probably never discover. But for those that do discover it it's a feeling unlike any other.

[@myfatassdick]

AND AT THE BOTTOM CORNER OF *BLIGHTOWN* IN A SWAMP NO LESS

[@themightymcb7310]

​@@ADreamingTravelerit also encourages the message and shade systems, as well as getting people talking to each other about the game

[@ShopperKungVtuber]

"the game that everyone expects to die refuses to die" huh that really souls feeling right there, never give up keep going even it sounds impossible

[@trombonegamer14]

Important note: the animation based heavy commitment combat was heavily inspired by the Monster Hunter series, which debuted in 2004. I think the devs have gone on record saying this themselves.

[@mechanomics2649]

Fucking thank you. It's tiring to see people pretend Fromsoft invented that style of play.

[@trombonegamer14]

@@mechanomics2649 despite World's and Rise's (to a lesser extent) success, Monster Hunter is still a bit of a niche franchise, in the West at least.

[@flashdr1ve]

⁠​⁠@@trombonegamer14 yeah to cosign this i didn’t start getting into Monster Hunter until i played World and Rise

[@inputVOID]

I can’t find a source on this. I see where they say some of the creature design is inspire by MH, but not the gameplay. However, I’d argue Tenchu was the first 3D action game to be focused on animations and deliberate combat, even if it’s primitive and limited.

[@majestyzx9081]

Find a source or I'd be more inclined to believe that it's based on their own previous franchise, Kings Field, which was around years before Monster Hunter. The entire "Souls" Franchise is just a modern interpretation of the Kings Field franchise.

[@clarkesteinman5098]

It’s crazy to me how without even looking it up in a guide or video, so many of us have a shared almost life-changing moment when we got to the bottom of the tree in Dark Souls and found that expansive underground lake. I had no idea what I was doing on my first play through, saw a message to whack the wall, and got cursed going down, but I was determined to continue, descending down down down, not knowing where I’d end up. I saw the lake, heard the music, saw the giant Hydra in the distance, and I’ll never forget that moment in all my years of gaming, and it’s hard to say why. It just hit very different from most experiences, yet so many people felt the same way. Anyway, thanks for the fun down memory lane!

[@MrMetalforever5]

That moment for me was seeing the world change/reveal itself after you kill Rom in Bloodborne.

[@Ninja_Octopus]

A lake at the bottom of the world is just so surreal and picturesque - practically biblical. The verticality of the hollow makes you feel like you traveled SO far to get down there. Because it's so tucked away it feels like a very personal and "secret" experience, there are many locations in each game that the majority of players will never find

[@AhmetEvsenn]

Thank you for this great video

[@mattipiirainen7440]

thx for heads up!

[@LAAV69]

The first time I rested at the lower Blighttown bonfire, I felt hundred of miles away from everything else. When I went through the Valley of Drakes and New Londo to take the elevator up to Firelink, I died of poison. I tried it again and ended up waltzing into a pit where the elevator would have been if I remembered to call it back down. The third attempt was so stressful - walking as slowly as I could out of the lift and what do you know, the bonfire is extinguished. That experience is burned into my memory and it blows me away I can jog to Quelaag SL1 these days without even looking at the screen.

[@alex-kc9rd]

Beyond my Nintendo DS addiction, I’ve played about 4 games in my whole life: Barbie Horse Adventures: Mystery Ride, Scooby-Doo Night of 100 Frights, GTAV, and The Last of Us, and yet I just LOVE your videos. I know nothing of these games but I’m so enthralled by how you write and edit these videos, it’s always so entertaining and I get so excited to see an upload. Thank you for being so truly entertaining!

[@Granmovtokin]

You may not know much about games but what you do know is pure class

[@SGEnjoyer]

​@KING’S REVENGE you should rethink your strategy on growing a career. KZbin comments ain't it.

[@Masterchief3590]

Night of 100 flights on ps2 was golden. You just unlocked a core memory in my brain

[@BenDover-rz3kq]

do urself a favor and play elden ring then. If u were to play only one game in ur life, Elden Ring is a very solid pick

[@AsteroSloth]

DS Kids really is an unspoken of class of gamers

[@AegisKHAOS]

I felt you on the whole 'Souls games ruined gaming for me' line. While perhaps not to the level you felt, I definitely found myself getting less enjoyment from games I had played before and end up even going back to some retro games to remind myself what gaming used to be like. ER is my first Souls game, and while I had felt all those issues you mentioned, I still ended up playing the game for over a year, trying new builds, finding new faces to use on the character creator, playing with different weapons and spells, and occasionally discovering an area I had not explored befor despite pouring hundreds of hours. I am by no means a good gamer, but I ended up platinuming the game anyways. Probably the rare game in recent memory that I just kept playing for a long, long time.

[@AlkisGD]

23:44 - Ooh, I see what you did there with the hidden hand enemies. Nice, nice.

[@SavageBalls]

DS2 PVP will hold a special place in my heart. The funny edits from back in the day, the amazing things people could achieve with just cheat engine. What a time.

[@Lofirainbows]

2 is underapperciated, ironic given most of what people praise in Elden Ring is from 2

[@SpaghettiWizardVEVO]

HELIKOPTER HELIKOPTER HELICOPTER MANNN

[@CaimxAngelus]

Not me over here losing my shit when I hear the Drakengard music kick in at 32:30

[@tribacioustee2846]

Demon's Souls will forever remain my favourite. What a heroic story of a game that was. Everyone counted it out, but it rose on its own two feet. Much like the journey it makes you the player take as it whoops your ass.

[@joewalsh886]

This is the best presentation of fromsoft games ive seen yet. Good job sir 👍

[@coolbrotherf127]

What's interesting is that FromSoft, even in their worst games, never lacked in the atmosphere of their games. They always put in the extra effort to really flesh out the world. In games like the first Armored Core, it's really a pretty straightforward game, but everything from the audio design, graphic design, and world building make a simple game feel like it has much more weight to the story than the average game for the PS1. That care in design is what makes their later games so memorable. It's impossible to play those games and not be invested in every moment and plot thread. That is what pulls people into the games even though the difficulty and some gameplay design issues.

[@Ezekiel_Allium]

Even the lame zombie ninja game they released around the same time as demon souls has some outstanding enemy design, and I'd say successfully pulled off the dark absurdist over the top tone they were going for. The plot and tone are incredibly weird and jarring, but also I'm pretty sure they game was conceived by someone at fromsoft going "what if resident evil and ninja gaiden boned really hard in a call of duty flavored sludge" so I'm just going to assume the Ninjas vs Zombies game where your dad becomes god by getting a really bad case of blood flukes was intentionally a little goofy and over the top, it's not like their most famous projects are devoid of weird absurdism played for equal parts horror and humor, I'd say one of their defining trademarks. It's not a great game, but a lot of love went into the art direction and wolrd

[@Kaeporo]

They've been knocking this shit out of the party for eons. Kings Field and Lost Kingdoms are dripping with what would eventually become the estus soup we're drinking today. And those are some old ass games.

[@morgannyan2738]

Ninja blade was horrible, it was one of Fromsoft worst game and no it didnt have atmosphere whatever that means, doesnt every game have atmosphere? From Space invaders to Mario sunshine to Resident evil to Call of duty. Your average game for the ps1? what does that even mean? The PS1 was mostly known for its RPGs and im pretty sure every game has audio design, graphic design and world building. Every developer puts care into their game, Every developer tries to flesh out the world every player is invested in a a game and Fromsoft games arent exactly know for its deep plots. I like Fromsoftware but sucking them off so hard to the point youre excusing their bad games isnt right.

[@Ezekiel_Allium]

@@morgannyan2738 "no it didnt have atmosphere whatever that means, doesnt every game have atmosphere?" Top 10 quotes ever

[@morgannyan2738]

@@Ezekiel_Allium im assuming OP meant good atmosphere but Ninja blade didnt have good atmosphere, and if OP didnt meant good atmosphere than by definition every game has atmosphere

[@romilrh]

20:04 I cannot express just how much of a W take this is

[@blakecandesign9628]

You had me with the ‘Oh 0 of 9 8’

[@AluminumHaste]

@33:00 because you would only ever need to find a handful of upgrade materials and just move them to your current weapon. That would negate the rewards for a ton of pickups in the world. There was always a huge amount of excitement finding the next upgrade material for your new weapon.

[@mattbrewer2793]

Again, thanks so much for making the content that you do, dude. The nostalgia hits I get from this stuff always makes me feel like we could have grown up in the same neighborhood or been in the same cub scout troop or something. They remind me of a time in my life where things weren't about deadlines or bills, but about getting to go to Doug's place and play Perfect Dark. Love the content, hope you're doin alright

[@Jay-hy9ev]

While you were talking about the game “not hitting quite as hard on subsequent play throughs”, it made me think about my first experience playing Elden Ring and how special it was. It’s such a core feeling inside me, drumming up tons of memories and emotions. The aweh I had playing this game was like no other and I can’t wait for another game to come along and make me feel that way again.

[@lipayy9852]

Seriously I couldn't play my 2nd playthrough for more than 5-10 hours, having prior knowledge of the map ruins the experience. I will play it again in a few years when I've forgotten most and play another 150 hours :)

[@rover5058]

You obviously haven't played Bloodborne. The best game ever made in my opinion alongside Red Dead Redemption 2.

[@andre6563]

​@@rover5058 I played those two you mentioned and I also consider them my favorites of all time, but I had the exact same feeling he had on Elden Ring.

[@flamingmanure]

@@rover5058 ehhhh...i played bb right after ER it just isnt anywhere near as good imo, the art, the world, the batshit insane exploration moments like going down the elevator and discovering the underground...ERs first playthrough is just freakin magical and frankly it has no equal if you ask me, but i agree that after the first playthrough its tiring to play again.

[@GURSIMRAN-PSN]

@@rover5058RDR2 is a horse riding simulator .. period*

[@Narokkurai]

The phrase that always comes to mind with FromSoft is "iterative design". They are really, really good at identifying what works about a game and what doesn't work, and going into the next project with an eye towards improving their strengths and repairing or replacing their weaknesses. It really makes their design feel so much more cohesive, while also making every new game feel like a significant improvement on the last.

[@LordTepes81]

I would like to say, for the record, that in Vahalla you can do the same type of exploration that you can do in Elden Ring (where it doesn't show you makers on the map). You can turn off that feature. It even ask you before you even start the game if that's how you would like to play the game (and how it's recommended). I actually enjoyed Vahalla. Those River Raids were a lot of fun.

[@Yorikoification]

So this amazing innovative thing that Elden Ring did that sets it apart from most contemporary open world exploration games is.......a toggle for Ubisoft games Yeah that seems about right.