Should You Play Elden Ring With Your Boyfriend?

Use this code to smell better:
DSQGFR
bit.ly/3AdgonB
I finally played my very first Dark Souls game! It was hard. But not for the reasons I expected...
Twitch: twitch.tv/girlfriendreviews
Merch: www.backseatga...
Twitter: @itsgfreviews
Instagram: GirlfriendReviews
Patreon: patreon.com/girlfriendreviews

[@LaughBoys]

That “I can’t recall the touch of grass” LOTR deep cut was too perfect. I wonder how long they wanted to use the quote

[@vegasviking86]

The simple fact the game has you "touch grace" throughout says it all 🤣🤣

[@chrisbrannigan6210]

Yeah, the "grass" related messages are from Japanese players, where grass means fake or pointless.

[@thesoulqmo]

In mandarin “grass” pronounced like “fxxk” …. It’s kinda fun to figure each “grass” messages meaning though lol.

[@generalyousif3640]

I literally stayed home for a week straight durning spring break so I did nothing else because of how good it was

[@crazyape515]

@@thesoulqmo 摸草

[@Ptolemeian]

"Go give this potion to Nepheli" "Ok, where is she?" "Shut the **** up" Fromsoft sidequests in a nutshell

[@mduckernz]

No but seriously don't give it to her unless you're a monster

[@TheTraveler980]

That meme is well-known and will always be true.

[@BlazeOrangeDeer]

Even after finding where she went, she goes back to a DIFFERENT PART of the roundtable than she was before, which i never went back to because I already got all the items down there. Roundtable is the one place in the game that doesn't list the NPCs there smh

[@davidberger8420]

Give it to her father godrick in the roundtable hold.

[@Epiccheese247]

@@BlazeOrangeDeer oh shit, shes in the basement now? Bruh

[@ValorantCurios]

Alright Shelby, it's time to have you run it back with the entire series. I need a "Should Your Girlfriend Play Blood Borne" video pls

[@thecolorsideofthemoon3346]

pleeeeaseeee!!!!!

[@pistol0grip0pump]

Including DLC!, it's essential

[@withoutthejuice7193]

I don’t really think she wants to submit herself to that much pain

[@jesuscrust4946]

Please please please please

[@PunishedEsak]

Ima neeeeeed this 😂

[@DoctorDex]

That "Are you sure you want to revive your horse?" prompt is pure evil.. It doesn't even default to yes... CURSE YOU MIYAZAKI!

[@rubenandersen1773]

Stop being cute mad and just admit that it's actually bad design

[@spartanAXA]

I know right? What's even the point?

[@icaroadriel7970]

@@rubenandersen1773It's an annoyance, but that's what it is, an annoyance. What do you expected him to say? That the game is terrible because of it?

[@d-swagg9683]

Maybe that he'll make his next game with less annoyances. ​

[@KhreamedKhorne]

Pro tip: If an enemy is large enough that it has multiple lock-on points, don't lock-on unless you're using spells or ranged weapons. It's also helpful to not lock on while fighting groups

[@hanzoyamazaki2551]

Just dont use auto lock

[@KhreamedKhorne]

@@hanzoyamazaki2551 Why? It has its uses. I use it when fighting single rougher enemies that jump around a lot or ones I want to parry, the trick is knowing when you're better off without.

[@evangelism2]

This. Its a lesson all newbies to the Soulsborne series have to learn at some point. You don't always need to be locked on.

[@GeorgePerakis]

You learn this the hard way after the first few times you inevitably die to King of Storms because you couldn't see Nameless wind up his massive AOE. But the lock on IS useful in places even against those enemies, you just have to remember to lock OFF when it stops being useful.

[@SilverThreads]

Big things + lock on = No Bueno

[@davidcleary3785]

Miyazaki has said in an interview that as a kid he liked reading big confusing books he couldn't understand as he liked using his imagination to understand them. That's why the story in his games are so hard to understand

[@chasemartin5777]

It wasn't just big, confusing books. He read English fantasy novels without being fluent in English so he literally couldn't understand what they were saying.

[@justalostlocal]

Are you sure he doesn't want to inflict the same suffering upon us?

[@jirue]

@@justalostlocal If that's how you want to interpret it, go for it. I'm hesitant to call someone sharing something they enjoy with another as inflicting suffering on that individual, even if suffering might indeed be the result. Kinda falls into that grey zone where the receiver might need to recognize that the enthusiasm of the giver is misplaced and disengage from the interaction if it causes them suffering. There's also the approach so many like to take of just telling the enthusiast that they don't like the topic and they need to stop. I'm not a fan of that approach because I think those people should definitely continue their enthusiasm if they enjoy it, I'm just not someone who can share in their enthusiasm. You do you and I'll do me, if you will.

[@justalostlocal]

@@jirue Uhm it's a joke...

[@WolfLykaios]

Sooo, he is a fan of fanfiction then??

[@Harl3inger]

As a new player, I agree with the complaints about the controls completely. Please stop targeting that weird fly instead of the deadly dragon's head/leg.

[@akmal94ibrahim]

And if I stealth attack an enemy but they are still not dead yet, please keep my lock-on on them.

[@Arthillis]

When im about to fight a big monster ive gotten in the habit of using ranged attacks to clear out all the trash around it before engaging it just because of this.

[@AdamKirbyMusic]

Targeting is absolute trash in this game. Fromsoft should be ashamed of it.

[@si_w8201]

@@Arthillis ha, good tip...wish I'd thought of that...

[@jakalaka223]

Just unlock and relock, or don’t lock at all

[@soapymargherita]

You guys genuinely do some of the best written, performed, and edited stuff on youtube, and they just keep getting better.

[@woozlewuzzle23]

How? They're just boring individuals who make shallow content

[@soapymargherita]

wow good argument, you've convinced me

[@japacapa]

I wonder why they got only 1 mln subs... that first mln was like an explosion, but now sub counter doesn't seem to grow anymore ?_?

[@TheTyphoon365]

@@japacapa Are you trying to say "mil" as in - million? Your comments edited so I guess you wanted it like "min", but I don't see how minuet works in that statement

[@japacapa]

@@TheTyphoon365 lol in my language mln is a short for million, I was sure it's the same in english :)

[@thiagobnla]

has anyone, ever, tried to summon Torrent and choose "no" because it would have to use a flask to revive it, EVER? I seriously doubt it

[@neoson690]

Legit. They should put the default on “yes” so you can at least quickly confirm and not take a hit to the face. Especially when playing with keyboard and mouse…

[@Killroy007]

My biggest gripe with the game lmao

[@mattouttahell92]

I hit no

[@thiagobnla]

@@mattouttahell92 oh come on!

[@mattouttahell92]

@@thiagobnla it was the first time my horse died and I was up against a lot of enemies. I figured it would be a waste of my healing flask if I got caught and staggered again on the horse.

[@Rannulfus]

Admittedly, the confirmation window pop-up for when your horse dies would have been much better if it were replaced by a text box that says "Not enough flasks of crimson tears to revive Torrent" that only popped up when your flasks ran out completely.

[@MartinPurathur]

As a big elden ring fan. Yes 100%

[@LlamasIlamas]

Or atleast put it on yes and not no by default so you can just press x

[@tysej4]

I'm gonna be sarcastic when I say this: "Lul, get good, just gotta realise horse dead, flick to yes, hit confirm! like 0.2 seconds mah dude" But yes, I was ready for it when I started playing Elden ring thanks to numerous people complaining about it... I WAS READY.

[@maddoxtri]

@@LlamasIlamas putting it on yes as a default could resolve in you accidentally use your last and very needed flask to win the the fight cause you mash x in a panic

[@Rannulfus]

@@maddoxtri right, what people are saying is they'd prefer that and have to overcome their urge to just expend flasks to get torrent back when flasks are an important tool to use elsewhere, rather than have to do that AND fight the ui at the same time in the middle of an important fight.

[@benwasserman8223]

In a sea of overly cynical and boisterous game reviewers, Girlfriend Reviews makes everything fun and funnier again. Never miss a video with these two :)

[@dingusrevolver]

Always so well-edited, too.

[@mikesannitti6042]

They can be cynical. Their Horizon Forbidden West and jedi fallen order reviews were both super cynical unfair reviews... but they're more for the comedy than actual serious reviews so it's nbd.

[@FollowerOfChrist144]

@@mikesannitti6042 Cynical doesn’t mean “a review I don’t like” Mike. Critiquing bland copy and paste titles will happen. Just so happens that Fallen order and HZD 1&2 are good examples of such games.

[@mikesannitti6042]

@@FollowerOfChrist144 The whole "bland copy and paste" criticism is textbook cynicism. There's nothing bland about Horizon. I also get the sense that they didnt play more than the first few hours of forbidden west because they focused on the act one reintroduction of an old enemy which is over with by act 2. And they went at Fallen Order for being a more accessible, straightforward star wars take on the Souls games. Basically both games were criticized different ways for not being From games, which is silly.

[@Gafferman]

Actually, I think it's a problem that most reviewers are too positive about games. There's been a horrific downwards trend for AAA games in the last decade and a lot of reviewers still seem to mark things up rather than be real and give them a negative review.

[@Broadmoore]

Love the Hades music! And everything else about this video. As a hardcore souls fan- this video is just absolutely perfect

[@Blue_Lunacy]

I was trying to remember where I heard that music from. Thank you for saying it's Hades.

[@gavinf69420]

I thought it was the songs from pyre. Cause you know.. fire

[@strix4609]

Seems like a music compilation from Supergiants games, because I heared some Bastion OST too ! :D

[@iainemackay5681]

Love me some Hades OST

[@PeterEmrys]

@@gavinf69420 I don't know the songs from Pyre, but I definitely caught "Final Expense" and "Lament of Orpheus" from Hades

[@markm5927]

Love that this game is bringing more people in. I love the obscure story and quest stuff but do agree the controls can be a bit much. The lock on and camera are your biggest enemies at times.

[@MrEL91N]

I don’t know if anyone here has ever played the amazing game Outer Wilds (not Outer Worlds) but the way they handle quest tracking I believe would work in Souls games. It doesn’t hold your hand by any means but it does keep track of enough information to at least give you an idea of what you’ve been doing and potentially where you might go next. You still have that strong sense of mystery and figuring it out for yourself but you don’t feel totally lost.

[@blazenfate]

i get it, but if i have to look at a quest list, especially now, id ignore all of it. The Ubisoft games really burned me out on them. The way the quest designs are here, you have to focus on them or simply miss out. I can tell you a single quest from assassins creed, or Outer wilds for that matter (and i love that game too) but i can tell you why several characters from Dark souls 3 did what they did, a game i haven't played in years

[@Thisisthegreatestatofalltime]

That’s a great idea, the only other thing is the devs giving some sort of hint where the npc will go next more consistently where they’d otherwise be overly hard (or overly trial and error) to find. That being said they’d have to be careful not to fall into the trappings of other devs and be careful to make sure it stays a quest log and doesn’t become a quest guide that solves the quest for the player.

[@cyco7229]

a great way to do this was if you could only write down on your journal when you rest at bonfires, but it would only be some general notes like an actual person would write, not a word by word rewrite of the script, and the longer you took to rest after a quest update, the less your character would remember.

[@ebolam0nkey]

The thing is that a lot of the quests (I have one in mind in particular, the blind maiden) don't even give you a hint where they ill be next. They can show up at like one out of 20 sites of graces in that zone and I would not have figured it out without looking it up.

[@AuthorityCat]

@@blazenfate But this isn't Dark Souls 3, which is a linear videogame. Souls fans act like From's quest design is something special, but plop it down in an open word and, congratulations, it's functionally identical to Morrowind quest design. The fundamental difference is that Elden Ring gives you three lines of dialogue while Morrowind gives you three paragraphs that explain what you need to do, where you need to go and why you're doing it. Excusing Fromsoft for refusing to put a quest log in a game that clearly needs it just spits in the face of all the games that have done this exact concept so well. This just ain't Morrowind. These are cheap highschool fanfictions in comparison. No one plays a Souls game or its stories, and frankly, I disagree completely with your take seeing as I can't recall the resolution of more than one DS3 storyline. The lore of these worlds has always been interesting but you're deluded if you think these are enrapturing character dramas worthy of their obtuse design. It seems like From agrees too since they put a bandaid on the problem with a patch.

[@MonitorWizard]

I can't express how much I loved the cypress hill cover

[@thesishiphop16]

we needdd a full length version

[@vastolorde2861]

I cannot explain just how much "has anyone seen Nepheli here?" resonates with me

[@cyco7229]

yep, it didn't help Nepheli was bugged until patch 1.03 and wouldn't appear where she was supposed to, thankfully you can't fail her quest until way later and it was hilarious finding her and just doing all that was supposed to happen along hours in a mere few seconds, "hi, i'm Nepheli Lou... what, you already found x? thanks and now I must go... well, you already did that too? ok" quest over.

[@troylynn-lee862]

I felt so validated when FromSoftware actually patched in NPC locations

[@cleverman383]

I thought I accidentally turned on easy mode and looked through the options to get rid of them

[@devforfun5618]

marking locations myself isn`t a big deal, but the limited options of markers makes it basically useless, since i dont know what the mark is suposed to mean the next day that is the same problem i have with genshin impact, give us icons AND colors, so we can differentiate things to do, things that we did, and things that we need to keep doing multiple times, like farming places, there was no icon that i could use to mark a vendor

[@folun12322]

Literally was finally on the edge of buying it when this came out and pushed me over the edge. Thanks Shelby for removing the next few weeks of my life! I'm so excited

[@AwesomeWookiee]

As a Dark Souls vet who is getting his wife to play Elden Ring (she's enjoying it) I would say two things: 1. Don't give up, the failure is making you better. 2. Do go and do something else in the massive open world if you're beating your head against a wall. Have fun! If you beat a boss with ingenuity and gimmicks, you still beat it!

[@sluggy1739]

@@AwesomeWookiee also try not to get mad it’s good to just breathe and walk away lol

[@thegibbehhh9430]

Few weeks? hoh hoh nooo few MONTHS

[@kflash17]

the community for this one is huge, and the loudest voices are supportive, so swing by the reddit now and then to enjoy some commisoration and memes, and let everyone know when you've done the good hard things, people have been quite positive to everyone scraping by with this one. gghf

[@mikaylacaldwell4452]

Weeks....? I’m on a month straight 🥺🤣

[@trevorburgess8971]

The “has anyone seen Nephelli here!!” Made me bust out and laugh. Hahaha feels.

[@jessepack812]

I am so glad that you mentioned the in-combat pop-up window asking if you really want your magical horse-goat back or if you'd rather just get murdered. I've lost to that pop-up more than I lost to the tree sentinel.

[@SengokuTheGouda]

One of my favorite things about these games is the obtuse and at time vague storytelling, because seeing the whole community come together to theorize and find things is so fun and rewarding. I also just always like that stranger in a strange land vibe the games give, where both you and your character are learning things together,

[@Caesar--]

except 95% of players don't actually go watch KZbin videos of the lore or browse Reddit for several hours a day... they just never find out any of the lore which is a damn shame.

[@SengokuTheGouda]

@@Caesar-- the numbers of views on a lot of those videos begs to differ. Many people see them. Anyone who googled anything related to the games for help will find wikis, Reddit threads, KZbin videos. And they’ll discover things that way. I honestly can’t think of anyone I know of who plus these games that didn’t google something and then end up down the rabbit hole.

[@Caesar--]

@@SengokuTheGouda Well you probably only know a few people who play then lmao, also the views on these videos are nowhere close to the number of people who have played the game.

[@SengokuTheGouda]

@@Caesar-- the most successful ending explained video is currently at 2.2 million views. Currently 12 million copies have sold. We’re looking at just about 20% on views to sales there. Vaati’s Bloodborne explained video has more views than known copies of the game sold. By a lot. It’s also 2022, unless you’re a boomer, you’re probably on Reddit or twitter or maybe even tumblr still and you engage with communities for things you like. Acting like it’s the 90s and people will just refuse to look up anything related to a game they bought is just dumb. Even if you’re looking up reviews, like say this video, lore videos are being recommended to you right over there -> People have and will find their ways to these communities.

[@Gyork_]

@@Caesar-- Personally I enjoy not knowing 100% of the lore in this games I think not knowing or being confused adds to the surreal experience of exploring this purgatory like worlds.

[@madeofcastiron]

shelby: sharing her thoughts about the flaws of elden ring me, a first time soulsbourne/from soft game player who almost quit the game because of those exact flaws: VINDICATION edit: just to verify, i did get used to the bs and got gud, and i'm actually enjoying the game now lmao

[@HotGiselle]

I have gotten a refund because the godawful gamedesigne in some places is so infuriating

[@nameless1016]

@@HotGiselle classic

[@Vogalos]

Ahh yes another B99 fan

[@carpetcreed3841]

@@HotGiselle mid

[@supermanprime6758]

Im using mouse and keyboard. Fuckacontroller.

[@mangalpandey9377]

So, we get both the perspectives, this is actually refreshing, next do a series, Should your Parents play Elden ring?

[@ahmadkhalid5819]

Should your cats play Elden Ring?

[@cassidy8307]

Should your DK bongos play elden ring?

[@enricofrancese2883]

3:56 I'm watching this over and over and it never stops being the funniest thing ever

[@MAlves-og3pk]

Dread it run from it “git gud” arrives all the same.

[@N0va]

"Difficulty is fun when it's not being used as an excuse in design choices that are not fun" ---- NAILED my thoughts on this game.

[@J-manli]

Take the infinite bleed dogs and the fact that people can obscure interactables with messages. Those are genuine bugs and technical flaws, and yet a vocal portion of the veteran Souls Community are willing the excuse that with "Bugs as features," mindset because it makes the game harder. If it were any other dev company there would be rage.

[@Killroy007]

@@J-manli honestly ive never seen anyone defend the dogs And the thing with "messages over things you interact with" is that it never was a big issue until elden ring, and even then those are not as many as youd think considering the size of the playerbase But yeah that should get fixed.

[@arrgghh1555]

@@J-manli Bethesda got away with "bugs as features" for decades until '76 came out.

[@gazelle_diamond9768]

I mean, what exact design choice in Elden Ring does this even refer to?

[@hulubangaGutenWami]

2:43 The editing is just out of the world awesome man! The references hits exactly the right spot. Love it.

[@Vesperitis]

Man, that list of side effects of Elden Ring was really, really accurate. I had almost every one of those symptoms playing this game.

[@miguelvizcarra7664]

As a person who started playing soul series with bloodborne and sekiro I must say I welcome the “easy mode” they’ve done with elden ring. I don’t mind getting the help of some soldiers once in a while and I’m not afraid to admit it 😂

[@hurricanestarang]

This is it, I've been playing the game for weeks and I feel like I've barely touched the surface, using spirits or summoning other people in has only made this game better for me

[@thomascooper2218]

Heck yeah! I also just like summoning the mimic ashes because it makes me feel like I’m gaming with a twin brother 🤦‍♂️

[@Sourcelighteer]

4:50 Hades BG was a real nice choice

[@BL4NKio]

This was both a hilarious, and accurate explanation/review of what it’s like getting into Elden Ring as a first time “souls” game

[@kif1983]

That pop up to resummon is the closest I've come to yeeting my controller across the room after dying. I totally agree that there are some awful design decisions that long term series fans are just used to, but good grief wish for better FS fans. Thumbs up for using Hades music in the vid. (and also for being a great review)

[@I4k_au]

At least you can binge watch vaati vidya after finishing a fromsoft game So in my book the mysterious plot is a win

[@AdityaSingh-lp5rp]

what plot? there is no real plot in elden ring its all lore. plot is conveyed by the game in response to a players actions like dialogue and cutscenes or the environment, lore is item discriptions codex entries etc.

[@dantefromdevilmaycry9857]

@@AdityaSingh-lp5rp Lol the intro and Melina literally tells you the Plot and main objective right away, so idk if you're just blatantly lying or just plain didn't pay attention.

[@virael3801]

@@AdityaSingh-lp5rp "dialogue and cutscenes or the environment" All of which are present in the game? Lol

[@gerardotejada2531]

There is no plot. There is not a traditional narrative. There is just setting and lore. Its a story abour the world not about the characters, there isnt a character study of their personalities, this isnt The Witcher 3.

[@gerardotejada2531]

And yes there are cutscenes but those cutscenes are not pushing a story. Its like reading a Warhammer codex versus a Warhammer novel. Again a story based open world is The Witcher 3, this game feels more like Zelda, where the story is an excuse. Like the story on a porn movie. It can be really good but you are not here for the story.

[@kingslayer86]

Nepheli's locations for those wondering if ANYONE HAS SEEN NEPHELI HERE. stormveil castle roundtable hold albinaurics village (under the mountain in liurnia) roundtable hold downstairs by the blacksmith if you give her the one thingy, godrickls throne room waaay later on. if you give her the other thingy, talk to selvius. the creepy weirdo.

[@byotip]

Gravity and camera control have always been the single worst enemy in darksouls game. In Elden ring, plateforming with a dedicated jump, reduced fall damage, torrent. Gravity is now acceptable. But Even tho they greatly improved camera control (increased lock range, multiple lock points on big mobs) it's still actively trying to kill you. Multiplayer was always stupid bad. Quests could use logs, but I found Elden ring quest design far superior than any other AAA that throws out millions of chatty NPC that put a pin on your map to find five furtive ferret feces.

[@BlazeOrangeDeer]

The quest design is so close to being amazing, but with how easy it is to unintentionally skip NPC appearances and the vital information they give, it's currently just not acceptable. Right now if you beat a boss you might send them on to a new area and have no idea where they are because they didn't have a chance to tell you. There's no way at all to know when a quest has been failed or has already moved beyond where they said they would be, if they tell you at all. They also finally added NPC icons, map quest markers, and most importantly, info notes with clues... but they only used them a handful of times! They could have easily fixed this problem by leaving info notes behind when an NPC leaves. Right now you have to check their icons to notice when they leave and then remember where they said they were going, and hope that the info is still accurate.

[@byotip]

@@BlazeOrangeDeer I a metroidvania player so remembering stupid details and backtracking is my thing. I did 5 out of the 6 endings without a wiki to help me, before the npc markers patch. And the first NG+ make the game easy to quickly complete the remaining questlines. I think a dialog questlog could improve it for players that don't finish the game in the span of a week. But the way NPCs hint or don't hint their next destination is fine. The fact that NPCs travel to unknown places can be a really good thing. Yes, it can be frustrating when you are actively trying to follow a questline. Among exploration's rewards, finding a new NPC is a good one. But finding a NPC you've already met is one of the best. It only becomes an issue when the map can be explored in any order. Even then, it's a game issue (that ng+ fix), not a world building issue. NPCs live, come and go, out of the player agenda. There's multiple endings so you won't make it in one run anyway.

[@Ralathar44]

@@byotip You basically described what Shelby did in the video. You're someone so used to the bullshit in the games you play that you can't even smell half the stank anymore.

[@quantummidget]

I don't think a quest log is entirely necessary (not to say it's a bad thing, just that it's not required for the game they want to make), but my issue is when there is no notable clue given as to the next step in a quest. If questgiver is at place A, and directs me to place B, the next step should either be given at place B, given when I return to place A, or have previously been mentioned. I was writing down a quest log manually, and yet there were many times when I had no clue where to go, so I looked it up. Turns out they were is some completely random area. Sometimes the area had been mentioned, but I'm not going to scour a whole zone randomly in case the questgiver is there. If I look up the next step in a quest, the reaction should be "Ah shit of course", not "Why?"

[@quantummidget]

@@byotip Yeah my issue is that most of the areas the NPCs travelled to I'd already visited, so I had little reason to return there. I feel like it detracts from the open-world design if you can explore the world in whatever order you want, but doing so will screw up quest progression.

[@corbinr2076]

Thank you for using the Dr. Steve Brule bits because that's exactly how I felt at all times

[@MrEL91N]

I laughed super hard on that part. It’s perfect.

[@pearlmcj]

5:10 I know the stenographer bit is exactly that: a bit. But I did actually end up keeping a journal of the different characters, just to keep track of everything they wanted from me 😭 it’s genuinely helping me understand the story so much better, but at what cost?? 😭

[@arieskyz]

I just came from playing Hades and felt very confused when I still heard the soundtrack with my laptop off. A relief to find out it wasn’t me.

[@StinkyPinky3000]

One of my favorite takes on this game as a new souls person. Literally, the most fun I’ve had on a solo game since GOW4, but goddamn do the controls need a little TLC. Good shit Shelby. (Also I love the hades music, big brain moves)

[@kylefrommontana2671]

One of the few channels that can make a 10 min video feel like 30 seconds. Always want more!

[@leifmidgorden4615]

I love how your reviews of games are better than almost any journalist and are also hilarious. And the Hades deep cut music is so classy

[@PijanTheDrunk]

Great review and largely agree. I don't think I'd want a traditional quest tracker because that would feel pretty out of place, but even just a conversation history for each character so you can see what they told you when you last played a week ago would be nice. I found the quests fun to try and figure out, but having to write down what people told me so I would remember in a few days was tedious.

[@clejinn9521]

Incredible video ! Loved everything about it ! Is there going to be a third rewiew of ER ? The "should your BF play ER ?" more classical one ? I love the joke you create with FS games :) Bises form France Ps : I finished the game today. I did'nt understand a thing. Was like a fever dream. 10/10. Masterpiece. Time for second run...

[@nonamesinspace1291]

Ah I can summon creatures but first must find a bell given by an NPC that only exists in one place and only at night, then individually find the spells and can only use them when the doors appear, and the only way to upgrade the spells is to find another NPC... And on and on. Beautiful game, impressively complex and uncompromising.

[@aedof]

I love all the Hades music you used for this one. Among the very best soundtracks I've ever heard. Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett are awesome!

[@greyfox111483]

I love the opposing view reviews on this. Matt showcases everything I dislike about the "git gud" community and Shelby, well, just reinforces it but also highlights the reason why I play Dark Souls while also pointing out the janky control issues.

[@dathunderman4]

The “git gud” thing is just a meme. From my experience, these games actually have very helpful, nice communities. Ppl are very encouraging and always willing to lend a help. I rarely see ppl just scream “git gud” when someone is struggling.

[@dillonthevillon3719]

@@dathunderman4 it’s a 50/50 shot in the head to be honest. I started playing dark souls when I was 8 and the amount of times I heard git Gud back then made me never rlly ask help from real people every again, but hey I learned the formulas and I’ve beaten every single FromSoftware major title.

[@gazelle_diamond9768]

Controls are completely fine, I have no idea why people seriously complain about them.

[@BureauSpicy]

That hits from the bong spoof didn't go on for nearly long enough. We need more.

[@julenhernando9274]

haveing hades ost was nice, and yes souls game need a log so i can read the text i did not pay enough attention before and the camera is the hardest enemy in the entire fromsoft catalogue

[@milesfromhome69]

This channel is sh*tposting genius

[@lanceareadbhar]

The quests have always been weird, but I think the joy of the discovery spread through the community is worth the cost of most people having to look some of them up online to do them all. I am happy they added where the NPCs are on the map though as that was the worst part.

[@adrianfilimon1799]

No, why should i google for the solution when the game itself should at least give you some hints? I enjoy following clues, but their games don't even point you to a direction. I don't enjoy googling for stuff in a gmae, but from software makes me do that because 'git gud'? Also their lore is so out in the open, players make the lore for the game, which i suppose is fine for people that actually have the time to dissext their games and think about it and all that, but for people like me that don't have that much time for gaming, some presentation and dialogue would be much needed, mind you not bioware type of dialogue, but give me a sense of what the fk i am actually doing in that gameworld and wtf that world is about, otherwise it just feels like an mmo with boss fights once i a while

[@pixelxemper4007]

The game is very clear about the objectives tho, and the story is the most clear of any Souls game, if you want to know so badly then just think about what they told you, i discovered most of the story and context just by paying attention to what NPCs said

[@Doctor3E]

@@adrianfilimon1799 from what I understand, some of the intentional obtuse and cryptic designs are meant to make you engage with the community. No, you don't have to interact with threads on reddit or game faqs to just be told get gud over and over again. The community could literally just be your bud who convinced you to buy the game in the first place and knows more about this series than you do. Yeah, it is without a doubt objectively BAD design, but it allowed you to reach out to a friend and and get some help. If the game wasn't intentionally difficult to understand, people wouldn't have to leave messages on the ground, and you'd never read "try fingers but hole".

[@mookiestewart3776]

@@adrianfilimon1799 because that’s the point , the lore is supposed to be discovered and shared slowly throughout the community it’s one of the best parts of starting a souls game day one

[@adrianfilimon1799]

@@Doctor3E i look up the internet for memes, not ingame.also some people don't wanna engage with the community, some people just want to play a game and immerse themselves into it, they don't want to search the internet for some random quest or to understand lore or story.there are so many ways of actually making quests engaging instead of an afterthought and i'm not talking of quest markers. gothic 1 and 2 had probably the best system i have seeen, npcs would give you instructions based on gameworld markers and then your quest log would actually be a journal, in which the hero writes what the npc has told him and his thoughts about it and whenever you would do a part of the quest or something was related to a quest, the journal would update. this way you keep track of quest and it makes it believable and immersive.

[@leenbean14]

Omg, I started playing this video, and then, like a siren’s call, my boyfriend came in to hover and watch and make comments. 🤣 and then he went back to continue playing Elden Ring and still making comments.

[@christophermurillo7250]

I screeched and told my girlfriend next to me that the second part of the elden ring girlfriend review is out. I'd start playing elden ring right now too but we actually have plans today and need to go touch grass. 🙄

[@RoninOfTheNight]

I had a similar experience with getting my boyfriend to finally try it. So great to tell him to git gud when he asks for a trick to beat a boss

[@RoninOfTheNight]

Sounds fake

[@Daedriclord23]

i forgot about the hits from the bong parody when i came back to watch this again. it had me laughing just as hard as the 2nd time. good lord thats funny.

[@alexbrufladt171]

If you read the item description on weapons, armor, etc it really helps with the story and understanding it. It was hard for me to understand at first but I also know this is how souls games are.

[@andreasfinn1476]

IMO the design choise for obscure quest lines is deliberate just so that it would bolster the need for community. Because community is the place where loyalty for the game series is born.

[@zedhead90]

Lmao too bad the community does t feel that way. Haven’t you heard? Anything short of wandering a giant open world map in search of one NPC is cheating.

[@Over_Reaction]

The rage that filled my soul when the window to mount Torrent popped up mid-fight...

[@mahmudurrashid423]

That office clip perfectly explains From Software creative meetings

[@happyninja42]

That batman "so we can get back up" analogy is only accurate, if Alfred is constantly slapping bruce in the face that entire conversation, while rambling like a dementia suffering senior citizen just escaped from a nursing home.

[@dovidstaples9985]

I remember randomly seeing your very first video when you just put it out and I was immediately one of your first subscribers. Your expert editing and style still blows me away and you've only gotten better

[@rubeng370]

5:44 love the videos 🤣

[@lt_downs]

For anyone curious about the song its Lament of Orpheus from the Hades OST

[@Polopollo75]

Lots of unpopular, but justified critics in this video. I'll add one: The combat is not "git gud", it's boring. That's the most boring part of this game actually. You just roll and bonk. The shield becomes obsolete really fast, and your L2 attacks become too slow for the fast pace bosses fairly quickly. There is no tearing monsters apart like in Horizon Zero Dawn, like a puzzle. Or using elements to affect the monsters, like in Zelda BotW where you can freeze/burn/shock/blow enemies and it is fun. To prove my point, here it is: What did you learn from the Margit fight? Did you learn anything else than "sometimes the enemy will hold his attack in the air a bit longer, so don't do the one combat mechanic of this game, rolling, right away". Boom. Also why does Margot disguise himself as Margit? I feel a bit scammed that a RPG written by GRRM has like 2 cinematics. In the other end, the exploration really makes it for me. On this level it is the most fun I had in a very long time (since the 2 other games I mentioned actually). And the zones are so beautiful too!

[@polochonv9943]

Agree, the melee combat can be lacking in diversity compared to the magic builds. I had more fun with magic builds when I finally respeced

[@jaybyrd3781]

I laughed so much, thanks for this. Always such fun videos. You guys are awesome.

[@awesomemark1234100]

Matt I appreciate the tiny touch with adding the Ranni Zellweger text

[@dwaynezilla]

5:45 These videos are so good, and it's because it's full of touches like the "is this an out-of-season April fool's joke" guy footage for green screen background. That's some top-quality stuff!

[@hunchogatson7056]

I've been waiting for this for over a week lol

[@daleodorito]

The thing that the button to "pls, oh god, target the beast that is about to murder me" and the button to "completely turn around and stop seeing anything" are the same is barffling to me; like if anyones uses the turno around anyways.

[@seanoneil5910]

Your boyfriend constantly popping up saying "get good" killed me haha

[@flaviastorrer9]

This just made me want to play Hades again ehehe

[@Mt_Goat777]

The cutscenes with what's his name commenting was awesome, "I think I got the basics down"

[@mugflub]

These are some of the best videos I’ve ever seen. How have I missed this channel?

[@sept09]

I've been playing fromsoftware games for years and I love them, I love the fact that you have to really try to understand what's going on and pay a lot of attention, really not a game for people with hard adhd like myself. But still, I love them. Now that being said, I still don't get why everywhere I go someone ends up dead and I have no clue why.

[@zenebean]

I have never been interested in From Software games until now, I just love the look of this world and the magic. It looks... alive instead of complete dust and ashes. I just don't know if I'll be able to put in the time to learn the controls.

[@Enso.]

Omg the Nepheli quest line is infuriating. I’ve already missed out (apparently you can miss items, a big FU to all completionists) that crucially good talisman she gives you bc I didn’t talk to her at the * right time * in Stormveil castle, I went and got all those items for her for absolutely nothing, no reward, no dialogue, NOTHING and now the gatekeeper is bugged out in my game

[@AntaresDaha]

You are not supposed to complete everything in one playthrough, the first playthrough is like a long tutorial, go your way and enjoy the journey, figuring out how your choices impacted the game's world. Remember what you would want to do different and start chasing that completionist dragon in the NG+s.

[@Enso.]

@@AntaresDaha maybe, but my only mistake here was not talking to her in stormveil BEFORE killing Godfrey and instead I talked to her AFTER, an egregious failure of a quest line that resulted in me losing out on the reward I was seeking for my build. Any way you spin it it sucks and is bad design

[@Rahvith]

@@Enso. Looking for a specific item for a specific build? Yeah that sounds like a first playtrough and definitely a problem for people getting into a game for the first time... Completionist? NG+, get a guide, Souls games are a rich experience because they build a world for you to explore and change based on decisions, you messed up a questo? Oh, well the world moves on, see you on NG+, it is not bad design, it's you expecting a cat to bark.

[@Enso.]

@@Rahvith I just want the Arsenal charm so I can use a golem bow without being overburdened, it’s not that deep. The fact I have to beat the game and replay just to do that because the quest reward glitched out is a mistake by the devs I don’t think wanting quest rewards not to be entirely missable if you do the prereqs in a slightly different arbitrary order is “asking a cat to bark”, it’s asking the bare minimum of an open world

[@GoBlueHTB]

I loved the Hades music in the background. When are we getting a Girlfriend Review of Hades???

[@GuyFromJupiter]

4:00 this sums up my feelings about the camera perfectly

[@fromundaman]

I'm so glad you echoed almost every complaint I have with the game. It's such a good overall game but some of the design choices are baffling. Also there's a platforming section under the capital that made me question the whole game's design and put it down for a week.

[@Luis-xp5lm]

This is the definitive edition review for Elden Ring, so much so, that I truly hope they fix the camera/lock-on issues. I genuinely think it would make the game SO much easier to play. Instead of fighting the camera, you can actually fight the enemies. what a concept! lol. But in all seriousness, i’m addicted to this game. Thanks for this follow up review! I had been waiting on it FOREVERRRR!! 😂

[@macade2852]

Perfect wording. I would be fine or even like it if it was just hard to win but they made it hard to play.

[@johnsievila9680]

Honestly the best written “game reviews” on the tube!! You two are always incredibly entertaining and the review is always insightful. Now so a Destiny 2 review and shred that thing!!!!

[@Cuork]

I really like how Matt added that one song from Hades.

[@robertflores8789]

A year later and this is still comedy gold!!!

[@asterodon]

This is coming from a Soulsborne virgin, I really didn't struggle with keeping lore and story bits in my mind and piecing things together. That's what made it so enjoyable honestly

[@futureruler1]

UX has always been FromSoft's Achilles' heel. Yes, this is their most accessible game yet, but I think it might be somewhat by accident. The ambient storytelling and quests are a long-standing innovation that take some getting used to, it's supposed to compound the feeling of player helplessness and insignificance these games go for - like our own world, there's too much going on for us to grasp all of it. You can see why that goal and good UX are kind of at odds.

[@1mintyboi]

Fromsoft makes RPGs that make you feel like you're not the main character, even when you are and end up saving the world or something

[@coltenneath2404]

This sounds like the most pretentious way possible to say “we’re not great at UI and aren’t interested in fixing that.” Haha

[@amateurtakeongaming4298]

@@coltenneath2404 but the UI is good and so easy to understand 😂😂 Seriously I don't think you spent even a minute figuring out how it works if you think that's bad UI

[@umarthdc]

I honestly wouldnt change the batshit cryptic quests, it reminds of that feeling as a kid when there was no internet and convolluted easter eggs were told by every child in the neigborhood. It makes me feel that I can find a secret that nobody has found just by chance. Yes, ofc it won't happen.

[@grayfulbester]

@@futureruler1 for one make the button mapping not stupid? Like literally it's the easiest thing to do from soft just refuses to do it after decades because they think obtuse makes hard and hard equals better

[@verkpunk]

My biggest control gripe is that the left thumbstick is both movement and jump off your horse. I can't count how many times I've died jumping off of my horse mid fight.

[@Nonsense116]

The videos just keep getting better I don't know how they do it

[@ZEBASS]

I really like Elden Ring and all Fromsoft titles. You review is perfect, spot on. Damn right the controls could be a lot more responsive here! 10/10

[@YGOFosho]

FromSoft typically likes to have everything in the mechanics to be related to the world, which is partially what makes the world so intriguing. Things like "Create Lobby" are pretty hard to explain lore wise. But you're right about us all simply adjusting to the low-key jank of the control scheme. That's always the first thing I warn people about, not the difficulty, but having to break their current perceptions on how game controls work. Personally I never struggled on that aspect too much until Elden Ring, and the added horse and jump mechanic added a whole lot more jank in the movement system.

[@ounaku]

lots of those flaws were more potent in previous games, such as long ass walk back to boss room, annoying shortcutsbto items use, no jump button, really thebbs that souls players endure through these years. They did try to address them even though still have much room to improve.

[@MultiGustaf]

Stumbled upon these videos, and they are hilarious. The editing must take weeks just to find the references, and "hits from the bong" had me cracking up from the start.

[@joshhoe]

The comedic cuts in this video are just..... *chefs kiss* Subbed !

[@moritzsteger7780]

This review is so accurate it is scary! Great work !

[@stalkermike]

Wait was that the AFV theme playing? Great video.

[@SuperOskarcito]

Instant like and sub when she sang in the beginning.

[@arjanvanbijnen]

Just based on the other 2 from software games I played, I have to say Shelby is damn right for calling out the controls

[@bjmurphy34]

You're absolutely right about the side quests. It's nearly impossible to keep track of them all without writing a journal or following a guide. (Luckily, you don't need to do any quests for the best boss fights in the game. Just run straight to them.) However, I disagree with your former point. R3 is the most logical button for the lock-on because the R analog stick moves the camera. Many players win without lock-on, and it is even recommended to NOT lock-on during huge boss fights such as Fire Giant, Lichdragon Fortissax, Dragonlord Placidusax, and Elden Beast. Anytime you can't see what's happening, it is probably because of the weird terrain, the surrounding structures, or the gigantic size of some enemies.

[@evanm1337]

6:00 From Software makes their worlds complex and deliberately leaves information up to interpreatation, because Miyazaki during his childhood would often read books and skip over certain sections, which resulted in him not getting certain plot details, leading to him coming up with his own plots on the fly, which was fun to him. He wants to share this idea with the rest of the Soulsborne community, and as such deliberately leaves out certain plot details.

[@GratefulDave93]

I can always taste the salt of a newborn souls player, and it’s glorious

[@crownfence1509]

Every few months I like to come back to this video to make me laugh. Definitely their best yet

[@jzilla1234]

This is what we in the biz call a "double dip"

[@ajackass5950]

That intro was the best thing I've ever seen. Subscribed.

[@voidmind]

I loved that Cypress Hill + Elden Ring mix!