2 Yrs✓#
f_n_c
2 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #9
Hello everyone! After some well deserved vacation I'm back in the flat and hot Lombardy, but at least I have some games to play.
STORY AND PRESENTATION
I admit that I tried to play Salt and Sanctuary (SaS from now on) at least twice, but I stopped around the first boss. The game wasn't gripping enough, sadly. But third's time the charm, and this last attempt was completely different.
SaS is a 2D soulslike game with some platforming elements. In its mechanics, it follows Dark Souls closely, almost like a carbon copy. After the mandatory character creation where you select an appearance and a class, you are tasked with defending a princess traveling towards a nearby realm by ship to marry a noble and forge an alliance. The ship is attacked by an eldritch horror almost impossible to beat, and your character is shipwrecked on a strange island. From now on, the story is told through short dialogues and environmental storytelling, while your character travels into dark and gloomy environments. The game delivers its narrative exactly like Dark Souls, so it is very difficult to grasp all the information hidden in descriptions and environmental details. I know that this approach leaves a magic aura of mystery and awe, but I would rather have known all the details behind the bosses and the environments without resorting to external sources. This is mostly a personal preference though; probably a lot of people are very happy with this stylistic choice.
Talking about the artistic design, I don't like the way human characters look in this game. They are overly stylized and clash with the rest of the game elements. On the other hand, the enemies and the environments are really well-drawn and inspired. In my opinion, the game is much more gritty than Dark Souls (1), with hanged people in a lot of areas and gory monster designs. The armor and the weapons are also very inspired, and it is always fun to find new sets. The music is great and not very invasive, even if there are only a few tracks in the game.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The gameplay is just 2D Dark Souls; there's not a lot to say about the gameplay. Bonfires, limited healing, covenants, statistics, weapon scaling, encumberance, miracles, magic. The game differentiates in some minor aspects, but the feeling to play a clone is strong and constant. The basic gameplay formula works though, so I can't complain. You have a nice choice of armors (light and heavy), weapons, shields, and magic powers. Different playstiles would change drastically the feel of the game, so the variety is just on point.
The biggest difference is represented by the advancement of the character. At every level up, you gain a point to spend in an expansive skill tree that grants you both statistic increases and the ability to use stronger weapons and armor effectively. Compared to Dark Souls, it constrains the growth of the character by linking the upgrades to a defined path, so it is more difficult to screw up and create a bad build. I kind of like this approach; it visualizes your progress in a nice way and is well-presented.
SaS is a challenging game, but not too difficult. If you make a good build, the enemies will be a joke, and only some later bosses will require a good knowledge of all the game systems. I would have liked more challenge, but I used a very strong build, so probably the game is more difficult with other weapons. The small platform sections can be brutal though, and in the optional areas, it can become almost frustrating.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
I really liked Dark Souls 1, so I liked also SaS. It clones the formula, introducing an interesting world and some new mechanics. The artistic department is good, and the game plays well with a controller. Playing with a keyboard is doable, but much more difficult. Sadly, this game has some glaring balancing issues. The developers tried to fix them with the enhanced mode, but the problems remained. Heavy armor is almost useless; high-level armor is scarce and almost useless since it weighs too much. Strength-based weapons are satisfying but too powerful, while other weapons feel too weak. With a little more balancing, it could have been a perfect game, but it is also a phenomenal game in this state.
A little final rant on Epic Games. This is the first game that I played fully through the Epic platform, since I obtained it for free. Almost every time I wanted to play, my account was disconnected from the Windows app, and I needed to do the login process from scratch. This is a minor nuisance, but in a world where steam is a well-oiled machine, you don't have much margin for error. Compared to Steam, the experience was awful. I will never buy something from the Epic Store for sure. At least they give away free games, but they are the only thing that compel me to use their horrible launcher.
MY BUILD
If anyone wants to play this game but hasn't any idea on the build to play, I can suggest mine. It is very effective and fun, fitting a new player like me like a glove.
I used Greathammers and Greatswords, fully developing both their upgrade paths. Together, they can cover both slash and strike damage, allowing them to always exploit specific enemy weaknesses. I used mainly greatswords though; they were a little bit stronger, and it was easier to find the material to transmute them into high-level weapons. Both weapons were used always two-handed, so I could stop the Strength development to 35.
I choose to fully develop the Light Armor path instead of the logical Heavy Armor. The game is rather easy, and poising or tanking damage was not very fun, so I switched almost immediately to the Light Armor. Both the weapons of the build are very heavy, so without very light armor, you won't be able to have a usable dodge.
Following these three paths to the end (Sword, Greathammer/Greataxes, and Armor) will leave you with more than 35 Strength, and a decent Willpower and Endurance. To allow fast rolling, you should invest additional level-ups in leveling the Endurance, but adding some points also to Willpower is not a bad idea. You can refund all the Dexterity skills and also some strength nodes to lower your strength to the 35 softcap.
I used the Beggar Light Armor set almost all the game, upgrading it a lot. Towards the end of the game, it allowed me to fast roll with the Greatsword, which is something remarkable. For specific bosses with strong elemental attacks, I used a mismatch of Light Armor to maximize the specific element defense, even if it sacrificed some physical defense. For the transmutation path, I went Kurekimoa -> Jaws of Death -> Scharfrichter for the Greatswords, while for the Greathammers I used the Warhammer -> Obsidian Pillar -> Trinity Scepter. I mainly attached Mossy Charms to both weapons, which were switched to elemental damage charms for some bosses. I used different ring sets depending on the boss.
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I decided that the poor Layton was rotting in my backlog for too long, so I esclusively played that for some time to finish it. I completed the main story, but the game is fun, so probably I will finish almost all the puzzles.
I also made some little progress with Daggerfall. I had some adventures in the Wrothgarian Mountains, and I have found even some pieces of Dwarven equipment. The game is fun for now, but the worst sprawling dungeons are still ahead. Running around in snowclad cities is very atmospheric, and the game has a particular, unique charm.
Hello everyone! After some well deserved vacation I'm back in the flat and hot Lombardy, but at least I have some games to play.
Salt and Sanctuary - PC (Epic Store free game)
SCORE: 9/10
STORY AND PRESENTATION
I admit that I tried to play Salt and Sanctuary (SaS from now on) at least twice, but I stopped around the first boss. The game wasn't gripping enough, sadly. But third's time the charm, and this last attempt was completely different.
SaS is a 2D soulslike game with some platforming elements. In its mechanics, it follows Dark Souls closely, almost like a carbon copy. After the mandatory character creation where you select an appearance and a class, you are tasked with defending a princess traveling towards a nearby realm by ship to marry a noble and forge an alliance. The ship is attacked by an eldritch horror almost impossible to beat, and your character is shipwrecked on a strange island. From now on, the story is told through short dialogues and environmental storytelling, while your character travels into dark and gloomy environments. The game delivers its narrative exactly like Dark Souls, so it is very difficult to grasp all the information hidden in descriptions and environmental details. I know that this approach leaves a magic aura of mystery and awe, but I would rather have known all the details behind the bosses and the environments without resorting to external sources. This is mostly a personal preference though; probably a lot of people are very happy with this stylistic choice.
Talking about the artistic design, I don't like the way human characters look in this game. They are overly stylized and clash with the rest of the game elements. On the other hand, the enemies and the environments are really well-drawn and inspired. In my opinion, the game is much more gritty than Dark Souls (1), with hanged people in a lot of areas and gory monster designs. The armor and the weapons are also very inspired, and it is always fun to find new sets. The music is great and not very invasive, even if there are only a few tracks in the game.
GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The gameplay is just 2D Dark Souls; there's not a lot to say about the gameplay. Bonfires, limited healing, covenants, statistics, weapon scaling, encumberance, miracles, magic. The game differentiates in some minor aspects, but the feeling to play a clone is strong and constant. The basic gameplay formula works though, so I can't complain. You have a nice choice of armors (light and heavy), weapons, shields, and magic powers. Different playstiles would change drastically the feel of the game, so the variety is just on point.
The biggest difference is represented by the advancement of the character. At every level up, you gain a point to spend in an expansive skill tree that grants you both statistic increases and the ability to use stronger weapons and armor effectively. Compared to Dark Souls, it constrains the growth of the character by linking the upgrades to a defined path, so it is more difficult to screw up and create a bad build. I kind of like this approach; it visualizes your progress in a nice way and is well-presented.
SaS is a challenging game, but not too difficult. If you make a good build, the enemies will be a joke, and only some later bosses will require a good knowledge of all the game systems. I would have liked more challenge, but I used a very strong build, so probably the game is more difficult with other weapons. The small platform sections can be brutal though, and in the optional areas, it can become almost frustrating.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
I really liked Dark Souls 1, so I liked also SaS. It clones the formula, introducing an interesting world and some new mechanics. The artistic department is good, and the game plays well with a controller. Playing with a keyboard is doable, but much more difficult. Sadly, this game has some glaring balancing issues. The developers tried to fix them with the enhanced mode, but the problems remained. Heavy armor is almost useless; high-level armor is scarce and almost useless since it weighs too much. Strength-based weapons are satisfying but too powerful, while other weapons feel too weak. With a little more balancing, it could have been a perfect game, but it is also a phenomenal game in this state.
A little final rant on Epic Games. This is the first game that I played fully through the Epic platform, since I obtained it for free. Almost every time I wanted to play, my account was disconnected from the Windows app, and I needed to do the login process from scratch. This is a minor nuisance, but in a world where steam is a well-oiled machine, you don't have much margin for error. Compared to Steam, the experience was awful. I will never buy something from the Epic Store for sure. At least they give away free games, but they are the only thing that compel me to use their horrible launcher.
MY BUILD
If anyone wants to play this game but hasn't any idea on the build to play, I can suggest mine. It is very effective and fun, fitting a new player like me like a glove.
I used Greathammers and Greatswords, fully developing both their upgrade paths. Together, they can cover both slash and strike damage, allowing them to always exploit specific enemy weaknesses. I used mainly greatswords though; they were a little bit stronger, and it was easier to find the material to transmute them into high-level weapons. Both weapons were used always two-handed, so I could stop the Strength development to 35.
I choose to fully develop the Light Armor path instead of the logical Heavy Armor. The game is rather easy, and poising or tanking damage was not very fun, so I switched almost immediately to the Light Armor. Both the weapons of the build are very heavy, so without very light armor, you won't be able to have a usable dodge.
Following these three paths to the end (Sword, Greathammer/Greataxes, and Armor) will leave you with more than 35 Strength, and a decent Willpower and Endurance. To allow fast rolling, you should invest additional level-ups in leveling the Endurance, but adding some points also to Willpower is not a bad idea. You can refund all the Dexterity skills and also some strength nodes to lower your strength to the 35 softcap.
I used the Beggar Light Armor set almost all the game, upgrading it a lot. Towards the end of the game, it allowed me to fast roll with the Greatsword, which is something remarkable. For specific bosses with strong elemental attacks, I used a mismatch of Light Armor to maximize the specific element defense, even if it sacrificed some physical defense. For the transmutation path, I went Kurekimoa -> Jaws of Death -> Scharfrichter for the Greatswords, while for the Greathammers I used the Warhammer -> Obsidian Pillar -> Trinity Scepter. I mainly attached Mossy Charms to both weapons, which were switched to elemental damage charms for some bosses. I used different ring sets depending on the boss.
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CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Professor Layton and the Diabolical box - Nintendo 3DS (DS Mode)
- The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall - PC
I decided that the poor Layton was rotting in my backlog for too long, so I esclusively played that for some time to finish it. I completed the main story, but the game is fun, so probably I will finish almost all the puzzles.
I also made some little progress with Daggerfall. I had some adventures in the Wrothgarian Mountains, and I have found even some pieces of Dwarven equipment. The game is fun for now, but the worst sprawling dungeons are still ahead. Running around in snowclad cities is very atmospheric, and the game has a particular, unique charm.
2 Yrs✓#
f_n_c2 Yrs✓#
UPDATE #10
THE GAME
I think that everyone on this site has at least heard of Layton and its games, so I won't introduce the series as a whole. I played the first game some years ago, and I quite enjoyed it; it was a nice refreshing experience compared to the things that I normally play. I know that is not optimal, but I played it on my phone in short bursts, something that has fragmented a lot of the whole experience. I played this installation of the series on a 3DS, luckily. The experience was similar to the phone though: discontinuous play when I was bored of other games. Even if I wasn't very dedicated to this game, I never lost track of what I had to do—something remarkable sign of a well-developed game.
Let's start with the most critical point of the game: the story. It starts as a nice murder mystery and has some sections aboard a train to finally land in the mysterious town of Foolsense. The town nails the atmosphere perfectly, and its inhabitants are well characterized, being similar to the first game but with a nice twist that keeps the situation engaging. Sadly, the game crashes incredibly in its ending. It is moving and heartfelt, but the final twist was utterly nonsensical, even for the Layton standads. The ending leaves a bad aftertaste and has partly ruined my personal enjoyment of the plot. Luckily, the art style is amazing, like the first game, and the addition of more animated cutscenes is definitely welcome.
SPOILER OF THE ENDINGS OF THE FIRST TWO LAYTON GAMES
Even the end of the first game was crazy, with the whole town population being very complex animatronics. But even if this twist was overly exaggerated, it didn't destroy totally the continuity of the story. Being Foolsense and its people all in the mind of Layton and the other main characters, all the sections of the game that take place in the city have zero sense.
The puzzles are definitely an improvement compared to the first game. They are very creative and sometimes disguise well what is a simple mathematical problem at its core, with answers that rarely are far-fetched or not logical. The integration of the puzzles with the story is also more organic; the game clearly shows that the developers have made a lot of experience with the first game and improved in almost all fields. This game also adds some long-term puzzles that can be solved only by gaining the right elements by... completing other normal puzzles. This is an incentive to play more simple puzzles outside the main story, and they are mostly interesting and well-developed. My favorite one was the tea-time: Layton gains tea ingredients by solving puzzles, and they can be used together to brew some teas by following the suggestions of the people of Foolsense. The dialogue of this macro puzzle is especially fun, and it is heartwarming to help everyone by just brewing a cup of tea out of nowhere.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Diabolical Box is more advanced mechanically compared with the previous episode, but has a story that doesn't quite feel right. It's not a perfect game and represents two steps forward but one backward compared to the Curious Village, and I feel that the developers will have nailed down the formula with the third game. I suggest everyone give this series a shot; it can be a rather fun diversive compared to other more mainstream types of games.
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I joined the temple of Akatosh and the Knights of the Rose with my Redonarn Dunmer Daggerfall character. I'm trying to roleplay a bit, and I'm having quite some fun. Joining Wayrest was a no-brainer as a Dark Elf, but I'm not fully convinced by my choice. Knowing Helseth and Barenziah from Morrowind, probably I will be backstabbed soon.
I started also Donkey Kong country completely blind. It was on my backlog for quite some time, but I never pulled the trigger. I went in expecting a Mario-like challenge, but it's much more difficult. On the other hand, it looks and sounds incredible for a SNES game, and I'm always eager to play it.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box - DS
SCORE: 8.5/10
THE GAME
I think that everyone on this site has at least heard of Layton and its games, so I won't introduce the series as a whole. I played the first game some years ago, and I quite enjoyed it; it was a nice refreshing experience compared to the things that I normally play. I know that is not optimal, but I played it on my phone in short bursts, something that has fragmented a lot of the whole experience. I played this installation of the series on a 3DS, luckily. The experience was similar to the phone though: discontinuous play when I was bored of other games. Even if I wasn't very dedicated to this game, I never lost track of what I had to do—something remarkable sign of a well-developed game.
Let's start with the most critical point of the game: the story. It starts as a nice murder mystery and has some sections aboard a train to finally land in the mysterious town of Foolsense. The town nails the atmosphere perfectly, and its inhabitants are well characterized, being similar to the first game but with a nice twist that keeps the situation engaging. Sadly, the game crashes incredibly in its ending. It is moving and heartfelt, but the final twist was utterly nonsensical, even for the Layton standads. The ending leaves a bad aftertaste and has partly ruined my personal enjoyment of the plot. Luckily, the art style is amazing, like the first game, and the addition of more animated cutscenes is definitely welcome.
SPOILER OF THE ENDINGS OF THE FIRST TWO LAYTON GAMES
Even the end of the first game was crazy, with the whole town population being very complex animatronics. But even if this twist was overly exaggerated, it didn't destroy totally the continuity of the story. Being Foolsense and its people all in the mind of Layton and the other main characters, all the sections of the game that take place in the city have zero sense.
The puzzles are definitely an improvement compared to the first game. They are very creative and sometimes disguise well what is a simple mathematical problem at its core, with answers that rarely are far-fetched or not logical. The integration of the puzzles with the story is also more organic; the game clearly shows that the developers have made a lot of experience with the first game and improved in almost all fields. This game also adds some long-term puzzles that can be solved only by gaining the right elements by... completing other normal puzzles. This is an incentive to play more simple puzzles outside the main story, and they are mostly interesting and well-developed. My favorite one was the tea-time: Layton gains tea ingredients by solving puzzles, and they can be used together to brew some teas by following the suggestions of the people of Foolsense. The dialogue of this macro puzzle is especially fun, and it is heartwarming to help everyone by just brewing a cup of tea out of nowhere.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Diabolical Box is more advanced mechanically compared with the previous episode, but has a story that doesn't quite feel right. It's not a perfect game and represents two steps forward but one backward compared to the Curious Village, and I feel that the developers will have nailed down the formula with the third game. I suggest everyone give this series a shot; it can be a rather fun diversive compared to other more mainstream types of games.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENTLY PLAYING
- Donkey Kong Country - Emulated
- The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall - PC
I joined the temple of Akatosh and the Knights of the Rose with my Redonarn Dunmer Daggerfall character. I'm trying to roleplay a bit, and I'm having quite some fun. Joining Wayrest was a no-brainer as a Dark Elf, but I'm not fully convinced by my choice. Knowing Helseth and Barenziah from Morrowind, probably I will be backstabbed soon.
I started also Donkey Kong country completely blind. It was on my backlog for quite some time, but I never pulled the trigger. I went in expecting a Mario-like challenge, but it's much more difficult. On the other hand, it looks and sounds incredible for a SNES game, and I'm always eager to play it.