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00:00:00 – 00:22:11
The video provides an in-depth analysis of the Elden Ring DLC "Shadow of the Erdtree," addressing its reception and the thematic emphasis on difficulty. The speaker highlights contrasting reactions between critics and fans, noting the DLC's heightened challenge compared to the main game. They focus on specific bosses such as Divine Beast Dancing Lion, Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, and Promised Consort Radahn, emphasizing strategic gameplay over brute force. The importance of new mechanics like Scadutree Fragments and Deflecting Hardtear in managing difficulty is underscored, arguing against simplifying the game through nerfs. The video also tackles the subjectivity of game difficulty, encouraging patience, adaptation, and appreciation for the broader elements that make Soulsborne games engaging. The speaker concludes with reflections on memorable game moments beyond combat and suggests upcoming content and indie recommendations.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the speaker delves into the Elden Ring DLC, “Shadow of the Erdtree,” noting the surprising reactions from the gaming community. Despite high praise from major review outlets, with some exceptions, fan reviews on platforms like Steam have criticized the DLC for its challenging difficulty, indicating potential issues with game design and balancing. The speaker highlights the contrast between the relatively accessible nature of the base game and the heightened difficulty of the DLC, suggesting that the latter’s challenge represents an intentional step-up. The speaker also touches on performance issues and reused content as additional points of contention but focuses primarily on the difficulty angle. Additionally, they discuss the widespread popularity of Elden Ring compared to previous Soulsborne titles, attributing this success to its diverse player base and accessible game mechanics.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the challenging content of the “Shadow of the Erdtree” DLC for Elden Ring. They highlight the initial difficulty by mentioning two tough bosses: Divine Beast Dancing Lion and Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, which introduce longer attack strings and delayed swings to punish reckless actions. The speaker emphasizes that brute force is not a viable strategy, urging players to adopt more cautious and thoughtful approaches. They share their personal experience of avoiding spirit summons and experimenting with various weapons and builds to tackle the difficult encounters. The segment praises the DLC’s design, highlighting features like the Deflecting Hardtear, which allows perfect guarding, and the overall immersive and challenging experience that encourages players to learn and master the fights rather than relying on brute strength.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker addresses common criticisms of a game’s DLC, specifically that it is either too boring or punishing due to boss attack patterns. The speaker refutes these claims by sharing their own experiences with various bosses, indicating that using new tools and adapting strategies made combat engaging and memorable. For instance, they describe using Backhand Blades to fight the Dancing Lion and Rellana, positioning strategies against Romina, equipping a flame protection talisman for Messmer, and discovering a technique for guard counters against the final boss. The speaker emphasizes that FromSoft, the game developer, continually evolves by adding boss complexity and player options. They argue that while the defensive play may not appeal to everyone, it isn’t indicative of poor game design. The speaker concludes by discussing the distinction between personal dissatisfaction with a game and genuine design flaws, noting that knee-jerk reactions often cloud this differentiation.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses their stance on game difficulty and design, using examples from various games. They express regret over the nerfing of challenging bosses like Balteus in Armored Core 6 and emphasize the importance of tailored difficulty in fighting games. They reference a tweet by Jackson to highlight the cyclical nature of frustration and appreciation in games like Elden Ring and its DLC.
The segment then focuses on gameplay mechanics in the Elden Ring DLC, “Shadow of the Erdtree,” explaining that the new leveling system, Scadutree Fragments, is essential for managing the DLC’s difficulty. The speaker points out that many players misunderstand this system, leading to mixed reviews. They compare the DLC’s tough bosses, which act as soft barriers, to challenging early-game bosses in the main game, such as Margit and Radahn. The speaker explains that leveling up Scadutree Blessings can greatly enhance damage output and damage negation, making it easier to progress without diminishing the game’s challenge, while still allowing players to explore and collect upgrades.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses criticisms of a DLC, suggesting that simply blaming poor balancing is not constructive. Instead, they propose that the importance of Scadutree Blessings should be better communicated to players, possibly through tutorials or explicit descriptions. They argue against global nerfs, believing it would undermine the challenge presented by the game. The speaker also recommends making Larval Tears more accessible and integrating the Deflecting Hardtear as a core mechanic. They emphasize the need to appreciate games like Elden Ring at their own level of challenge and design, rather than expecting them to mirror previous titles like Dark Souls. The overall message is a call for patience and understanding of the game’s intent, rather than rushing to complete it or expecting it to conform to past experiences.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the mindset required to enjoy challenging video games, emphasizing patience and a focus on learning and improvement. They highlight the frustration that can arise from trying to rush through games to boast about completion or avoid spoilers, particularly noting how streamers’ experiences can be distorted by the pressure to perform for an audience. The speaker also addresses the tendency among players to view changing tactics or build as “admitting defeat,” despite the game encouraging such strategies. Finally, the discussion shifts to the final boss of Elden Ring’s DLC, Promised Consort Radahn, described as the hardest fight FromSoft has ever developed. The speaker recounts their personal experience of mastering this challenging boss without spirit summons, detailing the precise timing and strategy required to succeed after numerous attempts.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, the speaker recounts a near-successful attempt at a boss fight where carelessness led to their defeat. They discuss the challenge posed by the second phase of the fight, suggesting it could be slightly nerfed while maintaining its difficulty. The speaker highlights the subjectivity of difficulty and fun, noting that game difficulty is a personal experience and criticizing the negative and often toxic online discourse surrounding games like Elden Ring. They argue for more empathy in discussions and emphasize the importance of the discovery aspect in games, which is often overshadowed by a focus on difficulty and combat. The segment concludes with a nod to indie game content and urges viewers to appreciate the broader elements contributing to a game’s appeal.
00:21:00
In this part of the video, the speaker describes various challenging and memorable aspects of a game, such as navigating the Siofra River and tackling Hero’s Graves filled with perilous spike wheel machines. They mention deciphering cryptic NPC lines and completing their quests, and enjoying scenic views of overgrown ruins, blue coastlines, and flowery meadows. Additionally, the exploration of the Abyssal Forest where summoning Torrent is not possible due to fear is highlighted. The speaker reflects on how Soulsborne games are cherished for more than just their difficulty. Finally, they express hopes that forthcoming content, like Shadow of the Erdtree, will be appreciated for its improvements and awe-inspiring moments, beyond just the difficult sections. The video concludes with a mention of upcoming indie recommendations and a nod to a particularly challenging pixel art platformer about anxiety.