This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:11:31
The video discusses the intimidating nature of Souls and Souls-like games, particularly focusing on "Elden Ring," a 2022 release from FromSoftware. Initially hesitant due to the steep learning curves, lack of difficulty options, and high potential for frustration, the speaker's perspective shifted after needing to cover "Elden Ring" for GameSpot. Following streamer Andy Cortez's advice to "be patient, Pete," the speaker learned to embrace patience and strategic observation, likening combat to a conversation that requires attentive listening and waiting for the right moment to strike.
The speaker also highlights the transition from modern games with infinite health pools to games where potions and pickups are crucial, emphasizing the importance of observing enemies' patterns. Initial fears about getting stuck and wasting money on difficult challenges in Souls games are alleviated by "Elden Ring's" open-world design, which allows players to navigate around tougher enemies and explore other areas to gather experience and support items like spirit ashes.
The video draws comparisons to "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" and its sequel "Survivor," noting their flexible difficulty options as a gentler introduction to the genre. The speaker also suggests games with adjustable difficulties like "Stellar Blade" and "Another Crab’s Treasure." Furthermore, they recommend playing challenging games in calming environments to manage stress and advocating for taking breaks and embracing failure. Finally, the speaker encourages viewers to explore GameSpot's extensive "Elden Ring" content, including videos on the game and its DLC, "Shadow of the Erdtree."
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the intimidating nature of Souls and Souls-like games, highlighting their steep learning curves, lack of difficulty options, and high potential for frustration. Despite these challenges, the speaker’s perspective shifted upon playing “Elden Ring,” a 2022 game from FromSoftware. Initially hesitant, the speaker had planned to experience the game secondhand through a favorite streamer, Andy Cortez. However, a change in circumstances required direct involvement in coverage for GameSpot, prompting the speaker to adopt Cortez’s advice to “be patient, Pete.” This focus on patience became crucial for overcoming fears and improving at Elden Ring, echoing a broader message about adapting expectations from modern games with regenerating health to the older, more punishing styles embodied by Souls games.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses how transitioning from modern games with infinite health pools and convenient checkpoints back to potions and pickups can initially feel like a hassle. They highlight the importance of patience in “Elden Ring,” advocating for a strategy of keeping out of enemies’ reach, waiting for the right moment to strike, and avoiding the urge to button mash. The speaker emphasizes observing enemies’ repetitive patterns and treating combat like a conversation, where listening and waiting for a natural pause before attacking are crucial. They share that this methodical approach, inspired by their experiences in music production and observing action patterns in games like “Death’s Door,” fundamentally changed their gaming style. They encourage viewers to feel more confident in playing “Elden Ring” by applying these patience and observation techniques.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker addresses initial fears about playing Souls games, specifically the worry of wasting money by getting stuck early on. They explain how Elden Ring alleviates these fears through its open-world design, allowing players to avoid difficult challenges and explore other areas instead. The game is filled with numerous activities, making it possible to skip hard enemies and return after gaining more experience. This segment emphasizes using the open world to overlevel your character, exploring thoroughly, and employing various in-game supports like spirit ashes and co-op sessions with friends. The speaker also makes a humorous reference to a popular spirit summon named Jeffrey the Jelly. Lastly, they suggest playing other games with similar combat systems if Elden Ring still feels too intimidating.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the varying difficulty levels in “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” and its follow-up “Survivor,” noting that these games offer flexible challenge options unlike typical Souls-like games. This flexibility provides a low-stakes introduction to the genre. The speaker also suggests trying other games with adjustable difficulties, like “Stellar Blade” and “Another Crab’s Treasure,” for a similar experience. Additionally, the speaker recommends playing challenging games like “Elden Ring” in calming environments to manage stress. They emphasize it’s okay to fail and take breaks, sharing their own joy in playing despite not having finished “Elden Ring”. Lastly, they mention that Gamespot offers numerous videos on “Elden Ring” and its DLC, “Shadow of the Erdtree”.