What Are You Currently Playing? 6.65: Neighbor of the Beast

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Its funny that you mentioned Kingdom Hearts, because for a big portion of this year, I was consistently playing KH and some of the other games in the franchise.

First off, I did play the game as a kid, so there is some nostalgia there.

But, playing it this year was fantastic. It was a lot of fun and I loved almost everything about it. It was everything I wanted out of a video game. Although I do agree with the post above that KHII is better, but I don't find the first KH to be bad at all.

And there's nothing wrong with that. I hope my post didn't come off as an attack on you or anything, because I just happened to mention Kingdom Hearts as an example by chance. I didn't actually know that you were a fan. I might have been a little less harsh if I did since I'm one of those people who doesn't like to offend others, even if I'm being a little less honest about my opinion.

So, I guess I gravitate more towards KH and things like it than something like Nioh. That being said, I want to play Nioh and continue on, but I feel like I'm stuck and it just seems way too early for that to happen, which has me concerned that its just gonna keep happening even if I am able to continue on.

I also feel that, in retrospect, my first response shouldn't have been about why Nioh appeals to me so much (as I've already gone on at length about that), but to inquire how exactly you were playing it. Now, it's entirely possible that this really just isn't your type of game, and if so, then that's fine. However if you are genuinely interested in getting better at the game in order to have more fun with the experience, I'm definitely willing to help out with any kind of tips or advice in any way that I can. It's perfectly normal and reasonable to have trouble with the early game, especially if you haven't played a lot of games like this one since it doesn't go out of its way to explain its core mechanics or strategies, but once you grasp those, you'll find that it's not nearly as hard as you initially found it to be.

Just out of curiosity, could you answer a few questions for me:

What is your weapon of preference so far? (Depending on which weapons you typically use, strategies may differ)

How do you approach fights in general? Do you typically just rush in or do you survey the surrounding environment and try to lure enemies into an area that is more advantageous to you? (Don't forget that you have the stones, and their sole purpose is to make enemies come to you, which is especially useful to for breaking away an enemy from a large group and taking out enemies piece by piece that way).

How are you managing your stamina? Do you regularly use Ki-pulses to recover stamina faster? Are you monitoring the stamina of your enemies? (Stamina management is incredibly important in this game, as is getting your enemies to deplete their stamina as well, as it can really trivialize some normally tough encounters; sometimes it's actually better to let enemies attack and evade away until their stamina is low, then when you strike them it will leave them temporarily stunned allowing you to score an easy execution move on them).

These three questions are just regarding the basics of combat, but once you have those down a lot of the early sections will be a lot easier to deal with.

[Dreamer2]

And there's nothing wrong with that. I hope my post didn't come off as an attack on you or anything, because I just happened to mention Kingdom Hearts as an example by chance. I didn't actually know that you were a fan. I might have been a little less harsh if I did since I'm one of those people who doesn't like to offend others, even if I'm being a little less honest about my opinion.

Oh no, it's all good, I didn't take it as an attack or anything like that. And I can completely understand why someone wouldn't enjoy KH all that much. Hopefully you'll enjoy 2 or any of the other games in the collection if you play them. I'd be interested in your opinion on Chain of Memories if you choose to play it. The combat system in that one was a surprise because of how they did it.

Just out of curiosity, could you answer a few questions for me:

What is your weapon of preference so far? (Depending on which weapons you typically use, strategies may differ)

I was using the Sochu-Den Dual Uchigatana, but I've kind of switched to the Black Steel Axe right now. I'm assuming the change to attack grades are important, I'm just not sure what they mean. It might be something really simple to understand, but I'm just not sure.

How do you approach fights in general? Do you typically just rush in or do you survey the surrounding environment and try to lure enemies into an area that is more advantageous to you? (Don't forget that you have the stones, and their sole purpose is to make enemies come to you, which is especially useful to for breaking away an enemy from a large group and taking out enemies piece by piece that way).

At first I was just rushing in, but I learned that was a horrible idea. I now try to be cautious and patient and I'm doing pretty well in one on one fights, but if there's two or more it becomes a problem. The stones are great, but sometimes a random guy pops out that I didn't see and I become overwhelmed.

How are you managing your stamina? Do you regularly use Ki-pulses to recover stamina faster? Are you monitoring the stamina of your enemies? (Stamina management is incredibly important in this game, as is getting your enemies to deplete their stamina as well, as it can really trivialize some normally tough encounters; sometimes it's actually better to let enemies attack and evade away until their stamina is low, then when you strike them it will leave them temporarily stunned allowing you to score an easy execution move on them).

These three questions are just regarding the basics of combat, but once you have those down a lot of the early sections will be a lot easier to deal with.

Once again at first I wasn't, but then I started noticing I couldn't do anything because I had drained my stamina. But, now I'm trying to use the Ki-pulses but sometimes I just forget. I'm getting better at it though.

I think my biggest problem is I can't seem to handle more than one enemy at a time. I feel like I'm a little better than I was a couple of days ago, but its still a struggle.

But, I really do want to play it, because I feel like there's a game I can really enjoy in here somewhere, but every time I get close to that point I die.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Another thought just occurred to me. If you tell me the specific mission and area that you're stuck on, I can give you more specific and helpful advice on how to overcome it.

Oh no, it's all good, I didn't take it as an attack or anything like that. And I can completely understand why someone wouldn't enjoy KH all that much. Hopefully you'll enjoy 2 or any of the other games in the collection if you play them. I'd be interested in your opinion on Chain of Memories if you choose to play it. The combat system in that one was a surprise because of how they did it.

I am genuinely looking forward to KHII, if only because quite a few people that I trust seem to have a better opinion of it than the first game in terms of its gameplay mechanics. Story is another matter entirely as I've seen very mixed opinions on that aspect of it, but if the gameplay is fun then I honestly don't really need much of a story to give me the incentive to keep playing.

I was using the Sochu-Den Dual Uchigatana, but I've kind of switched to the Black Steel Axe right now. I'm assuming the change to attack grades are important, I'm just not sure what they mean. It might be something really simple to understand, but I'm just not sure.

So with the dual swords (regardless of which specific ones you are using, as they all have the same move-set) are an interesting weapon in that they are relatively weak when it comes to normal attacks but have some incredibly powerful uses when you unlock some of their better moves. Now, early on in the game you probably won't have any of those useful attacks unlocked, so if you do ever use them with just their base skills, I recommend keeping them in high stance as even then they are still faster than most other weapons at mid-stance and do some decent damage that way. Also, with either the dual swords or single katana, Sign of the Cross is an excellent early move to unlock as it is incredibly powerful (especially in the early game) and does a ton of damage. Also, I'm not sure how far you are yet, but if you have already started fighting Oni, particularly the big horned guys, you definitely want to be in high stance as overhead attacks have a high chance of damaging their horns which does critical damage, completely depletes their Ki, and scores you a free knockdown which will allow you to perform an execution move on them, which even if it doesn't kill them does massive damage.

I'll be honest, out of all of the weapons in the game I have used the Axe the least, so I don't have the best tips to give you on how to use it, but generally since it's a slower and more powerful weapon, I'd advise you to use good spacing with it as you need to have a good distance on an enemy in order for your attack to land before their's does. Alternatively, if you are confident in your dodging ability you can wait for an enemy to attack, dodge at the last second, and then attack with your axe when they are completely vulnerable. With the axe, mid-stance would probably be your best bet for most normal encounters, though as I've said, I haven't gotten much use out of the axe since I'm not really one for slow weapons, even if they do a lot more damage.

For the record, I used the katana and kusari-gama the most when I was initially playing. The katana is pretty well-balanced but doesn't have as many really advantageous moves as the dual swords, whereas the kusari-gama has a move that you can unlock early on which allows you to pull enemies toward you from a distance while also temporarily stunning them and allowing you to combo them. Doing this in high-stance can be very powerful and easy to abuse, so I would also recommend trying that out on the human enemies if they are giving you any difficulty.

At first I was just rushing in, but I learned that was a horrible idea. I now try to be cautious and patient and I'm doing pretty well in one on one fights, but if there's two or more it becomes a problem. The stones are great, but sometimes a random guy pops out that I didn't see and I become overwhelmed.

Being weary of your surroundings is one of the biggest aspects of playing this game. While it does have surprises for you, once you learn from being tricked one or two times, the game doesn't really throw many curve-balls your way, so you will gradually learn to spot traps and ambushes over time well before you engage in them. A good strategy other than the stones is to use your bow or gun from a distance and headshot enemies from a distance. Say there are two guys standing in a group, you can instantly kill one of them with a headshot, leaving only one guy to rush you and get his ass kicked, though bare in mind that enemies with helmets cannot be headshot with one blow and the first hit only knocks off their helmet. Incidentally, if you alert too many enemies at once, you can always run away to a clear area and they will stop following you after a certain point and reset to their original positions. It's very useful if you find yourself in an ambush and need to retreat in order to come back and gain a better position in the fight. In general, this game puts equal emphasis on strategically using your head in how to approach combat scenarios as it does on the actual combat itself.

Once again at first I wasn't, but then I started noticing I couldn't do anything because I had drained my stamina. But, now I'm trying to use the Ki-pulses but sometimes I just forget. I'm getting better at it though.

Alright, word of advice, if you have any Samurai Skill points that you haven't used, absolutely make sure to get the upgrade abilities that allow you to Ki-pulse by dodging for each stance. Absolutely essential skills that, quite frankly, I believe should have been there from the beginning. The timing is the same as with a normal Ki-pulse, but the difference is that instead of pressing R1 you can press X to dodge at the same time as you would Ki-pulse, and not only will that dodge not drain any of your Ki, but it will also double as a Ki-pulse in and of itself and regain your stamina faster. It takes a bit of practice but makes stamina management so much easier once you get the hang of it (and it's really not as hard as you think to get the timing down). Each of them cost 1 Samurai Skill point and they apply to any weapon. Highly recommended.

I think my biggest problem is I can't seem to handle more than one enemy at a time. I feel like I'm a little better than I was a couple of days ago, but its still a struggle.

You can definitely find a way to boil down multiple fights to one on one affairs. It takes a little bit of strategic thinking and careful planning, as well as a knowledge of how to use your surrounding environment to your advantage, but it's definitely doable. That's how I got past most of the early game before I got better at taking on multiple enemies. If you do find yourself facing up against multiple enemies that you can't figure out how to separate, you can always bust out your Living Weapon power-up to clear those areas specifically before moving onto the next one in which you may be able to split up enemies. Conversely, you could also skip fights entirely by running past enemies, but I don't really recommend that because if you keep doing that for the entire game then you'll never get the Amrita needed to level up, and you won't get the loot drops that give you better gear to work with.

As I once said in a previous post, a big part of the appeal of games like this to me is learning how to easily handle situations that at one time seemed impossible to you. I think it feels really good to get better at a game like this and then take care of most situations like they are no big deal. And it also does get a bit easier when you learn more useful magic spells like Sloth (which temporarily de-buffs the speed of enemies and slows them to a crawl) or gain access to the Guardian Spirit or Moment talisman and find different spells that you can use depending on which specific Guardian Spirit you have equipped (there are a total of 22 that you can collect in the main game and several more included in the DLC). However early on in the game your options are more limited because the game wants you to get down the fundamentals first.

Also, pro-tip: Your stance will affect your dodging. If you are in high stance, your dodge takes the form of a roll that is slower and has less i-frames. In mid-stance you can dash once but then your second subsequent dodge will be a slow roll like in high-stance, and in low-stance you can do a quick dash at any time that takes up far less stamina than in mid or high-stance. In other words, you can attack in mid or high stance and then switch to low stance quickly just to dodge away before the enemy retaliates, and then switch again to mid or high-stance when you're ready to attack.

But, I really do want to play it, because I feel like there's a game I can really enjoy in here somewhere, but every time I get close to that point I die.

Well, so long as you are willing to try I am happy to help out in any way that I can. I really do feel that once you get to the point where combat clicks for you, than Nioh is arguably one of the most entertaining games of the year. If for some reason you don't get to that point and quit before you really learn the mechanics of the game, then at least you gave it a sufficient try, so that's fine too.

[Mustang]

I can certainly understand that viewpoint, but Nioh is definitely not a game that's for everyone. What this game specializes in is its mechanical depth and nuance combined with giving the player a wide array of options from its varied move-sets, stat bonuses for weapons and armor (which can be tweaked to a pretty insane degree with the Blacksmith system), leveling system, items, Ninjutsu, and magic. The game is specifically meant to punish button-mashing and mindless play, whereas it rewards ingenuity, skillful use of the stance system and Ki-pulsing against enemies, and in general has a great flow and rhythm to combat which feels amazing when all of the individual pieces click together. The catch is that it actually requires the player to learn the system via experimentation of its mechanics. It doesn't just get by with a few gimmicks that are handed to the player in a contrived tutorial and then send them on their merry way for a straightforward adventure with little real resistance. Learning to get better at the game is the whole point of what makes it (and other games like it) so good.

I do seem to recall making the comparison of this and Souls to a fighting game and this pretty much nailed it. Considering that I'm currently playing (and having a blast) Tekken 7 I might have to give this a shot. Whatever this Blacksmith system is has gotten me interested (despite hating stamina)

As stated, I'm having a blast just learning how to actually play Tekken 7. That joy / hype that I once had when the game was first announced to the joy I once had back in my younger days of playing Tekken 3 has been rekindled. Kazuya hit hard as hell and it feels very satisfying. Jin is probably the most stylish character in the game (aesthetically). Hwoarang and Steve has swag for days. Trying to choose who the main will be has been hard, but I think I've settled on Kazuya. The hard and satisfying hits won me over (Heihachi and Devil Jin apparently are better characters, but whatever)

I'm aware of CherryBerryMango, Aris, King Jae, Level Up Your Game, and TheMainManSWE when it comes to streamers, but in terms of learning my characters I'm only aware of TheMainManSWE and CherryBerryMango for Mishima's but when it comes to Steve and Hwoarang I cannot find anyone.

[Dreamer2]

Thanks for all the great advice Ensatsu! I'll definitely come to you if I have any questions.

As for where I am, this is gonna make me sound terrible, but I guess to be fair I am pretty bad right now, but I'm on mission level 5, investigating the fishing village. So yeah super early. I was just dying so much, but I finally felt like I accomplished something. I got the key to residence and opened those doors. I was pretty excited about the whole thing. Kind of a silly thing to get excited about, but I don't care.

I'm getting better at the combat system and the Ki pulses, so things are progressing a little. I still die a bunch, but sometimes now it's just because of my own mistakes or me not healing myself, so an attack that probably wouldn't have killed me normally does.

One thing I'm trying to work on is giving myself room in some of these fights. There's this one big yokai that rushes at me and I try to back up and give myself room, but I run into a wall or something and before I know it he's already killed me. But, that's a general video game thing and less specific to Nioh.

Also, I've been using the axe and it's been working pretty well. I actually mostly use it in high stance and it seems to do a lot of damage. I'll probably try some of the other weapons I have soon.

[gunswordfist]

I am at the last boss in Odallus. Definitely my favorite non-Metroid or Castlevania Metroidvania.
I'm happy that I didn't listen to Spark and bought something else for my Xbox 360 besides Double Dragon Neon..because now I have it on my PC and it's great! I beat the first 3 levels this morning (the demo levels, ironically) and it is so much more fun. The enemies no sell getting attacked a lot less.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Double Dragon Neon is a gem. It's a ton of fun to just pick up and play. That soundtrack is incredible, too.

[gunswordfist]

Yes that soundtrack is.

[Foggle]

I am at the last boss in Odallus. Definitely my favorite non-Metroid or Castlevania Metroidvania.

Glad you're liking it! The final boss pissed me off a bit but I thought it was a really fantastic game. Love that they used a Twin Peaks reference as a hint for one of the puzzles.

[gunswordfist]

Heh, I didn't even know you played it. I'll probably end up beating it tomorrow (and apparently I need to watch Twin Peaks since everyone keeps talking about it)

[Dreamer2]

I continued my Nioh run. I hadn't played since Saturday and I actually accomplished stuff!

I beat the isle of demons mission and beat the first sub mission. I was pretty excited. I'm getting better at the combat system and even though I still die a bunch, I'm actually having fun, and that's what's important.

I thought about trying a twilight mission, but I decided against it. I'm pretty sure I would just get frustrated very quickly.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Well, sorry I took so long to respond to you. I have been a bit busy lately.

Thanks for all the great advice Ensatsu! I'll definitely come to you if I have any questions.

As for where I am, this is gonna make me sound terrible, but I guess to be fair I am pretty bad right now, but I'm on mission level 5, investigating the fishing village. So yeah super early. I was just dying so much, but I finally felt like I accomplished something. I got the key to residence and opened those doors. I was pretty excited about the whole thing. Kind of a silly thing to get excited about, but I don't care.

No problem, I'm glad to help anytime! And there's nothing to be ashamed about. Everyone has different skill levels with different kinds of games. For example, I absolutely suck at stealth games. I can't beat games like Splinter Cell or Hitman to save my life, even on the easier difficulty settings, and even games like Metal Gear Solid, which on its default difficulty is generally considered to be fairly easy compared to the previously mentioned games, give me quite a challenge on Normal. Nioh's gameplay is essentially an amalgamation of action RPGs like Dark Souls and Bloodborne combined with the combat sensibilities of character action games like Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry. If you aren't too experienced with both or even one of those types of games, it may be a bit harder to get into Nioh until you can really get a feeling for it and start to nail down a certain rhythm to combat and general movement. On top of that, it's a very complex game in a number of other ways, from the way stats work to how to properly scale your character build based on your specific play-style. This game definitely has a steep learning curve.

I'm getting better at the combat system and the Ki pulses, so things are progressing a little. I still die a bunch, but sometimes now it's just because of my own mistakes or me not healing myself, so an attack that probably wouldn't have killed me normally does.

One thing I'm trying to work on is giving myself room in some of these fights. There's this one big yokai that rushes at me and I try to back up and give myself room, but I run into a wall or something and before I know it he's already killed me. But, that's a general video game thing and less specific to Nioh.

That sounds about right. Keep in mind that a good rule of thumb with these sorts of games is that proper spacing goes a long way. Using a weapon with decent range allows you to attack from enough of a distance where you can more easily react to enemy attacks and either block or evade them while also being relatively safe from more devastating attacks like grabs (some of which can potentially one shot you depending on your current level).

Also keep in mind though that more advanced combats like i-frames, while taking some practice to get used to, are very essential to getting better at playing an action game of this nature. Essentially you get i-frames from certain animations, most notably from dodging, but only during certain frames of that animation. It's just something that you have to get a feel for, but essentially dashing through an attack can get you around an enemy and ready to attack without you taking damage. It's a concept that can be somewhat hard to grasp at first since most people's gut reaction in a video game is to dodge away from something. However Japanese games in particular tend to put a lot of emphasis on dodging "into" attacks, in the sense that correctly timing a proper evasive maneuver will have your character phase through the attack as if it was a successful dodge (even if it technically connects with your character during those frames of animation that they are invincible), while also leaving your opponent open to a devastating close-range during their recovery animation.

Also, I've been using the axe and it's been working pretty well. I actually mostly use it in high stance and it seems to do a lot of damage. I'll probably try some of the other weapons I have soon.

As I've mentioned before, high stance is great for damage, but make sure to switch to either mid or low stance for evading. Not only does evading in high stance take up more stamina/Ki, but it also defaults to a slow roll animation, which has less i-frames and is easier for you to get caught in an attack with. Doing a dash (which can only be done in either mid or high-stance) takes of less stamina/Ki and on top of being faster as an animation typically has more i-frames to work with. You'll much more successfully be able to dodge most attacks that way, and on top of that you can easily switch back to high stance when you're ready to attack.

I beat the isle of demons mission and beat the first sub mission. I was pretty excited. I'm getting better at the combat system and even though I still die a bunch, I'm actually having fun, and that's what's important.

Good job on that! Also, be sure to keep checking the dojo to see if you've unlocked new missions. If you have, absolutely go and complete those ASAP. They will unlock more upgrades in your skill tree for you to buy, and some of those can be incredibly useful for later, tougher fights in the game. In particular I encourage experimenting with the Onmyo mage skills, some of which can have incredibly good uses when properly applied to specific combat scenarios. For example, Sloth is a really good one, if a bit overpowered. While I wouldn't encourage overusing it as it can rob a lot of challenge out of the game if overly exploited, it is a good tool to study enemy attack patterns by temporarily slowing enemies down and getting a better idea of how they move and attack, and how best to evade and counter them.

I thought about trying a twilight mission, but I decided against it. I'm pretty sure I would just get frustrated very quickly.

Yeah, I wouldn't really recommend those except for maybe the really low level ones if you're just interested in getting the trophy (which you only need to complete one twilight mission to receive). They are merely just the levels that you've already played, except with a lot of bull-shit thrown into them to make them more challenging in a really tedious kind of way. I'm personally not a fan of those.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I finally went back into playing Kingdom Hearts and Bloodborne after having taken a break from both for over a month.

I just cleared Neverland in Kingdom Hearts. A friend of mine told me that I'm currently about 75% done with the main story-line stuff if that's where I'm at, so I should be nearing the final portions of the game. I really hope that's true because I honestly just want to get this game over with so that I can move onto the better stuff in the collection. Playing this kind of reminds me of how I felt playing through Devil May Cry 2 when I had the DMC HD Collection. The completionist in me would refuse to move on without playing all of the games in chronological order, yet all of my better senses told me to just quit it and move on. Despite being arguably the most boring experience in gaming that I've ever partaken in, I still stuck through the whole thing. To be fair, Kingdom Hearts isn't nearly as bad as games like Devil May Cry 2 or Ninja Gaiden 3, so if I could make it through those dung-heaps, I can make it through this, but it really does feel like a chore to play and I'm really hoping that the second game has a substantial improvement over this one's combat system.

As for Bloodborne, taking a break from a game like this is a bit more problematic because when you get rusty, you can really feel it by making constant sloppy mistakes that you otherwise wouldn't when you're back in the zone. Despite this I managed to beat Vicar Amelia on my second try, albeit....sort of by accident. You see, I accidentally ended up summoning a fellow Hunter to help me (one of the in-game NPCs, since I was playing offline), and I didn't realize until later how to send them away. I figured that I could just lose her but she ended up warping straight to my location once I entered the boss room, and then ended up being way more useful in the fight than I had counted on, and I was able to take out Vicar Amelia with ease. Unfortunately, what's done is done and I can't redo that boss fight without restarting the whole game, and while I may very well end up replaying this game in the future, it does bother me that I ended up cheesing my way through a boss fight, even if it was unintentional. Still, the fight itself didn't look too different from the Blood Starved Beast or Cleric Beat boss fights, so I am confident that in a few normal tries I would have bee able to get her pattern down and take her out myself without too much hassle, since despite having a lot of range and distance on her attacks, they were pretty slow and well telegraphed so as to be easily avoidable so long as I didn't get overzealous with my attacks.

[Nel_Annette]

I think Neverland's the last Disney world there is in the first game, so besides one more Disney character showing up you pretty much are at the part where the story goes into full overdrive. Two worlds left and you're on to greener pastures (unless you're doing Chain of Memories before KH2, in which case, enjoy that slog). But once you get to 2, the combat really does get much, much better (as does that damn camera).

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The completionist in me kind of has to go through the games in chronological order of release. So I think that I'll have to at least try Chain of Memories, though if it's yet another boring slog then I may finally just say fuck it and move onto KH2 just for the sake of getting to something that's more fun for me.