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[GymWolf]

Does anyone knows what's up with damage in the game ?
If i put lethal aggression for enemies but gives them only medium damage dealt they still kill you in two or three blows max... It is the same damage output than lethal in tsushima, which makes me think their custom difficulty settings are bugged.

I heard people playing on normal dying very quickly, i guess the begin of the game is rough in all modes except easy.

 

[Slothbeingg]

Kitsune area got me back into the game. I've cleared every area up to this and I was going to skip content here and just focus on specific stuff but man this area does some good changes to want to clear it all up too.

This game needed a transmog system baaaad. Like when the fuck am I going go use the ninja armor? It's dog shit stat wise but looks so cool.

I equipped ninja armor with "throw 5 kunai at once" charm and "kunai has fire damage" charm.
But yes this game need transmog system. I hate that ugly Undying armor.

 

[Minari]

How do you disarm him if he never does a yellow attack?

Can you start a yellow attack by yourself? I saw something in the skill tree but i haven't looked into this whole disarm thing too much.

Yeah the katana phase is what fucked me up the most.

Use the l1 + r1 of your katana.its a unlock. 3 spirit cost and i found out that most npcs u can duel have only 1 weapon you can disarm.

 

[Nocty]

when exactly are you supposed to be doing the bounties?

The ones you get access to right at the start of the game absolutely wreck your shit on lethal difficulty, like one mistake and you are instantly dead. Are you meant to wait for some upgrades / stats?

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

lethal difficulty

one mistake and you are instantly dead

I'm terribly sorry, but what did you expect, a walk in the park?

The game is 'harder' than GoT even on normal, because it's pushing you to think what buttons you press and what stances you use.

 

[Minari]

when exactly are you supposed to be doing the bounties?

The ones you get access to right at the start of the game absolutely wreck your shit on lethal difficulty, like one mistake and you are instantly dead. Are you meant to wait for some upgrades / stats?

I think ur supposed to them when you get em honestly just bc they are nowhere near the difficulty of a certain fight on top of mount yotei.

Getting wrecked until you master the fight its what it is. You can get some upgrades for katana and dual katana in the oni area pretty quick and it makes a difference but more important imo is the Bounty Master Armor from the special bounty you can get from the npc in the first area.(I think after doing all the bountys in the area)

It only allows for perfect parry but has a bigger parry window. It has a third bonus i forgot BUT fully upgaded it allows 3 hits after a parry instead just one which is insane imo. I used it for all bountys since except 1. Make a preset around duels too.

Or just lower difficulty

 

[GymWolf]

I think ur supposed to them when you get em honestly just bc they are nowhere near the difficulty of a certain fight on top of mount yotei.

Getting wrecked until you master the fight its what it is. You can get some upgrades for katana and dual katana in the oni area pretty quick and it makes a difference but more important imo is the Bounty Master Armor from the special bounty you can get from the npc in the first area.(I think after doing all the bountys in the area)

It only allows for perfect parry but has a bigger parry window. It has a third bonus i forgot BUT fully upgaded it allows 3 hits after a parry instead just one which is insane imo. I used it for all bountys since except 1. Make a preset around duels too.

Or just lower difficulty

That armour sound a bit too OP

 

[Minari]

That armour sound a bit too OP

I honestly dont know how to beat Takezo without it.it would take soo much longer.

Im on my ps5 now,third bonus is all spirit gains up by MASSIVE amount.

 

[GymWolf]

I honestly dont know how to beat Takezo without it.it would take soo much longer.

Im on my ps5 now,third bonus is all spirit gains up by MASSIVE amount.

Just try dozens of times like i did

 

[Nocty]

I'm terribly sorry, but what did you expect, a walk in the park?

The game is 'harder' than GoT even on normal, because it's pushing you to think what buttons you press and what stances you use.

hahaha alright big balls, I'm just saying, there are fights that are super easy and then this one is astonishingly brutal and its less than 2 minutes walk away from each other.. so was just checking its not like adisable to come back later when you have more health or something.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

hahaha alright big balls, I'm just saying, there are fights that are super easy and then this one is astonishingly brutal and its less than 2 minutes walk away from each other.. so was just checking its not like adisable to come back later when you have more health or something.

They are what they are, tough figths for coin.

I've cleared all bounties, you just need to unlock cicle-triangle strike and dual katanas via the skill tree/plot quest to make your life easier.

 

[STARSBarry]

One thing I was thinking.

You get your old home at the start of the game, which slowly over the course of the game gets repaired (and outside of the first chapter and like 3 side quests the "past" mode is never used)

I feel like they massively missed an opportunity here to actually have Atsu spend money on the repairs and even take it further (like adding a stable for example) I also think she should of had an armor rack and sword racks for all the armor, swords snd other weapons you have unlocked, turn part of the house into an armoury. I also think the 30 trinkets of Ainu should be placed around the grounds in places that contextually makes sense (bar the few you return, although you could get a replacement reward as a thank you thats identical)

It seems minor (and it is) but people love seeing the consequence to your small actions, and seeing the stuff you pick up stored at your base would have been cool, the pictures you paint go on the wall, so why not everything else? I remember when you clear out a fort or homestead, watching civilians or Matsume samurai move in the secure it is a cool little reward. There was one fort on the edge of the sea I remember taking and then feeling unsatisfied because the game just leaves it empty.

I feel the "home" location was underutalised in the game.

 

[Nocty]

So many moments during this (entirely at random I might add) I've just stopped and gawped in awe of the beauty that is on screen.

You can just be wandering around on a late afternoon in some random woodland area and the sunset just comes pouring through the trees, bouncing glorious rays everywhere and the reflections and shadows are just amazing. Or wandering around the edges of a mountain as mist creeps in over the distance.

The artistry on display is 10/10

 

[Karim]

Fucking liars they haven't fixed the walking animations rig. Character still seem Micheal Jackson in Moonwalker.

 

[Trilobit]

Found a hat that completes my look

So this is what Body Type B means?

 

[Bartski]

After finally getting some well-deserved rest,

combat and the new arsenal rock. All new weapons are amazing and have their place, maybe with the Yari being somewhat on the meh side, but I don't even have a favorite. Calling them another take on rock-paper-scissors is so fucking reductive. Some of the animation work in combat is just chef's kiss, feels heavy and brutal and all it's missing is more dismemberment. Throwing katanas to impale enemies feels great, especially if it's one you made them drop. Just like in GoT, upgrading armors changes their look, and they're gorgeous. S-tier in-game fashion, especially those ninja and onrio kits.

I played on "hard" and used stealth sparingly, but when I did, I enjoyed it immensely, especially with the kit that lets you chain-assassinate five enemies from a smoke bomb in the middle of a fight. So good! The wolf is a great addition, especially when you can freely summon it with the shamisen. Both in open combat and stealth - but sadly, it has little narrative significance and no origin story. It's just there.
Other than that, the main plot is simple, mostly predictable yet effective, and just very solid overall - perhaps not at the heights of GoT's finale, but it definitely works.

There's something about the look of the game that tops AC: Shadows for me, and it's not just about fidelity. Vistas are the kind you want to showcase an OLED on. In exploration, it's mostly a minor evolution over GoT, and that's okay. I love how it adds depth and little bits of story to some fox dens or cutting bamboo. Same goes for bounties - your core side activity. They usually have their own story rather than the expected go-to-place-kill-a-dude and blend perfectly into the main quest. Good stuff.

It's hard for me to grade the game, as this feels like a small appetizer before Yotei Legends. Some camps felt like perfect survival arenas, and I can't wait to see how it cranks things up to 11, making use of all the new weapon mechanics and going on raids against demonic versions of the Yotei Six.

At this stage, though, it's the best open-world game SIE has ever released, one of the best games I played this year, and I really feel like it's just the beginning.

9/10

 

[Revolutionary]

So this is what Body Type B means?

Body Type B(utch). Gonna have to wait for the PC version to mod in a more feminine physique, unfortunately.

That said, I'm still pleasantly surprised that Sucker Punch weren't hypocrites when it comes to the hot springs by keeping the ass cheeks AND fundoshi in the game. Even better, the fundoshi is actually somewhat useful in Yotei because it has a very good perk (running is silent), whereas the Tsushima fundoshi didn't have a perk at all. But that didn't stop me from returning to monke in my recent Tsushima replay:

 

[Ramz87]

Stunning looking game, great story too - not been this engrossed in a games' story for a long time.

 

[Topher]

I play so aggressive now compared to Tsushima, I see a camp, no pussy footing around doing stealth kills, I'd rather do 2 or 3 standoffs and slaughter them (standoff, kill 3, finish off the fourth or fifth, pick up dropped weapon, run towards the next pack, throw the weapon to kill the first, jumping kick into the next then take the others out (Takezo Dual Slash makes light work of any stragglers), there is usually another group left so final stand off and kill the rest.

In Tsushima, I'm embarrassed to say this, i'd stealth the camp and if I got caught I would run away like a coward and wait until they stop looking for me before I went back in, shameful behaviour, I had brought dishonour to myself. I have now seen the way of the warrior and honour my foes with a quick death in mortal (K)combat. (plus its way more fun)

You had to become a woman to find your inner man, in other words

 

[Bondo]

One thing I was thinking.

You get your old home at the start of the game, which slowly over the course of the game gets repaired (and outside of the first chapter and like 3 side quests the "past" mode is never used)

I feel like they massively missed an opportunity here to actually have Atsu spend money on the repairs and even take it further (like adding a stable for example) I also think she should of had an armor rack and sword racks for all the armor, swords snd other weapons you have unlocked, turn part of the house into an armoury. I also think the 30 trinkets of Ainu should be placed around the grounds in places that contextually makes sense (bar the few you return, although you could get a replacement reward as a thank you thats identical)

It seems minor (and it is) but people love seeing the consequence to your small actions, and seeing the stuff you pick up stored at your base would have been cool, the pictures you paint go on the wall, so why not everything else? I remember when you clear out a fort or homestead, watching civilians or Matsume samurai move in the secure it is a cool little reward. There was one fort on the edge of the sea I remember taking and then feeling unsatisfied because the game just leaves it empty.

I feel the "home" location was underutalised in the game.

Was thinking the exact same thing when i came up on her old home. I actually expected it to be like AC:Shadows hideout feature.
Def a missed opportunity with rebuilding.

 

[midnightAI]

You had to become a woman to find your inner man, in other words

hmmmm, maybe

 

[KO7]

The combat isn't clicking for me in Yotei. What's different about Tsushima? I seemed to have it down before. Were there more visual cues for parrying? Can't remember.

Same. Thought I was decent in GoT, but I'm having my ass handed to me in Yotei on Normal mode even after acquiring all weapons with decent skill upgrades, and the parrying timing-window charm.

 

[Topher]

Same. Thought I was decent in GoT, but I'm having my ass handed to me in Yotei on Normal mode even after acquiring all weapons with decent skill upgrades, and the parrying timing-window charm.

I'm still early, but I'm getting the hang of it now.

 

[Heaven Angel]

Amazing Amazing game. After playing the awesome Silent Hill f this feels fresh and rejuvenated.

 

[SJRB]

I'm still early, but I'm getting the hang of it now.

Enemies seem more aggressive, will often attack you simultaneously instead of taking turns and have more weapons with more moves making the attack pattern more difficult to predict. There's literally more variables you need to process during combat than in Tsushima but it gets easier once you get used to the attacks and are better able to parry them.

 

[viveks86]

I don't know what to tell you man, I've explored a huge chunk of the first area and the Oni area and I'm now making my way up north and she still calls the horse "boy".

So that's why they have a trophy for it…

 

[Topher]

Enemies seem more aggressive, will often attack you simultaneously instead of taking turns and have more weapons with more moves making the attack pattern more difficult to predict. There's literally more variables you need to process during combat than in Tsushima but it gets easier once you get used to the attacks and are better able to parry them.

Yep. Noticing I have to keep an eye on everyone around me and not just the one I'm currently fighting. I'm also trying to get the hang of the disarm attack. Definitely more complex combat system than before. I like it.

 

[Diseased Yak]

Absolutely loving this game! About 10 hours in. I fought some dual with a guy that you get to through a crack in a mountain side, and he's in this little valley under a tree with blood red leaves, which of course are blowing all over the place as you fight. He switches between katana and kusarigama and proceeded to kill my ass probably 20 times before I beat him. Epic!

- Where does one get the spear that lets you fish? I've found random spears leaning on things at encampments but those just seems to be the one-shot throwing kind.

 

[Gonzito]

Man, the soundtrack is absolutely incredible in this game and when you play those songs with the shamisen is so cool, I had shivers while listening to this one

 

[midnightAI]

Absolutely loving this game! About 10 hours in. I fought some dual with a guy that you get to through a crack in a mountain side, and he's in this little valley under a tree with blood red leaves, which of course are blowing all over the place as you fight. He switches between katana and kusarigama and proceeded to kill my ass probably 20 times before I beat him. Epic!

- Where does one get the spear that lets you fish? I've found random spears leaning on things at encampments but those just seems to be the one-shot throwing kind.

The guy you fought is part of the Takezo questline, which I started by visiting someone on the coast but can be started by visiting any Dueling tree, once you have done that you should see the trees on the map, beat all 5 and then do the fist Takezo boss fight and you will learn the Takezo Dual Slash, which is a really good dual katana move.

The Spear (Yari) is part of the Oni main story area, found by visiting the Ishikari Plains he is Sensei Takahashi, found on the west of the map

 

[saintjules]

Stunning looking game, great story too - not been this engrossed in a games' story for a long time.

And those pictures don't even justify how amazing it looks. On my B3 OLED/Pro it's crazy looking. Reminds me of how Forbidden West looked under the Pro upgrade,

 

[viveks86]

when exactly are you supposed to be doing the bounties?

The ones you get access to right at the start of the game absolutely wreck your shit on lethal difficulty, like one mistake and you are instantly dead. Are you meant to wait for some upgrades / stats?

Once you get roll ability and some resolve to heal, it was doable even with just one weapon. The Smiling Yoshitomo and Three Terrors were pretty easy. The one eyed Moritaka was basically a base camp with a twist. Was not bad.

Genzo, black powder ippei and Junpei the snatcher absolutely need some upgrades. Junpei for sure needs an additional weapon. Got absolutely wrecked like 30 times even with the weapon. Loved the way that bounty was designed! Those are the ones I've tried so far

 

[saintjules]

 

[GymWolf]

After finally getting some well-deserved rest,

combat and the new arsenal rock. All new weapons are amazing and have their place, maybe with the Yari being somewhat on the meh side, but I don't even have a favorite. Calling them another take on rock-paper-scissors is so fucking reductive. Some of the animation work in combat is just chef's kiss, feels heavy and brutal and all it's missing is more dismemberment. Throwing katanas to impale enemies feels great, especially if it's one you made them drop. Just like in GoT, upgrading armors changes their look, and they're gorgeous. S-tier in-game fashion, especially those ninja and onrio kits.

I played on "hard" and used stealth sparingly, but when I did, I enjoyed it immensely, especially with the kit that lets you chain-assassinate five enemies from a smoke bomb in the middle of a fight. So good! The wolf is a great addition, especially when you can freely summon it with the shamisen. Both in open combat and stealth - but sadly, it has little narrative significance and no origin story. It's just there.
Other than that, the main plot is simple, mostly predictable yet effective, and just very solid overall - perhaps not at the heights of GoT's finale, but it definitely works.

There's something about the look of the game that tops AC: Shadows for me, and it's not just about fidelity. Vistas are the kind you want to showcase an OLED on. In exploration, it's mostly a minor evolution over GoT, and that's okay. I love how it adds depth and little bits of story to some fox dens or cutting bamboo. Same goes for bounties - your core side activity. They usually have their own story rather than the expected go-to-place-kill-a-dude and blend perfectly into the main quest. Good stuff.

It's hard for me to grade the game, as this feels like a small appetizer before Yotei Legends. Some camps felt like perfect survival arenas, and I can't wait to see how it cranks things up to 11, making use of all the new weapon mechanics and going on raids against demonic versions of the Yotei Six.

At this stage, though, it's the best open-world game SIE has ever released, one of the best games I played this year, and I really feel like it's just the beginning.

9/10

I mean at the end of the day they are another form of rock paper scissors, i don't know hard, but i can't even imagine playing on lethal, being surrodunded by 15 enemies and having to hit enemies 2-3-4 more times just because i want to use a specific weapon because i would get absolutely brutalized, being lethal with less hit possible is how you handle groups in this game, wailing on enemies when they can kill you in 1-2 hits reduce the freedom you can have in combat, even worse in duels where one single mistake can fuck you up so you wanna end the thing as soon as possible.

Maybe it's more balanced on hard and normal or going further in the game the rps aspect is not gonna be a thing anymore but for now they feel like a tool for specific enemies more than different weapons that i want to learn like in most games with multiple weapons.

This system was never a winning or a smart one, no idea why they went with this again in the sequel, changing weapon 50 times in 5 min to deal with a group is not natural nor engaging, it is just annoying.

Again i don't know if the system evolve later but for now it is probably the thing that feel the worse in the game combat wise, that and enemy sliding and having magnetism in their attacks, very noticeable, very cheap sometimes.

 

[Minari]

32 hours in,deep in Oni area,i absolutely love the theme of this area,especially the Inn.

Have my katana dual katana and both bows upgraded to III right now.

God there are soo many cool masks you can get in this area. Got firebombs and blinding bombs maxxed too.

Also found the Infamous Strike weapon kit but i just LOVE the Crimson Yokai weapon kit. This game is sooo much better than GOT its unreal.

 

[adamsapple]

Did I just discover an inFamous 2 easter egg in the world, lol

That certainly looks like Cole and The Beast from inFamous 2.

 

[Minari]

Daaamn the crimson dye for the bounty master armor is max aura

 

[midnightAI]

32 hours in,deep in Oni area,i absolutely love the theme of this area,especially the Inn.

Have my katana dual katana and both bows upgraded to III right now.

God there are soo many cool masks you can get in this area. Got firebombs and blinding bombs maxxed too.

Also found the Infamous Strike weapon kit but i just LOVE the Crimson Yokai weapon kit. This game is sooo much better than GOT its unreal.

Yeh, I've gone all out crimson on mine, crimson Bounty Master armour looks awesome

 

[Bartski]

Did I just discover an inFamous 2 easter egg in the world, lol

That certainly looks like Cole and The Beast from inFamous 2.

I've seen more of those, hidden in shrine treks. Also sly cooper sword kit and death stranding mask

 

[midnightAI]

Did I just discover an inFamous 2 easter egg in the world, lol

That certainly looks like Cole and The Beast from inFamous 2.

you did indeed, now head to the Pillar of the Fallen near Otaru Beach

 

[viveks86]

And those pictures don't even justify how amazing it looks. On my B3 OLED/Pro it's crazy looking. Reminds me of how Forbidden West looked under the Pro upgrade,

Agreed! HDR makes a big difference. I could actually see an outline of the Sun and more sky detail in this shot that completely vanished once I captured it!

 

[Minari]

I mean at the end of the day they are another form of rock paper scissors, i don't know hard, but i can't even imagine playing on lethal, being surrodunded by 15 enemies and having to hit enemies 2-3-4 more times just because i want to use a specific weapon because i would get absolutely brutalized, being lethal with less hit possible is how you handle groups in this game, wailing on enemies when they can kill you in 1-2 hits reduce the freedom you can have in combat, even worse in duels where one single mistake can fuck you up so you wanna end the thing as soon as possible.

Maybe it's more balanced on hard and normal or going further in the game the rps aspect is not gonna be a thing anymore but for now they feel like a tool for specific enemies more than different weapons that i want to learn like in most games with multiple weapons.

This system was never a winning or a smart one, no idea why they went with this again in the sequel, changing weapon 50 times on 5 min to deal woth a group on not natural nor engaging, it is just annoying.

Again i don't know if the system evolve later but for now it is probably the thing that feel the worse in the game combat wise, that and enemy sliding and having magnetism in their attacks, very noticeable, very cheap sometimes.

Hmm nah its not as rock paper scissors as GoT because you can kill enemies no matter what they use. Like take the Odachi,it wrecks enemies with katana spears and dual katanas even if its made vs brutes. It was much stricter in GoT.

I currently barely switch away from katana for enemies with spears outside of duels cause once i perfect parry them it doest matter. You dont have to change weapons all the time like in GoT.

Never felt whatever magnetism you felt on enemies but Yotei is a way harder game than GoT and the combat for me is even better.

What i feel is lacking sofar is my options for stealth..no stealth armor. Sofar

 

[Dibils2k]

havent played too much as i am still playing BL4 and pro clubs, but i hope it continues to not dump shit ton of icons on map

the Pro mode is great, do wish it was a tad sharper

 

[GymWolf]

Hmm nah its not as rock paper scissors as GoT because you can kill enemies no matter what they use. Like take the Odachi,it wrecks enemies with katana spears and dual katanas even if its made vs brutes. It was much stricter in GoT.

I currently barely switch away from katana for enemies with spears outside of duels cause once i perfect parry them it doest matter. You dont have to change weapons all the time like in GoT.

Never felt whatever magnetism you felt on enemies but Yotei is a way harder game than GoT and the combat for me is even better.

What i feel is lacking sofar is my options for stealth..no stealth armor. Sofar

You could kill enemies in tsushi with any stance aswell, it was just harder like it is in yotei with a different weapon so i hope you are right and it become less of a thing that more you progress.

About the magnetism, some enemies almost teleport on you when you roll too early, it doesn't always happen because roll is not super used in this game compared to a souls game but there is definitely magnetism, maybe homing attacks is a better term.
Not super annoying but feels cheap when it happen.

 

[viveks86]

I mean at the end of the day they are another form of rock paper scissors, i don't know hard, but i can't even imagine playing on lethal, being surrodunded by 15 enemies and having to hit enemies 2-3-4 more times just because i want to use a specific weapon because i would get absolutely brutalized, being lethal with less hit possible is how you handle groups in this game, wailing on enemies when they can kill you in 1-2 hits reduce the freedom you can have in combat, even worse in duels where one single mistake can fuck you up so you wanna end the thing as soon as possible.

Maybe it's more balanced on hard and normal or going further in the game the rps aspect is not gonna be a thing anymore but for now they feel like a tool for specific enemies more than different weapons that i want to learn like in most games with multiple weapons.

This system was never a winning or a smart one, no idea why they went with this again in the sequel, changing weapon 50 times on 5 min to deal woth a group on not natural nor engaging, it is just annoying.

Again i don't know if the system evolve later but for now it is probably the thing that feel the worse in the game combat wise, that and enemy sliding and having magnetism in their attacks, very noticeable, very cheap sometimes.

At lethal, the best way to play is parry, parry interrupts and crowd control. That staggers the enemy regardless of weapon used. If you are trying to wail on every single one of them to stagger, then yeah, it turns into rock, paper, scissors. I enjoy thinning the crowd a bit with stealth first and then using arrows, environmental fire, throwables, kunai etc, which absolutely makes this playable with a single weapon. I hadn't even acquired a second weapon until very recently and I'm several bounties and duels in. Yet to face the bosses though, and I'm sure that'll be near unplayable with the katana alone, without absolutely reading every move, but that would be just my skill ceiling. I'm sure there are people out there for whom even that's a cakewalk.

I don't mind the RPS, so I don't try sticking to just one weapon for the heck of it, but there's a lot you can do to avoid RPS. It would just require playing a little differently. Even the big grunts go down with a single arrow headshot (at least so far) when they charge you. And everyone seems to get staggered by kunai and "pocket sand". You should switch weapons only when there is a clear advantage with more than one enemy. If you are switching with every single one back and forth, you are doing it wrong imo.

Use the full arsenal, retreat, climb to higher ground and take them down from the top, go back to stealth etc. Otherwise you are needlessly making the game harder and less fun, especially if you find RPS frustrating. Imagine what you would do if this were a realistic situation? Be surrounded by 10 people and fight them all at once? That's not a smart play. But if that's the only means of playing that is enjoyable, then either you should really love RPS and keep switching, or enemy aggression should be reduced. Lethal, or even hard, difficulty is not designed for that, unless you are insanely skilled.

It's just a matter of time before we start seeing videos of single weapon no-hit runs on lethal, if the game really takes off from a sales standpoint.

 

[touchfuzzy]

I grabbed it and played about 3 hours yesterday, amazing game so far. I did doubt Sucker Punch a little bit in the leadup but I can see that was unfounded, still easily Sony's best Western studio (and maybe best overall). The art design and environments are amazing, combat and exploration are great, lots of interesting quests and rewards. Even the bounties are fun and take you to interesting little areas and have their own plotlines, they're more like sidequests than the lame 'bounties' you'd see in something like Assassin's Creed (where it's just some guy hanging around somewhere surrounded by a bunch of mooks).

Loving it, good GOTY potential for me, but can't tell if it will hit my top spot until I've played much more of course.

 

[GymWolf]

At lethal, the best way to play is parry, parry interrupts and crowd control. That staggers the enemy regardless of weapon used. If you are trying to wail on every single one of them to stagger, then yeah, it turns into rock, paper, scissors. I enjoy thinning the crowd a bit with stealth first and then using arrows, environmental fire, throwables, kunai etc, which absolutely makes this playable with a single weapon. I hadn't even acquired a second weapon until very recently and I'm several bounties and duels in. Yet to face the bosses though, and I'm sure that'll be near unplayable with the katana alone, without absolutely reading every move, but that would be just my skill ceiling. I'm sure there are people out there for whom even that's a cakewalk.

I don't mind the RPS, so I don't try sticking to just one weapon for the heck of it, but there's a lot you can do to avoid RPS. It would just require playing a little differently. Even the big grunts go down with a single arrow headshot (at least so far) when they charge you. And everyone seems to get staggered by kunai and "pocket sand". You should switch weapons only when there is a clear advantage with more than one enemy. If you are switching with every single one back and forth, you are doing it wrong imo.

Use the full arsenal, retreat, climb to higher ground and take them down from the top, go back to stealth etc. Otherwise you are needlessly making the game harder and less fun, especially if you find RPS frustrating. Imagine what you would do if this were a realistic situation? Be surrounded by 10 people and fight them all at once? That's not a smart play. But if that's the only means of playing that is enjoyable, then either you should really love RPS and keep switching, or enemy aggression should be reduced. Lethal, or even hard, difficulty is not designed for that.

I try to perfect parry but the timing window is super tiny on lethal (feels way smaller than sekiro i swear), so normally you get like 60-70% of normal parries unless you are a parry god or you have some loot that increase the parry window, and that non-perfect parry give you a window for 1-2 hits and those hits better count, so having weapons that does the max damage when you have these windows is crucial, at least at the beginning.

I think i tried to use the double katana once against a non-spear enemy, hit him 4 times and he was still alive, decided to never try again
Just unlocked the odachi so i hope this one does better.

For now i don't have tools of crowd control, only the blinding powder so when you are surrounded, using the non-optimal weapon is a complete no-go, that's why i asked if the things improve the further you go, because for now weapons feel like a specific tool and not a new weapon.

 

[Minari]

Aura farming!

 

[viveks86]

About the magnetism, some enemies almost teleport on you when you roll too early, it doesn't always happen because roll is not super used in this game compared to a souls game but there is definitely magnetism, maybe homing attacks is a better term.
Not super annoying but feels cheap when it happen.

Yeah I did notice some of this. It's ridiculous how much distance some of them cover. They sometimes get me even while I'm rolling away, in the middle of a roll!

Have you noticed they don't retreat to their areas anymore when you run away?

I once got chased down almost half a mile by 3 basic bandits!

And during Junpei, I could even drop down to the caves and all 3 would chase me down. The closed space made it wayyyy harder, but it was good to see something was done with the AI, where they don't run back to their spots and pretend nothing happened.

 

[GymWolf]

Yeah I did notice some of this. It's ridiculous how much distance some of them cover. They sometimes get me even while I'm rolling away, in the middle of a roll!

Have you noticed they don't retreat to their areas anymore when you run away?

I once got chased down almost half a mile by 3 basic bandits!

And during Junpei, I could even drop down to the caves and all 3 would chase me down. The closed space made it wayyyy harder, but it was good to see something was done with the AI, where they don't run back to their spots and pretend nothing happened.

I don't run away like a bitch so i never noticed that.

Spoiler

you though i was saying it was a joke with a kissy emoticon uh?

Spoiler

well you were right