man.. fuck. think im sticking with this death march save and replaying
game is even more fun this way. don't think you really need to use stuff as oils in blood and broken bones. each encounter really matters here and im surprised at how much im enjoying replaying what I played just 2 days ago
maybe it's cause I enjoy the combat tho and I know some people here don't. I think I was burnt out on the batman-ness of every new release
And you said you weren't a nut like me.
Welcome to death march! It's a joy. Enjoy your new crystal skull!
Yes, death march is the way to go! You actually need to prepare adequately for almost every fight since they're all as difficult as boss fights in other games. The combat requires reflexes, timing, and good use of many of the tools in your arsenal.
It's like Ubisoft Game climb the tow... I mean, touch the notice board to unlock activities on the map and then:
<snip>
One thing I love about this game is that while the side quests sometimes repeat at their most basic objectives, the robust storytelling often gives each quest large and small a unique flavor, and the way quests intertwine and feed into other each keeps it from feeling like the clinical affair that characterizes many other open-world games.
<snip>
...For example, one of the ? in White Orchard seemingly isn't there when you arrive. Turns out, you have to walk a bit more to an abandoned church and cemetery. You fight a wraith in the cemetery, then go into the church. It looks like nothing's there, but if you use your witcher sense, you can find some handprints that lead to a secret area underground that leads to the treasure on your map. The variety each encounter brings is amazing, not to mention that you never know what treasure you will find. It's nothing like Ubisoft game where each "do X activity" is there to just push the completion percentage a few points up and to get small rewards like some extra cash or faux XP.
<snip>
Yeah, I think what sets this game apart from other open world games with tons of things on the map is that they are, generally, more interesting due to context, atmosphere, and unique scenery. I literally thought of that same wraith+church/tomb encounter which has been described but here's my video of it. It really freaked me out because it was serene but too quiet... and then fighting in the dark in an enclosed space on death march is a recipe for dying. The fight ended up being easy enough but my entertainment came from the chill going through me as I descended into the dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF_1U0NEcoY
Admitting that I'm still fairly early in the game (just got to Velen), what also makes these places on the map interesting is that, if played on the hardest difficulty, these are all basically boss fights. Everywhere. Each of those question marks is possibly a challenging fight. Even a simple group of bandits becomes an exercise in tactical ingenuity of positioning, prioritizing targets, timing dodges while getting some hits in, and efficiently using signs. Here's a group of level 7 bandits guarding a quest treasure chest in White Orchard that I took I number of tries to beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aQvT-SgH0I
Another question mark is an underwater treasure chest with 3 level 10 drowners swimming around it. Since there's no way to fight them, you have to just swim past them to the treasure, loot it, and then get out of there. On death march, you die from 2 hits.
So no advice for the griffin boss? I will try to fight him again pretty soon
I used that potion to increase my attack (on top of already buffed attack and magic from the blacksmith wheel, statues etc), then kept rolling or walking back till my magic bar filled up, did a force push attack (which temporarily stuns him), got in one or two heavy slashes, then immediately rolled back again before he countered.
When he flew away, I hit him with crossbow shots, and rolled sideways just before he dived at me. Rinse repeat these strategies and you're golden. Just keep a high quantity of meat or bread in your quick selection, and use as you need.
I would add that, if you roll diagonally toward him, you can dodge many of his attacks while positioning yourself for a combo to the griffin's side/back. Here's how I ended up taking him out. You'll see that, by the end, I was constantly behind the griffin hacking away.
https://youtu.be/rE8Z-m9zrLY?t=7m53s
I loved Bloodborne, but I disliked DA:I (quit a few hours in), will I like this game?
If you play it on the hardest difficulty, it is arguably more challenging than Bloodborne with a fairly deep combat system while having a huge open world and superior characters and story. Here's a fight I got into near the beginning of the game with some wolves and a warg. I'm out leveled while fighting a group of agile opponents. It was frustrating but also felt amazing since it really felt like a dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfx2pqSqRxE