You're right that it's largely about a kind of laziness, because it's so much easier to just invoke a term like that than to have to think of a description in our own words. I think it can be argued that something like 'soulslike, BUT...' might have a place in the discussion, as a compromise. Excellent, thought-provoking video! Thanks yet again!
OK, so, I've gotta pitch a game... Right. It's an indie game (obv.) and it's one of my favourite games at the moment. It's called Hedon, a first person shooter built on the GZDoom modification of the original iD Tech/Doom engine, so the visuals are a little... pixel-art. It's a very narrative focused game in an expensive fantasy world. It's quite linear, but it's open-ended enough to allow for a few different approaches to most situations, even if it does usually come down to "USE Flamethrower ON Idiot." It does a brilliant job of building a world that feels like it could be real; with history, politics and distinct factions. The story, and your characters place in it, builds slowly from being just a cog in an ongoing war, to being something vitally important. Several mysteries are introduced, but only half of them are definitively answered, with the rest being left up to your own interpretation. For an FPS, it's a very long (maybe 24 to 36 hours) and VERY unforgivingly challenging game, depending on the difficulty setting, but every time I play it, I still find myself impressed with the work and forethought that's gone into meticulously planning out the level design, the art style, the plot, the progression and the backstory. It costs buttons on GOG and it is, without hyperbole, one of the best shooters ever made. Hopefully that was a passable attempt at selling the game ☺️
Did you play the original "Nier"? That one is described as an action rpg, but it's only that way for the first playthrough. It's only after playing it in NG+ that you find out that it's more of a mystery game, with the real question being "is your quest to save your daughter actually a good thing". For me the end of the 3rd playthrough, where you fill in the blanks about what's been going on in the world, was about one thing alone: getting that final trophy so I could put the box on my game shelf and never touch it again. Great game, but I never want to go through that again...
@@ProperBird One of the bits that did if for me was seeing the extra cutscene on the second playthrough where you see the companion of the first boss crying because his best friend had been killed. By me. Seriously, eff that game...
That's why I back to games that have 10-15 years. And I love you using FF8 as background music. And game that deserve more is Ico. Everybody talking about Colossus forgets that Ico was and is masterpiece.
I'm hilariously old. ... What was I saying? ... Oh yeah! I remember when we had no term for a game where you have a gun and run around shooting people, so they were just referred to as being "like Doom." Even Wolfenstein was *retroactively* called a "Doom-clone."
It's early survival horror. You're in a maze being chased by ghosts, you have to collect all the right items to unlock the next section, you have a limited amount of items you can pick up to defend yourself for a short time, and on top of all that if you "succeed" you find yourself trapped in another similar maze.
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom: it's a playable fairytale that evokes intense feelings of nostalgia even for a first time playing, and communicates the bond of friendship between the protagonists predominantly through gameplay rather than cutscenes.
Excellent video essay. I really enjoyed the examples you gave too. And to answer your question, I’ll explain Cyber Shadow. It’s a 2D pixel art platformer, that’s challenging and full of exploration. You play as a cyborg ninja in a post-apocalyptic future, fighting to save the souls of your former ninja clan from evil bio-mechanical robots. The music is retro inspired, the story is simple but enjoyable. If I had to use modern jargon, it’s a: metroidvania sidescroller platformer, haha. BUT it is not a “souls-like” or “rogue-like”, just straight up challenging 2D action, and that’s why I love it.
Let’s give it a go! I’d like to recommend Gris, a beautiful platformer, where you play as a young girl dealing with loss, exploring the world around her. Although it’s very linear, the art style, music, and plot are all so wonderful that I’ve easily replayed it over 15 times.
One game I'll try to sell people on that deserves more attention is a visual novel called The House in Fata Morgana. I wasn't all that into VNs before trying it but occasionally heard about how good it was so I decided to give it a try. Almost immediately it intrigued me with his absolutely gorgeous art and soundtrack, and the further I got the more it pulled me in with its fantastic writing. It's a Gothic horror, mystery, suspense VN that spans over a millenia, telling stories of tragedies that befell residents of this house over the centuries. The way it unravels its mystery and how everything is connected kept me hooked to find out what would happen next. It's ending was also the most satisfying ending I think I've ever experienced ever.
Excellent video as I also hate the term "soulslike" and the amount that it is used. Ok, here goes a pitch for the game I've put a lot of time into recently. "Hitman: World of Assassination" Hitman WOA, is the previously named Hitman 3, repackaged to include Hitman 2016, Hitman 2, and Hitman 3, (minus some dlc/deluxe items) that also includes a new "roguelike" mode added in. For someone unfamiliar with the Hitman series, it is an action games based on stealth elements, but also includes gunplay, melee weapons, and traps in order to... assassinate your targets. You must take out your targets over the course of the campaigns, which is, about 20 levels or so, over beautiful locations, while avoiding being seen by cameras, guards, and other witnesses. Or... you can go balls out and just massacre your way through with a machine gun. But you'll have to be smart to avoid being shot multiple times trying to get away. Very fun game. Has some questionable AI that makes the world silly and fun. Agent 47 is a cold, calculating killer. I love him. And coins. Coins are your best friends.
I'm old enough to remember the time where FPS's were called Doom-Likes / Doom-Clones. Soulslikes might change into something else at some point in the future. Unless lhe label goes the way of Roguelike or Metroidvania games. I think those names will stick.
I guess since farming sims were mentioned, and because I think I have an itch to play it at the moment of typing. Coral Island, it is still in early access so there's that disclaimer, but it's a farming/life sim with an enviromental-based theme, and has a really cute artstyle. Basic plot is that before you moved in, there was an oil spill that dropped town's ranking to a F. The town's ranking acts as a progression bar, and goes up as you progress through each of the storylines/activites. There's of course your farm that you tend to. You can also go mining in a monster-infested mine, fishing, insect catching, and my personal favourite diving. One, you get a cute robot companion. Two, it's very relaxing. Instead of fighting off monsters, you are clearing away trash to active ancient mermaid technology, to help heal the coral, and bribing giant-ass turtles with produce from your farm in order to progress. The turtles wear hats by the way. There are festivals that happen each season, but at the moment they are still being slowly added to game. And a museum that you fill with all the fish, bugs, gems and artifects you find. There is a big cast of characters too, with romanceables (though that is also slowing being added). It being early access, the developers I'd say have been very good at giving updates; they've not long ago released a showcase for what's coming in the next update coming in May. Which is; first wave of seasonal outfits, this being for summer, the pet day festival, as well as a tease for adoptable pets (cats, dogs, bunnies), the fire-gate for the mine (which i believe is that last gate), and bunch of other things.
I kickstarted Coral Island! I'm waiting to play it until they're done adding skills and festivals because I know I'm going to sink so many hours into it!
"Ivanova sent me to find you. She said you haven't been sleeping, that you've barely been eating. She said that you have been, in her words, carrying on 'cranky'. I looked up the word cranky, it said 'grouchy'. I looked up grouchy, it said 'crotchety'. No wonder you have such an eccentric culture. None of your words have their own meanings, you have to look up one word to understand another. It never ends." - Delenn, Babylon 5. You reminded me of this. :)
So here's my pitch: Wolfstride is a stylish black and white pixel rpg that is all about a motley crew trying to win a Mecha fighting tournament with their scrappy Mech. The art style is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop and the voice acting is fantastic. The Mecha Battles are one-on-one turn based combat and are a ton of fun. I've been playing it for a while and I love all the characters. It's a small indie title that deserves a LOT more love. Please give it a try if you can.
"Observer: System Redux" is a game that will never be as good for me as the first playthrough. I made sure I played that with no guides or spoilers and thoroughly enjoyed it. It won't be the same no I know what's going on though. Especially the part when you don't know what that pig-like screaming is...
Gunmetal on regular xbox is a challenging, open level 3d action shooter game where you are a dude in a mech suit that can transform into a jet at any time and fly around the huge open level to combat large groups of ground and air based enemies, as well as larger, boss like vehicles. After every level you unlock a new weapon for your mech, and for your jet, each weapon getting progressively more powerful, addi g to your growing arsenal, all of which have strategic applications depending on the challenge you face in any given level. There's a minor degree of jank, but when you get past that, it's a fun and engaging game that I go back to a lot
Spiritfarer has the best official descriptor; it's a cozy management sim about death. Hits the nail right on the head and it was one of the most emotionally effecting games I've ever played.
It's really hard for me to describe Get Even to people. I struggle around "Narrative Focused Tactical First Person Stealth Action SciFi-Horror Mystery" and that glaze over their eyes means I've failed. Maybe you can describe it better. Oh and you're welcome to watch the trailers, they are incredibly misleading and don't spoil anything.
I feel like this with movies and anime too. Like language just fails so I just have to watch something to know if it appeals to me specifically. Also does anyone think they can properly describe Yume Nikki to someone who's never taken hallucinogenic drugs or experienced psychosis?
ninja gaiden the new trilogy is a great combat system with punishing rewards and the mastery of the combat can make the best player out of you and not only that in the ambient of the early 2000s is quite nostalgic for me, and the combat scenarios are just really good
I think it's only natural to use comparisons to communicate, but you make an excellent point that when communicating with strangers or via mass media there should be an effort to describe things individually A recent victim of comparison for me was Control, which I looked forward to but ended up strongly disliking. Thing is, even though the game never sells itself as a Souls-like as I played it I definitely detected some Souls DNA in the game. Unfortunately, as the game's flaws became more apparent and my opinion dove off a cliff, FromSoft's expertise in balancing disparate elements cast a shadow over Remedy. Fair? Nope! But that's how it felt
Hey jinzee the game you need to play is the soul reaver legacy of kain series . It’s an awesome game that will transport you to a world called nosgoth that has very compelling Shakespearean dialogue dealing with vampires / humans and demons and a mysterious vague elder god. After playing the game you will feel a sense of deep thought provoking questions about free will and illusions
Game pitch incoming Play Katawa Shoujo, it's a free visual novel made by a group of people in 4chan from 2011 about dating crippled highschool girls where you explore human individuality, dealing with circunstances outside your control and living life has best you can. It has multiple routes and endings, a still active community and it's a heartwarming story all around
I've just finished playing Dragon Quest: Journey of the Cursed King. If you haven't played that one I think you'd like it. It's a good rpg with a great story, cute design and an open world you can eventually fly around. You also have a pet dragon-mouse called "Munchie" (long story) who can breath fire at your enemies if you feed him spicy cheese. To top it all off, some of the work was done by "Bird Studio", so it seems like it was made for you. :)
Either Lobotomy Corporation or Library of Ruina by Project Moon, the second is a sequel to the first but both are very different in terms of gameplay. Lobotomy Corp is a management/creature investigation game where you have employees interact with monsters in order to produce energy to make a daily quota.The further you go the more monsters you add to your facility, the game mainly adds more mechanics via forcing you to deal with more and more monsters over an increasingly large map while also throwing other stuff like missions and bossfights which force you to play under an altered ruleset. Library of Ruina on the other hand is a card game/turn based rpg where each fight you do drops the cards and equipment of the people you just killed, so as the game progresses you get access to more powerful and more complex deckbuilding decisions. Though the main reason to play either of these is that they have one of the best stories I've seen in any piece of fiction.
So this is my pitch: Paradise Killer is a neon-noir murder mystery game, set on an island heavily inspired by vaporwave aesthetics, 90’s anime art style, and surprisingly Howard Phillips Lovecraft, with a stellar synthwave soundtrack. You play as detective Lady Love Dies, who is brought back from of exile to solve the grizzly murder of the island’s most influential leaders. The main emphasis of the gameplay is uncovering the secrets of the island itself. It is up to you how much you want to explore. However, the more you do, the more of the islands past history, the motivation of its colorful characters, and clues for the murder will be revealed. The other emphasis is on interacting with the lively characters who inhabit the island. Depending on the amount of clues, notes and evidence you gather, you can get to know them better, interrogate them, contradict them and even outright confront them. In the end, it is up to you to decide who is guilty and who is not, who will be spared and who will be condemned. There are also some light environmental, hacking and jumping puzzles to spice things up now and then. Furthermore, it is a short game taking anywhere between 10 to 15 hours to finish.
Ill pitch one. Here we go. Its a character driven beautiful mix of turn based action, puzzles, exploration, and drama, with a great unique aesthetic, set in a wild west setting that is tangential to steam punk but has its own flavor and charm. Character designs are on point, the locations are cool, well designed, and fun to run around in, and if the story doesnt resonate with you you must not have a soul. Please everyone who reads this play Wild Arms
I recently played an excellent visual novel called Scarlet Hollow. This is a horror mystery game where you pick two traits at the start of the game. These traits highly impact your dialogue choices and outcomes for characters. (Pick talk to animals cuz it's the best imo). Anyway the idea is you go to a small town for the funeral of your aunt and then just survive the week.
@@ProperBird small disclaimer the game is still in development (early access) so you will hit a cliffhanger and have to wait for new chapters to come out. But hey we can suffer together.
Here's my pitch to you, Proper Bird. Dust: An Elysian Tail - You go on a wild adventure in a lush fantasy world inspired by Asian art design that was...FULLY HAND-ANIMATED! BY ONE PERSON!
I've found an open world game I absolutely love. I never thought I'd ever say that, because I loathe them. It's got weighty, slightly awkward combat that gets really satisfying once you get the hang of it. Everything is accessible from the start, but Leroy-Jenkinsing into everything you see is not advised. It's got elaborate magic systems, weight management, crafting, survival mechanics and weather. It's called Outward and yes, it's an indie game.
Albion by Bluebyte is a very underrated game. A pilot and an doctor m.d. are crash landing on a planet which thought to be lifeless but has life on it. Cat-like creatures are helping you and the journey starts. The big goal is to get back to the mother-ship but the shuttle is destroyed.
If you're ever into the mood to play a game with scary atmosphere (that isn't thalassophobia), I'd suggest and describe Signalis as a over the top camera game in which you go through several interesting places in search of someone. Atmosphere and environmental story telling galore, two things I believe go hand in hand. There, not the best description, but I tried to do it as you suggested, without mentioning any other games in the genre as a basis, since I also think everyone and their mom has done it before.
Here's me trying to sell my favourite game of all time: Weird and Unfortunate things are Happening, is an RPG maker game, and while that may turn you off initially, if you take a look at the sprites and artwork you realise that near all of the game uses custom made assets and art. The creators put a lot of time and care into the portrayal of the characters and environment and for good reason, the game is a cosmic horror story. You don't get that feeling initially, because the characters are so very cutesy and cartoonish, but the game will beat you over the head with its horror themes when you lest expect it. In spite of being a turn based RPG, the game has survival horror elements, such as resource management; healing items are both scarce and hard to come by and what you find, you need to save for just the right moments. If the idea of a cosmic, horror story, turn based RPG, does not entice you - I have one more point that will might hook you. It's free. It's free, but I guarantee you that you'll wish you had paid money for it. I promise you, it is that good.
For me, Soulslike has a meaning. Souls games are Action RPGs where you have to manage your character's stamina. Stamina in a true Soulslike is what allows you to avoid taking damage, and deliver damage as well. That's why managing it takes a bit of learning how the game works, and why a lot of people find the games to be too difficult. They honestly aren't difficult at all, if you take a little bit of time to learn how and when to block, dodge, parry, crit, and when to attack. I love the genre, and the fact that it is so popular that it has spawned countless knock-offs makes me happy.
I describe "Disco Elysium" as gaming's "The Brothers Karamazov" because everything you need to know about the human condition and the experience of it is included in it - I think Nietzsche described the book that way. But I agree that how to recommend or not a game is difficult, so I just don't. If the marketing department doesn't know how to sell it then what chance do I have? Also, cred where cred is due to game critics who judged and rated games pretty accurately at least back in the (printing press) day and compared to movie and music critics. Lots of cult titles and sleeper hits received overall positive reviews, but the publisher just didn't know how to market the game, while other games sold well in spite of overall negative reviews. Oh, and there used to be demos of games given out with magazines or in stores. You seldom see demos nowadays and when you do it's usually the tutorial area whereas in the past a demo would show a mid-game level with half of the total mechanics and items available. You wanted to get the player excited to play your game without giving away all it has to offer, unless the first level is designed to be just that. I still have PSX demo discs with Crash Bandicoot 3, Tomb Raider 3 et al and they all feature mid-game levels. It depends on the game and genre.
@@ProperBird Some might say "you could just get a refund if you try it and don't like it". While true, it's still a hassle. I also dislike "demos" which are basically the full game you have to download and then if you like it unlock the rest of it through purchase. It's like, if assuming storage space and time organising are equivalent, clearing your schedule for going to the cinema and you get to watch the first ten minutes and if you like it watch the whole thing. Sure, you won't lose any money if you decide against it, but you still have two hours of nothing to do and have to come up with things to fill them with.
Well, wait, Hollow Knight didn’t get compared to Dark Souls just for being difficult. It has the same “run back to where you died to reclaim your resources” mechanic, RPG-like build customization via charms, strong environmental storytelling with loads of lore that’s not explicitly spelled out for the player, and a sprawling interconnected world with shortcuts to facilitate backtracking. Obviously there are tons of differences, but the comparison didn’t get made so often just because they’re both hard & you’ll probably die to the same boss a dozen times.
Absolutely, but that's the whole point. When you say "it's like Dark Souls" when it comes to Hollow Knight, if someone expects an actual Dark Souls - they'll be somewhat disappointed. Because while it has soulslike attributes, it isn't Dark Souls. The game would be better served at that point if someone were to just explain what the game is like outright.
@@ProperBird I have yet to encounter this hypothetical disappointed-in-Hollow-Knight person, but I suppose I have to allow it’s logically possible such an individual may exist somewhere, so fair enough.
I'd say "Soulslike" is not really about difficulty but more about some specific game mechanics like using dodge, "blood stains", intricate level design or indeed tight gameplay. But I get the idea. But I still don't get the point of the video. You stated Harvest Moon as an exemple and many other exemples exist like Doom-like becoming FPS or GTA-like becoming sandbox open world. About selling a video game that I feel is underrated ?
Has anyone ever called Stray the Dark Souls of cat sims?. It's a walking sim if anything!. I've been in the situation of trying to describe Demons/Dark Souls to other gamers and it's not easy. Once you try and explain there's no handholding, very little lore unless you hunt for it yourself and is crushingly difficult you get bemused looks and statements like 'that sounds awful, why would I wanna play that'!.
See, I'd love to try to sell Pillars of Eternity without comparisons, but... it was made by... and it's like the old.... Grr... this is hard. OK, so this is a game that drops you into a high-fantasy world seemingly after a major world-changing event, and starts telling a much bigger story by forcing some very personal stakes on you as the main character. It uses the aftermath of those previous events as a backdrop for fantastic environmental story telling and character development, all while drawing you rather than forcing you deeper and deeper into the main story. The core gameplay is exploration and decision making, with turn based combat. (How'd I do?)
Why do you suppose so many people have difficulty describing/pitching things that they're passionate about? I can understand instances where going into detail risks spoiling said thing, but miscellaneous adjectives just don't cut it! Is this mainly a fandom problem or is it indicative of society's collective critical thinking skills not having reached their desired potential due to poorly funded education systems (sorry if that's a tad heavy)? It's one thing when an average fan likens something to a pre-existing property as shorthand during a casual conversation, but it's another thing when a professional marketing department lazily does it to the masses. For example, in the world of comics the extremely controversial writer Mark Millar (just look at the 'Public Image' segment of his wiki page and Linkara's review of Action Comics 775) has a series called The Magic Order and the following quotes were used to describe it: "Mark Millar has described The Magic Order as 'the Sopranos meets Harry Potter, a magical fantasy-crime thing.'" "Millar described the basic story structure of the comics as King Lear but with magic wands." If feeling snarky one can label this as "namedropping things better than this" and point to the limited originality present. It's basic to simply say you like or dislike something, but it's important to articulate why you personally feel that way given how narratives are ultimately an art form that can and should be engaged with, not shouldn't merely viewed as entertainment (looking at you, Disney and most of the MCU). PS I think a really interesting video topic could be how ideas and sensibilities tend to get recycled every 20 or so years. In music and writing one can easily point to the fact that kids of any era grow up to make things themselves and fall back on what they enjoyed when they were younger, and in society we see waves of idealism and cynicism come and go.
I think on the public's part it's partially because the internet sets us up for failure. Algorithms push us into our own, very specific, communities and because of that we tend to think something is more well known than it actually is and it makes it easier to think that a comparison is enough to get the point across. That unfortunately means that people new to a community or hobby are pushed out because they're not familiar with hobby-specific terms or long running series. On the part of the publishers it's more likely a risk aversion thing than anything else. Name dropping drives sales and that's the most important thing.
I really feel witcher 1 deserves more credit, it launched the world and still to this day has a very good story and pacing, there are tons of QOL mods and it really warants a play even on fast forward before its remake, it shows how creating an immersive world can do wonders even if the combat and other aspects lack heavily.
@@ProperBird the answer i never knew i wanted or get just presented out of thin air. Made me smile and i hope you did aswell, maybe some of the people who watched the video will give it a try now that you backed it.
Soulslike games copy the invincibility frame dodge roll, stamina management, losing your progress unless you can reclaim it, and level designs like "door doesn't open from this side". Lots of games were very difficult before. If the developer was inspired by Demons Souls than its souls like often times by their own description to help sell copies.
Observation. A space sci fi story driven game and only game i have found that you don't play as the main character. Actually you don't play as any character. You are an AI which the actual main characters give instructions to.
I wouldn't consider fallout: NV an action RPG, action rpg implies that combat is the core of which all choices revolve around, which NV does a good job of avoiding. It gives you multiple ways to through situations if your speech/science/medical knowledge is high enough. Which is not something a game like ME does.
Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? With an expanded free trial which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime. Sorry, I'll see myself out for that one.
Hm. A game that I think needs more attention? I guess that'd be Dread Delusion. If I had to explain it without comparing it to any other game I'd call it a "manageable open world RPG" you run around a surreal, moody world meeting strange people and discovering little scraps of lore that help you to find the titular delusions. You don't level up in this game from killing enemies or whatever. You level up from collecting delusions, the more you get the more powerful you become and they just exist in the world and can be found through exploration. My first playthrough probably took me around 5 hours or so. My second only 1 because knowledge deeply compresses time in such a game. The atmosphere is weird and haunting, like if Dave McKean made a PS1 game. If I WAS going to review it while comparing it to another game, I'd call it "Elder Scrolls, but good." It doesn't have a conclusion yet, still in Early Access, but even in the state it's currently in, I think it's already worth the money.
this video was short enough for me to even watch it... so since you tell me to sell you a game, I sell you Signalis... again: an old school fixed camera angle survival horror inspired game, with an anime protagonist that makes unravel its cosmic horror centered story through notes, flashbacks and minimal character interactions. still I would've never called Stardew anything but a farming sim and Hollow Knight anything but a Metroidvania... maybe platformer if I feel the need to because there is quite a bit of challenging platforming in it, that usually isn't found in a metroidvania. And for Outer Wilds... I don't understand why it's so difficult for people to explain it, it's a non-linear space exploration game
Even as a fan of the Souls games I genuinely dislike the soulslike "genre". In a weird way it's way too broad (people will throw that tag on pretty much anything that has the tiniest similarity to the Souls games e.g. lock-on, even if it's not a Souls specific feature) but at the same time way too narrow / restrictive (because it implies that the games within this broad bracket will play like, well, Souls games, whereas many such titles e.g. Nioh have a completely different gameplay loop and scratch different itches). Just because the game has a stamina system, or lock-on, or checkpoints, or whatever other feature in common with Dark Souls, doesn't mean that it will play anything like Dark Souls. Sekiro is a great example of that, ever since release I've been saying that it feels nothing like the Souls series aside from surface level similarities, only to get booed at, lol. It's kinda like the roguelike genre, which already had people argue what even counts as a roguelike long before people started slapping it as a tag on every single game with one-life mechanic or some form of randomization. Now it's even more ridiculous, because Steam alone has like four different tags (roguelike, roguelite, action roguelike, traditional roguelike) that are being thrown around, and if you're looking for something like DCSS or NetHack, then have fun explaining to other people why Hades or Binding of Isaac aren't good recommendations despite also being called "roguelikes".
I can definitely see what you mean with Sekiro, a lot of people told me they had to get out of the "souls" mindset to do well in that game. We really want shorthand explanations so people don't get bored when we recommend things but in the end it just means we don't explain anything particularly well. 😅
@@ProperBird Yeah, and it's funny because if I were to describe Sekiro somehow, it'd be like a more modern and more action focused take on Tenchu, rather than a Souls game. Man, it's hard to escape the urge to compare things for simplicity sake. Speaking of which, if you ever want to poke some fun at Souls fans, then tell them that Dark Souls is a Severance: Blade of Darkness clone, lol. It's a pretty good game by the way, would recommend throwing it at the back of your 2000 years long backlog.
Being punishing isnt even rare. Rph that are punishing arent either. Like i would never describe gothic and gothic 2 as souls like, and its a punishing rpg. But its its own thing. And pretty damn good as rpg. If janky fights, but still good. Also old so. Thsts why. But good. Like its fine to borrow from games, just, can that still have its own identity. Or mix it up, or both.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
This essay is the Soulslikes of video essays.
(I am sorry, I had to do it. The little devil in my head said I had to.)
I can't believe you've done this
@@ProperBird It has been done and we thank them for it!
the dark souls of video essays.
This is a Rogue-Lite reply. It also has multi-player features.
You're right that it's largely about a kind of laziness, because it's so much easier to just invoke a term like that than to have to think of a description in our own words. I think it can be argued that something like 'soulslike, BUT...' might have a place in the discussion, as a compromise. Excellent, thought-provoking video! Thanks yet again!
Girl, I just found your channel and I am DEVOURING every video. So true, so incredible. Keep the good work!
I nearly choked on my snack laughing when you got to the "I like words that make sense' "YOure not getting any of those" bit.
OK, so, I've gotta pitch a game...
Right.
It's an indie game (obv.) and it's one of my favourite games at the moment. It's called Hedon, a first person shooter built on the GZDoom modification of the original iD Tech/Doom engine, so the visuals are a little... pixel-art.
It's a very narrative focused game in an expensive fantasy world. It's quite linear, but it's open-ended enough to allow for a few different approaches to most situations, even if it does usually come down to "USE Flamethrower ON Idiot."
It does a brilliant job of building a world that feels like it could be real; with history, politics and distinct factions.
The story, and your characters place in it, builds slowly from being just a cog in an ongoing war, to being something vitally important. Several mysteries are introduced, but only half of them are definitively answered, with the rest being left up to your own interpretation.
For an FPS, it's a very long (maybe 24 to 36 hours) and VERY unforgivingly challenging game, depending on the difficulty setting, but every time I play it, I still find myself impressed with the work and forethought that's gone into meticulously planning out the level design, the art style, the plot, the progression and the backstory.
It costs buttons on GOG and it is, without hyperbole, one of the best shooters ever made.
Hopefully that was a passable attempt at selling the game ☺️
Honestly, sounds like something I'm going to check out.
Did you play the original "Nier"? That one is described as an action rpg, but it's only that way for the first playthrough. It's only after playing it in NG+ that you find out that it's more of a mystery game, with the real question being "is your quest to save your daughter actually a good thing". For me the end of the 3rd playthrough, where you fill in the blanks about what's been going on in the world, was about one thing alone: getting that final trophy so I could put the box on my game shelf and never touch it again. Great game, but I never want to go through that again...
Just to add to that: R.I.P. Beepy and Kalil. I'm sorry I murdered your dream. :(
I played it on stream recently, cried about Emil a bunch 🥲
@@ProperBird One of the bits that did if for me was seeing the extra cutscene on the second playthrough where you see the companion of the first boss crying because his best friend had been killed. By me. Seriously, eff that game...
That's why I back to games that have 10-15 years. And I love you using FF8 as background music. And game that deserve more is Ico. Everybody talking about Colossus forgets that Ico was and is masterpiece.
I'm hilariously old.
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What was I saying?
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Oh yeah!
I remember when we had no term for a game where you have a gun and run around shooting people, so they were just referred to as being "like Doom." Even Wolfenstein was *retroactively* called a "Doom-clone."
"Do you like video games?"
I am listening. 🧙
i love the idea that pac-man is a character-driven game lol
It's early survival horror. You're in a maze being chased by ghosts, you have to collect all the right items to unlock the next section, you have a limited amount of items you can pick up to defend yourself for a short time, and on top of all that if you "succeed" you find yourself trapped in another similar maze.
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom: it's a playable fairytale that evokes intense feelings of nostalgia even for a first time playing, and communicates the bond of friendship between the protagonists predominantly through gameplay rather than cutscenes.
Excellent video essay. I really enjoyed the examples you gave too.
And to answer your question, I’ll explain Cyber Shadow.
It’s a 2D pixel art platformer, that’s challenging and full of exploration. You play as a cyborg ninja in a post-apocalyptic future, fighting to save the souls of your former ninja clan from evil bio-mechanical robots. The music is retro inspired, the story is simple but enjoyable.
If I had to use modern jargon, it’s a: metroidvania sidescroller platformer, haha. BUT it is not a “souls-like” or “rogue-like”, just straight up challenging 2D action, and that’s why I love it.
Attack Dodge games that are basically one big boss fight with animation tracked hit boxs
Let’s give it a go! I’d like to recommend Gris, a beautiful platformer, where you play as a young girl dealing with loss, exploring the world around her. Although it’s very linear, the art style, music, and plot are all so wonderful that I’ve easily replayed it over 15 times.
2:24 I don’t know, that looks like some pretty intense action to me.
OMG! I'm so glad that when you talked about Action RPGs you didn't mention Diablo! I have NEVER thought of that as an ARPG!
I can definitely see where people are coming from but yeah, me neither.
iconoclasts: a metroidvania with an interesting story, beautiful pixelart graphics and a wrench.
One game I'll try to sell people on that deserves more attention is a visual novel called The House in Fata Morgana.
I wasn't all that into VNs before trying it but occasionally heard about how good it was so I decided to give it a try. Almost immediately it intrigued me with his absolutely gorgeous art and soundtrack, and the further I got the more it pulled me in with its fantastic writing.
It's a Gothic horror, mystery, suspense VN that spans over a millenia, telling stories of tragedies that befell residents of this house over the centuries. The way it unravels its mystery and how everything is connected kept me hooked to find out what would happen next.
It's ending was also the most satisfying ending I think I've ever experienced ever.
Excellent video as I also hate the term "soulslike" and the amount that it is used. Ok, here goes a pitch for the game I've put a lot of time into recently. "Hitman: World of Assassination" Hitman WOA, is the previously named Hitman 3, repackaged to include Hitman 2016, Hitman 2, and Hitman 3, (minus some dlc/deluxe items) that also includes a new "roguelike" mode added in. For someone unfamiliar with the Hitman series, it is an action games based on stealth elements, but also includes gunplay, melee weapons, and traps in order to... assassinate your targets. You must take out your targets over the course of the campaigns, which is, about 20 levels or so, over beautiful locations, while avoiding being seen by cameras, guards, and other witnesses. Or... you can go balls out and just massacre your way through with a machine gun. But you'll have to be smart to avoid being shot multiple times trying to get away. Very fun game. Has some questionable AI that makes the world silly and fun. Agent 47 is a cold, calculating killer. I love him. And coins. Coins are your best friends.
Hah, I actually enjoy Hitman, good pitch!
I'm old enough to remember the time where FPS's were called Doom-Likes / Doom-Clones. Soulslikes might change into something else at some point in the future. Unless lhe label goes the way of Roguelike or Metroidvania games. I think those names will stick.
"Time for another witcher 3 playthrough" I felt that😂
I would describe outer wilds as a knowledge based metroidvania, but in technicality, if they don't know what a metroidvania is then I'm kinda fuckt.
I guess since farming sims were mentioned, and because I think I have an itch to play it at the moment of typing.
Coral Island, it is still in early access so there's that disclaimer, but it's a farming/life sim with an enviromental-based theme, and has a really cute artstyle.
Basic plot is that before you moved in, there was an oil spill that dropped town's ranking to a F. The town's ranking acts as a progression bar, and goes up as you progress through each of the storylines/activites. There's of course your farm that you tend to. You can also go mining in a monster-infested mine, fishing, insect catching, and my personal favourite diving. One, you get a cute robot companion. Two, it's very relaxing. Instead of fighting off monsters, you are clearing away trash to active ancient mermaid technology, to help heal the coral, and bribing giant-ass turtles with produce from your farm in order to progress. The turtles wear hats by the way. There are festivals that happen each season, but at the moment they are still being slowly added to game. And a museum that you fill with all the fish, bugs, gems and artifects you find. There is a big cast of characters too, with romanceables (though that is also slowing being added).
It being early access, the developers I'd say have been very good at giving updates; they've not long ago released a showcase for what's coming in the next update coming in May. Which is; first wave of seasonal outfits, this being for summer, the pet day festival, as well as a tease for adoptable pets (cats, dogs, bunnies), the fire-gate for the mine (which i believe is that last gate), and bunch of other things.
I kickstarted Coral Island! I'm waiting to play it until they're done adding skills and festivals because I know I'm going to sink so many hours into it!
"Ivanova sent me to find you. She said you haven't been sleeping, that you've barely been eating. She said that you have been, in her words, carrying on 'cranky'. I looked up the word cranky, it said 'grouchy'. I looked up grouchy, it said 'crotchety'. No wonder you have such an eccentric culture. None of your words have their own meanings, you have to look up one word to understand another. It never ends."
- Delenn, Babylon 5.
You reminded me of this. :)
So here's my pitch:
Wolfstride is a stylish black and white pixel rpg that is all about a motley crew trying to win a Mecha fighting tournament with their scrappy Mech. The art style is reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop and the voice acting is fantastic. The Mecha Battles are one-on-one turn based combat and are a ton of fun. I've been playing it for a while and I love all the characters. It's a small indie title that deserves a LOT more love. Please give it a try if you can.
"Observer: System Redux" is a game that will never be as good for me as the first playthrough. I made sure I played that with no guides or spoilers and thoroughly enjoyed it. It won't be the same no I know what's going on though. Especially the part when you don't know what that pig-like screaming is...
Gunmetal on regular xbox is a challenging, open level 3d action shooter game where you are a dude in a mech suit that can transform into a jet at any time and fly around the huge open level to combat large groups of ground and air based enemies, as well as larger, boss like vehicles. After every level you unlock a new weapon for your mech, and for your jet, each weapon getting progressively more powerful, addi g to your growing arsenal, all of which have strategic applications depending on the challenge you face in any given level. There's a minor degree of jank, but when you get past that, it's a fun and engaging game that I go back to a lot
I love this channel so much
Spiritfarer has the best official descriptor; it's a cozy management sim about death. Hits the nail right on the head and it was one of the most emotionally effecting games I've ever played.
I loved Spiritfarer!
It's really hard for me to describe Get Even to people. I struggle around "Narrative Focused Tactical First Person Stealth Action SciFi-Horror Mystery" and that glaze over their eyes means I've failed. Maybe you can describe it better. Oh and you're welcome to watch the trailers, they are incredibly misleading and don't spoil anything.
I feel like this with movies and anime too. Like language just fails so I just have to watch something to know if it appeals to me specifically.
Also does anyone think they can properly describe Yume Nikki to someone who's never taken hallucinogenic drugs or experienced psychosis?
Ah, Outer WIlds. The Dark Souls of Action/Adventure/Space Exploration/"Oh, No!" Simulators. :)
How dare
Mama I've missed your videos . Especially the ones on fairytale s and mythology.
Thanks Bird Channel!
ninja gaiden the new trilogy
is a great combat system with punishing rewards and the mastery of the combat can make the best player out of you and not only that in the ambient of the early 2000s is quite nostalgic for me, and the combat scenarios are just really good
Does it have rolling, stamina/health and is it third person (optional)? SOUSLIKE
I think it's only natural to use comparisons to communicate, but you make an excellent point that when communicating with strangers or via mass media there should be an effort to describe things individually
A recent victim of comparison for me was Control, which I looked forward to but ended up strongly disliking. Thing is, even though the game never sells itself as a Souls-like as I played it I definitely detected some Souls DNA in the game. Unfortunately, as the game's flaws became more apparent and my opinion dove off a cliff, FromSoft's expertise in balancing disparate elements cast a shadow over Remedy. Fair? Nope! But that's how it felt
“We’re still trying to stem the flow of new farming sims, the majority of them… SOUL less.” ISWYDT!
Hey jinzee the game you need to play is the soul reaver legacy of kain series . It’s an awesome game that will transport you to a world called nosgoth that has very compelling Shakespearean dialogue dealing with vampires / humans and demons and a mysterious vague elder god. After playing the game you will feel a sense of deep thought provoking questions about free will and illusions
Game pitch incoming
Play Katawa Shoujo, it's a free visual novel made by a group of people in 4chan from 2011 about dating crippled highschool girls where you explore human individuality, dealing with circunstances outside your control and living life has best you can. It has multiple routes and endings, a still active community and it's a heartwarming story all around
I've just finished playing Dragon Quest: Journey of the Cursed King. If you haven't played that one I think you'd like it. It's a good rpg with a great story, cute design and an open world you can eventually fly around. You also have a pet dragon-mouse called "Munchie" (long story) who can breath fire at your enemies if you feed him spicy cheese. To top it all off, some of the work was done by "Bird Studio", so it seems like it was made for you. :)
Either Lobotomy Corporation or Library of Ruina by Project Moon, the second is a sequel to the first but both are very different in terms of gameplay.
Lobotomy Corp is a management/creature investigation game where you have employees interact with monsters in order to produce energy to make a daily quota.The further you go the more monsters you add to your facility, the game mainly adds more mechanics via forcing you to deal with more and more monsters over an increasingly large map while also throwing other stuff like missions and bossfights which force you to play under an altered ruleset.
Library of Ruina on the other hand is a card game/turn based rpg where each fight you do drops the cards and equipment of the people you just killed, so as the game progresses you get access to more powerful and more complex deckbuilding decisions.
Though the main reason to play either of these is that they have one of the best stories I've seen in any piece of fiction.
Good old John. Always good for a laugh!
John knows what he's doing, that game sold gangbusters.
So this is my pitch:
Paradise Killer is a neon-noir murder mystery game, set on an island heavily inspired by vaporwave aesthetics, 90’s anime art style, and surprisingly Howard Phillips Lovecraft, with a stellar synthwave soundtrack.
You play as detective Lady Love Dies, who is brought back from of exile to solve the grizzly murder of the island’s most influential leaders.
The main emphasis of the gameplay is uncovering the secrets of the island itself. It is up to you how much you want to explore. However, the more you do, the more of the islands past history, the motivation of its colorful characters, and clues for the murder will be revealed.
The other emphasis is on interacting with the lively characters who inhabit the island. Depending on the amount of clues, notes and evidence you gather, you can get to know them better, interrogate them, contradict them and even outright confront them. In the end, it is up to you to decide who is guilty and who is not, who will be spared and who will be condemned.
There are also some light environmental, hacking and jumping puzzles to spice things up now and then. Furthermore, it is a short game taking anywhere between 10 to 15 hours to finish.
I think I watched a friend play a little of this at one point, sounds like something I'd enjoy! ^^
Ugh, I still have that. Meant to check it out multiple times.
Ill pitch one. Here we go. Its a character driven beautiful mix of turn based action, puzzles, exploration, and drama, with a great unique aesthetic, set in a wild west setting that is tangential to steam punk but has its own flavor and charm. Character designs are on point, the locations are cool, well designed, and fun to run around in, and if the story doesnt resonate with you you must not have a soul. Please everyone who reads this play Wild Arms
I'm an old enough gamer to remember when every FPS was called a "Doom Clone"...
I recently played an excellent visual novel called Scarlet Hollow. This is a horror mystery game where you pick two traits at the start of the game. These traits highly impact your dialogue choices and outcomes for characters. (Pick talk to animals cuz it's the best imo). Anyway the idea is you go to a small town for the funeral of your aunt and then just survive the week.
Ohh, sounds like it's up my alley. 🧐
@@ProperBird small disclaimer the game is still in development (early access) so you will hit a cliffhanger and have to wait for new chapters to come out. But hey we can suffer together.
Here's my pitch to you, Proper Bird. Dust: An Elysian Tail - You go on a wild adventure in a lush fantasy world inspired by Asian art design that was...FULLY HAND-ANIMATED! BY ONE PERSON!
I've found an open world game I absolutely love. I never thought I'd ever say that, because I loathe them. It's got weighty, slightly awkward combat that gets really satisfying once you get the hang of it. Everything is accessible from the start, but Leroy-Jenkinsing into everything you see is not advised. It's got elaborate magic systems, weight management, crafting, survival mechanics and weather. It's called Outward and yes, it's an indie game.
As someone who also fell off the open world wagon, I might give that a try!
Albion by Bluebyte is a very underrated game. A pilot and an doctor m.d. are crash landing on a planet which thought to be lifeless but has life on it. Cat-like creatures are helping you and the journey starts. The big goal is to get back to the mother-ship but the shuttle is destroyed.
Just play as Yuna in FF X-2 and go pew pew.
If you're ever into the mood to play a game with scary atmosphere (that isn't thalassophobia), I'd suggest and describe Signalis as a over the top camera game in which you go through several interesting places in search of someone. Atmosphere and environmental story telling galore, two things I believe go hand in hand.
There, not the best description, but I tried to do it as you suggested, without mentioning any other games in the genre as a basis, since I also think everyone and their mom has done it before.
Signalis has been on my list for a while now, I'm saving it for October and looking forward to it!
Metroidvania's can be action RPGs. The VANIA in the name was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and that IS an action RPG.
This reminds me of my firends trying to define to me League of Legends, before MOBA became a common use term.
Great video. I enjoy your style of videos.
Thank you! ☺️
I feel like when I’m trying to explain a game I really like I always sound like a crazy person 😅
Ah but those are the best conversations!
Here's me trying to sell my favourite game of all time:
Weird and Unfortunate things are Happening, is an RPG maker game, and while that may turn you off initially, if you take a look at the sprites and artwork you realise that near all of the game uses custom made assets and art. The creators put a lot of time and care into the portrayal of the characters and environment and for good reason, the game is a cosmic horror story. You don't get that feeling initially, because the characters are so very cutesy and cartoonish, but the game will beat you over the head with its horror themes when you lest expect it. In spite of being a turn based RPG, the game has survival horror elements, such as resource management; healing items are both scarce and hard to come by and what you find, you need to save for just the right moments.
If the idea of a cosmic, horror story, turn based RPG, does not entice you - I have one more point that will might hook you.
It's free. It's free, but I guarantee you that you'll wish you had paid money for it. I promise you, it is that good.
This one's absolutely going on my list.
For me, Soulslike has a meaning. Souls games are Action RPGs where you have to manage your character's stamina. Stamina in a true Soulslike is what allows you to avoid taking damage, and deliver damage as well. That's why managing it takes a bit of learning how the game works, and why a lot of people find the games to be too difficult. They honestly aren't difficult at all, if you take a little bit of time to learn how and when to block, dodge, parry, crit, and when to attack. I love the genre, and the fact that it is so popular that it has spawned countless knock-offs makes me happy.
Is the original Dark Souls the Dark Souls of all Soulslike games?
I describe "Disco Elysium" as gaming's "The Brothers Karamazov" because everything you need to know about the human condition and the experience of it is included in it - I think Nietzsche described the book that way. But I agree that how to recommend or not a game is difficult, so I just don't. If the marketing department doesn't know how to sell it then what chance do I have? Also, cred where cred is due to game critics who judged and rated games pretty accurately at least back in the (printing press) day and compared to movie and music critics. Lots of cult titles and sleeper hits received overall positive reviews, but the publisher just didn't know how to market the game, while other games sold well in spite of overall negative reviews. Oh, and there used to be demos of games given out with magazines or in stores. You seldom see demos nowadays and when you do it's usually the tutorial area whereas in the past a demo would show a mid-game level with half of the total mechanics and items available. You wanted to get the player excited to play your game without giving away all it has to offer, unless the first level is designed to be just that. I still have PSX demo discs with Crash Bandicoot 3, Tomb Raider 3 et al and they all feature mid-game levels. It depends on the game and genre.
I miss demos so much. Some Steam games are releasing demos in advance again nowadays and I'm VERY happy to see it.
@@ProperBird Some might say "you could just get a refund if you try it and don't like it". While true, it's still a hassle. I also dislike "demos" which are basically the full game you have to download and then if you like it unlock the rest of it through purchase. It's like, if assuming storage space and time organising are equivalent, clearing your schedule for going to the cinema and you get to watch the first ten minutes and if you like it watch the whole thing. Sure, you won't lose any money if you decide against it, but you still have two hours of nothing to do and have to come up with things to fill them with.
now i understand why u told me to play outer wilds (also kingdom hearts is my favorite soulslike)
Sora sitting at a bonfire, chugging estus flasks is so iconic 😌
Well, wait, Hollow Knight didn’t get compared to Dark Souls just for being difficult. It has the same “run back to where you died to reclaim your resources” mechanic, RPG-like build customization via charms, strong environmental storytelling with loads of lore that’s not explicitly spelled out for the player, and a sprawling interconnected world with shortcuts to facilitate backtracking. Obviously there are tons of differences, but the comparison didn’t get made so often just because they’re both hard & you’ll probably die to the same boss a dozen times.
Absolutely, but that's the whole point. When you say "it's like Dark Souls" when it comes to Hollow Knight, if someone expects an actual Dark Souls - they'll be somewhat disappointed. Because while it has soulslike attributes, it isn't Dark Souls. The game would be better served at that point if someone were to just explain what the game is like outright.
@@ProperBird I have yet to encounter this hypothetical disappointed-in-Hollow-Knight person, but I suppose I have to allow it’s logically possible such an individual may exist somewhere, so fair enough.
@@normative As a streamer, I have met many. :p
Thanks for typing out this comment so I didn't have to.
Omg it's a secret Outer Wilds video
My secret mission is getting people to give Outer Wilds a try.
I'd say "Soulslike" is not really about difficulty but more about some specific game mechanics like using dodge, "blood stains", intricate level design or indeed tight gameplay. But I get the idea. But I still don't get the point of the video. You stated Harvest Moon as an exemple and many other exemples exist like Doom-like becoming FPS or GTA-like becoming sandbox open world.
About selling a video game that I feel is underrated ?
Has anyone ever called Stray the Dark Souls of cat sims?. It's a walking sim if anything!. I've been in the situation of trying to describe Demons/Dark Souls to other gamers and it's not easy. Once you try and explain there's no handholding, very little lore unless you hunt for it yourself and is crushingly difficult you get bemused looks and statements like 'that sounds awful, why would I wanna play that'!.
Witcher stories comeback when?
Tbh... play it or don't. But it was good. I'll comment the name of it when I remember what it was called
Are you sold on this game yet?
Wow what a banger, absolutely sold
See, I'd love to try to sell Pillars of Eternity without comparisons, but... it was made by... and it's like the old.... Grr... this is hard. OK, so this is a game that drops you into a high-fantasy world seemingly after a major world-changing event, and starts telling a much bigger story by forcing some very personal stakes on you as the main character. It uses the aftermath of those previous events as a backdrop for fantastic environmental story telling and character development, all while drawing you rather than forcing you deeper and deeper into the main story. The core gameplay is exploration and decision making, with turn based combat. (How'd I do?)
Well, as a fan of turn based combat, exploration and impactful decisions, pretty good. 😁
Why do you suppose so many people have difficulty describing/pitching things that they're passionate about? I can understand instances where going into detail risks spoiling said thing, but miscellaneous adjectives just don't cut it! Is this mainly a fandom problem or is it indicative of society's collective critical thinking skills not having reached their desired potential due to poorly funded education systems (sorry if that's a tad heavy)? It's one thing when an average fan likens something to a pre-existing property as shorthand during a casual conversation, but it's another thing when a professional marketing department lazily does it to the masses. For example, in the world of comics the extremely controversial writer Mark Millar (just look at the 'Public Image' segment of his wiki page and Linkara's review of Action Comics 775) has a series called The Magic Order and the following quotes were used to describe it:
"Mark Millar has described The Magic Order as 'the Sopranos meets Harry Potter, a magical fantasy-crime thing.'"
"Millar described the basic story structure of the comics as King Lear but with magic wands."
If feeling snarky one can label this as "namedropping things better than this" and point to the limited originality present. It's basic to simply say you like or dislike something, but it's important to articulate why you personally feel that way given how narratives are ultimately an art form that can and should be engaged with, not shouldn't merely viewed as entertainment (looking at you, Disney and most of the MCU). PS I think a really interesting video topic could be how ideas and sensibilities tend to get recycled every 20 or so years. In music and writing one can easily point to the fact that kids of any era grow up to make things themselves and fall back on what they enjoyed when they were younger, and in society we see waves of idealism and cynicism come and go.
I think on the public's part it's partially because the internet sets us up for failure. Algorithms push us into our own, very specific, communities and because of that we tend to think something is more well known than it actually is and it makes it easier to think that a comparison is enough to get the point across. That unfortunately means that people new to a community or hobby are pushed out because they're not familiar with hobby-specific terms or long running series.
On the part of the publishers it's more likely a risk aversion thing than anything else. Name dropping drives sales and that's the most important thing.
I really feel witcher 1 deserves more credit, it launched the world and still to this day has a very good story and pacing, there are tons of QOL mods and it really warants a play even on fast forward before its remake, it shows how creating an immersive world can do wonders even if the combat and other aspects lack heavily.
The Witcher 1's atmosphere is still my favourite in the series.
@@ProperBird the answer i never knew i wanted or get just presented out of thin air.
Made me smile and i hope you did aswell, maybe some of the people who watched the video will give it a try now that you backed it.
Soulslike games copy the invincibility frame dodge roll, stamina management, losing your progress unless you can reclaim it, and level designs like "door doesn't open from this side". Lots of games were very difficult before. If the developer was inspired by Demons Souls than its souls like often times by their own description to help sell copies.
Observation. A space sci fi story driven game and only game i have found that you don't play as the main character. Actually you don't play as any character. You are an AI which the actual main characters give instructions to.
I wouldn't consider fallout: NV an action RPG, action rpg implies that combat is the core of which all choices revolve around, which NV does a good job of avoiding. It gives you multiple ways to through situations if your speech/science/medical knowledge is high enough. Which is not something a game like ME does.
I didn't decide on the NV genre, it's simply a genre listed for it. That's exactly my point.
a true role playing game.
i play as a murder hobo. the only game where you can murder the leaders of each faction and still continue the game.
and then there's Killer7...
Killer7 has been on my to play list for such a long time 🥹
Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV? With an expanded free trial which you can play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning Heavensward expansion up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime.
Sorry, I'll see myself out for that one.
Woooooow 🥹
Hm. A game that I think needs more attention? I guess that'd be Dread Delusion. If I had to explain it without comparing it to any other game I'd call it a "manageable open world RPG" you run around a surreal, moody world meeting strange people and discovering little scraps of lore that help you to find the titular delusions. You don't level up in this game from killing enemies or whatever. You level up from collecting delusions, the more you get the more powerful you become and they just exist in the world and can be found through exploration. My first playthrough probably took me around 5 hours or so. My second only 1 because knowledge deeply compresses time in such a game. The atmosphere is weird and haunting, like if Dave McKean made a PS1 game.
If I WAS going to review it while comparing it to another game, I'd call it "Elder Scrolls, but good."
It doesn't have a conclusion yet, still in Early Access, but even in the state it's currently in, I think it's already worth the money.
I'll keep my eye on that one 🧐
this video was short enough for me to even watch it... so since you tell me to sell you a game, I sell you Signalis... again:
an old school fixed camera angle survival horror inspired game, with an anime protagonist that makes unravel its cosmic horror centered story through notes, flashbacks and minimal character interactions.
still I would've never called Stardew anything but a farming sim and Hollow Knight anything but a Metroidvania... maybe platformer if I feel the need to because there is quite a bit of challenging platforming in it, that usually isn't found in a metroidvania.
And for Outer Wilds... I don't understand why it's so difficult for people to explain it, it's a non-linear space exploration game
Even as a fan of the Souls games I genuinely dislike the soulslike "genre". In a weird way it's way too broad (people will throw that tag on pretty much anything that has the tiniest similarity to the Souls games e.g. lock-on, even if it's not a Souls specific feature) but at the same time way too narrow / restrictive (because it implies that the games within this broad bracket will play like, well, Souls games, whereas many such titles e.g. Nioh have a completely different gameplay loop and scratch different itches). Just because the game has a stamina system, or lock-on, or checkpoints, or whatever other feature in common with Dark Souls, doesn't mean that it will play anything like Dark Souls. Sekiro is a great example of that, ever since release I've been saying that it feels nothing like the Souls series aside from surface level similarities, only to get booed at, lol.
It's kinda like the roguelike genre, which already had people argue what even counts as a roguelike long before people started slapping it as a tag on every single game with one-life mechanic or some form of randomization. Now it's even more ridiculous, because Steam alone has like four different tags (roguelike, roguelite, action roguelike, traditional roguelike) that are being thrown around, and if you're looking for something like DCSS or NetHack, then have fun explaining to other people why Hades or Binding of Isaac aren't good recommendations despite also being called "roguelikes".
I can definitely see what you mean with Sekiro, a lot of people told me they had to get out of the "souls" mindset to do well in that game. We really want shorthand explanations so people don't get bored when we recommend things but in the end it just means we don't explain anything particularly well. 😅
@@ProperBird Yeah, and it's funny because if I were to describe Sekiro somehow, it'd be like a more modern and more action focused take on Tenchu, rather than a Souls game. Man, it's hard to escape the urge to compare things for simplicity sake.
Speaking of which, if you ever want to poke some fun at Souls fans, then tell them that Dark Souls is a Severance: Blade of Darkness clone, lol. It's a pretty good game by the way, would recommend throwing it at the back of your 2000 years long backlog.
It's not just about difficult, there's environmental/item storytellign and a very moody atmosphere that lends a game a Souls-comparison
Sure, if it's an accurate comparison. When someone says "The Dark Souls of-", more often than not however, they just mean it's hard.
Bro nobody thinks that
Outer wilds is an Existential Crisis game
I mean, you're not wrong
@@ProperBird Sometimes I wish I was haha
Being punishing isnt even rare. Rph that are punishing arent either.
Like i would never describe gothic and gothic 2 as souls like, and its a punishing rpg. But its its own thing. And pretty damn good as rpg. If janky fights, but still good. Also old so. Thsts why. But good.
Like its fine to borrow from games, just, can that still have its own identity. Or mix it up, or both.
Will you play “Hogwarts Legacy”? Do you enjoy this type of games? ☺️
I do not support anything related to the Harry Potter or its author anymore. Their transphobia runs too deep.
@@ProperBird Got it. Thanks for the answer. 🙂
ohh a short vid that's rare
Gotta keep everyone on their toes