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[ExpandKong]

When the guys that make it said it would be different, yes, you are wrong for expecting the same.

Maybe the guys that made it are wrong for trying something so wildly different from the past six games in their well-established franchise.

*takes huge hit from hookah*

No but for real. They went from knockoff DMC to knockoff Last Of Us, and I feel like they’re only getting so much acclaim because it’s been so long since the last entry in either of those franchises.

Ohhhhhh wellllll. I don’t wanna come off like someone who’s just shitposting in a game’s OT but I will say I’m glad I just rented it instead of splurging on a full blown purchase this afternoon.

 

[Ar¢tos]

You should be able to do it after the tutorial, when you can enter the armor/weps/skills/etc menus.
They are not account tied. I'm not playing with the account that I used to buy the game and I still have access to them.

 

[Dargor]

Maybe the guys that made it are wrong for trying something so wildly different from the past six games in their well-established franchise.

*takes huge hit from hookah*

No but for real. They went from knockoff DMC to knockoff Last Of Us, and I feel like they’re only getting so much acclaim because it’s been so long since the last entry in either of those franchises.

Ohhhhhh wellllll. I don’t wanna come off like someone who’s just shitposting in a game’s OT but I will say I’m glad I just rented it instead of splurging on a full blown purchase this afternoon.

Well, ok then...

 

[ManUnkindH]

This might sound stupid, but how exactly do I access my limited edition and preorder content??

 

[B_Signal]

You should be able to do it after the tutorial, when you can enter the armor/weps/skills/etc menus.
They are not account tied. I'm not playing with the account that I used to buy the game and I still have access to them.

Hmm, I can't see where to add them. In the menu there's the weapons and armour section, but I'm not seeing a shield option on there

 

[NovumAngel]

Hmm, I can't see where to add them. In the menu there's the weapons and armour section, but I'm not seeing a shield option on there

In the weapon menu press right and it should switch from the axe to the shield and just click on and change it.

 

[MindCollizion]

Put in a few hours. Going to sleep. Will post impressions tomorrow. Certain aspects are top notch so far.

 

[B_Signal]

In the weapon menu press right and it should switch from the axe to the shield and just click on and change it.

nope, just switches to the bow

Funny thing is, I only care because I can't get them >.<

 

[nowhat]

I'm still reserving my final verdict on the game until I've progressed further - however, so far Christopher Judge has absolutely knocked it out of the park. And yes, there is at least one instance where

Spoiler

Kratos simply replies "indeed"

Whether intentionally meta or not I cannot say, but I have to admit I giggled when it happened.

 

[Bogroll]

I'm going to stick my head out here. Only 2 hours in, graphics 10, gameplay 7. I'm enjoying it and it's early days so hopefully gameplay picks up.

The skills make combat even better. I'm glad you're liking it.

Yes looked at that, looks promising, i hope to be posting gameplay up to 9 or 10

 

[Hale-XF11]

Played last night for a few hours with zero expectations.

Got so bored that I turned my ps4 off and went to bed early.

Gonna force myself to play again today and see if it gets better.

 

[thelastword]

Maybe the guys that made it are wrong for trying something so wildly different from the past six games in their well-established franchise.

So you would rather they kept everything as previous God of Wars?... Where critics from all spectrum would say "it's the same god of war, same angry kratos swinging his blades at anything sentient or omnipotent". There are a million GOW's to play in that vein, even GOW3 was remastered on PS4. If these guys followed the old GOW formula, it would be a 79-82% meta with persons coming here to say "it's the same GOW"......I've platinumned every GOW including the PSP remasters and I love them all, but what Barlog did here is incredible. It's tough as nails on hard, but I've not done any upgrades yet. I mean if you want the old GOW's, part 3 and ascension are still some of the best looking games out there, so that's always available.

Also, people had to know, SSM would change things up as ascension was a prelude to changes to combat already. I loved the combat in ascension btw...and here as well. One thing's for sure, there's no mashing in this one, you will get killed, you have to distance yourselves, look to evade constantly, projectiles and unblockable axes or enemy charges....

 

[GenericUser]

Played last night for a few hours with zero expectations.

Got so bored that I turned my ps4 off and went to bed early.

Gonna force myself to play again today and see if it gets better.

I think it's a good game, but cetainly not OMFG batshit insane good. Many of the questionable design choices that plague some modern games are in this game. Forced walking sections, unskippable cutscenes, the annoying kid - always pointing out the obvious, to name a few.

I also lost count how often I died from an attack from behind. I see how they tried to replicate Souls combat and they made a good attempt, but ultimately this game is definitely not on par with souls in that regard.

Playing with HDR and the colors almost look cartoonish to me. Don't really like that. I would prefer a more gritty look. It feels like Kratos is walking around in a pixar kids movie.

I'm having fun, though. Just sticking with the main story and ignoring the sidequests so far. Don't feel like there are really valuable rewards when you finish them. Might change if you play on a higher difficulty.

 

[Hotspurr]

Are you kidding me? I've walked more when not in cutscenes than any God of War game to date. Don't get me started on the boring boat rides as well.

Just finished a 9 hour play session. Very happy that there is a good amount of combat, opening part had me a bit worried at times, but there is plenty of game here and the mundane convos and forced walking are spaced good enough apart, especially if you do side quests. I found 2 big ones by exploring after getting out of the starting area which were really cool, and some typical little ones.

This is exactly how it feels to me. When the God of War stuff kicks in it is awesome but everything else is so dull it is borderline boring.

I think it's a good game, but cetainly not OMFG batshit insane good. Many of the questionable design choices that plague some modern games are in this game. Forced walking sections, unskippable cutscenes, the annoying kid - always pointing out the obvious, to name a few.

Not to beat a dead horse, but seems you'll be doing a good amount of cinematic walking in the game. It's probably not a big deal. The point is for many people, these cinematic moments kill the momentum and excitement. Since we are all gamers it's a discussion worth to have. Many Sony 1st party titles for this reason feel similar (TLoU, Uncharted, etc). There is nothing wrong with being cinematic, but it can be done properly. For example, Until Dawn is excellent, and cinematic moments fit that genre well. Wolfenstein II has a lot of cut scenes, but they don't usually interrupt gameplay, and if they do, it's usually something crazy happening that you absolutely want to watch (which is not walking around aimlessly admiring vistas). Having a game be cinematic certainly adds to the immersion, but the moment you forget you're a game and try to be too much like a movie, is the moment you lose me.

I will try picking this up later today, I just need to try it now haha...

 

[mcz117chief]

Not to beat a dead horse, but seems you'll be doing a good amount of cinematic walking in the game. It's probably not a big deal. The point is for many people, these cinematic moments kill the momentum and excitement. Since we are all gamers it's a discussion worth to have. Many Sony 1st party titles for this reason feel similar (TLoU, Uncharted, etc). There is nothing wrong with being cinematic, but it can be done properly. For example, Until Dawn is excellent, and cinematic moments fit that genre well. Wolfenstein II has a lot of cut scenes, but they don't usually interrupt gameplay, and if they do, it's usually something crazy happening that you absolutely want to watch (which is not walking around aimlessly admiring vistas). Having a game be cinematic certainly adds to the immersion, but the moment you forget you're a game and try to be too much like a movie, is the moment you lose me.

I will try picking this up later today, I just need to try it now haha...

Right, it does feel very much like The "Last of Us: the re-skinned edition", but I don't buy God of War for that even if I very much enjoy The Last of Us. Until Dawn is amazing and one of my favourite PS4 games, but again, it says outright what it is and has no baggage attached to it. God of War 4 (or 5) is a good game, but it sadly doesn't have that nonstop adrenaline rush feel of the previous games, especially like the third. I like Kratos' new voice actor, I was afraid he wouldn't be the same but that is definitely not an issue.

This game feels like "Adventures of Kratos and co." more than God of War, which is both good and bad. Good because it gives you the time to smell the roses and enjoy the road and sharing of experience between the characters. Bad because it is painfully slow in comparison to the previous games.

Played last night for a few hours with zero expectations.

Got so bored that I turned my ps4 off and went to bed early.

Gonna force myself to play again today and see if it gets better.

I had a similar experience aside from the fact that I was major league hyped. Went to bed about an hour earlier that usual and not really feeling like playing it today. Hopefully it won't be like NieR: Automata which I was super ultra hyped for but only played a few hours and then never touched it again.

 

[ABrokenToy]

Whats up with the HDR brightness and contrast sliders. They don't actually appear to do what they say they do, in particular the contrast slider. When I bump it up it black crushes the image and seems to do nothing to the white point.

 

[nowhat]

Playing with HDR and the colors almost look cartoonish to me.

It'd be interesting to hear what would be a good implementation of HDR? Because I think it's just terrific here. Many implementations seem to just be "oh, so we can make some elements brighter, let's turn brightness up to 11!". Whereas here, it's not just about making things brighter or darker, but having more colour, for lack of a better definition. Very early when

Spoiler

you receive the compass from the witch

I admit I spent a lot of time just looking at the trees. Because the leaves were just so red. Like, really, truly, red. Quite amazing to look at really, and something I personally expect a good HDR implementation to do. But obviously you feel differently - so, what game does HDR properly in your opinion?

 

[Ar¢tos]

Just entered the 2nd realm and WOW, eyegasm! So many colors, so much detail, so much going on at the same time on the background. How can my toaster-cpu ps4 with just 1.8tf GPU produce this??

 

[GenericUser]

It'd be interesting to hear what would be a good implementation of HDR? Because I think it's just terrific here. Many implementations seem to just be "oh, so we can make some elements brighter, let's turn brightness up to 11!". Whereas here, it's not just about making things brighter or darker, but having more colour, for lack of a better definition. Very early when

Spoiler

you receive the compass from the witch

I admit I spent a lot of time just looking at the trees. Because the leaves were just so red. Like, really, truly, red. Quite amazing to look at really, and something I personally expect a good HDR implementation to do. But obviously you feel differently - so, what game does HDR properly in your opinion?

Ratchet and Clank was cool. But this game went for a cartoony look anyway. Besides that? I really have to think about it, maybe the desert maps in BF1? The more I play it, the more I dislike the color palette in GoW tbh.

Spoiler

Alfenheim

sometimes looked like a saturday morning cartoon.

 

[Kagero]

It’s an impressive game. There’s so much to appreciate. I’m impressed by the combat system. The sense of mystery at every corner. What I’m most impressed with is the acting of Kratos himself. Everything is so subtle but so impactful. People who don’t like are clearly looking for something else. It’s not wrong. They are probably looking forward to transformers but got blade runner lol.

 

[Manus]

Yeah I can't see how this is just getting 10 after 10s. Besides the graphics that's the only thing I can say it actually excels in.

Plus I miss the old voice actor for Kratos. I've replayed the old God of War games so many times it's memory burned into my brain with his old voice.

 

[Imtjnotu]

Ratchet and Clank was cool. But this game went for a cartoony look anyway. Besides that? I really have to think about it, maybe the desert maps in BF1? The more I play it, the more I dislike the color palette in GoW tbh.

Spoiler

Alfenheim

sometimes looked like a saturday morning cartoon.

Honestly can't see how anything is cartoony?

 

[Nikana]

About 8 hours in.

I am enjoying it for sure. But the pacing is indeed very slow for the first quarter of the game. Is it a 10? Not sure yet, but it's still a very good game.

 

[GenericUser]

Honestly can't see how anything is cartoony?

Spoiler: Ingame Screenshots

The Screenshots seem to be taken without HDR, on my Screen, the Colors are WAY more vibrant.
I'm not saying I don't like the graphics at all, I just didn't expect to many colors. Maybe it's intentional to show off HDR. It's impressive, but I personally would have liked a color palette like in Dark Souls 3 more tbh.

 

[vpance]

I hope the areas open up later. Do they? I just unlocked the blacksmith and it's been all TLoU sized corridors so far.

I also lost count how often I died from an attack from behind. I see how they tried to replicate Souls combat and they made a good attempt, but ultimately this game is definitely not on par with souls in that regard.

I like the combat. It's still very classic GoW "arenas" where they throw a variety of enemy types at you and you figure out the best way to take them out. As far as the attacks from behind go, I'd say don't be afraid to spam dodge. But you have to keep an eye on the arrow indicators.

 

[nowhat]

I'm not saying I don't like the graphics at all, I just didn't expect to many colors. Maybe it's intentional to show off HDR. It's impressive, but I personally would have liked a color palette like in Dark Souls 3 more tbh.

That's quite what HDR is supposed to do, bring the colours up to front and center. But if you don't like it, just a thought... turn HDR off? The option is there, if you're so inclined.

 

[GenericUser]

That's quite what HDR is supposed to do, bring the colours up to front and center. But if you don't like it, just a thought... turn HDR off? The option is there, if you're so inclined.

There is an option to turn down color saturation on my TV, that did the job, but thanks.

 

[Imtjnotu]

Spoiler: Ingame Screenshots

The Screenshots seem to be taken without HDR, on my Screen, the Colors are WAY more vibrant.
I'm not saying I don't like the graphics at all, I just didn't expect to many colors. Maybe it's intentional to show off HDR. It's impressive, but I personally would have liked a color palette like in Dark Souls 3 more tbh.

Mind if I ask what screen you are using?

 

[Danjin44]

I'm surprised how much I'm playing this game like pervious GOW. Like how I pick up health after I beat all enemies or during fight when I'm low on health. Or how I have to use my rage mode at the right time because it doesn't last long, basically resource managing just like I did in pervious GOW games when playing in harder difficulty setting.

As a huge God Of War fan I'm very happy with this game.

 

[GenericUser]

Mind if I ask what screen you are using?

sure, it's this one: http://www.lg.com/hk_en/tv/lg-55SJ8000

As a huge God Of War fan I'm very happy with this game.

great

 

[ANDS]

I hope the areas open up later. Do they? I just unlocked the blacksmith and it's been all TLoU sized corridors so far.



I like the combat. It's still very classic GoW "arenas" where they throw a variety of enemy types at you and you figure out the best way to take them out. As far as the attacks from behind go, I'd say don't be afraid to spam dodge. But you have to keep an eye on the arrow indicators.

You're still in the tutorial. The game opens up. It's not Zelda, but it isn't The Last of Us like people are moaning about. Whether you appreciate the change in gameplay though will depend on how much of the DMC-"inspired" kill corridor of the previous game you enjoyed. However if you want combat, it is there (in particular if you are playing on higher than normal difficulty).

Agreed on the combat; the red flashing indicator practically takes up residence on your screen for how long it lasts. They are incredibly generous in letting you know what is happening off screen.

 

[WaterAstro]

I'm a bit meh about the skill goals. I love being powerful at the beginning, so I want to get all the exp and stuff as soon as I can. It doesn't seem really fun just parrying one dude a hundred times though lol.

It's really my fault, but this is how I like to play games. Wish this kind of progression was a big more organic.

 

[A.Romero]

I got to play like 3 hours last night and I'm really liking what I'm seeing.

I normally play on PC so I'm a bit jaded on the graphics department but this game looks so good that it surprises me that its just a Ps4 running it.

I showed a game to a friend that hates TLOU and cinematic games in general but he loves souls game. He was complaining a lot during the first 30 minutes but changed his tune once the Trolls started showing up.

Acting is pretty cool and sound design is just amazing.

Fortunately my TV is UHD certified so I can enjoy true HDR. The configuration settings are quite lacking in my opinion but it looks good enough on the default calibration.

I'm at work right now and I can't wait to keep playing. I'm pretty sure I'll be glued to the screen the rest of the weekend.

Totally recommend and from what I'm reading here it will get even better.

 

[kriskrosbbk]

Guys I bought a physical copy and with it there was code to redeem three shields and a theme. Once I redeemed them I got a notification that I downloaded and installed only the theme.
Now when I redeem again I get only the theme. Where the shields gone? Where can I find them if they are installed somehow. They are not under weapons tab. Please help.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Can you see your game time somewhere? Also, can you fast travel? Just got to

Spoiler

the first realm of which there are 9!

 

[Danjin44]

Guys I bought a physical copy and with it there was code to redeem three shields and a theme. Once I redeemed them I got a notification that I downloaded and installed only the theme.
Now when I redeem again I get only the theme. Where the shields gone? Where can I find them if they are installed somehow. They are not under weapons tab. Please help.

Did you went to shield menu? I LOVING this game but the menu in this game is kind of a mess. Maybe because I mostly play JRPG rather than WRPG, because in most JRPG you have simple menu of Equipment, Items, Skill and Quests but in this I spend good hour just figuring out how menu works.

 

[DonF]

I'm 5 hours in and it's dark god of souls and war...and I'm loving it.

 

[cormack12]

So I've played for a bit now and got to the first proper realm outside the starting one. If you read my previous posts on this game you'll know I was happy with the format and delivery of GoWIII etc. Absolutely loved them and had huge doubts about whether this game could deliver. As the game is going on, I'm being more and more swayed that they have but there is still a lack of polish in places and in some mechanics.

Spoiler: Mini bosses thoughts

So these trolls- I think there may be 9? are the game's mini bosses. I've fought two so far. Not really a fan. Run in, hack at legs, evade, repeat. There's very little feedback on damage you're doing. There's no sort of skill based rewards such as throwing the ax and scoring a direct hit on the runic markings either. Atreus is a fun distraction to use. The second one threw the boss in the centre and then spawned adds which is one of my pet peeves as well. So up to now, I'm not really digging the next encounter but we;ll see

Spoiler: UI and presentation

Awful. Looks out of place. I'm using custom and only displaying health bars for bosses with threat indicator, but the clean lines and ubi-style text don't really go with the game. I'm fine with the pause menu and game map etc. but the challenge trackers and hold up for journal would have benefitted from some more love and continuity I think.But overall not a big deal

Spoiler: Combat

I'm playing on normal as I need to get to grip with the new mechanics etc. There's a disconnect between some of the systems. When you execute it, it feels so good and you manage to string a good chain together, but it's hampered by inconsistent responses from sprint, parry and lock on latency. These seem to clash or have issues with multiple mobs and it just puts a bit of a pause into the freeflow at times. Which brings me onto the threat indicator which is schizophrenic at times. It doesn't seem to be proximity based so if you have a ranged attack being lined up the cursor will flash red for a quick turn and then there's no one there. So in that split second you also lose the timing to evade. I think a different icon would have helped here. Lock on has been the biggest issue for me, it's just not as 'snappy' and responsive as it needs to be imo.

Spoiler: First real boss

I'm counting this as 'The Stranger' encounter. First of all, cinematically great. My first thought was a celtic hermes, followed by Conor McGregor. This ended up being three bouts and felt overlong. I got the point, he couldn't be hurt and he was tough. No need to revive him and draw out the encounter so long. And that's where I first noticed the issues with the threat indicators and how slow the camera makes it to skirt/kite around a quick enemy. Was too easy to lose sight of him at times, especially in the 'rage' phase.

Spoiler: Collectibles

Lots of them. But never a huge detour to pick up the majority. Well implemented and they give rewards of bonus XP but do I care about them? Things like shipheads, toys etc? Not really.

Spoiler: Level design

Very, very good but so far there's been a lot of linearity which may open up. I actually don't mind this though. It's more akin to Uncharted than Skyrim. Some of the split paths and shortcuts and off the beaten track areas have been very good and enjoyable.

Might sound a bit harsh but overall I've actually enjoyed it. As a seperate IP I'm sure it would have worked just as well. But ultimately, keeping the IP means the demand for slick, fast combat is high and it's not quite there sadly. But I think it will only get better as they iterate on this new direction.

I'm streaming now for a couple of hours from the first proper realm if anyone wants to watch me struggle. I'm not great and I won't be talking or viewing comments etc. just playing. Might pause now and then for phone etc. Think the twitch icon should display under avatar now as well.

 

[Fulcizombie]

Maybe the guys that made it are wrong for trying something so wildly different from the past six games in their well-established franchise.

*takes huge hit from hookah*

No but for real. They went from knockoff DMC to knockoff Last Of Us, and I feel like they’re only getting so much acclaim because it’s been so long since the last entry in either of those franchises.

Ohhhhhh wellllll. I don’t wanna come off like someone who’s just shitposting in a game’s OT but I will say I’m glad I just rented it instead of splurging on a full blown purchase this afternoon.

Damn is it really like last of us ? That’s bad, really bad. Anyway I will wait for a deep price cut, these blockbuster Sony games have a place in my library (I own a pro and a samsung ks8000 so they are nice demos for both) but I am not rushing out to pay 50-60€ for them , I can wait.

 

[ANDS]

So I've played for a bit now and got to the first proper realm outside the starting one. If you read my previous posts on this game you'll know I was happy with the format and delivery of GoWIII etc. Absolutely loved them and had huge doubts about whether this game could deliver. As the game is going on, I'm being more and more swayed that they have but there is still a lack of polish in places and in some mechanics.

Spoiler: Mini bosses thoughts

So these trolls- I think there may be 9? are the game's mini bosses. I've fought two so far. Not really a fan. Run in, hack at legs, evade, repeat. There's very little feedback on damage you're doing. There's no sort of skill based rewards such as throwing the ax and scoring a direct hit on the runic markings either. Atreus is a fun distraction to use. The second one threw the boss in the centre and then spawned adds which is one of my pet peeves as well. So up to now, I'm not really digging the next encounter but we;ll see

Spoiler: UI and presentation

Awful. Looks out of place. I'm using custom and only displaying health bars for bosses with threat indicator, but the clean lines and ubi-style text don't really go with the game. I'm fine with the pause menu and game map etc. but the challenge trackers and hold up for journal would have benefitted from some more love and continuity I think.But overall not a big deal

Spoiler: Combat

I'm playing on normal as I need to get to grip with the new mechanics etc. There's a disconnect between some of the systems. When you execute it, it feels so good and you manage to string a good chain together, but it's hampered by inconsistent responses from sprint, parry and lock on latency. These seem to clash or have issues with multiple mobs and it just puts a bit of a pause into the freeflow at times. Which brings me onto the threat indicator which is schizophrenic at times. It doesn't seem to be proximity based so if you have a ranged attack being lined up the cursor will flash red for a quick turn and then there's no one there. So in that split second you also lose the timing to evade. I think a different icon would have helped here. Lock on has been the biggest issue for me, it's just not as 'snappy' and responsive as it needs to be imo.

Spoiler: First real boss

I'm counting this as 'The Stranger' encounter. First of all, cinematically great. My first thought was a celtic hermes, followed by Conor McGregor. This ended up being three bouts and felt overlong. I got the point, he couldn't be hurt and he was tough. No need to revive him and draw out the encounter so long. And that's where I first noticed the issues with the threat indicators and how slow the camera makes it to skirt/kite around a quick enemy. Was too easy to lose sight of him at times, especially in the 'rage' phase.

Spoiler: Collectibles

Lots of them. But never a huge detour to pick up the majority. Well implemented and they give rewards of bonus XP but do I care about them? Things like shipheads, toys etc? Not really.

Spoiler: Level design

Very, very good but so far there's been a lot of linearity which may open up. I actually don't mind this though. It's more akin to Uncharted than Skyrim. Some of the split paths and shortcuts and off the beaten track areas have been very good and enjoyable.

Might sound a bit harsh but overall I've actually enjoyed it. As a seperate IP I'm sure it would have worked just as well. But ultimately, keeping the IP means the demand for slick, fast combat is high and it's not quite there sadly. But I think it will only get better as they iterate on this new direction.

I'm streaming now for a couple of hours from the first proper realm if anyone wants to watch me struggle. I'm not great and I won't be talking or viewing comments etc. just playing. Might pause now and then for phone etc. Think the twitch icon should display under avatar now as well.

In regards to combat, playing on Normal if you've played games like this before is likely why you're not feeling it, in particular the mid-bosses. As for linearity, it is far less linear than an Uncharted, and gets more so as the story progesses. However it is still an action game with RPG-esque elements. A reviewer mentioned Dark Siders and I thought that was quite a good comparison.

 

[Geki-D]

Give Me God of War mode is a bit ridiculous. The game throws a million enemies at you at the same time and they all take a serious amount of hits before they die, they also all seem to be unphased by most hits so they'll generally stand there taking my first 2 attacks then just backhand me by the third. Then when they're at half health they level up and heal. Haven't got up to where I can upgrade yet so maybe that'll help. Stopped at a point where I'm getting assaulted by wave after wave of enemies, then at one point there are like 5 melee ones and 3 ranged non stop pummeling me with projectiles. I mean, there's hard and then there's just crazy. Hope I don't have to restart from the beginning.

 

[cormack12]

In regards to combat, playing on Normal if you've played games like this before is likely why you're not feeling it, in particular the mid-bosses. As for linearity, it is far less linear than an Uncharted, and gets more so as the story progesses. However it is still an action game with RPG-esque elements. A reviewer mentioned Dark Siders and I thought that was quite a good comparison.

I mean it's ok, and I'm still digging it but I feel really unequipped in the battles especially now at the agile elves. Projectiles, flanking, whizzing round - it's just not built for that amount of enemies. Right now I guess it's the same sort of criticism that was labelled at DSII gank squads. I am expecting it to open up but I don't really see the quite linear structure at the moment as a bad thing. I kind of like knowing where I'm heading.

The quick turn is good but the indicators just don't communicate well to me at all. Especially when you're trying to block front and centre or lost your axe and trying to recall. I'm sure I'll get used to it just thankful I started on normal so I can experiment a bit with the skills, rage and specials.

..they also all seem to be unphased by most hits so they'll generally stand there taking my first 2 attacks then just backhand me by the third. Then when they're at half health they level up and heal.

Yeah I agree with that. Similar to DSII again and the equivalent of poise. Unless you get a heavy combo in you can't really stagger. The axe freeze is useful but just for one then you're at bare fists and shield. Levelling up the axe is critical though, the skills really enhance your power and Atreus as well. I don't think of him as a companion, more a mobile ranged attacked, like the bot in Nier for example.

 

[TheDuskwalker]

Damn is it really like last of us ? That’s bad, really bad. Anyway I will wait for a deep price cut, these blockbuster Sony games have a place in my library (I own a pro and a samsung ks8000 so they are nice demos for both) but I am not rushing out to pay 50-60€ for them , I can wait.

It's not like The Last of Us. It does start out making it seem that way a bit in the, lets just call it, fairly lengthy tutorial area. After your through that I would compare it more to Rise of the Tomb Raider, but better.
Instead of heading to the main mission marker, I instead started to explore, and found 2 pretty great side quests with there own little area/dungeon, and 2 typical side quests, not to mention other things from challenge battles to upgrades/new moves. Plus there is things you can only get when you come back to a area later with a new ability. So it does seem to have a bit of Metroidvaniaish stuff.
Makes me wonder if the people comparing it The Last of Us are just going from main mission to main mission and not exploring like they're supposed to, or still early in the game.

 

[ManUnkindH]

Guys I bought a physical copy and with it there was code to redeem three shields and a theme. Once I redeemed them I got a notification that I downloaded and installed only the theme.
Now when I redeem again I get only the theme. Where the shields gone? Where can I find them if they are installed somehow. They are not under weapons tab. Please help.

I'm having the same problem: I can't seem to find my limited edition and preorder bonuses ingame. Looked everywhere, don't know what the fuck to do and nobody has an answer....

 

[LaughingStock]

Damn is it really like last of us ? That’s bad, really bad. Anyway I will wait for a deep price cut, these blockbuster Sony games have a place in my library (I own a pro and a samsung ks8000 so they are nice demos for both) but I am not rushing out to pay 50-60€ for them , I can wait.

I think it's more like super mario odissey. You run around in these maps looking for hidden stuff. It's colorful. And the kid is pretty much like cappy.

 

[WaterAstro]

The combat is definitely something that needs getting used to. I need to block way more than I currently am.

 

[DavidGzz]

So, I think that my first playthrough will be at least 60 hours, lol. I like just walking around while swinging the camera around and taking in the beauty of what SSM have crafted. Hard mode is essentially Dark Souls hard but with the added difficulty of having to learn new systems so I'm dying a lot but it all feels fair similar to Souls and I am having a blast!

I've been sick the last two days so I have played a lot and am only just now back from the second realm. I don't want it to end and I feel that similar to Dark Souls, this will sour me to most other games. Everything will feel like a step down except maybe RDR2 and Spiderman.

 

[Fnord]

Sounds like some people just want a battle arena with endless waves of progressively more difficult enemies. If that describes you, you're playing the wrong game(s). Based on the number of people that apparently want that, someone should make that game, though.

 

[Fnord]

The combat is definitely something that needs getting used to. I need to block way more than I currently am.

The first several enemies were deceptive in that regard. I cut through them pretty easily, only using the shield to counter because it was cool. I was rudely awakened to the notion that this would not be sufficient going forward.

 

[GenericUser]

The more I play it, the more I like it. I think I "get" the combat system now. It's quite a steep learning curve imo. Learn to incorporate all systems into your style takes some time to get used to. Throwing/retrieving axe, attack, heavy attack, charge attack, attacking with the bow, runetech, finishers, bareknuckle fighting - there are a lot of options and the fact that you can do some of them "simultaneously" is not benefical for newcomers. And I didn't even mention all the mods and techniques you can use to optimize the system towards your very own playstyle.

But once you get used to it .... sweet baby jesus. I'm also at the point where the world opens up a bit and I can definitely see the high scores the game got now. Other games will probably have a REALLY hard time to compete with this game when it comes to the GOTY awards.