Recent reviews by Choir of VVolves

A: IT'S NOT DARK SOULS
B: IT'S NOT DEMON SOULS
C: 0/10 DIFFICULTY RATING
D: 0/10 WOULD NOT BUY

I don't know if we ever need another number in the Dark Souls franchise. This surpasses.

It's kind of cozy but I laugh hysterically when people say they've been playing it for 8 or 9 years in it's development or whatever, this might have been some real revolutionary stuff in 2013 and a real D3 killer but now it just feels like the New World endgrind combined with an ARPG diablo-esque clone conflicted on what it wants to be.

Rise seemed to be THEE single player friendly and seemingly less grindy version of Monster Hunter World.

Thus, THEE entry point for anybody interested in the series as a whole, hands down.

However, with DLC and time for the updates to sort of "bake and set" (we're at the Amatsu update now) - Sunbreak brought back all the worst qualities of this game and it has now reverted to an utter grindfest that is actually less varied and multiplayer focused than World.

Oh well. Maybe MHW2.

It's incredibly rare, in retrospect, for a re-launch of a franchise to go so well and integrate so closely with multiple layers of the established lore.

Seven hints at what was to come; a relatively short (6-9 hour first time) playthrough with a reason to go back through again and some really delightful and sadistic additions via the Season Pass. Not ALL worth it but a justifiable pass.

We're away from the established lore of the Spencer Mansion/Raccoon City and we're not following a Kennedy around, BUT we are totally reinventing things in the southern bijous with a twist against the stereotypical zombie assault.

It's honestly stuck with me since the first time playing it years ago with a friend, and ♥♥♥♥ does it feel so good to sit down and bust out before your first playthrough of Village.

Avoid like Harvey Weinstein with the bubonic COVID, you're better off putting this time into one of the hundreds of games that reward you for your time versus create arbitrary barriers to absorb more of it.

Everything contained herein is done better elsewhere, full stop. And not completely screwed over by it's developers. Absolutely baffling designs. Please search for "Josh Strife Hayes New World Timeline Of Failure" for a total objective view point from now the start of 2022.

Don't even buy on sale, as 98%+ of the playerbase has left the game completely and the odds are already wildly stacked against you after Amazon allowed gold duping, skill manipulation, and then ♥♥♥♥♥♥ the crafting market.

lol I just have to reinforce that 98%+ of the playerbase have left:

https://steamdb.info/app/1063730/graphs/

Everything that I loved about the first referenced, multiplied, expanded, and amplified. This is what a Soulsbourne Diablo should be.

Oh and no slowdown or ridiculousness on thee ol 8700k/1080Ti so IDK what some of these reviews with folks with DLSS are talking about. I'm 80+ without straining

The most realistic Bush era Katrina simulator on the market today.

10/10

Commits two cardinal and unforgivable sins of co-op gaming:

1. Certain challenges are built for co-op. Sure, try it solo if you want to get frustrated or bored with "simple idea, but also inverted with two portals!"
2. Co-op is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ broken if you expect to maintain a connection with a partner.

Don't give these people any awards or money. Nothing has happened since the initial early alpha. "Wouldn't it be really cool if this team innovated or added to this game whatsoever"

4 biomes, maybe 12 enemies, 4 bosses, alot of fun with a group of friends, a okay but baretones time sink if you're bored, absolutely ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ pointless in purpose and endgame.

PSYCHED FOR 1.01 SOMETIME IN 2064

Starting this mod is magical. It feels like someone played through Morrowwind and decided to use Skyrim's engine to cross it with the Witcher 3 and Kingdom Come in the best ways possible. Every nook is fully detailed. And there's alot of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ nooks. I spent four hours exploring a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ city.

If you're more 'old school' in your RPG and fantasy experiences, this feels just right. There's no fast travel (unless you buy a scroll) there's a whole new leveling system (that contains some weird perks like Skyrim did but that's okay it's a great addition) there's more incentive to explore (for Ice Claws, an item that permanently increases your carry weight, magical symbols, unique souls, recipes, legendary equipment that MATTER, etc) they brought over the Kingdom Come "well if you wanna rest FIND A BED" (but its not for saving/autosave thank god) food/wine feels more necessary oh and it's written from a mature standpoint and not WHAT HO ADVENTURER, NICE TO MEET YOU! LET ME MAKE YOU CHAMPION OF THE GUILD AND FACE THE CORNER SO YOU CAN ROB MY HOUSE

Half way to about three-fourths through the game, you'll be glowing with praises. I spent 60 positive hours in this mod I would say. Bethesda could really learn some lessons here.

Aaaaaaand then, we get to the final chapters of the game, where somehow they fumble the ball into every possible bad niche in the RPG market. We're talking final season of Game of Thrones or Lost level mental workarounds here.

After all this awesome storytelling and building a wonderful universe... absolutely ruined by a deus ex machina telling you you've been dead this entire time nothing you did mattered the worlds gonna end oh and also the whole game/world is a dream and you can either kill yourself (you know, again, and like just not dream and be dead) to save humanity even though its not humanity just your dream of humanity OR flee to the clouds and not double die and repopulate or shape new humanity without ego even though they're a dream and you're just dreaming still or the dream world might end again because if they get egos then the (dream) high ones return and we all have to double die again!

What a shame and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ cop out of a storyline resolution. All of the endings are pretty terrible and the whole thing comes off more insulting for spending your time with it than insightful for the meta-ending. Honestly, I'd rather have not spent as much time getting invested into something that they clearly did NOT have the ability to end correctly. Stinks of "oooohhhh what a cool idea if only there was some way we could work it into the story I KNOW none of it matters and none of it needs to make any sense because it's a dream! ♥♥♥♥ you! "