Even after finding where she went, she goes back to a DIFFERENT PART of the roundtable than she was before, which i never went back to because I already got all the items down there. Roundtable is the one place in the game that doesn't list the NPCs there smh
Legit. They should put the default on “yes” so you can at least quickly confirm and not take a hit to the face. Especially when playing with keyboard and mouse…
@@thiagobnla it was the first time my horse died and I was up against a lot of enemies. I figured it would be a waste of my healing flask if I got caught and staggered again on the horse.
In a sea of overly cynical and boisterous game reviewers, Girlfriend Reviews makes everything fun and funnier again. Never miss a video with these two :)
They can be cynical. Their Horizon Forbidden West and jedi fallen order reviews were both super cynical unfair reviews... but they're more for the comedy than actual serious reviews so it's nbd.
@@mikesannitti6042 Cynical doesn’t mean “a review I don’t like” Mike. Critiquing bland copy and paste titles will happen. Just so happens that Fallen order and HZD 1&2 are good examples of such games.
@@FollowerOfChrist144 The whole "bland copy and paste" criticism is textbook cynicism. There's nothing bland about Horizon. I also get the sense that they didnt play more than the first few hours of forbidden west because they focused on the act one reintroduction of an old enemy which is over with by act 2. And they went at Fallen Order for being a more accessible, straightforward star wars take on the Souls games. Basically both games were criticized different ways for not being From games, which is silly.
Actually, I think it's a problem that most reviewers are too positive about games. There's been a horrific downwards trend for AAA games in the last decade and a lot of reviewers still seem to mark things up rather than be real and give them a negative review.
Miyazaki has said in an interview that as a kid he liked reading big confusing books he couldn't understand as he liked using his imagination to understand them. That's why the story in his games are so hard to understand
It wasn't just big, confusing books. He read English fantasy novels without being fluent in English so he literally couldn't understand what they were saying.
@@justalostlocal If that's how you want to interpret it, go for it. I'm hesitant to call someone sharing something they enjoy with another as inflicting suffering on that individual, even if suffering might indeed be the result. Kinda falls into that grey zone where the receiver might need to recognize that the enthusiasm of the giver is misplaced and disengage from the interaction if it causes them suffering. There's also the approach so many like to take of just telling the enthusiast that they don't like the topic and they need to stop. I'm not a fan of that approach because I think those people should definitely continue their enthusiasm if they enjoy it, I'm just not someone who can share in their enthusiasm. You do you and I'll do me, if you will.
Tracking quests was so impossible i started writing down my own quest log and honestly it made the experience way more rewarding, felt like I was piecing together the puzzle as I went.
Thanks. Also remember that everytime you do something on a side quest, you have to return to the quest giver so the quest can be completed. Coming from Assassins Creed Valhalla, I wasn't used to it.
Really late, but as i am currently playing through Elden Ring, i have to say that even that won't often help me. For example, i've done a few quests for Ranni and her followers. I come back to her at some point, Seluvis is dead (this one i can guess, Gideon perhaps after the potion deal?), Mr Blacksmith doesn't have new dialogue, Blaidd is just gone and Ranni tells me she needs to go take a nap. Then she does. Now everything is empty, and i am trying to figure out how and why. I am very ready for my second playthrough, where i will just use a complete walkthrough.
@@japacapa Are you trying to say "mil" as in - million? Your comments edited so I guess you wanted it like "min", but I don't see how minuet works in that statement
As a new player, I agree with the complaints about the controls completely. Please stop targeting that weird fly instead of the deadly dragon's head/leg.
When im about to fight a big monster ive gotten in the habit of using ranged attacks to clear out all the trash around it before engaging it just because of this.
I love how you brought up the strange locking on to random enemies, the fact that it's been so consistent since literally Zelda Ocarina of Time is really funny
I had the opposite happen to me. When I told my husband I wanted Elden Ring he immediately told me I would not like it. He felt bad for saying that, got me the game, and now I'm hooked! Not just that. We started playing together (taking turns like back in the 90's). LOL! 🤣🙏
Admittedly, the confirmation window pop-up for when your horse dies would have been much better if it were replaced by a text box that says "Not enough flasks of crimson tears to revive Torrent" that only popped up when your flasks ran out completely.
I'm gonna be sarcastic when I say this: "Lul, get good, just gotta realise horse dead, flick to yes, hit confirm! like 0.2 seconds mah dude" But yes, I was ready for it when I started playing Elden ring thanks to numerous people complaining about it... I WAS READY.
@@LlamasIlamas putting it on yes as a default could resolve in you accidentally use your last and very needed flask to win the the fight cause you mash x in a panic
@@maddoxtri right, what people are saying is they'd prefer that and have to overcome their urge to just expend flasks to get torrent back when flasks are an important tool to use elsewhere, rather than have to do that AND fight the ui at the same time in the middle of an important fight.
Oh my God I woke my girlfriend up laughing at that "the cutscenes are hard" bit. That was hilariously accurate! My face was so scrunched up trying to remember every name
At least once you've beaten the game it all makes a lot more sense, but even as straight-forward as Elden Ring is compared to Dark Souls, it's still kind of a bit much.
The funny thing is that this happens in pretty much all fromSoft games (expect Sekiro maybe, which is more straightforward). Watch the intro the first time, it’s pretty much impossible to understand. Watch it again, and it kinda starts to make sense. Or like Fia (the hug lady), she pretty much tells you that she takes a bit of life from the heros she hugs, but it all sounds very mysterious and metaphorical, until you realize that she did exactly what she said she’s going to do. Or when you find out what is behind the mythical organization that calls itself the „two fingers“ 😂
@@Lucifronz It's a lot better than Dark Souls though. DS1 lore felt cobbled together. Just compare Dark Souls lore to Bloodborne's and you'll see what I mean. Bloodborne is flawless, there are very few plot holes or inconsistencies. Elden Ring is similar in scale to Dark Souls, but the combination of attention to detail in the crafting of the lore and actually being allowed to visit all the places mentioned in the lore made for a more interesting and cohesive experience in my opinion.
3:41 I think the bgm is "Out of Tartarus" from Hades. Now think about it, there's no gf review for Hades yet, and Hades 2 is coming 2023. So please give Hades a try.
Pro tip: If an enemy is large enough that it has multiple lock-on points, don't lock-on unless you're using spells or ranged weapons. It's also helpful to not lock on while fighting groups
@@hanzoyamazaki2551 Why? It has its uses. I use it when fighting single rougher enemies that jump around a lot or ones I want to parry, the trick is knowing when you're better off without.
You learn this the hard way after the first few times you inevitably die to King of Storms because you couldn't see Nameless wind up his massive AOE. But the lock on IS useful in places even against those enemies, you just have to remember to lock OFF when it stops being useful.
I don’t know if anyone here has ever played the amazing game Outer Wilds (not Outer Worlds) but the way they handle quest tracking I believe would work in Souls games. It doesn’t hold your hand by any means but it does keep track of enough information to at least give you an idea of what you’ve been doing and potentially where you might go next. You still have that strong sense of mystery and figuring it out for yourself but you don’t feel totally lost.
i get it, but if i have to look at a quest list, especially now, id ignore all of it. The Ubisoft games really burned me out on them. The way the quest designs are here, you have to focus on them or simply miss out. I can tell you a single quest from assassins creed, or Outer wilds for that matter (and i love that game too) but i can tell you why several characters from Dark souls 3 did what they did, a game i haven't played in years
That’s a great idea, the only other thing is the devs giving some sort of hint where the npc will go next more consistently where they’d otherwise be overly hard (or overly trial and error) to find. That being said they’d have to be careful not to fall into the trappings of other devs and be careful to make sure it stays a quest log and doesn’t become a quest guide that solves the quest for the player.
a great way to do this was if you could only write down on your journal when you rest at bonfires, but it would only be some general notes like an actual person would write, not a word by word rewrite of the script, and the longer you took to rest after a quest update, the less your character would remember.
The thing is that a lot of the quests (I have one in mind in particular, the blind maiden) don't even give you a hint where they ill be next. They can show up at like one out of 20 sites of graces in that zone and I would not have figured it out without looking it up.
@@blazenfate But this isn't Dark Souls 3, which is a linear videogame. Souls fans act like From's quest design is something special, but plop it down in an open word and, congratulations, it's functionally identical to Morrowind quest design. The fundamental difference is that Elden Ring gives you three lines of dialogue while Morrowind gives you three paragraphs that explain what you need to do, where you need to go and why you're doing it. Excusing Fromsoft for refusing to put a quest log in a game that clearly needs it just spits in the face of all the games that have done this exact concept so well. This just ain't Morrowind. These are cheap highschool fanfictions in comparison. No one plays a Souls game or its stories, and frankly, I disagree completely with your take seeing as I can't recall the resolution of more than one DS3 storyline. The lore of these worlds has always been interesting but you're deluded if you think these are enrapturing character dramas worthy of their obtuse design. It seems like From agrees too since they put a bandaid on the problem with a patch.
This does not excuse from's camera vs large enemies, but fighting large enemies is totally functional without lock on and in fact that makes it way easier. You can briefly lock on when they fly up just to keep track of em if you really want but most of the time unlocked is the way to go.
The only thing that becomes harder when you're not locked on is that you have to be intentionally precise with your shield if you plan to do any blocking. When you're locked on it kind of aims your blocks for you. Otherwise, yes, you definitely make up for it in more functional agility.
You still have the "this boss is so huge I can't see 90% of its limbs so I have no idea which one I'm about to be hit with at any given moment" problem without locking on, but I agree it's still usually easier that way
except when it flies up the lock up button makes me look the exact opposite way i want to face instead of locking on and i'm unable to see whatever big attack it's about to drop on my skull
6:33 During this meeting, the intern goes "BEARS!" "Yeah, what about them?" "Let's put BEARS in it!" "Well, it's like a high fantasy setting, so we want the creatures to be fantastical and weird and shit..." "They're REALLY BIG BEARS!" *sigh* "...alright, we'll have really big...bears.........any other ideas?"
Ok, so since you liked really big bear, I came up with a couple other fantasy creatures for the game. What do you think of REALLY BIG PRAWN? And REALLY BIG CRAB?
Love that this game is bringing more people in. I love the obscure story and quest stuff but do agree the controls can be a bit much. The lock on and camera are your biggest enemies at times.
yep, it didn't help Nepheli was bugged until patch 1.03 and wouldn't appear where she was supposed to, thankfully you can't fail her quest until way later and it was hilarious finding her and just doing all that was supposed to happen along hours in a mere few seconds, "hi, i'm Nepheli Lou... what, you already found x? thanks and now I must go... well, you already did that too? ok" quest over.
marking locations myself isn`t a big deal, but the limited options of markers makes it basically useless, since i dont know what the mark is suposed to mean the next day that is the same problem i have with genshin impact, give us icons AND colors, so we can differentiate things to do, things that we did, and things that we need to keep doing multiple times, like farming places, there was no icon that i could use to mark a vendor
I'm 100% here for the jokes, narration, random bouts of singing, and top-tier video editing. I just realized, I'd still watch this channel if I totally did not care about video games. Seriously excellent content, entirely on its own merits. You're not riding anyone else's coattails. This channel is unique, original, and I love it. Even the way you got out ahead of potential Soulsborne superfan pedants... was marvelous.
Man, these videos are real heartwarmers every damn time - rare that something can be so entertaining and hilarious without having to be at someones expense.
Literally was finally on the edge of buying it when this came out and pushed me over the edge. Thanks Shelby for removing the next few weeks of my life! I'm so excited
As a Dark Souls vet who is getting his wife to play Elden Ring (she's enjoying it) I would say two things: 1. Don't give up, the failure is making you better. 2. Do go and do something else in the massive open world if you're beating your head against a wall. Have fun! If you beat a boss with ingenuity and gimmicks, you still beat it!
the community for this one is huge, and the loudest voices are supportive, so swing by the reddit now and then to enjoy some commisoration and memes, and let everyone know when you've done the good hard things, people have been quite positive to everyone scraping by with this one. gghf
shelby: sharing her thoughts about the flaws of elden ring me, a first time soulsbourne/from soft game player who almost quit the game because of those exact flaws: VINDICATION edit: just to verify, i did get used to the bs and got gud, and i'm actually enjoying the game now lmao
I am so glad that you mentioned the in-combat pop-up window asking if you really want your magical horse-goat back or if you'd rather just get murdered. I've lost to that pop-up more than I lost to the tree sentinel.
Take the infinite bleed dogs and the fact that people can obscure interactables with messages. Those are genuine bugs and technical flaws, and yet a vocal portion of the veteran Souls Community are willing the excuse that with "Bugs as features," mindset because it makes the game harder. If it were any other dev company there would be rage.
@@J-manli honestly ive never seen anyone defend the dogs And the thing with "messages over things you interact with" is that it never was a big issue until elden ring, and even then those are not as many as youd think considering the size of the playerbase But yeah that should get fixed.
One of my favorite things about these games is the obtuse and at time vague storytelling, because seeing the whole community come together to theorize and find things is so fun and rewarding. I also just always like that stranger in a strange land vibe the games give, where both you and your character are learning things together,
except 95% of players don't actually go watch TH-cam videos of the lore or browse Reddit for several hours a day... they just never find out any of the lore which is a damn shame.
@@Caesar-- the numbers of views on a lot of those videos begs to differ. Many people see them. Anyone who googled anything related to the games for help will find wikis, Reddit threads, TH-cam videos. And they’ll discover things that way. I honestly can’t think of anyone I know of who plus these games that didn’t google something and then end up down the rabbit hole.
@@SengokuTheGouda Well you probably only know a few people who play then lmao, also the views on these videos are nowhere close to the number of people who have played the game.
@@Caesar-- the most successful ending explained video is currently at 2.2 million views. Currently 12 million copies have sold. We’re looking at just about 20% on views to sales there. Vaati’s Bloodborne explained video has more views than known copies of the game sold. By a lot. It’s also 2022, unless you’re a boomer, you’re probably on Reddit or twitter or maybe even tumblr still and you engage with communities for things you like. Acting like it’s the 90s and people will just refuse to look up anything related to a game they bought is just dumb. Even if you’re looking up reviews, like say this video, lore videos are being recommended to you right over there -> People have and will find their ways to these communities.
@@Caesar-- Personally I enjoy not knowing 100% of the lore in this games I think not knowing or being confused adds to the surreal experience of exploring this purgatory like worlds.
As a person who started playing soul series with bloodborne and sekiro I must say I welcome the “easy mode” they’ve done with elden ring. I don’t mind getting the help of some soldiers once in a while and I’m not afraid to admit it 😂
This is it, I've been playing the game for weeks and I feel like I've barely touched the surface, using spirits or summoning other people in has only made this game better for me
That pop up to resummon is the closest I've come to yeeting my controller across the room after dying. I totally agree that there are some awful design decisions that long term series fans are just used to, but good grief wish for better FS fans. Thumbs up for using Hades music in the vid. (and also for being a great review)
Nepheli's locations for those wondering if ANYONE HAS SEEN NEPHELI HERE. stormveil castle roundtable hold albinaurics village (under the mountain in liurnia) roundtable hold downstairs by the blacksmith if you give her the one thingy, godrickls throne room waaay later on. if you give her the other thingy, talk to selvius. the creepy weirdo.
I think the vast majority of NPC questlines are fine being so spread out and cryptic as to make the casual enjoyer’s experience feel unique to the experience of any of their friends. Though I do think they could stand to be a little less difficult to follow, what I would love is if FromSoft might make it a teensy bit less easy to miss entire optional areas. As for the controls, I want to know who intentionally uses the 180 degree turnaround, because I sure would be fine with that feature being removed or made optional.
A quest log of "wtf happened during ur playthrough that u took a break from for 3 months and came back" would solve everything. Unless u do the same quests every playthrough, no way you remember whete you're at if you take a break for a month or longer.
You guys are both inspiring, seeing the channel grow this much from the first couple videos is truly amazing. Congrats on being yourselves and living life your own way, that's true freedom!
You made me tear up from that beautiful cypress hill parody. I'm so glad I've been subscribed since the red dead 2 video. Thank you so much for everything the two of you amazing people create. Edit: the story us complicated and obtuse to us at first to show we where created by God's breaking rules and now shit don't make sense. Pretty much a souls story lmao. They want you to feel like the world is unwelcoming to you, it'll take time to understand. Much love
Each ep is just EPIC. I as mentioned already many times love how all is edited, the scripts, the humor, their actuall relastionship..etc..I love it, to me it's one of the most unique type of reviews I've seen.
5:10 I know the stenographer bit is exactly that: a bit. But I did actually end up keeping a journal of the different characters, just to keep track of everything they wanted from me 😭 it’s genuinely helping me understand the story so much better, but at what cost?? 😭
Bro, it's so sweet to be on a journey with you both on this channel. Just seeing you from being this absolute noob to a gamer by being invested and involved in what your boyfriend loves. It's relationship goals for me. Both for me to invest myself so much into what my partner loves and for them to love what I love. I can't wait to see where this channel continues to go.
To me this feels like the only honest Elden Ring review I've seen. It's fun and engaging but has issues and plenty of room for improvement. Every other review is that it's terrible or absolutely perfect.
Dunkey and Ryukahr have pretty good reviews on it. They sum up many of my feelings. I loved the game. 155 hours, but it definitely has its issues. Controls mentioned here are part of it. Balance is another.
@@joed5150 really? Bad controls and camera controls are noticed even by vets of the series. From Software was always poor on that aspect on the game. They also re-used a lot of animations from previous game bosses in Elden Ring. The guy who made B/O button do 3 actions needs an award for most anti-gamer shit thrown in game. You know why dodge roll feels laggy? Cause dodge reads when you release the button and not when you press it. You want to sprint after dodging? Good luck with that... Same goes for long jumping. Camera is bound with movement. You can't look around with camera while moving your character as camera will always want to correct itself to be behind your character. It is bad design, but it is something Souls fans got used to I guess. I for one would love to be able to look around while moving, to see if something wants to attack me from behind/left or right. Some kind of NPC journal would be nice as some people only can play on weekends and forget stuff NPC said ages ago lol. Well, you can always write stuff down I guess, but it's 2022. Quality of Life improved a lot in games over the years...
That pop up window that shows up when you don’t have enough stonesword keys and stays there for like 5 whole minutes while you can’t do anything at all is my favorite
@@bomblessdodongo3093 A simple solution yes, but other notification pop ups automatically disappear. That inconsistency with which pop ups require manual dismissal and which ones auto dismiss is the source of frustration.
what plot? there is no real plot in elden ring its all lore. plot is conveyed by the game in response to a players actions like dialogue and cutscenes or the environment, lore is item discriptions codex entries etc.
@@AdityaSingh-lp5rp Lol the intro and Melina literally tells you the Plot and main objective right away, so idk if you're just blatantly lying or just plain didn't pay attention.
There is no plot. There is not a traditional narrative. There is just setting and lore. Its a story abour the world not about the characters, there isnt a character study of their personalities, this isnt The Witcher 3.
And yes there are cutscenes but those cutscenes are not pushing a story. Its like reading a Warhammer codex versus a Warhammer novel. Again a story based open world is The Witcher 3, this game feels more like Zelda, where the story is an excuse. Like the story on a porn movie. It can be really good but you are not here for the story.
Gravity and camera control have always been the single worst enemy in darksouls game. In Elden ring, plateforming with a dedicated jump, reduced fall damage, torrent. Gravity is now acceptable. But Even tho they greatly improved camera control (increased lock range, multiple lock points on big mobs) it's still actively trying to kill you. Multiplayer was always stupid bad. Quests could use logs, but I found Elden ring quest design far superior than any other AAA that throws out millions of chatty NPC that put a pin on your map to find five furtive ferret feces.
The quest design is so close to being amazing, but with how easy it is to unintentionally skip NPC appearances and the vital information they give, it's currently just not acceptable. Right now if you beat a boss you might send them on to a new area and have no idea where they are because they didn't have a chance to tell you. There's no way at all to know when a quest has been failed or has already moved beyond where they said they would be, if they tell you at all. They also finally added NPC icons, map quest markers, and most importantly, info notes with clues... but they only used them a handful of times! They could have easily fixed this problem by leaving info notes behind when an NPC leaves. Right now you have to check their icons to notice when they leave and then remember where they said they were going, and hope that the info is still accurate.
@@BlazeOrangeDeer I a metroidvania player so remembering stupid details and backtracking is my thing. I did 5 out of the 6 endings without a wiki to help me, before the npc markers patch. And the first NG+ make the game easy to quickly complete the remaining questlines. I think a dialog questlog could improve it for players that don't finish the game in the span of a week. But the way NPCs hint or don't hint their next destination is fine. The fact that NPCs travel to unknown places can be a really good thing. Yes, it can be frustrating when you are actively trying to follow a questline. Among exploration's rewards, finding a new NPC is a good one. But finding a NPC you've already met is one of the best. It only becomes an issue when the map can be explored in any order. Even then, it's a game issue (that ng+ fix), not a world building issue. NPCs live, come and go, out of the player agenda. There's multiple endings so you won't make it in one run anyway.
@@byotip You basically described what Shelby did in the video. You're someone so used to the bullshit in the games you play that you can't even smell half the stank anymore.
I don't think a quest log is entirely necessary (not to say it's a bad thing, just that it's not required for the game they want to make), but my issue is when there is no notable clue given as to the next step in a quest. If questgiver is at place A, and directs me to place B, the next step should either be given at place B, given when I return to place A, or have previously been mentioned. I was writing down a quest log manually, and yet there were many times when I had no clue where to go, so I looked it up. Turns out they were is some completely random area. Sometimes the area had been mentioned, but I'm not going to scour a whole zone randomly in case the questgiver is there. If I look up the next step in a quest, the reaction should be "Ah shit of course", not "Why?"
@@byotip Yeah my issue is that most of the areas the NPCs travelled to I'd already visited, so I had little reason to return there. I feel like it detracts from the open-world design if you can explore the world in whatever order you want, but doing so will screw up quest progression.
Also targeting the head when they lunge and you dodge sends the camera haywire. I got to the point where I almost never targeted the head because the camera would just be fighting me and get me killed even though I know that the easiest way to stagger the dragon is head hunting
@@minimagnum3808 That is not a solution to the obvious design flaw though. I have obviously found ways around this, but considering that you want to target the weak point in this case the head and the camera controls will not allow it is a poor design choice
i agree with the camera and the ui pop up choices. But the puzzle solving of the quests are unique to the game, and more interesting than an endless questlog
This. I know some people hate it, but I LOVE keeping a little journal of interesting people and places I've seen Also recording what I think I should do next
This is the first video I have ever seen from this channel, it is simultaneously the one that made me subscribe to it. I have not laughed this hard in a really long time, so thank you for that. 10/10
The problem with Elden Ring's quest system is that it kept to the Dark Soul's vague style of quest progression, without realizing that Elden Ring's an open world game whilst the latter is a largely linear gameplay experience. So whilst for DS in progressing the game naturally (with some exploration), you are bound to come across the next NPC to further a certain questline even if you had no idea where to look for them, or to even do so. However for Elden Ring, when they offer very vague hints (or sometimes do not even offer ANY hints, you straight up just get some encounters by chance such as by resting at a certain site of grace), you basically just straight up miss the entire questline progression, due to no fault of yours. I'd argue to say that it's bad quest design for an open world game if you force your players to have to open a wiki/guide in order to progress the game further and to avoid missing out on crucial equipment or items, because it robs them of the experience of having solved or discovered how to further a questline with proper helpful hints from the NPCs, and some deduction.
i forgot about the hits from the bong parody when i came back to watch this again. it had me laughing just as hard as the 2nd time. good lord thats funny.
One of my favorite takes on this game as a new souls person. Literally, the most fun I’ve had on a solo game since GOW4, but goddamn do the controls need a little TLC. Good shit Shelby. (Also I love the hades music, big brain moves)
I had forgotten how good Lament of Orpheus was until I heard it again in the background of your review. Quite fitting, considering how difficult that game can be as well. Great video.
Honestly yeah though the quest design of Souls games works well enough in Souls games, but something should have changed about them for Elden RIng's open world structure. I think the most annoying thing is that for some of the quests, they did decide to use map markers for stuff, but not all of them. After beating Radahn I did have the thought that maybe Alexander would visit Jarburg but I didn't realize that I have to come at it from atop the cliff again, because why would I do that when I already found the place? And because he leaves no clue where he's gone I didn't think to look around longer. And there are absolutely _no_ clues whatsoever how to advance Diallos' quest in the beginning. Also am I the only one who never realized Rogier shows up on the balcony in the Roundtable Hold? I talked to him in Stormveil Castle, he disappeared for the entire game, then I found him dying there and realized he'd been here the whole time right before I fought the last boss. My second playthrough after talking to Rogier in the hold I got dialogue from D pointing out that Rogier is there on the balcony and I'm like, "motherfucker why didn't you say that last time?!"
I think a simple archive of everything the NPCs have ever said to you would be a good addition so you can reread their dialogues to better understand the story and to find clues to the next quest point. It still keeps that vagueness of the quest but allows us to better navigate the quests. Many times I either forgot a key dialogue line or wasn't concentrating on what an NPC is saying or accidentally skipped the dialogue. And that left me clueless as to what to do next. Made worse when I only play on the weekends and would tend to forget what quest it was I did last weekend. ie: The Haligtree Medallion's location. The Albanauric woman who told me where the other half of that medallion is promptly disappears to become my summon, and now I have no way to ask her again to remind myself where it is. Had to look up guides to find out. It would've been helpful if I can read back her dialogue anytime I want. It's not much of a problem in a linear game like their previous games because you will bump into most questpoints as long as you thoroughly explore each level as you progress. But in a huge open world like this, it is gonna be a pain in the ass to find that nook or cranny you need to find to progress a quest.
@@akmal94ibrahim 100% I reaaalllyyy enjoyed the quests myself but yeah I tots agree just having an archive of stuff npc’s have said would be reaaallyy helpful and nice
Lots of unpopular, but justified critics in this video. I'll add one: The combat is not "git gud", it's boring. That's the most boring part of this game actually. You just roll and bonk. The shield becomes obsolete really fast, and your L2 attacks become too slow for the fast pace bosses fairly quickly. There is no tearing monsters apart like in Horizon Zero Dawn, like a puzzle. Or using elements to affect the monsters, like in Zelda BotW where you can freeze/burn/shock/blow enemies and it is fun. To prove my point, here it is: What did you learn from the Margit fight? Did you learn anything else than "sometimes the enemy will hold his attack in the air a bit longer, so don't do the one combat mechanic of this game, rolling, right away". Boom. Also why does Margot disguise himself as Margit? I feel a bit scammed that a RPG written by GRRM has like 2 cinematics. In the other end, the exploration really makes it for me. On this level it is the most fun I had in a very long time (since the 2 other games I mentioned actually). And the zones are so beautiful too!
Incredible video ! Loved everything about it ! Is there going to be a third rewiew of ER ? The "should your BF play ER ?" more classical one ? I love the joke you create with FS games :) Bises form France Ps : I finished the game today. I did'nt understand a thing. Was like a fever dream. 10/10. Masterpiece. Time for second run...
This might be one of your funniest videos ever, great job! I laughed out loud several times, I think you might have even transcended the "can I kick it" sequence from Deathloop. Your skits are also very cute and funny. Definitely leveling up. edit: I have to keep coming back for the Dr. Stephen Brule cameo - so hilarious!!
I remember randomly seeing your very first video when you just put it out and I was immediately one of your first subscribers. Your expert editing and style still blows me away and you've only gotten better
I love the opposing view reviews on this. Matt showcases everything I dislike about the "git gud" community and Shelby, well, just reinforces it but also highlights the reason why I play Dark Souls while also pointing out the janky control issues.
The “git gud” thing is just a meme. From my experience, these games actually have very helpful, nice communities. Ppl are very encouraging and always willing to lend a help. I rarely see ppl just scream “git gud” when someone is struggling.
@@dathunderman4 it’s a 50/50 shot in the head to be honest. I started playing dark souls when I was 8 and the amount of times I heard git Gud back then made me never rlly ask help from real people every again, but hey I learned the formulas and I’ve beaten every single FromSoftware major title.
FINALLY SOMEBODY ELSE SAID IT. I love Elden Ring so much and have played most of the souls games but I always felt that half of the difficulty had nothing to do with skill curve and had mostly to do with a shitty control scheme
@@patrickweller5254 Because those control schemes are generally more comfortable. From’s control schemes honestly *are* kinda shitty, but a lot of us are used to it by now.
Ah yes...... how many times do I have to be getting LITERALLY attacked by a mob and I try to press lock on, only to have to press it several frikkin times because it locks on to every stupid animal within a mile of me! JUST. LOCK. ONTO. THE. GUY. ATTACKING. ME. FIRST!
Pro tip: you don't have to use the lock on option on all enemies, you know. When it comes to crowds and huge enemies it's best to just leave it be and use the right stick to move the camera around and look for threats or defense positions. From personal experience the lock on on huge enemies has been more detrimental than beneficent to killing them.
IMO the design choise for obscure quest lines is deliberate just so that it would bolster the need for community. Because community is the place where loyalty for the game series is born.
Lmao too bad the community does t feel that way. Haven’t you heard? Anything short of wandering a giant open world map in search of one NPC is cheating.
I feel like a lot of fun and mystery is in the npc lore and interactions that don’t just sit around in a quest log somewhere. I do agree that better transparency on where the npcs are going to disappear to, or having more lines that repeat the very important information would definitely decrease confusion for players
Oh yeah, it's SUPER fun having to actually write down info with pen&paper in a triple A game in 2022. Having to stop playing for the night because you have work tomorrow and then having the choice of literally keeping a journal or risk forgetting what you were doing is AMAZING. God, I hate these games with a fiery passion.
Ah I can summon creatures but first must find a bell given by an NPC that only exists in one place and only at night, then individually find the spells and can only use them when the doors appear, and the only way to upgrade the spells is to find another NPC... And on and on. Beautiful game, impressively complex and uncompromising.
Omg, I started playing this video, and then, like a siren’s call, my boyfriend came in to hover and watch and make comments. 🤣 and then he went back to continue playing Elden Ring and still making comments.
I screeched and told my girlfriend next to me that the second part of the elden ring girlfriend review is out. I'd start playing elden ring right now too but we actually have plans today and need to go touch grass. 🙄
That batman "so we can get back up" analogy is only accurate, if Alfred is constantly slapping bruce in the face that entire conversation, while rambling like a dementia suffering senior citizen just escaped from a nursing home.
If you read the item description on weapons, armor, etc it really helps with the story and understanding it. It was hard for me to understand at first but I also know this is how souls games are.
That “I can’t recall the touch of grass” LOTR deep cut was too perfect. I wonder how long they wanted to use the quote
The simple fact the game has you "touch grace" throughout says it all 🤣🤣
Yeah, the "grass" related messages are from Japanese players, where grass means fake or pointless.
In mandarin “grass” pronounced like “fxxk” …. It’s kinda fun to figure each “grass” messages meaning though lol.
I literally stayed home for a week straight durning spring break so I did nothing else because of how good it was
@@thesoulqmo 摸草
"Go give this potion to Nepheli"
"Ok, where is she?"
"Shut the **** up"
Fromsoft sidequests in a nutshell
No but seriously don't give it to her unless you're a monster
That meme is well-known and will always be true.
Even after finding where she went, she goes back to a DIFFERENT PART of the roundtable than she was before, which i never went back to because I already got all the items down there. Roundtable is the one place in the game that doesn't list the NPCs there smh
Give it to her father godrick in the roundtable hold.
@@BlazeOrangeDeer oh shit, shes in the basement now? Bruh
Alright Shelby, it's time to have you run it back with the entire series. I need a "Should Your Girlfriend Play Blood Borne" video pls
pleeeeaseeee!!!!!
Including DLC!, it's essential
I don’t really think she wants to submit herself to that much pain
Please please please please
Ima neeeeeed this 😂
That "Are you sure you want to revive your horse?" prompt is pure evil.. It doesn't even default to yes... CURSE YOU MIYAZAKI!
Stop being cute mad and just admit that it's actually bad design
I know right? What's even the point?
@@rubenandersen1773It's an annoyance, but that's what it is, an annoyance. What do you expected him to say? That the game is terrible because of it?
Maybe that he'll make his next game with less annoyances.
has anyone, ever, tried to summon Torrent and choose "no" because it would have to use a flask to revive it, EVER? I seriously doubt it
Legit. They should put the default on “yes” so you can at least quickly confirm and not take a hit to the face. Especially when playing with keyboard and mouse…
My biggest gripe with the game lmao
I hit no
@@mattouttahell92 oh come on!
@@thiagobnla it was the first time my horse died and I was up against a lot of enemies. I figured it would be a waste of my healing flask if I got caught and staggered again on the horse.
Gotta say, that monkey-antler-porcupine monster looks pretty terrifying.
Would make a nice catacombs boss.
The first time the hand spiders show up should have been an achievement
Achievement unlocked: New Phobia!
@@cgprojects3770 Their reach is absurd! How do you dodge that madness? I had to rely on spells most of the time.
@@PeteOliva they're weak to fire! Any fire damage will stun them a ton, try it out :)
Just slap it into some Sekiro DLC
In a sea of overly cynical and boisterous game reviewers, Girlfriend Reviews makes everything fun and funnier again. Never miss a video with these two :)
Always so well-edited, too.
They can be cynical. Their Horizon Forbidden West and jedi fallen order reviews were both super cynical unfair reviews... but they're more for the comedy than actual serious reviews so it's nbd.
@@mikesannitti6042 Cynical doesn’t mean “a review I don’t like” Mike. Critiquing bland copy and paste titles will happen. Just so happens that Fallen order and HZD 1&2 are good examples of such games.
@@FollowerOfChrist144 The whole "bland copy and paste" criticism is textbook cynicism. There's nothing bland about Horizon. I also get the sense that they didnt play more than the first few hours of forbidden west because they focused on the act one reintroduction of an old enemy which is over with by act 2. And they went at Fallen Order for being a more accessible, straightforward star wars take on the Souls games. Basically both games were criticized different ways for not being From games, which is silly.
Actually, I think it's a problem that most reviewers are too positive about games. There's been a horrific downwards trend for AAA games in the last decade and a lot of reviewers still seem to mark things up rather than be real and give them a negative review.
Miyazaki has said in an interview that as a kid he liked reading big confusing books he couldn't understand as he liked using his imagination to understand them. That's why the story in his games are so hard to understand
It wasn't just big, confusing books. He read English fantasy novels without being fluent in English so he literally couldn't understand what they were saying.
Are you sure he doesn't want to inflict the same suffering upon us?
@@justalostlocal If that's how you want to interpret it, go for it. I'm hesitant to call someone sharing something they enjoy with another as inflicting suffering on that individual, even if suffering might indeed be the result. Kinda falls into that grey zone where the receiver might need to recognize that the enthusiasm of the giver is misplaced and disengage from the interaction if it causes them suffering. There's also the approach so many like to take of just telling the enthusiast that they don't like the topic and they need to stop. I'm not a fan of that approach because I think those people should definitely continue their enthusiasm if they enjoy it, I'm just not someone who can share in their enthusiasm. You do you and I'll do me, if you will.
@@jirue Uhm it's a joke...
Sooo, he is a fan of fanfiction then??
Tracking quests was so impossible i started writing down my own quest log and honestly it made the experience way more rewarding, felt like I was piecing together the puzzle as I went.
Definitely doing this when I start again
Thanks. Also remember that everytime you do something on a side quest, you have to return to the quest giver so the quest can be completed. Coming from Assassins Creed Valhalla, I wasn't used to it.
@@thevikingbear2343 it ain’t over till someone’s done an ominous chuckle
I haven't had to do that since Tales of Vesperia
Really late, but as i am currently playing through Elden Ring, i have to say that even that won't often help me. For example, i've done a few quests for Ranni and her followers. I come back to her at some point, Seluvis is dead (this one i can guess, Gideon perhaps after the potion deal?), Mr Blacksmith doesn't have new dialogue, Blaidd is just gone and Ranni tells me she needs to go take a nap. Then she does.
Now everything is empty, and i am trying to figure out how and why.
I am very ready for my second playthrough, where i will just use a complete walkthrough.
*boyfriend teleports behind you
GET GUD XD
Matt teleported like the red eyed banished knight from castle sol
cring
*GIT GUD SCRUB!*
"Git gud, scrub"
-The Bloodborne Dark Soul of Elden Ring: Sekiro
You guys genuinely do some of the best written, performed, and edited stuff on youtube, and they just keep getting better.
How? They're just boring individuals who make shallow content
wow good argument, you've convinced me
I wonder why they got only 1 mln subs... that first mln was like an explosion, but now sub counter doesn't seem to grow anymore ?_?
@@japacapa Are you trying to say "mil" as in - million? Your comments edited so I guess you wanted it like "min", but I don't see how minuet works in that statement
@@TheTyphoon365 lol in my language mln is a short for million, I was sure it's the same in english :)
As a new player, I agree with the complaints about the controls completely. Please stop targeting that weird fly instead of the deadly dragon's head/leg.
And if I stealth attack an enemy but they are still not dead yet, please keep my lock-on on them.
When im about to fight a big monster ive gotten in the habit of using ranged attacks to clear out all the trash around it before engaging it just because of this.
Targeting is absolute trash in this game. Fromsoft should be ashamed of it.
@@Arthillis ha, good tip...wish I'd thought of that...
Just unlock and relock, or don’t lock at all
“Even the cut scenes were hard […] the conversations were hard” resonated with me far too deeply.
Same😂😂
I love how you brought up the strange locking on to random enemies, the fact that it's been so consistent since literally Zelda Ocarina of Time is really funny
I had the opposite happen to me. When I told my husband I wanted Elden Ring he immediately told me I would not like it. He felt bad for saying that, got me the game, and now I'm hooked! Not just that. We started playing together (taking turns like back in the 90's). LOL! 🤣🙏
This is a bonafide grade A use of reverse psychology if ever I saw one. Hats off to your husband! 😂
Love the Hades music! And everything else about this video. As a hardcore souls fan- this video is just absolutely perfect
I was trying to remember where I heard that music from. Thank you for saying it's Hades.
I thought it was the songs from pyre. Cause you know.. fire
Seems like a music compilation from Supergiants games, because I heared some Bastion OST too ! :D
Love me some Hades OST
@@gavinf69420 I don't know the songs from Pyre, but I definitely caught "Final Expense" and "Lament of Orpheus" from Hades
Admittedly, the confirmation window pop-up for when your horse dies would have been much better if it were replaced by a text box that says "Not enough flasks of crimson tears to revive Torrent" that only popped up when your flasks ran out completely.
As a big elden ring fan.
Yes
100%
Or atleast put it on yes and not no by default so you can just press x
I'm gonna be sarcastic when I say this: "Lul, get good, just gotta realise horse dead, flick to yes, hit confirm! like 0.2 seconds mah dude"
But yes, I was ready for it when I started playing Elden ring thanks to numerous people complaining about it... I WAS READY.
@@LlamasIlamas putting it on yes as a default could resolve in you accidentally use your last and very needed flask to win the the fight cause you mash x in a panic
@@maddoxtri right, what people are saying is they'd prefer that and have to overcome their urge to just expend flasks to get torrent back when flasks are an important tool to use elsewhere, rather than have to do that AND fight the ui at the same time in the middle of an important fight.
Oh my God I woke my girlfriend up laughing at that "the cutscenes are hard" bit. That was hilariously accurate! My face was so scrunched up trying to remember every name
At least once you've beaten the game it all makes a lot more sense, but even as straight-forward as Elden Ring is compared to Dark Souls, it's still kind of a bit much.
@@Lucifronz I just started NG+, and when I now watched the cutscene at the start, it all kinda just made sense :)
The funny thing is that this happens in pretty much all fromSoft games (expect Sekiro maybe, which is more straightforward). Watch the intro the first time, it’s pretty much impossible to understand. Watch it again, and it kinda starts to make sense.
Or like Fia (the hug lady), she pretty much tells you that she takes a bit of life from the heros she hugs, but it all sounds very mysterious and metaphorical, until you realize that she did exactly what she said she’s going to do.
Or when you find out what is behind the mythical organization that calls itself the „two fingers“ 😂
THE LOATHSOME DUNG EATER
@@Lucifronz It's a lot better than Dark Souls though. DS1 lore felt cobbled together. Just compare Dark Souls lore to Bloodborne's and you'll see what I mean. Bloodborne is flawless, there are very few plot holes or inconsistencies. Elden Ring is similar in scale to Dark Souls, but the combination of attention to detail in the crafting of the lore and actually being allowed to visit all the places mentioned in the lore made for a more interesting and cohesive experience in my opinion.
3:41 I think the bgm is "Out of Tartarus" from Hades. Now think about it, there's no gf review for Hades yet, and Hades 2 is coming 2023. So please give Hades a try.
Pro tip: If an enemy is large enough that it has multiple lock-on points, don't lock-on unless you're using spells or ranged weapons. It's also helpful to not lock on while fighting groups
Just dont use auto lock
@@hanzoyamazaki2551 Why? It has its uses. I use it when fighting single rougher enemies that jump around a lot or ones I want to parry, the trick is knowing when you're better off without.
This. Its a lesson all newbies to the Soulsborne series have to learn at some point. You don't always need to be locked on.
You learn this the hard way after the first few times you inevitably die to King of Storms because you couldn't see Nameless wind up his massive AOE.
But the lock on IS useful in places even against those enemies, you just have to remember to lock OFF when it stops being useful.
Big things + lock on = No Bueno
I don’t know if anyone here has ever played the amazing game Outer Wilds (not Outer Worlds) but the way they handle quest tracking I believe would work in Souls games. It doesn’t hold your hand by any means but it does keep track of enough information to at least give you an idea of what you’ve been doing and potentially where you might go next. You still have that strong sense of mystery and figuring it out for yourself but you don’t feel totally lost.
i get it, but if i have to look at a quest list, especially now, id ignore all of it. The Ubisoft games really burned me out on them. The way the quest designs are here, you have to focus on them or simply miss out. I can tell you a single quest from assassins creed, or Outer wilds for that matter (and i love that game too) but i can tell you why several characters from Dark souls 3 did what they did, a game i haven't played in years
That’s a great idea, the only other thing is the devs giving some sort of hint where the npc will go next more consistently where they’d otherwise be overly hard (or overly trial and error) to find.
That being said they’d have to be careful not to fall into the trappings of other devs and be careful to make sure it stays a quest log and doesn’t become a quest guide that solves the quest for the player.
a great way to do this was if you could only write down on your journal when you rest at bonfires, but it would only be some general notes like an actual person would write, not a word by word rewrite of the script, and the longer you took to rest after a quest update, the less your character would remember.
The thing is that a lot of the quests (I have one in mind in particular, the blind maiden) don't even give you a hint where they ill be next. They can show up at like one out of 20 sites of graces in that zone and I would not have figured it out without looking it up.
@@blazenfate But this isn't Dark Souls 3, which is a linear videogame. Souls fans act like From's quest design is something special, but plop it down in an open word and, congratulations, it's functionally identical to Morrowind quest design. The fundamental difference is that Elden Ring gives you three lines of dialogue while Morrowind gives you three paragraphs that explain what you need to do, where you need to go and why you're doing it. Excusing Fromsoft for refusing to put a quest log in a game that clearly needs it just spits in the face of all the games that have done this exact concept so well. This just ain't Morrowind. These are cheap highschool fanfictions in comparison. No one plays a Souls game or its stories, and frankly, I disagree completely with your take seeing as I can't recall the resolution of more than one DS3 storyline. The lore of these worlds has always been interesting but you're deluded if you think these are enrapturing character dramas worthy of their obtuse design. It seems like From agrees too since they put a bandaid on the problem with a patch.
The Cypress Hill bit is the best thing I've heard all year. Unexpected, yet we needed it without knowing. Thanks !
Can you tell me the name of the song, please? Thank you.
@@GoMonroy Hits from the Bong
"Just put that finger in th3 butt hole 😄 love it unplug it insane! I love you Elden Ring!"
That was pretty damn funny!
Shelby should record a full cover, it's just too damn good
This does not excuse from's camera vs large enemies, but fighting large enemies is totally functional without lock on and in fact that makes it way easier. You can briefly lock on when they fly up just to keep track of em if you really want but most of the time unlocked is the way to go.
Yeah lock up makes no sense in fact makes it harder unless they are super fast monsters but still
The only thing that becomes harder when you're not locked on is that you have to be intentionally precise with your shield if you plan to do any blocking. When you're locked on it kind of aims your blocks for you. Otherwise, yes, you definitely make up for it in more functional agility.
You still have the "this boss is so huge I can't see 90% of its limbs so I have no idea which one I'm about to be hit with at any given moment" problem without locking on, but I agree it's still usually easier that way
I was looking for this sensible comment.
except when it flies up the lock up button makes me look the exact opposite way i want to face instead of locking on and i'm unable to see whatever big attack it's about to drop on my skull
6:33 During this meeting, the intern goes "BEARS!" "Yeah, what about them?" "Let's put BEARS in it!" "Well, it's like a high fantasy setting, so we want the creatures to be fantastical and weird and shit..." "They're REALLY BIG BEARS!" *sigh* "...alright, we'll have really big...bears.........any other ideas?"
And they're one of the most annoying enemies too.
C R A B S :D
and the goats roll!
Ok, so since you liked really big bear, I came up with a couple other fantasy creatures for the game. What do you think of REALLY BIG PRAWN? And REALLY BIG CRAB?
@@thebrandonfine Yeah and a really big Dog.. with magic! while we're at it make a giant tortoise, but give him a pope head and let him teach magic
Love that this game is bringing more people in. I love the obscure story and quest stuff but do agree the controls can be a bit much. The lock on and camera are your biggest enemies at times.
I cannot explain just how much "has anyone seen Nepheli here?" resonates with me
yep, it didn't help Nepheli was bugged until patch 1.03 and wouldn't appear where she was supposed to, thankfully you can't fail her quest until way later and it was hilarious finding her and just doing all that was supposed to happen along hours in a mere few seconds, "hi, i'm Nepheli Lou... what, you already found x? thanks and now I must go... well, you already did that too? ok" quest over.
I can't express how much I loved the cypress hill cover
we needdd a full length version
I felt so validated when FromSoftware actually patched in NPC locations
I thought I accidentally turned on easy mode and looked through the options to get rid of them
marking locations myself isn`t a big deal, but the limited options of markers makes it basically useless, since i dont know what the mark is suposed to mean the next day
that is the same problem i have with genshin impact, give us icons AND colors, so we can differentiate things to do, things that we did, and things that we need to keep doing multiple times, like farming places, there was no icon that i could use to mark a vendor
I'm 100% here for the jokes, narration, random bouts of singing, and top-tier video editing. I just realized, I'd still watch this channel if I totally did not care about video games. Seriously excellent content, entirely on its own merits. You're not riding anyone else's coattails. This channel is unique, original, and I love it.
Even the way you got out ahead of potential Soulsborne superfan pedants... was marvelous.
Half of the games that they review I have never played and never will. Girlfriend Reviews is my comfort food.
Man, these videos are real heartwarmers every damn time - rare that something can be so entertaining and hilarious without having to be at someones expense.
Literally was finally on the edge of buying it when this came out and pushed me over the edge. Thanks Shelby for removing the next few weeks of my life! I'm so excited
As a Dark Souls vet who is getting his wife to play Elden Ring (she's enjoying it) I would say two things: 1. Don't give up, the failure is making you better.
2. Do go and do something else in the massive open world if you're beating your head against a wall.
Have fun! If you beat a boss with ingenuity and gimmicks, you still beat it!
@@AwesomeWookiee also try not to get mad it’s good to just breathe and walk away lol
Few weeks? hoh hoh nooo few MONTHS
the community for this one is huge, and the loudest voices are supportive, so swing by the reddit now and then to enjoy some commisoration and memes, and let everyone know when you've done the good hard things, people have been quite positive to everyone scraping by with this one. gghf
Weeks....? I’m on a month straight 🥺🤣
So, we get both the perspectives, this is actually refreshing, next do a series,
Should your Parents play Elden ring?
Should your cats play Elden Ring?
Should your DK bongos play elden ring?
shelby: sharing her thoughts about the flaws of elden ring
me, a first time soulsbourne/from soft game player who almost quit the game because of those exact flaws: VINDICATION
edit: just to verify, i did get used to the bs and got gud, and i'm actually enjoying the game now lmao
I have gotten a refund because the godawful gamedesigne in some places is so infuriating
@@HotGiselle classic
Ahh yes another B99 fan
@@HotGiselle mid
Im using mouse and keyboard. Fuckacontroller.
The “has anyone seen Nephelli here!!” Made me bust out and laugh. Hahaha feels.
I am so glad that you mentioned the in-combat pop-up window asking if you really want your magical horse-goat back or if you'd rather just get murdered. I've lost to that pop-up more than I lost to the tree sentinel.
3:56 I'm watching this over and over and it never stops being the funniest thing ever
Dread it run from it “git gud” arrives all the same.
"Difficulty is fun when it's not being used as an excuse in design choices that are not fun" ---- NAILED my thoughts on this game.
Take the infinite bleed dogs and the fact that people can obscure interactables with messages. Those are genuine bugs and technical flaws, and yet a vocal portion of the veteran Souls Community are willing the excuse that with "Bugs as features," mindset because it makes the game harder. If it were any other dev company there would be rage.
@@J-manli honestly ive never seen anyone defend the dogs
And the thing with "messages over things you interact with" is that it never was a big issue until elden ring, and even then those are not as many as youd think considering the size of the playerbase
But yeah that should get fixed.
@@J-manli Bethesda got away with "bugs as features" for decades until '76 came out.
I mean, what exact design choice in Elden Ring does this even refer to?
One of my favorite things about these games is the obtuse and at time vague storytelling, because seeing the whole community come together to theorize and find things is so fun and rewarding. I also just always like that stranger in a strange land vibe the games give, where both you and your character are learning things together,
except 95% of players don't actually go watch TH-cam videos of the lore or browse Reddit for several hours a day... they just never find out any of the lore which is a damn shame.
@@Caesar-- the numbers of views on a lot of those videos begs to differ. Many people see them. Anyone who googled anything related to the games for help will find wikis, Reddit threads, TH-cam videos. And they’ll discover things that way. I honestly can’t think of anyone I know of who plus these games that didn’t google something and then end up down the rabbit hole.
@@SengokuTheGouda Well you probably only know a few people who play then lmao, also the views on these videos are nowhere close to the number of people who have played the game.
@@Caesar-- the most successful ending explained video is currently at 2.2 million views.
Currently 12 million copies have sold. We’re looking at just about 20% on views to sales there.
Vaati’s Bloodborne explained video has more views than known copies of the game sold. By a lot.
It’s also 2022, unless you’re a boomer, you’re probably on Reddit or twitter or maybe even tumblr still and you engage with communities for things you like. Acting like it’s the 90s and people will just refuse to look up anything related to a game they bought is just dumb.
Even if you’re looking up reviews, like say this video, lore videos are being recommended to you right over there ->
People have and will find their ways to these communities.
@@Caesar-- Personally I enjoy not knowing 100% of the lore in this games I think not knowing or being confused adds to the surreal experience of exploring this purgatory like worlds.
Man, that list of side effects of Elden Ring was really, really accurate. I had almost every one of those symptoms playing this game.
2:43 The editing is just out of the world awesome man! The references hits exactly the right spot. Love it.
As a person who started playing soul series with bloodborne and sekiro I must say I welcome the “easy mode” they’ve done with elden ring. I don’t mind getting the help of some soldiers once in a while and I’m not afraid to admit it 😂
This is it, I've been playing the game for weeks and I feel like I've barely touched the surface, using spirits or summoning other people in has only made this game better for me
Heck yeah! I also just like summoning the mimic ashes because it makes me feel like I’m gaming with a twin brother 🤦♂️
This was both a hilarious, and accurate explanation/review of what it’s like getting into Elden Ring as a first time “souls” game
You literally made me laugh out loud like 6 times in the 1st 2 minutes. Your best review yet absolutely hilarious humor
I had to pause the video, I'm currently at work, so I feared that I'd get unwanted attention from laughing...
4:50 Hades BG was a real nice choice
That pop up to resummon is the closest I've come to yeeting my controller across the room after dying. I totally agree that there are some awful design decisions that long term series fans are just used to, but good grief wish for better FS fans.
Thumbs up for using Hades music in the vid. (and also for being a great review)
I just love how you have become a full game lady
Agreed. Another great video y’all!
Another e-beggar
Nepheli's locations for those wondering if ANYONE HAS SEEN NEPHELI HERE.
stormveil castle
roundtable hold
albinaurics village (under the mountain in liurnia)
roundtable hold downstairs by the blacksmith
if you give her the one thingy, godrickls throne room waaay later on.
if you give her the other thingy, talk to selvius. the creepy weirdo.
I think the vast majority of NPC questlines are fine being so spread out and cryptic as to make the casual enjoyer’s experience feel unique to the experience of any of their friends. Though I do think they could stand to be a little less difficult to follow, what I would love is if FromSoft might make it a teensy bit less easy to miss entire optional areas.
As for the controls, I want to know who intentionally uses the 180 degree turnaround, because I sure would be fine with that feature being removed or made optional.
A quest log of "wtf happened during ur playthrough that u took a break from for 3 months and came back" would solve everything. Unless u do the same quests every playthrough, no way you remember whete you're at if you take a break for a month or longer.
You guys are both inspiring, seeing the channel grow this much from the first couple videos is truly amazing. Congrats on being yourselves and living life your own way, that's true freedom!
You made me tear up from that beautiful cypress hill parody. I'm so glad I've been subscribed since the red dead 2 video. Thank you so much for everything the two of you amazing people create.
Edit: the story us complicated and obtuse to us at first to show we where created by God's breaking rules and now shit don't make sense. Pretty much a souls story lmao. They want you to feel like the world is unwelcoming to you, it'll take time to understand. Much love
Each ep is just EPIC. I as mentioned already many times love how all is edited, the scripts, the humor, their actuall relastionship..etc..I love it, to me it's one of the most unique type of reviews I've seen.
One of the few channels that can make a 10 min video feel like 30 seconds. Always want more!
5:10 I know the stenographer bit is exactly that: a bit. But I did actually end up keeping a journal of the different characters, just to keep track of everything they wanted from me 😭 it’s genuinely helping me understand the story so much better, but at what cost?? 😭
Bro, it's so sweet to be on a journey with you both on this channel. Just seeing you from being this absolute noob to a gamer by being invested and involved in what your boyfriend loves.
It's relationship goals for me. Both for me to invest myself so much into what my partner loves and for them to love what I love. I can't wait to see where this channel continues to go.
To me this feels like the only honest Elden Ring review I've seen. It's fun and engaging but has issues and plenty of room for improvement. Every other review is that it's terrible or absolutely perfect.
Dunkey and Ryukahr have pretty good reviews on it. They sum up many of my feelings. I loved the game. 155 hours, but it definitely has its issues. Controls mentioned here are part of it. Balance is another.
Some gamers really want everything handed to them and seem to want the game to play itself. Filthy fckin casuals
@@joed5150 Bad bait
@@naransolongoboldbayer8030 Truth hurts skippy
@@joed5150 really? Bad controls and camera controls are noticed even by vets of the series. From Software was always poor on that aspect on the game.
They also re-used a lot of animations from previous game bosses in Elden Ring.
The guy who made B/O button do 3 actions needs an award for most anti-gamer shit thrown in game. You know why dodge roll feels laggy? Cause dodge reads when you release the button and not when you press it. You want to sprint after dodging? Good luck with that... Same goes for long jumping.
Camera is bound with movement. You can't look around with camera while moving your character as camera will always want to correct itself to be behind your character. It is bad design, but it is something Souls fans got used to I guess. I for one would love to be able to look around while moving, to see if something wants to attack me from behind/left or right.
Some kind of NPC journal would be nice as some people only can play on weekends and forget stuff NPC said ages ago lol. Well, you can always write stuff down I guess, but it's 2022. Quality of Life improved a lot in games over the years...
"And this is where I would play Elden Ring with my maiden... IF I HAD ONE!"
This is a great video! I especially enjoy how well the Hades music fit in with your review!
Oh my god. This was so great. You guys are evolving even more in your content.
That pop up window that shows up when you don’t have enough stonesword keys and stays there for like 5 whole minutes while you can’t do anything at all is my favorite
Press Y or Triange to get rid of those faster
Or when you use a key or pull a lever in the middle of the dungeon surrounded by enemies, and you’re also stuck and unable to do anything
@@thegreyinitiate3680 you have Iframes
@@bomblessdodongo3093
A simple solution yes, but other notification pop ups automatically disappear. That inconsistency with which pop ups require manual dismissal and which ones auto dismiss is the source of frustration.
At least you can binge watch vaati vidya after finishing a fromsoft game
So in my book the mysterious plot is a win
what plot? there is no real plot in elden ring its all lore. plot is conveyed by the game in response to a players actions like dialogue and cutscenes or the environment, lore is item discriptions codex entries etc.
@@AdityaSingh-lp5rp Lol the intro and Melina literally tells you the Plot and main objective right away, so idk if you're just blatantly lying or just plain didn't pay attention.
@@AdityaSingh-lp5rp "dialogue and cutscenes or the environment"
All of which are present in the game? Lol
There is no plot. There is not a traditional narrative. There is just setting and lore. Its a story abour the world not about the characters, there isnt a character study of their personalities, this isnt The Witcher 3.
And yes there are cutscenes but those cutscenes are not pushing a story. Its like reading a Warhammer codex versus a Warhammer novel. Again a story based open world is The Witcher 3, this game feels more like Zelda, where the story is an excuse. Like the story on a porn movie. It can be really good but you are not here for the story.
Gravity and camera control have always been the single worst enemy in darksouls game.
In Elden ring, plateforming with a dedicated jump, reduced fall damage, torrent. Gravity is now acceptable.
But Even tho they greatly improved camera control (increased lock range, multiple lock points on big mobs) it's still actively trying to kill you.
Multiplayer was always stupid bad.
Quests could use logs, but I found Elden ring quest design far superior than any other AAA that throws out millions of chatty NPC that put a pin on your map to find five furtive ferret feces.
The quest design is so close to being amazing, but with how easy it is to unintentionally skip NPC appearances and the vital information they give, it's currently just not acceptable. Right now if you beat a boss you might send them on to a new area and have no idea where they are because they didn't have a chance to tell you. There's no way at all to know when a quest has been failed or has already moved beyond where they said they would be, if they tell you at all.
They also finally added NPC icons, map quest markers, and most importantly, info notes with clues... but they only used them a handful of times! They could have easily fixed this problem by leaving info notes behind when an NPC leaves. Right now you have to check their icons to notice when they leave and then remember where they said they were going, and hope that the info is still accurate.
@@BlazeOrangeDeer
I a metroidvania player so remembering stupid details and backtracking is my thing.
I did 5 out of the 6 endings without a wiki to help me, before the npc markers patch. And the first NG+ make the game easy to quickly complete the remaining questlines.
I think a dialog questlog could improve it for players that don't finish the game in the span of a week. But the way NPCs hint or don't hint their next destination is fine.
The fact that NPCs travel to unknown places can be a really good thing. Yes, it can be frustrating when you are actively trying to follow a questline.
Among exploration's rewards, finding a new NPC is a good one. But finding a NPC you've already met is one of the best.
It only becomes an issue when the map can be explored in any order.
Even then, it's a game issue (that ng+ fix), not a world building issue. NPCs live, come and go, out of the player agenda.
There's multiple endings so you won't make it in one run anyway.
@@byotip You basically described what Shelby did in the video. You're someone so used to the bullshit in the games you play that you can't even smell half the stank anymore.
I don't think a quest log is entirely necessary (not to say it's a bad thing, just that it's not required for the game they want to make), but my issue is when there is no notable clue given as to the next step in a quest.
If questgiver is at place A, and directs me to place B, the next step should either be given at place B, given when I return to place A, or have previously been mentioned.
I was writing down a quest log manually, and yet there were many times when I had no clue where to go, so I looked it up. Turns out they were is some completely random area. Sometimes the area had been mentioned, but I'm not going to scour a whole zone randomly in case the questgiver is there.
If I look up the next step in a quest, the reaction should be "Ah shit of course", not "Why?"
@@byotip Yeah my issue is that most of the areas the NPCs travelled to I'd already visited, so I had little reason to return there.
I feel like it detracts from the open-world design if you can explore the world in whatever order you want, but doing so will screw up quest progression.
I laughed so much, thanks for this. Always such fun videos. You guys are awesome.
I just came from playing Hades and felt very confused when I still heard the soundtrack with my laptop off. A relief to find out it wasn’t me.
I love the first Dark Souls and Elden Ring, but that bit about trying to target a dragon's legs is on point.
Wait can’t you only target the head and legs tho? I can’t recall, but I don’t think you can target wings can you? :o
The pro tip is you shouldn’t be locking on to dragons anyway to big do it unlocked.
Also targeting the head when they lunge and you dodge sends the camera haywire. I got to the point where I almost never targeted the head because the camera would just be fighting me and get me killed even though I know that the easiest way to stagger the dragon is head hunting
Don't lock onto Dragons in the first place
@@minimagnum3808 That is not a solution to the obvious design flaw though. I have obviously found ways around this, but considering that you want to target the weak point in this case the head and the camera controls will not allow it is a poor design choice
i agree with the camera and the ui pop up choices. But the puzzle solving of the quests are unique to the game, and more interesting than an endless questlog
This.
I know some people hate it, but I LOVE keeping a little journal of interesting people and places I've seen
Also recording what I think I should do next
I’m a huge souls fan and I agree the “resummon steed” dialog window just needs straight removed, super weird extra piece of UI
I'm hyped for Shadow of the Erdtree and this video still totally holds up. Great job Matt & Shelby!
3:56 is brilliant 😂
Thank you for using the Dr. Steve Brule bits because that's exactly how I felt at all times
I laughed super hard on that part. It’s perfect.
While I normally watch these videos stoned, I never thought I'd be inspired to pack a bong by the first 30 secs of one!
People who talk about their chemical choices unprompted a are often addicted. Maybe consider going without for a while. Is it good for you?
I love how your reviews of games are better than almost any journalist and are also hilarious. And the Hades deep cut music is so classy
This is the first video I have ever seen from this channel, it is simultaneously the one that made me subscribe to it. I have not laughed this hard in a really long time, so thank you for that. 10/10
3:10 that editing was just *chef's kiss* perfect, Matt. Well done.
This channel is sh*tposting genius
The problem with Elden Ring's quest system is that it kept to the Dark Soul's vague style of quest progression, without realizing that Elden Ring's an open world game whilst the latter is a largely linear gameplay experience. So whilst for DS in progressing the game naturally (with some exploration), you are bound to come across the next NPC to further a certain questline even if you had no idea where to look for them, or to even do so. However for Elden Ring, when they offer very vague hints (or sometimes do not even offer ANY hints, you straight up just get some encounters by chance such as by resting at a certain site of grace), you basically just straight up miss the entire questline progression, due to no fault of yours. I'd argue to say that it's bad quest design for an open world game if you force your players to have to open a wiki/guide in order to progress the game further and to avoid missing out on crucial equipment or items, because it robs them of the experience of having solved or discovered how to further a questline with proper helpful hints from the NPCs, and some deduction.
I love your THE OFFICE skits but Michael Scott inventing “animal” is masterpiece for this video 😂
i forgot about the hits from the bong parody when i came back to watch this again. it had me laughing just as hard as the 2nd time. good lord thats funny.
One of my favorite takes on this game as a new souls person. Literally, the most fun I’ve had on a solo game since GOW4, but goddamn do the controls need a little TLC.
Good shit Shelby. (Also I love the hades music, big brain moves)
I had forgotten how good Lament of Orpheus was until I heard it again in the background of your review. Quite fitting, considering how difficult that game can be as well. Great video.
Honestly yeah though the quest design of Souls games works well enough in Souls games, but something should have changed about them for Elden RIng's open world structure. I think the most annoying thing is that for some of the quests, they did decide to use map markers for stuff, but not all of them. After beating Radahn I did have the thought that maybe Alexander would visit Jarburg but I didn't realize that I have to come at it from atop the cliff again, because why would I do that when I already found the place? And because he leaves no clue where he's gone I didn't think to look around longer. And there are absolutely _no_ clues whatsoever how to advance Diallos' quest in the beginning. Also am I the only one who never realized Rogier shows up on the balcony in the Roundtable Hold? I talked to him in Stormveil Castle, he disappeared for the entire game, then I found him dying there and realized he'd been here the whole time right before I fought the last boss. My second playthrough after talking to Rogier in the hold I got dialogue from D pointing out that Rogier is there on the balcony and I'm like, "motherfucker why didn't you say that last time?!"
I think a simple archive of everything the NPCs have ever said to you would be a good addition so you can reread their dialogues to better understand the story and to find clues to the next quest point. It still keeps that vagueness of the quest but allows us to better navigate the quests. Many times I either forgot a key dialogue line or wasn't concentrating on what an NPC is saying or accidentally skipped the dialogue. And that left me clueless as to what to do next. Made worse when I only play on the weekends and would tend to forget what quest it was I did last weekend.
ie: The Haligtree Medallion's location. The Albanauric woman who told me where the other half of that medallion is promptly disappears to become my summon, and now I have no way to ask her again to remind myself where it is. Had to look up guides to find out. It would've been helpful if I can read back her dialogue anytime I want.
It's not much of a problem in a linear game like their previous games because you will bump into most questpoints as long as you thoroughly explore each level as you progress. But in a huge open world like this, it is gonna be a pain in the ass to find that nook or cranny you need to find to progress a quest.
@@akmal94ibrahim 100% I reaaalllyyy enjoyed the quests myself but yeah I tots agree just having an archive of stuff npc’s have said would be reaaallyy helpful and nice
Lots of unpopular, but justified critics in this video. I'll add one: The combat is not "git gud", it's boring. That's the most boring part of this game actually. You just roll and bonk. The shield becomes obsolete really fast, and your L2 attacks become too slow for the fast pace bosses fairly quickly. There is no tearing monsters apart like in Horizon Zero Dawn, like a puzzle. Or using elements to affect the monsters, like in Zelda BotW where you can freeze/burn/shock/blow enemies and it is fun.
To prove my point, here it is: What did you learn from the Margit fight? Did you learn anything else than "sometimes the enemy will hold his attack in the air a bit longer, so don't do the one combat mechanic of this game, rolling, right away". Boom. Also why does Margot disguise himself as Margit? I feel a bit scammed that a RPG written by GRRM has like 2 cinematics.
In the other end, the exploration really makes it for me. On this level it is the most fun I had in a very long time (since the 2 other games I mentioned actually). And the zones are so beautiful too!
Agree, the melee combat can be lacking in diversity compared to the magic builds. I had more fun with magic builds when I finally respeced
Game: grafted scion with no swords no shield
me: that's like the easier version of it then right?
game:
In Elden Ring, the more naked an enemy is the scarier they are
Incredible video ! Loved everything about it !
Is there going to be a third rewiew of ER ? The "should your BF play ER ?" more classical one ? I love the joke you create with FS games :)
Bises form France
Ps : I finished the game today. I did'nt understand a thing. Was like a fever dream. 10/10. Masterpiece. Time for second run...
This might be one of your funniest videos ever, great job!
I laughed out loud several times, I think you might have even transcended the "can I kick it" sequence from Deathloop. Your skits are also very cute and funny. Definitely leveling up.
edit: I have to keep coming back for the Dr. Stephen Brule cameo - so hilarious!!
I remember randomly seeing your very first video when you just put it out and I was immediately one of your first subscribers. Your expert editing and style still blows me away and you've only gotten better
The "My Cool Enemies by Hideo Miyazaki" bit had me actually bent over laughing. Y'all have a TALENT for roasting
I love all the Hades music you used for this one. Among the very best soundtracks I've ever heard. Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett are awesome!
I love the opposing view reviews on this. Matt showcases everything I dislike about the "git gud" community and Shelby, well, just reinforces it but also highlights the reason why I play Dark Souls while also pointing out the janky control issues.
The “git gud” thing is just a meme. From my experience, these games actually have very helpful, nice communities. Ppl are very encouraging and always willing to lend a help. I rarely see ppl just scream “git gud” when someone is struggling.
@@dathunderman4 it’s a 50/50 shot in the head to be honest. I started playing dark souls when I was 8 and the amount of times I heard git Gud back then made me never rlly ask help from real people every again, but hey I learned the formulas and I’ve beaten every single FromSoftware major title.
Controls are completely fine, I have no idea why people seriously complain about them.
FINALLY SOMEBODY ELSE SAID IT. I love Elden Ring so much and have played most of the souls games but I always felt that half of the difficulty had nothing to do with skill curve and had mostly to do with a shitty control scheme
If you've never been roasted by a dragon because your camera locked onto a dragonfly mid swing you weren't playing Elden Ring.
It really isn't difficult. Its only because so many games in recent years tried to standardise controls.
@@patrickweller5254 Because those control schemes are generally more comfortable. From’s control schemes honestly *are* kinda shitty, but a lot of us are used to it by now.
Ah yes...... how many times do I have to be getting LITERALLY attacked by a mob and I try to press lock on, only to have to press it several frikkin times because it locks on to every stupid animal within a mile of me! JUST. LOCK. ONTO. THE. GUY. ATTACKING. ME. FIRST!
5:44 love the videos 🤣
The Stenographer bit was hysterical. Bravo stuff.
Pro tip: you don't have to use the lock on option on all enemies, you know. When it comes to crowds and huge enemies it's best to just leave it be and use the right stick to move the camera around and look for threats or defense positions. From personal experience the lock on on huge enemies has been more detrimental than beneficent to killing them.
IMO the design choise for obscure quest lines is deliberate just so that it would bolster the need for community. Because community is the place where loyalty for the game series is born.
Lmao too bad the community does t feel that way. Haven’t you heard? Anything short of wandering a giant open world map in search of one NPC is cheating.
I feel like a lot of fun and mystery is in the npc lore and interactions that don’t just sit around in a quest log somewhere. I do agree that better transparency on where the npcs are going to disappear to, or having more lines that repeat the very important information would definitely decrease confusion for players
Oh yeah, it's SUPER fun having to actually write down info with pen&paper in a triple A game in 2022. Having to stop playing for the night because you have work tomorrow and then having the choice of literally keeping a journal or risk forgetting what you were doing is AMAZING. God, I hate these games with a fiery passion.
@@erylaria398 none of the quests are in any way mandatory though. like it can be fun to complete them if you want but they aren't really the point.
Ah I can summon creatures but first must find a bell given by an NPC that only exists in one place and only at night, then individually find the spells and can only use them when the doors appear, and the only way to upgrade the spells is to find another NPC... And on and on. Beautiful game, impressively complex and uncompromising.
I had a similar experience with getting my boyfriend to finally try it. So great to tell him to git gud when he asks for a trick to beat a boss
Sounds fake
Omg, I started playing this video, and then, like a siren’s call, my boyfriend came in to hover and watch and make comments. 🤣 and then he went back to continue playing Elden Ring and still making comments.
I screeched and told my girlfriend next to me that the second part of the elden ring girlfriend review is out. I'd start playing elden ring right now too but we actually have plans today and need to go touch grass. 🙄
That batman "so we can get back up" analogy is only accurate, if Alfred is constantly slapping bruce in the face that entire conversation, while rambling like a dementia suffering senior citizen just escaped from a nursing home.
If you read the item description on weapons, armor, etc it really helps with the story and understanding it. It was hard for me to understand at first but I also know this is how souls games are.