Let’s talk more about the Nioh 3 (Team NINJA) demo. Why the hell not? I’ve explored more, and I have to say a few things. Here is my post from yesterday in which I talked a lot about the demo. Good and bad things, but mostly, what annoyed the fuck out of me. I’m going to continue with that today because it’s still annoying me.
I can’t get over that the default for the item pickup is not automatic. Why are you like this, Team NINJA?! Why the fuck would someone want to have to manually pick up each item from the ground,, especially when there are so many of them, arther than just walk over them to pick them up?
Also, you can’t put two important functions on the same button. You just canot. I mean, if you’re using them in different situations like one in combat and one out of it, then it’s ok. But if they are both used in combat, then you simply cannot put them both on the same button! I don’t know how that isn’t dev design 101.
In this case, it’s RT. It’s the button you hit to switch from samuari style to ninja style (sword fighting to stealth). However, it’s also the button you press to hdo a burst-counter/counter-burst. The burst is when an enemy/boss does a bright red flash, and if you counter the attack, you do massive damage.
Except, it’s way tooo easy to switch fighting styles as you’re trying to do the counter-burst. I did it so many times, and it was aggravating. The internet informed me that there was an option that allowed you to make it so that you only had to tap the RT to do the counter-Thburst. Which, fine, great. That differentiates between the two, but it means that you have to press the RT for longer in order to switch styles. Itas so fucking exasperating. Just put it on a different button, damn it. They use so many of the buttons that maybe they don’t have one to spare, but still. It’s really annoying.
Today, I was in a new area. I was wandering around and really loving my bow. But, I was running out of ammo, which I hate. Usually you can pick up plenty as you go, but you have to have guys who are using bows in order to get arrow drops.
I neared what I thought was probably a boss arena, and I said, “Nope.” I just was not up for doing it. I have only faced the tutorial boss, and he whipped my ass over and over again. And over again. I knew he wasn’t supposed to be that hard. I knew he was supposed to be teaching me how to play the game, but I certainly wasn’t getting it. Even though I could see what I was supposed to be doing, I could not do it in time.
It’s so frustrating. I keep thinking if I just try harder, I could do it. I cannot, though, and I need to accept that.
Let me be real.
I didn’t go into the boss area because I did not want to fight a boss for hours on end. How did I know I would take that long? Because I suck at these games. I suck at all of them, and it’s only when I can fashion a broken build that works for me in FromSoft games that I can struggle through. It taks me twice as long to beat From games as it does for most people. I’m fine with that, but it’s pretty depressing when I try to play other soulslikes.
As I mentioned in the first post I did in this series, I have always wanted to like the Niohs and have been frustrated that I can’t get past the first third of one of the games (the first one). I keep thinking if I try harder, better, whatever, I’ll eventually get it.
I just haven’t, though. And I have hated every boss fight I’ve faced in the games. Every single damn one. And, I’m sorry, the level design of these games aren’t enough for me to get over my distaste for the bosses.
Look. I think I’ve been pretty clear about the fact that I don’t play From games for the bosses. I don’t like difficult boss fights, though I do find satisfaction in finally beating a boss–sometimes. Sometimes, I’m just relieved to be done and able to move on.
In the Niohs, I never feel satisfaction at beating a boss. I just feel utterly drained and ready to move on. I can feel it as I circle around this boss arena. I’m not positive it’s a boss fight, but I’m pretty sure.
And I just don’t wanna.
I don’t want to go into that arena. I don’t want to get my ass kicked time and time again while I wonder why I’m playing the game. I don’t want to get so angry, I want to throw my controller. I don’t want to think I’m just utter shit at the game (though it’s true). I could have gone in what I presume is the boss arena at the beginning of my play session, but I jsut did not want to.
I could have went in and gotten my ass kicked once just so I could see what the boss was. I knew if I did that, though, then I would just stay and beat my head against the wall over and over again until I hated myself and the game. This was how I was. I did not like it; I was not proud of it; but here we were.
I so wanted this to be the Nioh that finally got me properly into the series. I had heard that it was the equivalent of Elden Ring (in terms of being the mainstream breakout hit that more casual friends could play) for this series, so I was eager to try it out. It was supposed to be–not less difficult, but it was supposed to give you more tools in order to deal with things better.
I have not found that to bet true yet. In fact, it’s mostly like the last game. Except, as I said, the samurai style and the ninja styles are completely broken apart. Other than that, though, I don’t find much else to be different–or better.
I’m done. I might write one more post about it, or I might just let it go.