Well. I have things to say about the Nintendo Direct Switch 2 announcement thing. I didn’t think I would because I was not planning on getting a Nintendo Switch 2 (still am not), nor do I have a Switch. Back during the beginning of the pandemic, I thought about getting one because of Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released. I am not an Animal Crossing person, but it captured the zeitgeist of a very tumultuous time. It was the beginning of the pandemic when people could not go outside. Insetad, people would meet up in AC: NH as a substitute.
I admit. I had FOMO. I wanted to get the game, but I didn’t even have a Switch. I am a PC person through and through. Ian once gave me an extra 3DS he had, and I hated it. I did not like playing Bloodborne on the PS4. I don’t like the DualShock controller. At all. And with the 3DS, it was awful trying to play anything with those controls and that tiny screen.
I watched the Nintendo Direct (late) and when The Duskbloods came up, I missed that it was a FromSoft game. The people whom were reacting to it (and I was watching) kept saying Bloodborne, even though that’s a Sony exclusive. I did not think the game looked much like Bloodborne, and I was pretty certain it wasn’t in that universe (again, Sony exclusive). I honestly thought it was a knockoff Souls-inspired game, and you could have knocked me over with a feather when it turned out to be a FromSoft game.
I read the thread in the Discord I’m in after it happened, and one person pointed out that the trailer did not look that great. And also that the PvPvE element worried them as that was not what they wanted in a FromSoft game. I agreed with that. Someone else immediately posted that FromSoft had put out so many games in the last decade, people shouldn’t bitch. I don’t think it was in response to my comment, but it stung, anyway.
I am a huge FromSoft fan, but that does not mean they are above criticism. People have been clamoring for a multiplayer From game for quite some time, so I guess this is it. It’s also directed by Miyazaki himself, so it’s clearly the next Big Thing for FromSoft.
They had the B team doing Nightreign (which comes out in a month). That’s another multiplayer game, and it’s a roguelite/like. I wasn’t super-hyped about that one, either, because multiplayer is not my thing. At all. I just don’t enjoy them, and from what I’ve seen of the gameplay, it doesn’t look like it’ll be up my alley. Am I going to buy it and try it? Of course. But I’m skeptical that it’s going to be enjoyable for me.
Then, I watched the trailer for The Duskbloods and was…deflated. I’m going to be brutally harsh here. I’m disappointed. Like I said, the trailer looked rough and didn’t really give an idea about what it’s going to be. From what I’ve gleaned, it’s a PvPvE with up to eight players, and it’s an extraction game? Maybe? Miyazaki is going to be talking about it tomorrow, so I’ll definitely listen to that, but this did not spark joy in me–especially when it was revealed to be a Switch 2 exclusive.
Look. Miyazaki can do whatever he wants, obviously. And if this is what needs to be done to pay the bills so we get the next FromSoft high fantasy action-adventure RPG, then so be it. It’s just…look. I have always been on the fringe of fandom. I have known since day one that the games are not for me. I play them because I’m stubborn, but they are definitely not made with me in mind.
I have realized since Dark Souls III that they are edging up and out of my ability to play the games. I have written ad nauseam as to why I don’t like Bloodborne and Sekiro as much as I do the Souls gmaes and Elden Ring. I feel like as my skills depreciate, the From games just get more and more demanding–Elden Ring, notwithstanding. The DLC (which I’m currently playing on NG++ can be as crushing as you want it to be, but you can mitigate a lot of th edifficulty if you want as well. Not the last boss though. Fuck that boss. Seriously. Fuck. That. Boss.
In addition, I have no interest in multiplayer. I watched some people play Nightreign (the beta), and while it looked cool, it’s not my thing. I will buy it and play it, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to suck at it and not like it.
Which brings me back to The Duskbloods. My heart sank when I saw that this was the next major FromSoft release. Not just because it’s a Nintendo exclusive (though that’s a big part of it), but because of what it is. Like, if you want to put everything I hate into a package, this would probably be it. Multiplayer, extraction shooter (though not a shooter, I don’t think), and on a handheld device? Not for me.
Here’s the other thing. FromSoft is really lousy with accessibility. Not in some of the games themselves, but in actual options, yes. It’s one reason I will never play Sekiro again–because I literally cannot do the combat any longer. Not even with all the gadgets, tricks, and cheeses I learned while playing it the first time.
I have seen this happening since Dark Souls III, and it reached the pinnacle with Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon. I struggled with it from the start, and even though I made it past the tutorial boss after twenty or more tries, I could not make it out of the next few missions. I could not get the controls down, especially as there were two boost buttons. No idea why that was needed. I simply could not get the flying thing down, and I gave up after several hours of frustration.
I don’t think I’m going to like Nightreign, either. It’s multiplayer and depends on fast reflexes. I can’t do that, and I know that it being multi means I’ll feel the added pressure of trying to not let down my teammates. I had someone in the Discord be really sweet about The Duskbloods (assuming I was going to get it) and how he and the others would help MAKE it a game for me. He helped me get my plat for Bloodborne, and he’s an all-around really sweet guy.
That’s all for now. More tomorrow.