Recent reviews by SVΛ

This DLC is just more Elden Ring which is fine if you already love the base game and are content with it. Unfortunately for me, I cannot say the same as one of the biggest draws for me to previous Souls games was the multiplayer. Co-op and PvP were the fountains that supplied an endless stream of unique experiences post-game, and it disheartens me to see the shallow husk they have become in Elden Ring. This DLC was the perfect opportunity to rework the multiplayer system, create designated PvP areas, PvP covenants, but it did not do any of that. Instead, we have some big open empty areas and new factions we cannot really engage nor interact with in any meaningful way. To sum up how I feel, this DLC is one big missed opportunity.

I do not normally play shoot 'em ups, but after listening to "The Sea Has Returned", I had to give this game a try.

Eighty minutes in and I find myself with the widest dumbest grin on my face.

PvP is amazing! WTF!?
There are so many things and features I never even thought I wanted in a Soulsbornering game until I experienced them in Dark Souls 2.

✔️ Can be invaded even after defeating area boss
✔️ PvP covenants for that sweet sweet role-play
✔️ Blues can hunt the guilty
✔️ Fogwall vulnerability
✔️ Slow estus heal
✔️ Baller backstab and riposte animations

Just make sure to get Blue Acolyte for some QoL improvements and protections against naughty players.

There is a solid foundation and a lot of potential, but the multiplayer aspect has been completely scuffed.

Reading past interviews with Hidetaka Miyazaki, such as Eurogamer's Soul Survivor, makes me sad because I feel like his vision of multiplayer was truly stupendous, but the execution was very lackluster.

Co-op makes the game too easy, breaking the intended experience of overcoming hardship, as the enemy AI are just not designed around dealing with multiple players, and the advantages of cooperation are so great that being invaded is more like a minor inconvenience than an actual threat.

Invading can be fun, it can be tedious. What sucks though is that you cannot co-invade with friends. The second password summoning was made a thing back in Dark Souls 3, co-invasions should have also existed. If players can progress with friends, they should also be able to invade with them. Having to host and gank for co-op PvP or using the lackluster arena is just. . . boring.

Arena is lackluster. It somehow has less variety than the arena in Dark Souls 2 and 3. Three flat maps, one with pillars. . . excuse me?! Rather than using the password system, we need to be able to host lobbies and fine-tune rules so we don't just have one elimination mode and a bunch of timed death-match modes. Where is my 2v2 or 3v3 elimination?

Due to how multiplayer works in this game, the lack of natural solo invasions, inability to be invaded in areas where the boss is cleared, lack of covenants, amongst other features missing from previous titles, Elden Ring does not really have a post end-game for those that fall in love with its mechanics but want to do something other than progress the story with the same enemy placement for the millionth time. Dark Souls 2 has some neat features that this game could really make use of ranging from multiplayer mechanics such as post-game invasions to new game plus features such as new enemy placement.

It sucks because I really like this game, but I really do not like the overall direction FromSoft/Bandai have been taking multiplayer where it has been started to feel more like a half-baked afterthought rather than an integral part to the core experience.

Palestinian flag is animated beautifully in the opening cut scene.

10/10

It feels like the developers did the bare minimum for this re-release. I am not mad. . . just disappointed.

Was a good game. Now Capcom is retroactively corrupting their previous titles with ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ DRM due to short sighted greed. Thank you, executives and shareholders of Capcom. May the money you make be the fuel for your hellfire.

Good game, but ruined by retroactively added DRM. Capcom is just using recent events to justify their short sighted greed. Trash execs.

Recently added DRM ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ prevents performance enhancement mods like 120 fps cut-scenes along with other unnecessary ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ company with ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ executives.

Basically, the game started out great. Then the developer nerfed all the fun, absurdity, and chaos that stood this game out from its competitors into oblivion just to cater to some whiners in the community.

No more minefields, viable SMGs, barrel-rolling helicopters, etc. In their stead the developers added aim-punch to introduce RNG to gunfights. The game that I bought in June and the game that exists today are two very different entities. R.I.P.