Video Game Review: A Plague Tale Requiem

So I bought both Plague Tale games in a bundled packet a couple months ago during my studies on the Black Death. After zipping thru the first one, I found this 2nd one (Plague Tale Requiem) to be a lot more challenging. However the setting, the music, the graphics, and the story are all just as amazing as the first game. Once again it maintains the same structure as the first one, with the key elements of stealth and puzzle solving. But there is a lot more action and fighting sequences in this one compared to Plague's Tale Innocence. In the first game it was kill a guard to get by, but in this game Amicia is much more aggressive and will fight 5 to 10 guards at a time. The setting of France mid-1300s is such a great dive that pairs nicely with my medieval phase. However this game also dives further into a fantasy element. Amicia's brother Hugo is losing grip with his power to control the rats which represent the bubonic plague. 

The Story

The setting is 1349 just six months after the events of the first game where Amicia was able to save her brother, Hugo. Together with her mother Beatrice and alchemist friend Lucas they discovered that Hugo possessed a unique connection to the rats, referred to as the Macula. It seems the rat infestation had settled down, however it re-awakens within Hugo after they are attacked by a band of raiders. Beatrice determines that they must treat Hugo to find a way to remove his Macula connection and control of the rats. They travel to a town in Provence, France to seek an alchemist specialist that may be able to cure Hugo. However the treatment goes bad and Hugo loses control and completely destroys the town with his summoning of the rats.

Beatrice then decides to take her children to Marseille, however the young heroic Amicia starts to disagree with her plans. Amicia has a closer connection with her brother Hugo and begins to listen to his recurring dreams of an island. She then decides to break away from her mother and take Hugo to this mysterious island of phoenixes known as La Cuna. Along the way they are disrupted by mercenary soldiers, however one in particular named Arnaud is able to save them. He makes a deal with Amicia and Hugo to help them reach La Cuna. He shows them to a smuggler gypsy named Sophia who agrees to sail them to the island of La Cuna.

Things get quite surreal on this island of La Cuna where it seems to be a cult-like society that has completely detached from the world. The islanders are led by Count Victor and his wife Emilie who worship a pagan child referred to as the Child of Embers. When Arnaud sees Victor he calls upon Hugo to summon the rats so that he can have vengeance on this wicked count who killed his son. However Amicia quickly stops her brother from wreaking havoc on the town and Arnuad is arrested. Amicia, Hugo, and Sophia then carry on exploring the island for answers on Hugo's condition. Eventually they make it into a heavily guarded temple where they discover the corpse of the Child of Embers who was once the Macula source of the Justinian Plague, which has now passed on to Hugo. 

Amicia, Hugo, and Sophia escape the temple after it is devoured by rats and make their way to the count's castle. There they reunite with Beatrice and Hugo who are both held captive by the wicked Count Victor. At this point Count Victor and Emilie reveal their motives to adopt Hugo as their new Child of Embers and kill Beatrice as a sacrifice. A fight ensues and once again Hugo summons his rat army to devour the castle and kill Count Emilie. Amicia is then able to save Arnuad, and they regroup with Sophia and Lucas to escape from the island. However Count Victor chases them on sea and rams into their boat. Another fight ensues where Arnuad bravely sacrifices himself, so Amicia can kill Count Victor. 

Hugo however has finally taken matters into his own hands, thinking his sister is dead. He accepts his role as the Macula and completely unleashes his full power on the world. Amicia, Lucas, and Sophia journey to Marseille where Hugo has completely destroyed the city with his powers (symbolically representing the spread of the Black Death). Amicia eventually accepts with the spiritual guidance of her brother Hugo, that the only way to stop the Macula is to kill her brother. She journeys with Lucas to the core of the Macula, where she finds her brother and kills him with her slingshot. A year later it appears the plague has ended and Amicia looks upon the gravestone of her brother. A sad ending but also a resolution to the pandemic.   

The Review

The gameplay was fairly similar to the previous one, linear in movement. However there are certain areas, such as the island of La Cuna where Amicia and Hugo have a little more free reign to explore. She carries her preferred weapon of the slingshot with the add-ons of flame, extinguisher, tar, and odoris (which distracts the rats). However she acquires some new weapons in a dagger (which gives her a melee chance to defend herself) but also the crossbow. The crossbow becomes the new weapon of choice in this game, ideal for killing soldiers, however the arrows are scarce to come across. There are also various degrees of armored soldiers that require additional gimmicks to properly kill them. Some of the battle sequences require running, scavenging, taking cover, and firing at the given moment. This new format had an exciting rush to it, similar to open world battles. While there were some moments of peace it was for the most part non-stop intensity. 

I definitely felt this game was much more on the fantasy side then the previous one. While set in a historical medieval period, Hugo is losing grip on reality. The majority of the game takes place on this cult island of La Cuna that seems other-worldly. Instead of a plague, everyone is hiding from a monster (which is the infestation of the rats). I guess this is a creative and symbolic way to display the terrible plague that killed 50 million. I also enjoyed the reference to the Justinian Plague of 541-549 as well as visiting a ruined Marseille. I would have preferred a little more historical or factual details, but still an incredible setting.    

I think the real appeal of this game series is the writing. Just like in the first game, this truly feels like watching an interactive movie. It has real emotional character development, where you can feel the bond between Amicia and her younger brother Hugo. She plays not only a protector role but also a motherly role. I was somewhat disappointed that her look had changed a bit, but I supposed that was just a graphical enhancement and I got use to it. I think another important theme of the game is companionship where everyone works together (Amicia, Hugo, Lucas, Arnuad, and Sophia). It's actually quite a sad ending, but sometimes those are the best stories if they can build that emotion. I think that's no doubt a credit to the game developers, added with incredible graphics and a musical score. While I probably enjoyed the first game a little more, I still really enjoyed this one, and will continue with the series when the 3rd game is released. 

Video Game Review: Plagues Tale Innocence

As I jumped into a study on the Black Death, I needed not only a good book but also a good video game to dive into the historical epidemic. I discovered the game Plague Tale: Innocence (released in 2019) as a critically acclaimed video game set during this period. I had never heard of the game before, however saw that it had great reviews. Upon further research I learned that it was set in France and the graphics looked pretty impressive. The only catch was that it was not my preferred open-world format. However the emphasis on stealth and survival appealed to me as a core feature of the Assassin's Creed series. It took me about three weeks to beat the game, and I found it surprisingly quite entertaining. 

Historical Setting

The year is 1348 at the height of the Black Death in the rural region of France known as Aquitaine. The Hundred Years War between England and France is in it's Edwardian Phase as the English invade northern France. The young noble girl Amicia discovers the outbreak at her estate, which is carried by swarms of deadly rats. However the plot is much more complex than a simple escape from deadly rats. There is a larger enemy at work involving the French Inquisition. Amicia's brother, Hugo has a mysterious condition and for some reason the French Inquisition is hunting him. The inquisition soldiers kill Amicia's father and capture her mother leaving Amicia to flee with her brother.

Amicia and Hugo must then navigate thru the plague infested towns and countryside of southern France. They must not only circumvent the rats, but also avoid the deadly inquisition soldiers that are hunting them. Amicia later meets some friends along their journey including an alchemist apprentice named Luca, two young bandits named Melie and Arthur, and a blacksmith's apprentice named Rodric. The group of young kids work together to survive in this apocalyptic setting. They find refuge in an abandoned castle for awhile but it is eventually overrun by rats.

It is later revealed that Hugo has a magical power that can control rats, referred to as the Prima Macula (which dates back to the Plague of Justinian). Hugo is eventually captured by the Inquisition where he learns how to use his powers from his imprisoned mother. Hugo is eventually able to escape the Inquisition and reunite with Amicia and their friends. They launch a full on assault to the Inquisitors cathedral (which looks like Notre Dame and an abandoned Paris). Arthur and Rodric bravely die during the fighting. Amicia eventually faces the evil Grand Inquistor and defeats him with the help of his brother and mother.   

Game Format

As I mentioned this is not my preferred open-world format but more of a linear game structure. Although there was definitely some lack of freedom, the graphics were very impressive. The whole thing felt like watching an interactive movie with top quality cinematics. And it also had quite the element of thrill, shock, and sometimes disturbing horror. One might think that a game where kids are the heroes might be a little less gory, but that was not the case. Rats devour human beings, and the kills scenes were often quite vicious and unforgiving. The game was by no means meant for children, and I'd say it was very on the adult side.

As someone who usually prefers melee combat (sword-and-arrow), this game was very different. It was all about the stealth and puzzles. I suppose it was a nice change of pace, and something I was familiar with from the AC series or the many puzzles in Zelda. Amicia was by no means a common damsel-in-distress however. She was quite deadly with the slingshot as her primary weapon. She also gained new skills as the game went on including projectiles such as rocks, deadly gas, fire igniters, fire extinguishers, and even the ability to manipulate the rat (thru Hugo's powers). She was quite the courageous hero always holding on to her young brother, Hugo.  

Most of the stages seemed to alternate between puzzles escaping from the rats or stealth missions escaping from the inquisition guards. Each chapter was basically nonstop intensity for the characters. It would have been nice to explore a little more and maybe even do some trade but that was definitely not the case of this setting. This was an apocalyptic setting where Amicia and her friends were constantly on the go. There were items and resources to collect which could be used to upgrade her slingshot or inventory pouch. There were also collectables within the each stage (even though it was a limited map terrain). I always like a game that has proper resource/inventory management. 

Game Review

I think I put in about 20 hours into this game (which I know is nothing compare to the 100+ I put into Elden Ring, AC Shadows, or Kingdom Come Deliverance. It had a total of 17 chapters (stages) which was actually more than I had anticipated. I think I caught on fairly quickly with the gameplay and really came to admire the courage of Amicia. I also really enjoyed the historical setting and the story overall. I thought it was exciting how they turned the rats into these demonic monsters (a very creative and metaphoric way to describe the Black Death). Even though it was mostly humans spreading the sickness, the root of the plague came from rats and fleas. I also learned quite a lot about the Inquisition in general which seemed to be quite the villainous branch during the medieval age. 

I'd say for the most part the gameplay was fairly easy and I got thru each chapter without too much trouble. That is until the end. The game got extremely challenging at the final few segments. There were 3 parts in particular that took up the most time for me. One was a puzzle with Amicia and Arthur at their refuge castle, where we had to use fire cauldrons to escape the infestation. Then there was the stage with Rodric pushing the cart that I kept dying on. Also the final boss against the Grand Inquisitor was very difficult. It took me a while to get familiar with the chaos of these particular stages. The game would have been mostly a breeze had it not been for these final challenges that took up considerable time and frustration. I suppose however it's beating a hard challenge that makes the game all the more reward (such as with Elden Ring).  

Even though it was a limited world, the graphics were incredible. Each setting had amazing detail whether in afflicted French towns, the war-torn countryside, or abandoned churches and castles. It would have been great to truly explore this medieval region with a little more freedom. However it still provided me what I was after, which was a full immersion into the historical setting of the Black Death. I also enjoyed the fictional story, and the characters (especially the cute French accents of Amicia and Hugo). The whole game had quite the exhilarating and dark feel to it all, especially accentuated by it's eerie violin music. I actually bought both games at once, so I won't be wasting much time to dive into part 2: Plagues Tale Requiem. 

Video Game Review: Kingdom Come Deliverance

My recent fascination with Central European history the past two months has been inspired by the game Kingdom Come Deliverance. I've heard of the game for some time (released in 2018), and knew it was a highly regarded open-world game. I also knew it was a medieval setting during the early 1400s in the Kingdom of Bohemia. Since I love the Assassin Creed games mostly because of their historical open-world format, I knew I would enjoy this one. Especially because I didn't know too much about this historical region of Bohemia. To be fair, even though I visited Czechia I was never aware that it was once referred to as a Kingdom of Bohemia.

This game dives into the rural parts of Bohemia, following the death of the great Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. It deals with the brotherly succession dispute between Wenceslaus IV and Sigismund. Sigismund has enlisted a Hungarian army of Cumans to lay waste to the Bohemian countryside. Also in the backdrop is the rising reformation movement led by Jan Hus (However the Hussite War does not happen until 20 years later). The game offers a great fictional story of a hero's rise from rags-to-riches amidst this fascinating historical period. The game provides great insight into what life was like during this medieval time in Bohemia, the Holy Roman Empire, and early phase of the Protestant Reformation. 

The Story

The game is mostly set in the rural region of Czechia referred to as Rataje nad Sazavou (about 25 miles from Prague). The game offers many real towns in central Bohemia during the early 15th century known as Skalitz, Talmberg, Sasau, Uzhitz, Merhojed, Ledetchko, and the booming trade center of Rattay. Sadly Prague is not included in the game, but it's quite refreshing to get the full-on rural experience. The protagonist of the game is the son of a blacksmith named Henry who lives in the mining town of Skalitz. He seeks adventure while his father is passionate about the blacksmith trade. At the beginning of the game Henry must help his father build a new sword for their nobleman Sir Radzig. However the town is then attacked by Sigismund army of Cuman soldiers. Both of Henry's parents are killed and he must flee to Talmberg. There he finds favor with the nobles of Talmberg, which include Sir Davish, Sir Hanush, and Sir Radzig.

Henry recovers in Talmberg for some time, before returning to Skalitz to bury his parents. The town is completely ruined and Henry is ambushed by a group of bandits led by Runt. He is saved however by a fellow Skalitz refugee Theresa, and a band of Talmberg soldiers led by Captain Robard. Both Henry and Theresa find refuge in the outskirts of the city of Rattay with a miller named Peshek. Henry finds work as a guardian of the city of Rattay and must escort a noble price Lord Hans Capon on a hunting trip. During this trip Capon is assaulted by cumans and Henry is able to save him. This heroic act wins him a higher rank and he begins working for Sir Radzig and Divish.

One of Henry's first investigations is to locate a bandit camp that is leading an insurgency with the Cumans against the local noblemen. Henry eventually finds the camp in Pribyslavitz and joins Radzig on the assault. During this battle Henry faces Runt, the bandit who stole his father's sword (but after defeating him it is discovered that Runt no longer has the sword). However the vengeance story gets overrun by the historical story as Henry becomes more of a prominent player in the military affairs. He is then assigned a new mission to locate an insurgency operating near Sasau. He discovers a complex plot of counterfeit coins and must infiltrate a seminary as a priest to uncover more information. When Henry finally discovers the bandit camp led by Toth, he is captured and tortured. However he is freed by a fellow Skalitz native.

Henry escapes to Rattay to share what he found with Radzig. At this point it is revealed that Radzig is Henry's true father, and thus Henry is of noble-blood. Henry joins his father Radzig and Sir Divish on an assault of the bandit camp, however it is mostly empty. It is a ploy which leaves the fortress of Talmberg open for Toth to capture with his bandit army. Sir Divish is furious and commissions a trebuchet be built to lay siege to re-capture the fortress. After some time and preparation Henry joins Divish to recapture the fortress. It is another bloody battle, however Toth escapes with Henry's father's sword. Although Talmberg has been captured the threat of Toth, Sigismund, and recovering his father's sword have been unresolved. Henry is welcomed to a noble's counsel at the end of the game to seek a new alliance. In the epilogue he must journey with Hans Capon to further discuss this new peace treaty. The ending is clearly leading to the sequel game which just came out this year. 

The Gameplay

I put in about 100 hours in this game, and honestly I did not like it at first. I enjoyed the historical setting but I just hated the game format. It was just quite different in general than what I was use to with the AC games. I think what I especially disliked at first was the 1st person view. However with all new things, I know there is a learning curve, so I stook with it and eventually got over this hump. (I remember it was a similar case with Elden Ring where I was just too unfamiliar with the Dark Souls format). While this was an open-world format game it had a much heavier emphasis on the RPG genre. I've never played such a realistic role-playing-game. Where time, sleep, cleanliness, and eating are essential (aside from the usual health bar). Even the NPCs are running on their own realistic schedule. While this can be somewhat annoying it does offer a unique realistic aspect once you get use to it. I would say this is definetely an appeal for someone who truly wants to submerge themselves in a gaming environment. 

Another part that really drove me crazy at first was the saving mechanism. Most games these days will save atomically as you play or after you complete a big quest. However that was not the case for this game and it took me some time to understand that. In this game, you had to buy save potions or sleep in certain area. Saving strategy was key to move your development along. It also took me some time to get familiar with the fighting format where defense is just as essential as attack. Of course there is also training and leveling-up that is required to improve Henry's combat skills. Plus good armor and weapons can make things much easier.

Henry is a likeable dimwit and I just love the finger-wagging throughout the game. He has many skills in the game that need constant upgrading. This ranges from speech, combat, pickpocketing, lockpicking, stealth, hunting, hound-master, blacksmithing, herbalism, alchemy, horsemanship, and even drinking (Czechs are notorious for their beer consumption rate after all). In order to improve these skills you must practice them throughout the game, and then meet with an expert to officially advance your level. The character also has main stats consisting of his strength, agility, vitatlity, speech, and even reputation. As well as combat skills ranging from sword, defense, bow, axe, mace, and even unarmed. My weapon of choice was the sword but I also did pretty good at the unarmed boxing quests. I found archery and hunting to be very challenging in this game. I was bare essential with the locksmith/pickpocket/stealth components. But I did enjoy the horse and dog companionship elements. 

I always love a resourceful game, and this game certainly had it's business element to it. Henry has various ways to acquire tools, weapons, or resources that will aid him on his journey. This ranges from armor and weapons, but also to food and potions. He can collect herbs and use alchemy to brew potions that can improve his health or save the game at any point. The game has many merchant categories (especially in Rattay) ranging from swordsmith, armorer, butcher, apothecary, cobbler, tailor, baker, grocer, horse trader, innkeeper, and bathhouse maids. I always enjoy a game that offers a trade component where you can buy new gear but also sell acquired resources. The game even has a town-building element but I only got about half-way thru developing Pribyslavitz. 

All-in-all what I most loved about the game was the historical setting. It's no question the developers put a lot of thought in the setting and the historical content of Bohemia. What I didn't like however was the 1st person view. The graphics were decent, but I just like to see my character in action. A lot of times the character's movement was limited, blocked, and even parts where he would just get stuck in general. Granted this is an older game from 2018 and it was a PS4 game playing on a PS5 console, but still it was a bit on the quirky side. But I eventually did get the hang of it, and can truly say I enjoyed it overall. I'd say the biggest challenge was getting familiar with the format and all it's RPG rules. It's a game where survival and decisions were more important than sheer combat. I don't think it would make my top 25 all time games, but it was a very entertaining gameplay, especially from the historical aspect. I will most definitely play the sequel at some point.   

Video Game Review: Assassin's Creed Shadows

This summer I have emerged into a Japanese phase much thanks to the video game Assassin's Creed Shadows. This is one of my all time favorite video game series, and I have had the game on my radar for some time now. I love the historical and cultural aspect of the game series, and that was certainly the case for this one set in the Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. This game paired perfectly with the book I was reading, Shogun, which is also set during this time and therefore made this phase more of a focus on feudal Japan. This was such an intriguing time in Japanese history with the discovery by the Portuguese and the ending of their warring states period. The game depicts the key unification that occurred under the leadership of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoishi, and Tokugawa Iyeasu which would establish a 250-year long peaceful era under the Tokugawa Shogunate. 

Just like the last few AC games this was has multiple characters to appeal to both g
enders. Except instead of choosing your hero, they both are playable characters which are necessary to advance the game's storyline. The two heroes in this game are Naoe, a shinbo (ninja) from Iga, and Yaskue (a foreign African slaved turned samurai). The two characters offer a perfect contrast in stealth vs power and incorporate two of the most iconic Japanese warriors; the ninja and the samurai. It's quite interesting to follow their storyline how they got to their place, and the community they establish to weed out the corruption in Japan.

The Story

I'll be honest the main storyline was quite complex to follow, especially since it revolved around two characters. My character of choice was Naoe, whose village of Iga was attacked by Nobunaga's army (led by Yaskue who is actually based off a historical black samurai). Naoe's father tells her to recover a secret lost blade, however she is shot and her father is killed by a secret society known as Shinbakufu. 

Naoe is able to find refuge, and as she recovers she promises vengeance against those who killed her father. Naoe begins the game already as a skilled assassin' however we see flashbacks of her training with her father early on. Naoe gathers information that Nobunaga is the head of the Shinbakufu, and attempts to assassinate him before she is stopped by Yasuke. It is then revealed that she was setup in a greater plot to kill Nobunaga. Yasuke then joins Naoe's fight to gain vengeance on this Shinbakufu circle.

Yasuke is drawn to Naoe's mysterious hidden blade she conceals in her wrist (a symbol of the Assassin's Order) and believes he was instructed to join their cause from his past life. The two establish their own league of assassins to hunt down the remaining members of the Shinbakufu throughout Japan. They eventually uncover a plot coordinated by Ashikaga Yoshiaki, to dispose of Nobunaga. To add a further layer of complex they discover the the Templar Order has influenced many of these events, which further drives Yasuke for vengeance since he was enslaved by Portuguese templar members. The story ends with all enemies terminated, a new league established, and a new quest to find Naoe's mother. 

The GamePlay

This game had a massive open-world map of which I have still yet to fully uncover after nearly 130 hours of gameplay. It had beautiful graphics and almost everything on the map was accessible through roads, water, fields, or even trailblazing thru the brush of the mountains. The game also had a seasonal change, which really added a layer of aesthetics to the beautiful landscape of Japan. Exploring the map is always one of my favorite things to do in open-world games and this one definitely did not disappoint. It had all the usual AC map elements, such as viewpoints, main objectives, side missions, and assassin contracts. Also it was vital to collect resources throughout the map to buildup your hideout.

Both character's weapon of choice is the famous curved sword known as the nagata, but each had some different secondary weapons. Naoe carried an arsenal of the tanto dagger, the kusarigama (spiked metal ball with a chain), throwing knives known as kunai, smoke bombs, and a grappling hook. She was a great climber and stealth killer. Yasuke carried the more traditional samurai weapons such as the kanabo (a large spiked club) and the naginata (a long reach sword). He also carried both the bow and a rifle as his long range weapons known as the yumi and teppo. Where Yasuke lacked in stealth and agility he made up in raw power, ideal for group fights or boss fights. 

Leveling up the characters is necessary to advance in the storyline, and it's always fun to find upgraded weapons and wardrobe. The blacksmith in the hideout will get your preferred weapons and armor upgraded at a cost. The resources collected are necessary to advance your hideout which also includes a network of assassin's that can assist you throughout the game. The league includes Tomiko, head of the base; Junjuro, an artistic young boy; Yaya, a fierce female monk; Gennojo, a street thief; Ibuki, a former ronin; Oni-Yuri, skilled young girl in toxins; Yagoro, younger assassin apprentice; Rufino, a Portuguese rifle shooter. Calling upon these characters to aid you in battle can be helpful but I honestly didn't use this feature all that much. 

The hideouts throughout various locations were also helpful to restock on health supplies, recruit new scouts, and take on new contracts. It also served as a great teleportation on the map, similar to traveling via the viewpoints. The map offered many historical locations which I learned from the game such as Kyoto, the once capital of Japan, Osaka, Lake Biwa, Himeji Castle, Azuchi Castle (Oda Nobunaga's fortification), and the region of Iga known as the birthplace of the ninja method. I found climbing thru mountain shrubs to be a rewarding shortcut to get to where you had to go. There were also many caves to explore or obstacle courses known as hidden paths that offered great treasures. 

The combat format had a solid structure with the typical light attack, hard attack, block, or doge options. Also after a sequence of assaults the hero would get a special attack which was a nice cinematic break that would deliver heavy damage. As I've mentioned Naoe was a good fighter but not good at taking on big groups like Yasuke was. Naoe was the typical Japanese shinobi assassin, somewhat like Shao Jun from AC Chronicles China. She could move quick. climb easily, and perform stealth assassin's which for me is the classic AC format. It's always fun to sneak into a fortification and see how much loot you can steal, and how many enemies you can kill without detection.  

I'd say my biggest complain in the game, was the subtle mention of the Assassin's Order throughout the game. Despite being at the backdrop of the story, I felt Naoe really never had a proper initiation or welcome into this order. At the onset of the game she was already equipped with the hidden blade, a skilled stealth assassins, and could perform the leap of faith. In most other AC games, the lead hero goes thru a period of training to acquire these skills. Sure she discovered elements of the order throughout the game, but it seems like she established her own league based off the principles of the Order. While her parents may have been involved in the league, they were both gone, before they could properly welcome her in. I also rea paid no mind to the animus component of this game, a feature I have always ignored in Assassin's creed. I prefer the historical setting not the modern day one. With that aside though it was a very enjoyable game in which I learned so much about Japanese history and culture.            

Top 25 Most Difficult Elden Ring Bosses

I'm proud to say I completed all 30 Legendary and Elite Bosses in the game (some of which were optional) all of which were listed in the PlayStation Achievement Guide. I found some of the bosses to be quite easy while others nearly drove me to madness. Some of these fights I was probably under-leveled but too stubborn to walk away. While others it seemed were just difficult no matter my level. Here is the top 25 most notable bosses I fought in the game, ranking them by difficulty.  

25. Dragonskin Soldier of Nokstella

This was an optional Great Boss located in the Siofra River. He was one of several bosses I hunted after defeating the game (already at about level 130 by this point). I found it difficult to find him and needed some YouTube guidance, however once I did I was easily able to defeat him on my first try. I honestly don't remember too much from this battle.  

24. Valiant Gargoyles

Another optional Great Boss, located in Nokron the Eternal City that I hunted after beating the game. Once again I needed some help from YouTube to locate them and once again I was able to defeat the boss on my first tree. Aside from having to fight two giant stone gargoyles at a time, there wasn't too much memorable in this one for me. 

23. Lichdragon Fortissax

This was another optional Great Boss I defeated on my first try after beating the game. However I needed some guidance from YouTube on where to locate the beast. It was actually more challenging finding the boss, then fighting it, since there was a full questline to undertake pertaining to Fia. This involved unlocking a whole new underground region in the Deeproot Depths, which I missed in my early explorations. The boss itself was easy quite easy aside from the long journey to find him.

22. Morgott the Omen King 

After struggling so much with Margit the Fell Omen, I was more then ready to beat the hell out of this Legendary demigod Boss. I actually bought the Morgott trap early in the game, knowing that I would face this boss once again. However I honestly didn't really need to use it. I believe he did beat me once, as I do remember him dropping his classic line one, of putting my blind ambitions to rest. But I'm quite sure I beat him on the second try. 

21. Beast Clergyman/Maliketh, the Black Blade 

Getting thru Farum Azula was a very challenging region towards the end of the game with many fierce enemies. However surprisingly the main legendary boss Maliketh was not all that difficult for me. He begins as the Beast Clergyman then transforms into some form of beastly black panther that jumps and springs everywhere while slashing his giant fire sword. I saw this boss ranked a lot higher on other lists, but for me he was quite easy and didn't take me more than a couple tries to defeat him.   

20. Godfrey/Hoarah Loux

By the time I had arrived to Leyendall Ashen Capital towards the end of the game, I had defeated a string of bosses all rather easily. This included Maliketh from Farum Azula, followed by Sir Gideon, and then came the legendary boss, Godfrey the first Elden Lord. In his second phase Godfrey transforms into a lion warrior known as Hoarah Loux, but still was fairly easy to defeat. I think it might have taken me a couple tries t to defeat him. I knew then, it was too easy and the boss to follow would be the penultimate challenge to beat the game. 

19. Borealis, the Freezing Fog

This was another great boss I decided to hunt after defeating the game, and actually found him on my own while navigating the snow lands. Despite my high level with a maxed out weapon and mimic spirit ash, I still found this enemy to be quite challenging. That was due to his frost AOE (area-of-effect) which quickly caused severe frostbite damage. With the help of Torrent however, I eventually got a good routine of getting behind him to hack away at his legs. This was the same strategy that worked for the fire giant and other dragons throughout the game. This enemy reminded me of the Game of Thrones White Walker dragon.  

18. Mohg, Lord of Blood 

He was an optional legendary demigod boss located in the firey Mohgwyn Palace. I actually found him and defeated him without any help from YouTube. I believe it did take me several attempts and found his magical attacks to be quite unpredictable. He use of fire and blood attacks, would quickly deduct major health. I think after a few tries I came to understand his rhythm and maybe just got lucky as I've seen this boss also listed quite high on other lists. 

17. Godskin Noble 

This was one of the more vile great bosses in the game, an overweight clergyman with a giant tail located within the Volcano Manor. Despite his layers of flab he can still move very fast and can quickly diminish your health in a string of attacks. I remember he had an annoying fat roll and a deadly rapier thrust. I think this one did take me a few tries but I finally got it right and was glad to be done with this grotesque beast.  

16. Dragonlord Placidusax 

I hunted for this Great Boss, after beating the game, and he was without question the most challenging postgame enemies I faced. Located in Farum Azula, I needed some help from YouTube to locate him. And even despite my high level it took me quite a few attempts to finally beat him. He had some deadly lightning AOE attacks and would quickly kill my mimic ash. What especially made this boss frustrating was a rather lengthy boss run of dodging a few powerful enemies and then having to jump down several floating rocks. It was having to repeat these lengthy boss runs again-and-again that could often make a boss fight all the more maddening.    

15. Red Wolf of Radagon

The Academy of Raya Lucaria was especially difficult to navigate no thanks to the creepy crawling giant hands and the 3-headed sorcerers. I remember this was one of the areas I would just run thru to hit the save points. One of the Great Bosses located in this academy was the Red Rolf of Radagon who was also quite difficult. He was extremely fast and could also throw various magical projectiles at you. This was probably the third major boss I defeated in the game, and I felt quite good that it took me a lot less time then Margit and Godric. 

14. Royal Knight Loretta

I remember facing this great ghostly boss towards my early phase of exploring the game and quickly decided I was not at the right level yet. I especially didn't like to linger long in the magical region of Caria Manor. When I decided to return to face her with a higher level, I still found her to be quite difficult with his magical attacks. I remember this boss was one of several instances throughout the game where I had an enemy's health bar down to a fraction of a centimeter, then died. That is one of the most frustrating things to bounce back from. 

 

13. Godskin Duo

The region of Farum Azura was one of the most difficult areas in the game, and the Godskin Duo was no exception. It was already difficult enough to face them individually earlier in the game, but having to face them together at once was all the more challenging. I remember this was another fight where I quickly realized I was under-leveled and decided to walk away. The second go-around was still quite challenging and took me quite a few attempts to finally defeat both of them.    

12. Astel, Natural born of the Void

This was one of the more surprising victories I achieved throughout the game. The underground Nokstella Eternal City, especially it's Lake of Rot were challenging to navigate thru and also very hellish. I actually found this legendary boss without any assistance from YouTube, when I curiously entered a coffin that transported me to some magical realm known as the Void. I knew right away this was a very unusual boss with his spooky skull face and insect-like body. It was quite a mesmerizing setting like on a giant lake surrounded by the stars. Despite his many magical projectiles I courageously charged right at him and slashed the heck out of him. I think it only took me two or three tries to defeat him. I believe this boss was meant to be a lot more difficult but maybe I just got a good sequence of dodges and attacks to beat him before I died. 

11. Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy 

This legendary demigod boss located in the Volcano Manor, probably wins the most horrifying boss award. His first phase as the God-Devouring Serpent was actually not too difficult once I figured out how to use the serpent sword. However his transformation into Rykard, with his monstrous face in the serpent's body took things to the next level. At this point the projectiles of fire and magic led to utter chaos, especially when the red skulls chase after you. This was a lengthy two phase boss fight, and I was glad to get it done with after maybe an hour or so.  

10. Starscourge Radahn

This was the third major demigod I faced after defeating Godric and Renalla and actually only took me about 15 tries. He was still challenging no doubt about it, but compared to my previous legendary boss fights I was very happy to have defeated him so quickly. I actually enjoyed this fight outside the Castle Redmane of Caelid. It was nice to have Torrent for a boss fight and to call upon the aid of spirit warriors as we all charged into battle. Radahn was no doubt one of the strongest imposing adversaries but I think having allies made this fight a lot easier for me. Once I was able to past his giant arrow shots, the rest was just slash, run, dodge, and slash some more. I always loved to fight with Torrent, since I could easily do hit-and-run slashes without any effect.   
 

9. Godskin Apostle

This was an example of a great boss, that I was probably under leveled for but stubbornly decided to fight anyway. I spent several hours fighting this guy before I had to accept defeat and just walk away.  I think I just really disliked the cultish setting of the Windmill village of Dominula, where mad witches danced around. This fight was one on horse, and I felt I could easily use my hit-and-run tactics to defeat this magical phantom. However ultimately I just think I was not causing enough damage and unable to outlast his many magical attacks. I returned to him much later in the game, when I had signiciantly leveled up, and easily defeated him on my first try. However it was that first phase for me that made this boss so challenging.   

8. Draconic Tree Sentinel

Here was another example of a boss where I was significantly under leveled, but still thought I could outlast him. Knowing I needed to defeat him to enter Leyendell, I really wanted to take this guy down early in the game. I also thought having Torrent would work in my favor, and I could just play the long-game with him. I even established a tactical strategy with the help of my jellyfish spirit ash. However after several hours of stubborn denial I only once came close to beating him. I just couldn't cause enough damage to outlast his magical attacks. Having to walk away from that fight was quite upsetting but I once again returned to him much later in the game and easily defeated him. 

 

7. Margit the Fell Omen

This was obviously my first major boss fight in the game, and one I spent many hours on. It's one of the few bosses I genuinely came to hate, and found myself fighting with rage over tactics. I think it was his creepy goatlike face, his giant staff, and having to hear him speak the same line again-and-again after killing me, "Put these Foolish Ambitions to Rest". After a first trial, I had to move on from him for a while to further explore and level up. On the second trial I still struggled to fight him and believe I just barely beat him with the wandering nobles spirit ash. I remember there was somehow still a noble left at the end when it was all over. At this point I knew what a challenge I was in for but also just proved to myself that I could endure it. 

6. Fire Giant 

I remember taking on this legendary boss on Super Bowl Sunday in the snow covered regions of the giants. At first I felt pretty good about the fight, as this was later in the game, where I had gotten comfortable with my bloodhound sword and was easily defeating enemies and bosses. I actually felt I would enjoy this fight, since I could use Torrent once again, and the whole snowy setting with it's violin score reminded me of Game of Thrones. However after an hour or so I realized this guy was no pushover and had an extremely durable body. My strategy was to slash at his foot from behind but he had various area-of-effect fire assaults where I often got caught up in which led to instant death. In his second phase his chest turns into a one-eyed cyclops monster, who goes on even more fiery assaults. I knew early on I could beat this guy and was coming close several times, but found it difficult to strike him amidst his many different fire attacks. After several hours I had to walk away from this fight to catch the opening of the Super Bowl, but returned later that evening to finally defeat him.   

5. Godric the Grafted

After struggling to navigate thru Stormveil Castle I had a good sense I was in for yet another very challenging fight. I remember by this point I had finally come to understand the game, had leveled up, and had enlisted the jellyfish as my spirit ash of choice. I think it was a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon where I spent hours fighting this one boss. I eventually got pretty good at understanding his various attack sequences and finding the right times to dodge and attack. However his second phase was even more challenging when he chops off his arm to replace it with a dragon's head. At this point it was not only a melee fight, but also having to run for dear life to escape deadly fire assaults. This was a very lengthy fight in a eerie graveyard, which made it especially frustrating with each defeat. I changed strategies multiple times, until finally just having a good run. I believe it was close once again, but I was so thrilled to defeat this legendary demigod.  

4. Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon 

This was one of the most frustrating boss fights for me, due to it's very lengthy boss run. I would say it was probably the longest boss run in the game, which I had to do many times. This Legendary Boss in the Raya Lucaria Academy had the potential to be a pretty cool fight. Known as the Moon Queen, she did have a hypnotic allure to her, especially in the 2nd phase surrounded by a mystical, starry sky. The first phase took me a little bit to figure out as her many clones sing a lullaby that sounds like a song from Sound of Music. They hurl magical projectiles and books that cause minor damage, but it's the giant blasts from the Queen that can be instant death in this phase. After many attempts I actually got thru this phase pretty easily, however the 2nd part was an entirely different fight in a new location. This time the Queen took on her full form, as a powerful sorceress with an array of magical spirt casting spells. This was one of three boss fights, that I felt properly leveled for but just couldn't get it done in the first trial and had to go to bed defeated. I think what especially made this fight so challenging was the lengthy boss run, and then a very lengthy fight. Each loss was so very discouraging, especially when I came very close several times to defeating her. When I finally did have the perfect run, I believe it was still quite close, but I had finally defeated her and felt an extreme rush of jubilation in that moment. 

3. Malenia, Blade of Miquella 

I've seen this legendary boss considered as the number one most difficult boss on many lists, and it was not until I actually defeated her that I read that. She was no doubt very challenging, as she was advertised by Sir Gideon as an undefeated Valkyrie demigod. I honestly wasn't too intimidated by her early on, however just felt I had to survive her windstorm sword attacks. During this sequence she would go into a maddening tornado of sword attacks, impossible to doge, which would often lead to instant death. However I quickly realized she had a weakness in slow recovery, and my best strategy would be an all out offense to not allow her to perform her spinning strikes. I did everything I could to improve my endurance, and capitalize on attacks when she was focused on my mimic spirit ash. Her 2nd phase was of course equally challenging as it went into more of a magical scarlet rot attack with her continued sword attacks. After several hours I felt I might be in trouble with this boss, but then just out of nowhere had a good run and killed her in the nick of time. 

2. Commander Niall

I remember Castle Sol was quite challenging with many difficult ghostly knights but I was proud of myself for navigating it without any YouTube tips. However then I came to Commander Niall and all good feelings I had achieved were instantly lost once again. This was probably one of the second longest boss runs in the game, after Rennalla. However what made this boss so unusually difficult was the fact that I was going up against three very powerful bosses at once. Niall would summon two very large ghostly knights that would frequently kill me
before I could even start at Niall. This game is difficult fighting any level of multiple enemies at a time, now consider fighting multiple bosses. This was an example where I had to really develop a strategy to defeat them individually. I used all forms of gadgetry, weapon grease, rune arcs, and any advantage I could find. I know my level was right, however I still spent hours the first attempt and could not even come halfway at Commander Niall's health bar. I ran out of time on my first trial, and had to go to bed defeated. I of course studied on my free time some tips on how to beat this guy. I finally found a solution in using some magic branches that would convert one of the knights to my side. This way I was able to use him to get a few key hits on the Commander early on. From then on I would call upon my mimic spirt ash, and keep my distance from his magical frost storms. Although this was not a legendary boss I sure as heck felt like he should have been. 

1. Radagon of the Golden Order/Elden Beast Legendary Boss

Towards the end of the game I actually had gotten quite confident in my fighting skills. By the time I got to the Leyendell Ashen Capital, I was at around level 125 and easily defeated a string of major bosses such as Maliketh, Sir Gideon, and Godfrey. I of course knew the final boss would be challenging, but maybe my character's attributes were a point where I could overcome those challenges. That was definitely not the case, and the Radagon/Elden Beast boss fight was fittingly the hardest fight for me. This was a marathon of two very difficult phases, where every movement was key. Radagon was more a melee combat with lightning damage, while the Elden Beast was just a full on magical assault. I spent at least five hours on the first trial against this boss and had to go to bed very frustrated in defeat. The next day I did my research and decided to level up my attributes and got to around level 130 when I faced him a 2nd time. I also changed my armor and talismans to have stronger lightning negation. I had gotten much better at dodging Radagon's hammer assaults, and made it to the Elden Beast with about 6 health flasks left. From here I developed a strategy to use Torrent in certain parts of the fight, such as the circular fire rings, but not the up close fighting. It still took me many attempts on my 2nd trial, but I think having Torrent and some proper lightning negation is what did the trick. I was so thrilled to have beaten this epic boss, but also to have beaten one of the hardest games I've ever played.  

Video Game Review: Elden Ring

After nearly 2 months of full immersive game-play I finally beat the main storyline of Elden Ring yesterday. The game was as difficult as anticipated, one of the most challenging games I've ever played, but also so very rewarding. To defeat a boss after hours of frustrating battle, is such a blissful feeling of victory. I suppose that's the appeal to video games, as a means to escape while overcoming challenges. This was especially the case for Zelda, where the difficult challenge seemed to heighten the experience. I would say Elden Ring, is very similar to the format of Zelda yet more so for adults. It has the similar fantasy setting, open-world format, character upgrades, and a statistical element. The graphics of the "Lands Between" are some of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen. The only weak side to this game was the story, but other than that it would rank among my all time favorite video games. 

When I first heard of this game in 2022 I knew I wanted to play it. It was everything I love in a video game, the fantasy genre with the open-world format. I also learned it was designed by Game of Thrones writer George R. Martin. However the game was released strictly for the PlayStation console which I did not have until recently. I had all but forgotten about this game until I bought a PlayStation 5 last Black Friday. I saw the game on sale for $20 and decided it would be my next full emersion game (after a 1-year hiatus since playing Assassin's Creed Mirage). Of course even as I bought the game I was aware that it was considered one of the most difficult games of all time. However I knew with some patience and the support of Google and YouTube I could get thru it.

The Game Play

This being the first Dark Souls game I ever played, I wasn't familiar at all with the format. Early on I found myself quite lost on what to do and getting killed far too easily. I then of course had to turn to Google and YouTube videos (quite frequently) to better understand the importance of statistics. Just like many games these days, leveling up the character and weapons is vital to survive. The hero in this game is very customizable not only their looks but also their statistical skills. A gamer essentially can chose their play style, whether it be one of melee warrior combat, or a magical sorcerer, to anything in between. I chose the path of the warrior.     

The key attributes to a character are their vigor, mind, endurance, strength, dexterity, intelligence, faith, and arcane. These attributes can be upgraded after collecting sufficient runes, which will also upgrade the character's level. If your character is more the warrior build like mine, then you want to upgrade their vigor, endurance, and strength attributes. If you prefer the magical route, then the attributes of intelligence, faith, and arcane are the way to go. I honestly hardly tapped into the magical elements in this game, and could see how someone would consider a second run thru of the entire game with a completely different character build.  

Once I came to understand my preferred character build, I started moving thru the game at a better pace. That is until I got to Stormveil Castle, where I reached my first of several waves of intense frustration. I was killed many times by the boss Margit the Fell Omen, who kept "putting my foolish ambitions to rest". Defeating him was my first great achievement, but then I struggled to navigate the labyrinth of Stormveil Castle. I was killed constantly by the demon soldiers and flying eagles with knives and explosives attached to their talons. Furthermore I just did not know where to go until I turned to some YouTube guidance. I finally made it to Godrick the Grafted, who was twice as difficult as Margit and the frustration continued. I believe those first days I played this game I had serious doubts, of whether I was up for this, but I pressed on and finally beat Godrick. From there I was fully engaged and knew there was no turning back. 

This victorious feeling was short lived however, after advancing from Stormveil Castle into Lurnia and the Academy of Raya Lucaria. I'm not sure why it is, but something about magic often gives me the creeps. That was the case in Skyrim, Witcher, and definitely the case in this game. I won't lie some of my early tactics were just to run to the save spots known as the Sites of Grace. In the Academy I had to defeat two more epic bosses including the Red Wolf and the moon queen Rennalla. I found Rennalla to be extremely difficult and after many hours I simply could not beat her, and had go to bed in defeat. I remember being so frustrated at work the next day just waiting to get home and give her another chance. This time I had done my research and was much more familiar with her tactics. It was once again a very rewarding feeling to defeat her. 

From this point on I explored quite a bit, eager to level up my character so as to stand a better chance against these wicked creatures. I found there was hardly a friendly place or person on the map to have a decent conversation with. Even the merchants weren't very friendly and the refuge Royal Table had a dark grim feel to it. The game has a funny juxtaposition to have such a beautiful heavenly setting inhabited only by the most vile and wicked creatures imaginable. Nonetheless I still enjoyed to explore every corner of the map, even the caves and undergrounds which had many important weapons and items.

There are many forms of weapons in this game catering to one's play style. The character can equip multiple melee options and magical items during combat. I would often have a sword in one hand, shield in the other, with my health flask. I found the arrow and throwing knives did too little damage to be worthwhile. For magic I would frequently call upon my stead Torrent and my spirit ashes to aid me in battle. For half the game I used the Jellyfish spirit ash, until switching over to the Mimic spirit ash. I also found the finger seal to be helpful in casting magical cures for poison or scarlet rot. The armor was also an important way to upgrade one's defense which I changed frequently. Once I discovered my weapon of choice the Bloodhound Fang and maxed out it's level, I was finally able to easily defeat enemies. 

I next took on the dragon-scored region known as Caelid with it's horrifying giant birds, dogs, and dragons galore. I was actually easily able to navigate thru the Castle Redmane and defeated the legendary boss Radahn after only about 10 tries. I then went to the Volcano Manor to easily defeat  Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. After this string of easy victories, I had assumed I was going to easily make it thru the finish without anymore frustrations but that was not to be the case. I marched into the royal capital Leyndell like a conquering hero, and had some challenges navigated but was easily able to defeat Margit once again. I then journeyed to the snowy mountains of the giants where suddenly everything got very difficult once again. I quickly found I would have to hault my main quest campaign to continue to explore and level up my character some more. 

I was quite shocked at how the difficulty went up a notch in the snow mountains just as I thought I was cruising along. It was fighting the fire giant, that reminded me of some of the extreme frustrations I experienced early on in this game. I remember fighting him on Super Bowl Sunday, and missing a good portion of the game because I could not rest in peace. I was so happy to finally kill him after many hours of battle that day, and thankful I didn't have to go into work defeated (as I did with Queen Rennalla). I quickly met my match once again however at Castle Sol when having to face Commander Niall and his two ghostly knights. After many attempts I was not able to beat this boss, and had to go to bed very upset. It was not until the next day that I defeated him, just barely I remember. After this the frustration continued in the Consecrated Snowfields where I died many times trying to navigate thru the heavy winds and fog. 

From here voyaging into the fiery realm known as the Mohgwyn Palace wasn't really all that bad. I once again easily defeated the epic boss, Mohg Lord of the Blood after only a handful of attempts. I then went to the breathtaking realm known as Miquella's Haligtree, and wish I could have just explored this mythical tree kingdom in peace. Of course the villains were once again extremely difficult and I found I had to rush thru to get to saving points. After struggling to get thru this region, it was not surprising that the boss here was one of the most challenging yet. I had heard from Sir Gideon that Malenia, Blade of Miquella was the only undefeated goddess, and this powerful Valkyrie lived up to the hype. It took me many hours to defeat this boss, and I found her phase 1 to actually be more challenging then her phase 2. It was only after I defeated her that I later found out she was an optional boss to the main questline. 

From here I went to the realm of the Crumbling Farum Azule, which was also very difficult region to navigate with it's storm winds and powerful enemies. The legendary boss here was surprisingly not all that difficult for me and I defeated Maliketh, the Black Blade after only a few tries. From there I knew it was time to face the final leg of the game by returning to the capital of Leyndell that was now covered in ash from the burning Erdtree. I think by this point I was at around level 120 as I prepared to face the final string of bosses. I was not surprised to see Sir Gideon, who had once counseled me at the Royal Table, awaiting to challenge me. He was actually an easy win, followed by another easy boss in Godfrey the First Elden Lord. I of course knew it couldn't be that easy and boy was I right when I came face to face with Radagan of the Golden Order. 

I spent over five hours attempting to beat this guy to no success, using every tool in my playbook. And on the few times I made it to his 2nd phase, known as the Elden Beast, I found to be even more challenging. I went to bed that night defeated for a third time in this game (thankfully it was a Friday night). I decided the next day I had to upgrade my attributes some more and improved my character to around level 130. This time I was able to beat Radagan a lot easier and realized I could use Torrent to fight against the Elden Beast. I was so happy when I finally defeated this epic boss. The thrill was enhanced as this was the most challenging fight in the entire game, but even more so it meant that I had officially beaten the game. My ending was the Age of the Stars where I summoned Ranni the Witch to rule over the Lands Between in a complete new era. I suppose this was because I fully completed her quest, but I personally would have rather been the sole Elden Lord. 

Overall Review

I'm not for sure how much time I spent playing other games, but this one likely ranked as the most at about 140 hours (and I might still do a little more exploring before wrapping it up). I believe the time spent on this game is is no doubt a testament to how much I enjoyed the game. Although I found it to be extremely difficult, I think that's what made it all the more enjoyable. It was that desire to succeed which sometimes drove me to madness but I always knew I could do it, and in the end I was able to overcome it all and that was such a great feeling. I don't think I've ever played such an engaging game as this aside from Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. 

As I mentioned in the intro, what I loved most about the game was the incredible setting and the graphics. However I honestly found the story to be quite disappointing and lackluster. From the onset this hero known as a tarnished is very alone in this mysterious world. His character is quite weak without any backstory and showing no emotions aside from his ambition to be elden lord. I mentioned earlier that the game doesn't have many friendlies, and the few are very minimal who often fade away into nothingness. Such as Melina who appears to be a guide at the Sites of Grace, but not much comes of her. Or the blacksmith troll Hewg at the Round Table, and his apprentice Roderika neither of which offer much positive affirmation. There's some interesting side quest stories such as Ranni the Witch or Nepheli Loux the warrior, but there quite few-and-far between. I didn't even know who the main villain was all throughout the game. 

Aside from it's vague story, I still really enjoyed the fantasy setting and could see how someone could dive deeper in this Dark Souls lore. For me what I especially loved about the game was the freedom to go about it as you choose. I never felt so unsure of where to go next in a game. This was somewhat overwhelming given the enormous size of this map but also quite liberating. I actually did have to refer to an online forum of the best route to take in this game, given that some areas require higher levels. I must confess had it not been for these online forums and video tips I may have not made it thru this game. But even with all these tips, it was without question the most difficult game I ever played. As for it's overall ranking, I would have to think it thru, but would likely have it in my all time top ten. 

Video Game Review: Star Wars Jedi Survivor

After much deliberation, last Black Friday I finally upgraded my Xbox One to a Play Station 5. This was a costly purchase but a necessary one as they are no longer producing new games for the Xbox One. This is the first Play Station console I own after nearly 15 years with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The first games I purchased were FIFA 25 and Elden Ring (which I intended to play all throughout the winter). However unexpectedly my brother Gabriel bought me the game Jedi Survivor for my birthday. So the past few weeks I put in about 40 hours into playing this game. All-in-all I'd say it was quite enjoyable and much more challenging than I had anticipated. Here is my brief review on the game. 

Game Premise

This game is a sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order (released in 2019) which I have not played yet. It pertains to the young Jedi Cal Kestis, a survivor of execute order 66, who now navigates the galaxy under control by the Empire. He is joined by a team of companions including his handy droid BD1; his pilot and mechanic Greez; his love interest Merin (a former member of the witch clan known as the Nightsisters); and the mercenary Bode. He travels the galaxy on board the spaceship known as the Mantis. 

In this storyline Cal is working for Saw Gerrara as a resistance fighter stealing some plans from a senator on Coruscant. During the mission much of his crew is ambushed and killed. Cal and his partner Bode escape Coruscant and fly to the planet Koboh, to reunite with their companion Greeze who can repair the Mantis. On Koboh, Cal bumps into an ancient droid, Zee, who helps him uncover a hidden planet known as Tanalorr. This also leads him to an entrapped jedi named Dagan. Cal is able to free Dagan, but later discovers that Dagan has turned to the dark side. 

Cal travels to the planet of Jedha to reunite with other exiled Jedi and learn more of the mystery of Dagan and the planet Tanalorr. The elder Jedi advise Cal to seek out the 3 hidden compasses throughout the galaxy to help find the planet of Tanalorr. Cal, Greeze, Bode, and Merin all seek to escape to the planet Tanalorr as a means to be free from Empire. On an Imperial moon, Cal confronts and kills Dagan and his henchmen. Cal then returns the compasses to the Jedi archives at Jedha, however they are then suddenly betrayed by Bode. Bode kills the elder Jedi and steals the compasses while the Imperial army arrives to assault the hidden Jedi base. The Jedi master Cere is killed while confronting Darth Vader. 

Cal, Greeze, and Merin are able to escape Jedha and then begin a quest to track Bode down. During this time Cal is fueled by anger and begins to struggle with the dark side of the force. He learns that Bode passed over all this information to the Empire, so that he could find a better life for his daughter. Cal and his crew are able to find an alternate route to Tanalorr. There they find Bode and both Cal and Merin defeat him together. The crew then decide to adopt Bode's young daughter and settle on the planet Tanalorr, free from the Empire. I was kind of disappointed to see Bode turn into the ultimate enemy as he was actually a rather likable guy until his betrayal. 

Gameplay

Although this game was not entirely open-world, it certainly had some detailed maps. I was shocked at the labyrinths and layers within each planet, and found myself getting lost quite frequently. I would often have to refer to the map to get an idea of where I had and hadn't been yet. I also found there were many puzzles in this game, with an array of navigational options. With each level Cal discovered new gadgets and force powers that helped his navigation. Such as running alongside walls, ziplining, using a grapple hook, a triple jump, a force pull-and-push, and a force crush. BD1 also offers tools necessary for unlocking puzzles (such as binoculars, electric blasts, and array force). Cal can also can ride on various animals by land or air to enhance exploration. With each upgraded ability, new regions of the map could be explored.

Aside from his movement abilities were his weapon and combat abilities. The character had the usual customizable features for his wardrobe and his weapon. I always like this feature within games to personalize your character. Cal can customize BD1, his blaster, and lightsaber with various components and colors. Throughout the game he can also acquire skill points to upgrade new combat and force attacks. Another unique feature was his different combat stances; this included the single blade, the dual blades, the double-blade (Darth Maul style), and the blaster and blade. My favorite stance was the double blade where I was able to maximize attacks utilizing dodge movements and slow-motion force attacks.

I won't lie I rather zipped thru this game, intending to put more time and effort into Elden Ring. But I did find it quite challenging and rewarding. I found some of the bosses to be quite difficult especially the frog beast, Darth Vader, and Bode. I also enjoyed the collectables and shopping to be done in the Saloon on Koboh, such as buying musical tracks to be played at the Cantina. One aspect I liked but really didn't explore much was the bounty hunting. I must say I was disappointed by the gardening feature, where there was nothing to gain from the plants that Cal collected and grew. I did enjoy talking to the local characters, and took on some of their side quests. The game definitely had a Star Wars feel to it, and put me into a mini Star Wars phase throughout the holiday season which is always quite nostalgic.