GRcade

The genre, but even more so Hollow Knight specifically, is about exploration and working out where to go yourself. Not everyone is going to find that rewarding, in which case I think the game will be frustrating. Looking up where to go and what to do next defeats a large purpose of the game imo.

"Backtracking" is also a large part of the game, in that you want to be taking note of areas you can't yet progress in, remembering them, and returning once you have the necessary ability. It's that mental mapping of a space that I really enjoy.

Benches and losing money are all about risk-reward and increasing peril. I think they're effective - and deliberately stressful - mechanics. That said, money really becomes less of an issue as the game progresses, and there are alternate ways to both keeping money safe and recovering your money on death.

Mapping and taking notes, I’m not, it’s not for me. Games are for enjoying they should be work!

On the scale of "I play this to relax" to "I play this to be mentally engaged", Hollow Knight definitely sits towards the latter. I wouldn't call that work though - the worst kind of work is the kind that isn't mentally engaging!

OrangeRKN wrote:On the scale of "I play this to relax" to "I play this to be mentally engaged", Hollow Knight definitely sits towards the latter. I wouldn't call that work though - the worst kind of work is the kind that isn't mentally engaging!

I spend most of my day at work thinking and working stuff out and remembering who’ll heaps of stuff for whatever I’m writing that day. So I tend to like games I don’t to remember stuff. I don’t mind finding stuff but once I’ve found it I shouldn’t to remember where it was, for me botw at a sweet spot, enough info to get you going in the right direction but not all of it and once you found it a handy marker to jump back / travel there again.

Errkal wrote:Mapping and taking notes, I’m not, it’s not for me. Games are for enjoying they should be work!

There are charms in the game that’ll do the mapping for you.

Yeah you can buy pins to place on the map to mark locations, so as long as you remember why you marked somewhere with a pin that can help a lot

Yeah this sounds like more hassle that’s it worth.

It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played, but it’s clearly not for you.

Have you heard of Candy Crush?

Errkal wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:

Errkal wrote:Started the main game a while ago, really can’t get into it and enjoy it.

I’ve managed to get the map and get a quill and found a chamber with some mush called the false knight that destroys me in seconds.

What am I missing as I just don’t see the fun in that game.

It might just not be for you tbf. Are you a metroidvania fan in general? Do you like hunting out and piecing together lore? Do you get much out of challenging combat?

Not really sure what metrovania is. I don’t mind find things and piecing stuff together but I do get nearly at having very little direction and having to go over the same areas and memories routes and things.

The combat is quite good fun so far, other than get print smashed to gooseberry fool by false knight but I think I’d do better second time.

He saving at a bench thing is annoying as hell as is the beasties reappearing oh and what the hell is with the money after a death bullshit.

I do get the feeling it isn’t for me, it just feels like I’m trying to find a reason to like it and even this stuff I was checking YouTube to find what I was meant to do as the game give next to strawberry float all.

Nor a Souls game by the sounds of it

As for the game not telling you anything... it actually does: NPCs you meet talk about delving deeper below ground. After that you're going to hit areas you can progress further down, and areas that are tantalisingly out of reach or closed off. You then stick a marker on the map/take a screenshot as a reminder and go wandering again. There is always somewhere to go and someone to fight. I love the game but I felt *exactly* like you did and sometimes I still do. Usually with the bosses but almost never with zones as I know there'll be a way to gain access sooner or later.

I'm going to politely disagree with some of the posters in here and suggest that you stick with it - beat the first proper named boss and play some more after it. See how you feel when you *actually* see what the game has to offer. I mean there are zones and bosses and NPCs and animations in this game that you deserve to see. Don't jip yourself. Stick with it.

All grubs GET

Saint of Killers wrote:All grubs GET

Have you been back since?

I recently started playing it on the Xbox despite having finished it on the switch, I don't replay something so soon very often at all... I would actually go so far as to say its the thing I've enjoyed most on switch more than Odyssey or breath of the wild in fact.

OrangeRKN wrote:

Saint of Killers wrote:All grubs GET

Have you been back since?

Just went there now. Meh. I'd have preferred a HP piece, or that weapon material stuff. Or even if the parent grub turned out to be a giant mimic and it turned into a boss fight.

Saint of Killers wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:

Saint of Killers wrote:All grubs GET

Have you been back since?

Just went there now. Meh. I'd have preferred a HP piece, or that weapon material stuff. Or even if the parent grub turned out to be a giant mimic and it turned into a boss fight.

I just re-visited and

Great seeing that as a two post reaction

rinks wrote:It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played, but it’s clearly not for you.

Have you heard of Candy Crush?

strawberry floating KEK

Devine HOW MANY GEO?! Yes I want my gift back. Now.

Currently buzzing from having just defeated Soul Tyrant. And last night, those six watchers. That was an evil battle.

rinks wrote:Currently buzzing from having just defeated Soul Tyrant. And last night, those six watchers. That was an evil battle.

Soul Tyrant perfectly encapsulates every nails HK boss encounter for me: How the hell am I supposed to evade *any* of that?! And then, if you're as poop as me, after the umpteenth loss you start seeing some actual progress and then it's strawberry floating dead

*googles six watchers*

...

Oh those bastards Well done on that as well.

Saint of Killers wrote:

rinks wrote:Currently buzzing from having just defeated Soul Tyrant. And last night, those six watchers. That was an evil battle.

Soul Tyrant perfectly encapsulates every nails HK boss encounter for me: How the hell am I supposed to evade *any* of that?! And then, if you're as poop as me, after the umpteenth loss you start seeing some actual progress and then it's strawberry floating dead

*googles six watchers*

...

Oh those bastards Well done on that as well.

Yes, exactly that! That gradual progress that stops you giving up. And then he goes into an evil second phase, but you’ve got the measure of his initial stage so you fight on.

Now tackling the White Palace, with some full-on platforming. Getting a little further each time. Loving it.