Eldest Souls Review Summary

Beautiful pixel art style: The game features a visually appealing and beautiful pixel art style that players consistently praise. The detailed and timeless graphics contribute significantly to the overall aesthetic.

Enjoyable and fun gameplay: The gameplay is described as very fun and enjoyable, with a good combat system that keeps players engaged. The overall experience is pleasant despite some challenges.

Interesting skill trees: The skill trees are described as interesting and well-designed, providing different playstyles and adding to the game's replayability.

Good value for money: Players feel that the game is worth the price, offering a satisfying experience and good value for money, especially for fans of the genre.

Replayability through different styles: The game offers replayability through different fighting styles and skill trees, encouraging players to try multiple playthroughs.

Unfair and frustrating boss fights: Many players find the boss fights to be unfair and frustrating due to various reasons such as excessive difficulty, unpredictable attack patterns, and poor hitboxes. Bosses are often seen as overpowered with too much health and damage output, leading to a lack of enjoyment.

Clunky and unresponsive combat: The combat system is criticized for being clunky, slow, and unresponsive. Players report issues with movement, dodging mechanics, and overall combat feedback, making the gameplay less enjoyable.

Poor game balance and design: Players report issues with game balance, including inconsistent difficulty and artificial challenges that lead to wasted time. The game design is seen as lacking clarity and explanations, particularly for boss mechanics.

Limited game content: The game is criticized for its limited content, including a lack of regular enemies, exploration, and variety in weapons and attacks. The game's length is also considered short, leading to replayability issues.

Price does not match content: Many players feel that the game is not worth its current price due to the limited content and short gameplay duration. The value proposition is seen as poor, with the game being too short for its price.

Skill trees and character development: Players can develop their characters through skill trees and build customization. The progression system includes skill trees with different abilities and branches.

Dodging and movement mechanics: The game features dodging mechanics that are limited and require strategic use. Movement and collision mechanics, including dash mechanics, are also important aspects of the gameplay.

Unique combat styles: The game offers various fighting styles and unique combat styles, with three different fighting styles that have their own unique skill trees.

Souls-like difficulty: The game has a high difficulty level similar to the Dark Souls series, with mechanics and progression that are reminiscent of Souls-like games.

Charged attacks for damage and healing: Players can use charged attacks for both dealing damage and healing. These mechanics are tied to the health system and are crucial for combat.

Various bugs affecting gameplay: Players encounter several bugs, including issues with audio, character freezing, mouse cursor problems in windowed mode, and specific bugs with poison circles and water fountains.

Performance varies by setup: While some players experience stable performance and successful optimization, others report poor performance. The game's performance seems to vary widely depending on the setup.

Frequent crashes and stability issues: Players report various stability problems, including crashes, blue screen errors, and forced closures. These issues significantly impact the gaming experience.

Compatibility with Steam Deck: The game plays well on Steam Deck, indicating good compatibility with this platform. This is a positive note for players using Steam Deck.

Input and camera issues: There are reports of input lag and camera movement bugs, which can affect the overall control and visual experience of the game.

Buy on discount: Many players recommend purchasing the game only when it is available at a significant discount, suggesting that the full price may not be justified.

Recommended for boss rush fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of boss rush games and those who enjoy challenging boss fights, similar to Souls-like games.

Challenging gameplay experience: The game is recommended for players who enjoy challenging games and want to test their skills and patience.

Recommend for fans of genre: The game is recommended for fans of the genre, especially those who enjoy Souls-like games and challenging boss fights.

Not recommended for impatient players: Players who are easily frustrated or impatient may find the game disappointing due to its challenging nature.

Community fair range: $2.00 - $6.00.

Game completion: 8.0h.

Story completion: 4.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

The game has a steep learning curve and initial frustration, but it becomes fun once players understand the mechanics and progression systems, particularly around boss fights and skill customization.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: steep learning curve; high difficulty; repetitive combat; tedious boss fights.

Mechanics Enthusiast: Experiments with different control schemes and playstyles. Motivation: Appreciation for well-designed game mechanics and control flexibility. Stance: sale.

Challenge Seeker: Adapts strategies to overcome difficult boss encounters. Motivation: Enjoyment of challenging and intense boss fights. Stance: buy.

Aesthetic Appreciator: Enjoys the visual and auditory aspects of the game. Motivation: Appreciation for the game's art style and aesthetic presentation. Stance: sale.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with controller responsiveness and game stability on the Steam Deck. Multiple users have reported delayed or unresponsive controls, which severely impact the gameplay experience. Additionally, there are reports of crashes and problems with customizing controls, further detracting from the user experience. While there is some positive feedback, the prevalent issues suggest a need for improvements in these areas.