Nine Sols Hitless / No Permanent Damage True Final Boss
Nine Sols "True" Final Boss - Hitless / No [Permanent] Damage
Ever since I beat this boss yesterday, I really wanted to give a hitless run a shot. After a couple of hours, I finally did it! I really wanted to prove to myself that I could still be consistent, disciplined, and patient.
That plus seeing the Soulsborne community generally agreeing this is one of the toughest in the "git gud" scene 🫠
Note: "Red" damage that regenerates is "posture" damage in Sekiro terms. It's not permanent unless you get hit.
Black Myth Wukong is.... okay.
Disappointing performance, late PS3 to early PS4-level graphics (on console), one of the worst bosses in all of the 'Soulslike' genre, abysmally bland level design, and nonexistent RPG mechanics.
And yet, it has its moments. I think it has a strong contender for having one of the best bosses in the genre, and it made me remember how dancing with Slave Knight Gael and Sword Saint Isshin made me feel. Locked in, adrenaline rushing, nothing but the sights and sounds of the battle running through my head.
The moment to moment gameplay is fun, and I love the twist that Wukong did for the rally mechanic from Bloodborne.
Here's a quick snippet of one of the more spectacular fights in Black Myth Wukong. I don't wanna share anything more because I don't wanna take away from anyone's experience, but this was such an amazing sequence. I barely even remember thinking at this point, and was in a flow state.
It’s hard for me to talk about the Yakuza franchise. While it has enjoyed a surging popularity inthe West, it’s always been a niche title, great but not good enough to make that mainstream
breakthrough. My words won’t be good enough to do it justice, but after careful thought, I reallythink this is the best JRPG I’ve played. Whatever that’s worth is up to you.
Gameplay mechanics are addicting - over the 92+ hours I spent playing, I can definitely say99% of that gameplay was pure, unadulterated fun. Like A Dragon 8 does so much to make the
grind not feel like a chore, and everything you do within the game is rewarding. The combat alsoencourages you to actively think and react mechanically. I love its perfect guard system, and Ilove that your positioning within dynamic battlefields rewards planning and execution. Dynamic battlefields should be the norm! Tactics games have done it, why not JRPGs too?
This is the one of the few JRPGs I’ve played that demands you to actually focus. A lot ofturn-based games fall too much into the trap of having the luxury of time when makingdecisions, and that meant combat can be too slow and passive.
There’s so much to do, so much to see, so much to experience in Hawaii. I won’t go into anymore details about the locale(s), but this feels like two and half Yakuza games rolled into one. I haven’t completed some of the things there are to see, so a new run in the future is very likely.
That being said, it’s not without its faults, and it falters a bit towards the end. The journeythough, is fulfilling. This is the culmination of RGG Studio’s almost 20 year old franchise. It gives
so much for people like me, who've been invested in the universe for quite some time. It alsofixes a lot of the problems I have with other JRPGs, with Persona 5 / Royal being the biggestone - limiting your interactions with your party and making you choose who to get to know isseverely crippling towards character development.
On the topi
Without spoiling anything but the combat's potential, it's unbelievable that I am having so much fun playing Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. What's even harder to believe is I'm of the opinion that if it continues on the trajectory it's on (I'm about 35% of the way through), it might even be a GOTY contender.
PS: the combat Team are definitely big DMC fans. It just feels so seamless, punchy, tight, and inspired.