God of War 1 General Discussion

^Yes, Royboy. I'm a big fan of Soy of Boi: Stepdad Chronicles.

Paulie: >more complicated
Makes it pretty simple when you can afford to tank. Lower settings, better costumes and RotG (Enemy Power % nerfed). The last of these giving armor, ain't bad. Too bad it does NOT do this on walls (quite the opposite), but that's another matter. Using the x2 P% while only nerfed to 75% you are effectively x1.5 that of N (with whatever modifier you're working between 2.0 or 3.0 *didn't clarify in the update it seems*). Wright uses Wulf's tools to give data relevant to all this, of course. Such a fine lad (making my old work more accurate *and future testing much easier*). With good DMG to blow through, the hitpoints to eat hits, lower aggression and feeble blows, it wouldn't be hard to brute force through. The trouble comes with how pretty you want to look coming out of the other side (HP chest at the end and another after the bit immediately following).

As noted, you can just learn a strat for foreground pillar jumping (be it to skip or to allow some out of order antics) or long jump (mostly going to be for blowing off the whole affair). The fancy business with how to drop from the rope, use certain offensive options and get back on (rather than dying). One example was already given (best case being to handle a forced pincer *one of them can be dealt with using careful movement along the rope where you can get the chap who jumps to the line from nearer to the camera to attack in the wrong direction enabling side clearing the other way*). If you stick with the usual approach, you will roll the dice as described with their grab. Working phantom range on the kick for switching off targets kept at true MAX range is how you can realistically hope to avoid 'chance' with getting grabbed (without being too OP). Checkpoint exploitation keeps the progress while things are going well.

>the order
I can't recall, so I'll just offer up an excerpt:

GoW1 VH NGR+ NUR+ | Desert of Lost Souls:Temple of Pandora:Challenge of Atlas:Underground Battle:Interior *rope*:

NOTE: Bit of a learning process. Not presented as a finished product so much as a window into the testing mentality.

>foreground guy
Yes, as alluded to, he can be made to help us (for a time). Sadly, you can't just block his landing spot to make him fall (as with gap crossing on walls). Can't catch the other FJ trying to get on the rope to make them fall, either (also works on walls where spawn-in is concerned).

>can't dismount
They can (on both sides), but they're pretty trash at it. Getting off the rope to slap them takes far longer, so if you don't have to, that's not advised. Can't really bait their grab such that it whiffs to kill themselves without touching us that I could see (in this entry). Pity.

>PS3 port
What I had to work with in the redux. Some things are different between the remasters and PS2, but I don't think this is one of them (it was an issue in GoWII at one point when helping Zim for his NGR+ NUR+ ND at the first wall section).

>ironic
The name was from a time where it wasn't so. Also, it is as much a Doom reference to invincibility.

>not familiar
I take it NUR+ is no mystery to you, then. As for NGR+, it is the more extreme version of NGR (No Grab Run). NGR just restricts OS (Orion's Snare *ground grab*), air OS (air grab) and OH (Orion's Harpoon *ground-to-air grab*). The 'plus' version varies with entries, but takes away things related to the focus that were given a pass otherwise. False OS is essentially shoving things by using a throw on an invalid target. Often not helpful, but sometimes quite useful. Advanced knowledge thing (so something to take away). GoW1 doesn't have special grabs, so no need to fret over such things. What this leaves would be enemy throws. Any throw you can escape by some means once it lands (mini-game types)? You're not permitted to escape. You hold that L and LOVE it. If the throw does more damage or even just outright kills you? That's how it goes. Don't get caught (making them more of a threat by consequence). Reversals don't just limit the threat of this enemy option, but often harm them (sometimes others). NGR+ takes that away from you. The NOPE ROPE would job pretty readily if you could just shake-free of their throws.

>will do
For the best.

Paul:
>strats
No better person to ask this than GMG. Be sure to pay close attention to anything he says on the matter.

>nope rope
Quite a few options, though the more harsher the run (including specialty runs, obviously), the less options you have (also obvious). Can't opt to drop down when in a pincer, like with the first rope section (which can be done in every run). Which IIRC makes this bit somewhat frustrating (or too frustrating if RNG doesn't want to get on your side) in PAIN. NGR+ is likely even worse, but I can't comment on that particular run. As I said, GMG is the best person to ask about this.

GMG:
>taking notes
Not really, but there have been quite a few...'slip ups' which were pretty bad. Such as forgetting something I was talking about with SBK on my next response. Or the fact that the reason YT didn't notify me about Wulf's WR was because I wasn't actually subscribed to him. And I could have sworn I was.

>Clone War things
Oh. But then again, what else is there to evaluate (other than the different Clone War vids you did evaluate)? Maybe if I had actually finished that NGR+ Bubbles Clone War (to see if the decreased output would have helped the lack of grabs *what I did was use t1 against the target clone to drive him out of the arena via bounces, while keeping the stack in check, but that proved to be pretty tricky* , though I would still have needed to try my best to not heal the family, and likely not get hit, either), but I couldn't complete that. Didn't even record a failed attempt, so as to give you a good reason to discuss that matter...but alas.

>GoWII VH PAIN+
Would have to see how that goes.

>acts nothing like the other.
The other? Oh, you mean someone with a similar name, right? You probably don't mean the other person we're talking about (Drifter).

>evaluated
I had intended to do this, but a power outage denied me of that.

>weren't notified about comments in your videos
Were those comments made within a comment tree? Either way, wouldn't be surprising. And I can't say that I don't relate.

>not forgotten
See? You do remember some things. Maybe not every single detail about everyone else, but still.

>trophy hunter
Did he ever gave proper run coverage when asked for one (multiple times)?

>Zim hates it
I didn't even bother in my VH Tyco NUR+ (basically a forced ND for that section).

>Enemy Power%
If Paul wishes it, he can consult the document I made for this. First page has specifics on the modifiers for each setting and costume. The rest is base values, which assumes you're playing on N (can be adjusted accordingly based on the setting you're playing on, including any costumes you may be using).

>I use Wulf's tools
To note it, I just use plain ol' CE, not Wulf's custom made tools (specifically designed for GoW1 *and probably other titles?*).

On a slightly different note, Wulf apparently released an update for his save editor (PS3 and RPCS3 compatible). I'm to understand that this lets you use costumes on VH. Not sure about damage values, though the costume perk should add plenty of replayability value by itself (and thus more reasons to revisit the game).

Phoenix:
>GMG's knowledge
I already heard great deal of positive things about his expertise in the subject, even before making an account. I appreciate it a lot. I just don't comment if I don't have anything to say or haven't made any significant progress. I'll be sure to post when I make noteworthy progress.

>document
You mean Gow 1 bestiary? Impressive work, It already been helpful to me. Ability to calculate dmg is so much helpful compared to just eyeboling health bar to estimate dmg.

^I've had a bit of time with the series, sure. Values do indeed help (nice not having to rely on the old means of getting them *and more*). Still working Max Payne?

Wright: >no better person
In most matters this will be true, but I'll differ when someone else might be a better call (as with Clone War).

>forget what one was on about
I've been known to goof like this from time to time. Keeping log history can help, but might not always be enough.

>not actually subscribed
Kek.

>could have sworn
I don't see why they would bother, but it is a YT thing to unsubscribe people. I've only very rarely seen it (though widely reported).

>what is there to say
Not a damn thing (save pointing at close calls, how well things were handled, random thoughts, oddities, usual whinging about bad design, etc.).

>specialized case for something to discuss
A fail video (much less a success) would have merited a more immediate bit of attention, yes.

>see how that goes
Got some other things to do before then, of course. Wouldn't want to go full Hotel (still spouting nonsense in my topic).

>someone with a similar name
The same name (from early days of TUGOWU v2 *the actual Golden Age*).

>Drifter
No, he's the actual same person (just lost his accounts).

>outages
I nearly got meme'd on recently when I had just saved in NBR+ NUR+ for GoWII. Then I got shat on three times when trying to do a short reply to Zesty. Just brown outs, but that suffices. I don't like doing them in Word or similar things with constant saving before I can share them.

>comment tree
Some, yes.

>remember some things
Yippy Skippy.

>ever give run coverage
Always avoided the write-ups, but for some reason I had him convinced to do a screen share of his run, but he wanted group chat. I'm not gay enough for all that and I was using wifi, so the internet wasn't good enough for a clean stream.

>didn't bother with NOPE ROPE
Just such an unpopular spot. Getting a feel for the checkpoint abuse, spawn rules and abusing phantom hitbox range will really help with clearing it without DMG (or RNG).

>consult the document
Believe I'd suggested as much.

>just CE
Oh? Here I thought you were making ti easier on yourself (while you could). Odd that such a thing lacks an infinite RP option (enabling RotG ONLY).

>save editor
I have the video in cue, but it seems you're giving the goods. Costumes where not normally an option, eh? Intriguing, indeed. Still, I imagine Zesty will get to it before I do.

Paul:

>post when you make progress
No worries.

>bestiary
The very same.

>helpful
Very glad to hear this.

GMG:
>a better call
>for the Clone War
Right. In that case, Zim is the clear best for this.

>log history
Not as simple as scrolling through posts in my case (but still relatively easy).

>a YT thing
Didn't know about this, but should have expected it, coming from YT.

>subjects to point out
Fair enough.

>other things to do
If you mean me, of course. Won't touch PAIN+ without doing a NUR+ first (and probably a GKNUR, since SBK recommended it a lot). I just meant how Drifter's run is going.

>same name
What are the odds?

>nearly got meme'd
Good thing you managed to escape its grip.

>three times
Oof. Definitely discouraging.

>don't like doing them in Word
I'm being reminded of something you told me when trying to clear VH Tyco NUR+ CotG8. Something along the lines of "do it the way that makes it easier to clear, not how you want it to go".

Just to minimize the time loss.

>some
If you didn't comment in said tree, then you won't be notified. Or if someone "@'d" someone else.

>always avoided the write-ups
If only he had spent time doing this instead of deflecting, or pretending to not know what someone else was talking about.

>group chat
Not exactly a fan of this, either.

>really help
One of the things I need to get better at whenever I go back to this title.

>gave the same suggestion
Oh.

>making it easier
To be fair, I can't exactly use Wulf's tools even if I wanted to. Don't own a PS3, and my PC can't handle RPCS3. Doubt he made something for PS2 emulators. But still, that works fine for what I want.

>lacks an infinite RP option
CE? You can use it to this end. And if you're knowledgeable enough, you can turn this into a cheat code, and perhaps use it in an actual console, if you desire (via GameShark or something).

Wulf's tools? Not sure if that can be done.

>before you do
I think he's busy with other runs (GKPAIN+, Ascension PAIN, wants to do Arty PAIN, and maybe a redux of that GoWIII NGR+ NUR+). Also playing other games in the meantime.

GMG:
>Max Payne
Not so much a work as little break.

---

I've got around to doing Cotg and they weren't that hard.

Challenge 1: Pretty simple, I've just pushed them off with Artemis R1.
Challenge 2: I decided to eliminate foes by knocking them out through various ways - s,t and OH to abyss, or push them with grabs if they were on the edge. After first platform went from left to right, on the last platform used Rotg and AoH as I was running short on time.
Challenge 3: Opted to destroy pots in circular fashion with s,s,s,s,s,s and work my way to centre. Barely managed.
Challenge 4: Apollo ascension'd minotaurs and OS them to death. Grabs didn't kill any of undead (luck?)
Challenge 5: That was fucking annoying. I came up with quite an inventive way to beat it. Stuck index note on the monitor to estimate the moment when the Ballista is ready to fire. I estimated position of legionaries by crack on the right side and blood trail after it. Even then, there was lots of luck involved.
Challenge 6: I've decided not to bother with killing archers and jump quickly on platforms while avoiding arrows.
Challenge 7: Baited FL slashes, then s,t and OH them individually. Dealt with minotaurs the same way as in challenge 4.
Challenge 8: Haven't found elegant solution to this and settled for cheap tricks. I've decided to abuse in-air Lance of Furries to knock enemies out of stage. When it came to individual gorgons I launched them and OH them to death.
Challenge 9: Cyclops got down very easily with Spirit. Wasted Rotg on last cyclop (I didn't pay attention that it carries over through challenges). Ended it with 84 sec left, I've could have finish the last one very easily with Spirit. Careless mistake on my part.
Challenge 10: Used ascension of Artemis to lauch Satyrs then s,s or t in-air to knock them off. It was quite difficult to not get pushed out of platform. Seeds were more annoying than Satyrs here.

Overall, I think 2nd GoW's CotT give me more trouble, especially in regards to rank requirements (challenge 4).

Wright: >clear best
It would also be the case that those doing silly focus sessions at TRAN KNEE might be better to check with than even myself where VH PAIN+ is concerned (I forget who all among my promoted channels did such things, but it wasn't just one person repeatedly showing clears of the fight *over and over*).

>GK prior to PAIN+ proper
Sure.

>Drifter's run
P3 should be up by now. Not sure if he's working on P4. Don't think he's at Theseus yet, but maybe he is (could be that parts are getting longer *then again, he was keeping deaths in, as well*).

>the odds
Depends on how generic one's handle is. This is the only time I've seen that one repeated. The notion this person would about-face so hard while his friend (former vet and TUGOWU golden age member) would be the one fallen to the wayside? Comical twist of fate.

>being reminded
Gokubros: No...NO! NONONO-AIIIEEEEEEEEEE-ACK!

>should just use Word
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWQoK506xkQ&t=47s

>won't be notified
There is no such thing as a guarantee with their system (bugged to high Hell). This is a matter we've gone over, as well.

>if only
Then he would have just converted to a vet, instead. Alas, he would prefer to remain an ignorant jester.

>something for PS2
Probably not.

>have the means
Right, right. As with the intent to RotG ONLY at some juncture. Enjoy wall sections for me, won't you?

>he's busy
And yet I remain unphased in my assessment.

Paulie: >weren't that hard
Given they are set to N with Athena's Blades (essentially lvl6 BoC), I would think they wouldn't be that bad (despite rigging a bit with some Supers that don't exist elsewhere and messing with our gear lvl in places). Really could have gone a lot harder, but since these are single segment (unlike future entries), I suppose they had to ease up a bit. Sort of surprising remaster didn't divide them like future entries (for QoL).

>opted for Thrusting shields
Amusing that you should notice this. What might you have tried without Arty?

>RO
Would mean more if we weren't hitting as hard as we are (means even less in a modded case where we get even stronger). Obviously the converse is true, too. With bad DMG, the hazard means more. How nice for Zesty man that birbs don't count for anything here.

>light string in circles for pots
Cute.

>grabs didn't kill
You mean collisions off them?

>annoying
Just a simple puzzle where timing is involved (not terribly difficult *could have been much worse with multiple rings of civvies, march patterns changing up in position/pace/direction, platform could adjust distances towards the end, wind could get in to arc the bolts, etc.*). Finding a visual tell for when to start is what most end up doing. No luck involved when you get the feel of it.

NOTE: Had they made this worse, it would definitely be good to have it be an option to skip over challenges (or have higher versions of them unlock with beating the base case *if not bonus credit conditions like GoWII*). Likewise, having my much desired obstacle course included would have really ruffled some feathers. Enjoy platforming from the main game made more extreme, kids. No costume unlocks for you (until thou gitteth guddeth).

>not to bother
Usually for the best, yeah.

>similar to a previous challenge
I'd probably replace this 'no hit' one for the platformer (unless the enemy composition was made more notable as with Breeders, Centaurs, etc. *something more exciting that a repeat*).

>air LotF
You use the insta-MAX charge trick?

>the Furries
>rr
Comedy.

>RotG used for no real reason
Meh.

>Spike
It does a good job here.

>Seeds are more annoying
Both can be.

NOTE: With grab focus, the pups are the preferred target. Can easily make the goats behave (and just toss the doggos out).

>more trouble
>with ranks considered
And without them?

>CotT4
I hardly recall which is which just by their number. When the time comes, one might consider spicing even these up with the means available (restrictions and the like *if not modding*).

>Without BoA
Would probably settle for pushing them with false OS.

>Collisions off the grabs
That's what I meant. Given that cotg are set to N dmg off the colllision isn't probably too high, but I still wanted to know if the bouncing minotaurs do dmg to surrounding foes.

>insta-MAX charge trick
Not aware of it.

>Without the rank
Roughly similar, but no-hit challenge was more interesting in cotT.

>CotT4
Protect the weak (the translator). Getting bonus on it proved to be troublesome, given how squishy the trans is.

>aware of false OS shoves
Amusing.  This aside from explosive moves to bust the shields, were you privy to bugging them out such that you can grab through the shields?

>not too high
The different being 10/5 (full/half) versus 50/25, yes.  Fivefold gap between N and VH.

>unaware
With the air version, input L1+o.  Hold L1, but just tap circle once.  Then immediately press and hold circle (L1+O).  Doing this goes around the charge time normally needed (tricking the game during the plummeting animation to think you fulfilled the condition to reach that point prior to impact).

>more interesting in CotT
I know it was dull in GoW1, but I don't remember it in the others, either.  ND rarely does much for me, though I acknowledge it should be a thing at least the once (as with busting breakables to a time limit and other repeat cases).

>TRAN KNEE
Ah, yes.  With the special gimmick (not just protection, but with a mechanic not found in the main game).  I hardly recall what I used to do for it.  I'd have to find old coverage (or do it again).

>bonus
Presumably keeping him to a certain level of HP and higher.

>squishy trans
Art imitating life, you say?  Ricky won't like this talk.

I started a NUR+ of GoW 1 in the last few days, and now I got to Ares. A few tough spots, but overall it wasn't too bad. Using some tactics designed for runs without upgrades in my two previous vanilla runs certainly helped here.

Now only the Clone War remains, though I'm still practicing Zeus Fury's tricking with the Blade of Artemis on Ares 1. Definitely a very good technique. You can also use it to cancel two of the BoH's special moves, which is cool.

Not sure if I will insist with the Clone War, and I probably won't be able to beat it, but I definitely want to try it out, though I already know it will be an insanely difficult battle.

Paul:
>cleared CotG
Nice. Good of you to be aware of some tricks (like Homerun tech).

>Lance of the Furries
Kek.

GMG:
>focus sessions at TRAN KNEE
I'm surprised that there were people who did this. IIRC SBK mentioned that the fight is so luck based that it's probably better not to practice it too much (beyond learning the basics) since a lot can go wrong, so you just need to get lucky. Though I suppose that having a good grasp on what to do, and how to adapt at bad situations (kind of like the clones) could still help.

>keeping deaths
A rare sight.

>how generic one's handle is
Indeed. Pretty sure you've dealt with casuals advocating for 's,s,t' spam, who happened to have 'Phoenix' in their handle. Though I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't remember this (quite the opposite).

>comical twist of fate
Couldn't have said it better.

>NONONO-AIIIEEEEEEEEEE-ACK!
Kek.

>no such thing as a guarantee
I should know better by now.

>RotG only
I still have the ruleset of what moves are allowed (uniques, basically), and other such things (such as what to focus on, or preferred costumes to use). Let's take another look... Ah, here you said that depending on how much DMG air R1 did, it could be allowed or not. So, care to clear this up for future reference? For convenience, air R1's base value (Lv 2 BoC, since the move is not available with Lv 1 BoC) is 6, while RotG's version is 12. Seems like a non-unique, but I'll let you decide.

>enjoy wall sections
Hopefully they aren't too bad.

>50/25
Good thing one can see 100/50 without cheats (H Tyco). Still, they really should have allowed us to use costumes on VH.

>won't like this talk
Rickstah? Rickster? Ricky? Anyway (you already know).

>Zapan
I didn't know you had an account on Stinger.

>cleared NUR+
Very nice. What next? PAIN?

>Clone War
Definitely an uphill battle, but with enough practice (and guidance *refer to Zim's guide*), you will overcome it.

>tricking with Zf + Arty
A good thing to get the hang of, yes.

GMG:
>Grabbing through the shields.
I have to plead my ignorance once again.

>insta-MAX charge
Thanks for explaining.

>scaling
Difficulty modifier as outlined in Wright's document.

>No hit in CotT
4 skeletons, 2 beast lords, 2 high priests, 1 titan minotaur with bonus for no magic. Much more interesting. Though bonus really isn't necessary for Titan rank.


Phoenix:
>aware of some tricks
I've seen some Zimnas' and GMG's vids, so I know few things.

Wright

> PAIN
Nah, I think it would get very repetitive, yet also too hard. Heck Ares kicked my ass a lot too: a single mistake, and you're dead. Artemis does good damage, though, and you can cancel the R1 attack recovery time by moving the stick forward. Very neat tech.

> Clone War

Yeah I tried it, but it's just too much, I get my ass kicked shorty after the temple crumbles. Probably won't be able to beat it, but since it's a bonus credit I take it my run is over.

Wil still practice this battle, and maybe I'll beat it in the future, for now I want to replay GoW2, though.

Paul:
>seen GMG's and Zim's vids
I see. That explains a few things.

Zapan:
>repetitive
I'd say that the scenarios where you can use grabs, collisions, and RO do a good job of spicing things up. The instances where you're mostly using t0/t3 chip are generally spaced out from one another. But yeah, can't say that stuff like Ares 1 is something I enjoy.

>no mistakes
It's rare when you get to survive, but at least you get HP orbs to heal you. Could be worse (Lahkesis *or Persephone*).

>too much
I said as much (so did Zesty) when I was learning the ropes. Expected for a bonus credit. Are you following Zim's tactics? You most likely are, but just to confirm. Be aware that after you know what to do (by watching enough Clone War vids and listening to advice), practicing is pretty much the only thing you need to do. Well, that and probably recording fail videos, so people can point out what to do, or what not to do.

>want to replay GoWII
By all means. You might want to ask GMG or Zim, though (maybe Malcar). I didn't do anything of note with that title (just vanilla VH and CotT). And if you're willing to count that, NGR+ NUR+ Hades Hands (just to see how bad they were, since Zim and GMG were talking about how difficult it was *and they definitely were NOT lying*).

Wright

> PAIN

True, you can still abuse grabs and the environment, but completely neglecting magic use doesn't sit well with me.

> Lakhesis

Well, in fairness she isn't as deadly as Ares.

> Clone War guide

Yeah, I saw one of Zim's videos. Apparently, it's mostly about good, if not perfect positioning

> GoW 2

This is my second VH run. It went better than my last run so far, but it's still very hard. I'm sure it will be brutal without upgrades, since GoW 2 lacks some of the most OP tools from GoW 1 (e.g. air grab loops, OH redirection, Poseidon Rage, and you get petrification much later).

> Malcar

Who is he?

> Hades Hands

That part after Zeus betrays you? Funnily, I learned in this very playthrough that you can grab them. But yes, they can easily stunlock to death you if you're not fast and very careful.

>GoW 2 lacks some of the most OP tools from GoW 1
That's true but you gain others as well, mainly RotT and the BH. The latter does ridiculous damage, and the rage bumps its damage from lv.1 to lv.2 (and later to lv.3). You can trivialize quite a few encounters with it. Deep hits are also nice (especially when paired with Rage).

>Who is he?
Hi. I only did a NUR+ in GoWII plus the Loom Chamber (and only this section) on PAIN+, so if you need help on that section when the time comes don't esitate to ask.

Malcar wrote:>GoW 2 lacks some of the most OP tools from GoW 1
That's true but you gain others as well, mainly RotT and the BH. The latter does ridiculous damage, and the rage bumps its damage from lv.1 to lv.2 (and later to lv.3). You can trivialize quite a few encounters with it. Deep hits are also nice (especially when paired with Rage).

>Who is he?
Hi. I only did a NUR+ in GoWII plus the Loom Chamber (and only this section) on PAIN+, so if you need help on that section when the time comes don't esitate to ask.

RotT doesn't make you invulnerable, though. And you also have less ring out spots here. But yes, BH is very OP, even more so if you manage to combine its usage with tricking (which is not easy to use consistently and efficiently). It doesn't make some encounters easy like, say Homerun (which can be used in NUR+ as well), though.

The LOOM Chamber is a very hard spot indeed, one of the greatest challenges and one of the best encounters in the game. In my previous run, I had a lot of trouble in part because I can't position myself properly for collision use via OH.

Btw fun fact about GoW1: in my latest vanilla run it took me over 6 h to get to Ares. This time, without upgrades, it took me about 5 h 30 m. Granted, part of it was because I didn't look for chests, but the fact that it took me less time without upgrades is a good demonstration of how much GoW is about efficiency. Sadly, many people out there seem to keep judging every action game based on how cool its combo videos potentially are.

Even if I did look for all the chests, it probably would have taken the same amount of time without upgrades, and I think that's a significant fact, considering how OP some melee and magic attacks are in this game (not to mention having far more meter to use them when it comes to magic).

After all the No Upgrade runs i've done for GoW1, a viewer of mine recommended a NU+ Speedrun for GoW1. Tonight, i might do it and it will be a glitchless speedrun.

I'm very good at the game and know my stuff (chest spots and resource stuff are nearly all memorized. Should help in the Speedrun).

Big problemento is that i have to legit FINISH the game.
Now, i'm not the best Clone War NUR+/PAIN playa, but i have finished it multiple times (one on a stream). I just don't know how to go about it.

As you all know, the Clone War feels like a challenge run on its own. Hell, feels like a different game at that point (not making any chess references here).

Guess i gotta take it to the face, then. Encounters are the main reason on why i enjoy these games so much. I never skip them, but today is different. Can't believe i'm gonna be skipping some of the best sections (legally skippable) in the game. But hey, that's the name of the game. I've been here on Stinger for some months but never posted, for some reason. I enjoy talking GoW! This place feels like home.

Oh hi zesty! You probably won’t like the trash talk I give 3 here haha. But yeah, this place is really good, have a ton of fun discussing raggy strategies, and giving my experience with other action games.

Welcome aboard, son. Good luck with it.

Mar:
>Trash talk GoW3
With trash arguments that you made up based on how good pro players play, yes.

I also don't know who asked.
"This (GoW3) has nothing to do with her (our subject [GoW1 speedrun])!"

Zim:
>Good luck
Say the speedrunner word, man. RNG. I'm gonna need that RNG.

Ayo Zesty's here. Too bad I can't watch the whole thing live, but good luck anyways.

Welcome to the forum Zesty! Cool to see some of the GoW runners find a place here, always a pleasure. Enjoy!

Malcar:
>The L word
I really needed it, thanks!

Raeng:
>Welcome
Thanks a bunch, man!

You guys will not believe how the speedrun ended! Both the NUR+ timer and the actual speedrun rules counter were good for a first try.

Clone War had a SPECIAL treatment. Enjoy at ExtremeGameplays (youtube).

As noted elsewhere, glad to see you decided to come here to post. Couldn't see the finale of your speedrun, but I'll watch it later. Congratulations.

You said you were playing ZoE2 and NG, yes? Well, you came to the perfect place to talk shop. Raeng is an expert in both (NG in particular).

>Zim
Funny edits to your avatar.

>Congrats
Clone War? All thanks to you and Zim for the teachings.

>Raeng knows
Whenever i get deep into these games (with enough time), i'll make sure.
NG1 is phenomenal and i'm about to finish it (Lunar is life). Back when i first got the game, i think i stopped playing it when i reached chapter 10. Guess i got busy with other stuff and GoW run work. Good thing i got back to it lately with new knowledge (absorbing essence for charged attacks, experimenting with Lunar and other weapons, etc).
Absolutely can't WAIT to get to NG2. Although i've heard a lot of people saying it's not as good as the original, which is sad. But i'm sure it's not bad by any means, right? I don't wanna play the old version. I'll play Xristos Sigmas.

>ZotE2
Same story. I'm nearing the end and it's one helluva game. You'll know when you try it, Wright.
I've watched some Raeng videos and he praises it (for good reasons). Game's so good.

>Zote2 amazing
Told ya so.

>Sigma 2
This is the interesting part. Sigma 2 is considered to be a downgrade from ninja gaiden 2. Most people in the action community say ninja gaiden 2 of was better than 1(not everyone, I guess it was more mixed since that game does have a lot of issues and is worse than 1 as a whole) from my experience. Yours is most likely different though. Sigma 2 is good from what I heard, and I guess it’s better if you play it first before the real ninja gaiden 2 2008 game(my god how many ports does that game have?) since it won’t feel the same. Can’t comment really since I only play ninja gaiden 2008.

>Lunar is life
A fucking phenomenal weapon in ninja gaiden black.

>teachings
Zim did most of the work, but I'm glad I could be of help as well. Also helped that you paid attention.

>NG2 not as good as the original
Pretty sure that's not right. From what I have observed, it seems that Black (by the way, not sure if you're playing vanilla NG1 or Ninja Gaiden Black) is on par with vanilla NG2 (not Sigma) at worst, and probably slightly better than Black at best. SBK, Raeng, and plenty of other users here seem to agree with that sentiment.

>play the Sigmas
Same as before. Plenty of users (including Raeng and SBK) seem to agree that the Sigmas are downgrades (whether it's 1 or 2).

Vanilla NG3, however? That's another story, but I assume you know about this already. People don't talk about it for good reasons (same as DMC2). Heard NG3:RE was a definite improvement, but still seemingly flawed.

Not sure if the Sigmas are good in their own right, but (at least around here) it's pretty unanimous that the Sigmas are seen as watered down versions.

Again, I'm not knowledgeable about the series to speak about this in detail. Ask @Royta/Raeng for specifics.

>ZoE2 is excellent
So I've heard. Can't wait to play it myself, but the same can be said about other titles (as I told you elsewhere), such as DMC3, God Hand, Chaos Legion, and others.

> NG
You're already playing Black, as the vanilla release doesn't have the Lunar. In general if you're a 'action guy', the recommended course of action is:
Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)
Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox360/Xbox Series)
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge (Xbox360)*

* note, if you care about resolution, then the version Ninja Gaiden Master Collection: Razor's Edge (PS4/XS) is superior. The original X360 release just has more little bits of content (customizable ninja and co-op).

> NGII
Definitly play the original release. It's very laggy on the original hardware, so most play on the X1/XS/XXS/XLDLALBLALA - any modern device will do. It's a shacky game at times as it was rushed out the door (dev team got fired/quit, long story). But it's personally the best in the series when it is REAL good. It has very big low points too though (specific bosses, some chapters). But the combat, enemies and difficulty are bar none. Even NG:B can't touch it in its best days. NG:B is a more consistent adventure, finely tuned, well balanced, well designed. NGII Is just insanity though. Insane enemies, probably the deepest movesets you'll ever see in the genre. Crazy game.

NGII is mostly just merciless, so a lot of people bounce on it for being 'unfair' and what not. The game is just merciless, that's all. It starts pretty easy with Warrior not being too rough for a series/genre veteran, but Master Ninja humbles us all. Definitely play it.

The Sigma versions are a hard sell. Sigma 1 makes a lot of minor changes, some bad, some good, making it more like an alternative game. Sigma 2 is basically a neutered product. It has a few quality of life additions that are good, but everything else is just neutered. From enemy agression, numbers, to the economy-system - it's all shit. If you can, save it for last or just skip it entirely I'd say. Especially if time is at a premium for you.

> ZoE2
Definitely one of the best in the genre imo.

This site is a cake. I was writing a message and it informed me that someone (Raeng) replied. Here's the original message that i was about to send:
>Sigmas are downgrades
>1 and 2
Hella enjoyed 1, even tho it was Sigma. I shall see soon enough if 2 is also good when in Sigma.

>NG3
Razor's Edge is better than vanilla, from what i've heard.

>Like DMC2
A game that you should play one day without going into it with the mindset of hating it, Wright. That's what i'm planning to do, or rather redo.
First time i jumped into it WITH the expectations of it sucking (it does to some extent). A very bad way of approaching a game.

>Ask Raeng
I've watched a video of his where he talks about the master collection and i know what i'm going into. If there are any other specifics, i'd love to hear them. Man KNOWS his stuff in NG. Hell, action games in general.

>Other titles
>DMC3
Oh... just, just play this one, man. Not a single second wasted or regretful.
Please do care about the story, too. It is a full package. The game's so good.

Take your time absorbing the Atmosphere, the amazing combat, the story, and the awesome art style.

----------
Now, new message.

>NG1
>Lunar
Lunar, my beloved.
I'm playing on Sigma. I have complained before, about how i hate playing as the chick with the foul staff or some shit. 1 is GOOD. When i played it a year or so ago, i was instantly hooked. Just couldn't continue my walkthrough becuz of some shit. Now i'm ready to finish it (at the last chapter currently) and start with the hardest difficulty.

>Razor's Edge
I'll eventually get to it and we'll see.

>NG2
>360 version
I think i might have to get that one, then. Let's not ruin my first experience with a game i know i'm gonna love. I hate (hate is a strong word) unbalanced games, not insane ones. I'm sure with enough mastery, it will be one of my favorites.
I'm gonna try to get the 360 version to play it on XB1.

>Merciless
Can't wait to play it.

>Skip Sigma 2
I think that's what's gonna ultimately happen if i get my hands on a 360 version.

>One of the best in its genre
Damn straight.

Zesty

Welcome to the forum.

> NG2

I'd day yes, it's significantly below NGB  imo, but it's still a great game overall (I'd say a 8,5 out of 10). In terms of sheer combat system, NG2 is arguably the best in the genre, especially in its best moments, but I think it has so much bad stuff that holds it back, including (but not limited to) several horrible bosses, water sections, too many explosions (archers being arguably the worst offenders here), and MN being far less enjoyable than it was in Black while having very questionable balance. I say questionable because I don't view it as completely unfair, for example enemies like Gajas, melee white ninjas, or Van Gelfs, are okay and mostly fair, but it's just too frustrating on so many occasions. Fortunately, it gets much better on NG+ mode while still remaining very hard.

So overall, still a game very much worth playing, it's just not a masterpiece like Black was (not that that game doesn't have its own share of crap).

> Site is cake
Glad you like the cream.

> lunar
It's a fantastic weapon and great addition (wasn't in the base game until the (free) DLC hit). Note that it has a lot of little nuances. XY is a great knockback tool for pushing people into walls for bonus damage. >Y is great too, as it launches and if you equip Clarity you can get a free UT after their get-up.

> Sigma
Sigma 1 is, as noted, pretty good as the core game is still intact. Many little tricks/nuances won't work though, which is more annoying. You can't use IS against Marbus while he's flying for example (they'll just bounce) and same with the final boss. A lot of loops are different too, and Ryu's roll has a wacky new animation which changes things. Aerial Bow nukes the game's balance from orbit though, equip Explosive Arrows and laugh.

> NGII
You need to be a bit patient with the game, and learn how to circumvent the shitty segments as much as possible. NG:B is the best game in the series, but NGII is the best...Ninja Gaiden game, if you sorta get what I mean. NGII's balance is mostly that everything in the game is overpowered. Enemies will kill you in seconds. You will slaughter waves of them in seconds if you're good. The first miniboss later becomes a regular enemy supported by 10 ninjas and 2 others like him just because "fuck you". There's little restraint. But since Ryu is so insanely broken, you can hold your own.

Personally speaking, once you go NGII, and you get good at, and I mean really confident, most games feel like they are standing still. It's a unique experience.

EDIT:

> DMC2
Definitely recommend playing it with a fresh mindset. I played it at the time without the internet's influence, and really enjoyed it. Dante isn't that interesting to play, but Lucia and especially Trish make for a really fun, short and replayable funky action title. It's sort of a meme to hate on, but there's definitely some quality to be garnered. Just don't go in expecting DMC1 levels of polish. See it more like a B-team low budget PS2 era action title with a wacky idea and it's legit entertaining.

> Sigma 2
Should note that it is the one I started with, it's far from a bad game. But I always say:
"Sigma 2 is like having sex with a condom. It's nice, it's sex, fuck yeah. NGII is like having sex without a condom. It's fucking good, it's sex, fuck yeah. But would you ever willingly slap a rubber on afterwards?"

Zapan:
>Welcome
I am flattered.

>NG2
>Bad stuff
Eh, i guess it is a thing with old games being more experimental on the devs end. It's just a part of the game that might or might not appeal to some folk. I absolutely ADORE some questionable spots in GoW1 that not a lot of people enjoy. DMC3 has flaws that i can count for days, but there is always room for making stuff work (even the bad ones). You can always gun down Enigmas to death in that game. It just takes long.

NG2 having too much bad stuff means it requires adaptability, correct? I replay games. I replay them a shit ton. With enough replayability, if i fall in love with the game, these questionable sections are going to be a part of what i love about it. Atleast it doesn't have walky talkies, eh? Not pulling any funny punches like a certain "game" i don't wanna mention.

Raeng:
Is it pronounced 'Range'? Just curious.

Anyways,
>Lunar
It is so heavy to handle and that's what i like about it. A very nice switch up to the katanas and the other weapons.

>XY
>Y
>UT
Can't exactly understand these abbreviations (yet).

>Knockback to the wall
>Moar damage
Wall splash counts as damage? Sweet. Thanks for the info.

>Sigma 1 good
Good. I'm lucky i didn't play a shitty port or something. As i said, only the gal's missions hurt the experience by a little. The differences you noted seem major in professional play.

>NG2 requires patience
I have that, to some extent. I also replay games that i find gold in. NG2 will get a nice treatment. I'm sure i'll replay it a ton, as i like perfecting combat encounters the most in action games.

>NG2 is the *once you go shaq, you ain't comin' back* experience
It is THAT insane? Good thing we're broken as well if we know what we're doing. I'm sure it's not like Elden Ring where it throws two bosses... just because. In NG2, we should be powerful enough. I'm getting hella excited. Working on a video, for now. I'll hopefully finish NG1 tonight and start NG2 tomorrow. I'm just busy with a lot of Youtubin', real lifin' and GoW run workin'. Just busy.

>DMC2
I'll make sure to give it a swing sometime later. Wright really needs to give it a chance, too. I'm sure he haven't played it yet. As you said, it's easy to shit on it, since everybody else does. Is it the best DMC in the world? No. Would i rather play any other DMC? Sure. Is it down BAD as a full package? No, Joe.

>Sigma 2 is Intercourse with battle armor
Like Hawaiian Pineapple Pizzas, good, but taking the Pepperoni (Vanilla NG2) do be the much better choice.

Thanks for the info. Now i'm definitely getting the Dutch Vanilla Der NG2.

> NGII badstuff
It has the fault that some fights are very limited or broken, for example Gigadeath is a boss that's nearly immune to all your attacks, and has a few rare scenarios where it's moveset overlaps resulting in an unavoidable OHKO unless you use Ninpo for i.frames. It's just a bad, unfinished, boss.

In general once you learn how to circumvent, or outright avoid, these types of encounters, your enjoyment will skyrocket.

> raeng
Basically as Rang. So like, "You rang?"
Most just call me Roy.

> abbreviations
NG mostly uses the xbox-controller for abreviations.
X being press the X button on the controller. XY thus being light into heavy.
UT stands for Ultimate Technique. OLUT for OnLandingUltimateTechnique. Give the guide I wrote (on the mainsite) a good look too, highly recommended.

Lowercaps and Caps don't matter, in case of a hold-input usually one types XY(hold) to note that you hold down the Y button. Shurikens is generaly noted with B or just writting the word i.e. XXYshuriken.

Lowercase x is sometimes used for the cancel of the Tonfa i.e. >YYx (> denoting a forward input).

> splash damage
Even better, it goes two ways. It's a holdover from the legendary DoA games which the game is based on. Wall collisions deal % damage iirc. In NGII it's especially brutal as a wallsplash is a guaranteed delimb, but if Ryu hits a wall he loses like 25% of his HP. It's brutal (in a grand way).

> NGII
Yeah imo it's that crazy. NGII tends to have little restraint. Bosses have a lot of bonkers shit, but it's mostly the regular encounters. Just to give you a glimpse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB9NfMYoebQ&lc=Ugxiao5sqdMqNx9jPs14AaABAg
(note this is original hardware, hence the immense slowdown)

In general, it purifies you of no-damage as a concept. You will get hit. You will die. And you're better for it. The general concept that gets shared is that playing NGII is about dying slower than your enemies. Once you get into the carnage it's hard to go back to more private 1-v-1 lock-on fights of the modern era.

Zesty
> Bad stuff

The stuff you mentioned for GoW 1 (I assume you refer to Pandora traps and Hades platforming) is nowhere near as bad as some bad stuff in NG 2. In fact, it's good, it just takes more attention than usual. And I'd probably take walky talkys over crap such as Gigadeath any day.

Though I didn't play Ragnarok/2018, so I wouldn't know how bad it is.

DMC3 is a much better game overall, imo, though it also has some frustrating stuff such as mission 12.

> adaptability

Yes, a lot of it. But not all of it is bad, for example you need to learn to pick your location, as in draw enemies to a spot that is tactically more convenient to you, as they'll follow you. That's especially important in MNM, though you can't always do it.

A lot of it is just plain bad, though, such as water sections (especially when you have to shoot those ****ing explosive medusa things), which I can't imagine anyone growing to love.

Overall, this is arguably the hardest, most merciless action game out there, so it will take a lot of patience in general.

>walky talkys or gigadeath
For me, tied. Well, I am mainly thinking of ironwood which is as bad as gigadeath but a different kind of bad aka boring bad. So gigadeath has more personality(but a real ugly one). Not sure which I would rather do.

Zesty:
>what to expect
Expect a bit of a mixed bag in the sense you go like”OH MY FUCKING GOD THIS IS FABULOUS!!!!!” And then:”FUCK THIS GAME, FUCK TEAM NINJA FOR FIRING ITAGAKI, FUCK THESE BOSSES”. Literally that on steroids. Highest of highs, lowest of lows.
Luckily it has are mostly more common then it’s lows.

Raeng:
>Gigadeath
So i've heard. He never got fixed in other ports? Sadly, poorly designed encounters that don't represent a game's combat do rear their ugly heads in sometimes (Clone War is a good example).

>Rang or Roy
Alright.

>Abbreviations
Thanks! It's easier now.

>Check the guide in the mainsite
This site?
I'll search for it when i'm done with the game. I like to go in depth about combat in games (flashbacks of 5h 38m long combat guide for GoW). Thanks for the effort.

>Wallsplash
>Both ways
Sheesh. This game hates everyone.

>Link to staircase fight
This is all ONE continuous, bloody encounter? Damn. I love gauntlets in action game. Continuous bloody battles with no checkpoints and all that, but GODDAMN. You performed well. Crowd control game strong af.

>No damage
I have a question regarding that. For NG as a whole, is using healing items a bad thing? Or is it resource that i have to manage? I love resource management in games. Is it FINE to use them? I always try to not get hit while playing, but in NG2's case, there is no 'No getting hit'. It's war and nobody wins at war.

.

Zapan:
>Walky talkies over Gigadeath
https://youtu.be/VXUej5GXrzI

Gigadeath finna hand me my ass when i fight him, huh? We'll see in time.

>Didn't play 2018/Ragnarok
Missing out on a good combat system, but it's fine that you're missing out since nothing compliments the awesome combat. The game design is FUCKED. Walky talkies, Multiple characters and NO MISSION SELECT somehow, slow climbing and crawling through caves (supposedly for loading shit, but i don't believe it for the most part. Sometimes they want you and will force you to LISTEN to the characters talk), and many other game design flaws.

It both encourages replayability with all the RPG bullshit and builds that they're pushing, and in the same breath punishes you for doing so becuz the game's awesome combat only represents about %50 of the game.

%50...

>DMC3 is much better
It is my fourth favorite game. Only the trilogy of GoW beat it, nothing else.

>Mission 12
Requires some extra optimization for NUR+, yes. Shouldn't be long before you get used to cornering multiple enemies and using the best DPS with A&R.
Geryon can be taken down if you choose the easy and efficient play (not care about mission rank).

>Isolation strats
Very good when knowing where and how to do them. Hella useful in GoW proper and DMC3. Will have to see in NG1 and 2.

>Plain bad
>Water
Fuck. Based on the video Raeng sent, the game is a whole different league than what the first game offered. Shit really went from 0 to 100 real quick.

>Hardest
I can't imagine challenge runs.

Omar
>Walky talkies over GigaTHANATOS
https://youtu.be/5xQ14F6Z5L4

>Fuck this game
As in, fun fucking, right?

>raggy and 4
Zesty explained it perfectly well ngl. They contradict themselves with the game design. Although for good combat I would only say that for raggy, 4 after raggy feels more like an experiment. And whenever I go back to it I just wish it had mechanics raggy had, mainly the weapon switching mechanic of dealing more damage with axe on burned enemy’s. Since gow 4 has enemy brutal kills which puts enemy’s in fire but is pretty wasted haha.

>as in fucking fun
Both.

>gigaCUCK
Trust me, when you play gigaCUCK you won’t be wondering only on if it’s a good ninja gaiden 2 boss, but if it’s a well designed nes boss. Trust me I think it actually does do a poor job at showcasing nes bosses. They aren’t THAT bad. Best way to describe him is imagine if
Trials of archimedes, skorpius under pain plus conditions, Arkham, dmc2 chopper and tanks, had sex and made a baby, you get gigadeath. You would be wishing you could do ironwood. You would wish to sleep in that soft, safe place in jallas back and relax as angroboda sings her”beautiful” song. You will be wishing for that.

> Gigadeath
He got significantly nerfed in Sigma 2, but also weirder (melee UTs no longer hurt him in that version). Some bosses like the terrible cave-worm were totally removed in Sigma 2.

> guide
Here's the link: https://stinger-magazine.com/side-stories/how-to-enjoy-playing-ninja-gaiden/

In general NG is quite 'easy' to grasp, since the fundamentals are so clear cut. But there's a lot of details that users often overlook, hence the guide.

> staircase fight a single segment?
Worse, you have three (skippable) arenas and a miniboss before you enter this arena. You die, it's back to the last save-statue. The game only gives 'modern' checkpoints before a boss fight.

> healing
Harshly put: this isn't DMC. Healing Items are a definite resource to manage, especially on Master Ninja where they are really expensive and Essence is at a premium to upgrade weapons (another reason why we loathe NGS2, as weapon upgrades are free in that version). Same goes for Ninpo, Ultimate Techniques etc.

Later-on when you become more confident you might aim for less item usage or abuse of the more 'busted' combat options. I tend to now be at the level where I forgo them, only using them to skip fights I don't enjoy.

> 0 to 100
Itagaki and co. were a bit of the 'we already made Black, why make it again' category. So they went crazy with it. The general idea was that Black was more defensive playstyle, while NGII is more you going ham to survive. Ironically, it was designed to be more...welcoming to noobs. That didn't go well haha

EDIT: regarding challenge runs, not a lot exist. I've done a NUR, but the series more staple run is OLBNN (OriginalLifeBar + No Ninpo). There's other categories with 'no wall attacks' and 'no weapon upgrades', but NGII is pretty barren in that regard as most already struggle to just beat it.

Zesty

> Gigadeath

He is that bad. And then you have Water Dragon, Dino Skeleton, and the Worm in CH9. Thankfully they are much more manageable, though.

>2018/Raggy

I see. A pity, I thought it was worth playing them, but now not so much. Did your opinion of them change somewhat after discovering the vet community, or did you always think that about the games? Just curious.

> DMC3

Eh, I think only GoW2 is on its level, imo. GoW 1 and 3 being equals, but both noticeably below the top tier.

> Mission 12

I see, what about S ranks? Is A&R still a good option?

> Isolation

Is especially good against Ninjas in 2. But it's not just about isolation, more like going to another arena so you can have more time to prepare a UT, or get to a more enclosed space so you can more easily use Guilllotine Throw against them.

In NGB it's more difficult to do, especially if you care about Karma score, but you can also more easily abuse wall attacks.

> bad

Yes, water combat is better in terms of controls, but more annoying and less easy to skip than in NGB (which has that only in one chapter).

When it works, NG2 is the best, most insanely fun action game ever, but when it fails, it fails spectacularly, Gigadeath being one of the worst examples of that.

Thankfully, MN gets much better in NG+ mode.

> difficulty and challenge runs

What a coincidence, I recently started a NUR of the game on MN, and indeed it's incredibly hard, to the point I paused it in part because of the sheer amount of ass kicking. But since you beat the Clone War several times, you might still manage to overcome this challenge as well if you were to try it.

Overall, this game's difficulty shits on GoW, DMC, and NGB. And I heard from a few people I know that Razor's Edge, on its highest difficulty, is even worse.

Gonna be random but I wish the gow community was more like the doom community in the sense they are far more about gameplay and share tips. Luckily zesty is helping with that but man……. Even when it does come to gameplay it’s just gbg doing mindless combos and smvr who is great btw at the new games(plays efficiently and uses a lot of unknown strats) but doesn’t talk at all. Idk I just wish we had a more gamey community if that makes sense.

Raeng:
>Sigma 'fixed' him
Hey, alright.

>UTs don't work
Yeah... alright.

>Guide
I'm really gonna need it. Thanks!

>Worse
Yup. Sounds about right.

>NGS2 free upgrades to weapons
Um, why?

>Game's a challenge run even on vanilla
I'm kinds scared now. I just got the game (vanilla NG2) and i will hopefully try it tomorrow. Scary stories.

---‐-------

Zapan:
>That bad
Absolutely nothing can convince me that he's worse than walky talkies. I'll give him a visit in a couple of days and let's see if he takes me through all stages of grief or not.

>2018/Raggy
I always hated the game design and structure. That hatred just grew when Raggy dropped. Ragnarok is basically 2018, but more. And here's the catch, even the lows and bads of 2018 are amplified here. Walky talky in 2018? Full throttle that bitch to a 10 and give us MORE walky talkies.

Oh, add Boy sections to drag the game just a bit longer. It's great for story, but they don't allow us to skip it. No, you MUST listen and "play" all this and it does not matter the number of times you play the "game".

It's a fucking cutscene but the only difference is that we're holding the analog forward.

Then comes the one shot that fucks with epic moments, "fast' travel system, and a bunch of other shit that sucks.

The only thing that's keeping it a game for me would be the combat. Just awesome. With that pacing? You will not be playing it. UNLESS...

If you can tolerate 2 walkthroughs with all the walky talkies, you're gonna be good for a NG+ run in your third visit.

You see, what i do in nearly all my action games, is plant manual saves. That's what i did for 2018 as well. Did my first vanilla run at the time, then did a NG+ run where i made sure to get everything, and THEN i started another run where i started putting my manual saves after every section that wasn't gameplay.

I do this for a lot of games that don't allow cutscene skipping.

So if you've upgraded your tolerance stat to a hundred, go for Raggy. Your first playthrough will be good if you're engaged in the story, but your second will suck huge monkey toes.
In the end, if you're willing to give up your humanity becuz you like the combat, it'll be worth it.

Me? Shit burned me out. I don't know HOW i went through all that in both 2018 and Raggy... just not even touch them nowadays.

What happened to linear but creative game design, simplistic and straight forward upgrade systems, CONSISTENCY in combat (2018 and raggy lack this), positioning and enemies not sliding around, simple and greatly paced cutscenes that aren't long, resource management, best grab system, and jumping you ask?

*Poosh*

>Mission 12
>S rank
See, that's not for me. I'm constantly focused on playing efficiently. Sometimes, playing dirty to go through an encounter (a thing i learned from BigVEE).

Basically, i'm not execution heavy on my runs. I favor efficiency. There's TKMO that is a slayer at the game. His No Upgrades No Style run is one of the best runs out there.

>A&R for S rank
I wouldn't know. Really, everything can be good for S rank. Higher style points in combat is not just 'pew pew pew'.
Hitting multiple enemies at once, taunting, and simply switching between attacks and doing the 'cubrayze' moves also boosts up the style meter a shit ton, as you know.

Never been my focus. Even in RE games.

>Important against ninjas
I will keep that in mind.

>NUR in NG2
Can't wait to try that. Based on what i know now, there is no (or there shouldn't be) a 'no item' run, huh? Healing items and all that jazz is like a resource. I bet it doesn't bring down your rating at the end of the mission as well, correct?

>Shits on other games difficulty
Sometimes, for the wrong reasons. I'm sure Gigadeath and some other sections are not the 'fun' challenging. I know it's by design to be broken, but the worst parts of the game are sections that are poorly designed (from what i know now, Gigadeath).

Omar
>Wish
I'm ever the optimist prime myself. We'll get there. I've made countless 'mainstream lookingass' videos that explain collisions, resource management, setup tools, secondaries, encounter approach, and a whole 5h long guide.

With time, enough people will get into the combat and replayability of the games, rather than "ayo Kratos is so badass and brutal".

A lot of people are getting into proper play and challenge running. I'll make sure nobody's missing out on this fun that i'm having.

>I'm kinda scared now
You better be, but the game only gets bonkers on MN, and you need to beat the game twice for the unlock. Still, it will be a fun time for sure.

>I'm constantly focused on playing efficiently
I'd argue that it can be fun to also try getting an SS rank as efficiently as possible, but it's another kind of challenge. The ranking system in 3 is probably the best in the series since it's strict but also leaves you a lot of freedom in how to approach any mission. 4 and 5 are a joke because you can get an S rank by doing anything and 1 basically forces you to speedrun.

>no item run
They are allowed even on NUR. As far as I know the challenge runs in this game are NUR, NER (also called original lifebar run, so OL), no Ninpo and no UTs, you can mix and match however you like (except combining no Ninpo and no UTs since the game would be too frustrating with both those limitations). Items are allowed in every one, it's up to you if you don't want to use them.

>I'm sure Gigadeath and some other sections are not the 'fun' challenging
Gigadeath isn't even the worst in the game when talking about bosses (or certain mob encounters), but the game still has plenty of challenging but "fair" scenarios. The first Test of Valor, the entirety of Chapter 11 (barring the triple Ratsetsu fight), CH1-2, the stairway of doom, there's a lot of quality to be had for sure.

>scared
Report to the ninja gaiden 2 board when you get to gigadeath. Prepare to be in amazement in how fantastic and shit the game is.

> free upgrades in sigma 2
One of the many mysteries. They also gave some enemies near 10x the HP values, to compensate for the lower enemy count (staircase has like 5 enemies at once, pitiful). As a result you can imagine you'll always have max-healing items. On the flipside, Master Ninja is brimming with OHKO bullshit in Sigma 2, so healing is useless in a weird way (Zedonius' grab deals about 6 lifebars worth of damage).

> rating
Should note the rating is based on Karmapoints. So you can die 20 times, use a billion items and still get Master Ninja as long as your points are up to snuff.

> starting tomorrow
Start on Warrior (normal). It's not too scary. Mentor is a big jump up. Master Ninja is the big boys.

> TKMO
Note, he's not the player himself.

> items in runs
It's another sub category to customize. Just not a super popular one. Most NUR runs I've seen and played myself had ample item usage (mostly to restock ninpo on demand).

>Play for SS rank
I'm sure it is its own type of fun. Just not for me. I guess that might change someday, too. Who knows? I never liked the idea of GoW1 NUR+ Speedrun until i tried it.

>Items
Noted.

>triple raetsu
I thought it was loved by the community haha. Personally am stuck in it.

Don’t forget chapter 7 malcar, fantastic chapter. Chapter 8 is also pretty good. Although not a fan of the explosion sniper fest.

>Items
They are fine. The game is designed around them for sure and are not game breaking.