What are you playing right now?

I wouldn't say that, with the spinloop you can safely kill every (regular melee) enemy safely, just takes a while and only works 1-v-1. Bit similar to the rotate-loop you can do to a lot of enemies in TEW2. Taken from an old post of me:

On the melee I've found a surefire loop on regular mooks which has worked 100% so-far. Call it the Double Spin Loop. Basically you hit them with a melee attack and then spin 360 degrees twice and walk up to them and hit them again. Helps with the timing of when to hit them. Haven't been hit yet and they don't tank the hit. Great sweetspot!

I mean, it's just a little bonus way to kill a mook that's alone without having to waste ammo or resources if you want to job around with their AI. You can keep it up but my melee-only run dried up in chapter 4 since it was just so fucking tedious seperating every enemy and meleeing took quite a long time. In TEW2 melee-only you could stealthkill-reset a lot easier and the knife could at least be leveled to do decent amounts of damage.

After some thought I'm convinced melee is weak but the game benefits from this for three reasons.

The first one is obviously your arsenal. You are full of options thanks to versatile firearms that do a lot more than just "damage". These all around excellent weapons, that have also utility applications and upgradable stats which impact on your play style, leave little room for a strong or layered melee. In a certain sense if the enemy is too close to you it's your fault, because you could have done so many actions to prevent it. If you get rewards when you do a mistake the game balance is questionable.

The second reason is the presence of "melee weapons". I'm referring to axe, torch and bottle. The first two get the job done dealing high damage and an alternative to the standard match system, while the third one allows a finisher after a headshot. These three are melee options and at the same time they are incredibly powerful. Why? Because they cost a resource.

The third and final one is that the basic melee isn't so weak. Is it a contradiction? No, I mean the melee is weak in a vacuum but it can be helpful in different situations. You can push away an enemy regaining some space, you can kill one adversary in a 1vs1 without wasting resources ( like @Royta/Raeng has found), you can instant kill more enemies during certain stun states in conjuction with bolts( freeze+shatter, flash+knife execution), you can stomp and eliminate the AlterEgo with one hit and I'd add even the limited stealth kill in the package.

I think melee is also more in there to prevent soft-locks to a degree, like in most horror games. Some play into it more (RE4), but generally speaking it's just there so they don't have to find ways to give you ammo to progress if you kept shooting at oxygen instead of your enemies. That said, that's not really needed anymore I feel, as most casual players I know still don't run out of ammo due to how these games are structured. Despite my friend pumping out more TMP rounds into a wall than an actual person, he still could beat the game, without using melee or the knife.

> axe etc.
I remember really resource manageing these in my Knife run in TEW2, was still such a great mechanic imo. There were just enough axes in the first open-world segment to deal with all the Witches, which was a neat touch. I know a lot of players don't like TEW2, but it really nailed a lot of little things.

One thing I do feel is a waste is how the melee interaction of RE4 never really made a return. TEW2 has the stomp-of-doom which is far too good, but otherwise interactions like that have been lacking or way too overdone (RE5).

The melee has its place and is surprisingly good if you upgrade it(damage wise it’s comparable to RE4’s knife when upgraded). It definitely won’t help you if multiple enemies are already in an attack animation but you can loop it when you know how enemies react to it.

> In a certain sense if the enemy is too close to you it's your fault
Indeed. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to overstate how much the enemies’ reactions to your weapons really ruin my ability to enjoy a lot of other shooters. I get that in a game like Doom Eternal that wouldn’t make sense for a lot of the weapons, but most standard cover TPS where enemies don’t react to much of anything…no thanks.

>melee weapons
The torch granting a free fire in regards to environmental stuff is neat. Even though it’s a OHKO you have to be careful enemies don’t grab you before they die too. So many great touches. But yeah, grouping enemies together for an axe swing, or getting a OHKO on a fatty from a bottle is satisfying and plays into the resource management angle really well.

>stomp of doom
Wonder if we’ll see something like matches in Ghostwire, or if we’ll get more stomps.

> shooter reactions
Get this man an Xbox and Halo. Seriously amazed by how well those games do reactions to shots and how consistent it all plays out, especially in the earlier releases.

> matches in Ghostwire
I think going in with that hope is like going into TEW hoping it to be RE4, I think it's just going to be a wholly unique beast. Mikami isn't directing though, so we'll have to see how that goes.

Started playing Superman: Countdown to Apokolips [GBA]. If you guys thought the melee in The Evil Within was weak, just imagine Superman squaring up and slugging it out with regular badguys on the street and walking away in much worse condition than he started in. The game even displays a message actually recommending you to use close quarter combat! The charging shoulder tackle is pretty sweet though as it's linear, real fast, and covers an entire screen. It's like sniping someone but with a melee move. (Usually 1 hit KOs with this move on regulars, but sometimes you get to satisfyingly re-direct into the enemy with another tackle for a 2-hitter).

Grabbed Returnal since I was able to get it pretty cheap($25). A lot of stuff I’m not liking already, color coded pickups, guns reload themselves, character is constantly talking. It seems like more of a gameplay-driven experience than most modern Sony games but I don’t know if I’ll stick with it.

Also got the Sonic Colors thing. I’m torn because on one hand, I like it, but also the power ups are really lame and I’ve always thought the whiplash in Sonic games to be jarring. Almost at the end already though, I’ll probably go back through the levels to find more stuff.

Approaching the end of Great Ace Attorney 2. My god these games are WORDY. Obviously they’re visual novels but the original games weren’t like this at all. According to the timer on my switch I have over 70 hours between the two games, there’s no reason for them to be that long.

How is Sonic Colors really? I can emulate it on Dolphin, but it's 30FPS. I heard the remaster has some glitches though and remixed OST (why does every second remaster does this?)?

I recently started Unleashed and I loved the day stages, they have very nice replay value with alternate routes you can take and different collectibles you can find, while always maintaining that feeling of rush when you manage to keep your momentum, and of course, it's always fun to replay levels and try to improve your time and score. Graphics and music are also great, you can really tell Sonic Team put a lot of effort into it.

The first DLC stage of Apotos is great - I loved how it took the tutorial level and expanded on it, turning it into a proper stage. If the rest of the DLC stages are like that then it would be a delight.

However, Werehog stages... If it wasn't for them I would play the hell out of this game. Also the 30fps lock without resolution improvements on the XSX doesn't help things either. It really needs a rerelease, ideally with the night stages becoming optional somehow.

Also started Fatal Frame 1 on Xbox, and beat the 1st night. It's great so far, it really nails the tense and unsettling atmosphere, and IMO, sound design is masterful and art design is great. It doesn't have any inventory management, but it has some backtracking and slight puzzles. Combat almost feels like an action game in a way, and the ghosts are quite agile and aggressive so far. Would recommend any horror/action fan to try it, preferably on the OG Xbox for the extra content.

Been quite under the weather for nearly a week now. Decent fever, sickness etc. No COVID though. So I was on the couch playing classics. Recently played Metroid Prime again just absorbed by how high of a quality game it is. From the enviromental storytelling, the little animations, to the combat, exploration - just a gift that keeps on giving.

I need to replay Metroid Prime 1. How are 2 and 3? And how is the rest of the series?

You only played Prime 1 then in the series?

Prime 2 is a more hardcore version of the first one. I didn't like it originally, but over the years it has grown on me. It has a lot more of the exploration and backtracking of Prime 1, the combat is far more punishing etc. I feel it suffers most because it's a sequel. The Light Beam is basically a reskinned Plasma Beam for example, which sucks. And the Echo Visor is a cool idea but it's basically Xray.

Prime 3 has a bit more combat and the combat is expanded, and it's one of the few games in existence to actually use the Wii-mote in extremely cool ways.

The 2d games are bangers, all of them. Metroid 1 and 2 are still fantastic if you can shift through the visual age, the first one is especially brutal and extremely fun to make a project out of to beat (make your own maps etc.). Super Metroid is a definite classic, it's the template for gaming going forward.

Metroid Zero Mission is probably the best game in the series but people still haven't accepted that fact. Just fantastic pacing, level design etc.

Fusion is my personal favourite. Love the horror vibes it has.

Samus Returns is the only one I haven't played.

I've played only played Prime 1, it was 2 years ago and somehow I don't recall much about the different visors and beam types.

I do remember loving it, and how with progress you have to actually make use of your tools (different visors and beam types) mid combat. Just don't remember visor and beam types names and details besides the fact that you need to mix them up for some fights and doors etc...

Completely agree about the exploration and storytelling done right without interfering with the game. While completely different games, it reminds me of Thief, Dishonored, Deus Ex and Prey.

So in regards to other entries - I have Metroid 1, 2, Super, Fusion, Zero Mission and Other M? How is the 3DS remake Samus Returns? Should I emulate it, stick with OG Metroid 2 or just play both?

>Other M?
Oh God here we go...

Delete this before Raeng sees it.

DID SOMEONE SAY OTHER M??????

You can note from its absense from my list entirely, that Other M isn't held in high regard by me. That said it has its fans, so you can give it a shot. It might actually be better to play it sooner rather than later, since it's such a big departure for the series.

> games
I'd play Super > Fusion > Zero - that's order of release. Save Metroid 1 and 2 for last since they have aged quite a fair bit. Might want to try the fangame AM2R as well, which is honestly a better remake than Samus Returns from what I know (scary to think about).

Keep in mind I loved MP1 and don't really familiar with the series, don't crucify me just yet!

I know Oth** M (hope it's better that way) is divisive to say the least... also seems it has too much cinematics? I will still try it at least, but might do so earlier per your advice. It was made by Hayashi's Team Ninja as well?

So for Metroid 2, assuming I will play 1 and 2 - which version should I go with first?

More like gutter M, that's where it belongs.
Or cutter M, because it makes me want to kill myself.


..I've never played a metroid game, waiting for a crt to play the whole series in oreder.

It's that bad?

Man I wish I could get a good 480p or 720 CRT for retro games

Beat RE4 for the first time as part of my quest to play the essentials. Great game, the hit reactions, roundhouse kicks, and resource conservation are all fantastic. Movement is slow which creates really interesting situations, this will be my go-to example now for this idea. Story/dialogue is delightfully cheesy. Only complaint is that the game is kinda long, not a huge issue though.

You all probably knew all this already though. If by some chance anyone here is like me and hasn't played it, just go do it.

@GN1

Yeah that's why I said, maybe try Other M sooner rather than later. Right now it isn't that big of a 'jump' for you since the series isn't 'established' for you yet. Other M is everything I dislike about games tucked into one neat little package for me, doubled by the fact that I was insanely hyped for it haha. It was made by Hayashi Team Ninja yeah, with the story written by the serie's original creator.

> Metroid 1 and 2
I'd play the 3ds release of 2 first, and Zero Mission as well (which is a remake of 1). Save regular 1 and 2 as fun oddities for last to see where the sereis began without being pressured to finish them. I really loved beating Metroid 1 since it's super hard, Metroid 2 I didn't enjoy though (everything looks the same).

@HotPocketHPE

> RE4
Great to hear! Highly recommend, if you have the time, to give the game a few more runs. It is a game that shines on Professional Difficulty with you trying different things. Give some off beat weapons like the Mine Launcher and Punisher a try, or try a Handgun only run or No-Merchant run, stuff like that. It's the eternal game that keeps on giving, seriously. Or dive into Mercenaries Mode.

> cheesy
Fun fact, this is Western Only. I eventually got my hands on the original Japanese script (someone compiled the JPN subs) and all the cheese is absent from that version. Leon is a lot less popular in Japan compared to the West, which is probably due to that. He's insanely boring in the JPN release, no "no thanks, bro", no "right hand comes off", no "bingo?" etc. All added in translation.

> long
Agreed. I like the variety, but personally 5-1 should've been the final chapter. It's already super long, and it feels like the home stretch. 5-2, 5-3, 5-4 and 6-1 feel really 'meh' as a result for me.

Ive been going back to older games and division 1 and 2 was the most played at the moment. Div1 is more fun due the gear sets that make you a different person. Div2 is ok but its boring to me. I tried the raid missions with a clan i joined and it gets frustrating due to memorizing the mechanics more than the enemies.

I finished Ninja Gaiden 2 on Warrior difficulty. A good presentation but the last chapters were a bit dull because enemies (especially pink demons and their cousins) are too passive while Ryu can use everything to obliterate them. The first fight on Mentor is a harsh wake up. I'd like to watch modern reviewers on this setting, some of them were boasting about beating Sigma 2 haha.

At the same time I was playing again inFamous 1, Evil Path and Hard mode. I did the good guy many years ago, but I didn't use the full potential of Cole's powers. It's a bit janky but still a valid game (like SWFU). It seems a perfect candidate for a NUR run, upgrades are powerful but not necessary. Does anyone have some notes about this title? Thoughts about the sequels and Festival of Blood?
I played Second Son but I found it boring and too generic.

> Mentor is a wakeup call
I remember having a very similar experience, despite my time with Sigma 2 beforehand. Mentor really roughs you up. Kek @reviewers playing games on higher settings.

> Infamous
I was a big fan of the game way back when and actually did a semi-NUR from what I recall, but I have to admit it's...a bit of a blur. Never played any of the sequels. But fantastic game imo, should replay it one day. Never got a 'remaster' did it? Wonder why.

Resident Evil 0 on Cube. Re-playing it after I don't know how long. Either I was too hard before or just going soft now, but I find it enjoyable. It's visuals are near gorgeous and the FMV have slick style. The team mechanic isn't as half-baked as I remember it to be. The emulation of a mansion of it's own that is the 0 facility, it's not that bad. The odd critters (angry apes, bats, leeches, insectoids) come now to me as poor lab animals, though I clearly prefer humanoid mutants. Not playing for narrative or characterization (Albert and William being best buds behind security spy tech), so no cry here. That said I now made it to the second disk (DISK CHANGE, remember those?) I feel the big dive is coming. Entering silly or known (RE2 lab) surroundings best misremembered. Yeah, soft. Just soft. Perhaps aiming for a No Save run later.

GnG for Capcom Arcade Stadium. Free gift for limited frame. Played it before on Capcom Arcade Cabinet, yet... I am just a mere underling incapable of clearing first loop, but mesmerized just the same. I feel no frustration, only happines at understanding how to jump and bust and gaining improvement. Going slightly mad. Feels fine.

I really liked how Zero tried to switch things up, gorgeous game too. The team-mechanic is really good and I like how weak you feel when you're seperated, very nicely done. Wasn't a fan of the 'drop' mechanic or the grapple however.

Alternating between Dragon Quest Heroes 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn.

Played the Ultra Age demo and hated it. Totally soulless.

Royta/Raeng wrote: Wasn't a fan of the 'drop' mechanic or the grapple however.

I dig the menu command for it: Leave. All said.

Now imagine that it was the standard to litter the floor and to fight efficiently being a slob in a famous survival-horror game series. And this one game gets released which has a new thing, a miraculous thing. It's called The Item Box. And everything you would put in one of its infinite spaces could, bizzarrely, be taken out of any other box you would come upon. Well, wouldn't that suck? Killing any immersion? People would hate it. Yes, it's neat and collected. But it's so stupid, right? Good thing it's only this one game. What a creeper. (excluding Real Survival Mode)

Dude, that faux grapple action on Disk 2 is obscene, if your memory of it became hazy. What? Again? But I just left it behind to gain 2 slots. Oh, maaan. Have to backtrack now. If it could be a weapon, it would be another matter. Shades of Bionic Commando. Good thing it's only in this game. What a creeper.

Infamous: the Hard run is finished. There are some repetitive missions and they could have cut the sewer sections, but I like it overall.

Infamous Festival of Blood: I hated it. Cole's movement is more fluid but some of his moves are heavily nerfed, enemies are more damage sponges and hit reactions seem off. A bad pacing paired with a horrible upgrade system forced me to drop it, even if it's very short.                                                    

God of War Chains of Olympus: It's my first run (on Hard) and I'm a bit after the Gauntlet of Zeus which could be the most interesting tool of the game. At the moment I'm enjoying this game, so VH is a must. I just wish environment and grabs could play a larger role in this entry.

I'm also playing Diablo 1 on PC.

Very addicting. I chose the archer and have been kiting enemies all day. As always with these types of games, they massively creep me out.

I'm on floor 7 of the dungeon under the town. It's scary. I progress slowly. Clicking only a few steps ahead each time. Surprised how fast you can fire arrows.

Why would people live above this hell hole?

Diablo1 is absolutely fantastic. If possible, get the Expansionpack Hellfire, makes traversing in the Town faster and also allows for higher difficulty settings. Archer is a very fun class, they're all fun imo. Played this game to death. Loved the randomized quests, made every run feel unique.

Beat Sonic Colors and replayed quite a few levels to collect things but I don’t know if I’ll stick around. It’s a good game but it really seems to me that they tried to make their own Mario Galaxy here(that released in 2007 and Colors in 2010). The power ups, crazy environments, boss fights all seem like they were trying to replicate Galaxy, but maybe that’s just me. I stand by what I said earlier about the power ups, they’re almost Odyssey levels of lame; you activate it, you can only do one thing that replaces your moveset to get past a barrier, and you move on. I do like how much the levels change, even if the shift in control schemes and speeds can mess with your ability to play consistently.

Returnal has cool things that I appreciate but the actual moment to combat is fairly uninteresting. It almost seems like the entirety of the core combat is: shoot at thing, do your iframe dodge when attacks are coming, and use your cooldown shot. It’s yet another modern game that uses perfect dodges as a crutch because they didn’t make an actual deep combat system. I haven’t found each weapon yet but functionally they don’t seem that different(the pistol and carbine shoot bullets, the shotgun does no damage at range and shoots bullets, etc). And can we stop with cooldowns? Running out the clock and waiting to use an attack again is fucking stupid.

On the flip side, other things about the game are pretty cool. The game is fairly restrictive with usable items, and you have these keys that can either unlock doors or chests, or you can use multiple to purge chests of malignancy before you open them. You can also attach one parasite to yourself at a time, all having a pro and a con. There’s been several moments where I’ve really had to stop and think about how I wanted to use things, or what I wanted to take, and sometimes I end up really regretting my decision.

>Metroid
Is there a way to play Zero Mission aside emulating it?

>RE0
Only mainline game I’ve never liked. Maybe it’s time to give it another chance.

>Infamous
I played this a bit earlier this year. I enjoyed it but honestly I think the game could really use a remaster, it kind of runs like crap.

> Zero Mission
It's on the WiiU VC, so if you have that machine that's an option. Otherwise just a regular GBA.

>get the Expansionpack Hellfire,
I did. It was included. But since I've never played before I started classic.

>Returnal
Sounds like they tried to make a 3D Nex Machina and failed miserably.

Anyone finished Hyper Light Drifter?
I did the 4 areas but missed something so can't enter the final one.

The bosses were quite cool. They all had some kind of optional trick. Like the knight had minions encased in crystal. Get him low enough and he summons them out. But before that you can lure him into smashing them.

The frog calls those little plants that explode when they die. The boss can be hit by these too and causes a stun.

Can't remember the others right now. Enemies were good too.
There are arenas where you fight waves which is something I really wanted but I got annoyed at finding collectibles to unlock them. Might go back to it later.

>Returnal
I unlocked the third biome and ended up putting the game down after failing my next run. It's not a bad game...it's just not that good either. At its core, its mainly just a third-person shooter with an i-frame dash. There are other mechanics, of course, but they aren't especially interesting. I did like the atmosphere and environments, though. The story is quite vague and cryptic, but admittedly was kind of interesting. Not interesting enough to keep me playing, mind you. I do intend to finish it someday.

>What are you playing right now?
Let's see if I can remember the title without Googling it...Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS. Maxiboost ON, I think. I'm just calling it Maxibon for short (like the ice cream bar). I believe it's classed as an "arena fighter" (the game's fanbase is a sub-community within the FGC) but I think it's got a bit of action game DNA in it. I know nothing about Gundam but noticed the game was half price on PSN, looked up some gameplay and decided to take the plunge. Pretty fun so far. If you know the Virtual-On series, it seems pretty similar to that at a glance.

>WiiU VC
Do I need the tablet thing to access the shop? I can’t find mine.

>Returnal not bad but not good
I played it some more today and I would agree with this. Moment to moment combat just isn’t interesting at all. Also the shooting just feels like shit and the enemies are all weird blobs. I’m sick of all these games not only having subpar mechanics but also weak attacks. I also really hate the reload thing, most of the time I have a couple bullets left before I have to reload and I can either wait for it to refill, or do the stupid reload minigame. How about a normal reload system, because this shit sucks.

Edit: forgot to mention, the fact that you can only carry one gun is pathetic. The guns aren’t interesting to begin with but we’re limited to one at a time.

> Wii U
I could definitely be wrong, but I don't think you can even get to the home screen without the tablet. When you turn the console on it searches for the tablet to turn that on too, and if it can't find it you get an error message.

> Returnal
Yeah, the one weapon limit definitely didn't help. I assume it was a balance thing to stop you having too much firepower (use your alt-fire on one weapon, swap to another and alt-fire again, etc.), but when you don't have a "moveset" it's easy to have repetitive combat if you don't have some other interesting tools. Returnal made me a bit more cautious about buying new gen titles. £60~ is a lot of money to pay for a game that is just "okay" at best. I don't want to pay that sort of money for Ratchet and Clank or Ghost of Tsushima and have the same opinion.

Infinity_Divide wrote:Do I need the tablet thing to access the shop? I can’t find mine.

 I think of it as to big and almost clunky to misplace it between cushions. Did you move and it got lost?

GN1 wrote:Never played any Castlevania before yes, so assuming I would want to play it - which games should I play from the 2d entries?

Give the Anniversary Collection the Peeping Eye, then. It's got two outstanding ( NES original, Genesis Bloodlines and the milder Mega Drive Vampire Killer ), one experimental one in Simon's Quest ( What a horrible night to have a curse ), and a total dud in the first Game Boy title The Adventure. The rest is fairly enjoyable, but have some junk bits. Others would probably rate them higher. There's enough here to find out what's your flavour. I could name 3 more that I find as strong as the two mentioned. They are more elusive and as yet are not in any collection. But I would say at this point in existence this is the place to press start.

[Meanwhile...] in Resident Evil Zero: Cleared. I maintain that the second half takes a deep dive. The copied and pasted Tyrant boss feels like a big offender. Though I love how the external organs shiver when the mutant boss presents itself. There is no sense throwing him in other than filling some considerable gaps. So, the Umbrella facilities are only an elevator ride away? But the player that is me had to take the long way around. Stuff like this makes me think they had to wrap up at some point and call it a game. Pity? I'm not sure. And no rocket launcher in the final battle? They wouldn't make it a tradition before it was a staple, huh? A philosophical decision.

Zero was a breaking point internally, as a many of the Resident Evil staff left the studio during its development, being burned out by constantly making the same game. Those that stayed were rewarded with working on RE4 IIRC.

It really does feel like near the end they just slapped a ton of things together. For me the part where you revisit areas from RE2 are the most weird, comes out of nowhere and feels like pointless pandering than anything else.

Still really enjoy the game mind you.

>move and get lost
Yep. Need to go back and search my mom’s house.

>RE0
Interesting to read as someone who has never actually got all the way through it. Part of me wants to play it, but the whole time I’m just thinking “I could be playing similar entries that I like a lot more…”.

I’m probably going to sell Returnal. Can’t play it for more than 30 minutes without getting bored. Combat is just too lame.

I did start Super Metroid to get in the mindset for Dread. Really good game so far, progression is satisfying, some pretty interesting bosses and set pieces, I never feel like I’m flat out lost like in a lot of modern Metroidvanias(or even Prime). Secrets are hidden but not totally obscure(at least not the several I’ve found). Also the speed boost is hilarious.

> Super Metroid
It's a timeless classic. Some prefer Zero Mission as it sort of evolved it, but Super is just...Super. One thing I really like about the games is how they very, very carefully put down upgrades. You'll rarely see an upgrade you can't reach for an hour or longer, usually when you see an upgrade but can't get it yet, you'll get the tools for that pretty soon, which makes it easier to remember.

Prime2:Echoes is the only one that kinda screws with this.

> RE0
I'd say give it a finish. I respect the game for trying to be refreshing in the same-old-same-old formula, there's something cool about it. That said I think it's absolute biggest flaw is the Train section being so strong. It is such a unique and interesting level unlike anything else in Resident Evil, that everything after feels absolutely by-the-numbers and has been done a thousand times better in other games, that I can't blame players for shutting the game off.

Quitting Diablo.

Got to level 11 and as soon as you enter 50 enemies throwing lightning plus melee types attack. They can't be dodged and there's no chance to return fire. I die in seconds. Can't even heal as fast as I'm damaged.

Seems all monsters in previous floors don't respawn so leveling up is impossible. My bow doesn't even connect a lot of the time.

Not switching weapon types. If I can't play with a build I enjoy then there's no point.

Diablo 1 isn't supposed to be beaten in a single run unless you're a) god b) a speedrunner c) an expert who beat it before a few times. The game is balanced around you doing a few floors and then doing New Game with that character to get more cash, better gear etc. It's why quests are randomized, so you'll always get something new to do as well and why you unlock specific shortcuts that stay unlocked even on New Game.

Wirt (the kid with the leg) eventually moves to the top-left of the map where he sells super powerful gear. You can 'save+restart' to reset his shop's inventory to see what else he has on offer.

You can use specific gear-setups to reach 100% immunity to magic types (even all magic types). I beat the game as a Warrior, which is a lot harder than the Rogue (since you can kite and have ranged abilities). It's very doable, just have to gear smartly (which is what the game is about). Level 11 is IIRC the part where the succubi start showing up which are very tough foes. Try and get some lightning-resistance gear.

Leveling isn't too important in Diablo other than to get to skill-levels to equip certain gear pieces. It's all about your equipment (and brain of course, in how you kite enemies, pick battles etc.).

If that's not your thing, by all means quit of course. Just noting how the game works.

> not switching weapon types
No need. The bow is the best weapon in the game. Only magic is better but it has obvious limitations.

>balanced around you doing a few floors and then doing New Game with that character to get more cash, better gear etc

Wait what? What does this mean?
It sounds like you're saying you can reset the game anytime. Like mini NG+. Is that what you mean?

The rest sounds like if you can't kite (which you can't in level 11) get better gear and just tank. Which is my most hated playstyle.

In other news, I got out my 360 to put some time into Ninja Blade. I've played it quote a bit before and remember liking it but now I hate it. Probably because back then I was playing all kinds of obscure shit looking for gold.

Yeah if you select your character from the menu, you can do New Game or Continue. If you do New Game, you enter a semi NG+. Shortcuts remain opened, but everything respawns and quests are reshuffled. You also keep your gear. I don't recall if you keep your inventory, I think you do. Things that were on the floor disappear completely.

> better gear
Against magic there's a few solutions, either use specific buffs to tank the damage better, or really try to kite a 1v1 situation which is going to be insanely hard. Or just get 100% resistance as noted. Note that Level 13 and up will be even more brutal, so 100% resistance will really be helpful or at least 80-90%. Sometimes a bit of luck is also needed obviously, since the levels are randomly generated.

Regarding spells, not sure if you've leveled this or gained these spells. But Stone Curse is very useful for the Rogue. Mana Shield is also fantastic (reduces damage taken by 33%, and instead you lose Mana instead of HP). Note that in Hellfire, the spell is bugged IIRC, if you level it up it gets weaker. So don't level it. Reflect is also pretty neat, reduces damage by about 25% IIRC and reflects some back.

It's a very versatile system, especially considering its age. Though in some cases you can't get around it and have to make choices i.e. grind some levels, get resistance gear or use specific magic.

> most hated playstyle
It's a game about loot, so it shouldn't be that much of a shock. It's also pretty old when this stuff wasn't fully explored yet.

> ninja blade
Had the exact same ironically. Really enjoyed it few years ago, but couldn't get through it when I played it a while back.

>or really try to kite a 1v1 situation which is going to be insanely hard.
Yeah. So far I've been able to avoid everything by running around, funneling them through doorways. But level 11 is huge groups in every direction.

>spells
None. Picked up a few books that shot fire but started selling them.

>stone curse
What exactly does it do? Can it stop these large groups?

>or use specific magic.
Not against this as long as it fits my play style. Is there some kind of obstruction? I used a fire wall book but don't know if it stops anything from passing. Anything to stop these crowds?

>It's a game about loot, so it shouldn't be that much of a shock.
I didn't know that. I'm only just starting on these types of PC games.

> kiting
Could be that you also got a tad unlucky, there's supposed to be some rivers in that stage that you can use to funnel foes IIRC.

> spells
Offensive Spells aren't that great unless you're a dedicated caster. Basically the way spells work:
Books: these teach you the spell. If you already know the spell, using the book levels that spell up.
Scrolls: the spell, but single use, anyone can use them. Though they are a tad weaker.

> stone curse
Freezes a target in place for 5-6 seconds, 12 if fully leveled (I think). Great against hard targets, or against groups to dimish the horde a bit.

> obstruction
Fire Wall works in a sense, but they can still walk through it but it might stagger them in place. Note that later enemies will also have resistances of their own.

Might be worth checking out it Wirt has any legendary items for you to use that you can afford. If you don't mind speeding the purchasing up a bit, you can duplicate money quite easily in this game using an exploit.

Personally Mana Shield is a must-have spell later-on, really helps with the higher levels and also higher difficulties if you're up for those.

>there's supposed to be some rivers in that stage that you can use to funnel foes IIRC
There are some but the enemy count is so high from all sides they don't matter. And they're flinging 20 lightning beams a second from offscreen. I can't even see my character. I didn't know the levels were random. I absolutely hate this kind of stuff.

Not interested in playing further. Looks like I have to become a close range magic tank just to survive. Will try Icewind Dale or Baldur's Gate.

No need to become close-range. Pretty interested in picking this game up again now because of all this. Enjoy BG.

> didn't know the levels are random
Everything is randomized in this game, the levels, enemy locations, quests - that was the appeal. Sort of an infinitely replayable game. Even most gear is randomized i.e. their stats. You can get some really funky ones. It's pretty fun.

>No need to become close-range
It is when you can't outrun or barely move due to enemy count.
Or tanking hits with magic shields and armor. Not how I like to play.

>Everything is randomized in this game
Horrible. I hate stuff like this. Divine Divinity is even worse. It was completely random that I found a bow on my second attempt at a file. At least Diablo let me start with one.

I can deal with a small degree of randomness in games but not like this.

>Sort of an infinitely replayable game.
Opposite for me. Never enjoyed any of those randomly generated games.

Yeah everyone has a thing they don't care for, that's fine. Just popped it in again and was immediately hooked. Some things are just natural, totally forgot you had to hold shift to stand still and shoot, but did it instinctively haha. Never beat the game on Hell with the Rogue from what I recall, might go for that.

There is IIRC some method to the randomness, i.e. mages seeing more staves drop while rogues see more bows but I cannot confirm that.

>Some things are just natural, totally forgot you had to hold shift to stand still and shoot
I only learned this recently when I started Divine Divinity. Was happy to see it it was the same here.

>i.e. mages seeing more staves drop while rogues see more bows but I cannot confirm that.
I don't have anything to compare it too, but I got a lot of bows and swords. Very few staves. Two I think. But countless bows and swords. All weak though.