I got this game in due part to this review and it's been a blast, despite carrying the same corny anime writing and flat characterization that the God Eater games have. Balancing does get a bit screwy into the endgame, though. 1H weapons unfortunately get the shaft come enhanced NG+, while 2H and magic get by through hilariously OP damage and stagger potential with the right set of passives and buffs.
On a different note, who is your favorite companion? Mine's Io. Fantastic support and ranged damage. Perfect for carrying my inept self and completely worth going through that one slog of a level.
Enjoying it quite as bit as well. It's certainly a lot more forgiving than a Souls so far. Especially with companions around. I'm using Mia right now and magic is a little OP.
It feels weird having to use face buttons, It means you can't keep controling the camera when fighting. I can see why they use face buttons with the way you use gifts, it could be rebound but it would be very awkward to use. It's certainly a lot more floaty and weapons really lack a sense of weight and impact like they do in Souls as well.
I’ve been playing it for the past week or so and I’m loving it. I ended up restarting to go back to the basics as I didn’t feel I had a good grasp on the combat mechanics (stats*blood codes+abilities etc), but now that I’ve figured out that you don’t ya e to have the physically weaker bloodcodes to use the abilities, that I can have a huge ass sword and do magic, I’m doing better. Also figuring out that drain raise applies to all weapons, and not just special effects helped a lot.
All in all a lot of fun but quite challenging for someone who got the SoulsBorne games pretty quickly
I’ve been playing it for the past week or so and I’m loving it. I ended up restarting to go back to the basics as I didn’t feel I had a good grasp on the combat mechanics (stats*blood codes+abilities etc), but now that I’ve figured out that you don’t ya e to have the physically weaker bloodcodes to use the abilities, that I can have a huge ass sword and do magic, I’m doing better. Also figuring out that drain raise applies to all weapons, and not just special effects helped a lot.
All in all a lot of fun but quite challenging for someone who got the SoulsBorne games pretty quickly
Well it depends on what you want out of it. What kind of playstyle are you currently gunning for?
As for myself, I've made several different builds that play merry hell on the system, it's great. My favorite for traversing through levels is an assassin-type loadout that can chain backstabs while under camouflage. I can empty an entire map of mobs without triggering a single one into attacking me.
Well it depends on what you want out of it. What kind of playstyle are you currently gunning for?
As for myself, I've made several different builds that play merry hell on the system, it's great. My favorite for traversing through levels is an assassin-type loadout that can chain backstabs while under camouflage. I can empty an entire map of mobs without triggering a single one into attacking me.
That’s pretty sweet tbh lol. Usually in rpgs I’m a straight up battlemage, part melee part magic, but I can’t seem to quite get it to work on this game. Any warrior codes drop you ichor topout too much, mage blood codes seem to drop all your defenses. I’m having trouble with having a good balance.
That’s pretty sweet tbh lol. Usually in rpgs I’m a straight up battlemage, part melee part magic, but I can’t seem to quite get it to work on this game. Any warrior codes drop you ichor topout too much, mage blood codes seem to drop all your defenses. I’m having trouble with having a good balance.
Yeah I save most of my ichor for buffs. I found casting Haste + Damage Up on myself before a boss' stun phase could carve through a decent chunk of their health. There is one spell though that summons a big ball of lightning you throw at an enemy; this can one-shot weaker mobs and in my case was ideal for crowd control. I got most of my ichor from backstabbing smaller mobs on my way to the boss. I prefer the claw parry to the chain parry; hitbox is easier for me to work with.
I think I got a similar spell in the depths? It lobs out a horizontal line of lightning balls and it’s pretty nasty.
So far I’ve been going w a more warrior based code and then using backstabs and charge attacks to up my ichor max and then trying to min/max with equipment for what I’m going for.
I’m having some trouble with the Lost invasions- the Cathedral area one is a pain in the ass. I do fine until I get in the middle of a mob. Bosses are fairly easy (I only die bc I switch my gameplay so much and I’m not used to doing that) but those god damn mobs!
That’s pretty sweet tbh lol. Usually in rpgs I’m a straight up battlemage, part melee part magic, but I can’t seem to quite get it to work on this game. Any warrior codes drop you ichor topout too much, mage blood codes seem to drop all your defenses. I’m having trouble with having a good balance.
You are probably still less than halfway through the game. Maybe running Prometheus, because it's the first obvious step. Great class, still very viable (especially if you unlock all the skills), but it seems you want something a bit tankier. As you progress further, you will find a couple of blood codes that strike an even better balance between magic and fighting.
Now, here's the funny thing about those stats the blood codes come with; except for Vitality, they're not really all that meaningful in the long run. A B-scaling in Strength or Dexterity doesn't actually make you hit much harder than an A-scaling. Same goes for magic. They're really prerequisites that prevent you from just slotting in anything willy-nilly. Those passives that increase your stats? They are mostly traps. The most hilarious example is increasing Vitality; it literally only adds a couple points to your HP. That is it.
The real goal of the game is to stack and maintain as many buffs you can from the skills you unlock, as their effects are muuuuuch more potent than anything your equipment can do, outside of a few exceptions. In other words, you can't just sit on the codes not relevant to you - max those skills so you can carry them over to the blood code you are actually planning to use. It is mandatory. For example, keep Iron Will (from the Berseker Code) up at all times if you're worried about getting hit. The 5-ichor cost is literally peanuts. You can easily gain back enough to recast when the buff runs out.
As another example, Foulblood Barrier (from Atlas) is actually really, really good. It's a single-hit defensive barrier, but cuts any damage you take by half. That is A LOT considering the nature of this game, and can buy you enough wiggle room to back away and heal. And it doesn't even have a timer! If you cast it once, it stays indefinitely until you get hit again. After which you will just recast. Again, 5 = cheap peanuts.
But let's say that you have Prometheus equipped. You don't have the required Vitality to slot in Foulblood Barrier. This is during those times where those passive boosts to your stats aren't traps; if you equip Atlas' Strength Vitality Up passive to Prometheus, then you can put it in and cast it just fine. Incidentally, a weapon you may be eyeballing that requires an A Strength stat is suddenly within your reach. Like that Zweihander. Later in the game, you are going to have to decide between increasing your stats and sacrificing potential QOL choices for the passive abilities, as some of them are really freaking good.
As for your magic knight approach, you are going to be looking for classes with 20-30 beginning ichor count. Most tend to come with a surprisingly high Strength or Dexterity stat, so you just equip the weapon that best suits them and you. Then you find a couple of spells that you like to spam regularly (even dedicated caster builds prefer to run 3 spells at most). The Roar line of spells are the most middle-of-the-road spells you can pick, and therefore the most reliable. Then you cast Iron Will, Foulbood Barrier, and whatever other buffs you need. Your survivability will skyrocket.
I think I got a similar spell in the depths? It lobs out a horizontal line of lightning balls and it’s pretty nasty.
So far I’ve been going w a more warrior based code and then using backstabs and charge attacks to up my ichor max and then trying to min/max with equipment for what I’m going for.
I’m having some trouble with the Lost invasions- the Cathedral area one is a pain in the ass. I do fine until I get in the middle of a mob. Bosses are fairly easy (I only die bc I switch my gameplay so much and I’m not used to doing that) but those god damn mobs!
Lightning Barrage? Actually one of the strongest spells in the game... if you do it up close. And have a high Mind scaling. There are three other spells like it, all of them shotgun blasts. Light Gift builds like to chain them in rapid sucession since the cast timing is so short. Shreds enemies to pieces.
Also, Lost Invasions are mostly awful without a partner. Some of them are nearly impossible to do solo. If you really want to, good luck. If you're willing to cheat though, bring Yakumo with you. He loves casting Foulblood Barrier for the party.
You are probably still less than halfway through the game. Maybe running Prometheus, because it's the first obvious step. Great class, still very viable (especially if you unlock all the skills), but it seems you want something a bit tankier. As you progress further, you will find a couple of blood codes that strike an even better balance between magic and fighting.
Now, here's the funny thing about those stats the blood codes come with; except for Vitality, they're not really all that meaningful in the long run. A B-scaling in Strength or Dexterity doesn't actually make you hit much harder than an A-scaling. Same goes for magic. They're really prerequisites that prevent you from just slotting in anything willy-nilly. Those passives that increase your stats? They are mostly traps. The most hilarious example is increasing Vitality; it literally only adds a couple points to your HP. That is it.
The real goal of the game is to stack and maintain as many buffs you can from the skills you unlock, as their effects are muuuuuch more potent than anything your equipment can do, outside of a few exceptions. In other words, you can't just sit on the codes not relevant to you - max those skills so you can carry them over to the blood code you are actually planning to use. It is mandatory. For example, keep Iron Will (from the Berseker Code) up at all times if you're worried about getting hit. The 5-ichor cost is literally peanuts. You can easily gain back enough to recast when the buff runs out.
As another example, Foulblood Barrier (from Atlas) is actually really, really good. It's a single-hit defensive barrier, but cuts any damage you take by half. That is A LOT considering the nature of this game, and can buy you enough wiggle room to back away and heal. And it doesn't even have a timer! If you cast it once, it stays indefinitely until you get hit again. After which you will just recast. Again, 5 = cheap peanuts.
But let's say that you have Prometheus equipped. You don't have the required Vitality to slot in Foulblood Barrier. This is during those times where those passive boosts to your stats aren't traps; if you equip Atlas' Strength Vitality Up passive to Prometheus, then you can put it in and cast it just fine. Incidentally, a weapon you may be eyeballing that requires an A Strength stat is suddenly within your reach. Like that Zweihander. Later in the game, you are going to have to decide between increasing your stats and sacrificing potential QOL choices for the passive abilities, as some of them are really freaking good.
As for your magic knight approach, you are going to be looking for classes with 20-30 beginning ichor count. Most tend to come with a surprisingly high Strength or Dexterity stat, so you just equip the weapon that best suits them and you. Then you find a couple of spells that you like to spam regularly (even dedicated caster builds prefer to run 3 spells at most). The Roar line of spells are the most middle-of-the-road spells you can pick, and therefore the most reliable. Then you cast Iron Will, Foulbood Barrier, and whatever other buffs you need. Your survivability will skyrocket.
Lightning Barrage? Actually one of the strongest spells in the game... if you do it up close. And have a high Mind scaling. There are three other spells like it, all of them shotgun blasts. Light Gift builds like to chain them in rapid sucession since the cast timing is so short. Shreds enemies to pieces.
Also, Lost Invasions are mostly awful without a partner. Some of them are nearly impossible to do solo. If you really want to, good luck. If you're willing to cheat though, bring Yakumo with you. He loves casting Foulblood Barrier for the party.
This helps so much! I’ve been playing with different codes but I tend to do Prometheus for exploring and build up my ichor w charged/backstabs and then run Atlas if I’m having a lot of issues. Thanks a lot I’ll probably do some respecing later for a better character. I was doing some of the things you mentioned avoiding, like buffing vit (for the damage reduction tbh, the hp buff is shit) but I’ll probably switch it up to be more efficient and effective. Thanks so much for your time and the write up. I always like seeing other ppls tips and tricks, their builds and all that. It’s what make rpgs so fun- 10 ppl can play and all have a different experience.
This helps so much! I’ve been playing with different codes but I tend to do Prometheus for exploring and build up my ichor w charged/backstabs and then run Atlas if I’m having a lot of issues. Thanks a lot I’ll probably do some respecing later for a better character. I was doing some of the things you mentioned avoiding, like buffing vit (for the damage reduction tbh, the hp buff is shit) but I’ll probably switch it up to be more efficient and effective. Thanks so much for your time and the write up. I always like seeing other ppls tips and tricks, their builds and all that. It’s what make rpgs so fun- 10 ppl can play and all have a different experience.
You're welcome. As you might be able to guess by now, I love this game to bits. I look forward to the upcoming DLC that may or may not involve fighting against Aragami.
Just as some additional advice for your battlemage, I recommend that you always include Weapon Drain Rating Plus (from Caster; the increase to drain rating is not insignificant) and a specific Weapon Mastery passive (expensive in whatever code it is found, but adds a flat 20% damage increase for that weapon) in any build before anything else. As for active gifts, you should be working with Mia's blood code to get Bloodsucking Blades, which will temporarily skyrocket your drain rating to absurd heights as your Dark Gift stat grows higher and higher. Weapon Mastery and Bloodsucking Blades will be your mainstay all the way to endgame, with WDR+ being more of a QOL choice.
It's also a really good idea to get Mia's Guard of Honor while you're at it. It's one of those delayed-action, fire-and-forget spells that not only looks really cool, but is very cost-effective and very safe to perform from a distance. And unlike most spells that can hit harder, it doesn't take a dog's age for the cooldown to refresh before you can cast again. which is why it's still popular among mages.
There's height and body build sliders coming in the 1.20 patch, and also a new map layer called The Tower of Trials. SUPPOSEDLY you'll be able to earn marks of honour from it as a single player, so that's one for the completionists.
There's height and body build sliders coming in the 1.20 patch, and also a new map layer called The Tower of Trials. SUPPOSEDLY you'll be able to earn marks of honour from it as a single player, so that's one for the completionists.
I actually don't mind the default height given to the PC, since I find it hilarious how my female protagonist towers over nearly every other character in cutscenes. A breast slider was definitely in need though.
Also, can't wait to deck myself out like a walking Christmas tree. Even though the Halloween update was just cosmetics, I still had a blast dropping into multiplayer looking like this while spamming the candy emote:
AI Partners finally have their defenses adjusted to the appropriate NG+ level, the Bayonet weapon skill and high-tier offensive spells get a significant buff to increase viability, the Barrage line gets their damage gimped, Final Journey only lasts for 1 min. instead of 3 (I guess devs underestimated how long players only need to finish off a boss at the time), and other assorted changes that really only matter to the people breaking the game in half.
The Tower of Trials (of which there are three) can be quite rough if you don't know what you are doing. It seems to be inspired by DMC's Bloody Palace in that you go through several floors' worth of spawning mobs and boss rematches. However, you only have to go through a total of six floors each to reach the bottom, beating each floor nets you some Regen Inducers, Ichor Concentrate, and even Pure Blood, and defeating the mid-boss at the 3rd level restores your health and Regeneration charges to full. All in all, there's quite a bit more leeway when it comes to fucking up and overusing your heals. Futhermore, Marks of Honor drop like candy.
In exchange though, the enemies placed there are absolute bastards that you must fight in a limited arena space. Almost all of them are enemies that can give you a hard time even if you've maxed out at level 300. And if you die, you have to do it all over again, mid-boss included. If you want to do it all solo, more power to you, but you're going to find Yakumo and Io calling you out with increasingly seductive siren whispers as you try, try again.
At least you can increase your max ichor limit (so long as you don't outright switch codes) thanks to how easy it is to initiate each Invasion wave with a backstab, but you might find yourself switching gift slots to adapt to each challenge.
Trial I
1 Boreal Brute (yes, the one that creates ice armor)
Invasion of Boreal Savages with the final enemy being another Boreal Brute
Butterfly of Delirium
1 of those Blue Fire Lost
Invasion of Blazing Radicals with the final enemy being another blue fire boi
Successor of the Claw (titty kitty)
Trail II
2 Black Snout Wanderers and 2 unique Buried Fools
Invasion of purple Queen's Vanguards with the final enemy being a unique dark reskin.
Invading Executioner (super soaker stripper)
1 Dust Cloud Bandit (Red and spiky, the one that makes sandstorms)
Invasion of Hunters in Black with the final enemy being a white Queen Vanguard
Juzo Mido (fuck)
Trial III
1 Argent Wolf Berserker
Invasion of Argent Wolf Soldiers with the final enemy being another Argent Wolf Berserker
Twin Attendants (they killed me in under five seconds, christ)
2 White Raging Noblewomen
Invasion of White Queen's Vanguards with the final enemy being a Hunter in Black
Skull King (vampire vs. werewolf)
If you get to the bottom of all that bullshit, you find a new Gift for each trial. Their appeal is... niche, but build considerations are all about finding niches:
Charisma (Trial I), a passive that significantly boosts health and attack power of your AI partners
Vigorous Zeal (Trial II), an active gift that temporarily increases Fortitude and Vitality.
Modest Offering (Trial III), an active gift that heals your partner for a pittance of health in exchange for only using a pittance of yours.
As for the rest of the update, there's the obvious new cosmetics for the winter season. The height is now fully adjustable, and you now have the option to pick between A, B, and C for body types (for the girls, that means A for decent, B for generous, and C for very modest). There's also a new photo mode(!) implemented, and just like the accessories customization it is needlessly in-depth (though you can't change facial expressions like in God of War 4. Maybe that'll change in the future). Paired with the new emotes made just for this occasion, you can pull off some stupid shit.
This game is basically Dark Souls with anime tiddy and I love it for that reason alone. Now, does anyone have a general or in-depth build guide anywhere maybe? I'm at the cathedral area/contractually required anor londo ripoff zone and I was wondering about how to at least somewhat optimize my character a bit, what combinations of equipment/blood codes/skills work best etc.
This game is basically Dark Souls with anime tiddy and I love it for that reason alone. Now, does anyone have a general or in-depth build guide anywhere maybe? I'm the cathedral area/contractually required anor londo ripoff zone and I was wondering about how to at least somewhat optimize my character a bit, what combinations of equipment/blood codes/skills work best etc.
However, I can't guarantee that it applies to your character 100%. Do you have an end goal in mind? Do you prefer to be tankier? Are you more interested in focus-based combat? Otherwise, the general advice is to just master all the blood codes you currently have so you have a bigger selection of skills to choose from.
However, I can't guarantee that it applies to your character 100%. Do you have an end goal in mind? Do you prefer to be tankier? Are you more interested in focus-based combat? Otherwise, the general advice is to just master all the blood codes you currently have so you have a bigger selection of skills to choose from.
That's actually a bit of a difficult question to answer, but I'll try. So, in terms of weapons I tend to vary between using a one-handed sword plus a two-handed greatsword and a one-handed sword plus a bayonet rifle. I'm not sure what blood codes/veils work best with these two combinations and I'd imagine I would want a tank setup for the one/two-handed sword equipment set and a more mobile, dodge focused build for the one-handed sword + bayonet rifle combination. The problem is how to do that. I tend to not use the magical projectile spells very much, although I suppose I could with the sword + rifle setup.
