[h1] My hate for KOEI TECMO is immeasurable [/h1]
[h2] Final Fantasy Edition[/h2]
[i]Koei Tecmo returns with yet another snoozefest of lobby mission selection, absolute drag of a gameplay and combat system as bright as Katy Perry in this one convo with Neil D Tyson.[/i]
[b] Let me tell you why you should never buy this one [/b]
[h3] Story [/h3]
The overall plot of this game is beyond goofy, but I looked forward to it. I don't know if you ever came across term 'blissfully stupid', which is used to describe Adam Sandler's movies etc. Nope? Good, because it cannot be applied to this garbanzo. Long story short, you are a guy who is about to betray everyone, but then you can undo the past through super duper difficult mode which is just artificially forcing you to grind higher level gear.
[h3] KOEI TECMO DISEASE [/h3]
I am literally this type of guy who gives this studio unlimited amount of chances to mend their ways and they never do. It is kinda like having a crush, who does not care about you, yet here you are still simping.
My first KOEI game was Berserk and this was a legit fire musou game which I love returning to. However, the mission lobby structure does not hold any value or appeal to audience such as myself. Not to discredit you or put you down, but for money's worth you could expect something like.... maps, cohesive questlines, intricate locations and so on. Most of KOEI's stuf is simply bland. However, it is mostly due to the design choice when it comes to game progression. If game is cutscene reliant, it must a) offer very little or b) focus on rich storytelling. Unsurprisingly, KOEI's stories offer very little if anything.
[h3] Artificial difficulty as trademark [/h3]
This particular game follows a classic scheme presented by the studio - make things difficult for the sake of difficulty itself. It somehow reminds me of Elden Ring's DLC, however, without forcing you to explore to get some sort of imaginary upgrade. Why? Because there is nothing to explore (mission lobby) and there is no way to upgrade your character (only legit upgrades come with higher level equipment). There is a certain threshold at which difficulty stops being daring and turns into an unrewarding chore. The best examples of such design in other games are : Godskin Duo, 3V1 Gankfight in DS2, Blasphemous 2 Mea Culpa, Blade Bearer and The Cannoneer (depths fight) in Code Vein and many many more. Nevertheless, you might have noticed a small detail - I never mentioned a full game, just bosses or sections. Nioh, Ninja Gaiden and this joint share one unforgivable sin - they are build just to infuriate you.
[h3] Equipment [/h3]
As I mentioned before mission lobby + equipment farming is a trademark of KOEI TECMO. Is it anything good? Nope, it is terrible and I hate every single second of it. Basically, you level up and your gear becomes obsolete. You finish the game unlocking the highest difficulty, sorry but here is a fat FU from us, because your gear is not sufficient to finish any mission. At this point I should be numb to how KOEI manhandles me every time I decide to give them some of my shimmering coins, but it is what it is.
[h3] Soulslike? [/h3]
This game is not a soulslike. This is a niohlike. I have such hatred for this subgenre it should get a seperate tag on steam. This is simply misleading for the customer. Also, what is worth noting, KOEI will never learn to grow as a studio. Same design, 25 years, no progress. It is simply [b]LAZY DESIGN [/b] . This game is not a soulslike because the character progression is limited by their equipment and not skill unlike all FS games. Combat is unresponsive. It feels like a playstation port. I don't know how to express it in any other way. Just mediocre. Boiled chicken with rice energy.
[h3] SUMMARY [/h3]
[h2]Do [/h2]
[h1]not [/h1]
[h2]buy [/h2]
