Games Inbox: Getting stuck Elden Ring, Liberty City Stories remaster, and Kingdom Hearts 4 apathy
Posted by  badge Boss on Apr 12, 2022 - 06:46AM
Elden Ring – if in doubt, research (pic: Bandai Namco)

The Tuesday letters page offers some unanimous advice on getting unstuck in Elden Ring, as a reader worries about ’s game.

To join in with the discussions yourself email [email protected]


Help required ahead
I never really enjoyed previous From games. I appreciated them but found them too stressful and daunting. Maybe I just didn’t get them. Who knows. But Elden Ring is easily my best game of the last five years, maybe my best game ever. And I’ve not even completed it yet.

Everything about it is superb. The landscapes. The characters. The sounds. The other players leaving messages or offering help on bosses. The ridiculous amount of detail on everything. And although I found the vagueness annoying to begin with, I have come to love it – as it encourages you do spend a lot of the game outside the game, thinking about it, reading about it, watching videos on it. I’m 100 hours into the game but probably spent another 25-50 learning about it!

RE: Cranston, I would strongly advise watching one of the many excellent channels on YouTube to help get you past your stumbling block. Whenever I have found a hurdle, there is always a video or advice about how to beat it. Honestly, sometimes the strategies are quite cheesy, but there’s literally always a strategy. Even for that swine twin weaponed gargoyle thing outside the church in Caelid, which took me 30+ goes!

I’d also recommend a channel: . He’s got an insanely detailed 100% walkthrough guide which you can just follow along to. I would have missed so many great areas if it wasn’t for him.

Stick with it and if you’ve not bought it yet, then seriously, give it a go!
Brando


Secret leak
Crazy to think that revealed so much, and is obviously true, and yet still not many people are really talking about it. I mean, a Chrono Cross remaster and a Tactics Ogre revival? Those are not guesses you just pull out of your behind and expect to get right.

I do wonder whether the Liberty City and Vice City Stories remasters are necessarily true though. I think it’s obvious that Rockstar’s plans for the GTA 3 remasters changed multiple times and while the PSP games were probably originally a part of it I don’t see where they fit in now.

How would they release them? As just a random remaster collection? The time to have them be a deluxe edition bonus, or similar, for either the Definitive Editions or the next gen GTA 5 has passed. I’d welcome them but considering how well Rockstar’s last remaster turned out I think a number of GTA fans will agree with me when I say I’d rather they just got on with GTA 6.
Danford


Forced comparison
As someone else that’s enjoying the heck out of Lego Star Wars I’ve got to wonder what effect it’ll have on the other non-Lego Star Wars games. In particular Ubisoft’s open world game.

Lego Star Wars is like a 100 open world games in one and the side missions are a lot more varied than just about anything outside of The Witcher 3. As other readers have pointed out recently, Ubisoft have been off their game recently and I really don’t know if they can up their game enough to compete.

Lego Star Wars might have over 300 characters but there’s still many more I wanted to see, and many more planets and vehicles too. Star Wars is perfect for video games and very little has been done with it since LucasArts shut down. Lego Star Wars is great but I don’t want it to be the only great game outside of Fallen Order.
MagicToaster


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Swap shop
I’ve just come across this article about , as I was looking to find whether any other Amazon customers had encountered the same problem as myself.

I thought you might find it interesting to know that this problem still exists. On Friday I ordered a , on Saturday it said undelivered despite me seeing the Amazon driver deliver to my neighbours. Today my parcel arrived, I gave them my one-time passcode and I received wet wipes! Again, customer service couldn’t really seem to care.
Katie


Gotta leave fast
How the hell is Sonic doing so well at the cinema? I went to see it with my niece, 5, on Saturday and it was a race between us to see who could leave first. Apart from Jim Carrey doing his bits, the rest was garbage. I knew it was doomed when the dance battle was brought in. I think we lasted 45 minutes maybe.

As for Elden Ring quitting. Before you all stop playing, I’d suggest you just explore more. I think I’ve spent more time running around than fighting bosses, main bosses at least. I’ve stumbled on multiple locations completely by accident. Even if you don’t fight anyone else you can grind free runes. There’s tons laying around in little skulls. So free levels. Last thing. If you want some help make sure you have the jellyfish or the rot dealing dog levelled up as it can distract enemies and poison them if it lives long enough.
Bobwallett


He’ll be back
I’m writing in to join the list of people giving up on Elden Ring. I’ve had a lot of fun from the game, Ki**ed almost everything, but after almost exactly 200 hours I find myself stumped by the final boss. I’ve tried it many times with different summons but just can’t beat it. Earlier I’d found Malenia difficult and had problems with Dragonlord Placidusax but nothing to my issues with this fight.

I suppose I’m really stepping away for a while. At some point it may seem worth farming runes and levelling up some things, but I think I’m played out. My experience of the game has been overwhelmingly positive and the world From has created is wonderful. My current disappointment Is tempered by the thought that it isn’t going anywhere. I’m just happy to be able to take a break with Returnal which I’ve heard is nice and friendly.
NickG
PS: As for Godfrey, I needed two human summons for it and wouldn’t have got through without them. Things get much easier once you can find and level up ash summons, so you don’t need human summon help as much. Stick with that bit, get a couple of helpers and you’ll be set for tens of hours of fun. The Mimic Tear is a genius idea too.

GC: It’s a great game, but that’s not necessarily how we’d describe Returnal.


Do your homework
I was gonna email in with a few Elden Ring tips but it was getting to be a very large letter, so let me just say: research. Research everything, build, weapons, upgrade materials, staffs, ashes, shields, bosses, NPC character questlines, just Google everything.

And find a good soul farming spot to level up a bit more. And that map you showed before, GC, of what level you should be for each area is very helpful.
Bobbleheaddy

GC: We’re not sure we remember that, was it a reader’s letter?


Softcore entertainment
As someone who could never get on with previous From games I have to say that I’m loving Elden Ring. As my gaming time is limited I think the attraction of the game is what I am doing away from the game itself and then putting it into practice. I have been consulting wikis and walkthroughs to plan my adventures and to help feel like I achieve something when I go on. I use them to locate the optional dungeons and then try and work through them myself.

If I have struggled I have on occasion researched the boss and attempted to put it into practice. I’m now much more confident in my ability and have not done this in a while but it certainly helped early game. I don’t shy away from using summons either and have now progressed beyond the castle, while completing most of Limgrave.

I’m not playing it in the way I’m sure hardcore fans would appreciate, but it’s working for me and I am progressing much better than I thought I would. For those that are struggling, you are not alone and I advise you any means necessary to get through.
Wallace


Inbox also-rans
Kingdom Hearts is one series I will never understand. I don’t even understand who it’s aimed at. I would have said young teens, but it’s 20 years old now so is it just the same people sticking with it?
Koffy

That is ultra fishy. Some weird trick works for just one person in the world? And yet that is definitely footage from the game. She should’ve saved that level of luck for the lottery.
Bedlam


This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Georgie, who asks what’s your favourite family friendly game?

The recent success of , has emphasised just how few big budget, mainstream games are suitable for all audiences, so which is your favourite? It can be any game with a 3 or 7 age rating, or a 12 if you can make an argument for it being suitable for everyone – in terms of both tone and gameplay.

What styles of game would you like to see with a more family friendly approach and what games do you regret not being able to play with your children or other friends and family? What are you biggest concerns when kids play games and how do you police what they play, if at all?

E-mail your comments to: [email protected]


The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to .

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