u/AshyLarry25

Which game should I get between these two?

I enjoyed the demo of Stellar Blade a lot, especially combat and atmosphere. Kind of like Sekiro and Nier which I like. but I heard the open world stuff isn’t very interesting.

Khazan looks cool, but I heard it’s super lacking outside combat. If the combat is that good I may make an exception.

Which would be better?

https://culturageek.com.ar/review-control-resonant/

Most likely taken down already. Spotted on metacritic.

“Control Resonant reverses the roles of the original: this time, Dylan searches for Jesse in a Manhattan overtaken by the Hiss, while facing the Resonants. The shooting is replaced by frantic melee combat reminiscent of Devil May Cry, while still preserving the unsettling essence that makes Control so unique. The narrative takes a while to get going and can feel repetitive at first, but the impressive atmosphere, entertaining combat mechanics, and solid technical performance ultimately hold the experience together.”

80/100

I’m going to play completely solo. Which game is more fun with that in mind?

I would say enemy variety.

Enemy variety is a problem that drags many action games down. Control suffered from it imo. Hiss humans, mold monsters. Almost the entire game.

With Resonant being set in manhattan, outside of relatively secured facilities, I want to see some crazy stuff. Like deformed animals, those kaleidoscope pigeons in the trailer for example.

Ruined architecture with a real sense of scale like the towering aqueducts and gigantic temple of shadow of the Colossus.

Vast and beautiful environments. Like giant mountains with countless waterfalls flowing down, huge plataues.

A simplicity to the world and gameplay. Don’t want tons of mechanics and bloat everywhere.

Most of all I want a PURPOSEFUL sense of emptiness. A game that knows when and how to utilize empty space to enhance atmosphere.

Doesn’t feel the need to add something to every empty space, but just lets it… exist.

Some examples I can think of:

Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, Dragons Dogma 2.

My favorite soulslikes and RPGs are Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Witcher 3, Disco Elysium, Fallout New Vegas, Kingdom Come.

I enjoy RPGs for their great stories and quests. I don’t care if the game has jank or lackluster combat, it’s all about writing and atmosphere for me.

On the other hand I enjoy soulslikes for their level design / exploration.

Which one should I get? Both have similar reviews having 83 metacritic

If you played the beta and thought the dungeons and map design were simple, oh boy wait until you explore a little.

Some of this shit is Elden Ring levels of mindblowing, even those little dungeons can turn into rabbit holes. Just keeps going and going, leading to some genuinely wondrous places and rewards.

Number one tip. Go in blind. Even unassuming side paths and the most nondescript looking dungeons can lead to big surprises.

That feeling when you play a game so fantastic, one that immersed you so much that you start to feel sad and empty when you finally finish. Realizing you’ll never be able to experince it fresh again.

Doesn’t need to be a new JRPG, just one you recently beat.

For me it’s FFXIV, specifically the free trial which wraps up at the Shadowbringers expansion (I plan to buy the full game on sale).

What an unforgettable story. Some of the most memorable antagonists I’ve seen in gaming, they elicited such wide range of emotions in me. The music, the beautiful environments, characters. It was all perfect.

What about you guys? Which recent JRPG gave you post-game depression?

A first time run should take you 30-40 hours, 60 for completionist. Not including new game plus. We also don’t know if this includes extra Nightmode content, could be even longer.

Seems a perfect length for a compact open world.

So much more interesting than just changing enemy values with a hard difficulty option from the settings.

You also have an easy mode in the form of the slayer seal which makes you much more powerful but disables achievements.

What do you guys think about these options?