RPGM Completed Black Souls [Final] [Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?]

4.60 star(s) 76 Votes
Discussion Reviews (76)
HeckBum69

HeckBum69

Member
Oct 24, 2022
179
111
Ballistic 9029 said:
I'll be honest-

I get it, I really do-

But this game just ain't for me. The pacing is too slow for my taste, and I'm not big on the vibe of this game, I do like it, but I'm not gonna sit here and say it's perfect, I honestly just can't make it to the end of this game, I don't have the patience, even with a guide, plus, there's little to no resources for good, detailed, non-spoiler help for the game, I already know the entire plot of the story because anything that could help with the gameplay is literally full of spoilers. There are a handful of people who seem to be trying to put together a helpful wiki, but it's so early in development and bare bones they basically only have the pages on character creation written so far.

I have had my fill after two days of playing non-stop, but I had to restart my game three times in two days. The first time I played, I didn't even get past the forest of abandoned, not because it was too hard, but because it was too directionless for me, I basically just wandered around killing things, made it to Dorothy's house, got excited at finally finding a character who seemed like they had some level of development, then got confused and bored because I had no idea what to do afterwards. If I had stuck to just doing a blind playthrough like most people recommend, that's it, I would've stopped there and never touched the game again.

Having a guide is definitely the way to go, I actually made it through a lot better, I knew what I was doing and what I wanted to do, I actually got interested in the story, lore and characters-

But honestly, there's such little help and so many spoilers that I know all the endings, all the lore, and every twist, and for a game where the story is the whole point, I honestly just can't keep going.

I'm glad that this is a special game for so many people, but I can't for the life of me keep going right now because I'd just be going through the motions. Maybe I'll give it another go some other time, or maybe I'll try the sequel, but as is, I have no interest in the game, but I understand and respect why other people do.

This game really needs a wiki like what I've seen people trying to put together in the early stages right now, it's deceptively big and complex for an RPG maker game, and current guides are either too vague or too direct in what they tell players to do. A solid community page would help this game a lot in being more accessible to more people.

This is practically an open-world game, I've only managed to explore 14 out of the massive 26 areas/regions the game has to offer (not including the holy forest), and if I hadn't had help, I wouldn't have made it past the first 1 out of sheer sensory overload. The game is fucking massive for not even being a gigabyte, and it feels deceptively tiny at the beginning.

Maybe if I didn't have the whole plot spoiled for me, or if I didn't have so many bad starts I could've kept going, but I've made three characters already, I've played non-stop for 2 days straight. I'm burnt out and I know that if I stop now, I'm gonna have no idea what I'm doing and restart again the next time I play.

I have a healthy respect and maybe even a bit of admiration for this game....but I ain't finna do this shit for another 4 or 5 days, my save game is literally over 24 hours of play time now, and yes, some of that is idle, but I've been trying to binge this shit because I thought "Oh, nice, it's a story-driven RPGMaker game", IT'S NOT, IT'S A FUCKING OPEN WORLD NON-LINEAR RPG-

If I had known that ahead of time, maybe I'd pace myself better, but I'm just tired after reaching the Frog Princess, ironically enough-

So yeah, I guess I did end up ranting as much as everyone else....still have no fucking idea where that bow everyone talks about is, searched every last tile for hours on end, and yet I still never found the bow that everyone is saying apparently carried them through the game-

Made it all the way to Fort Ivern, committed massive rat genocide in the sewers to break the economy-

Yet the most elusive thing in this game is a piece of wood with string attached to it-
Click to expand...
That's... honestly on you tbh, the game takes heavy inspiration on dark souls, did you not in the least expect for exploration to be a big part of it? Also you tried too hard to do things the right way first try.

This was my first (or second?) RPGMaker game and I consider myself to be a lost cause when it comes to exploration, but I still finished the game (End A then D) with around 14h~16h (went back savefiles once or twice, fuck the lust demon) on the mindset of not using/selling items at all.

Sure, I also got annoyed at how lost I was at first and mad to having found out the hard way that this game has a punishment system aka your actions matter (I lost to Behemoth), but I decided to just keep in mind which paths I hadn't gone through for later and just advance foward without checking forums or guides to keep going in blind, because I knew that was a surefire way to get spoiled.

Won't blame you for finding the game to be needlessly long, slow or boring, the pacing does feel like that and I stand that areas like Tainted Bog or the Desert are stupidly big, but some of the stuff you're complaining about the game is literally listed in the game's description.

People are far too dependent on guides/wikis nowadays, it's ok to go once in a while search for a way to continue but Blacksouls isn't confusing enough for having to do it enough that you'd get spoiled of the entire story, the goal is straight forward, find the 4 princesses and head to Lost Empire, pretty sure there's someone that tells you their locations in-game + there's a map on the files.

I don't want to say it's a great game since there's plenty of flaws but it's a shame you couldn't enjoy it,.
Hope you'll find something else that's more to your taste if you're not willing to give it another shot.
Also what bow?
Edit: Nevermind, checked the game files and there's only one bow lol
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protobutweird

protobutweird

Newbie
Apr 13, 2019
40
40
So, there's a couple places where Dorothy hangs out and where she can be summoned.
  • She hangs out at Toto's grave and you can hug her only if her level is high enough.
  • The cats from the armored knight boss, before the Lost Empire, show up at her house and you can summon her by talking to one of them.
  • You can summon her in the Forest of Sabbath after reading Glinda's diary. She also just hangs out by the bonfire.
You can also summon Red Hood by talking to one of the frogs where the Frog Princess is at.

Y'all know of any other places where you can summon a heroine or where they'll just hang out?
 
I

Iglike01

Newbie
Oct 6, 2022
17
9
HeckBum69 said:
That's... honestly on you tbh, the game takes heavy inspiration on dark souls, did you not in the least expect for exploration to be a big part of it? Also you tried too hard to do things the right way first try.

This was my first (or second?) RPGMaker game and I consider myself to be a lost cause when it comes to exploration, but I still finished the game (End A then D) with around 14h~16h (went back savefiles once or twice, fuck the lust demon) on the mindset of not using/selling items at all.

Sure, I also got annoyed at how lost I was at first and mad to having found out the hard way that this game has a punishment system aka your actions matter (I lost to Behemoth), but I decided to just keep in mind which paths I hadn't gone through for later and just advance foward without checking forums or guides to keep going in blind, because I knew that was a surefire way to get spoiled.

Won't blame you for finding the game to be needlessly long, slow or boring, the pacing does feel like that and I stand that areas like Tainted Bog or the Desert are stupidly big, but some of the stuff you're complaining about the game is literally listed in the game's description.

People are far too dependent on guides/wikis nowadays, it's ok to go once in a while search for a way to continue but Blacksouls isn't confusing enough for having to do it enough that you'd get spoiled of the entire story, the goal is straight forward, find the 4 princesses and head to Lost Empire, pretty sure there's someone that tells you their locations in-game + there's a map on the files.

I don't want to say it's a great game since there's plenty of flaws but it's a shame you couldn't enjoy it,.
Hope you'll find something else that's more to your taste if you're not willing to give it another shot.
Also what bow?
Edit: Nevermind, checked the game files and there's only one bow lol
You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.
Click to expand...
Btw, how does the bow trivialize the game?

Played on and off and forgot everything as a result.
 
B

Ballistic 9029

Member
Mar 24, 2019
295
196
HeckBum69 said:
That's... honestly on you tbh, the game takes heavy inspiration on dark souls, did you not in the least expect for exploration to be a big part of it? Also you tried too hard to do things the right way first try.

This was my first (or second?) RPGMaker game and I consider myself to be a lost cause when it comes to exploration, but I still finished the game (End A then D) with around 14h~16h (went back savefiles once or twice, fuck the lust demon) on the mindset of not using/selling items at all.

Sure, I also got annoyed at how lost I was at first and mad to having found out the hard way that this game has a punishment system aka your actions matter (I lost to Behemoth), but I decided to just keep in mind which paths I hadn't gone through for later and just advance foward without checking forums or guides to keep going in blind, because I knew that was a surefire way to get spoiled.

Won't blame you for finding the game to be needlessly long, slow or boring, the pacing does feel like that and I stand that areas like Tainted Bog or the Desert are stupidly big, but some of the stuff you're complaining about the game is literally listed in the game's description.

People are far too dependent on guides/wikis nowadays, it's ok to go once in a while search for a way to continue but Blacksouls isn't confusing enough for having to do it enough that you'd get spoiled of the entire story, the goal is straight forward, find the 4 princesses and head to Lost Empire, pretty sure there's someone that tells you their locations in-game + there's a map on the files.

I don't want to say it's a great game since there's plenty of flaws but it's a shame you couldn't enjoy it,.
Hope you'll find something else that's more to your taste if you're not willing to give it another shot.
Also what bow?
Edit: Nevermind, checked the game files and there's only one bow lol
You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I think the heart of my feelings on the game is that I went in expecting it to be much more character driven than it actually is, the story is fine for what it is, and I get that the lore is the main bulk of the game, but I play things like the Souls games for the gameplay, not for their style of story telling.

I did oddly enough enjoy the gameplay the most here, but it's one of those things where I just got burnt out, it happens to me whenever I play longer games. It's a good game, but it just clashes with me on a personal level enough for me to tell: It's great for what it is, but it was made for a kind of person that's completely different from who I am.

I do enjoy the exploration and the combat, but the story and general theming just sort of rubs me the wrong way, which makes sense, it's not a game that's made for everyone.

I think I just didn't have the right mindset for it this go round.

I do like it in the end, despite my personal taste clashing with the game design in certain places, I think I may have been a bit harsh on it in my initial comment.

It's a game that draws strong emotions from people, and I respect it for that, and that's ultimately where I stand with the game now-

I respect it, but I can't say that...I have the right words to describe what I feel about it.

This game beat me, and I resent it a little for that, I made it through the Tainted Bog and called it a day after that.

I do have plans on coming back to it and starting with a fresh slate, to continue on the blind path with it, even in spite of knowing more, and I'll probably play the second one blind too.

The highlight of my experience with this game was-

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I threw myself at a brick wall over and over again, and even though I failed, I decided I didn't care anymore.

I wanted revenge.

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I then proceeded to start my game all over again just so I could kill them again out of spite. But do it right this time.

After that I had a fairly standard playthrough, but I definitely have an emotional connection to the game-

Which can only be described as "Peaceful Spite".

I'm sure I'll have more spite for the next time I play the game and make it even further then.

But for now I need a break.
 
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L

Lunarius

Member
Dec 30, 2018
258
584
Iglike01 said:
Btw, how does the bow trivialize the game?

Played on and off and forgot everything as a result.
Click to expand...
HeckBum69 said:
idk, I've only ever used the knight sword and the drake sword

But apparently at +10 the bow gives crit chance and 3x crit damage, seems pretty op
Click to expand...
Even without upgrades, the bow has Triple Shot as its special attack. 3 attacks in one turn is pretty powerful, especially for a weapon that you can get from the moment you're in the Holy Forest.

It was my go-to weapon up until Fort Ivern. But I ditched it the moment I got the drake sword, tho'.

(those crit bonuses are nice - but the Drake Sword has an unavoidable special attack that hits all enemies, and I just like that kind of efficiency. The only similarly useful weapons are Storm Ruler and the Moonlight Greatsword, and you can get the Drake Sword much earlier than either)
 
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D

DarkAbsorber

New Member
Aug 22, 2020
4
3
Ballistic 9029 said:
Honestly, I think the heart of my feelings on the game is that I went in expecting it to be much more character driven than it actually is, the story is fine for what it is, and I get that the lore is the main bulk of the game, but I play things like the Souls games for the gameplay, not for their style of story telling.

I did oddly enough enjoy the gameplay the most here, but it's one of those things where I just got burnt out, it happens to me whenever I play longer games. It's a good game, but it just clashes with me on a personal level enough for me to tell: It's great for what it is, but it was made for a kind of person that's completely different from who I am.

I do enjoy the exploration and the combat, but the story and general theming just sort of rubs me the wrong way, which makes sense, it's not a game that's made for everyone.

I think I just didn't have the right mindset for it this go round.

I do like it in the end, despite my personal taste clashing with the game design in certain places, I think I may have been a bit harsh on it in my initial comment.

It's a game that draws strong emotions from people, and I respect it for that, and that's ultimately where I stand with the game now-

I respect it, but I can't say that...I have the right words to describe what I feel about it.

This game beat me, and I resent it a little for that, I made it through the Tainted Bog and called it a day after that.

I do have plans on coming back to it and starting with a fresh slate, to continue on the blind path with it, even in spite of knowing more, and I'll probably play the second one blind too.

The highlight of my experience with this game was-

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

I threw myself at a brick wall over and over again, and even though I failed, I decided I didn't care anymore.

I wanted revenge.

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

I then proceeded to start my game all over again just so I could kill them again out of spite. But do it right this time.

After that I had a fairly standard playthrough, but I definitely have an emotional connection to the game-

Which can only be described as "Peaceful Spite".

I'm sure I'll have more spite for the next time I play the game and make it even further then.

But for now I need a break.
Click to expand...
Did you get all the ending?
If not be prepared this shit is gonna drain you emotionally if you have a favorite character...
 
PitayaPear

PitayaPear

Newbie
Jan 30, 2022
47
64
Saw a version of this game played by a YouTuber that sanitized the "rape" option with "headpat". Sorry if this had already been mentioned in the thread, but is there any way to download this version, or is it something that YouTuber made themselves?

Also, another YouTuber, Tedanor's Russian version also seemed to have custom sfw art for the nsfw scenes?
 
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A

Anonym321

Member
Aug 17, 2020
201
51
PitayaPear said:
Saw a version of this game played by a YouTuber that sanitized the "rape" option with "headpat". Sorry if this had already been mentioned in the thread, but is there any way to download this version, or is it something that YouTuber made themselves?

Also, another YouTuber, Tedanor's Russian version also seemed to have custom sfw art for the nsfw scenes?
Click to expand...
It was just censorship that he made himself
 
M

munelix

New Member
Oct 30, 2022
5
1
need 'hidden body' skill for my new game+ to avoid enemies Anyone know how to get it?(got tired searching through comments still couldnt find it)
 
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4.60 star(s) 76 Votes