I’ve just uninstalled and removed Balatro after yet a near, very close 8/8 ante finish. I have been failing and failing, I’ve only ever seen and gotten to 8/8 ante twice, this being the second time. Every other run has been just insulting me to where no strategy has ever worked, I feel like a lot of it is RNG and pre-determined outcomes based on seeded runs.
And I hate that way of playing. It always feels like I’m getting smacked down by a troll bully who I can never overcome. They’d kick me down every failed run I’d have, then they give me a false sense of security the further I get. “Awwww, getting tired of being owned? Here, let me help you by giving you a few seemingly lucky breaks. SMACK Oh! OWNED YOU AGAIN! FUCK YOU! LOLLOLOL! I BANGED YOUR MOTHER, GIT GUD, NOOB!1”
I just don’t understand why these kinds of games are around, even when I have a good idea who it is for.
I have tried to play Hollow Knight multiple times and I just can’t get into it. I find the art style clashes with the gameplay, it’s difficult for me to tell what is and isn’t a platform to stand on, what will and won’t hurt me. I also just don’t think the Souls-like system really works for me in a side scroller, I had the same issue with Salt and Sanctuary, it just wasn’t how I want to play one of those games.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is tied first place of all time for me, it’s an absolutely amazing game, and it’s quite similar to Hollow Knight I would say.
I tried HK and just didn’t feel … anything. There wasn’t really anything there to hook me, just mild frustration, so I dropped it.
I also was not a fan of Hollow Knight. My biggest problem was the constant backtracking and not knowing where to go to progress the story. And the platforming always felt…wrong. It felt like your character would go between having and not having lead tied to their shoes. It didn’t feel fluid.
If you want a great platformer in a similar vein to Hollow Knight that has a beautiful art style, snappy controls, and punchy gameplay, check out Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
Oh! I really enjoyed Hollow Knight. I found that although i sucked at it going in and struggled so much with even the first boss, once i got my head around it it was one of the most rewarding games i have ever played. Trying over and over to beat a tough boss and eventually winning felt great.
I got Silksong recently and just beat act 1. Incidentally the movement controls in Silksong are VASTLY superior to Hollow Knight. You might even enjoy it.