Sombrero wrote on 2026-01-03, 10:17:

Last time I played I went through a pacifist/ghost run of the main game and these DLC's only to notice at the statistics screen after the very last level of The Brigmore Witches that one of the stupid enemies somehow died. Must've hit their head or something when I dropped their unconcious body on the floor, maybe drowned on a tiny buddle. I was not pleased 😁

Yeah, Dishonored 1 doesn't have the in-game stat screen like its sequel, which makes these kinds of runs a bit troublesome.

However, there's a Mission Stats mod for the PC version of the game, which works great.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2026-01-03, 12:12:

Yeah, Dishonored 1 doesn't have the in-game stat screen like its sequel, which makes these kinds of runs a bit troublesome.

However, there's a Mission Stats mod for the PC version of the game, which works great.

Well that's certainly handy, I'll put that down in my notes so I know to use that the next time I revisit Dishonored. Thanks!

Persona 3 Reload

Overall, I'd say that Persona 3 is still a bit harder than its sequels, despite the new additions that Reload brings to the table. For example, it has a few consecutive boss fights, where you don't have the ability to save in between. And some of the instakill attacks can really ruin your day if they hit the protagonist, since that means game over. This was addressed in later titles, by making your party members take a lethal hit for you, if their social links were high enough. But Reload didn't add that, so you're stuck with the old clunky, mechanics.

Another minor annoyance is that you don't earn any money from simply winning fights. Instead, you have to deliberately pick the "coin" card in the post-battle mini game, if you're lucky enough that it appears (random chance). This is unique to P3, and the devs thankfully changed it for the later games. Of course, money can be earned by selling loot, but that just makes the game even more grind heavy. I had hoped that this was addressed for Reload, but alas, no such luck.

On the flip side, I really like how this game expects you to strike a balance between improving your social links and participating in combat. If you focus on just one of those areas and neglect the other, things will get a lot harder, so you need to manage your free time wisely. I also appreciate the new nighttime activities that were added for Reload, which make raising your stats a bit easier. This allows you to pass the checks for starting certain social links a bit sooner, which can be quite helpful.

Another great addition is that all social links are now fully voiced. Don't get me wrong, the writers did a great job here, it's just that everything feels even better now that the words are actually spoken. Lastly, Reload adds new downtime activities that you can do together with your party members. Stuff like reading books, watching DVDs, cooking or gardening. These little moments give more depth to those characters, revealing some info that was either only hinted or never mentioned at all in the original game. It's a really nice addition.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC

I've been talking about how this DLC is all investigation and stealth, with no combat. I assumed that based on the fact that when you start the DLC, all your weapons and plate armor are confiscated just after you enter the monastery grounds. So I just got to a crucial point in the DLC that forces you into a combat with someone with a sword. I have developed my bare hands combat somewhat, but after a few tries, no luck. So now I'm going to look around the area just outside of the hut where the combat is triggered to see if I can find anything I can use. I did come across some information about how to get a weapon in this DLC, but the fact that this did not occur naturally in my playthrough makes me feel like the developers intended the combat to be very difficult. I choose (at this point) not to backtrack in the game to find a weapon that I did not come across naturally in my playthrough.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2026-01-02, 18:09:

If you're on the the Definitive Edition, I would suggest playing "The Knife of Dunwall" and "The Brigmore Witches" DLCs after finishing the main story. A couple of prominent characters from Dishonored 2 first appear in those DLCs, and the plot is connected as well.

I do have the DLCs, so I'll definitely play those once I'm done with the main story!

clueless1 wrote on 2026-01-03, 13:20:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC

I've been talking about how this DLC is all investigation and stealth, with no combat. I assumed that based on the fact that when you start the DLC, all your weapons and plate armor are confiscated just after you enter the monastery grounds. So I just got to a crucial point in the DLC that forces you into a combat with someone with a sword. I have developed my bare hands combat somewhat, but after a few tries, no luck. So now I'm going to look around the area just outside of the hut where the combat is triggered to see if I can find anything I can use. I did come across some information about how to get a weapon in this DLC, but the fact that this did not occur naturally in my playthrough makes me feel like the developers intended the combat to be very difficult. I choose (at this point) not to backtrack in the game to find a weapon that I did not come across naturally in my playthrough.

Haha. Literally moments after I posted this, I found a work axe leaning on the other side of the hut. First try: I equipped the axe and walked into the hut. When the combat started I got my butt kicked because I didn't realize the game unequipped the axe, so when I went to swing, I used my bare hands. Second try: I immediately equipped the axe when the combat started. We parried back and forth several times. I blocked his hits, and he blocked mine. Then I got a direct hit to his head and instakilled him! Granted, he had zero head armor, so that's to be expected, but I don't think I've ever killed anyone in this game with a single melee hit prior to this. At least not during combat (stealth kills).

clueless1 wrote on 2026-01-03, 13:43:

clueless1 wrote on 2026-01-03, 13:20:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC

I've been talking about how this DLC is all investigation and stealth, with no combat. I assumed that based on the fact that when you start the DLC, all your weapons and plate armor are confiscated just after you enter the monastery grounds. So I just got to a crucial point in the DLC that forces you into a combat with someone with a sword. I have developed my bare hands combat somewhat, but after a few tries, no luck. So now I'm going to look around the area just outside of the hut where the combat is triggered to see if I can find anything I can use. I did come across some information about how to get a weapon in this DLC, but the fact that this did not occur naturally in my playthrough makes me feel like the developers intended the combat to be very difficult. I choose (at this point) not to backtrack in the game to find a weapon that I did not come across naturally in my playthrough.

Haha. Literally moments after I posted this, I found a work axe leaning on the other side of the hut. First try: I equipped the axe and walked into the hut. When the combat started I got my butt kicked because I didn't realize the game unequipped the axe, so when I went to swing, I used my bare hands. Second try: I immediately equipped the axe when the combat started. We parried back and forth several times. I blocked his hits, and he blocked mine. Then I got a direct hit to his head and instakilled him! Granted, he had zero head armor, so that's to be expected, but I don't think I've ever killed anyone in this game with a single melee hit prior to this. At least not during combat (stealth kills).

Just found a 2 minute video of this battle if anyone is curious and doesn't care about potential spoilers. FWIW, the guy in the video kills Denes in one hit too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIJdd6KdKQo

And here is where I found that work axe (red circle at corner of hut):

Finished the Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC after about 11 hours. It was actually very good. It's the only KCD2 DLC I've played so far. The combat I alluded to in my previous post was the only required combat in the DLC, and finding that work axe made it all worthwhile. I was a little upset when I first came upon this quest as all my weapons and plate armor were confiscated when I entered the monastery. But I guess there are several options besides the work axe if you happen upon them, look up where to find them, or backtrack after you hit this quest. I preferred the work axe because it happened naturally in my playthrough, and it was just enough weapon to defeat Denes. I literally split his head open with an overhand swing to the top of his unarmored head.

After leaving the monastery, I ended up wandering the countryside awhile. I came upon a side quest that I turned down after looking it up. Then I found a cat lady living in a wooded area. Literally dozens of cats living with her, kind of like you'd find IRL, with filthy living conditions, etc. No quest attached with it, but she was pretty nasty with me and I found a burned out homestead nearby with a dead dog lying in it. Hmmm.

Now I'm back in the big city (Kuttenberg) deciding if I want to start another DLC (Legacy of the Forge). Oddly, I'm not tired of this game yet even after close to 200 hours over a 9 month period. I may keep going until I don't "feel it" anymore.

Done with the Terminator: Resistance DLC. Loved it! Best FPS I've played in a long time.

Love the world building. Expanding the original story. Gameplay is fun. I want more! 😀

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Legacy of the Forge DLC

I started this DLC. The story is pretty cool.

Henry explores the legacy of his adoptive father and practicing the art of blacksmithing as he uncovers forgotten tales of the past. This DLC is included in the Golden edition and season pass. Apart from exploring Martin's past and interacting with his associates, Henry will get to take charge of and rebuild Martin's old forge in Kuttenberg, accepting commissions, restoring equipment, and building a reputation through the new Prestige system with additional opportunities to upgrade the workshop, recruit assistants, and unlock unique late-game rewards.

I've never been a huge fan of the forging mechanic in this game. It's basically a recipe to follow where you need the right ingredients and the right sequence of events to forge a weapon. Basically, you come across an old abandoned forge in serious disrepair in Kuttenberg. You recognize it from childhood memories of your adoptive father, who used to be an apprentice there. You look into reviving the forge and must go through trial by the forge leaders to be accepted. This involves a verbal test, and forging a weapon per their specifications. I've just gotten through the "trial" successfully. From what I understand, the rest of this DLC will involve restoring the forge and building it into a successful business. I'm hoping there won't be a ton of actual forging, but more decision-making on how to rebuild the forge, how to allocate funds to do so, etc. If you've played the games, you know that forging is in your blood, and this definitely makes it more interesting! I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of this DLC plays out.

Persona 3 Reload

While I'm enjoying my time with this game, I was also reminded how grind heavy it can be, especially if you want to fuse some of the better personas. Doesn't help that the main dungeon, that being Tartarus, just isn't all that interesting. It feels kinda weird going back to that randomized maze after having experienced Persona 5's superbly handcrafted palaces. And yeah, I realize that they devs couldn't exactly backport that to P3R, and I am thankful for what they did to make the grind a bit more bearable.

In other news, after playing this some more, I've taken a liking to the new English cast. They all do a great job, and they even made me appreciate some characters a bit more. For example, Yukari feels more likable this time around, and not just because of the voice acting, but also because of how her dialog was handled. Not sure if the devs translated the original text more faithfully, or if they simply tweaked the localization, but she seems more nuanced and less bratty now. Also, some of the social link voiceovers are just awesome, and they really make those characters shine. Lastly, I was wrong, they did keep one voice unchanged from the original P3, that being Elizabeth's. Seeing how you interact with her the most, due to the role that she plays in the story, it's really great they got the original actress back.

Gameplay wise, it's nice that they (re)introduced the skill inheritance mechanic from P5. It's much simpler to customize personas to your liking and mitigate some of their innate weaknesses now. Skill cards also seem more plentiful here, so it's even easier to give a persona some nice combos. Item fusions have been revised too, and while different, I think the new system works well enough. There are also a few other quality of life tweaks that have been backported from P5, which make Reload flow a bit smoother than the original P3. Overall, I'm having a ton of fun so far.

Demon's Souls

I resumed playing this alongside P3R, though I was mostly focused on leveling up my character and improving his gear. Using one of the bows that I had found previously, I farmed the Reaper in the Shrine of Storms to raise my Vitality and Endurance some more. He also dropped a bunch of shards that I needed to upgrade the Crescent Scimitar. Lastly, I saved up 20k souls to buy a spell which returns me to the Nexus, similarly to the Aged Feather from DS2. If I get stuck in a confusing area like those endless caves under Stonefang Tunnel, I can now use this, without risking my hard earned souls. I also got the Antidote spell, just in case.