Not to mention that most foes respawn after entering a new location. And while it does serve as an incentive to search every nook and cranny, sometimes you simply wish to move along. After defeating multiple bosses, collecting carefully hidden items and seemingly exhausting my range of options, I often ran around in confusion trying to find a new path. These grant unique abilities for traversing environments, like being able to walk upside down in certain spots.īut without having a map, you end up randomly retracing previously explored locations to hopefully utilise this new-found ability. Especially so once you acquire your first Brand.

With so many different locales, underground pathways and shortcuts, it becomes increasingly difficult to navigate this grim world. Unfortunately, there’s no map to keep track of progress. And it only gets better (worse) from there. Truly wondrous places for the whole family to enjoy. And the Village of Smiles with its numerous gallows lining the sides of the road. You will visit locales like The Festering Banquet, a castle rising all the way up into colder climes. Surrounding environments appear dark and almost gothic bleak woods covered in mist, old stone castles, and pitch-black underground caverns. More importantly, you may change allegiances at any time, though be prepared to face consequences for doing so.įaith alone, however, won’t carry you too far. This early section offers a handful of Creeds to choose from, but many more become accessible later on. Followers of Devara, the Goddess of Light, on the other hand, gain bonuses to healing. The Iron Ones, for example, favour melee builds, bestowing powerful weapons and stamina regenerating items. After giving it some thought, I swore allegiance to The Iron Ones and just like that my Hunter, became an atheist.īut Creeds mean much more than mere religion (or lack of it). He then explains the tenets of multiple orders and their purpose. It’s a minimalist story vaguely explained throughout the game, but so is the source material which inspired it.Īlmost immediately you are greeted by an old man who curiously inquires about your Creed. Now, your goal is to find the missing damsel and that means investigating this grim piece of land.

Salt and sanctuary