Here are a few things I like about those games:
- "on rails" progression - no loot, any new gear is discovered as part of the story (e.g. OG Zelda -> blue ring -> red ring); minimal loot
- hard, but fair, boss fights
- dungeon feel - less emphasis on puzzles, more on working room to room to find items to access the boss
- minimal emphasis on stats, so grinding shouldn't be a thing of playing normally
- forced usage of gadgets/types of weapons
Examples of games that qualify:
- most Zelda titles - A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword; not BotW or TotK
- Ys games - esp. Ys 1 and Ys Origin; later titles lose focus IMO (more gear, more leveling, etc)
- Okami - boss fights aren't exactly what I'm looking for, but the rest of the game is close
Examples that don't qualify:
- Diablo and similar - far too much loot and skill trees
- Dark Souls - it's close, but the variety of equipment is a bit much; I want less choice, not more,; but DS is pretty close
- Assassin's Creed - "boss fights" are usually lame, too much focus on upgrades, stealth isn't really my thing
Games on the fence:
- Tunic - I've played an hour or so and it was tons of fun
- Titan Souls - finished and loved it, just worried mentioning it will take people off track since it doesn't have any progression, dungeons, etc
- Furi - again, loved it, but like Titan Souls, it's a bit of an exception
Basically, I want a game that forces me to learn and adapt using the limited tools the game provides. Here are things I absolutely want to avoid:
- feeling of being OP - causes me to drop most (a)RPGs
- lots of choices - if I get an upgrade, it should be strictly an upgrade (e.g. more damage)
- loot - I hate managing inventories (exception: switching gadgets to solve puzzles/different enemy types) and buying/selling stuff; I want that progression managed for me
Basically, I shouldn't have to think outside solving puzzles and fighting bosses.
Indie games are preferred.
Platforms:
- PC (or emulator) - preferred, esp if I can use my Steam Deck
- Switch
- Wii
24 Comments
Feyd@programming.dev · 12 pts · 290d
Illusion of Gaia on SNES maybe?
zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev · 9 pts · 290d
And by extension Terranigma and Soul Blazer.
AHorseWithNoNeigh@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 289d
friend_of_satan@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 289d
Shihali@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 289d
Crystalis has forced or near-forced grinding due to level requirements to hurt bosses, so it's on the fence. If its progression were a little smoother it would be a shoo-in.
There is a hack to remove boss level requirements but fighting a boss below the intended level may not be fun.
QuarterSwede@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 289d
Crystalis totally fits the requirements. Excellent NES RPG.
any1th3r3@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 290d
I feel like Sekiro would meet most of your criteria, except for the dungeon aspect.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 289d
Literally nothing but key items and consumables.
Blahnominous@lemmynsfw.com · 3 pts · 290d
Seconded
e0qdk@reddthat.com · 6 pts · 290d
CrossCode is probably on the fence of what you're looking for.
zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev · 2 pts · 290d
Lots of gear in it, though, otherwise a fantastic recommendation.
Shihali@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 289d
CrossCode seems too puzzle-heavy and stat-heavy and loot-heavy, but it's adjacent for sure.
Elevator7009@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 289d
friendly reminder you can ask at !videogamesuggestions@lemmy.zip (full disclosure, I mod it) for suggestions
sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 289d
Awesome! Subbed.
A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 290d
Lies of P seems like it fits most criteria. It's much less "build your DnD character" than Dark Souls, you have a handful of options but the focus is more on level design and boss fights than customizability from what I've played of it. Like Bloodborne but with a narrower focus.
misk@piefed.social · 4 pts · 289d
How about Death’s Door?
eezeebee@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 289d
Seconded
ISOmorph@feddit.org · 3 pts · 290d
If I remember correctly Evoland 1 and 2 should come pretty close.
viral.vegabond@piefed.social · 2 pts · 290d
How about Spindle?
Also, girl from Arkanya.
I may have some more that fit too, I'll have to search later 👍
tal@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 290d
Have you played the existing Legend of Zelda titles? I mean, there are a ton of them. Even if you stop at Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda
eezeebee@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 289d
Keep playing TUNIC. It's great.
Someone else mentioned Death's Door which I see as TUNIC's overlooked cousin.
Some others that are similar, have either played them or purchased and not played yet, due to similar taste to yours:
Alwa's Awakening & Alwa's Legacy
Anodyne
Blossom Tales series
Fountains
Lunacid
The Messenger
Moonlighter series
Unsouled
Shihali@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 289d
StarTropics on NES. It's a near-clone of Zelda 1, but harder. I've heard some really bad things about how LCD lag and emulator lag affect gameplay, though.
Faxanadu on NES maybe? It's side-scrolling, but otherwise fits. It does have a level system but leveling doesn't seem to affect your basic stats.
If side-scrolling works for you, Faxanadu isn't a million miles away from Castlevania II and the Igavanias, and those are closely related to the Metroid series and newer "Metroidvanias".
EonNShadow@pawb.social · 1 pts · 288d
Hollow Knight (and HK:Silksong) seem like they fit these criteria pretty well
EnsignWashout@startrek.website · 1 pts · 289d
You might try Wayfinder.
It feels like classic World of Warcraft without the grinding for levels or loot.
zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev · 1 pts · 290d
You might like Alundra. PlayStation game. Here's a long play so you can see what it's like: https://youtu.be/C7GXOjlshqg
defuse959@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 289d
Beyond Oasis on the Genesis should fit the bill.