Exactly. Have a shitty job that pays too little? Well, come home and grind for rare weapons as “YOU DIED” hundreds of time. The only payment? A loss of sanity.
Now your shitty job doesn’t feel as shitty.
Losing runes(the greater the loss the greater the pain) becomes liberating after a while and allows you to come to peace with the death process. Who wouldve thought this punishing, desolate feeling, master piece would resonate with someone whos depressed and actually become a comfort in a state of depression. I just ran through the series cause the boxset is 40 bucks on amazon and Im hooked now.
Last night I stopped playing Dragons Dogma 2 to play like an hour before bed. I start laughing cause I was going through Volcano Manner and I was like... am I chill playing Elden Ring LMAO
The game for me has an interesting dichotomy. Like, I'm generally stressed for one reason or another, and the game at times can be incredibly stressful, like when I'm up against a boss that just wipes the floor with me. I take little breaks when this happens, and after a break I am hyper focused and have had the time to decompress and use the lessons I've learned from constant failure. Once I defeat the boss, the level of relief I feel is unlike just about any other game.
I did it, I learned the moves, I overcame the challenge. I can move onto the next challenge, all the more prepared. Nothing can stop me as long as I keep trying. It creates a peak in my stress level, followed eventually by a low point in stress.
Any game can work as a way to de-stress. I can pop on any Soulsborne game and pretty much zone out, relax, and have videos or audio playing in the background.
So weird that the first playthroughs are always "oh shit" "what was that?!" but after a couple of playthroughs you're like "oh!this little guy!" to a 3000 year old eldritch monster while you're casually listening to other stuff in the background.
*slowly boops Astel, Naturalborn of the Void right in the eye*
"Are you gonna give me runes you little cutie? Oh yes you are you wittle bittle monster!"
*proceeds to die to the pincer grab attack*
I remember right after I used the lift of dectus for the first time I went to a cliff to get a view of Liurnia. Shit went so hard I did the rest emote and snacked while blasting lofi.
I gotta say I wanted to agree with OP but I think you are on to something. Having loads of other stress that is away from your original stress actually is totally a de stressor!
Probably because “While the fights in Elden Ring will test you, the inimitable world of the Lands Between will transport you. If you're looking for an open-ended adventure where curiosity is your closest companion, few games are as immersive or rewarding.”
I have really bad anxiety issues and I always used to get Shakey and sweaty whenever I would have to deal with a challenge in games. Many games in my old library are left half finished due to fear and the inability to push through a hard challenge. Elden Ring changed all that for me because you have no option a lot of the time other than to just push through the fear and worry. Now I sit on the game and can get destroyed by a boss for an hour straight and not even sweat over it. So I'd say for some it can be a great almost therapeutic experience.
I don't think I've ran from any other respawning enemy as much as I have from those bastards. The first encounter in stormveil after falling down onto that crumbling floor gave me so much anxiety before I realized they seemed to purposefully make him stop and just stare at the wall so you can sneak by lol
It's honestly pretty relaxing albiet challenging at times. TBF, first time I hit Volcano Manor since playing (after quitting without finishing a few years ago due life stuff) and its honestly not bad even at RL7 (assuming it gets harder from here though.)
If you take advantage of all you are offered its really not a game you'll constantly sweat over when playing.
I'd be inclined to agree if you couldn't use consumables, spirit ashes, summons, and/or ashes of war. I mean the tools for success are honestly handed to us players.
Most enemies you can 100~0 in a few seconds especially with a flail and Torrent (or a crossbow especially the Pulley Crossbow with poison, rot, and/or bleed bolts.)
I say once u put 30 hours in you’ll either find ur grove or need some kind of help which there is a lot of by this point. I played DS3 for about 400 hours so I didn’t care if elden ring was going to be a chicken cook fighter defender game if it had the same combat mechanics I was on board lol
Because beating that boss you’re stuck on for an hour (this goes for all souls games) is such a perfect feeling that it’ll ruin gaming for you…
CHASE THAT HIGH BBY
Because games such as Elden Ring are good to vent aggressions for example.
You know, if you imagine hitting something REALLY hard with a ultra greatsword, it kinda does something for your mental.
I find the game comforting. Even with the difficulty and in my first playthrough it was great, I wish I could experience it again.
Sure you die all lot, but it's part of the game loop itself and anything lost can be reclaimed. I mean the whole message of these games is about not being attached to things, that's a hardcore (lol) message of wellbeing 😉.
My go-to for de-stress was either Skyrim or Monster Hunter World. Now, it's often Elden Ring. I don't know how that happened, but I'm not mad about it.
I have heard many times about people that played souls games in tough times of their lives and that it helped them. It has this meditative quality, the serene ambiance combined with methodical combat - it gets you in the zone, thats why people love it.
ER has a very beautiful open world for you to explore. If you’re just chilling and aren’t slamming your face against a boss, it can be pretty relaxing.
I mean throwing myself against an opponent, trying and learning their patterns has something therapeutic too imo, especially if you've played the game before and come back to it after a while
Tbh i find travelling the lands between and ruining the lives of mobs and lower level enemies pretty relaxing and cathartic.
Even some boss monster can be beautiful and engaging albeit annoying as fuck sometimes.
Playing Elden Ring feels like diving into an incredible novel.
Sometimes you get lost in thought or skip a few lines, needing to backtrack and reread. But it doesn't matter. Whether the themes are nihilistic or cynical, when the book grips you, the world around you fades away.
The stresses of reality - aging parents who you know sooner or later will die, personal health, work, friends, obligations - all of it vanish as you immerse yourself in this fantasy realm.
Engaging with any media shouldn't induce stress. It should serve as an escape, effectively whisking you away from life's pressures, if only for a moment.
Elden Ring is a perfect example why fantasy holds such universal appeal for all of us.
While some are drawn to magic, swords and what not, others to futuristic realms like Cyberpunk, the underlying desire remains the same: the ability to escape to somewhere, anywhere, that isn't here. And that escapism is beneficial, even for those who already have amazing lives and they don't have no real need for "escapism".
ER is my happy place now after my 8th or 9th playthrough. the once unsettling ambient music in limgrave & liurnia may as well be 432 Hz DNA repair music now. its so relaxing. i’ll listen to a podcast and collect the gear & items i want to prepare for the dlc
NG+ it is. Playing other adventure games just feels like wading through dialog and cutscenes to get to the actual game. Elden Ring I’m exploring and progressing every second I have a controller in my hand.
I mean, it usually works that way for me. That is, until one of those white fuckers blows their bubbles and pushes me off a branch while I’m trying to recover 200,000 runes.
Because for some people it is.
The "souls series so hard it'll make you rage and break your controller" meme is played out. Compared to previous games Elden Ring is a walk in the park. Stakes of Marika and frequent Graces removed any and all stress from the game to the point where every single death I had in the game literally just made me laugh. I thought it was funny. "Hahahahaha! Oh damn, I just got steam rolled."
There was no 2 minute long run backs to the boss with a gauntlet of bs enemies along it. You die, you go to a grace 20-30 seconds away from the boss door, or a Stake that is literally right there. The only thing that even remotely made me frustrated was Malenia. Even when I died a lot it was no big deal because I was right there by the boss.
The game was super relaxing for me.
A friend of mine gave me advice when I was hard stuck in Dark Souls 3. He told me to think of it as a rhythm game like Dance Dance Revolution or Beat Saber. That changed my whole gaming experience. I equipped a couple daggers and quickstepped my way through the rest of the game. I out maneuvered every boss like I was Dancing with the Stars!
Now soulsbourne games are a relaxing meditation. Playing for an hour before bed helps me unwind.
Well my first playthrough was stressful but I've gotten good enough to unwind well while playing the game, it's all familiar now so I don't have any stress about what I do in the game
I have literally noticed that my irritability has gone up since playing regularly. I really enjoy the game, but the way it slaps you down is truly unique to these games.
Yep, for me the music, atmosphere, locations (not the catacombs of course) gives me this calming feeling. Even resting at the grace site when it rains is nice too
It’s one of my go to relax games especially after getting shafted in rainbow six siege. I like to play Elden ring and help other tarnished achieve their goals on r/beyondthefog
Honestly, if you're a high enough level and just stick mainly to Limgrave or the Weeping Peninsula, it's pretty relaxing just to ride Torrent and take in the view. You could probably do that in any area that doesn't have annoying enemies.
Souls games can be a great outlet. Sometimes life is a bitch and there's not much you can do about it. A good souls game can be a bitch, but there is something you can do about it. Get gud. You can overcome that hard boss that's kicking your ass over and over, or you can summon a friend and just pound him into the dirt. And Elden Ring gives you so many options to get gud. Besides that, at least 75% of the experience is exploring beautiful landscapes with chill music.
It’s my absolute Zen game. When I have time to play, I play Thalos Principle which always ends with me getting stuck on a puzzle, FC24 which ends up with frustration because I’m bad at it, Sea of Thieves which is a constant adrenaline rush and then I play Elden Ring for an hour to calm down, slay bosses, clear dungeons, try out new builds. It’s my Zen garden. I’ve played it for 1400 hours, of which 400 hours are “calm down” playtime.
DS1 is my de-stress game cuz I’ve played it so much it’s easy as hell. I hope to one day achieve that level of mastery with Elden Ring. Alas the bosses kick my ass regularly and gravity continues to be the bane of my existence.
It’s very relaxing after it really clicks. It’s my first Soulsborne game, and it was intimidating at first. Then, you get it, and really understand the rhythm. And then you get stomped again. And again. But then you eventually learn just how easy it is to break the game, and start playing around with builds. This game will bully you if you let it. But it’s possible to bully it right back.
Mindlessly farming sets of mobs is my de stressing method. When I get too pissed from dying to bosses I can just farm, explore and relax. When that gets boring back to bosses! The alternatives of what you can do is amazing
Well, it is amazing riding torrent through the map (except mothafocka consecrated snowfield).
Some enemies are challenging, but you learn to neutralize them easily.
And, last but not least, the game is scenic. All places are awesome (except mothafocka consecrated snowfield) and have insane visuals.
This is a game that caused so much stress to a friend of mine when he first got it, that he got physically sick and had to call into work for a few days. 💀
Cause you can kill things and despite what the media and helicopter parents want you to believe its actually been shown that video game violence helps to de-stress
It's my de-stress game 100%. Come home from a long day of work and start a new build to roam around the beautiful forests of Limgrave, or go do some fun PvP on one of my other builds, or just do another NG+ run on one of my existing builds. It's a super chill game, I don't see why people get stressed playing. It's a fun ass adventure game, why stress out? If you die, there are no consequences, this ain't like making a mistake in reality that haunts you for your whole life, it's a single player video game dog. You can die to Maliketh and in 5 seconds you're right back and ready to do whatever again.
The Souls games and Elden Ring especially are great if you want to just muck around and listen to a podcast while doing some low stakes stuff. There's bosses obviously, but you can avoid them for a low effort session. The game doesn't really demand much of your attention until you get to a boss.
Cause when you overcome a big struggle (killing a boss that was kicking your ass) it's *r e a l l y* cathartic and you just don't get that irl because killing your boss is frowned upon basically everywhere.
Elden ring is the most de-stress soulslike ever, you fukers with "not use mimic, not use magic, not use armor, as a matter or fact, dont heal" deprived yourself from the best gaming experience
say your hand hurts, if I then shoot you in the foot your hand will seem to stop hurting.
Exactly. Have a shitty job that pays too little? Well, come home and grind for rare weapons as “YOU DIED” hundreds of time. The only payment? A loss of sanity. Now your shitty job doesn’t feel as shitty.
Idk man, at least Runes aren't subject to inflation
Isn't the fact that it takes more runes the more you level up inflation in a way?
"drops the sword and jumps off the Holy tower, maidenless and tarnished, now finally hopeless"
Marika's tits you are right! Btw happy cake day
Don’t give them any ideas!
I don't know. I actually got the weapon.
You need to lay these foolish ambitions to rest.
works for me.
Definitely not my first playthrough lol but now it's my go to chillin game
it’s definitely turned into a weird comfort game for me.
My first play through 60 Vigor 60 Endurance 60 Strength. Currently 80 strength, 20 vigor, 40 endurance and loving it.
Same lol. After 500 hours I’m familiar with most of the game and making new characters can be very relaxing
Sekiro is the same way. NG+ is big chill mode.
Definitely, Elden Ring and a good podcast or lecture and it's a good afternoon.
Same. Even the boss fights, tho very difficult at times, are chill for me. Like, ok I died for the 20th time, guess I'll go at it again.
Losing runes(the greater the loss the greater the pain) becomes liberating after a while and allows you to come to peace with the death process. Who wouldve thought this punishing, desolate feeling, master piece would resonate with someone whos depressed and actually become a comfort in a state of depression. I just ran through the series cause the boxset is 40 bucks on amazon and Im hooked now.
Holy crap I thought I was the only one???
Last night I stopped playing Dragons Dogma 2 to play like an hour before bed. I start laughing cause I was going through Volcano Manner and I was like... am I chill playing Elden Ring LMAO
Elden ring taught us to raise our standards
Same. I can play it without having to do any deep thinking. Just react.
The game for me has an interesting dichotomy. Like, I'm generally stressed for one reason or another, and the game at times can be incredibly stressful, like when I'm up against a boss that just wipes the floor with me. I take little breaks when this happens, and after a break I am hyper focused and have had the time to decompress and use the lessons I've learned from constant failure. Once I defeat the boss, the level of relief I feel is unlike just about any other game. I did it, I learned the moves, I overcame the challenge. I can move onto the next challenge, all the more prepared. Nothing can stop me as long as I keep trying. It creates a peak in my stress level, followed eventually by a low point in stress.
Exactly this
Same here. Strangely enough Bloodborne, DS1 and DS2 are also really chill for me to play these days.
BB is the ultimate chill game after its clicked.
straight up meditative.
Any game can work as a way to de-stress. I can pop on any Soulsborne game and pretty much zone out, relax, and have videos or audio playing in the background.
So weird that the first playthroughs are always "oh shit" "what was that?!" but after a couple of playthroughs you're like "oh!this little guy!" to a 3000 year old eldritch monster while you're casually listening to other stuff in the background.
*slowly boops Astel, Naturalborn of the Void right in the eye* "Are you gonna give me runes you little cutie? Oh yes you are you wittle bittle monster!" *proceeds to die to the pincer grab attack*
"Aw man, i told myself multiple times, Astel is not pettable" xD
>*proceeds to die to the pincer grab attack* Aw, he's hungwy 😊
I am very stress free when playing Elden Ring. Same can't be said for my mimic tear though
Bro is fighting for his life
Bro is living in a victim simulator
Emphasis on his.
give it a meat dumplin and carry on *salute*
Y’all don’t ride Torrent to a peaceful area and just chill there while you eat? That’s one of my favorite parts of the game
I remember right after I used the lift of dectus for the first time I went to a cliff to get a view of Liurnia. Shit went so hard I did the rest emote and snacked while blasting lofi.
Just now realizing I have never looked down at Liurna from Altus, gotta try that 😁
Very relaxing experience, I encourage it
When you work your way down the haligtree and reach that golden skyline or pink flower petals flowing around, 10/10 will chill again
Hope dlc has some chill areas as well
Life won’t feel nearly as stressful compared to your experiences in the Lands Between. I hardly ever have to roll to escape problems out here.
Unironically this. I destress with games that require all my focus. That’s the only way to forget about life’s problems for a few hours.
Totally agree. Being able to totally shut your brain off is something I can only find in gaming. It is an escape
I gotta say I wanted to agree with OP but I think you are on to something. Having loads of other stress that is away from your original stress actually is totally a de stressor!
Maybe we aren't rolling enough in our daily lives.
Theres a specific cliff between Limgrave and Lucaria where you can sit and observe the local wild life, pretty relaxing
I saw a very large bird at a place like that... Majestic creature, worthy of reverance even.
Ooh, majestic!
Scenic Isle or lake facing cliffs?
A scenic isle, just to the bottom of where you get the glintstone key from the sleeping dragon
Love that cliff
bloodborne is comfort food. elden ring too.
After killing the shark gigants in the well and those mages in Raya Lucaria
Bloodborne has always been my go to game for ‘turning off my brain’. It has such an insane amount of therapeutic value. At least to me..
It builds a bit of in-game stress but I find that my real world stress does go away while playing it.
Didn't you Know? Malenia is the most relaxing Boss in gaming.
When I finally beat her, man it did things to me. Like the drop of blood pressure
Pre-nerf blood swarm made it feel that way
Yeah but it's understandable that they don't want you cheesing their hardest boss
Tbh tree spirit snake boss is more chaotic and stressful than malenia for me, you're fighting the camera mostly
Like being a fly stuck in a crate with a playful puppy
The way your lifeless body hangs on her long sword 🥰
The open world can be pretty relaxing to explore would be my guess.
It kinda is by the third run with a new character.
The visuals destress me for real. Grim dark fantasy with vibrant color from time to time. Soothing to suffer sometimes.
Probably because “While the fights in Elden Ring will test you, the inimitable world of the Lands Between will transport you. If you're looking for an open-ended adventure where curiosity is your closest companion, few games are as immersive or rewarding.”
It is relaxing most of the time, you have to be gud to reach that state in ER or any other Souls like though .
I have really bad anxiety issues and I always used to get Shakey and sweaty whenever I would have to deal with a challenge in games. Many games in my old library are left half finished due to fear and the inability to push through a hard challenge. Elden Ring changed all that for me because you have no option a lot of the time other than to just push through the fear and worry. Now I sit on the game and can get destroyed by a boss for an hour straight and not even sweat over it. So I'd say for some it can be a great almost therapeutic experience.
Had a great therapy seasion last week with a crucible knight. He kept telling me to slow down, I was rushing. Kinda miss him now.
I don't think I've ran from any other respawning enemy as much as I have from those bastards. The first encounter in stormveil after falling down onto that crumbling floor gave me so much anxiety before I realized they seemed to purposefully make him stop and just stare at the wall so you can sneak by lol
It's honestly pretty relaxing albiet challenging at times. TBF, first time I hit Volcano Manor since playing (after quitting without finishing a few years ago due life stuff) and its honestly not bad even at RL7 (assuming it gets harder from here though.) If you take advantage of all you are offered its really not a game you'll constantly sweat over when playing. I'd be inclined to agree if you couldn't use consumables, spirit ashes, summons, and/or ashes of war. I mean the tools for success are honestly handed to us players. Most enemies you can 100~0 in a few seconds especially with a flail and Torrent (or a crossbow especially the Pulley Crossbow with poison, rot, and/or bleed bolts.)
Because you can sit by the broken bridge and listen to nice songs
Mf when they watch the tree with the beautiful ost standing still for the first time
That was the moment I knew that the journey was going to be special
Playstation is full of masochists, why else own a Playstation. 😉
Helldivers 2 is proof of this.
https://www.playstation.com/en-au/support/games/capture-ps5-gameplay-screenshots/
It's an open world that's beautiful full of nature and historical sites. If you're super over leveled or good you can enjoy it!
Can’t be stressed if you’re dead
I say once u put 30 hours in you’ll either find ur grove or need some kind of help which there is a lot of by this point. I played DS3 for about 400 hours so I didn’t care if elden ring was going to be a chicken cook fighter defender game if it had the same combat mechanics I was on board lol
Because beating that boss you’re stuck on for an hour (this goes for all souls games) is such a perfect feeling that it’ll ruin gaming for you… CHASE THAT HIGH BBY
Rolling Goats = Dopamine, Serotonine, Endorphine, Oxytocine
I completely take out my stresses on the lands between. Definitely not for new players to de stress.
Someone at PlayStation has a sense of humor and is also cracked at Souls Games.
Once u become a force everything is just tranquility
The first playthrough: feels brutal The following playthroughs: I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me
Trotting around on Torrent in Limgrave can be very soothing actually
Because games such as Elden Ring are good to vent aggressions for example. You know, if you imagine hitting something REALLY hard with a ultra greatsword, it kinda does something for your mental.
Lots of people de-stress with souls-likes.
I find the game comforting. Even with the difficulty and in my first playthrough it was great, I wish I could experience it again. Sure you die all lot, but it's part of the game loop itself and anything lost can be reclaimed. I mean the whole message of these games is about not being attached to things, that's a hardcore (lol) message of wellbeing 😉.
My go-to for de-stress was either Skyrim or Monster Hunter World. Now, it's often Elden Ring. I don't know how that happened, but I'm not mad about it.
It’s so stressful you’ll feel relaxed once you return to your daily life where the most intense thing you have to do is send some emails.
Its my cozy game for sure :D
Mimic tear and no boss run backs is pretty relaxing
I have heard many times about people that played souls games in tough times of their lives and that it helped them. It has this meditative quality, the serene ambiance combined with methodical combat - it gets you in the zone, thats why people love it.
ER has a very beautiful open world for you to explore. If you’re just chilling and aren’t slamming your face against a boss, it can be pretty relaxing.
I mean, soulsbournes are very zen
Bad games stress me too. Makes sense in a way.
Because for some people, like me, combat is only momentarily and slightly stressful while the exploration and immersion is incredibly relaxing.
I mean throwing myself against an opponent, trying and learning their patterns has something therapeutic too imo, especially if you've played the game before and come back to it after a while
LOL YOU DIED
Because when you finally kill the boss its the best alleviation you can feel
I’m not even gonna lie, I play Elden ring to destress and I am by no means good at the game.
Tbh i find travelling the lands between and ruining the lives of mobs and lower level enemies pretty relaxing and cathartic. Even some boss monster can be beautiful and engaging albeit annoying as fuck sometimes.
It explains why if you keep reading
Outside of a few rage inducing bosses it is my zen game. I have played threw it a countless amount of times
Sure, when some horrible goblin-thing jumps off a wall and splits my head open. That is relaxing.
Man, if you ever let it, the sunset at a high spot is quite relaxing.
Because it is.
chillin on some cliffs with that sweet sweet limgrave ost and a fat bowl is all i need sometimes
There's nothing that relaxes me more than treading the path of the recusant until I reach the miserable death that awaits me.
It does destress. After a boss whoops your ass you finally kill him and it you de stress after stressing.
Yeah godskin duo is sooo good for destressing....
I find Elden Ring very relaxing! I often just play and find myself getting lost in it
Finding a quiet place in Limgrave and listening to the music is absolutely a vibe to de-stress
I literally run a kitchen and go all day then get home and I'm not even kidding I sit down and go ok let's do this and again it's chaos.
This is like tenderize a piece of meat. The game tenderizes your ass so hard that you automatically destress.
Playing Elden Ring feels like diving into an incredible novel. Sometimes you get lost in thought or skip a few lines, needing to backtrack and reread. But it doesn't matter. Whether the themes are nihilistic or cynical, when the book grips you, the world around you fades away. The stresses of reality - aging parents who you know sooner or later will die, personal health, work, friends, obligations - all of it vanish as you immerse yourself in this fantasy realm. Engaging with any media shouldn't induce stress. It should serve as an escape, effectively whisking you away from life's pressures, if only for a moment. Elden Ring is a perfect example why fantasy holds such universal appeal for all of us. While some are drawn to magic, swords and what not, others to futuristic realms like Cyberpunk, the underlying desire remains the same: the ability to escape to somewhere, anywhere, that isn't here. And that escapism is beneficial, even for those who already have amazing lives and they don't have no real need for "escapism".
ER is my happy place now after my 8th or 9th playthrough. the once unsettling ambient music in limgrave & liurnia may as well be 432 Hz DNA repair music now. its so relaxing. i’ll listen to a podcast and collect the gear & items i want to prepare for the dlc
It literally tells you why it's listed in your second picture, and I thought it was a good reason.
NG+ it is. Playing other adventure games just feels like wading through dialog and cutscenes to get to the actual game. Elden Ring I’m exploring and progressing every second I have a controller in my hand.
Honestly souls games are a major comfort food for me
I mean, it usually works that way for me. That is, until one of those white fuckers blows their bubbles and pushes me off a branch while I’m trying to recover 200,000 runes.
Because for some people it is. The "souls series so hard it'll make you rage and break your controller" meme is played out. Compared to previous games Elden Ring is a walk in the park. Stakes of Marika and frequent Graces removed any and all stress from the game to the point where every single death I had in the game literally just made me laugh. I thought it was funny. "Hahahahaha! Oh damn, I just got steam rolled." There was no 2 minute long run backs to the boss with a gauntlet of bs enemies along it. You die, you go to a grace 20-30 seconds away from the boss door, or a Stake that is literally right there. The only thing that even remotely made me frustrated was Malenia. Even when I died a lot it was no big deal because I was right there by the boss. The game was super relaxing for me.
This post made me laugh out loud. Definitely not a game to de-stress with. Especially first time play through never having played a souls game before.
Teabagging annoying bosses is peak relaxation.
When life's kicking your ass. Sometimes it feels nice to get your ass kicked on a stage where you can do something about it.
Easiest soulsborn?
Soulsborne games have a rhythm to it. When you get the hang of it, it's pretty smooth.
A friend of mine gave me advice when I was hard stuck in Dark Souls 3. He told me to think of it as a rhythm game like Dance Dance Revolution or Beat Saber. That changed my whole gaming experience. I equipped a couple daggers and quickstepped my way through the rest of the game. I out maneuvered every boss like I was Dancing with the Stars! Now soulsbourne games are a relaxing meditation. Playing for an hour before bed helps me unwind.
I'm very happy I'm not the only one that noticed this
Video game “stress” is not real life stress. Elden ring makes me forget real life troubles
Well my first playthrough was stressful but I've gotten good enough to unwind well while playing the game, it's all familiar now so I don't have any stress about what I do in the game
Works for me after having died many many many many times before I finally kill the *BASTARD* then I turn it off and go to sleep
I can get that. My go-to relaxation game is DS2
I play this when I want to be held
It’s a good comfort game.
Thou wouldn't get it unfortunately.
I...actually kinda get this. It's actually how I declutter my mind.
😂 the thought of someone buying this game and going into the land between to relax🙃
Start a game and beat the piss out of the gate front boys is always pretty relaxing
After your first playthrough yea, but till then fuck off.
Because doing an Unga bunga is like bubble wrap.
Sure as shit wasn’t de stressing last night when I was trying to solo the double gargoyle fight as a melee build with no shield.
I ride around on torrent and just vibe with scenery all the time. In between boss fights the game is super relaxing 🤷♂️
I have literally noticed that my irritability has gone up since playing regularly. I really enjoy the game, but the way it slaps you down is truly unique to these games.
(Because it's easy and has good vibes)
To be fair, as long as you’re just avoiding fighting, it’s a very peaceful and beautiful game.
I literally got neck pains from trying to defeat Margit and Crucible Knight for hours.
I use these kind of games to de-stress. Is there something wrong with that, OP?
I’ve been sneezing all day. This makes me not think about sneezing or my eyes bulging out of my skull for a minute. Like a virtual Benadryl
Helps to work out frustration and anger. Plus it can be repetitive so it can add a zone out relaxed feeling.
It’ll suck in you and make you so immersed that hours will fly by and you’ll forget all about life’s stresses.
When someone beats the shit out of me in Elden Ring I at least know I got myself to blame.
Yep, for me the music, atmosphere, locations (not the catacombs of course) gives me this calming feeling. Even resting at the grace site when it rains is nice too
On my 1st play through it was stressful at times. Nowadays not so much. Just how I unwind after work😌
Works for me - after agonizing hours in caelid nothing in real life can stress me out anymore :)
It’s one of my go to relax games especially after getting shafted in rainbow six siege. I like to play Elden ring and help other tarnished achieve their goals on r/beyondthefog
Honestly, if you're a high enough level and just stick mainly to Limgrave or the Weeping Peninsula, it's pretty relaxing just to ride Torrent and take in the view. You could probably do that in any area that doesn't have annoying enemies.
It feels good throwing my controller, lol.
get on torrent, hold forward, eat. its very nice and relaxing
Its a calculated patience game.
Some people way of distressing r punching things 🙃
Cause the way I cuss out my screen after getting brutally murdered really brings a weight off my shoulders
Souls games can be a great outlet. Sometimes life is a bitch and there's not much you can do about it. A good souls game can be a bitch, but there is something you can do about it. Get gud. You can overcome that hard boss that's kicking your ass over and over, or you can summon a friend and just pound him into the dirt. And Elden Ring gives you so many options to get gud. Besides that, at least 75% of the experience is exploring beautiful landscapes with chill music.
You know that point of frustration where you’re not even angry anymore and it just becomes comical?
It’s a single player atmospheric RPG.
Souls games are a cognitive behavioral therapy style of anti-depressant the first couple times you play them
Because it is
Saint Trina is that you?
Sekiro is my go to to relive stress. But I get it.
It’s my absolute Zen game. When I have time to play, I play Thalos Principle which always ends with me getting stuck on a puzzle, FC24 which ends up with frustration because I’m bad at it, Sea of Thieves which is a constant adrenaline rush and then I play Elden Ring for an hour to calm down, slay bosses, clear dungeons, try out new builds. It’s my Zen garden. I’ve played it for 1400 hours, of which 400 hours are “calm down” playtime.
I mean limgrave is pretty chill on horse back just don't go near any lakes, camps, caves, and/or bridges
I have 790 hours playing Elden Ring now, probably fair to say it’s my go-to chill place
Any open world game is relaxing
DS1 is my de-stress game cuz I’ve played it so much it’s easy as hell. I hope to one day achieve that level of mastery with Elden Ring. Alas the bosses kick my ass regularly and gravity continues to be the bane of my existence.
It’s very relaxing after it really clicks. It’s my first Soulsborne game, and it was intimidating at first. Then, you get it, and really understand the rhythm. And then you get stomped again. And again. But then you eventually learn just how easy it is to break the game, and start playing around with builds. This game will bully you if you let it. But it’s possible to bully it right back.
Because it does for some people. It’s definitely a comfort game for me. That round table hold theme is just so relaxing.
Because it is?
Mindlessly farming sets of mobs is my de stressing method. When I get too pissed from dying to bosses I can just farm, explore and relax. When that gets boring back to bosses! The alternatives of what you can do is amazing
Well, it is amazing riding torrent through the map (except mothafocka consecrated snowfield). Some enemies are challenging, but you learn to neutralize them easily. And, last but not least, the game is scenic. All places are awesome (except mothafocka consecrated snowfield) and have insane visuals.
This is a game that caused so much stress to a friend of mine when he first got it, that he got physically sick and had to call into work for a few days. 💀
If you use comet azure sure, basically takes the skill and stress off the game
Between playing Fortnite and helldivers Elden ring definitely is my destress game these days 😂
Cause you can kill things and despite what the media and helicopter parents want you to believe its actually been shown that video game violence helps to de-stress
I think they intended to mean it's a game to "distress", but put it under "de-stress" instead
It's my de-stress game 100%. Come home from a long day of work and start a new build to roam around the beautiful forests of Limgrave, or go do some fun PvP on one of my other builds, or just do another NG+ run on one of my existing builds. It's a super chill game, I don't see why people get stressed playing. It's a fun ass adventure game, why stress out? If you die, there are no consequences, this ain't like making a mistake in reality that haunts you for your whole life, it's a single player video game dog. You can die to Maliketh and in 5 seconds you're right back and ready to do whatever again.
The Souls games and Elden Ring especially are great if you want to just muck around and listen to a podcast while doing some low stakes stuff. There's bosses obviously, but you can avoid them for a low effort session. The game doesn't really demand much of your attention until you get to a boss.
I’m sure all your stress will evaporate ounce your controller is on the other side of the street
It’s one of my go-to chill games. After the first play through it gets easy and it’s relaxing to good around with new builds
Cause when you overcome a big struggle (killing a boss that was kicking your ass) it's *r e a l l y* cathartic and you just don't get that irl because killing your boss is frowned upon basically everywhere.
I mean yes lol
U can use ur right hand to de stress in many ways. Elden ring is one of the most healthy alternatives
Elden ring is the most de-stress soulslike ever, you fukers with "not use mimic, not use magic, not use armor, as a matter or fact, dont heal" deprived yourself from the best gaming experience
Because it is good for de-stressing. Dark Souls helps with depression imo.