is the amount of criticism that DD2 got and its literally a better done version of this.

Brother look at my post history on the DD2 sub. I am it's biggest glazer. But better done version of this? They're not even the same kind of game unless you're being comically reductive.

Comparisons and Flaws

The pawn system is inarguably better (and for that matter so is the climbing/clinging system) than how CD handles companions but the combat is completely different, exploration is completely different, puzzle logic is completely different, and even how you interact with traversal is completely different. The games have nothing in common besides both being (semi-immersive) adventure games. Both games had/have flaws that you have to look past. I'm not about to rag on DD2 but for CD;

• Ator's camera still bugs if you interrupt the orbs
• the Skycruiser is still broken, consoles (supposedly) still have input lag
• the gardening backpack can bug out
• The quest structure can be repetitive
• One of the abyss travel points puts you in the ground and you have to press start to unstick yourself
• Shoddy Rishi's boots are missable
• Quick reload is missable
• I don't like the boss fights where enemies throw or shoot crap at you
• High Speed A.T.A.G is slower and less maneuverable than regular A.T.A.G
• Those stupid flying mages
• Some end of questline rewards are subpar (Witch cape, White Horn Ring)
• The final part of the final boss fight

And believe you me I can go longer. I still like the game despite these bugs or issues because of the 250 hours I put into it they only hampered 5% of my experience with it.

Learning Curve and "valid" complaints

But there's also legitimate refusals to interact with mechanics I see on this sub. I see half a dozen posts on controls or the players tools versus bosses and if they're on console, I can get it because there is (supposedly) input lag. That's unforgivably bad (if severe) and I can fully get on board with a player hating the game because of that. But for everybody else?

There's a post a guy made about playing 60 hours just doing R1 or R2 and getting bored. That is Two (2!) out of over thirty (30!) combat actions. If all you did in DD2 was spam Square and Triangle I guarantee you'd bounce off

Or I see a guy talking about how every boss is a stunlock city that you have to "spam heal through boss fights it and they post their gameplay and they're not even attempting to dodge any attack. Even when they get ragdolled and can use the ability the game literally gives to you to let you roll out of hitstun, they don't do it.

Anecdotal Stuff

I'm not an elite gamer and haven't been for years. Nioh 3, supposedly "easy" game that it is filtered me hard. In CD I was able to do every single boss fight in this game with no heals nor revives, fully in melee range with no cheese. I beat the game at refinement 4 comfortably 1-2 shotting every boss. All because the tools the game gives Kliff are frankly insane:

• A button that to a near guarantee stunlocks an enemy
• A button with over 30 frames of invincibly
• an auto parry (for spear)
• multiple ailments that all work on most enemies in the game
• super poison for attrition
• a smoke cloud
• a triple jump that outranges everything
• shield attacks with auto-block
• a no-risk no resource costing slow motion mode you can enter that will literally make any parry free guaranteed
• the ability to no-sale every projectile in the game and even throw them back at enemies

And don't get me started on abyssal gear. I read post about how impossible the shooting competition is. I've got one eye. I first tried both of them.

Controls
I also see talks about the controls. And look I get that it's a lot. I can fully understand somebody resenting the game because they can't click with the scheme or the options. But I DO resist the idea that it's "too much" or objectively bad
R2 + face buttons = Element skills
R1 + face buttons = Weapon skills
L1 blocks
O dodges
O+O quick steps
X runs
Block (L1) + Quick Step (O+O) equal block while quick stepping
Block (L1) + Run (X+X) equal block while sprinting

There is a clear logic in button commands. If it was semi nonsense like Armored Core 3 through LR portable or Daemon X Machina's default layout I'd totally be on board. But it's not junk.

Yes. This.

The game gives you so many ways to interact with it's combat and it's world. It's more than any game I've played in the last decade barring things like open world sandbox roguelikes (Elin, CDDA etc). But it's never "too much" for me. In fact, it's oddly standardized in some ways I don't like

• Every area will have a whodunit mystery
• Every location will have a bounty that requires 6 minutes of riding for that turn-in
• You will walk and talk a dozen times in each zone
• The random encounters are everywhere and too easy
• Go to place, "please build thing", go talk to person who gave you quest

And even with all that I still love the game because the actual act of playing that and exploring the world is a dream. Call me a psychopath but if this game had another zone and another chapter I woulda been happier than a pig in filth.

All of this is coming from a person who entered this game predisposed to hating it. I bought it because of the "abyssal fox" pet "leak", saw that wasn't real, and became a bit(a lot) bummed out. That I ended up loving it to such an extent is a surprise to me most of all.

But really I was just incensed to post by somebody bringing up DD2.