Genichiro in Sekiro, Viper in Khazan, Gascoigne in Bloodborne - skill checks in soulslikes are used quite often to gatekeep the rest of the game until you learn whatever it is the game wants you to learn.
Gascoigne wants your to adapt to the visceral, fast-paced, aggressive combat of Bloodborne. Genichiro tells you to parry or fuck off because he will be the least of your problems come around the mid to late game. Viper is in a similar boat, adding tenacity to the mix because the fight is ungodly long that early in the game because your damage output is laughable and he hits like a truck.
Who’s your favourite skill check? Which other skill checks even exist in other soulslikes? Is Flamelurker in DeS a skill check? What about Capra Demon?
Margit in ER is a good one because the entire moveset is based around “don’t panic roll”
Margit is so nice to fight on subsequent playthroughs. He moves in slow-motion and has massive openings. Running to him with a +0 weapon is so fun.
True! Completely forgot about him
My pick as well
Relevant video: https://youtu.be/JDwoEQGEQmQ
I don’t think anything beats the classic ganks from DS1, for me.
Snorlax and Pikachu for the PvE skill check, and FAP ring man and his posse for PvP basics.
Loved the O&S fight, it taught me to play unlocked!
Maliketh!
He guards or, arguably, begins the endgame boss rush. Other examples here are more of early or mid-game bosses. Maliketh has two very distinct phases with which you need to engage to get past him. This prepares you for Godfrey and Radabeast. He is not only a skill check, but also a knowledge check: In Farum Azula, the final Bell Bearings for upgrade stones are forced upon you. At this point, you can create whatever build you want. You can even upgrade two different weapons, one for Gurranq and one for Maliketh. On the other hand, he’s is not that bulky for an endgame boss. If you explore side areas like the Snowfields, Haligtree, or the DLC (if you have it) you can just overpower him.
Right, hadn’t thought about late-game skill checks. Maliketh was a difficult but overall very enjoyable fight. When he goes all anime on you in his second phase, I felt a little overwhelmed oftentimes, but his attacks weren’t even that hard to dodge for me, in the end, so it was fine. He’s a good indicator of what’s to come in the final stretch of the game, though, true!
he goes all anime on you
Perfectly put XD. I was so overwhelmed by all his flashy shenanigans but now they feel very tame in comparison to newer boss fights.
His second phase can get crazy. Remembering to use blasphemous claw and getting the timing right helps a bunch. I don’t do either 100% but when I do it’s a much better experience.
In my experience Blasphemous Claw is more for the style points than anything else, and it is indeed very stylish. It’s easier to abuse the guaranteed opening you get at the start of Phase 2 and take advantage of his low Stance of 80 for an easy Stance-Break.
I’m not sure id define it as “favorite”, but when i think about this the most memorable skill check boss that comes to mind for me is Dancer (ds3). Whether you accidently come across her early or doing it later she can be a considerable fight. Though unfortunately she can be cheesed so it does lose some value from that
