Finally got to play some more, but I feel the game is slipping away.
I really want to like it, but Zenimax's total failure to fix game-breaking bugs is making me frustrated. Nothing like your Strife (Funnel Health/Swallow Soul) healing you for 0 health and every subsequent cast resetting that healing effect. Such value! And if I use a charge after casting Strife, the healing effect never lands on me, because I apparently charge out of its bouncing effect. And if I use Ransack while blocking, the ability goes off, does damage, consumes stamina, etc., but the armor effect on me never occurs. I mean, what the ****? It's like the game never made it to QA before being pushed live.
And I feel that the only viable way to level is with a robe and a staff. I went sword and board, maxed out my armor, and enemies still take me down in a couple of spell casts that are impossible to dodge in melee range. Not a fan of this style of play. It reminds me of GW2 leveling: pull one and the fight is too easy, pull two and it's tough, pull three and you die. I want to be a badass wielder of blood magic (or the closest thing I get to it in this game), not some dude with a shield who takes a fireball to the face.
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Please "talk up" if your comprehension white-shifts. I will use simple-happy language-words to help you understand.