Haunted Chocolatier Might Find an Odd Source of Inspiration in Dark Souls

Dark Souls and Haunted Chocolatier are from two entirely different worlds, but the former can be a surprising inspiration to the latter. While Haunted Chocolatier is going in its own direction compared to Stardew Valley, it’s safe to say that direction will be nowhere near Dark Souls‘ grim setting. Despite that, there is a thing or two that it may be able to pick up from the dark action-RPG franchise. One of Haunted Chocolatier‘s tasks will be setting itself apart from its predecessor. To that end, it may be worth taking inspiration from a few unexpected sources.

The potential ways that Haunted Chocolatier could improve over Stardew Valley are only one part of what players should look for regarding the game. H aunted Chocolatier isn’t going to be a new Stardew Valley with a supernatural coat of paint. There are going to be some similarities, most likely involving friendship mechanics. However, even the premise already sets it apart from Stardew Valley in a major way. Fans of Stardew Valley are going to have a lot to look forward to from the game, especially with ConcernedApe at the reins. At the same time, they should be prepared to learn a lot of new mechanics.

Haunted Chocolatier’s Shields Can Lead to More Dynamic, Exciting Combat

Haunted Chocolatier’s Combat Includes Shields and Enemy Stuns

It has already been revealed that Haunted Chocolatier will focus on combat to a greater extent than Stardew Valley did. In particular, one of the revealed changes is the addition of shields. By using a shield in Haunted Chocolatier, players will be able to block enemy attacks and temporarily stun the enemy in question. When the enemy is stunned, the player will be able to deliver attacks more quickly. Stardew Valley didn’t have defensive options like this, so there is already solid evidence of Haunted Chocolatier‘s combat being much deeper. Future updates will likely flesh out the associated new mechanics even further.

Dark Souls’ Counterattacks Are a Good Well of Inspiration

The addition of shields to Haunted Chocolatier draws a parallel to the combat of the Dark Souls series. In Dark Souls, parrying and dodging attacks were both a vital part of the formula. Both would open the opportunity for the player to do a powerful counterattack on their off-balance foe. Considering the high difficulty of the Dark Souls games, mastering these skills was a necessity. Haunted Chocolatier‘s shield letting players stun enemies and attack quickly afterward is reminiscent of the counterattacks that the Dark Souls games thrive on. There’s a chance that Haunted Chocolatier‘s combat could resemble Dark Souls‘ even more as time goes on.

Haunted Chocolatiers’ Combat Can Include Many New Tactical and Defensive Options

Haunted Chocolatier could have tactical and defensive options beyond its shields. One of the improvements to Haunted Chocolatier‘s combat according to ConcernedApe involves further off-hand options in addition to shields. This points toward more playstyles, and possibly other opportunities to catch enemies off guard. There could be some ability for players to use a dodge roll similar to Dark Souls to reposition in a fight, or some other dodging ability. That could allow players to employ sneak attacks for extra damage in addition to stunning enemies with shields. Haunted Chocolatier‘s new emphasis on combat would be served well with these deeper mechanics.

Haunted Chocolatier and Dark Souls could end up having more in common than expected. While players shouldn’t expect Haunted Chocolatier‘s supernatural elements to go in the same direction as Dark Souls, the new emphasis on combat can take some inspiration from the latter franchise. Making combat a bigger part of the game requires more options available in a fight, and stunning enemies with shields may only be the tip of the iceberg in that sense. Haunted Chocolatier‘s fights could benefit greatly from the variety that Dark Souls enjoys.

Haunted Chocolatier

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Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.