I’ve been putting a lot of time into No Rest for the Wicked, and while I love the weight of the combat, I’ve realized why Bleed Infusions feel so underwhelming. It’s not just about the damage numbers; it’s about the lack of impact and agency when the status actually triggers
The Missing “Crunch” (Status Build-up vs. Proc)
In Elden Ring, a Bleed proc is a major gameplay event. When that bar fills, two things happen:
Actually 3, the main one being: Satisfying.
Massive Burst Damage: You get an immediate, visible chunk of health removed.
Hard Stun: The enemy suffers a brief “hemorrhage” animation that interrupts whatever they are doing.
In NRFTW, Bleed feels more like a slow, passive leak. There’s no big “reward” moment for the risk you took to build that meter. Because the game relies so heavily on the Stagger Bar for crowd control, the Bleed proc feels like it’s happening in the background without affecting the “Dance of Death” in the foreground.
Melee Flow and the “DoD” Problem
The “Dance of Death” for melee currently feels a bit punishing because we don’t have enough ways to force an opening through status effects.
If I’m playing a Bleed build, I’m usually using faster, lower-damage weapons. In Elden Ring, I can use a Bleed proc to force a hitstun on a heavy enemy, giving me a window to recover stamina or continue the combo. In Wicked, because the Bleed proc doesn’t have a meaningful flinch or burst attached to it, I’m still stuck in that “one hit and dodge” loop indefinitely.
Making Status Matter
Right now, the Stagger bar is the only thing that really dictates the flow of a fight. If Bleed (and other infusions) had a “Mini-Stagger” effect or a significant burst of damage upon filling the meter, it would make melee builds feel significantly more viable and “satisfying.”
As it stands, why bother with the build-up of an infusion when you could just go pure physical damage and get the job done faster?
With the Combat Update being worked on, hopefully a pass on Bleed and status effects in general will be done. We need these mechanics to feel like tools that actively change the rhythm of the fight, rather than just invisible math running in the background.
The bleed, as it currently is in NRFTW, is more likely inspired by Path of Exile where it works the same: you deliver a physical hit, the enemy gets a DoR effect that is twice as strong when this enemy is moving around.
It’s just not the same as in Elden Ring. (Let’s not start on that nonsensical system of building up status effects on enemies, please? Though satisfying, it even sounds silly when described)
NB: My own issue with bleed DoT effect is that it has no other source in game aside from a socketable item. There are no runes skills that apply a bleed effect.
NB: The “dance of death” (lol) is affected by staggers, stuns, freeze effect, and lightning side-effect. I do wish there was more feedback from enemies being set on fire or hit hard, but I also can see progress this game is doing.
Exactly. ot works just like in PoE,and PoE is notorious for having clunky melee combat that lacks impact and weight
Take the Katana for example: it’s fundamentally associated with that sharp, sudden Bleed, not a slow invisible DoT
Whether it’s in anime, manga, or movies, you expect blood to spill on impact. It should feel visceral. If the status doesn’t have that satisfying “pop” or a hitstun to go with it, the melee exchange just isn’t rewarding
True for bleed, but also frostbite and shock!
PoE compensates for its clunky melee by focusing on chain explosions, Bleed has its “pops” Chill has “shatters” and Ignite has screen wide spread
Wicked isn’t that kind of game; it can’t rely on clearing whole screens of mobs at once
Because the scale is smaller and more intimate, the procs must feel satisfying on impact to make the combat feel better
Not only bleed but fire and plague should have some distinct mechanic on fully built up status effect. And by distinct I also mean that it should have a distinct name like damage type/element is ice, its status effect is slow and the state/event of being frozen. Right now it isn’t obvious how these work. How much bonus fire damage do I get from plague status effect? Does it scale with the build up meter? Or does it only take effect after this built up meter is full? What about enchantments like lowered stagger resistance on enemies affected by plagued status effect? What about advanced status effects?
I hesitate to compare bleed in ER because it is obviously over powered. It staggers, often a quick status build up, and deals damage+maxhp%.
But Bleed in NRftW is weak. It doesn’t scale with elemental damage, doesn’t scale with physical damage, and it doesn’t crit. It only does damage and doesn’t scale.
Bleed deals damage to moving targets, but many enemies have a ranged option, so it’s common that enemies are not always moving. This would make fire more valuable.
Instead of making bleed a burst of damage, or another ticking damage…
-When an enemy moves, attacks, or casts an ability, take damage equal to % of max HP (5% per attack, 3%/3 meter moved).
-Bonus stagger buildup on bleed status
-Enchant on pants, Increase lifesteal from attacks on bleeding targets by 14-20%
This would work well on both slow and fast attacking weapons, fit the theme of bleeding, but supports normal attacks rather than the status itself doing all the work, like fire and lightning.
You have to be careful what you wish for, because status effects currently affect the player equally.
The Lumbermill Giants apply bleed to you already and if you dare even dodge roll or move a little bit, you’re already losing like half your health bar without a direct hit.
If these changes go through, they have to make a separate version of bleed affecting the player, otherwise enemies that apply bleed will become absolutely oppressive.
Bleed and especially Plague do need much better player effects, though. They feel anemic compared to burn and freezing.
I think the issue is the game is trying to have Souls Like skill-based combat with weight, but cherry-picks elements from PoE which is not a skill-based game. It sounds nice to have a mashup of genres, but all this does is create a dissatisfying and incoherent experience that does not appeal to anyone.
Honestly I think plague status is bugged. Sometimes I can have a ton if lifesteal from plague, sometimes there’s none at all, but equal damage. So I don’t pass judgement on something that is not working.
But 3 meters is about 1 light dodge, which is 3% HP - if you had 500 HP, that’s 15 damage. Is that more than a burn ticks, or the healing loss from plague?
But I would agree %5 loss on attacking would bust the character, and that logic should be reduced or removed. However the stagger should still apply.
I am all for mechanics working equally on both players and npcs. There should just be a way to cleanse all or some effects. Like moving, especially dashing, should gradually put out burning.
You can stand in fire to cleanse cold, stand in water to cleanse fire. I’m not sure about others, regardless would be nice for something more reliable.
its kinda needed, cause as it is, nrftw did a nice job for the fact that different elements have different things and feel different for me. thats the good side.
the bad side is exactly like you said, what does filling the bar even mean.
enemies get fire dmg as soon as they are burning. when it is full the fire dmg is higher, but the bar instantly starts going down, does that mean only the tick when its full is high or is the fire dmg high until the bar is empty again?
when i try the fire + shock thing it works half the time and i have no idea why or why it wouldnt in some situations. do i need to hit shock dmg in exactly the one sec the meter is full or how does it even work?
plague plus fire does absolutely nothing for me, that just adds to the fact that plague doesnt feel like anything at all. lifesteal works sometimes, sometimes it doesnt.
is it supposed to work only when the bar is full or whats the deal there?
shock does nothing as long as the bar is not full, fire and frost do stuff ( slow and burn ) even when u fill it up. feels kinda weird to me. and plague. well plague does nothing rly compared to the others, although the lifesteal part is a good idea as long as it works and ppl know how it should work i guess?
havent tried bleed at all, but thats because theres nothing that does bleed except the one gem. plus no real enchants for it. it feels like an unfinished idea that got implemented hastily.
