Other adjustments increase stagger damage for dual-wielded jump attacks with Thrusting Swords and amplify the effects of the “Improved Skill Attack Power (+1, +2)” passive. Several changes also target healing: the Gradual Restoration Flask now grants a small instant heal on use in addition to its gradual effect — a welcome tweak for players who struggle to stay alive.
However, the update isn’t all buffs. FromSoftware introduced numerous nerfs to address difficulty concerns. The HP of the night-boss variants of Ancient Dragon, The Duke’s Dear Freja, Tibia Mariner, and Great Wyrm has been reduced. Valiant Gargoyle is now easier to stagger and has lower HP as well.
Patch 1.02.3 also lowers the HP and attack power of Maris, Fathom of Night during an Everdark Sovereign “Augur” expedition in Deep of Night mode, among many other targeted tweaks. If you’re a Nightfarer having a hard time, the full Bandai Namco patch notes are worth a look — hopefully these adjustments ease the experience without re-igniting the usual “git gud” arguments that often follow Soulslike balance changes.
Judging by community discussions online, many players agree that Deep of Night is exceptionally demanding, so the 1.02.3 changes may well be necessary to broaden the mode’s accessibility. See a sample of community reactions on Reddit.
Source: gamesradar.com
