Dark Souls

[hudson]

Re: Dark Souls

It's a classic dungeon crawler approach. Start with rags, a crap sword, and proceed into the dungeons of deadly monsters.

Reminds me of games like Dungeon Master, Eye of the Beholder, EVEN... Now bare with me... Jet Set Willy. The games are challenging, but you keep trying to see what new rooms, items etc you can find. I get that just one more go feeling a lot from the game. If I get killed, it's usually through my own doing (being impatient mostly).

If you aren't enjoying it after all the chances you have give, then maybe you never will.

[Jimmyboi]

I thought I would try this again seeing as I'm the one person that apparently hates it. Played it for an hour or two tonight and I still think its utter ****. I just don't get it or understand it I have tried reading a bit about what to do etc but its just so bloody dull and hard I really can't be arsed I'm just not that much of a masochist. I'm not trying to flame or anything but why is this so good? So far even after reading up it just an ugly dark grindfest, I'm stumped

Nooooooooooooo!

There is so much detail to Dark Souls mechanics and the level of depth and planning is second to none. Its one of the few games where simple alterations to character development can fundamentally change the challenge and combat tactics. You can start a new game with a new character and its like playing it for the first time again. The level design is astoundingly complex to a point where I can't imagine the brain size of the folks tasked with planning it all out and putting into practise. There is so much potential to completely break the game via an incorrectly implemented path yet it doesn't happen because its all just so well realised. Travelling for hours in one direction to realise you've come back to familiar territory via a path you never knew existed is a reassuring and impressive experience.

Its the underlying confidence to the Souls series which really makes it special I think. It is antithetical to many of the conventions of modern video games and is all the more comfortable and assertive for it. Its a tough game, not because of a high demand of skill like it feels on first impressions, but because it punishes the naive and the reckless. If you are struggling, then its probably because you lack the knowledge required to give you the advantage in a given situation. Repetition is the only way to figure that out, if you don't like that then you probably will never come to appreciate the Souls series. Just remember that you are getting stronger and more knowledgeable every time you fail even if it doesn't feel like it, eventually you will reach that tipping balance where it all falls into place and what was once impossible is perfectly doable.

[PaTaito]

Dark Souls frustrated me to the point i had to give up with it, when i first played it upon release.

I used a hunter the first time, and the game was brutally difficult....however.

I just bought prepare to die edition(love that cover art) for my PS3, and decided to go with a combat/magic class, so i chose pyro.

Its literally like a different game, feels like at least a couple of difficulty levels have been shaved off it now, and i'm loving it beyond words.

I just beat the butterfly boss on my second session, and i've only died twice...although losing your humanity stock really hurts.

Definitely going to try demons souls after this, being as its been on my shelf for the last 2 years.

This game is just amazing.

...Oh and this game sounds amazing lossless via the ps3, the most atmospheric game since metroid prime.

[Garny]

So is the new content worth a look? was thinking of downloading it at some point from PSN. Also, can i go into the new content with my current character? or do i have to start again?

[Brad]

I consider Demon's and Dark Souls to be the games of this generation. however, check out my initial thoughts:

http://www.bordersdown.net/threads/94423-Demon-s-Souls-PS3/page59?p=1567462&viewfull=1#post1567462

[J0e Musashi]

Awesome I beat Phalanx, then left it for a year to the day before going back. I then played it continuously until i got the platinum trophy.

[PaTaito]

Is phalanx the initial boss thats looks heavily inspired by spirited away?

[ruarai]

If you are playing this on the pc with the dsfix the latest patch on steam breaks the fps mod and you have to switch it off,thus going from 50-60fps to 15-30fps.I don't know if this is From Software or Bandai but they have managed to mess up a stunning mod which makes the game shine and return the game back to a ****ty port.

[Brad]

Is phalanx the initial boss thats looks heavily inspired by spirited away?

Yes. Although its inspiration would be from the Ancient Greek. A Phalanx was a rectangular mass of soldiers armed with spears.

[Adam]

Went back to this after not playing it for a year, just finished Artorias of the Abyss DLC. Flipping heck! I don't know wether to curse this game or love it sometimes. Was quite enjoying my NG+ walkthrough as it was all still quite familiar to me, plus I had some nice gear crafted and didn't need to kill every boss so it was pretty relaxed. Then I got to the new DLC areas and the frustration hit again. The Royal Woods was where I left the most bloodstains, the combination of little gardener men + big giants in pairs always killed me randomly. Or was it random? I dunno but it was alot. Two of the new bosses nearly made me warp out and go finish off the playthrough but I managed them. Stressfull lol.

I hope there is a ways to opt out of being invaded in Dark Souls 2. Returning to Human and waiting for white summon signs to request help for bosses was made almost impossible as I couldn't stand there for more than a minute before some nob invaded. Cheap setups and spells every time. Or bizarrely people would invade me then run away into the level and I'd never see them again. Don't understand these people. Also trying to sort through inventory, or assign souls for a level up only to have all my menus disapear because someone invades = ****. Love it!

[RobRoy]

Hi all,

Just started playing this in the past few days. I've picked a Pyromancer as my class thinking i would be throwing around flaming balls of death all the time, but so far i get 8 then im back to my axe and shield combo until i find a bonfire.

Is that as much magic as you get or can the number of shots be increased?

Can i regen the number of shots i get without using a bonfire?

Is it worth carrying on with a magic build or move purely into a combat build as i seem to be doing more swordy / shieldy combat than magic?

Thanks for any help

[nonny]

Yeah I think I am going to need help as well. I pick this up tomorrow as a fresh start to 2013... Playing a game I overlooked and didn't get around to playing...

Is Pyromancer the best/easiest class to go with? Any advice? I know this game is rock hard and that's the point but wouldn't mind some initial guidance!!

[jimtendo]

You'll be able to buy more through vendors. Then after that, you need to go through NG+ to buy more (providing you have enough attunement slots) and no, you can't regenerate magic without visiting the bonfire.

As for continuing with pyromancy. Depends if you're playing with PvP in mind or not. If you are, then yeah, pyro is decent. Also depends on what Soul level you want to stop at, which determines type of build.

[J0e Musashi]

I need to get the DLC for my original disc if I want to carry on using the same save data right? If I buy the GOTY edition, I'll have to start again?

[RobRoy]

jimtendo you've just confused the hell out of me lol. is there a benefit to stopping levelling? I basically want to play through the game to the end then perhaps progress from there