Dark Souls

[Syt]

I never tried this one out because I heard from multiple people that this game is too hard.  I barely have time for games anymore so I definitely don't have an interest in playing shit over and over cause it's hard.

I love the atmosphere of the game. But yeah, it's a learning experience (and un-learning from other games) - your moves, enemy moves (and tells), geography ...

I was ready to give up, thinking this was a game for hardcore gamers to brag about.

But this article changed my attitude and gave me a much more zen approach: http://www.gamesradar.com/why-dark-souls-friendliest-most-benevolent-game-its-generation/

I'm now not frustrated if I get stuck; instead I try different approaches, tactics and equipment, to see if something works better for me (and YMMV on what works for you - maybe you prefer bows over swords, or two handers over daggers, light armor over plate), or just to perfect myself against certain enemies. It's a game that forces you to go slow and not rush head first into things. And if I die I know it's because I was careless or didn't pay attention.


Oh, and I managed to beat the Taurus demon. 

[Brezel]

Dark Souls certainly has an unique atmosphere. It also gets somewhat easier once you've built your character enough to effectively utilize the scaling of weapons and armors. Back in the day I put over 100 hours into the game but never finished it - I became too preoccupied with other things and was thus unable to devote enough time to beating the frickin' four kings. Might have to get back to it one of these days.

[Razgovory]

I only have a PC, I can get on PC but would it be best if I had an Xbox controller?

[Syt]

An Xbox Controller is highly recommended, yes. I haven't tried mouse and keyboard, but the general consensus is that it's ass to play with them.

[Syt]

Since I still have an interest in the game I thought I'd watch a Let's Play to see it in its entirety (I've watched streamers play it on Twitch, but that way I only catch bits and pieces).

But every time I see someone else play this game I get the itch to play it myself. So I've re-installed and try a strength based build this time around. Dodging is slow as fuck in heavy armor, but I made it from the Asylum to the bonfire in the Undead Burg without dying once.

I think I may be in an abusive relationship with this game at this point where it keeps mistreating me but even if I try to cut it off I eventually come back for more, despite me not really getting anywhere with it.

[Syt]

The game also reminds me a lot of the first Legend of Zelda on NES. You're thrown in a world you know almost nothing about and get vague instructions. You have to figure out geography, enemies, boss patterns, what weapon/item to use in which circumstance, how to time your attacks/evasions, when to fight and when to run .... the only people you meet are weirdo shop keepers or characters giving cryptic hints. And there's a lot of exploring/secret hunting to be done.

[Syt]

I accidentally wiped my save, so I restarted. 11 hours in I've made it back into the Depths (I have a tendency to grind Undead Burg/Parish for a while). Even managed to kill Gargoyles, Taurus Demon and Capra Demon on first try. Also, I've started to appreciate the use of bow and arrow that I've used to cheese some bosses, like the Titanite Demon in Andre's basement, the Great Undead Rat in the Depths, or the drake on the bridge.

And I love how the game sometimes throws you off. Went to try a new weapon in the church, suddenly get jumped by a weird crab thingy that shoots at me and that I haven't seen in almost 50 hours of play, many of which spent in that area. Wiki says it's a creature that can be spawned if another player dropped a lot of humanity (a resource) in a spot when they died. 

[Alcibiades]

Picked up ds2 on the steam sale last month.  Haven't gotten around to playing it.  Shouldn't bother with just a mouse and keyboard? 

I never played the first one. 

[Syt]

Haven't played DS2 myself yet, but I understand it's a bit more accessible (DS1 doesn't explain some of its mechanics much at the start beyond controls - text tips often aren't all that helpful). DS1 requires you to learn its mechanics, figure things out, and explore (or use a guide ). In game messages left by other players are either helpful or aim to confuse you. What lore there is is told through environments and item descriptions for the most part.

DS2 delivers more of the same, mostly, and generally seems to change DS1's mix of armored enemies and grotesque demons more towards the "dudes in armor" end of the spectrum.

Overall, DS1 appears to be held in better regard, but that may be because it came first. Again, haven't played DS2 yet, so can't comment.

Dark Souls games (and Bloodborne) have the reputation of being very hard. They are, but they're not unfair. You can learn all patterns of enemies, and you will learn how to deal with them; what's a smart move, and what doesn't work. The games allow for a variety of play styles, and selecting your starting class has little relevance, because you can level up your character to whatever you like (provided you don't mind some grinding). Switching gear up depending on situation is important.

I used to get very frustrated at first. But you will get better. The game will very rarely be unfair. If you die, in most cases it will be because you did the wrong thing at the wrong time or overlooked something, not because you were trolled by a hidden trap, or an enemy move that wasn't telegraphed in some way. Boss fights can be tough, but but it again comes down to learning patterns, experimenting with different weapons/items, and timing.

It's a game to take slowly, and you will die. A lot. A whole lot. It's important to: not be afraid of dying (the penalties aren't that severe), or lose some process (in the form of souls). If you die, your collected souls (currency to buy things and level up) will drop where you died. If you die again, they're gone.

When exploring a new area it's smart to make sure you've spent your souls, and if you collect more and are worried to lose them - spend them. Upgrading weapons is very important.

Check some newbie guides (spoiler free).

I've spent 50 hours in DS1, have ye to finish the first act, but I'm having a great time gawking at the world, learning its rules and slowly becoming better at the game. There'll be quite a few "aha" moments when you figure out how to deal with threats ever more efficiently, and how to clear out certain areas you visit often, but becoming to self assured can still mean a quick death. The main causes of death in the game are probably carelessness and greed.

[Syt]

Tonight, I returned to the Undead Asylum (the tutorial area) and collected the items there, but didn't fight the (optional) demon boss there. I went back to the depths, farmed slimes for Large Titanite and then went back to the Undead Parish to upgrade my scimitar to +9. Afterwards I returned to Firelink Shrine to try and clear out the graveyard for the loot. If you're careful about how many enemies you draw it's not that bad, though the giant skeletons can be a bit of a pain in the neck if you end up in a corner. I hope to take out the Gaping Dragon this week so I can get to Blighttown.

[Syt]

I've been playing this on and off again the last few weeks. After getting somewhat annoyed at Lost Izalith I took a break of over half a year or so.

Beat Bed of Chaos last weekend, killed Nito this weekend. Next up are Ash Lake, Dukal Archives, and the Expansion.

My save game is coming up on 80 hours, though I spent a lot of time grinding souls and upgrade mats, or sloooowly killing enemies from far, far away with arrows.

[Syt]

Continuing my glacial progress with the game. Made it down the Great Hollow (think giant tree connecting upper world and a weird netherworld below the "real" world) to Ash Lake for, well, sightseeing purposes since this is an optional area (and killing the Hydra).

(Not my screenshot below)



I'm now on my way to acquire the last Lord Soul which will unlock the final encounter (though I'll do the expansion first). Currently in the Duke's Archives where Seath, the scale-less dragon, studies magic to attain immortality.

[Syt]

A few streamers have, over the last couple of months, tried to beat the Soulsborne games (Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 1-3, Bloodborne) without getting hit. Seems Happy Hob who was first to beat DS1-3 hitless comes first here, too - the clip when he beat the final boss: https://clips.twitch.tv/LivelySpineyLemurMrDestructoid?tt_medium=clips_api&tt_content=url

To keep things manageable, he only did the mandatory story bosses (so no DLC bosses).

I guess the next challenge will be to run all bosses hitless, or adding Sekiro to the mix.

I like the Souls games, but this seems like insane obsession.

[Solmyr]

Can someone recommend a nice Let's play of any of the Souls games and/or Sekiro, preferably with a bit of seeing the world instead of rushing through or doing gimmicks? I doubt I'll ever play these games myself, but I'm interested in seeing what the fuss is about.

[frunk]

Here's the only one I've watched.

All text has been run through Google Translate 14 times, and every item and enemy placement has been randomized.

So, uh, probably not that useful.