Dark Souls I, II and III

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James
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

I've really enjoyed the side quests. Solaire, Siegmeyer and Logan were all good fun.

All four Lord Souls are now mine. Just wrapping up before I place them in the Lordvessel. I missed the covenant at the bottom of the movable staircase in Anor Londo, and I have the DLC to attempt too.

Any thoughts on what else I might like to do before finishing the first playthrough?
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

I was pretty petrified of tackling Artorias Of The Abyss, but the first two bosses have fallen like flies. Full Havel's Armour, Havel's Ring (to maintain <50% Equip), Silver Knight Shield +5, Great Scythe +15 and Power Within is ridiculous! I had time to play around with the Sanctuary Guardian and get its Guardian Tail whip before finishing it off, and the only tricky part of the Artorias fight was managing Stamina through his combos.

I never thought I'd say it, but I'm starting to feel overpowered in Dark Souls. :shock:

*Prepares to be humiliated for such brash and insolent words. :mrgreen:
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by FollowMyRuin »

Make the most of it, Gwyn will take you down a peg and tan your hide. In retrospect, I would have started much much much earlier to perfect my parrying technique, I spent most of the game hiding behind a tower shield which was utterly redundant against gwyn.

My only tip might be to consider that the animation for the parry with gwyn requires your shield to collide with his strikes, it doesn't work to block on impact like some other games such as god of war. If your getting annoyed, equip the hornets ring, 3 parrys and he'll be on his knees.
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

I'm okay at parrying, but it takes me a bunch of failures to learn the timing for each enemy and each attack. Cue me dying... lots.

Are any of the other boss fights similar to Gwyn?

Just defeated Kalameet. Took three attempts, but not too bad. Patience was the key.

Going further down into the Oolacile Township next. I imagine I'll find the owner of that giant hand at some point. That will be fun!
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by FollowMyRuin »

None of the other boss fights feel the same, gwyn is especially aggressive in both his mobility and attacking, my memory is that with the other boss fights I had an advantage with dexterity, I didn't here. It took me days to do him.
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by Sean »

Actually, IMO, I think the closest to Gwyn would be Artorias.

Coincidentally, my two favorite boss fights in all of Dark Souls. I almost always need someone to help with the Gwyn fight.
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

Today I plan to finish Oolacile and go after the Darkmoon Covenant. Then it's Gwyn all the way!

Hopefully it won't take days. *gulp*
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

Manus down at the first attempt (with a little help from an old friend ;) ).

Gwyndolin took a second try (the timing on the BIG spell he throws is really important), but he's dust now too.

That's it. Only one thing left to do... wish me luck!
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

First try at Gwyn and he falls. True, I had Solaire with me, but I didn't even need to use an Estus Flask!
I guess I got lucky.
:shock:
Imo

Re: Dark Souls

Post by Imo »

I had planned to join the discussion much earlier but the podcast kinda crept up on me if you bear with me briefly because I don't want to come across as one of 'those muppets' but I never found dark souls to be particularly hard a more favourable term for me is strict. At the very beginning it sets out the rules of the world and so long as you do not break these rules you will be fine. It is a game that more than any other is about mindset.

The death mechanic can be viewed in many ways but once I had my head around I found it to be liberating rather than castrating. The fragility of your warrior and the fact that everything is a danger is in many the designers saying its ok to die therefore repeated attempts at enemies/areas feel like an open challenge to them, to prove them wrong and best them against the odds. Rather than induce anger it builds a desire for self improvement a pride and accomplishment I have never felt before in any other game, countless times I have been delighted to arrive at completion but never have I breathed a sigh of relief and thought 'I earned that.'

Todays video games are constantly bemoaned for their hand holding but where most heavily drag you forward Dark souls is a smug tutor pacing beside you constantly reminding you of how weak and pathetic you are and how you probably shouldn't do it like that but also reassuring you with the knowledge that all can be overcome , you have all you need to accomplish what you need to.

I find it hard to think of a more immersive world than this one and certainly I cannot comprehend another that is so mentally taxing, a gaming experience that is in places so overbearing, so relentlessly insidious and creepingly unnerving I found it psychologically corrosive. On the flipside emerging from blightown to the light is unbelievably uplifting, Anor Londo is breathtakingly beautiful and crumbling ruins that hint at the former glories are awe inspiring.

The design as a whole just has to be admired, to create a world that is simultaneously diverse and consistent is a feat to be applauded. Providing a plethora of enemies all painstakingly designed again is superb, thought has gone into everything present here and the love that went into making it is fully evident and is to all of our benefit. Dark Souls cannot be discussed without the bosses and every one of them is a joy to behold and an adrenaline filled rollercoaster of nerves to fight. The wide eyed 'oh shit' factor is off the scale for every reveal and the need to re convince yourself that you can achieve victory is there to begin every battle.

Personally my only disappointment is the shortcomings of story - not every game needs a great story but in this game there are snippets of gorgeous story, superb visual storytelling in every area - dilapidated fallen kingdoms, stifling and magical forests. Every weapon or piece of armour has a tidbit of very interesting description. The handful of NPC's are all mysterious and reveal possibly fantastic threads of back story and exposition and above all there is the lovely opening cutscene which set the basic premise but displays some ideas that would have been brilliant to see fleshed out. A full story and this is the best game ever for me for noe it is 'just' a very special one.
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

And with Imo's post, we are off!

Please post here your thoughts on Dark Souls for inclusion in the podcast (recording on Thursday night, 11/04/2013).

Thus far the thread has been mostly general chat (and my own pleas for advice :oops: ), so it's a clean slate henceforth for your opinions and stories related to Dark Souls specifically. I want to try to avoid Demon's Souls as much as possible in case we have the chance to record a separate issue of Cane And Rinse on it in the future, but (as it's the forebear) comparisons will have to be made. We will be discussing the Artorias Of The Abyss DLC, multiplayer, patches/updates and what we know about Dark Souls 2 (including the 12 minutes of gameplay being revealed on IGN today, Wednesday 10th April).

If you have any specific aspects of the game you'd like to hear us discuss then please also let us know here.

Obviously we can't promise that every post will make it into the show, but all will be considered. The more eloquent, succinct and unique your post, the more likely it'll be included.

Many thanks in expectation of your excellent responses.
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Re: Dark Souls

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iwatttfodiwwfa wrote:First try at Gwyn and he falls. True, I had Solaire with me, but I didn't even need to use an Estus Flask!
Firstly, bravo! Tres impressive!

Regarding Dark Souls, when I think back to my time with the game the most prevalent feeling I have is one of frustration and relief rather than the anticipated 'frustration to elation' gameplay that so many others have experienced.

I would echo the view of others who suggest that the game is more of a test of patience and planning than outright difficulty. For myself it felt like I had become invested in the sense of achievement of making it from start to finish, to the extent that I became simply incapable of enjoying some arguably more vapid games I got during my play through. For a game which punishes the slightest questionable decision, I had made it desperately unfair by not patching it and assaulting some key characters, the result was my 56 hour play through blighted by a 40 hour doubly stacked curse. With no prior knowledge of vendors, of patch notes, of weapon upgrades this game felt overwhelming. Because of this, I developed a fourth-wall breaking complex where I started to loathe the game, which led to a downward spiral of in-game poor decisions and slow progression.

In hindsight I can tip my hat to the sinister humour of this negative emotional response to the game, but it is not with fondness I will remember and I would be reluctant to attempt a new game plus.

I can say I enjoyed its predecessor more. It's hub style system and "see the finish line" gameplay it was more palatable to me. I can even forgive Demon's Souls more numerous cheeky and unfair traps because it never left me feeling like it was unachievable as Dark Souls occasionally did.
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by dezm0nd »

Do yourself a favour! 12 minutes of Dark Souls II gameplay

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/04/10/dar ... inute-demo
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by Rich »

dezm0nd wrote:Do yourself a favour! 12 minutes of Dark Souls II gameplay

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/04/10/dar ... inute-demo
It looks so good!! I think this will be the first Limited Edition I'm ever going to buy.
I can't wait!

Saying that I do really hope that they've not pushed graphics too much and ruined the framerate. I'll be on PC anyway so it should be ok but I'm likely to end up owning the PS3 version as well and I'd like the inevitable swamp level to be playable.
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Re: Dark Souls

Post by James »

dezm0nd wrote:Do yourself a favour! 12 minutes of Dark Souls II gameplay

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/04/10/dar ... inute-demo
It does look good. The vivid blue lock-on is a little too... blue, and vivid for my tastes. More importantly, where are the damage counters to let us know just how ineffective our weapons are?

Check out the interview with Yui Tanimura too.
Rich wrote:It looks so good!! I think this will be the first Limited Edition I'm ever going to buy.
I can't wait!

Saying that I do really hope that they've not pushed graphics too much and ruined the framerate. I'll be on PC anyway so it should be ok but I'm likely to end up owning the PS3 version as well and I'd like the inevitable swamp level to be playable.
I really hope they are developing with next gen consoles in mind, that'd give them plenty of grunt to overcome the performance issues that plagued Blighttown on consoles (pardon the pun). Still no concrete information on release date and platforms, though the demo was clearly utilising prompts for a 360 pad.
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Re: Dark Souls I & II

Post by SnakeyDave »

Dark Souls is definitely one of my favourite games this generation. The 70 plus hours I spent exploring its world was one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I've had.

It's open, but it doesn't sacrifice its pacing by rendering every direction an equal choice as so many open world games do. You're free to go to down from Firelink Shrine towards the skeletons or the ghosts. You'll die, horrifically, but you can go. It doesn't push you where you need to go with invisible walls and way-points but lets you scramble around pushing against its systems until you find the path of least, but still considerable, resistance. When you do push forward, the sense of discovery is palpable.

Perhaps the most beguiling aspect of Dark Souls for me was the way it handled experience. Some felt that the precariousness of your souls was too punitive a feature, as a lot of effort, the spoils from a boss perhaps, could be lost forever due to a couple of minor errors. For me, this underlined that the game was really about you getting better as a player, and that any particular accumulation of souls doesn't really matter. 'Experience' or XP in many games has become a dull marker of time spent or enemies killed, but the souls in Dark Souls are just a commodity, the real experience gained is your own. Almost every encounter, won or lost, is instructive, or at least a reinforcement of lessons previously established. The proof of this comes if you choose to replay it. Where, the first time through, you might have rested on a statistical crutch by grinding in the Undead Burg, you fly through it, even at a low level, dancing round the enemies that once seemed so deadly.

That said, it was not without flaws. It is sometimes overly obtuse. A little more elaboration of how some of the items or covenants work in a sequel would hardly impact the game's overall focus on player-led exploration, or its bleak lonely tone. Some of the environments could also have been better designed. Blight Town, for example is appropriately named. Thin walkways, a poisonous swamp below and an erratic frame rate are an unpleasant combination.

Niggles aside, Dark Souls is wonderful. Its strict deep combat and surprisingly unique atmosphere were hugely compelling to me. Roll on Dark Souls 2.
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Re: Dark Souls I & II

Post by dezm0nd »

Played some Dark Souls in co-op with our very own James Carter via the PC mod DSCfix. It worked a charm and yes, it makes the game very manageable when two players are going in, talking on Skype knowing what to expect from the bosses. I wouldn't recommend new players play this way but for NG+, go for it!
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Re: Dark Souls I & II

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dezm0nd wrote:Played some Dark Souls in co-op with our very own James Carter via the PC mod DSCfix. It worked a charm and yes, it makes the game very manageable when two players are going in, talking on Skype knowing what to expect from the bosses. I wouldn't recommend new players play this way but for NG+, go for it!
I was amazed how much difference the ability to strategise and 'suit up' before each boss made. We took down Gargoyles, Capra, Gaping Dragon (twice) and Kellogg (Quelaag) without so much as a bead of sweat to tarnish our gloriously armoured complexions. :)

Speaking of "gloriously armoured complexions", the range of armour sets in Dark Souls is quite something. It's probably possible to do a mini fashion show as part of a Quick Rinse, or something. ;)
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Re: Dark Souls I & II

Post by Sean »

Does anyone know if you break a covenant (just by leaving it, not by attacking NPC), and if you go back to it, does it reset the rank you had in that covenant?

I was a Chaos Servant, gave 29 humanity, so, 1 away from level 2. Later joined the Darkmoon covenant, thinking once I get that extra humanity, I could go *back* to Chaos, and, boom, rank +2.

But, now, I just had the random thought / worry / horrid fear, that breaking covenants would reset everything. Anyone know what the deal is, there? I'm scared to find out when I get home tonight.
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Re: Dark Souls I & II

Post by Rich »

Sean wrote:Does anyone know if you break a covenant (just by leaving it, not by attacking NPC), and if you go back to it, does it reset the rank you had in that covenant?

I was a Chaos Servant, gave 29 humanity, so, 1 away from level 2. Later joined the Darkmoon covenant, thinking once I get that extra humanity, I could go *back* to Chaos, and, boom, rank +2.

But, now, I just had the random thought / worry / horrid fear, that breaking covenants would reset everything. Anyone know what the deal is, there? I'm scared to find out when I get home tonight.
http://darksouls.wikidot.com/covenants Says leaving cuts your offerings in half. Seems fair. I thought it would wipe the lot.
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