Alex79uk wrote: ↑January 15th, 2018, 3:02 pm Incidentally, where does this game fit in the Dark Souls time line? I'd assumed it was after, but then the inclusion of the onion Knight (who should be dead?) made me think twice.

First, keep in mind that "Time in Lordran is convoluted", so there may not be a clear-cut Dark Souls timeline like you have in other series. With that being said, Dark Souls 3 is indeed meant to be set at a certain point after the events of the first Dark Souls, at least.

Second, Siegmeyer from Dark Souls and Siegward from Dark Souls 3 are actually two different characters, despite the obvious (and intended) similarities.

Aaaah I didn't catch that! I'd thought he was the same chap. I let out an audible cheer when he came up on the lift!

I had a day off yesterday and managed to put a few more hours in to Dark Souls 3.

I reached and beat the boss of the Cathedral Of The Deep, and pressed on to Farrons Keep, eventually reaching the boss and...

Spoiler: show

...thinking I'd beaten him fairly easily before he transformed in to an incredibly difficult fire sword wielding maniac! Only had a couple of goes at him and not managed to beat him yet.

Met up with Patches - the complete arse has stolen onion mans armor, so I'm going to run my sword through him next time I'm back at Firelink.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that unless the game takes a sharp turn towards the middle and end, I think it might actually be a better game that Dark Souls 1. It's already climbed higher than Dark Souls 2 for me, and nothing will ever replace the sheer mystery of my original playthrough of the first game but I can see that mechanically this is superior. Just absolute first class gameplay, enemy design, world design, it's got everything.

My main issue with Dark Souls 3 is that it is the only Soulsborne game which doesn't really stand alone, to my eyes. It relies on the existence of the other games in every way and doesn't have anything to say which the other games haven't already said. It's leans on recycled lore, assets, areas, NPCs and as much as I enjoyed a nippier Souls after Bloodborne, there is a real lack of build variety compared to the first two games. It's kind of like a greatest hits album. It might be all killer but it has no inherent character of its own.

I've played through it I don't know how many times but the best playthroughs were on the Japanese version because I imagined so much fantastic lore and reasons for various links with the other games. It turned out it was little more than 'hey, remember this?'

It's gorgeous, the combat is very fluid (especially on the Pro), there are some fantastic areas but I can't remember anything about the base game which wasn't indebted to the rest of the series in some way, or weirdly (lazily) explicit in its references to Berserk, the manga. Having recently read all of Berserk, it actually made me think even less of DS3 (and Bloodborne, for that matter) because so so much visual design was simply copied from it, rather than used (mostly) as a springboard for inspiration, as with Demon's and the first Dark Souls.



DS2 gets a lot of flak but it dares to completely break away from the world of DS1 (and, visually, from Berserk) and it's probably the most varied and unusual in the series for that reason. Its themes are moving and it has a cohesive, direct message, and it feels perfectly standalone. Dark Souls is the best but I would more likely go to the barricades for DS2.

I said this after beating again late last year that despite the community lukewarm response to it DS3 is the best game in the series for sure but what Stanhall said is certainlly true and a big reason why people werent taken by as they maybe would if they judged it in isolation,

I'm up to the Nameless King and I just feel like I'm never gonna beat him. I'm fine with the first stage but that secons stage is ruining me every time. Anybody got any advice on strategies, gear/ equipment etc?

It’s been a long time but...

Spoiler: show

...I think he’s pretty easy to tank if you have the right gear. If you’ve dealt with Dragonslayer Armour on the tower then you can craft his lightning resistant shield. I have it recorded on my ps4 I think, so I can check but am not back till tonight.


Hmm, swiftkey knew ‘Dragonslayer’ without prompting, what’s going on there

ADumican83 wrote: ↑January 28th, 2018, 8:49 am I'm up to the Nameless King and I just feel like I'm never gonna beat him. I'm fine with the first stage but that secons stage is ruining me every time. Anybody got any advice on strategies, gear/ equipment etc?

Spoiler: show

His second phase is very aggressive, so a good Lightning-resistant shield / armor does make a difference. He is also weak to Fire and Dark attacks, so maybe consider using consumable buffs if your weapon is compatible?

Alternatively, you can always summon help if he proves insurmountable. Unless you're like me and your pride doesn't allow it!

Well, I've had a look and I don't know if I can recommend my method. It involves tanking with loads of health, that shield, and totally inappropriate armour and weapons

I did summon someone on this one but they were killed early on.

Spoiler: show

Stanshall wrote: ↑January 27th, 2018, 3:21 pm My main issue with Dark Souls 3 is that it is the only Soulsborne game which doesn't really stand alone, to my eyes.

The more time that passed after playing through Dark Souls 3, the more I came to appreciate Dark Souls 2 for this very reason. The second game has some issues but one of the biggest ones for me is the couple almost copy pasted bosses from the first game. It felt very lazy. Then enters the third game where the main beats of the game follow the first not to mention removing some very nice mechanics from the second for seemingly no reason. Too much of it seemed to scream, "remember Dark Souls 1?!" At least the second was largely its own thing in the end.

Chopper wrote: ↑January 28th, 2018, 5:57 pm Well, I've had a look and I don't know if I can recommend my method. It involves tanking with loads of health, that shield, and totally inappropriate armour and weapons

Nameless King was the point I said screw it. After several deaths beyond the half way point, I resorted to "that". Havel's Shield went up and proceeded to beat him down easily immediately after that. Sometimes all you need is a good turtling.

I finally defeated Nameless this morning. A few times I had him to within a single hit before he'd kill me. Then I finally did it. Dragonslayer Shield equipped and then it was a case of managing my stamina and getting the odd hit in when I could. It was such a relief. I was really starting tonfall out with the game at that point. A bit like how I felt with Ornstein amd Smough. I know Nameless is optional but I couldn't leave it.

ADumican83 wrote: ↑January 30th, 2018, 1:24 pm I finally defeated Nameless this morning.

Good stuff, man. Perseverance is key.

I just finished my first play through. What a fantastic game. I could criticise a few things I guess but it really would be nit picking compared to the amount of enjoyment I got from it. To think I only started a game going to see how it would run on my PC after picking it up in the Steam Sale for £9.99. What a bargain.

Really looking forward to the Switch release. Will be great to play DS flexibly. Planning to go magic user for the first time in a Souls game. And I want the Solaire amiibo!

It's a shame that the Switch version has been delayed but hopefully it leads to a better experience.

I'll probably get the game on both PS4 and NS, PS4 works better for friends and I'm interested in the graphical improvements, Switch because the idea of playing Dark Souls away from the sofa or desk is SO appealing right now.

I'm tempted by the PS4 version, but I think I'll hold off until I eventually get a Switch and play that one instead. The thought of the full Dark Souls experience on handheld is just too appealing.

Interesting experience replaying the first Dark Souls - Between the slow combat, obscure level design and thick atmosphere, I'm surprised how much closer it is to Demon's Souls than to the rest of the series, especially BB and DS3.

I'm also in the sweet spot in that my last playthrough was far enough away that a lot of details are feeling fresh again, but without ever getting genuinely stuck or having to look anything up. I'm playing a DEX/FTH hybrid build because I apparently hate myself.

I plan on replaying DS3 shortly afterwards. Let's see if that game's often maligned aspects become more apparent to me this time around in direct juxtaposition with the original.

The movement speed felt so slow to me this time round, even running with no armour felt like moving through treacle. I don’t know whether this was conditioning from the latter two games being much ‘faster’ to play.

My playthrough also brought home the vast difference between the first and second halves of the game. There is too much of a reliance on environmental effects imo. Darkness in Tomb of Giants, lava in Lost Iz, invisible walkways up top etc.

Chopper wrote: ↑June 30th, 2018, 8:22 am The movement speed felt so slow to me this time round, even running with no armour felt like moving through treacle. I don’t know whether this was conditioning from the latter two games being much ‘faster’ to play.

Has to be. And the Estus chugging is sooo slow, too!
Thankfully, the enemies are really slow as well and much less of a threat in comparison to the various hyperactive Sonic the Hedgehog wannabes in BB.

I'm still in the first half, taking my sweet time as always. The environmental traversal is truly fantastic, isn't it? The Darkroot Garden is definitely one of the very best locations in the series. I decided to go fight Sif early (before Capra and The Depths), and carefully progressing through this vast, dark and beautiful environment while being ever so slightly under-leveled brought back some of the feelings of my very first playthrough.

Yes, the traversal is a delight. There is the issue of it being a bit too easy due to familiarity, but as you mention, you can recapture that old Souls feeling though being under levelled

Oh, and the estus drinking got me killed so many times!