Why is he reviewing the game over 2 years too late...?

Also, in case someone doesn't check the normal video game thread, check this out (Dark Souls related and very amusing): viewtopic.php?p=2380986#p2380986

Doing a playthrough with another character (DEX based with a spear, lots of mobility and pyromancy) and getting owned by Queelagg, of all things. Anything I can't kill with pyromancy can go die in a fire.

in dark souls 2 will weapons degrade the more you use them? i always found that frustrating in games but it sounds like something that would make the game more difficult which i know that is what the entire series is about

That's what I thought the system was when I first started the game, and was kind of oddly disappointed when I discovered almost everything could be easily/cheaply repaired. Irreversible durability diminishment would make accuracy and combat skills even more paramount, and would force people to either work harder to keep their armories stocked or to switch out to inferior weapons whenever possible, making some encounters more dangerous and difficult. I think it would make sense to keep the repair system in place, but it'd be interesting if it were tweaked so that you could never repair to full durability, only fractional percentages that would constantly decrease until the weapon was eventually useless.

That'd be interesting, but isn't the game brutal enough as it is? Besides, some of those weapons are essentially unique in that you can only acquire one of them per playthrough; it'd suck if you found a weapon whose stat scaling perfectly matched your character build and you eventually just had to discard it. Repairing stuff is already pretty expensive, especially in the early stages of the game, so I think it provides enough of an element of difficulty when the primary focus of combat already means picking your weapon of choice and learning how to master its use (which took me a fair bit of time honestly, especially with the halberd).

thanks, it always frustrated me in every video game i have played with that system, i dont mind that it makes the game more difficult but its just a pain to always have to keep an eye on how damaged my weapon is but it could really work in Dark Souls 2, it really depends on how its done

i love how the game is meant to be very difficult but so far i have not seen that kind of system done well, hopefully dark souls 2 can though

so excited to play it though, if i end up liking the 2nd i will buy the first

I really don't think you should let fucking weapon degradation of all things put you off of playing Dark Souls. It's really not a huge deal in the game - you only legitimately need to repair your weapon/armor after a consistent 4-5 real-world hours of use, and even then fixing it is a matter of pressing a button and paying a cost while visiting a blacksmith or, slightly later on in the game, a bonfire.

Also:

What turned you off of the original so badly that's suddenly disappeared in the sequel? Your logic doesn't really make sense.

i just think everything looks better, i remember watching people play dark souls and there were some very painful looking sections but in dark souls 2 everything looks more fluid and from what i have seen the environments look less painful(mostly i am thinking about the place with the poisoned water near the spider i think i loathed watching gameplay in that area) from what i have seen everything just looks better with the 2nd, i know gameplay has not changed much and i never had an issue with the basic game, if i end up liking the second i definitely will get the first

Not to be a jerk or anything, but you should actually play the game before reaching such conclusions. I also thought "man, what kind of bullshit is this?" when I was told about the poison swamp in Blighttown, but it isn't that big of a deal once you actually reach the place. As long as you have some moss clumps with you (which are rather easy to obtain, mind you), you'll be fine.

i agree i watched a few games that looked painful but once i played them they were a lot of fun, but currently i can only afford one game so i thought i would wait it out for the 2nd dark souls and then get the first once i have completed the 2nd, i heard they dont have anything to do with each other storyline wise plus i have seen complete walkthrough's for the first dark souls so there is really nothing to spoil, just wondering what would be the best resource for the dark soul series so i can find out information?

also i heard there are pretty bad framerate issues for blighttown for the xbox 360 version of dark souls(the version i would get) so i am hoping the 2nd one doesnt have that issue, also is there someone on youtube who would be helpful to watch for dark souls related stuff?

my apologies for taking this thread a bit off topic in terms of people were just talking about dark souls before i came in and started talking about the 2nd but just trying to dive head first into the series and i thought i might as well start with the 2nd

I have to say your perspective on this issue does seem strangely reached and bizarrely prioritized. Doesn't Dark Souls cost like $10? Just get the game and play it.

it costs $30 at the moment, will try to get it soon but since i watched a few walkthrough's and such i would much rather get dark souls 2 because there is a lot more new content for me to discover, that is the main reason i want the 2nd one more because i have seen a lot of dark souls already

It's like $15. Unless you're in a country where video games are really expensive... But if that's too much you could just read a bunch of walkthroughs and watch a lot of videos of Dark Souls 2, as well, and save yourself the cost of buying either of them.

Started the game today to continue NG+ and GFWL wouldn't log me in, so I can't even save the game. Load of shit.

Went into NG+ for a bit and just got past the Gaping Dragon. Don't want to spoil it for anyone but some bosses are easier (probably because I have much better gear and their increase in difficulty doesn't make up for it entirely), and some are harder. Regular enemies have more health and some of them take more than one hit now with a one-handed black knight halberd. You maintain all your inventory. The only thing missing are the tools you buy from Merchants/Blacksmiths and your keys. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Nope, that's about it. So satisfying to tear the Capra a new asshole in a minute or so

You also don't get to keep neither of the quest-important rings.

Ahh ok, I hadn't noticed that one yet. Just opened up Ornstein and Smough but will try it later.

And Xlxlx that was the easiest fight I have had with the Capra Demon. I just blocked his hits with a +10 Black Iron Great Shield and it barely took much out of my stamina and he got stunned every-time his weapon bounced off.

Weird how I couldn't get the Iron Golem to lose his balance when I pummelled him one and two-handed with a Great Club. Got him down to 1 hit left and he knocked me off the cliff. Then when I retried the fight I was able to stun him when he was a little under half health I think with a Black Knight Halberd. With my stats my Great Club does more damage and I thought due to all the extra weight it would stun more easily than the halberd?

Best shield I've used is the Greatshield of Artorias. 88 stability and effect-reduction (plus 100 phys defence) means a Taurus Demon in the Demon Ruins can swing at me full force and I'll just be shot back a little with no damage. If you can compensate for the weight (I need 50 endurance for it an the armor set-up I got), then it's a beastly shield. Grass Crest Shield for normal enemies, GoA for tougher ones and bosses.

Oh yeah, the Greatshield of Artorias fucking rules. If you can get over the rather mediocre elemental defenses, then it's just all around badass. I've also grown to love the Bloodshield. Using that along with Priscilla's scythe to nullify the bleed build up turns you into a monster.

One week to go!

I think I'm gonna sell two of my other games to get the sequel. Not that I'm finished with the first one, mind you. I just defeated Gwyn for the third time with a quality build and I still wanna try out a faith build.

Gah, I made it my goal to beat the game before 2 came out, and I'm really close - Only have Nito, 4 Kings, the final boss and the DLC - but that probably won't happen anymore. Beating it before DS2, that is, I still have every intent on finishing soon.

(No, I definitely did not rage quit after wiping on Nito for the 5 millionth time... )

Pro-tip for Nito:

If you don't want to read this spoiler tag, then refer to tip #20 on the original post, and try to see how it applies to Nito.

For my SL1 run, I have only Seath and the DLC left (and the last boss obviously). I think I'll be able to finish it before II comes out, though the DLC will likely be problematic... xD

Even the Guardian is gonna be tough on SL1....so fast!

Can't even imagine Manus - lot of rolling and using the pendant I imagine....

Pyromancy feels like cheating, honestly. He was a piece of cake. Used two estus because I was sloppy, but got him on my first try and even got his tail. Then I got Artorias on my second try and healed only twice again... and I had a few Great Combustions to spare (and I whiffed a few too!).

I'm gonna need to do an SL1 without magic, because pyros made this trivial.


That one is resistant to fire, so I imagine pyros might not save me this time. We'll see. Only him and Kalameet left.

Just took a break from facing Gwyn, because I'm terrible at this game. I wanted a BKH all game long, and I finally got one, but I have no use for it at this point (can only 2h it, which I'm not very good at), so I'm hanging onto my +15 Great Scythe. I tried using Power Within, but the fact that his attacks hit me for tons of health or stamina damage made managing the HP drain too difficult. Now, I wish I would've put more points into strength instead of splitting it with dex, cause he's damn fast and Havel's set has me weighed down dramatically.

Pro-tips?

Well what do you know, the release date for the PC version has been finally announced to be the 25-th of April. Not sure yet what I feel about it, with PC being my platform of choice.

Gwyn is an anti-tank, so Havel's armour is going to be of no use for you. You should at least be able to mid-roll, because otherwise he's going to destroy you in no time. The same rule as with most other bosses applies; learn his patterns, be patient, and look for openings. Also, if you wanna do it the cheaper way:


Oh, and Oprhanizer, that BKH is something you could try out in NG+. You'll restart the game, with almost everything you've picked up, so there'll be time for it to shine

Strength wouldn't help with heavy armour, as your equipment load is determined by endurance anyway. Ditch Havel and wear light armour pieces to be able to roll (<50% of your equip burden). Also, Xlxlx's spoiler gives Gwyn's fatal flaw.


Nice. Gonna double dip when it's cheap on Steam to play at higher res and 60 FPS.

Just gave a class presentation on DS today. Had to pack so much stuff in 5 minutes but squeezed in some boss gameplay video and pictures of what I had accomplished. Had to choose a game and and do a case study on it. The one perk of a media class - anything goes. Now to actually continue my NG+.

So, I caved in and decided to buy Dark Souls on PC. Haven't installed it yet, but I just want some quick advice, what mods/patches do I need in order for it to run well with a keyboard and mouse, and any other essential things? Also, is Games for Windows LIVE really as horrible as I've heard it is?

Holy fuck Manus is hard at SL1, pyros or not. He just hits stupidly hard. No room for error. I must have tried like 30 times now... and only ever got as far as 2/3rd of his health or so. That goddamn dark magic attack, grrr.... one split second too late with the silver pendant and I'm dead. I might cave in and summon the NPC. Even if he doesn't hit so hard, he could be a distraction I guess. Though I rarely die because I failed to heal, so... I dunno.


DSFix, DSCFix, and whatever keyboard/mouse mod you can find. Look here: http://www.nexusmods.com/darksouls/mods/top/?
It's probably still gonna suck with kb/m though. And GFWL didn't cause me issues personally but many reported that it sucks, so... eh.

I just got done fighting Manus, too, but on NG+. Couldn't imagine SL1. He already got me at least 8 times. First four I stupidly didn't try out the silver pendant cause I was too lazy to figure out how to use it in battle. Hit up New Londo and beat the game tomorrow to complete NG+ run and end this thing for a long time.

I have a (kinda cheap?) recommendation for SL1 Manus, if it's desired:

Thanks Morrigan, downloaded the DSfix and a mouse fix, and it's feeling alright now. I'm gonna have to write down the controls on a piece of paper though, because I won't remember them all myself. It seems with Dark Souls, even the control scheme is your enemy.

Unfortunately, I have to play offline, due to the utter travesty that is trying to create a GFWL account, and so just getting a local offline one. No invasions, alas, but it's a small price to pay. Hell, Steam and Origin are annoying, but at least they were simple to get up and running. Oh well.

Now it's time to go and get my ass severely kicked!

GRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH



These foul creatures are now with Rh'llor. For the night is dark and full of assholes that OHKO your puny SL1, but I have prevailed!

Sorry to interrupt, but that made me laugh pretty hard.

Must get around to having a crack at this game at some point in the future...

Finally going to get back to DS this weekend after a hiatus of over two weeks (!!!!! ) It's to be the first real foray into Sen's Fortress for me.... could just be my imagination, but for some reason I feel like I should stock up on arrows 'n' bolts. I haven't had much use for bows in this playthrough yet, however, and the limited quantity of projectile stock kinda puts me off the notion. Soul Arrow has been filling the gap fine, though I might come to regret that.

Not really. Most things in Sen's Fortress are quite resistant to physical damage, so having a way to inflict either magical or elemental punishment comes in pretty handy.

I second that motion And yeah, Crushed, you should definitely get this game. I haven't even touched my other games since I got it. It's that fucking addictive.