The only real Hand of Fate.

Well, I joined the Rat King Covenant last night. No real idea what that does or means, but it seems a lot less dorky than the Blue.

I still cannot find a way to No-man's Wharf. I'm not asking for help, it's just unbelievable to me. I have to be missing something REALLY obvious. I'm probably going to give up on it and just try to explore my way through the Lost Bastille.

I know you didn't ask for help, but a vague hint if you ever want one...

That's perfect! Not a spoiler or walkthrough in the least. Thanks! I'm running wild all over Bastille but I'll go check out Heides next. Should be easy, I spent so much time there its a ghost town.

Had to take a break. The Lost Prisoner has my number.

It's always struck me as a bit sadistic that the toughest area from the first 2/3rds or so of the game is one that most people are likely to find so early. It's not necessarily a bad idea -- it gives encouragement to explore elsewhere and understand the game's structure -- but man, the Bastille can be mean to a first-timer.

Interesting! I thought I honestly came in a bit overpowered for Bastille. That first real Imperial Swordsmen ambush got me but a spear and choke point took care of that. Having a +3 bow is nice too. In pretty much all instances. Great for guaranteed kills without taking damage, and crowd control.

The Lost Prisoner was my first major stumbling block in the area. It's frustrating because he's really enjoyable to fight but it is a SLOG getting back to him. He's craftier, faster, AND has better range than any boss I've fought so far. Its fun as shit and I'm starting to pin down his moveset. But I get burned out on making the run back to him pretty quickly. I'm at the bonfire up on the tower with the crossbow idiot. Definitely has to be the closest one right? I'll kill him tomorrow.

Still can't get over this game. No one ever really explained it to me before. The way it makes you feel so incredibly lonely is amazing to me. But the feeling of victory it gives is insane for a PvE experience. Obviously boss fights and huge pre-ordained to be scary moments, but even way further down to the simple feeling of a few perfectly timed rolls and attacks. It makes you feel tense, lonely, and borderline hopeless...but also like a complete fucking bad ass. It's such an old school game design mindset, really. Everyone has been so obsessed by open worlds for a decade now, but if it's an open world full of NOTHING who fucking cares? Give me mystery and mystique and thrilling close calls. Crushing defeats and glorious victories. Miss me with the sheep-finding quests.

Do you mean the Lost Sinner?

That's a she, actually. She's much easier now than she was at launch, she's been nerfed at some point, which makes me a bit sad. She's easier if you


You're describing exactly what I love about Souls games and why I fell in love with Demon's Souls.

Best gaming franchise ever.

The Lost Sinner is definitely the hardest of the four "lordsoul" bosses, IMO. And, yes, the bonfire on the tower is the nearest bonfire.

Are you playing scholar or vanilla? The Bastille is a touch less mean in Scholar (for one thing, that big swordsman choke/ambush is a LOT meaner in vanilla than scholar); in Scholar, you could make a case for the Iron Keep being the tougher area.

Surprised you're having more problems with The Lost Sinner than Ruin Sentinels, though. Ruin Sentinels always ruin my day (well, nowadays I always skip them, but before I knew about that skip...).

I agree: she has tricky attacks, bad hitbox on the lunge attack and that annoying backstep.. also on ng+ she has friends

Sentinels was the scariest boss of my first run: i was not expecting such a strong gank so early and i find their appearance quite unnerving... damned tall and slim humanoids!

While testing for the sl1 run i found a way to reach that fight with a +6 mace: if you add an aromatic Ooze you can literally kill them on the first platform, it was a nice payback

And really glad that you are liking so much the game Jonpo! I really couldn't imagine a 80's metal fan like you not enjoying this kind of well done dark fantasy

Oops. Sinner. Yes. SoTFS also. That makes more sense, if its not quite as tough as your original play through.

It's got me Morrigan. It's got me the whole way. It's a very simple recipe for success when you think about it. But they do it so lovingly. I can't wait to play DS1 and 3. I've watched some footage of people in Anor Londo and it makes me giddy for some reason. I love the scale of everything being so over the top.

My pride won't let me look at that spoiler tag! It was obvious from 8000 messages to light the things on both sides with a torch. I did that. Is it super dark in there otherwise? I think I can best her tomorrow. I've beat most every boss with the same general strategy of rolling through their attacks in close, a few quick pokes of the rapier, roll out. It just doesn't work with that huge arcing swing and more willingness to cover ground BEFORE she swings.

I'm so bad with names. I get too caught up in the action to process them. Are Ruin Sentinels the three clockwork lanky bois? Or maybe something I haven't hit yet...

Yup, that trio is usually the nightmare of first time players!

Sounds like it's the Clockwork Triplets. I honestly felt like I wrecked them but I'm sure it's documented here. I think it took two or three tries. Realizing I could finish one of them off on that first ledge without the other two joining was all I needed.

I spent a lot of time killing everything in Heides before I moved on. Like there's no one left alive but the very last White Knight with the spear. I was like level 70 when I hit the Ruined Toy Soldiers. I thought the lone Pursuer was harder tbh.

I swear 95% of the battle in this game is just fighting down the panic.

Hahah I guess it does add up. I wish I could pair it with music but NEVER. That would destroy the tension.

My girl even created a character. She's been next to me for like 70% of the ridiculous hours I've already dumped into this masterpiece. It's exciting to me that this seems to be the least popular installment and I'm absolutely smitten by it. DS1, 3, Lovecraft Souls, and Ninja Souls are all on my to-do list. Is it impossible to play Demon's Souls once the servers go down? Or will it function completely offline? I was really hoping to see where it all started.

It's fully playable offline, yes. Online was kinda dead anyway so it won't make a huge difference, but it'll be even lonelier now... RIP


Souls in a nutshell

Yeah, and she frequently jumps back into the darkness, where you can't see her and which breaks lock. Then she'll use her charge attack on you from unpredictable angles from the darkness.

Level 70, that early?!?! Damn, you DID manage to overlevel, haha. That's a roughly end-game character level.

Speaking of Souls, Demon's Souls is now nearly 100% in RPCS3, for those of you who are PC-only. I really need to give it a whirl (haven't had time, been travelling too much for work, what gaming time I have had has been going to various Falcom titles).

Level 70 isn't that end-game at all in DS2. You level up far quicker than in the other games. That said, it's definitely overlevelled for the Bastille.

Ahah! You have quite a lot of levels, but it's not a breeze for sure: i'm surprised it was so easy!

I share part of the girlfriend situation: i don't usually play the game when she's at my place, but she likes to cheer during tough boss fights (fume knight with her around was amazing!)

Huh, I had remembered being around 80 at the end of the game, but it looks like you're right; my last playthrough, my character was level 152 at the end of the first NG cycle.

(It could also be some early-playthrough weirdness I'm remembering; it took me a few plays of the games to get how to really use soul items efficiently, and I was generally underleveled. I remember people's "wtf" reaction to my first character in DS1 beating the game with a SL in the 50s, which even for DS1 is quite low.)

Look it got a little personal with me and the Heide Knights okay...

fuck em up Jonpo. Heide Knights can get bent.

ok lads. since I was going through MGS withdrawal from 100% MGSV and ~100 hours of FOB invasions, I broke down and got a PS3. It was 60 bucks for the 500GB model. I got MGS Legacy, Demons Souls, Dark Souls Prepare to Die, Zone of the Enders HD. What else is worth playing on this console?

Er... what other platforms do you have? Since you got Dark Souls PTD I assume you don't have a good PC right, so multiplats are OK to suggest?

I had a 360 forever, now I only got an Xbox One (was on sale). multiplats from last generation are fine (if I played 'em it's fine, I'll just ignore it), but any dope PS3 exclusives are ideally welcomed.

Okay

In addition to those you already got, I'd recommend those, then (assuming you also don't plan on getting a PS4 any time soon? most of those have been re-released/remastered for PS4 with improvements):

Dragon's Crown
The Last of Us
Uncharted 2
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
Deus Ex: Human Revolutions - Director's Cut
Fallout New Vegas

I'd also recommend Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, Borderlands 2, but since they got re-released on X1, play them for that instead if you haven't played it on 360.

I'd say Dishonored, Vanquish, Devil May Cry 4, "Tales of" series (Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Xillia 1 and 2, Tales of Graces), and The Evil Within (although this one is better on XB1).

Valkyria Chroniclessssss (though it was re-released on pc).

Good to hear. Myself I never finished DS1 due to it not being available on PS4 unfortunately. Ruin Sentinels is easily one of my favourite boss fights in Dark Souls - when you nail it, it's a blast and real sense of accomplishment, especially solo. Wait until you get to DS3 Jonpo, by the sounds of it you'll sink hundreds of hours into it. I've got four characters right now, each with a different build set up. Rules hard.

Speaking of DS3, the Ringed City DLC is brutal in places. From the Mausoleum Lookout onwards, it's immediately tough as balls, but when you're down in the swamp area, it's fucking brutal, especially for my squishy mage character.

Ah, I see you are a man of taste as well and play the games the correct way.

I'm trying to finish Grim Fandango before the end of the year--my first time playing it. I love the dialog and characters in it, but I can't quite wrap my head around the puzzles and solutions to things. I have to look things up constantly, which ruins the experience a bit. There must be some kind of mindset to approaching these adventure games that I simply do not possess.

Probably the same mindset you need for D:OS! It's about approaching games as obstacles that you need to overcome, rather than simply going along for the ride and enjoying it more passively. They're both fundamentally different approaches, but in games like Grim Fandango and D:OS2 they're melded together.

I didn't grow up a PC gamer or an point-n-click adventure gamer. I cut my teeth on the kinds of puzzles Nintendo is famous for. I'd chock it up to that stark difference if anything.

What's D:OS? I'm not instantly recognizing that abbreviation.

Divinity: Original Sin. I guess I don't really remember Nintendo puzzles.

I plan on doing this with every one of them lol. I watched a guy play Demons Souls on twitch last night and it looked magical.

Found No Mans Wharf. It was kind of a joke at my level but of course in running rampant I fucked myself. Then got antsy about collecting my souls. Got into a loop of collecting then dying, ended up rolling off into the water for like a 25k loss. Woops!

Its neat how those long-armed beasts shy away if you have a torch. I snagged the Knight set and killed that dope ass elephant monster in Heides as well. Picked up an ultra greatsword somewhere along the way. I can use it but my equip load sucks. Working on that so I can mess around with some heavier gear. Drangleic sword seems ridiculous.

I'm getting fucking ruined in the Shade Forest.

http://www.capcom-unity.com/dubindoh/bl ... ta-details

I'm in

Oh pppsshh, I should've caught that. My son and I recently finished a 105-hour playthrough of Divinity: Original Sin. Yes, that game has some rather obtuse puzzles and direction. It would be nice if quests at least hinted at where to go next. An imperfect adventure, but still strangely fascinating. The opening 12 hours or so was a jarring learning curve for us, particularly as we went straight from Diablo III to Divinity. Holy crap was that a change of pace.

By Nintendo puzzles, think of the way Zelda works. The current puzzle is almost always dependent on an item you just picked up or will pick up in the current dungeon. Boss battles are figured the same way. There is a careful logic to it all that makes the "how" predictable, and all you have to do is figure out the direction.

For Grim Fandango, it's a weird mix of trial and error and obtuse conversation following. One puzzle required me to find a rag in a drawer, soak it in some kind of fuel, and then... put that in a toaster? Put the oily rag in the toaster. My head is full of fuck.

Holy sweet god damn teaser for the next From game:

https://youtu.be/b3d5sdYuZNM

Fingers crossed so tightly it's Bloodborne 2.

Probably not. Japanese script in the background suggests something new.

Also itsfuckingnothing.gif Oh well, I can be patient for once, since I'll have MH World...

I am hoping for Bloodborne 2. I've heard it could be a new Shadow Tower (for some reason), but the smart play for From Software would be to make Bloodborne 2.

I'll be getting Dark Souls 3 in today. I'm looking forward to playing it, as the last time I played a Souls game was the first DS years ago. Hopefully I'm not completely trash at it, haha.