OP it was nice reading through your journey. I l had a similar arc going from Bloodborne > Dark Souls > Demon Souls > Dark Souls 3 last year and absolutely loved it. Couldnt get into Dark Souls 2 SotFS tho.
Demons Souls is a must, I still think its better than Dark Souls in many ways. Tower of Latria and Valley of Defilement are unforgettable.
Considering what Soul of Cinder represented, and having TRC boss be a Dark Soul analogue of that with some of Manus' combos...worked pretty well, imo. I mean there were lore hints about him...but I always felt curious about how berserk he'd be in DS3 speed combat.
OP it was nice reading through your journey. I l had a similar arc going from Bloodborne > Dark Souls > Demon Souls > Dark Souls 3 last year and absolutely loved it. Couldnt get into Dark Souls 2 SotFS tho.
Demons Souls is a must, I still think its better than Dark Souls in many ways. Tower of Latria and Valley of Defilement are unforgettable.
Dark Souls has some welcomed gameplay advancements and the interconnected world is nice, but yeah Demons Souls just absolutely fucking oozes atmosphere and has probably the most oppressive feeling of hopelessness. Demons still remains my personal favorite.
Demon's' level design blows Dark Souls' out of the water imo. Yeah, areas aren't interconnected, but they all kick serious ass despite that. Valley of Defilement makes Blighttown look like Disneyland.
Glad to see you had fun with it. I've been considering replaying it recently to see how it compares to what I remember it to be. Like you mentioned bosses especially might seem weak now.
Did you know that a high quality Artorias statue was released? it looks so good.
The thing about Penetrator is that you don't get neither his armor nor his weapon after the fight, just a spell. That was so disappointing for me as coming from Dark Souls that seemed like a given.
It falls off pretty hard after anor Londo but it wasn't terrible I guess. The thing about the endgame is that all the areas you have to explore are either rushed or is an area that you have seen and explored before. It really looses all sense of adventure once you're just visiting the same old places that you've seen before.
Plus map design ranges anywhere from ok to laughably terrible at the endgame. Seriously, the izalith enemy placement has all the precision and care of the MS paint spray tool.
Combat is nearly as interesting as later games but that can be forgiven.
In terms of consistency of quality, DS1 is a bit more bumpy than say DS3, but the highs were absolutely great. But yeah, I found myself scratching my head when I arrived at Lost Izalith. I read somewhere that Miyazaki himself disliked the area too.
He represented humanity gone rampant, what might happen when the Age of Dark arrives. I know DS series was wrapped up, but if there ever were a sequel that takes place in the Age of Dark (as opposed to the Age of Fire arc that is DS1-3), Manus should absolutely play a significant role. He had too much potential to be a one-off character.
I think this game most had the feel of "adventure" out of any game in the series. Dark Souls 2 had some of that, Dark Souls 3 had less, but Dark Souls 1 is the game where I most had the feeling of "There is this big wonderful world to explore, and I can't wait!"
Before I played DS1, I would have had a counterargument that is essentially a product of you as a player having prior experience in the sequels whereas for DS1 it would've been a fresh new one. But after playing it, I agree with your sentiment. DS1 has that distinct feeling of exploration and intrigue.
I know I gotta play Demon's Souls. I must. Just not right now Artorias is a very close 2nd for me. And it's O&S, not S&O, thank you very much! (#teamOrnstein)
I love every game in the series more or less equally, but honestly I found it hard to (re)play DS coming from DS III, a few months ago. The character felt so stiff.
I loved DS1. Artorias is probably my favorite boss fight out of the two games I have played in the series (Demon's and DS1). Maybe someday I will overcome my dislike for the way DS2 handles enemy encounters to play through it and beat it. I still have DS3 ready to go when that happens.
DS2 is still very good in my view. But if you feel that's not your thing, I think it's completely reasonable to skip it and play DS3. DS1 to DS3 definitely feels like a logical progression.
Dark souls 1 is an incredible game. I still remember the feeling of being stuck for days on end in hellish blight town and the slow realisation when taking elevator up and hearing that calm, soothing firelink shrine music. Yes I was finally somewhere safe, only for that comfort to be terribly short-lived once I learnt that the bonfire was out and noticed that the fire keeper was dead. None of the other games in the series have replicated this feeling and I largely attribute this to the lack of warping in the first half (pre lord vessel) of the game.
I've played through the game near 20 times with different builds, level 1 challenge pyromancer runs and speed run routing and the addition of master key made that amazing and, still to this day, I remember how the different areas connect together quite vividly.
Demons souls holds a special place in my heart, having imported the HK edition and then going on to contribute to the wikis but the first half of dark souls 1 really is unique among the souls games.
I'm all but burnt out from the series after having played them for 8 years, especially, in the manner that I've played them but it still brings a smile to my face when new players enjoy dark souls 1. Hope you enjoy demons souls when you get round to playing it.
If there's something From Software are absolute masters at, is their ability to create distinct worlds, lore and story that are every bit as good and insteresting as the previous/next game while keeping the same mechanics and being basically the same games.
Like, I can't decide which game/world I like the most. Probably BB but definitely not to the detriment of the others.
One problem with DS3 is that I didn't get the references. Arriving at Anor Londo meant pretty much nothing to me, since I've never been there before. Firelink shrine.
play Demon's Souls. most things you think are references to DS1 are actually from DeS. the rolling skeletons, the dragon bridge, the crystal lizards, the gargoyles carrying you places, the layouts of firelink shrine and irithyll dungeon and lothric high wall/castle, etc.
imo DS3 is far more like Demon's Souls than any other game. DS3 is not simply wrapping up the Dark Souls series, it's about bringing it back to where it started, about coming full circle, with Demon's Souls. it is amazing how much was already crystalized and in place from the start.
Had a similar journey to you OP (mastering Bloodborne and moving on to Dark Souls 1, 3, Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 2: SotFS at the end).
Absolutely love the unique atmosphere these games have and the core mechanics. Interesting theory about the foreshadowing featured in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC... hmm.
My friend bought me Dark Souls to get into the series. I started it tonight and I just can't keep playing. 720p on my 4K UHD tv...the game looks like actual vomit.
I went DS3>BB>DS1>DS2, but I only played the DLC for BB. Would you guys recommend going back and playing the DLC for DS1-3 even though I'd have to do it in NG+?
In terms of consistency of quality, DS1 is a bit more bumpy than say DS3, but the highs were absolutely great. But yeah, I found myself scratching my head when I arrived at Lost Izalith. I read somewhere that Miyazaki himself disliked the area too.
The end development of Dark Souls was rushed, which is why some of the ending areas felt lacking. The AOTA area was actually cut content that they couldn't squeeze into the game in time and had to cut.
DS2 is still very good in my view. But if you feel that's not your thing, I think it's completely reasonable to skip it and play DS3. DS1 to DS3 definitely feels like a logical progression.
I went DS3>BB>DS1>DS2, but I only played the DLC for BB. Would you guys recommend going back and playing the DLC for DS1-3 even though I'd have to do it in NG+?
I agree about DS1 having the best sense of adventure out of all the games. I remember getting stuck in blightown on my first play through. I went the long way into blighttown, was cursed and all of my decent weapons were either broken or unusable at my current stats. I also wasn't aware that the water wheel would take me back to the top. To top it all off, Quelaag was a major roadblock for me due to my fear of spiders.
I was really enjoying the game, but it had me well and truly beaten. I picked up a copy of Demon's souls to see if I would fare better... And I did. I breezed through it in a few weeks.
With my newfound confidence, I returned to face Quelaag again, thinking I'd just wreck her.
Alas, it took me about two hours to beat her. On reflection, I can't really believe that I had so much trouble with her, but I guess I can't have been doing too much damage with my broken weapon, and the curse wasn't helping. Nor was the fat rolling.
On my way out, I discovered the water wheel, but died a few times due to falling and the toxic darts. I couln't believe it when I eventually found my way back to firelink shrine. It was a place of comfort for me after all I'd been through. Alas, the fire keeper was dead, so I hightailed it to the blacksmith bonfire, half expecting that one to be dead too. And wouldn't you know it, the door to this fortress is open now.
I could go on, but I won't. DS1 was the best adventure a game has ever taken me on. I always roll my eyes whenever people over exaggerate the weak portions of the latter half. They're not as good as the first half, but they're not terrible either. Saving the dlc until then really helps too.
I went DS3>BB>DS1>DS2, but I only played the DLC for BB. Would you guys recommend going back and playing the DLC for DS1-3 even though I'd have to do it in NG+?
I'm at the final boss of DS3 and I still definitely like the first game the best. Mainly because I play games for stories and Dark Souls 1's story & lore is very creative, interesting and fully fleshed out. My favorite bit is the Serpent stuff, it's so out of left field and adds a cool dynamic to it all. Manus/Artorias and that whole time traveling DLC chapter to the real beginning of the darkness that crept across all these games was the best expansion you could do.
Besides the usual issues you noted with DS1, the other sorta weakness is that it's very much the least balanced game in the series. After Anor Londo you can break your build so much you're killing every boss in 4 hits. 2&3 are far more balanced and challenging because of it, though DS1 is challenging through Anor Londo so about 60% of the game.
I actually liked DS2 a lot. It was pretty different but was a very fascinating almost sci-fi horror-ish story with Venderick, his wife, his brother Aldia, the Giants., etc...Fume Knight, The Sunken Temple. It did a good job being different but still connected to series lore because of the dark soul. Also had really varies areas, though some bad ones too.
DS3's been great and I'm looking forward to diving into the lore after I beat it, but from what I get it seems to have the MGS4 problem of being too much a tying up prior ends and not being enough of its own unique tale. Also I was hoping if it was doing that, that the serpents would be back and part of the tale, but it seems more just cameo stuff prior to the final boss/ending. I did like the statues in the Ringed City.
I'm also a big Souls fan that never played Demon's
I'm not sure I would like stage based areas though, but at this day some people still say Demon's atmosphere is better/more opresive than Bloodborne, and those are some HUGE words.
Did you install any mods or were you running any overlays or other injectors like D3DOverrider or MSI Afterburner? It's a bad port, but in my experience it's very stable. The only time I've had it crash was because I had d3doverrider on.
I'm also a big Souls fan that never played Demon's
I'm not sure I would like stage based areas though, but at this day some people still say Demon's atmosphere is better/more opresive than Bloodborne, and those are some HUGE words.
I think Demon's Souls stages are second to Dark Souls in how well they're connected. Basically, each time you die, you start at the beginning of the stage, but the shortcuts you find help prevent the game having tedious backtracking. Opening a shortcut on that game is very similar to finding another route back to Firelink on Dark Souls: it just feels like such a relief.
Also, 3-1 is the best level in the series in terms of atmosphere. A few of the other games tried to emulate that and failed.
I did VoD2 in co-op. Not because I was having a load of trouble (if this was the level with that Invader in the swamp that people had trouble with, I know I beat him by myself quite easily), but it made the level slightly more bearable.
I think Demon's Souls stages are second to Dark Souls in how well they're connected. Basically, each time you die, you start at the beginning of the stage, but the shortcuts you find help prevent the game having tedious backtracking. Opening a shortcut on that game is very similar to finding another route back to Firelink on Dark Souls: it just feels like such a relief.
Also, 3-1 is the best level in the series in terms of atmosphere. A few of the other games tried to emulate that and failed.
Yeah I imagine Demon's levels are kind of Cathedral of the Deep, meaning 1 bonfire and shortcuts tied to the bonfire room, instead of random bonfires through the area.
Those are my favs areas for sure.
Yeah I imagine Demon's levels are kind of Cathedral of the Deep, meaning 1 bonfire and shortcuts tied to the bonfire room, instead of random bonfires through the area.
Those are my favs areas for sure.
Yeah, that's kind of a perfect example to be honest. By the time you're at a boss, you generally have a straight shot to the boss room. The only negative to that is the fact that the runs to the boss rooms tend to feel quite pointless and tedious, because you generally won't run into any resistance for a majority of them, so it feels like padding at times.
I'm also a big Souls fan that never played Demon's
I'm not sure I would like stage based areas though, but at this day some people still say Demon's atmosphere is better/more opresive than Bloodborne, and those are some HUGE words.
When people say this, they often mean Tower of Latria and Valley of Defilement I'd imagine which really are locations straight out of Bloodborne. There are music changes and some stories that made me question "Why and for what am I doing this all for?" (a theme that the other games capture as well). I can't imagine how strange and completely bleak people found Demon's Souls back in the day when it was first released; a game completely doing its own thing in terms of mechanics and story. So much of what was found in successive games was already there and established in Demon's Souls. Maybe one day to honour the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne and a lot of games that were inspired by them, we'll hopefully get that remaster for PS4 with some small but noticeable (perhaps optional) additions/changes for a new audience.
When people say this, they often mean Tower of Latria and Valley of Defilement I'd imagine which really are locations straight out of Bloodborne. There are music changes and some stories that made question "Why and for what I'm doing this all for?" (a theme that the other games capture as well). I can't imagine how strange and completely bleak people found Demon's Souls back in the day when it was first released; a game completely doing its own thing in terms of mechanics and story. So much of what was found in successive games was already there and established in Demon's Souls. Maybe one day to honour the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne and a lot of games that were inspired by them, we'll hopefully get that remaster for PS4 with some small but noticeable(perhaps optional) additions/changes for a new audience.
I can definately see how seeing Anor Londo in DS1 would be a really cool experience after seeing it in DS3.
Glad to see newer players enjoy the older games without being put off - I just finished a DS1 playthough myself, and I admit I felt the creakiness of it's age more than ever before, it took a beat to get back in the swing of things, especially since I came right from a replay of BB. They're classic games though and any classic will always stand the test of time no matter what improvements are made down the line to the series or genre.
I'm also a big Souls fan that never played Demon's
I'm not sure I would like stage based areas though, but at this day some people still say Demon's atmosphere is better/more opresive than Bloodborne, and those are some HUGE words.
For me, nothing beats 5-2 in DeS - the atmosphere there is thick.
And while its world design has nothing on DaS, being segregated and all, I would say it has perhaps the best (on average) individual level design in the series. I don't think it has all that much more going for it compared to later entries, though, besides the atmosphere and level design. Combat, bosses, and roleplaying elements were all improved in DaS onwards, but I would still heartily recommend playing DeS.
I'm also a big Souls fan that never played Demon's
I'm not sure I would like stage based areas though, but at this day some people still say Demon's atmosphere is better/more opresive than Bloodborne, and those are some HUGE words.
The staged based areas are actually better interconnected in their micro worlds that some of the later games which is crazy to me that they never improved upon that design, which i think is partly due to how the game doesn't have a checkpoint system like the newer ones. Also how it's layed out with the slabs in the hub leading to other areas is pretty cool and not just a simple bonfire text to warp.
Excellent OP...I JUST started Dark Souls 3 and I've ONLY beat Bloodborne....and I was way overleveled honestly....Also, I'm pretty bad at these games..I get nervous..it takes significant effort for me to "calm down" during the fights. But the game and all dlc was on sale and I heard it plays more like bloodborne...so I decide to give it a shot
I just started last night...here's how Gundyr went for me..(I mean, after spawning and dying to some blue crystal lizard-thing and deciding I'm not fucking going that way again..)
Gundyr fight initiated
YOU DIED whoa that was fast ...I notice I didn't even have my 2nd sword equipped...how do I do that?
A couple mins later...after googling how to dual-wield..::sigh:: I know, I'm sorry..
YOU DIED...ok sooo after that attack he immediately does another attack...got it
YOU DIED...I'm timing my dodge wrong..I'm going too early and literally jumping into his attack. Also...I forgot there's this thing called lock-on
next try- Whoa...lock-on REALLY helps you dodge when you time it right. I'm smacking dude in the back. oh shit, gotta get away!
YOU DIED...but it was kind of cool how he impaled me and flung me away. Gotta stick and move, man, stick and move. I definitely hung out too close for too long..
During the next attempt I realize I can also use fast-left attacks. I start using and mixing both left and right and I notice his hp dwindles WAY faster, especially with the spinny-attack...Got him to 50% pretty quick...I GOT THIS...he changes into some fucking blob-thing with a huge arm and smashes me with......his tail? (I should have expected this, honestly)
YOU DIED.....but again, I got him to 50% and wasn't using the more effective attacks.
I spawn and seriously contemplate quitting...do I really want to bang my head against this? But I remind myself...these various attempts...I wasn't fully equipped, wasn't locked on...wasn't dodging at the right time, wasn't using the most efficient attacks...so, I could tell I was getting better...so sure..I'll give it ONE more go and then call it a night. All these things combined/improved should yield better results.
I get him to 15% and I'm in close after dodging an attack...but instead of taking the few quick swipes and dodging away to prepare for the next cycle of dodge+attack, I repeatedly spam attacks frantically trying to destroy his last bit of health.
YOU DIED....omfg I hate you....but I had this shit..I totally had this...I just got greedy. all I had to do was dodge out, avoid one more attack and he was toast. I am NOT quitting now. I will get this fucker no matter how long it takes me.
next attempt
HEIR OF FIRE DESTROYED
then some trash mob beside firelink shrine wrecked my shit with a longsword....twice
I think a DS1 remaster for PS4 is not a matter of if, but when. There's clearly a loud demand for it and the Souls games tend to sell pretty well. DeS remaster is also very likely, but I can see them being more guarded with that, since it's an exclusive.
It's a great game that I still haven't finished. My interest waned after Anor Londo (idk why) and I haven't gone back since. If they released it on current gen consoles I'd probably give it another go though.
I did read that the dino butts used to aggro from a distance. I'm glad that I didn't have to suffer through that. People still seem to dislike the area post-patch, though.
Welp, I think that, at last, it's time to start the Dark Souls saga. Getting tired of seeing these type of threads and only be able to understand half of the references.
Demon Souls was my first souls series game (loved it) and BB is my favorite game for PS4. Btw I blame my love for Bloodborne entirely on GAF - shame on you all for making me go through my backlog and actually pick a title! It isn't right to continuously tell people how good this game is
All throwbacks to good ol' Pen as far as I'm concerned.
