[Morgoth]

I've managed to squeeze some time into playing this game, and I really enjoy it. It is genuinely a worthy successor to Dark Souls. As you say though, it feels a little easier, especially with the boss fights, but not terribly so. Also, I wonder if the choice of music in this game works to its detriment somewhat. Or, I think it is the music that fails to present the same sort of sad melancholia as did the score for Dark Souls 1. The atmosphere is simply not as captivating I think.

Furthermore I sort of feel... directionless. I mean, I know where I am to go and all that, but I don't really understand why. Though you were dropped more or less blind into DS too, in DS2 the almost complete ignorance of why you do what you do is getting a little annoying. Though maybe I'm simply missing something.

[Traveller]

Morgoth, on 21 March 2014 - 11:23 AM, said:

I've managed to squeeze some time into playing this game, and I really enjoy it. It is genuinely a worthy successor to Dark Souls. As you say though, it feels a little easier, especially with the boss fights, but not terribly so. Also, I wonder if the choice of music in this game works to its detriment somewhat. Or, I think it is the music that fails to present the same sort of sad melancholia as did the score for Dark Souls 1. The atmosphere is simply not as captivating I think.

Furthermore I sort of feel... directionless. I mean, I know where I am to go and all that, but I don't really understand why. Though you were dropped more or less blind into DS too, in DS2 the almost complete ignorance of why you do what you do is getting a little annoying. Though maybe I'm simply missing something.

Yes, in Dark Souls it was like, 'Hey I'm dead now, so why not go and ring those bells that other dead guy is talking about?', and Demon's Souls actually had a proper goal in mind from the start. I don't really mind with these games, as the developers clearly want them to be about the journey and the gameplay over cut-scenes and long story sequences, which suits me just fine. As for goals, since I've been running around looking like a hollow from the previous game, I'm just content to be on the lookout for the next weapon/armour upgrade. I also just discovered that certain Rings can be upgraded now to give a better effect.

The first area that began to feel like a proper Souls game for me was the Wharf. Getting further in and still not locating a bonfire (that I could actually find) before reaching the boss was getting... tense. Also crashing through a door to find the hollows all sitting round a table was pretty funny, while finding a load of urns filled with poison right near the end of the level was decidedly... not.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 21 March 2014 - 12:48 PM

[Morgoth]

The game suddenly opened up to me. I was getting a little frustrated with the only option for progress being through those three sentinels, but in an effort to grind a few levels elsewhere I suddenly opened up a whole army of new areas.

[Traveller]

I've found at least two places blocked by statues.

I currently don't have much of a choice... Hunters Copse is about it I think. I've just defeated the Gargoyles and the Lost Sinner but that now looks like a dead end.

Got some nice armour now and the Drangleic Sword... which has a great lunge/sweep combo. Good range and fast too.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 22 March 2014 - 11:17 PM

[Traveller]

3 more bosses down.

The Dead Kings weren't much bother but the Chariot took a few goes until I learned to kill every skeleton along the way.

Also killed a big Jabba lookalike, which tried to roll on me a couple of times but died on first attempt.

Got some boss weapons now too, including the ridiculously huge Pursuers Sword.

Really enjoying it so far.

[A Demon Llama!]

So... still waiting for the PC release, but how would you guys rate the game with the others? Is this one better/ worse than Dark Souls 1? Hopefully harder.

[Traveller]

I'd like to say it's harder but so far I'm not finding it that difficult.

It's great to have loads of new areas and bosses, but I haven't yet had any really memorable brick walls of frustration to equal the Stray Demon, Orstein and Smough, and the Four Kings. Or Kalameet...

The new locations are varied with the usual environmental hazards, but there are quite a few more bonfires to be had, which definitely makes things easier, as does having fast travel from the start. I think this is probably necessary given the size of the game area now, but it would be better if only certain bonfires were available, not all of them.

That said, there is more of everything, there are torches, lockstones to open secret areas, and a ton of different weapon and armour combinations. And I haven't even cast a spell yet.

There are more covenants to join, more NPCs, and an item you can burn which makes everything tougher... something I am very tempted to try at the moment just to see what happens.

If you like Dark Souls you'll like this, I'm sure. (They even upgraded the HUD - you can now have it appear when you need it rather than on all the time so it doesn't spoil the view).

This post has been edited by Traveller: 25 March 2014 - 11:17 PM

[tiam]

Traveller, on 25 March 2014 - 08:59 PM, said:

If you like Dark Souls you'll like this, I'm sure. (They even upgraded the HUD - you can now have it appear when you need it rather than on all the time so it doesn't spoil the view).

I have a backlog of games but really looking forward to this. The HUD was annoying and im glad theres this option

[tiam]

The lack of activity in this thread makes me think that its more accessible this time as theres no basic questions being asked.

Also havnt played this yet but this makes me want to

[Traveller]

It's quite painful to watch a video of someone playing who has no clue about how to use the camera or lock-on.

I'm still playing. Just making my way through a massive underground cavern with a web of gigantic roots as a roof, and a shallow lake to wade through.

Last boss... I think was a Mirror Shield guy. Killed him on my second attempt. The game still seems kind of easy really, with bosses falling on first or second goes. Some battles are good... I keep finding myself in fights where I do little damage and have to dodge a lot, which draws it out a bit.

I'm definitely missing the complex ember-fuelled upgrade system of Dark Souls - trading for boss weapons isn't the same, and only one ember?

Also I just found the armour from the art on the cover of the game, and it's a bit disappointing really. I'm still wearing the same set I found way back, as nothing else I've found looks better.

The areas are smaller, the fast travel means no shortcuts or clever routes linking it all up, and there's something lacking in the atmosphere department.

Damn I don't mean to sound negative, the game is great. I'm still really enjoying it but I'm beginning to doubt it's replay value compared to Demons/Dark.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 13 April 2014 - 10:03 PM

[Defiance]

NG+ as well as the Bonfire Ascetics really help replay value, but I'm inclined to agree with you. The game was far too easy overall. Yeah, I've been a veteran of the Souls series for awhile, but most enemies were a joke. I usually only ended up dying when I got mobbed by 3+ guys at once.

Take the dedicated servers, bonfire ascetics/NG+ alterations and apply them to the first Dark Souls, and I'd be in heaven.

[Traveller]

I'm looking forward to a Dark Souls replay after this just to see if the difference is that noticable.

The mobbing tactic does seem to occur more in DS2. Otherwise most things can be quickly dispatched with a dodge, circle to left after baited attack, then 3 quick strikes.

[Traveller]

It's taken a while I admit, but I am finally, finally getting pissed off with this game.

I'm right near the end, but I don't even know if I can be bothered to finish the last couple of bosses. I certainly don't feel inspired to go back through searching for weapons or embers I may have missed, as there aren't any really...and the crafting system has been simplified into simple trades for uninspiring boss weapons.

Annoying loading screens and some dodgy collision detection issues are also a problem, something the previous games never suffered from. Maybe I'm just losing interest. Or maybe it's reasonable to get pissed off when something clearly misses you and you take damage anyway.

Also, I've hardly used the torch at all. I've been waiting for a dark area like the Tomb of the Giants where the torch would be essential, but nope, it just seems like an optional add on, not like the new game play element the trailers promised.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 25 April 2014 - 12:04 AM

[Defiance]

There were a few times the torch helped me, but ultimately the shitty lighting system made it pretty useless. There were many times when the torch limited my vision rather than helped.

I didn't run into the sort of collision issues that you have, but the more I think about it the more disappointed I am with Dark Souls II. It's a good game, but it's a shitty Souls game compared to its predecessors. I would have preferred a quality over quantity approach to bosses, and the number of Bonfires is kind of ridiculous. It really harms the feeling of dangerous exploration. Combine that with the disconnect I feel when traversing the world, and it's the complete opposite of the original. Dark Souls had some of the best map design in gaming, whereas Dark Souls II is nothing special. Some of the areas are cool, and I like how Majula becomes more populated as you progress through the game, but meh...it has nothing on its predecessor. There was something so amazing in the original about finding out that a place you thought was hours away from Firelink Shrine was only a hop and a skip away. Also, the zones themselves often don't feel big enough to me. Maybe I'm just traversing areas more quickly than I did in the first game, but most feel a lot smaller, which also takes away from the threatening feeling. I dreaded the equivalent of Blighttown - in a good way - until I was able to get through it in about 15 minutes.

[Traveller]

Yes, unfortunately it is a case of quantity getting more focus than quality. The levels are way, way shorter... I like the variety, but no sooner have you crept forwards to explore, it's all over.

The level design retains some of the character of DS, but gone are the genius shortcuts and links that made the world seamless and real. I'm just disappointed with the weapons and armour - I have found tons of it, but nothing better than the set I started to enhance from the start.

The Pursuers Ultra Greatsword is powerful, but has limited moves - the vertical slash main attack misses 90% of the time and the sweep uses a ton of stamina. So again I've been sticking to the sword I got early on (Drangleic) as it has a sweep that hits every time, and can get in about four or five in a row - plus a strong thrust attack.

But the bosses... they are nearly all armoured soldiers of some sort, with similar attack patterns. I liked the Rotten, and the Balrog/Iron King, but giant rats and spiders we've seen before.

The collision detection *might* be an intended 'area of effect' attack - but really, if something does a downward vertical slice into the ground with a giant sword, and you strafe or roll well clear, you should not take damage. Also if you are clear of a horizontal sweep and there is NO contact, you shouldn't take lethal damage. Because that really is unfair, something the game's predecessors have never been.

[tiam]

The silence on this thread was ominous and now I know why. I know what you mean when you say you want to like a game and love it and feel almost guilty saying its not that good. What youve said chimes in with a few reviews I read on Gamefaqs.com, especially about the torch being a gimmick rather than a deep exploration tool. I really liked the interlocking area system in Dark Souls where you were only about 5 mins away from anywhere.

Glad I didnt buy this on release day now.

Any playtime as a mage yet or anything interesting about the multiplayer?

[Traveller]

Haven't touched magic yet. But since in DS my mage playthrough was about 10 times easier than my warrior, things don't look encouraging.


At the moment I will be happy to finish off the last bosses and maybe leave it there for a bit.

[Inane Babble]

So glad I didn't buy the collectors edition of this game. Got fed up with it after just two days, don't even feel like finishing it.

Yeah it is 100% a SOULS game, but it misses way more than it hits sadly.

1. Bell Guardians can be invaded by other bell guardians while going to talk to the bell guardian covenant leader to rank up for being a good bell guardian. WHAT?
2. Mobs stop spawning (may not be a problem later with the pumpkins, but is annoying as hell early on when you can't do that.)
3. The weapon and armor set just after the pursuer made everything up until I stopped playing junk. Everything.
4. Enemies don't react appropriately. Some don't notice you unless you run (RUN not walk in front of them) around right in front of them, others run at you from 60 meters away and behind a wall.
5. Bosses are uninspired and many share move sets.
6. Too many bonfires, too little use. They are just something to teleport between now.
7. Many weapons have disturbingly bad movesets and I struggle to imagine anyone actually using them in any real way.
8. Targeting the crystal lizards is an exercise in frustration, I tried 7 different weapons 1h/2h R1/R2 before I found one that could actually hit DOWN at just the right range. This may seem like a small thing, but it adds to to the next point.
9. The combat is sluggish and makes it very hard to feel properly in control of my character, which throws any immersion out the window.
10. Can't break environmental hazards with lowest grade arrows. What is the point of them at all then?
11. Those amazingly annoying statues in the black/green place.
12. At LEAST three different bonfires where you are under attack instantly after respawning. Seriously From, that is just embarassing.

Feels like enemy placement/numbers are designed to just mob you as often as possible. The game engine is designed around 1 on 1 combat, why do they insist on putting 4 dual wielding crescent guys in 1 tiny room? Why make me try and fight 9 spiders in either (a) a smallish room or ( on a narrow bridge with damaging spikes everywhere? In Dark Souls the difficulty traveling around came from inspired use of enemy + placement = challenge, now it strongly looks like enemy + enemy + enemyenemyenemy = chllenge. Sen's Fortress vs Anywhere in DS2. Sen's wins everytime.

The game just feels (way) less INCREDIBLY WELL THOUGHT OUT than Dark Souls. Just like you said Traveller, no more ingenious shortcuts, no more vistas to completely different zones, everything has been "compartmentalised" which is at odds with the experience I believe FromSoft are trying to cultivate. I also dislike how rampantly they reused ideas or resources. Gargoyles again, but with a 4K twist! Reused Ornstein model. Ring the two bells! A talking cat how odd. Exact same sorcery and pyromancy spells with just a few additions, reused dog models.

I put in a short time with sorcery so I can save you all some trouble; It's the same as DS1 pretty much right up until some point AFTER I stopped playing. (2/4 grand souls 17ish areas discovered on bonfire menu) Same spells, same spell charges, same feeling, very similar/the same effects and sounds, same everything. There are a few new and/or modified spells later on apparently. When that video came out ages ago with that "magic blade sweep" my mind ran wild with ideas for where they were going to take sorcery. Not very far as it turns out.

Desperately wanted to like this game. Avoided spoilers like the plague in the 6 week wait to get it on PC. 200+ hours in Dark Souls, and now just so incredibly disappointed...


*Also the torch was totally superfluous, spent the first 4 hours pondering "what is that icon in my equipment below the rings and why can't I click on it to find out?". Thought if you lit up all pedestals in an area a secret would open or SOMETHING of benefit would happen, but it looks like it is just a trick to get people to not use their shields.

Edit: Was planning to end this saying "even though there are problems it's still a great game and you should check it out, but I couldn't. I think it IS a bad game.

This post has been edited by Inane Babble: 27 April 2014 - 01:01 AM

[Traveller]

I beat the penultimate bosses last night. Having a bonfire on the wrong side of a door that needs a specific ring seems unecessarily irritating - respawn, change rings, open door, change rings back again, then run down path to boss fight.

Anyway, killed the pair, and then got the final boss to deal with immediately - so no time to use the boss souls I just got before i got cursed, then one-hit killed. So back to the bonfire with the ring faffing door...

I'll carry on tonight but at this stage I do feel like I'm just doing it because I want to finish it, rather than looking forward to Newgame+. I would leave it but I just can't leave a Soul's game unfinished, even if it hasn't quite lived up to the previous two games.

Next time I want a fix of Souls I'll be back to Demons (my favourite) and Ds - maybe try a Faith build and some different boss weapons.

(I don't thing it's a bad game, but I do feel a bit like someone that, having enjoyed a shot of decent single malt, has asked for more; only instead of getting the same, I've got a whole bottle - but with the one shot watered down to fill it.)

This post has been edited by Traveller: 27 April 2014 - 08:33 AM

[Rictus]

This is my first Souls game, and I'd just like to say: fuck the Pursuer. I mean, really.