What are you playing now?

[mkreku]

Dark Souls

 

It's like the love child of vagrant story and castlevania SOTN.

 

I'm 10 hours in, the game is amazing, very challenging, very fun.

 

excellent music, sound design, level design, and overall atmosphere.

 

the combat is impeccably designed, intricate and thoughtful without being overly complex. You must pick your moment to attack carefully and defend with intelligence. If skyrim had combat that was 25% as wonderful as dark souls it would be unbelievable.

 

downsides: maybe a little TOO hard. I am at a point where the next boss i must face is a little too hard, and levelling up is starting to take a long time fighting the weaker enemies that are in the areas i have access too until i beat the next boss (there are other areas i could go to in order to level up, but those areas have REGULAR monsters harder than the boss i'm stuck on)

 

i think if i grind for about 1-2 hours in order to save up enough souls to upgrade my gear 1 more time and then level up my vitality 1 or 2 more times i should be past this bottleneck. The game is definitely LESS grind-required than vagrant story, but the actual combat is much more challenging than that game.

 

so far its the best game of the year for me, knocking portal 2 into second place.

 

They don't really make games like this anymore, and it overall feels like something that would have come out in the SNES-PS1 era, before shooters took over the console world.

 

note: i suck at video games, so if i say a game is a little too hard for me, that's probably because i play most games on easy difficulty, and this one doesnt have that option, instead locking the difficulty at what most games "hard" difficulty would be.

I bought Dark Souls too.

 

I have a very differing opinion. I was reading the reviews and everywhere it said the combat is so precise, the deaths are never unfair, it is only your own fault blah blah.

 

Well, I started playing. I click the "light attack" button and my character stumbles around for 1-2 seconds before slowly swinging his sword about. And he ALWAYS takes a step forward! It doesn't feel precise. It feels sluggish and slow.

 

Anyhow, I thought I could get used to that and trekked into the game. I made it through the introduction (after dying probably 10 times) and ended up in the first area. I go one way and I meet enemies I can't hit. I go another way and I meet enemies who kill me in two hits and can swing their swords ten times faster than me. I go a third way and my character stumbles off a ledge because he takes a step forward when I try to swing my sword.

 

I don't know.. I like a challenge (see the Gothic games for that). I usually enjoy action RPG's (see the Gothic games again for that). But this.. It's just not fun. There's no excitement to be had because you already know that you will be killed by anything and everything. I don't even try to survive. I just walk up to enemies and whack them with my sword. If I survive for two seconds, I know it's the right way. If I die immediately, I just go somewhere else. Trial and really boring error. Oh, and if you ever think about saving, everything in the game world resets and you have to start over. I mean.. I know it's supposed to be hard and all, but that also turns the game into a meaningless grind. Same with deaths. You need to go back to where you died to regain your experience points (souls) so everytime you try a new enemy that's too strong for you, you need to go back there again after you died if you want to have any xp at all. And everytime you die, the game resets and you need to start over.. except the bonuses that you find. They don't reset. Only the enemies and the traps.

 

Maybe it will be more fun later, if my character levels up and becomes faster. But right now it feels slow and sluggish, unfair and grindy, random and pointless. I really hope I am wrong.

 

There is no way to know beforehand which monsters are too strong for you. I met a knight with full armour, shield and sword, and dispatched him with 3-4 strikes. I met a skeleton with just a sword and he killed me in two seconds.

[entrerix]

a few thoughts for you mkreku:

 

you should switch to a different weapon if you don't like the one you are using, every single weapon has a different set of statistics which can effect how fast they attack, and what animations are used during the attack. try using the winged spear and a shield (the warrior starts off with a shield that blocks 100% of all physical damage), or a rapier - if you want faster attacks. (plus you can block and attack AT THE SAME TIME, they dont deal tons of damage, but you will never get hit by regular attacks so long as you manage your endurance meter)

 

edit: tip to avoid getting frustrated: never walk around with souls! if you have more than half of what you need to gain a level, backtrack to the last bonfire and then kill a few weaker enemies until you get enough souls to finish levelling.

 

some weapons are very slow to swing, which just means you have to be more precise and tactical in choosing when to attack, its the same reason the game has a stamina meter, if you just run up to an enemy and start swinging, you will die, every time, because you aren't attacking with a strategy. the game is actually very precise and intelligent in its combat, which is why mashing buttons will not work. its the polar opposite of games like god of war etc, where mashing and using your unlimited use/no restriction/completely invincible roll is the best way to play.

 

I've played for 10 hours, beaten the first few bosses (currently stuck on capra), and have died about 6 times. once cause i accidentally jumped off a cliff, and 5 times to bosses when i made a tactical error (or got rammed into a corner with no way out, bosses are brutal in this game)

 

i haven't died to a regular enemy yet, the reason: i approach slowly, shield up, wait to see what type of attacks they use, how much stamina each drains when i block it etc, and then look for holes in their offense through which i can counterattack. If that sounds boring and you just want to hit buttons, then definitely switch to a different game.

 

ok if you still want to give dark souls another try then this is my basic starter advice (i know you are a little past this but read it anyway its pretty short):

 

to reach the best starting area, i'd suggest going up the hill near the firelink shrine bonfire, there will be a few easy undead zombie guys (one throws firebombs from a level up, but he stays in the same spot so you just stand outside his throwing range until you clear the 2-3 others). practice fighting here, kill these same 5 guys 10 times, once you can do it without being hit once, then you're ready to start playing the game.

 

keep going up there, you will find an entrance into a sewer (watch out for the rat on the left side waiting to ambush people who don't check their corners)

 

go through there and you will find the first real dungeon/area of the game. i'd suggest playing around in this first area for a long time (like 4-5 hours or more) until you have an even better grasp of how combat works, and you've levelled up a few times (HINT: the most important stat is endurance, make sure you raise it to 20 before you raise ANYTHING else higher than 16). the boss for the first level is really hard (i died twice before killing him) and it helps to climb the ladder and then immediately walk of the ledge towards him and mash light attack (you will do a special jump attack that takes 1/3 of his life off) you can then, if you fast, run him around for a bit before climbing the ladder again for more special attacks.

 

Once you get through the first area, you can start improving your gear as there is a blacksmith in the second area (just google how to get past the dragon fire bridge if you get stuck, its super easy once you know when to start running). improve whatever your favorite weapon is to +5, and your main armor to +2, and be around level 20, before tackling the belltower boss.

 

note: if you want an ok starter spear, there is a winged spear in the firelink shrine, guarded by those really hard skeletons, just run past the skeletons, and pick up all the items in the area, you might die a few times doing this, but there is no penalty for dieing (so long as you use your souls as you earn them) so go nuts. the winged spear i think was on the first right fork.

 

 

i leveled my str and dex to 16, then put endurance to 20, and now am working on getting my vitality to 20 before leveling my endurance more

 

last edit: beating the belltower bosses on my first try was the most exciting and exhilerating moment i've had in a video game in years... probably since shadow of the colossus. winning in this game is exciting because you win using your skill and experience. even if you are leveled up like crazy, enemies can still easily kill you if you get sloppy, so every fight is exciting because every fight you came THIS close to dying, but you didn't (well, hopefully not i might of course be singing a different tune later in the game (there is a poisonous area that is supposedly very frustrating), but for now it feels very fun and fair. (note: i never finished demons souls because i was too scared of world 3 to finish it... i know im a baby, but creepy illithid guys ringing bells that can one-shot you no matter your level are really scary)

Edited October 10, 2011 by entrerix

[Majek]

What kind of a weapon are you using anyway mkreku? And do you have the required statistics?

[pmp10]

I have a different suggestion regarding Dark Souls:

Just watch/read every walkthrough and guide you can find.

Learn your travel paths and enemy attack patterns and things should start to slowly move forward.

That way you can avoid the epic foreknowledge grind and focus purely on execution.

[Tale]

*breaks down crying*

 

I thought I knew this game. I thought I knew it like the back of my hand. But there's an entire dungeon I didn't know about! The Tomb of the Betrayers. I remember thinking "oh there's a building there," but never realized I could get inside! It all started when I checked out the side doors in the temple.

 

Stupid Neverwinter Nights 2.

[Dark_Raven]

Fallout New Vegas now that Obsidian got their heads out of their asses and got some decent patches out.

[Gorth]

Fallout New Vegas now that Obsidian got their heads out of their asses and got some decent patches out.

Hey, look who's back

 

I'm still feeling challenged by Deathclaws. It's like they don't have any respect for my reinforced leather armour. Even my Laser RCW (sp?) doesn't seem to offer much in the way of stopping power when they get close

 

Are they particularly susceptible to any sorts of ammo, like hollow point or are they considered "armoured" and I need AP ammo? I might bring along a light machine gun from my stash and have another go at them.

[Orchomene]

I think they are armored. And their claws can ignore your armor too. Best would be armor piercing ammo, a long distance and a shot in the head.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Finished Deus Ex HR.

 

Good game overall. Boss fights suck, the story is a bit naive and too convoluted for its own good, and the game is too easy overall even on the hardest difficulty because the enemies are blind as a bat and ignore just about everything as long as you're in cover (in which they should often be able to see you).

 

On the plus side, the graphics are nice (even if they're plainly dated in many situations - ****ing consoles), the quests fun, the presentation is excellent in general.

[Malcador]

Broken Sword 2 still, fun game although worried about it being short based on being 10% done when I left the first room. Also playing FIFA 12, finally getting my defense in order - sure I have to play with 2 DMs and have them mark the strikers because the CBs are even more useless than in 11 it seems - but it's helping.

[Morgoth]

@entrerix

 

How does Dark Souls compare to Demon's Souls?

 

Demons can really rape my ass sometimes, but it's never unfair or frustrating, and most importantly, I don't have to grind grind grind... in order to advance. I just have to be patient and keep learning from my mistakes.

 

I heard Dark isn't like that.

 

Also, Dark Souls is open world as opposed to Demon's, how does this structure benefit the game? Also I heard there are frogs who can diminish your health bar permanently, and other sort of bull****. I'm not sure I want to put up with something like that. Demon's is really rewarding, but I have my doubts about Dark...

[Pidesco]

Dark Souls

 

It's like the love child of vagrant story and castlevania SOTN.

 

I'm 10 hours in, the game is amazing, very challenging, very fun.

 

excellent music, sound design, level design, and overall atmosphere.

 

the combat is impeccably designed, intricate and thoughtful without being overly complex. You must pick your moment to attack carefully and defend with intelligence. If skyrim had combat that was 25% as wonderful as dark souls it would be unbelievable.

 

downsides: maybe a little TOO hard. I am at a point where the next boss i must face is a little too hard, and levelling up is starting to take a long time fighting the weaker enemies that are in the areas i have access too until i beat the next boss (there are other areas i could go to in order to level up, but those areas have REGULAR monsters harder than the boss i'm stuck on)

 

i think if i grind for about 1-2 hours in order to save up enough souls to upgrade my gear 1 more time and then level up my vitality 1 or 2 more times i should be past this bottleneck. The game is definitely LESS grind-required than vagrant story, but the actual combat is much more challenging than that game.

 

so far its the best game of the year for me, knocking portal 2 into second place.

 

They don't really make games like this anymore, and it overall feels like something that would have come out in the SNES-PS1 era, before shooters took over the console world.

 

note: i suck at video games, so if i say a game is a little too hard for me, that's probably because i play most games on easy difficulty, and this one doesnt have that option, instead locking the difficulty at what most games "hard" difficulty would be.

 

That sounds beautiful.

[Calax]

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.

 

So far, good and bad. Good in that the flight can be REDICULOUSLY viceral. One of the modes actually sets you up so you're chasing the opposing fighter down and trying to pick him off. Looks like a bloody movie, bad news is that they added in limits on what you can do in your jet (no rolling because the computer fights you on it). And they almost FORCE you to use the "cinematic combat mode" admittedly. I've only really played the intro mission where they introduced that mode

[Jaesun]

Dark Souls

downsides: maybe a little TOO hard. I am at a point where the next boss i must face is a little too hard, and levelling up is starting to take a long time fighting the weaker enemies that are in the areas i have access too until i beat the next boss (there are other areas i could go to in order to level up, but those areas have REGULAR monsters harder than the boss i'm stuck on)

 

If I have been reading the codex thread about this correctly (It is very very much liked there BTW) you are possibly fighting bosses you are not meant to fight yet, as in the game doesn't use level scaling. It's possible you missed an area with a boss more attuned to your current level?

[Tigranes]

Will it ever come on PC?

[Jaesun]

Will it ever come on PC?

 

That would be no.

[LadyCrimson]

@mkreku - perhaps you have some kind of combat animation bug? Or some kind of combat setting could be tweaked? Just a random thought, don't have the game.

 

------

Keep thinking about reconfiguring FNV to play again w/the new DLC's/patches etc. but the motivation isn't there. I guess I really am played out on that one.

[entrerix]

@entrerix

 

How does Dark Souls compare to Demon's Souls?

 

Demons can really rape my ass sometimes, but it's never unfair or frustrating, and most importantly, I don't have to grind grind grind... in order to advance. I just have to be patient and keep learning from my mistakes.

 

I heard Dark isn't like that.

 

Also, Dark Souls is open world as opposed to Demon's, how does this structure benefit the game? Also I heard there are frogs who can diminish your health bar permanently, and other sort of bull****. I'm not sure I want to put up with something like that. Demon's is really rewarding, but I have my doubts about Dark...

 

 

dark souls is better. i played demons souls for about 60 hours and im having way more fun with this game. The BIGGEST reason its better is the open world design, it plays like a castlevania or metroid game, where you have a big castle/world to explore, but some areas are closed off with locked doors etc that you get from beating bosses you find around, and there is a bit of freeform to how you explore (but not at all like new vegas or morrowind - but if you've played a castlevania game in the last 10 years you should get what im talking about). as you explore you also will find hidden shortcuts that take you quickly between regions, so the world ends up feeling large, and yet tightly knit together too. its really exceptional level and world design.

 

the frogs that diminish your health bar aren't a huge deal now people know what they can do. just make sure you buy a purge stone from the merchant in the belltower before you go fight the frogs, if they curse you and halve your health bar, just use the purge stone and you are cured, no big deal. (this would have been awful before people realized you can just cure yourself with a purge stone)

 

the game is easier than demons souls imo. there are a couple of tough bosses, but there are fewer really hard mobs in the levels, so its easier to explore early on. the only things i hear people gripe about are the curse frogs (if said person forgot or didn't know to buy a purge stone before heading down there) and the Capra demon (which is the boss i got stuck on, i finally beat him on my 3rd try - i made sure to level up my armor before fighting him again, it made a big difference).

 

if you search threads you will see a lot of people get stuck on the Capra demon, but this is hardly the first game in history to have a tough boss fight that takes 3-4 tries before you kill him. not to mention if you feel really hopeless you could just grind a few more levels.

 

i think i grind about the same or less than demons souls, definitely not more. if you remotely liked demons souls then i heartily suggest dark souls.

 

edit: also, if you die in dark souls you don't have to start the whole level over, so that alone makes it WAY less frustrating than demons souls.

Edited October 11, 2011 by entrerix

[Calax]

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.

 

So far, good and bad. Good in that the flight can be REDICULOUSLY viceral. One of the modes actually sets you up so you're chasing the opposing fighter down and trying to pick him off. Looks like a bloody movie, bad news is that they added in limits on what you can do in your jet (no rolling because the computer fights you on it). And they almost FORCE you to use the "cinematic combat mode" admittedly. I've only really played the intro mission where they introduced that mode

So... at the start it's pretty awesome, but then it becomes methodical... and then boring... and then some of the missions just make you wanna throw stuff because they have REDICULOUS requirements (at one point you go chasing after an ICBM... when you have to restart (as you inevitably will) you will HAVE TO jam your hand on the throttle otherwise you go five seconds before "sorry kid, it's out of range!")

[Majek]

Dark souls is not easier than Demon's souls. Especially not at the beginning. Sure you can get some good weapons early but everyone is still more dangerous than most DS enemies.

[Raithe]

Well I just took half an hour to finish off Rage.

 

Hm, its a fairly pleasing shooter, and the vehicle stuff isn't too bad once you get into it. The single-player story has a fair few quirky, memorable characters populating the world.. but there certainly seemed something a little missing.

 

You get warned about not paying attention to the Authority propaganda..but you never actually hear any of it until long after you've ended up joining the resistance..

Then all the buildup towards the end just.. peters out. It doesn't feel like an end-game mission. And the way it has you hitting a series of buttons while fighting off several small waves of not-too-hard enemies.. and then goes into a 30 second or so cinema sequence that doesn't provide any real payoff.

 

It feels like it's only half a story. So I'm guessing they're planning on a sequel or some extensive DLC to do something. They talk about the big bad guy..and you never encounter him.

 

Ah well. Entertaining for what it was.

[Malcador]

Well, you know what Carmack said about storylines in games.

[Oner]

Well, you know what Carmack said about storylines in games.

It was funny to hear Tim Willits say the complete opposite in one of his Rage interviews.

[Morgoth]

Id Software games were never about fancy story nonsense.

 

id is about excelling in Tech + Art = Atmosphere.

[Nepenthe]

Every time somebody makes a sweeping claim about what some company's or series' games are about, I vomit a bit.