Forum - View topicGAME: Dark Souls II
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meiam
Posts: 3450 |
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I'm fine with more of the same, considering dark soul gameplay is very unique and they come out pretty far apart from each others.
Although I have to admit I'm really looking forward to what the old director is working on now. (And a new armored core, common From, that's a series that was built on single player, can we at least get decent SP in 6?) |
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daveriley
 Posts: 117 Location: Philadelphia |
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Same here. I'm hoping Miyazaki's moving on was voluntary, and it's because he's got something else he really wants to make.
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AiddonValentine
 Posts: 2348 |
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Having beaten it a couple days ago, I find it to be a vast improvement over its predecessor. Mostly because it got rid of a LOT of the stupider elements from the game; there's nothing anywhere near as annoying as Blight Town, Sen's Fortress, or the Archer Gauntlet in Anor Londo. There are a few quibbles (such as the requirements for finishing a couple NPC quests being way too annoying for their own good; The Gutter/Black Gulch and The Shrine of Amana being rife with artificial difficulty, and the jumping sections continuing to be annoying and unneeded) but the good far outweighs the bad.
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everydaygamer
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Back when it was announced i think i remember him saying that he wasn't working on it because he couldn't think of anything new that would be worth doing a new game for. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15576 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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I am actually starting with the game, so it is all new to me. I am a little confused but I managed to beat two bosses as a Sorcerer, I probably lucked out with a strategy first time on each. Did not take me long to figure out how often the game likes to throw out ambushes.
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daveriley
Posts: 117 Location: Philadelphia |
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The term "artificial difficulty" is like adverbs: if you're using it, there may be a word that would better get your point across. Is the game poorly balanced? Is it poorly signposted? Is it bugged? |
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Tuor_of_Gondolin
 Posts: 3524 Location: Bellevue, WA |
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I think the most annoying place I've come across so far is the zone with the ghosts in the fog.
More generally, it seems the game is way more focused on combating multiple opponents than previous games were. This is *especially* annoying with boss fights, but even non-boss fights this got fairly aggravating. And while sometimes this could be countered by using a bow to pull single enemies, often this didn't work. And trying to get a shot in when you have two (or even worse, three) enemies is pretty hard for me with my longsword and shield. Instead of picking the lull in a single mob's attack, with more mobs those are often staggered so that it's like one continual attack, and some of those later enemies have crazy-long reach (usually with polearms). I'd say that the non-boss fights are significantly tougher in this game than in Dark Souls 1 (or Demon's Souls), but the boss fights are usually a bit easier (when it's just a solo boss). I still haven't finished this one yet, though I am getting close to it. |
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fathomlessblue
 Posts: 385 Location: Manchester, UK |
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While admittedly still in the early stages of the game and enjoying (nearly) every minute of it, I do have to question whether some of the mechanical alterations in the game are truly necessary. The more I play, the more I find myself asking if certain changes actually improve gameplay, or slightly hinder it.
The most obvious is the fast-travel system. Originally, I’d planned to ignore it as much as possible, until the game demanded changing location in quick-succession like the original did; however, only being able to level your character from the starting hub pretty much ruined that idea. Having the ability to level at every bonfire in DS1 didn’t stop me from continuously revisiting Firelink Shrine at every opportunity, so this system does less to connect me to the central hub as it does break the sense of immersion at being trapped in a forgotten corner of the realm with no clear way home. I’m sure getting lost in the sewers, or travelling down to Blighttown, or finding yourself at Ash Lake would have felt less like a real and fraught accomplishment, if you were able and encouraged to warp back home at the first sense of danger. On the subject of environment, I’m also a little disappointed DS2 has so far done a far less effective job of binding its world together. Obviously, scale is pretty much an illusion in most games, but DS1 rarely had me questioning how I arrived in one location from another, while here I’m constantly asking myself how on earth I ran two minutes to find myself 10-20 miles away from my original spot. This is a particularly nit-picky gripe, but that sense of immersion and interconnectivity was probably my favourite aspect of the original, so it’s somewhat sad to see the sequel fail to recreate it. The increase in health kits, vs the drawn out and gradual increase in HP is another issue that has me scratching my head. While perfectly sound in theory, I imagine this new system would make some of the more frenetically paced battles in DS1 next to impossible without adding far slower recoils between attacks, which would kind of be against the point. Granted, I’ve only downed four bosses so far, but I can believe there would be no battles that match the rapid-speed reaction times of Knight Artorias or Gywn: you’d likely be dead halfway through the unguarded healing animation, let alone waiting for your health to slowly increase. The above comments sound like I’m bashing the game far more than intended. This is still Dark Souls, and I still love it. Still, it does seem that some of the changes come across like a slightly desperate attempt to keep the game intact but introduce surprises for long-term fans, as opposed to tightening the mechanics. I don’t necessarily have an issue with that, but it does seem that as a result, DS2 hasn’t managed to add that extra notch of quality that certain sections of the original and the Artorias dlc brought. It’s certainly not a downgrade, but nor is it reaching quite the same heights. |
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Juno016
 Posts: 2428 |
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Argh. I've gotten basically to the final boss(es?) of Demon Souls and given up. Dark Souls... I'm sure I'm not THAT far in (though I'm also sure I'm not THAT near the beginning, too), but I got stuck in an underground labyrinth and I just can't get out, considering I'm cursed and can't take more than a few hits now. The one time I did get out, I fell right back in not 5 minutes afterward. I feel so... dub. D:
I really REALLY want to like these games. They're absolutely beautiful and their entire concept adds so much value to them. I happen to like challenges, especially ones where I can learn from them. But I honestly admit that these games might be just above the threshold of my abilities. Sure, I can eventually beat them in time, but it already takes me long enough to beat most games as it is, thanks to outside priorities and other games. I only wish there was a way to truly knock the difficulty down just a notch so that it was more manageable for me. Otherwise, I think I'm going to stop here. I'm not sure if I'll ever beat the first Dark Souls, and I really REALLY want to, but... I can't. Oh, and as beautiful the world is, I actually am not that attached to it. I prefer colorful settings. I hate horror with a passion. I don't even know what possessed me to play the first two games (actually, I do--friend recommendations, good ratings, and two really great bargain deals). But they're great games! I just... I... don't know what to do anymore... Someone please help me! I'm conflicted inside! DDD: |
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Tuor_of_Gondolin
Posts: 3524 Location: Bellevue, WA |
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Juno016,
Regarding Dark Souls 1: restart and then go up, not down. And most especially don't venture too far into the graveyard. Take your time, learn how the enemy moves and attacks. Using a bow to snipe from a distance can sometimes be very helpful, too. All the Souls games reward attention to detail and patience. As you start to pick up skills and develop an approach to getting around (basically, learning to scope the area for potential threats), you should find the game opening up for you. Also, don't be afraid to look at wikis to learn about game mechanics (like the various abilities you have) and which are most likely to suit your style of play. Personally, I think Dark Souls is the easiest of the three to play. Dark Souls II is the hardest, or it has been for me anyway. Anyway, hope this helps. |
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