From Software IGN thinks Dark Souls is better than Skyrim

[sser]

I really like the DS games, but I'd have to agree to disagree with you. I actually think NG gives a better feeling of progress and skill. It's just that skill isn't shown in a neat stat table. It's literally your skill at the game. Add in life, weapon, and magic upgrades, even on MN when you go back to the earlier areas late game you can rape face with relative impunity. That's not to say you can't also get your ass handed to you if you slip up a couple times in a row, however. Of course, if you're talking about NG2, your view is more understandable, as I don't think you can even go back to earlier areas in that game. Ninja Gaiden: Black is the best, imo. Emphasis on reflexes goes down as you get better and study the enemies and learn their "tells." Combat in general is faster and more fluid. And there's also no cheesing.

Absolutely I agree that DS is greater than the sum of its parts, but in terms of combat, I feel NG is untouched. Anyway, it's really academic, I like both games a lot.

Me and a friend had this exact conversation. We both realized, as we played through the first Ninja Gaiden game, that there is a subtle rise in player skill as you play.

I know that sounds like an obvious thing to occur in any game, but it's just different with the NG's. The games are like those sensai tropes where you're just a grasshopper with some chopsticks hopelessly swatting at flies, but you're destined to be plucking them out of the air, wings still beating. The level of difference between starting and ending those games is a player-skill chasm. As you said, when you first play those games it just shits down your throat. 20 hours later nothing game-wise has really changed -- enemies still hurt, you still have all the same moves, maybe a few added weapons here and there -- but now you're kicking ass. The game is still hellaciously fast, but everything has... slowed down. It's odd to describe, but it feels fucking great. I love games that give a genuine sense of accomplishment and for action games Ninja Gaiden is the best for it.

 

[praetor]

just one of the reasons why this game is so awesome...

 

[Cynic]

Epic Chrono Trigger music + Dark Souls awesome PvP fighting = mother fucking win

 

[Xi]

just one of the reasons why this game is so awesome...

Pretty epic PvP fight. lol ;P

 

[anus_pounder]

Is it worth purchasing Dark Souls if you don't intent to PvP or online at all ? Finally scrounged up enough cash for DS.

 

[felipepepe]

Is it worth purchasing Dark Souls if you don't intent to PvP or online at all ? Finally scrounged up enough cash for DS.

Sure, I played it on the Xbox without Live and was an amazing game anyway. There are even some fake "online" invasions now and them to keep you on your guard. Made me check my console for internet connection like a madman.

 

[Xi]

Is it worth purchasing Dark Souls if you don't intent to PvP or online at all ? Finally scrounged up enough cash for DS.

Same as felipepepe, I played over 100 hours offline on multiple different characters and the game is still great fun. I am considering replaying it online to see if the experience is better. However, some of the boss fights are probably more difficult solo. Still, I can say that I beat every boss in the game by myself through trial and error. ;P /flex

 

[Elim]

There are rumors about DLC for Dark Souls, apparently called "Forest of Darkness"...or something like that. Let's hope it is true.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

They should've just made blocking a discrete action that lasts for a short time, and reduces endurance even when no attack connects. Holding block forever is so popamole.

 

[felipepepe]

anybody finds that high endurance kind of borks almost all bosses? only been playing a meleee character so far, no idea how it is for casters, but the fact that you get to block p much all hits from all bosses even with mediocre shields (bloodshield cuz i'm using lifehunt scythe)

Bloodshield is fucking amazing man, probably the best non-tower shield in the game, and its bonus resistances makes it invaluable in some bosses. Besides, raising only endurance is for fags will leave your character gay weak on other aspects, and prevent you from using the best weapons & armors. Most Dark Souls fight are cool because both you an the enemy die in few hits, blocking all the time just turns it into a patience battle. Just be a man and go two-handed. With a knife. Naked.

HOW I KILL DARK FAGGOT GWYNDOLIN

What? She's one of the easiest boss in the game, just use your best weapon with both hands and run in zig-zags.

 

[felipepepe]

he disappears before I get close enough to hit him. and then his...swirling...blue...spinning...homing...things hit me and I die.

You are only gonna get time to land 1 or 2 hits on her each time you reach her, that's why you need to hit hard. The blue magic thingies are the only challenge she has, try equiping a magic ressitant armor (like those white ninjas near the painting) and blocking with a magic resistant shield if you are having a hard time dodging them. Any other armor is pointless and will just slow you down.

 

[praetor]

Demon's souls had harder-hitting bawses.

like who? the only bosses that posed even a bit of challenge were Allant (which was super easy once you figure out you can interrupt his AoE attack), Flamelurker (although the very easily obtainable and upgradeable PFS (or even better the brushwood shield) make it easy mode) and the Maneaters (but that's only if you can't bring down the 1st one before the 2nd becomes trouble... and because you're fighting them on dangerous terrain), Penetrator can also be a somewhat challenging fight if you let it be and don't bring Biorr with you. other than that, the bosses in DeS were laughable. and if you use magic (especially with the way OP hyper mode) than the whole game becomes a cakewalk (not that DkS is much different in that regard, but it's still nowhere near the lulziness of DeS)

edit: and in ng+ the Maneaters were the only ones that proved somewhat troublesome for my melee builds. while in DkS the 4kings (in ng+) managed to be a source of lots of rape and frustration, ren&stimpy can also be challenging if you leave ornie last, gwyn can be a major pain if you don't know how to parry (or if you don't cheese him with the environment)

anyway, my major gripe with most (all?) of the bosses in both games is that they're sooo fucking slooow to react and they telegraph their moves fucking days in advance. i really wish from included some kind of "hardcore mode" in a future patch (or at least in a DLC or the next game) where enemies move and react much faster instead of having more hp and hitting harder (just imagine how awesome it would be to fight enemies like the BKs, SKs, darkwraiths, Havel etc if they weren't so laughably easy to backstab, or how much harder gwyn would be if his parry timing wouldn't be so easy to nail, or how much more interesting seath would be if wasn't slower than a snail, etc etc...)

Bloodshield is fucking amazing man, probably the best non-tower shield in the game

nah (it is only if you like to throw lots of shit, use the LH scythe like root above or... are in blighttown). those would be the SK shield (or the BK shield if you know you'll be encountering lots of fire), crest shield (80 magick block for 3 weight? gimme that) or the grasscrest for the stamina regen. hell, the crystal shield is better (100% poison, toxic and bleed blockage. too bad about the low 60 stability )

You are only gonna get time to land 1 or 2 hits on her each time you reach her, that's why you need to hit hard. The blue magic thingies are the only challenge she has, try equiping a magic ressitant armor (like those white ninjas near the painting) and blocking with a magic resistant shield if you are having a hard time dodging them. Any other armor is pointless and will just slow you down.

it's a "him" not a "her" :p

anyway, you can very easily beat him without ever getting hit once:

1) hide behind pillar while he casts the homing things. 2) when you see him cast the "big blue ball of pain" roll to the side (time your roll just when the ball appears) to doge it without a scratch and run behind the next pillar. 3) when you're 2-3 pillars away wait for him to throw his daggers and start running towards him as soon as you see he's started his "descent" (usually after 2 or 3 rounds of darts. 3 more often than 2) and attack once with your strongest weapon (hopefully a good greatsword like the manlyserpent sword that have that nice sweeping running r1 attack). rinse repeat (the only problem is when once in a blue moon he decides to cast both the homings and the big ball when you're 2-3 pillars away)

 

[felipepepe]

Bloodshield is fucking amazing man, probably the best non-tower shield in the game

nah (it is only if you like to throw lots of shit, use the LH scythe like root above or... are in blighttown). those would be the SK shield (or the BK shield if you know you'll be encountering lots of fire), crest shield (80 magick block for 3 weight? gimme that) or the grasscrest for the stamina regen. hell, the crystal shield is better (100% poison, toxic and bleed blockage. too bad about the low 60 stability )

Hummm, I guess I have such high regard for him since his resistance bonus is active even while on your back. I enjoy playing the game using two-handed weapons, so the grass and the blood shield are must-have for me...

 

[praetor]

Hummm, I guess I have such high regard for him since his resistance bonus is active even while on your back. I enjoy playing the game using two-handed weapons, so the grass and the blood shield are must-have for me...

that resist bump is cool, but (outside of throwing dungpies and using the LH scythe) poison/toxin is pretty much blighttown only (the red cunts in the painted world will toxic you no matter your resistance if you don't get away or kill them with fire), curse is so easy to avoid it's not even worth mentioning (and if you're worried about seath, the curse ring is a muuuuch better choice with something like +500 resist), and bleed isn't that common outside of the catacombs/tog (but i'd argue that good stability here is more important than 2handing and a bit better bleed resist) and the lower burg assassins (that aren't even worth mentioning)

although that changes a bit in PvP because good players love to throw shit and poison knives to disrupt you/make you more aggressive/reckless (but that's why it's a must having that antitoxin grass clump equipped) and bleed is relatively common due to all the katanas, scythes and bandit knives. too bad there are no curse inducing weapons

 

[felipepepe]

Doesn't the Blood Shield also increase elemental resistances?I finished the game three times already alway believing this...

 

[praetor]

Doesn't the Blood Shield also increase elemental resistances?I finished the game three times already alway believing this...

nope. only bleed/poison/curse (so yeah, technically it boosts all the resistances, since the magic/elemental are called defences )

 

[Jasede]

The nice thing is that you can always switch to a 2H weapon, or even dual-wield if you like. I just got the game and enjoy whacking things with the Demon Hammer. I even upgraded that useless weapon because I like it so much.

(I have to admit, I still take out a shield to learn the boss patterns/moves before committing to the 2H + dodge style. Is it just me or does dodging give you invincibility frames?)

 

[Jasede]

Hm, it'd be nice if certain attacks were only possible to dodge with certain dodges, like in God Hand. (You could dodge most things with ^ dodge, but not everything, so you still had to learn and vary it.) - similarly it'd be nice if certain things had to be side OR forward OR back dodged.

Well, it's not the biggest flaw.

 

[felipepepe]

nope. only bleed/poison/curse (so yeah, technically it boosts all the resistances, since the magic/elemental are called defences )

Man, I killed half of the game bosses just on the "placebo moral bonus" I got from the shield them! Even the final boss I always used blood shield cause I thought it woulkd help with the fire damage...

I dunno. Maybe I am le playing it wrong.

Honestly, It seems so. Maybe not wrong, but definetly boring. Try rolling a Strenght, Dex or Int character later, you will enjoy the combat & tension the game offers way more.

EDIT: Capra can go fuck himself with those machetes, tho.

Indeed, worst boss of the game.

 

[lightbane]

it's a "him" not a "her".

Fun fact, Gwyndolin is an actual tranny, if you check his/her clothes' description the game implies so, no wonder Gwyn was so butthurt all the time.

 

[praetor]

snip

i was also talking about melee only and... what you say is true to the same extent (if not more so) in DeS except that there you get the superawesome shield that blocks everything much sooner (PFS). from the moment i got that in the very first level (and later on the omfgamazing OP Dark silver shield that thankfully doesn't make an appearance in DkS) everything was a cakewalk (after i got my str to 16, that is)

with FL you could block very easily everything with a PFS with little-to-no damage (or 100% with the brushwood if you have the str/end) even in NG+ (seriously, after all the talk of how hard FL was i was extremely disappointed) he went down quickly and easily without me even healing. by Old King you mean Doran, the dude that guards Demonbrandt? if yes, yeah he's pretty hard i'll give you that (although there's a shitload of cheesy tactics that work on him), Old Hero problematic? seriously? the first time i fought him i admit i was a bit "scared" so i just cheesed him with arrows behind the altar, but with my 2nd pure melee character i just went all in from behind and backed up whenever he "roared". went down in no time and was wondering why the i didn't do it the first time around. Allant hard as a caster? have you tried HSA? that thing with good int (30-40) kills him in nanoseconds (probably even without the kriss blade... but why would you do that? ) and he gives you soooooo many opportunities to heal or recharge mana... Garl Vinland (the phantom that guards Astraea. he's in BP form only if you go there after you kill him in PW world tendency) is only hard because of the environment (that damned plague swamp) but you can easily bait, block and hit him from that small patch of land that leads to the swamp. Leechmonger burns like paper so i really don't see what's the problem unless you go there first after 1-1 (but why in the world would you do that?). Penetrator has only one problematic attack that takes lots of stamina to block and i think does magic damage (iirc, it's kinda like Sif with his double spinning attack except a bit more powerful and telegraphed weeks earlier)

out of all these mentioned, i think only Allant's grab and his huge AoE are unblockable (not 100% sure about the AoE 'cause i never tried it with the DSS) everything else is game (and pretty easy with a shield with good guard break reduction and good stamina... just like in DkS, except you get it much sooner and easier in DeS)

btw, have you been to the Tomb of Giants? if not, you can have your guard broken by the beasts relatively easily if you're not careful. those things are real cunts (and if you happen to be gravelorded just give up. seriously. BP skeleton beasts are probably the toughest enemy in the game)

btw2, plenty of enemies and some bosses have unblockable attacks in DkS: all the grab attacks cannot be blocked, only dodged (superOrnie, Nito, Gwyn, Gaping Dragon, Iron Golem, Centipede Demon, 4Kings (here you can have all the stamina and shield stability that you want, but if you're not dealing enough damage per second, you will die))

DeS had invincibility frames, don't think they changed it

slightly. there were a bit more inv frames in DeS so dodging was slightly easier (plus, you could get the fast roll with <50% equip burden, while in DkS without the OP ninja ring you need <25% for the fast roll)

 

[Jasede]

Currently going through Blight Town.
I hate Blight Town.

 

[deuxhero]

Everyone does.

Wonder how well invading there would go.

 

[20 Eyes]

I started playing this again recently after putting it down for a few months (I was waiting for the patch). I just got Lightning Spear and it's fucking awesome, though having a good ranged attack makes the game much easier.

Currently going through Blight Town.
I hate Blight Town.

10FPS Town is rough. I just killed the bag lady. I'm still human and I'm wondering if anyone would even bother invading me in this god-forsaken area.

 

[Damned Registrations]

The bottom would be a great place for invading with a ranged character since your target would have reduced mobility in the swampy bits.

Using those knockback spells in the higher areas would be great too.