Xi
Arcane
http://www.demons-souls.com/
I've been compelled to create this topic on pure nostalgic memories alone. You see, from my former glory days of parading through the dungeons of King's Field, I've come to desire such dungeon romping experiences in the next generation of graphics. Challenge, puzzels, traps, and a light RPG layer over the top. Very similar to the Rogue-Like agenda, but with more of a focus on graphical GUIs and simplified input of character control(To an extent).
So, with that said, naturally I've become intrigued by this title, as it was made by the same developer as King's Field.(From Software) Being a company located in the heart of decadent Japanese tentacle porn, and animeish RPGs boasting compensatorily massive swords, From Software acted differently with those former titles. Maybe it's mostly a nostalgic memory combined with a masochistic nature, but I remember those games fondly.(Probably the most enjoyable experience I've had with any console - strangely enough)
Those fond memories have invigorated my desire to explore what Demon's Souls is all about, especially since they called it the Spiritual Successor to King's Field, in anticipation of maybe someday playing it, and also in a fruitful desire to spread it's seeds.(I want it to grow within each of you, maybe wither in some, but definitely grow in those biologically inclined, or operantly predisposed, to liking such things!)
With that all said, let us all delve into the depths of this new beast
I have not removed this information from a hype induced, media outlet whom take pay in return for ratings.)
RPG Elements:
Classes: Link
In Demon's Souls, you don't progress through levels like you would in a typical RPG. Instead, you have a soul level. When you first begin the game, you'll be able to choose from one of several classes. The choice you make affects the equipment with which you begin your adventure. It's even possible to start with access to healing magic.
Knight
Priest
Thief
Magician
Temple Knight
Soldier
Wanderer
Barbarian
Royal (Royalty)
Hunter
Stats: Link Video
As you advance through the game, you'll soon pass the first real stage. You can then begin spending souls to increase your own soul level. Each time you turn in souls for a new soul level, you can upgrade one statistic (out of eight options). Then you'll have to reach another soul level before you can pick a stat to upgrade. Whether you pour all of your upgrades into one category or space it out, the cost to reach the next soul level will increase by the same amount.
Vitality - Raises Maximum HP and Maximum Carrying Weight
Will - Raises Maximum MP and number of Magic memorization slots
Endurance- Raises Maximum Stamina, Maximum Equipped Weight, and Fire, Poison, and Bleed Resistance
Strength - Increases Physical Damage, required for many weapons and shields
Dexterity - Increases Physical Damage, increases 'experience' (reduces falling damage), required for many weapons
Magic - Increases Magic power, required for some weapons
Faith - Increases Miracle power, and number of Miracle memorization slots, Magic Damage resistance, required for some weapons
Luck - Increases Item drop rates and Disease Resistance
**Note that increasing ANY stat increases Physical Defense the same, so no matter how you distribute your stat increases, two characters at the same soul level will have the same Defense. The higher your soul level is, the less damage you take from basic physical attacks - this does NOT help you against non-physical damage however.
**Weapons and shields have stat requirements to be used effectively. Armor does not, but most stronger armor is very heavy, necessitating high Vit and End scores to use it effectively.
Equipment System: Link
One of the most unique aspects of Demon's Souls' combat is equipment management. Unlike most RPGs, the equipment you start the game with may, in many cases, end up being the equipment you end the game with, particularly the armor. Rather than offering more powerful weapons and equipment as the game progresses, all the weapons and armor are balanced against each other based on weight and defensive/offensive properties. A character with high endurance may want to wear the heaviest plate armor he can find, while a mage whose soul levels are placed elsewhere will have to rely on cloth armor. To make things more interesting, while each character has a maximum equip weight, using more than half that will severely hinder your mobility, causing you to run slower and making it harder to dodge. Players will have to find a balance between defense and mobility that works best for their playstyle. There's a lot more than just stats to take into account when choosing equipment.
Gameplay:
Combat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfkJmgGw ... re=related
Demon's Souls combat system is unique. Let's do the button breakdown. R1 is a normal attack, R2 is a heavy attack, L1 is your shield, and L2 is a shield thrust. Triangle fixates your character to either a one-handed weapon or a two-handed weapon, Square is for items, and Circle is held to run or pressed with the analog stick to roll. Then your arrow buttons let you switch weapons and items. The main two things you'll do — slashing your sword and running — requires stamina, which you'll run out of fast.
You really have to think about what you do. Unfamiliar enemies can literally kill you in two hits. You could slash through a whole level taking out enemy after enemy then run into a knight with a glowing helmet and think "maybe I shouldn't go this way". You won't even be warned, it'll just happen. One, two and you're dead. You think maybe you can run past him and hit him from behind. However, since both running and fighting decreases your stamina bar by a lot, you may get only one hit on him. These are the kinds of things that will run through your mind when you play this game. In essence, it's really what makes the game so great; that fear and excitement mashed together.
Bosses: Link
Demon's Souls is a brutal, bleak action combat RPG that pits your lone character against a universe full of violent demons. They range from former human soldiers to agile, double scimitar-wielding skeletons, pouncing flame-creatures, octopus-headed guards, embryonic plague-carrying monstrosities, even Death himself. The game's five worlds - all massive - are split into four different sections, each guarded by a horribly large and hardcore boss monster. Everything in the entire world is designed to kill you, quickly and often without warning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZPE83Md ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duj4ILdx ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWGj1QoA ... re=related
Will add more later.
I've been compelled to create this topic on pure nostalgic memories alone. You see, from my former glory days of parading through the dungeons of King's Field, I've come to desire such dungeon romping experiences in the next generation of graphics. Challenge, puzzels, traps, and a light RPG layer over the top. Very similar to the Rogue-Like agenda, but with more of a focus on graphical GUIs and simplified input of character control(To an extent).
So, with that said, naturally I've become intrigued by this title, as it was made by the same developer as King's Field.(From Software) Being a company located in the heart of decadent Japanese tentacle porn, and animeish RPGs boasting compensatorily massive swords, From Software acted differently with those former titles. Maybe it's mostly a nostalgic memory combined with a masochistic nature, but I remember those games fondly.(Probably the most enjoyable experience I've had with any console - strangely enough)
Those fond memories have invigorated my desire to explore what Demon's Souls is all about, especially since they called it the Spiritual Successor to King's Field, in anticipation of maybe someday playing it, and also in a fruitful desire to spread it's seeds.(I want it to grow within each of you, maybe wither in some, but definitely grow in those biologically inclined, or operantly predisposed, to liking such things!)
With that all said, let us all delve into the depths of this new beast
I have not removed this information from a hype induced, media outlet whom take pay in return for ratings.)RPG Elements:
Classes: Link
In Demon's Souls, you don't progress through levels like you would in a typical RPG. Instead, you have a soul level. When you first begin the game, you'll be able to choose from one of several classes. The choice you make affects the equipment with which you begin your adventure. It's even possible to start with access to healing magic.
Knight
Priest
Thief
Magician
Temple Knight
Soldier
Wanderer
Barbarian
Royal (Royalty)
Hunter
Stats: Link Video
As you advance through the game, you'll soon pass the first real stage. You can then begin spending souls to increase your own soul level. Each time you turn in souls for a new soul level, you can upgrade one statistic (out of eight options). Then you'll have to reach another soul level before you can pick a stat to upgrade. Whether you pour all of your upgrades into one category or space it out, the cost to reach the next soul level will increase by the same amount.
Vitality - Raises Maximum HP and Maximum Carrying Weight
Will - Raises Maximum MP and number of Magic memorization slots
Endurance- Raises Maximum Stamina, Maximum Equipped Weight, and Fire, Poison, and Bleed Resistance
Strength - Increases Physical Damage, required for many weapons and shields
Dexterity - Increases Physical Damage, increases 'experience' (reduces falling damage), required for many weapons
Magic - Increases Magic power, required for some weapons
Faith - Increases Miracle power, and number of Miracle memorization slots, Magic Damage resistance, required for some weapons
Luck - Increases Item drop rates and Disease Resistance
**Note that increasing ANY stat increases Physical Defense the same, so no matter how you distribute your stat increases, two characters at the same soul level will have the same Defense. The higher your soul level is, the less damage you take from basic physical attacks - this does NOT help you against non-physical damage however.
**Weapons and shields have stat requirements to be used effectively. Armor does not, but most stronger armor is very heavy, necessitating high Vit and End scores to use it effectively.
Equipment System: Link
One of the most unique aspects of Demon's Souls' combat is equipment management. Unlike most RPGs, the equipment you start the game with may, in many cases, end up being the equipment you end the game with, particularly the armor. Rather than offering more powerful weapons and equipment as the game progresses, all the weapons and armor are balanced against each other based on weight and defensive/offensive properties. A character with high endurance may want to wear the heaviest plate armor he can find, while a mage whose soul levels are placed elsewhere will have to rely on cloth armor. To make things more interesting, while each character has a maximum equip weight, using more than half that will severely hinder your mobility, causing you to run slower and making it harder to dodge. Players will have to find a balance between defense and mobility that works best for their playstyle. There's a lot more than just stats to take into account when choosing equipment.
Gameplay:
Combat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfkJmgGw ... re=related
Demon's Souls combat system is unique. Let's do the button breakdown. R1 is a normal attack, R2 is a heavy attack, L1 is your shield, and L2 is a shield thrust. Triangle fixates your character to either a one-handed weapon or a two-handed weapon, Square is for items, and Circle is held to run or pressed with the analog stick to roll. Then your arrow buttons let you switch weapons and items. The main two things you'll do — slashing your sword and running — requires stamina, which you'll run out of fast.
You really have to think about what you do. Unfamiliar enemies can literally kill you in two hits. You could slash through a whole level taking out enemy after enemy then run into a knight with a glowing helmet and think "maybe I shouldn't go this way". You won't even be warned, it'll just happen. One, two and you're dead. You think maybe you can run past him and hit him from behind. However, since both running and fighting decreases your stamina bar by a lot, you may get only one hit on him. These are the kinds of things that will run through your mind when you play this game. In essence, it's really what makes the game so great; that fear and excitement mashed together.
Bosses: Link
Demon's Souls is a brutal, bleak action combat RPG that pits your lone character against a universe full of violent demons. They range from former human soldiers to agile, double scimitar-wielding skeletons, pouncing flame-creatures, octopus-headed guards, embryonic plague-carrying monstrosities, even Death himself. The game's five worlds - all massive - are split into four different sections, each guarded by a horribly large and hardcore boss monster. Everything in the entire world is designed to kill you, quickly and often without warning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZPE83Md ... r_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duj4ILdx ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWGj1QoA ... re=related
Will add more later.
