If DS3 is molasses then what is Demon's, DS1, and DS2?
It's fun because it has amazing combat, bosses, and level design. It just feels good to play. It also looks great aesthetically. It's the Souls game I enjoy replaying the most.
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After replaying all the Soulsborne games I realized that I absolutely loath Dark Souls 3
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If DS3 is molasses then what is Demon's, DS1, and DS2?
It's fun because it has amazing combat, bosses, and level design. It just feels good to play. It also looks great aesthetically. It's the Souls game I enjoy replaying the most.
Dark souls 3 is the first game in the franchise I actually enjoyed playing and what led me to playing and beating Bloodborne and Demon's Souls remake. By contrast, I hated my time with the first two Dark Souls and don't want to touch them ever again.
The level design is good, I'll give you that. But to me the combat is honestly disgustingly slow. I don't like controlling a character that feels like they're 400 lbs overweight, even with light armor.
People who say this must've been wearing rose tinted glasses playing DS3, which is just as if not more heavy on the multi-enemy encounters.
Lots of ganks in DS1 too. It helps when you look around corners before barging in, ya know. Trying to anticipate traps is kind of this series' thing.
DS3 is a good game, but it's definitely my least favorite of the series. I would take 2 over it any day. I just felt like it was too much of a rehash of the first game.
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If you play these games for the story then i won't be able to convince you to play Nioh. It's the gameplay that makes the game and the countless different builds and weapons to experiment with. It also flows so much better than the combat in From's games since it's so responsive. Sekiro is the only one that comes close.
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Don't necessarily play the souls game for the story, but it is a big part of it. That being said, I am always intrigued by great build variety.
I didn't care for Dark Souls 3 but I never finished 1 and never touched 2. After getting back into the series with Bloodborne I decided to try DS3 and found it was way too much deja vu. It didn't feel like I was playing original game but more of a compilation of other games. I had fun (skipped the DLC) but I wouldn't go back to it unlike Bloodborne, Demon's Souls, and I am trying to finish Dark Souls 1 now.
Though I found it to be super easy outside a few bosses and invasions.
Though I found it to be super easy outside a few bosses and invasions.
Which area? Unless you're running through it and not killing enemies, you can easily take 1 on 1s, with a couple 2 on 1s in some tight spots, but it's the last area in the game so /shrug
Only other Souls game I've played is 2 and that also feels like I'm controlling a character that's 400 lbs overweight in a world where air has been replaced by honey. It's not fun at all.
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I really liked the Ring Knight duels, but I found there was plenty of frustrating swarms around.
Sorry you didn't like it, personally it's my No 1 Dark Souls game, eclipsed only by Bloodborne.
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That's actually one of my issues with it. THere are so many call backs to other games, which just made me think how they were done better there. For example, Yorhm and the Storm Ruler
Definitely don't bother with the others then as they're even slower.
I don't get it though. None if them are as fast as a character action games, but they're all perfectly responsive. DS3 especially.
The jailers in 3 drove me insane. Isn't there a room with like 9 of them in the Irithyll Dungeon?
then there's also the Profaned Capital where there's like 6 jailer-like enemies, accompanied by a gargoyle on each side. FOH
The frogs in Smouldering Lake and Farron, FOH
Basically all of Undead Settlement, FOH
and all of Cathedral, FOH
Fuck Anor Londo and its stupid knights too
And Irithyll of the boreal valley with those fire-casting sword women
and all of Archdragon's Peak
I really hated the encounter design for this game
idk how someone can replay the whole souls games catalogue and think the worst one isnt dark souls 2 by FAR.
ADP existed, literally every boss was shit, every enemy encounter was ganking shit, the level design sucked, the graphics were awfully bland and flat ( because of the lighting switcheroo at launch), the music was awful except for like majula and one or two bosses (the only one I can honestly remember being good is Sir Alonne)
The only good part was the DLCs, which actually brought good level design and fun mechanics. If you only judge the DLCs then yeah DS2 is good, otherwise its fucking awful.
I will seriously never understand how someone can play 3 and think it's worse than 2. Its just so weird to me.
ADP existed, literally every boss was shit, every enemy encounter was ganking shit, the level design sucked, the graphics were awfully bland and flat ( because of the lighting switcheroo at launch), the music was awful except for like majula and one or two bosses (the only one I can honestly remember being good is Sir Alonne)
The only good part was the DLCs, which actually brought good level design and fun mechanics. If you only judge the DLCs then yeah DS2 is good, otherwise its fucking awful.
I will seriously never understand how someone can play 3 and think it's worse than 2. Its just so weird to me.
I'm currently playing all of the Souls games now, and had a weird order: started with BB, then did DeS, and now on DS3 (I have two bosses left) and will go back to do DS1 and then DS2.
In general, I agree that DS3 is more unfair than it is fair, especially in regards to the bosses. What I like about most Souls games is that there's a puzzle to the progression -- okay, if I want to get through this part of the game, what do I need to do in order to cover all of my bases to make sure that I position myself in the correct way to lose the least amount of health? Especially with the Estus system. It also could be that I decided to do a Pyromancer build during my first DS3 run.
I think in terms of level design, DS3 definitely feels like a refined version of the puzzle-like gameplay I enjoy from Souls. It feels meticulous, and there were some areas that were actually quite a joy to try to figure out how to tackle. But this also sort of fell apart at the end, and everything after Dancer of the Boreal Valley tested my limits on frustration versus fun. I felt like this was most tested in the beginning of the Cathedral of the Deep, especially with the Grave Wardens and the loooooong run from bonfire to bonfire at the beginning of the level.
But the real issue I have with DS3 is with bosses like the Nameless King, I was working against the camera to try to still win. And most of the bosses just were not fun to beat, and I found that it was less a test of skill than just me getting lucky. There were some really fun ones (Champion Gundyr, the Dancer for instance), but overall I felt like I was fighting the game instead of it rewarding me for careful play.
It's still a fantastic game. But it never hits the highs of Bloodborne.
In general, I agree that DS3 is more unfair than it is fair, especially in regards to the bosses. What I like about most Souls games is that there's a puzzle to the progression -- okay, if I want to get through this part of the game, what do I need to do in order to cover all of my bases to make sure that I position myself in the correct way to lose the least amount of health? Especially with the Estus system. It also could be that I decided to do a Pyromancer build during my first DS3 run.
I think in terms of level design, DS3 definitely feels like a refined version of the puzzle-like gameplay I enjoy from Souls. It feels meticulous, and there were some areas that were actually quite a joy to try to figure out how to tackle. But this also sort of fell apart at the end, and everything after Dancer of the Boreal Valley tested my limits on frustration versus fun. I felt like this was most tested in the beginning of the Cathedral of the Deep, especially with the Grave Wardens and the loooooong run from bonfire to bonfire at the beginning of the level.
But the real issue I have with DS3 is with bosses like the Nameless King, I was working against the camera to try to still win. And most of the bosses just were not fun to beat, and I found that it was less a test of skill than just me getting lucky. There were some really fun ones (Champion Gundyr, the Dancer for instance), but overall I felt like I was fighting the game instead of it rewarding me for careful play.
It's still a fantastic game. But it never hits the highs of Bloodborne.
People actually like the music in the Souls games? Every track sounds the same and it's not even orchestrated. The synthetic choirs sound like shit
Meanwhile Bloodborne's soundtrack is great (though it does have some same-y tracks as well)
Meanwhile Bloodborne's soundtrack is great (though it does have some same-y tracks as well)
DS2 is still the worst to me. I can't even remember half the bosses in the game and the world really doesn't feel interwoven at all like the other titles. Half the bosses were random suits of armor or weird lame stuff like a giant gang of rats. Granted, I never played the DLC which I've heard is the best part.
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From DS2 onward, not so much. The original Demon Souls had great tracks, but I got sick of choir real fast
Of all the criticism Dark Souls III gets constantly, the one I'll never understand is the one that specifically criticizes the writing while praising DS2's. I just can't wrap my head around it.
Compared to 1, sure, it doesn't stand a chance, it's a DS theme park, I can agree with that, but 2 is so poorly written and does almost nothing with the story. People consistently complain about DS3 ignoring 2, but there's not much to take into consideration in the first place. It's kind of natural too, considering the "just one of many cycles" theme. And especially considering how Dark Souls II didn't move on from the first one either. It's just less blatant about its call backs, but at the end of the day it's still the same players making the world spin.
I do enjoy their approach to hollowing quite a bit, that part was beautifully done, if a little repetitive, with every character story being the same thing. But other than that, it's horrendous. If it wasn't for the credits, my first thought would be to blame a different localization company for the weaker writing, but it's all Frognation. Some of the blandest and less informative item descriptions in all of their games.
Either way, it's clear that From's writing is much better suited to allow you to explore a new world and figure it out, rather than following up on old plot points. I hope people who beg for a Bloodborne 2 don't care about the story, or they'll likely be a little disappointed if it ever happens.
Compared to 1, sure, it doesn't stand a chance, it's a DS theme park, I can agree with that, but 2 is so poorly written and does almost nothing with the story. People consistently complain about DS3 ignoring 2, but there's not much to take into consideration in the first place. It's kind of natural too, considering the "just one of many cycles" theme. And especially considering how Dark Souls II didn't move on from the first one either. It's just less blatant about its call backs, but at the end of the day it's still the same players making the world spin.
I do enjoy their approach to hollowing quite a bit, that part was beautifully done, if a little repetitive, with every character story being the same thing. But other than that, it's horrendous. If it wasn't for the credits, my first thought would be to blame a different localization company for the weaker writing, but it's all Frognation. Some of the blandest and less informative item descriptions in all of their games.
Either way, it's clear that From's writing is much better suited to allow you to explore a new world and figure it out, rather than following up on old plot points. I hope people who beg for a Bloodborne 2 don't care about the story, or they'll likely be a little disappointed if it ever happens.
2 is easily the worst. I enjoyed 3 but most of it was done before and often better in a previous title.
One thing I do think it's the best at is fashion souls. They perfected the DS aesthetic in 3 and there's loads of great looking sets to choose from.
One thing I do think it's the best at is fashion souls. They perfected the DS aesthetic in 3 and there's loads of great looking sets to choose from.
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These were just regular spellcasters that didn't shorten your health bar, though.
Damn, you really don't like this game.
Looking forward to when your hate reaches critical mass, collapses upon itself and we enter your "Dark Souls 3 is the best game ever" phase.
Darkeater Midir and Gael alone make DS3 God Tier. I'll never understand the lack of taste some people have...
Well the other thing is that -- and yes, I haven't played DS1 or DS2 -- but the world of DS3 never really seemed that interesting? Maybe it was because DS3 was tied to other games, but with DeS and Bloodborne, it felt like they weren't chained to something that came before it and could explore weird and strange ideas without being beholden to existing lore.
I still think the level design of DS3 puts it above DeS, and the bosses in DeS are probably too easy, but I like the cleanness of DeS's story and the intricate nature of Bloodborne's that felt very well-thought-out
Lmaoooo
that's definitely not gonna happen with DS3 tho. I've already beaten the game and tried 3 other builds for an hour or two.
Dark Souls 3 is a masterpiece.
Like, what. This is the hottest of hot takes. Outside of maybe Demon King which is a bit whatever, those are among the BEST bosses in the game and possibly the entire series!
Yes, but I wished a tank build would have been more viable in PvE. Otherwise clearly I've enjoyed how brutal the game is on every corner, how majestic bosses and areas are, the variety among opponents, how NPCs are more lunatic than ever and how massive the content is when you add the two DLCs. It's like From dropped everything they kept on hand for a decade to fill the game. Sekiro tickled my limits but DS3 no.
Nah, it's the best one. It's like a more complete Dark Souls 1 with amazing visuals. It also has the best mods. Cinders and The Convergence. So good. If you love spells, try the latter of the two.
All of this.
All of this.
I think you have valid critiques, but this right here makes me think we played different games. Have you tried a strength build? Those weapons definitely feel weighty imho. Also whether you're a sorcerer, pyromancer, or cleric, I think magic can be extremely powerful in DS3. The easiest times I've had with the game was with my pyro build and my strength/faith build.
I definitely agree with you about the music. I think DS3's music is too bombastic and wall of soundy. Gael's theme was a major disappointment for me. I would have liked more boss themes like Gehrman's or Gwyn's. Abyss Watchers was pretty good though.
Edit: I'm also surprised you hated bosses like the Nameless King and Friede. As others have said I also think they are some of the most fun fights in the series.
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Maybe my enjoyment was lessened by the fact that I like, got the worst of all the outcomes for the throne room settlement area. 😭
I didn't enjoy a majority of the color palette used in DS3 (gray/green tones make a debut especially in the first half of the game) and I thought a lot of the lore consisted of throwbacks to the previous games. It was, alongside DeS, one of the more difficult Souls games to get through. I felt like I was crawling to the finish line, not due to difficulty but lack of interest.
The second half of the game and DLCs were spectacular and did motivate me to keep going though.
The second half of the game and DLCs were spectacular and did motivate me to keep going though.
Dark Souls 3 combat is much quicker, precise and more responsive which makes those situations manageable, in dark souls 2 you move like a tank, dodging is a gamble thanks to the adaptability stat and awful hitboxes and healing in combat is rarely an option due to the nerfed estus flasks.
Bloodborne also throws tons of enemies at you, but again the mechanics are there to make it manageable and fun.
I mean, Duke's Archives is finished as much as any other area. Tomb of the Giants probably has some of the most care and careful level design of the entire game. It's really only Demon Ruins and Lost Izalith that are unfinished and honestly they're pretty inoffensive other than the BoC. It's the only one bad and clearly unfinished area in the game. Not sure that counts as "second half unfinished." Almost all of the souls games have areas that are clearly very rushed or have less polish or less going on than the rest. I mean, really, you're going to tell me that Heide's Tower is so much more elaborate beyond aesthetics than Demon Ruins? Like it's not good, but Heide is just as boring to play through. At least I can treat demon ruins like a fun challenge sandbox to go against a bunch of Taurus demons. Dark Souls 2 is full of completely just, barely levels like Heide, Black Gulch, honestly shaded woods, aldia's keep. Like, they're a lot of areas that have like, some interesting aesthetics, but the level design is completely and totally boring and lacking. Not sure I can really care about one looking more unfinished. And again certainly that's a far cry from entire "second half" of the game.
...You can kite or bait most encounters in Ringed City one by one like all the other games, like DS1. Hell, I'm having a harder time doing that in Demon's Souls right now.
I'm currently playing through it now and enjoying it but I'm fuckin stuck on Aldrich. I've never had as much trouble in any souls game as I'm having right now. Fuck this boss.
Yeah it feels like people put a lot of effort into seeing what Dark Souls 2 was TRYING to do with its story, and then ignoring what Dark Souls 3 does do.
Dark Souls 3's story is exactly what the point of Dark Souls 1 set out to say. That no matter how well you try to revive a corpse, it will always die. You can't reverse entropy, and trying to fight death is unnatural and at best only extends an illusion of life. A big theme of Dark Souls 1 is that as the fire fades and entropy increases, spacetime falls falls in on itself, mixing up time, timelines (Solaire calls them worlds), and space. Dark Souls 3 just continues with that and with DS2's idea that things get reincarnated (which I found the least interesting, but if you don't like that idea then direct your ire at 2, not 3), but no matter how many times you try to reverse entropy, it will always win. By getting introducing disparity, you have life, but with life you have death. Heat and cold. Light and dark. By introducing high energy states, you introduce a dissipation of energy. It's like a fairy-tale take on scientific concepts. It's pretty damn neat honestly.
The ending of Dark Souls 3, where trying to link the fire does not really work, is what Dark Souls 3 is about. It just continues the idea dark souls 1 started and bears it out. Dark Souls pointed out that the power was fading and what we saw was a lie, like Anor Londo, or the demons that came from the Witch's flame attempt. We were purposely not told that our sacrifice only prolonged the inevitable. Dark Souls 3 covers it from the angle of hopelessness. No longer can you make that illusion. Creatures are more twisted. The timelines are even weirder. Those in power become more depraved. The embers of the flame aren't even hot enough to pretend. It's just those in power attempting to keep that power going by demanding you, the ashen one, push the coals together and hope they keep some sort of fire going, but it's hopeless. I think it's perfect. We needed a game in the series to say that, as it's kind of the final piece of the story.
It's also a meta commentary on both the series as an art, and also the final point dark souls started. This is further emphasized from a different angle with the rot in dark souls 3's first dlc. I mean the developers basically use the Corvian settler to basically say "guys, quit asking for more dark souls. Let it die."