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Post by Xeogred on Mar 28, 2019 22:01:11 GMT -5
So basically the MGS2 lady mags...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2019 20:21:25 GMT -5
Day 1:
Right off the bat my hubris got me into trouble. I started with the soldier and was pretty confident with my experience that I could take the tutorial boss and got him down about half way before getting murderated in one hit. The next surprise was finding out that I couldn't level up! That's okay, first order of business was to buy the trusty Heater Shield so I could actually block things.
I can only imagine what that first area must have been like for someone with no prior Souls experience, having to battle your way through with no way of making your character stronger, instead having to make yourself stronger, had to be a rewarding feeling. It was pretty familiar territory for me though and except for all the time I spent exploring I got through without much trouble (except for that red eyes SOB and his healing... I went back and got my revenge later though). Phalanx was pretty irritating because the fight just took so long and he didn't pose any serious threat. The reward of my level-up lady was worth it though and it's cool that he drops so many upgrade mats early in the game.
I grinded out a few levels and some healing marijuana and kept going to the next area of the castle and thanks to my now-alive health bar I managed to make it all the way to the boss even though I almost died to the dragon and dogs (holy crap DeS dogs are hard) and the two knight dudes at the end of the level. Then Tower Knight toasted me instantly with his ranged attack. Woops. My second attempt went a little better. I killed all the archers and got Tower Knight down about half-way before I got splatted. I ran around in some of the other areas, only to have my ass firmly handed to me. I was a combination of under-leveled, unfamiliar with the areas and quite tired so I quit here.
Day 2:
I'm going full-strength so I was using the Bastard Sword I found in the first part of the castle, but zombie merchant dude was selling a stupid sexy claymore and if there's anything I'm going to invest upgrade materials into, it's going to be a claymore. I saved up enough for it and farmed the Phalanx dudes for materials. I got my strength up to 20 to wield it and upgraded it a few times. I was hoping for the Dark Souls moveset but what I got was basically a faster Zweihander. However... I was very pleased with this development.
This time the Tower Knight fight was a complete massacre as I was now more in my element and took the Giant Sword of Ass-Smacking +3 to his girly ankles. I maybe over-prepared for this one but it felt good regardless. At this point the game is like, "lol explore some other areas you tool," so I moved on to the Stonefang Tunnel which was okay. I really like the miner dudes that are just going about their business and I really don't like the fire tossing shit lords. It didn't take me too long to get to the Armor Spider. I'm not entirely sure how you're supposed to fight this thing but I just alternated between healing and bashing in its head until it ceased to be. Big swords FTW.
Thoughts:
So far I'm enjoying it a lot. The world really feels huge and its cool to see some of the later Souls series concepts in their nascent form. I didn't expect to like the traditional RPG healing system, and I don't. It's just one extra thing to worry about that takes up time. It's easier to farm for healing items than I expected but it's still a drag. I've also just been ignoring the soul tendency which I guess is probably a bad thing. The utter uselessness of armor so far is also a bummer because I like being a clanky boy. On a positive note, the Nexus is easily my favorite "home base" of the series. It's just got a very grand feeling to it. Even though it's not an interconnected world it still feels massive and the different levels all make up their own self-contained worlds with clever shortcuts and the like.
It's definitely a shame this game has sort of gotten pushed to the side in the context of its cousins. It's more straightforward in its story and world building but that's not necessarily a bad thing. While I think the games after this matured mechanically, the presentation and atmosphere is really great.
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Post by Xeogred on Apr 3, 2019 20:50:39 GMT -5
The lack of interconnectedness makes the game feel even larger and more (awesomely) disjointed. WHERE and what is the Nexus exactly? A strange enclosed temple that just teleports you around to completely different locations. Is it even the same dimension/realm? Such a cool vibe. I don't know if I'd say the story is more straightforward, the progression obviously more linear but yeah, it gets weird in great ways. I love that armor isn't anything special here. No tank/cheesing bosses allowed and you're expected to get better and learn how to move. The Claymore is my favorite weapon in this one and yeah it's hilarious how enormous it is here, it really is like the Zweihander. It rules but can be a pain in those tight claustrophobic sections haha. I'm not sure how the healing system is an issue though? You easily end up with like 99 of multiple types of some point and while that might sound game breaking, it really isn't since you'll be popping them like candy. It's just a different system than the later games and I don't really think any of them are better or worse than one another. It sure is awesome how this one doesn't politely let you spawn next to any bosses! You really have to work for the sparse checkpoints here. The levels are huge and so distinct/memorable. Stonefang Tunnel is the weirdest and those tanky rock miners aren't even worth the measly souls they drop, you don't even fight things as much in this level but it has tons of materials and exploration. It's these weird differences between levels and bosses in Demon's that I love. Constantly unique and different, unlike some moments in the others that get samey. No real issue playing offline and ignoring WT (Ex played offline too last year). Only thing to note, is that the final boss of 3-3 was always a summoned player, which made for some crazy battles, lol. But it's no biggie. For a funny fact, a lot of players back in the day would fall off ledges in the Nexus to die, because dying in the Nexus doesn't shift WT. I like how eerie it is walking around without a body in this one, don't even hear footsteps. The lamp-esque glow from you body is such a cool touch too.
Glad you're really enjoying it. It only continues to get awesome. Now you can become cranky like me and talk to a wall when attempting to recommend this one to the millions of players who love the others! 
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Post by Ex on Apr 3, 2019 20:55:02 GMT -5
I can only imagine what that first area must have been like for someone with no prior Souls experience, having to battle your way through with no way of making your character stronger, instead having to make yourself stronger, had to be a rewarding feeling.It was. DeS was my first "Souls" game. And remains the only one I've played (and beaten) thus far. I plan to take on Dark Souls later this year. I ended up using a scimitar and shield myself. Along with fat armor, which made me roll like a drunken sloth. That was because I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I refused to use any outside aid to get through the game. If I were to replay DeS now, I'd outfit quite differently. It is a wonderful hub. There are some truly amazing areas ahead of you. I hope you know nothing about them. Some of the bosses in DeS are very easy and humorous. And some are absolutely brutal and terrifying. I'm looking forward to reading about your experience as you chronicle it. It will be interesting to see you contrast DeS against the later "Souls" entries you've already played through. I'm really interested to know if the "Souls" games get easier after DeS, or harder. You know, without going too into depth, considering most of the series isn't HRG-compliant yet. I'm very happy to read about you playing this game. I wish everyone could play it. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2019 21:16:17 GMT -5
I love that armor isn't anything special here. No tank/cheesing bosses allowed and you're expected to get better and learn how to move.
It's not that I'm mad it sucks, I just want to look cool without being fat. It's been said a thousand times now but "the first one you play is always the hardest" holds up in my experience. They all have their eccentricities but once you've acquired the skills and mindset it transfers over and it will never be that same level of "hard" again. How you play and build your character of course also has a big effect on individual experience. It's a tough call and a very subjective one because different people get hung up on different things. I think that just speaks positively to how many different ways they approach making things a challenge. |
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Post by Ex on Apr 3, 2019 21:19:47 GMT -5
They all have their eccentricities but once you've acquired the skills and mindset it transfers over and it will never be that same level of "hard" again. Well, we'll see how the Flamelurker and Maneaters affect your patience. I'm looking forward to reading about your experiences with them. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2019 0:36:45 GMT -5
Day 3:
I decided to go off the beaten path and went to the Shrine of Storms. Ninja skeletons! They're pretty fun to fight and drop a lot of souls so that was nice. The tutorial boss showed up for a rematch so I showed him how much I increased my power level and claimed his soul. After freeing a merchant from prison and fighting different flavors of ninja skeletons I made it to Adjudicator. Even the music in his fight doesn't take him seriously. I did find his sweet shield that heals you over time. I also got myself some leather clothes so I can quit rocking the Conan the Barbarian look. A fun and short area with cool aesthetics. I'm always a sucker for flying manta rays.
Heading back to the Armor Spider Arch Stone to pick up where I left off I proceeded to get hopelessly lost in the tunnels. I met trusty ol' Patches and got a much needed flame resistance ring then got lost some more. Can't say I really enjoyed this area much, but at least it was full of upgrade materials. Eventually I discovered where the boss was... by going the other way at the start of the level. I would have endeavored to explore the whole place for loot anyway so no big deal.
Flamelurker is definitely a fun fight with an aggression level akin to what I'm used to dealing with. It's a well designed fight with the pillars giving you a chance to break his aggression and heal if you have to. This bit of design also makes him feel a whole lot like an earlier version of one of the first Dark Souls' hardest boss encounters. I died stupidly the first round because I backed myself into a pillar and couldn't see a thing but the second time I was in control of the fight the entire time. Easily my favorite boss fight so far, I clenched my buttcheeks during a few of his sudden charges but he was no match for the almighty power of rolling.
So, progress was made. Should I press on to the next area of Stonefang or try something else?
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Post by Ex on Apr 5, 2019 0:52:42 GMT -5
The red eyed bastard versions were my nemesis for a while. I had much to learn. Flamelurker is definitely a fun fight with an aggression level akin to what I'm used to dealing with. Well if Flamelurker only took you two tries, yeah you should have this game down well enough.  I suppose it does help a lot that you've played through the successive "Souls" games. That experience obviously proves retro-compatible. I want to tell you what my favorite one is, but alas I don't want to spoil it. I think you'll be seeing it soon enough. You seem like quite the "Souls" pro; I think you're good to go wherever you want. There's still a whole lotta awesome stuff you haven't seen yet! |
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Post by Xeogred on Apr 5, 2019 18:31:04 GMT -5
> Adjudicator
This is one of Miyazaki's favorite bosses.
Yeah you're kind of expectedly steamrolling this. You're gonna LooOOOove level 5.  ... Blighttown has its origins...
Still haven't ventured into my favorite level though. The order doesn't really matter, but Shrine of Storms is the best area for some soul grinding. That was necessary when I played it back in the day with no help or answers anywhere.
DS3 has an extremely direct nod coming up to something you'll see soon. And also one area I think is comparable to something in Demon's too.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2019 0:51:10 GMT -5
I haven't touched level 5 yet. I did the first part of Tower of Latria and I'm assuming that's what you're referring to regarding DS3. Honestly I'm having a lot of DS3 deja vu in general. Lothric Castle is a clear reference Boletarian Castle right down to the red and blue dragons, Cemetary of Ash is kind of Shrine of Storms-ish, and even has an old fallen hero in it. I'm too tired to go into much detail, but Day 4 was a lot of progress. I started by killing the Dragon God which didn't take too long. It's cool thematically and sneaking around was certainly tense. I don't have much to say about it other than it was neat. I went to Tower of Latria next and felt instantly terrified by the recognition I had of my surroundings, and it turned out for good reason because those Cthulhu pricks are pretty annoying. I tried to roll through the arrow machine and almost made it, but then after dying I picked up the key and realized I was being stupid. The lady with too many arms at the end of the level didn't put up much of a fight but those floor traps were sure a pain. As far as "a bunch of enemies in a church" boss fights go though, it's probably the best one. I went to the second area of Shrine of Storms after this and holy crap this was a ride, it gave me the hardest time of any area so far. Those ghost guys and the grim reapers are brutal. I was eventually able to run through fairly quickly and avoid everybody but I had a lot of spectacular fails. The Old Hero was another cool concept that didn't really translate that well into a fight, but what I like about Demon's Souls so far is that even the pushover boss encounters are memorable. I did Storm King right after this and was kind of freaked out at first because my only ranged attack is a short bow I use for emergencies and pulling mobs. That is of course until I saw the sword sticking out of the ground and realized this is where the Storm Ruler came from (hello again DS3, I guess this is what you meant actually). Needless to say things went smoothly after that. Next I'll probably try to wrap up Latria, then I'll do the 5th stone before returning to the castle. |
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I suppose it does help a lot that you've played through the successive "Souls" games. That experience obviously proves retro-compatible.
... Blighttown has its origins...