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Dark Souls II |OT| The Dark Souls of Dark Souls

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S

Steez

Member
So I've been playing since yesterday and I put in about 10 hours. Here's my two cents regarding the everlasting casul talk:

Warping doesn't really detract from the world. There are definitely some areas that are straight forward (in terms of progression, not exploration), but the overall design is still intricate and interconnected. Hell, I probably spent over an hour exploring one certain area and I'm sure I still missed tons of stuff over there.
It seems like the game is also a lot less linear than DkS1. You constantly stumble over new branching paths and areas.

I found two respec items, but I didn't use them yet. I'm not entirely sure, but I think you lose all souls if you use it on the spot. There's definitely some sort of penalty unless you bring the item to a specific NPC or location.

Life gems are fairly rare drops, but you can buy the smallest life gem from a vendor in unlimited supplies, just like it was the case with Patches in Demon's Souls. Personally, I just use Estus and the stuff I find in the world and healing feels a lot more limited than in previous games.

And yes, it's still hard ;)
 
M

MilkBeard

Member
Steez said:
So I've been playing since yesterday and I put in about 10 hours. Here's my two cents regarding the everlasting casul talk:

Warping doesn't really detract from the world. There are definitely some areas that are straight forward (in terms of progression, not exploration), but the overall design is still intricate and interconnected. Hell, I probably spent over an hour exploring one certain area and I'm sure I still missed tons of stuff over there.
It seems like the game is also a lot less linear than DkS1. You constantly stumble over new branching paths and areas.

I found two respec items, but I didn't use them yet. I'm not entirely sure, but I think you lose all souls if you use it on the spot. There's definitely some sort of penalty unless you bring the item to a specific NPC or location.

Life gems are fairly rare drops, but you can buy the smallest life gem from a vendor in unlimited supplies, just like it was the case with Patches in Demon's Souls. Personally, I just use Estus and the stuff I find in the world and healing feels a lot more limited than in previous games.

And yes, it's still hard ;)
Click to expand...
Nice impressions. I keep hearing that the world is much bigger and more open than before, which is cool. Can't wait until Tuesday. ;)

Which console are you playing on?
 
S

Servbot24

Banned
Parmenide said:
People on /dsg/ are complaining about a lot of compromises FROM made in the name of "accessibility", can someone confirm this?
Click to expand...

Someone is complaining on the internet? This requires more research. Don't want to miss a chance to be upset about games we haven't played yet.
 
S

Steez

Member
MilkBeard said:
Nice impressions. I keep hearing that the world is much bigger and more open than before, which is cool. Can't wait until Tuesday. ;)
Click to expand...

No idea if this continues throughout the entire game, but it certainly feels a lot more open in the first 10 hours than Dark Souls 1.

MilkBeard said:
Which console are you playing on?
Click to expand...

PS3.

Oh and I can confirm that cross-region play can be enabled in the settings.
 
F

Feindflug

Member
Revs said:
PS3 or Xbox, any ideas which version performs better?
DS1 performance was almost equal as far as I remember.

I hope that DF verdict will drop this Tuesday.
Click to expand...

360 version: 720p native, no v-sync and unlocked frame-rate which means lots of tearing but >30fps in some spots
PS3 version: we don't know about resolution yet but it's probably gonna be 720p too, lower frame-rate but v-synced so no tearing.

If all goes well I'll have both versions at release day but I'm doing my first playthrough on the PS3 personally and wait to see if From is gonna patch the 360 version.
 
S

Shinjica

Member
Steez said:
So I've been playing since yesterday and I put in about 10 hours. Here's my two cents regarding the everlasting casul talk:

Warping doesn't really detract from the world. There are definitely some areas that are straight forward (in terms of progression, not exploration), but the overall design is still intricate and interconnected. Hell, I probably spent over an hour exploring one certain area and I'm sure I still missed tons of stuff over there.
It seems like the game is also a lot less linear than DkS1. You constantly stumble over new branching paths and areas.

I found two respec items, but I didn't use them yet. I'm not entirely sure, but I think you lose all souls if you use it on the spot. There's definitely some sort of penalty unless you bring the item to a specific NPC or location.

Life gems are fairly rare drops, but you can buy the smallest life gem from a vendor in unlimited supplies, just like it was the case with Patches in Demon's Souls. Personally, I just use Estus and the stuff I find in the world and healing feels a lot more limited than in previous games.

And yes, it's still hard ;)
Click to expand...

Shortcuts still exist in dark souls 2?
 
E

En-ou

Member
-Ryn said:
It really would be interesting to see how far you've progressed. I remember dying all the time in my first run through of the game.



I remember getting destroyed by him. However that was mostly due to me not thinking
to kill the dogs first and then focusing on fighting him. After that though it was just a matter of dodging
his attacks and then promptly going berserk on him. I really wouldn't mind another fight like his.
Felt great when I beat him. Feels better now that I can destroy him.
Click to expand...

I love how the first death in DS2 give you a trophy - this is dark souls, welcome to dark souls. lol

there is a lighthouse or something in DS2 that has an engraving at the base which you can read at anytime and it says something like "worldwide deaths: #####

capra demon surprisingly never gave me troubles surprisingly...

and why do some of you complain over nothing? warp is there, but if you want to walk your ass back to where you came from, be my guest. don't see how bonfire warping somehow diminishes your enjoyment nerve racking/fear-induced experience.
 
G

Gbraga

Member
Jobbs said:
What is the purpose of shortcuts in a game with warping?
Click to expand...

Maybe they were less lenient with the bonfire placement, and instead of giving you one every now and then as a checkpoint they just give you one to warp to and if you don't use shortcuts it'll take you a while to get to some places from the bonfire.

Like if there was no bonfire in Undead Burg and no church shortcut from Firelink Shrine, it would be kind of a pain in the ass to go there again when you needed.
 
C

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Jobbs said:
What is the purpose of shortcuts in a game with warping?
Click to expand...

Some areas are still pretty big and have shortcuts to let you get to a different section. It's not that there are bonfires every 5 steps now, there are still large areas to explore, and useful shortcuts (to make the path to the boss shorter).

Based on my time with the game at the preview event, I thought there would be a lot more bonfires, but that's only the case in certain areas. You still have to explore, there are still shortcuts.
 
T

Tirod

Member
The_Darkest_Red said:
I ordered a CE from Amazon and there isn't even an estimated delivery date. How long do you guys think I'll be waiting? I'm scared!
Click to expand...

I just talked with an Amazon rep last night about the exact same thing, and I was reassured that I would be getting the CE on release day (I'm paying for 1 day shipping). Rep said that the shipping tracking would change once it was shipped.

That's the word I've gotten on it, and I cancelled my Black Armor Edition for it (which did have a shipping date).

If I was given lip service, I'm going to be very upset.
 
J

Jobbs

Banned
Screaming Meat said:
Think of AotA. You had have The Lord Vessel to do the DLC, right? Did the ability to warp negate the need for any of the shortcuts?
Click to expand...

Everything I've been hearing about DkS2 is that there are far more bonfires and you can always warp between any of them. Seems to diminish the need for clever ways through the world, but if that's not the case, I'm happy to hear it. I'm one of those skeptical about warping.
 
S

shiroryu

Member
Jobbs said:
What is the purpose of shortcuts in a game with warping?
Click to expand...

Rewarding first-time exploration?

From's trying to give players the rewarding feeling of "branching out" instead of following a fixed path in the early game, while at the same time preventing the tedium of backtracking between areas. Also, it encourages the Demon Souls' approach of "if you can't get past this boss/level, try another boss'level".

It's a clear blending of the design philosophies of Demons' and Dark. I, for one, welcome it.
 
K

krrrt

Member
Should I play Demon's Souls and Dark Souls first, or is the benefit of playing around launch worth the full price?

I own both predecessors but have only played about 15 hours of Dark Souls and loved it.
 
S

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
Jobbs said:
Everything I've been hearing about DkS2 is that there are far more bonfires and you can always warp between any of them. Seems to diminish the need for clever ways through the world, but if that's not the case, I'm happy to hear it. I'm one of those skeptical about warping.
Click to expand...

There are two bonfires right next to each other in AotA... Once you activate a lift. Anyway, look at Creamium's quote. He's actually playing it. :)

Creamium said:
Some areas are still pretty big and have shortcuts to let you get to a different section. It's not that there are bonfires every 5 steps now, there are still large areas to explore, and useful shortcuts (to make the path to the boss shorter).

Based on my time with the game at the preview event, I thought there would be a lot more bonfires, but that's only the case in certain areas. You still have to explore, there are still shortcuts.
Click to expand...
 
T

The_Darkest_Red

Member
Tirod said:
I just talked with an Amazon rep last night about the exact same thing, and I was reassured that I would be getting the CE on release day (I'm paying for 1 day shipping). Rep said that the shipping tracking would change once it was shipped.

That's the word I've gotten on it, and I cancelled my Black Armor Edition for it (which did have a shipping date).

If I was given lip service, I'm going to be very upset.
Click to expand...
Good to hear. I picked one day shipping as well since it was the fastest available, but obviously I want the game on release day. I just went through a bad experience with Amazon (Tales of Symphonia Chronicles CE damaged in the mail) so I sincerely hope they don't make it two in a row.
 
F

FirstBlood

Member
I've gotten far enough to kill one boss and find/die to two others.

I've found one bonfire outside of the main hub. They aren't everywhere.
 
Z

Zaventem

Member
krrrt said:
Should I play Demon's Souls and Dark Souls first, or is the benefit of playing around launch worth the full price?

I own both predecessors but have only played about 15 hours of Dark Souls and loved it.
Click to expand...

You can totally finish Dark Souls 1 before Dark Souls 2 launches if you rush it but i don't recommend that. Play Dark Souls 2 since the community is moving and return to 1 and Demon's Souls later. Both games don't devalue in terms of quality like how some games in a series makes the others seem bad.
 
D

derwalde

Member
so when i buy the US-PS3-version from the PSN-store (EU here), will i be playing on american server, EU-server or are there worldwide servers?
 
M

MilkBeard

Member
Zaventem said:
You can totally finish Dark Souls 1 before Dark Souls 2 launches if you rush it but i don't recommend that. Play Dark Souls 2 since the community is moving and return to 1 and Demon's Souls later. Both games don't devalue in terms of quality like how some games in a series makes the others seem bad.
Click to expand...

Yeah actually it seems like Dark Souls 2 will be a good entry point for people, since it takes the time to acclimate players to the controls and such. Then, if you like what you see, then move on to either Dark Souls or Demon's Souls.
 
eot

eot

Banned
krakov said:
Yeah, they are mostly pointless. Forest one is ok I guess but the others don't exactly add much.
Click to expand...

I'm glad for the bonfire after that bridge with the two bloated mages, I'd hate to redo that part because I died in the chasm of the abyss.
 
S

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
krakov said:
Yeah, they are mostly pointless. Forest one is ok I guess but the others don't exactly add much.
Click to expand...

You're downplaying their value somewhat. They stop you having to go through a ton of Dark Magic wielding nob jockeys. I'm doing it right now (this very second!), if they weren't there I would be trawling through huge amounts of abyssal shit to get to Manus. The only one you don't need to return to once the shortcuts are open is the Oolacile Township Dungeon, but even that is extremely useful when you first find it.
 
S

Steez

Member
derwalde said:
so when i buy the US-PS3-version from the PSN-store (EU here), will i be playing on american server, EU-server or are there worldwide servers?
Click to expand...

You can allow cross-region play in the settings.

Here's a screenshot I took with my potato:

grOyw2R.jpg
 
F

Fhtagn

Member
krakov said:
Yeah, they are mostly pointless. Forest one is ok I guess but the others don't exactly add much.
Click to expand...

The shortcut in Oolacile is perfect. There's a very sizable chunk of game between the post Artorias township bonfire and the Abyss one, and unlocking the shortcut after getting through the house full of mutants & sorcerers is just the right reward before having to face the bridge with more sorcerers and chain dude.

Plus those elevator short cuts lead to tense & hilarious PvP situations so they are dope beyond just short circuiting the environment.
 
K

krakov

Member
eot said:
I'm glad for the bonfire after that bridge with the two bloated mages, I'd hate to redo that part because I died in the chasm of the abyss.
Click to expand...

You can always use the shortcut directly to the chasm then and be the first person in DkS history to do so.

Township shortcut is fun but not needed after you unlock the chasm bonfire.

I guess it's all fine but not exactly a shining example of why you need shortcuts when you can warp.
 
G

gdt

Member
I'm thinking of cancelling my Amazon order and just going retail, I have no clue why Amazon wants to ship on Thursday instead of Tuesday like normal.
 
N

-NeoTB1-

Member
gdt said:
I'm thinking of cancelling my Amazon order and just going retail, I have no clue why Amazon wants to ship on Thursday instead of Tuesday like normal.
Click to expand...

Assuming you have Prime just change your shipping speed to 1 day, then change it back to the 2 day shipping. Should now say Tuesday arrival.
 
J

Jobbs

Banned
Ferr986 said:
Auto target? Seems like I missed a lot not playing the Network test.

Disabling makes it play like DS1?
Click to expand...

No idea what this is, but if I had to guess I'd say it makes it so after your targeted enemy dies it'll acquire target on another nearby enemy.
 
C

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Mutombo said:
Is the game as immersive as the previous Souls games?

By this I mean, downgraded lighting, care much?
Click to expand...

It's incredibly immersive. When I start to play, I lose complete track of time. Yesterday 4 hours vanished in a flash :) Today I'm exploring a huge area... one of the best in the game so far. Taking a long break now.

There is a lot of fear in this thread... This game definitely feels and plays like Dark Souls should.

One thing I will say concerning weapon upgrades is that it's [mechanics]
easier to get a weapon maxed. I found 2 titanite slabs before I even picked up my first chunk. Now I have a +10 falchion (max) and I'm nowhere near done. I haven't found any of the elemental embers though... or how you would use your boss souls.
 
S

Steez

Member
derwalde said:
thanks. but that leads me to the question, on which server i will be placed. us because the game is the us version or eu because im in the eu.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I see what you mean. You're probably going to end up on the US side, if you purchase the game in the US store. I guess we'll have to wait and see, if FROM's server are good enough for cross region play.

Mutombo said:
Is the game as immersive as the previous Souls games?

By this I mean, downgraded lighting, care much?
Click to expand...

Lighting a bonfire looks beautiful and there are some nifty light effects left. Honestly, I only noticed the lighting downgrade because I saw the thread on GAF, lol. Not that there's is no difference, but the game is just as immersive as Dark Souls 1.

edit: Wait GAF! The game is ruined! I'm fighting a boss who literally has a bonfire in front of the fog door!
 
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