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[Thagomizer]

What are the chances of running into people on Xbox? Is there much of a story? I saw the endings..(

Spoiler

that's it?

) I still don't know why this game interests me when I am not a big rpg/dungeon player. No quests? Just mobs, bosses and open world?

Yes, you will be invaded on Xbox quite a bit if you stay human. When you reach Firelink, you can talk to Petrus (guy with a bowl cut and big bulky armor) and join the Way of White, which stops people from invading, until you feel comfortable enough with the combat system where you won't mind getting invaded.

The endings make more sense in context, even if they are very...er...bare bones.

The story is almost entirely background- the lore is very, very deep, but unless you are really paying attention to the dialogue and reading item descriptions, it's very likely you won't have a clue what you are doing and why. Most of the quests are incidental- for example, Siegmeyer kinda just shows up in places, you do whatever he wants you to do, and he moves on to the next one until his storyline is over.

 

[Tomat]

What are the chances of running into people on Xbox? Is there much of a story? I saw the endings..(

Spoiler

that's it?

) I still don't know why this game interests me when I am not a big rpg/dungeon player. No quests? Just mobs, bosses and open world?

I can only comment on the multiplayer, and the quests. There are no -formal- requests in the sense of "Go here, get X money, Y EXP, Z reward" but you are given some direction. How you go on about it is pretty much up to you (although there are certain areas that you -have- to go through).

Multiplayer on the Xbox is decent. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of summon signs at certain bosses. I've had a hard time getting summoned myself (only twice across three characters) and I still get "Summon Failed" a LOT.

 

[Sullichin]

What are the chances of running into people on Xbox? Is there much of a story? I saw the endings..(

Spoiler

that's it?

) I still don't know why this game interests me when I am not a big rpg/dungeon player. No quests? Just mobs, bosses and open world?

You watched the endings before playing the game? lol.

This game is all about the intricate/awesome combat system and exploring its tightly designed world. In terms of world design, think of metroid/castlevania type open world, not skyrim type open world. Basically, it's an interconnected series of labyrinths, with very distinct areas. It's not a typical hack and slash at all. There are several combat mechanics that work in tandem. There's a story but you have to go out of your way to get the most out of it. It's an excellent game. It's probably my favorite game of the generation

 

[NEOPARADIGM]

What are the chances of running into people on Xbox? Is there much of a story? I saw the endings..(

Spoiler

that's it?

) I still don't know why this game interests me when I am not a big rpg/dungeon player. No quests? Just mobs, bosses and open world?

Dude, it's a must-have game. Just get it. I suppose wait for a good sale if you're unsure, but it's objectively one of the 20 best games this gen, imo.

 

[MrWisker]

I have a question here:

I dont want to level up much beyond 85 because I still want to get summoned and such.

Where are you getting a level of 85 as being a cut-off point. In DS the SL cutoff was about 120 and currently I am SL 130 is DrkSouls and was getting summoned every 5 minutes last night in Lost Izalith. I have also read people at SL 140 getting a lot of summons as well.

If I were you I would at the minimum build your character to reach SL 120.

 

[.GqueB.]

I can only comment on the multiplayer, and the quests. There are no -formal- requests in the sense of "Go here, get X money, Y EXP, Z reward" but you are given some direction. How you go on about it is pretty much up to you (although there are certain areas that you -have- to go through).

Multiplayer on the Xbox is decent. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of summon signs at certain bosses. I've had a hard time getting summoned myself (only twice across three characters) and I still get "Summon Failed" a LOT.

Woah really? I would check your NAT. I never have issues getting summoned. And friend and I also have no issues summoning eachother.

 

[.GqueB.]

Where are you getting a level of 85 as being a cut-off point. In DS the SL cutoff was about 120 and currently I am SL 130 is DrkSouls and was getting summoned every 5 minutes last night in Lost Izalith. I have also read people at SL 140 getting a lot of summons as well.

If I were you I would at the minimum build your character to reach SL 120.

For the first play through? Im not sure where I got 80 from though. My old character was at 80 and I was towards the end of the game (I think). I was getting summoned in the Demon Ruins, Dukes and Crystal Caves pretty frequently. Was a little weary about going any higher. But if what youre saying is true then thats some damn good news.

 

[Sullichin]

Where are you getting a level of 85 as being a cut-off point. In DS the SL cutoff was about 120 and currently I am SL 130 is DrkSouls and was getting summoned every 5 minutes last night in Lost Izalith. I have also read people at SL 140 getting a lot of summons as well.

If I were you I would at the minimum build your character to reach SL 120.

Yeah.. you won't have trouble getting summoned. Even if you're well past 120, you can join people's NG+ games.

 

[Tomat]

Woah really? I would check your NAT. I never have issues getting summoned. And friend and I also have no issues summoning eachother.

My NAT is open, but I should mention that these are not full play through characters. All of them have 15+ hours though.

I'm not sure if Im putting my sign down in bad spots or what. Most of the time I drop it, clear the area, and wait a little bit, get bored, and go play the game. I really would like to help more people with the boss fights so I can get souls.

 

[malfcn]

Dude, it's a must-have game. Just get it. I suppose wait for a good sale if you're unsure, but it's objectively one of the 20 best games this gen, imo.

I got the SotC/Ico pack and was kind of meh from that. Eying a CE for $40.

 

[Thagomizer]

I got the SotC/Ico pack and was kind of meh from that. Eying a CE for $40.

Dude, at this point it just looks like you're trying to convince yourself not to get it.

 

[.GqueB.]

My NAT is open, but I should mention that these are not full play through characters. All of them have 15+ hours though.

I'm not sure if Im putting my sign down in bad spots or what. Most of the time I drop it, clear the area, and wait a little bit, get bored, and go play the game. I really would like to help more people with the boss fights so I can get souls.

Try equipping the white soap stone and spamming it a bit. It gets put down in a bunch of worlds so you have more of a chance of getting summoned (this is how me and my friend are able to find each other so easily). Also try putting them in corners. Whenever I try to summon there are always signs stacked on top of each other because everyone is trying to put them in the middle of the room.

 

[Tomat]

I'll try that, thanks.

 

[DigitalDevil]

Saw the last Siegmeyer event....

Spoiler

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


Siegeyer You will be missed.

A brave among the brave.

I was so pissed when after babying his quest line the entire game I made the mistake of

Spoiler

talking to him after the last fight in Demon's Ruins before seeking out his daughter

.

God dammit.

 

[Small Mailman]

Pinwheel was fucking creepy.


That is all.

 

[krakov]

Realistically you can only upgrade to +5 until you ring the second bell (very little access to large shards or chunks prior to Sen's), and generally speaking +5 weapons ain't shit, let alone beastly. But I do agree that gear is more important than stats. My current build (SL23) is just as tough as some of my earlier builds were at much higher levels. No question.

There are plenty of large/green shards in both Depths and Blight town. You get a few Twinkling as well just playing the game normally.

 

[Wool]

Spoiler

Since it seems like the consensus on here that the whole "chosen undead" thing is just a lie that everyone you meet is telling you to go replace Gwyn, does that mean that the narrator at the beginning of the game when you finish the asylum is also "in on it"? I realize the story is pretty deep but I don't think they would have an unreliable narrator at the very start of the of the game. There seem to be a few too many characters who have no stake in you replacing Gwyn telling you that same thing.

I always just thought the game was basically the same story as Demon's Souls. You either sacrifice yourself and become a Monumental, or you become a demon yourself and make the world even darker. In the case of Dark Souls, you either sacrifice yourself and relink the flame, or you kill Gwyn and let the world go dark.

Edit: Spoilered for story info

 

[Numpt3]

I got the SotC/Ico pack and was kind of meh from that. Eying a CE for $40.

Just take the plunge and try it out. I wasn't so sure about it before I bought it, thought that it didn't look like my sort of 'thing'. The game has grabbed me by the balls, soooooo good.

 

[Thagomizer]

Since it seems like the consensus on here that the whole "chosen undead" thing is just a lie that everyone you meet is telling you to go replace Gwyn, does that mean that the narrator at the beginning of the game when you finish the asylum is also "in on it"?.

...huh? The prologue makes no mention of the chosen undead.

 

[Wool]

...huh? The prologue makes no mention of the chosen undead.

This is the part I was talking about.

 

[shiroryu]

I got the SotC/Ico pack and was kind of meh from that. Eying a CE for $40.

If there is a game worth taking a gamble on this gen, it's Dark Souls/Demon Souls. It essentially defines the action in action-RPG. I was pretty iffy about Demons' Souls, having heard of the difficulty, and funnily I'm not an ARPG player - I like the slow deliberate strategic RPGs myself. But that's the cool thing about the Souls series - you do need some degree of quick action, but it's more about keeping a cool head, being cautious, and planning. It's certainly not twitch-based mindless combat.

I only bought it because I got it for $19 from a Gamestop. And it had me from the first death. I simply had to get Dark Souls as well.

 

[tc farks]

Can we spoiler the story talk?

 

[sixghost]

Did you guys know that you can still parry/riposte even if you require two hands to wield a weapon? You just switch to one handed it for a bit, then parry with your shield/parry dagger, quickly press Y and then attack.

The timing is much tighter on the attack since you have the delay of switching back to twohand the weapon, but it still works. I think you are vulnerable when switching weapons, but in fights with few enemies or two it seems like a pretty cool trick.

You all probably figured this out a long time ago though.

 

[Seth Balmore]

Pinwheel was fucking creepy.


That is all.

Agreed. It's a shame he's so wimpy as a boss, his fight has one of the coolest music tracks in the game.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Agreed. It's a shame he's so wimpy as a boss, his fight has one of the coolest tracks in the game.

I purposely extended the fight to hear more of the song

 

[Thagomizer]

Agreed. It's a shame he's so wimpy as a boss, his fight has one of the coolest tracks in the game.

Pinwheel strikes me as intending to be an early-game boss, but in a late-game stage. By the time most players are actually going to reach him, he's weaker than a lot of regular enemies you've faced.

 

[GhostWriter24]

Your Int is fine, but the real power for sorcery comes from stacking damage boosts. If you're angling for a sorcery-focused build then you'll want to pair the Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring from Griggs with the Dusk Crown from Dusk of Oolacile. That'll give you a significant boost to your damage output on the spot. Once you beat

Spoiler

the Duke's Archive

you'll gain access to two catalysts that will make better use of your Int stat and increase your damage yet again. You're also still a tier below the ultimate attack spells. The real stars of the show are Crystal Homing Soulmass, Crystal Soul Spear, and White Dragon Breath when it comes to sorcery characters.

Also of note is that you can get a second set of 10 castings of Homing Soulmass and 4 castings of Soul Spear in a single game by buying the first set from Logan then talking to Griggs after Logan leaves Firelink. He'll have a second set of each available for you after that point.

Magic and Enchanted upgrades for your weapon are available from the blacksmith in New Londo. He's near the bottom of the ruined staircase directly across from the tower that leads to the Valley of Drakes. He can take a weapon to Magic +5 by default, but needs embers to upgrade to Magic +10 or Enchanted. If you're talking about the spell Magic Weapon, you need to have your Catalyst equipped in your left hand, the weapon you want to enchant in your right hand, and the weapon you're enchanting can't have any form of damage other than physical. In other words, anything other than a +0 to +15 basic weapon or a Raw weapon can't be enchanted with spells.

Right now I have a longsword +10 and an enchanted ember + 38k souls. Can I go to New Londo and get him to enchant my weapon?

 

[ixix]

Spoiler

Since it seems like the consensus on here that the whole "chosen undead" thing is just a lie that everyone you meet is telling you to go replace Gwyn, does that mean that the narrator at the beginning of the game when you finish the asylum is also "in on it"? I realize the story is pretty deep but I don't think they would have an unreliable narrator at the very start of the of the game. There seem to be a few too many characters who have no stake in you replacing Gwyn telling you that same thing.

I always just thought the game was basically the same story as Demon's Souls. You either sacrifice yourself and become a Monumental, or you become a demon yourself and make the world even darker. In the case of Dark Souls, you either sacrifice yourself and relink the flame, or you kill Gwyn and let the world go dark.

Edit: Spoilered for story info

I don't think that

Spoiler

the Chosen Undead thing is a lie. People really want a successor to Gwyn and hope you'll do the job. Frampt and Gwyndolin might have ulterior motives -- though whether or not Frampt even really knows about Gwyndolin is an open question, and the bit where he tells you he's quite fond of humans doesn't particularly seem like a lie -- but there are characters with no real stake in the whole thing who want you to light the flame. Like Anastacia, who seems pretty chuffed with the whole idea because she thinks someone linking the flame will make it possible for her to die.

We've hashed the whole ending thing out a few times, and I'm still standing by the interpretation that the ending is fundamentally a choice between acting selflessly in linking the fire or self-interestedly in becoming the Dark Lord. I don't think there's much to support the idea that Gwyndolin is the real villain and it's all been a conspiracy to make a patsy of you.

Right now I have a longsword +10 and an enchanted ember + 38k souls. Can I go to New Londo and get him to enchant my weapon?

You'll need to downgrade your Longsword before you can make it Enchanted. To make an Enchanted path weapon you need to modify a +5 weapon into a Magic weapon, upgrade the Magic weapon to +5, then modify it into an Enchanted weapon. But yeah, if you've got the ember you can do that any time.

 

[sixghost]

ixix-

Spoiler

Has anyone figured out why exactly Oscar of Astoria, the guy that drops the corpse with the key into your cell and the guy who kills himself in the room the rolling ball opens up, does what he does? I think it's implied by him that he is undead himself and I always assumed he purposely gave you the key. Is there ever anything written or said about what the hell he was doing there in the first place?

 

[Thagomizer]

I don't think that

Spoiler

the Chosen Undead thing is a lie. People really want a successor to Gwyn and hope you'll do the job. Frampt and Gwyndolin might have ulterior motives -- though whether or not Frampt even really knows about Gwyndolin is an open question, and the bit where he tells you he's quite fond of humans doesn't particularly seem like a lie -- but there are characters with no real stake in the whole thing who want you to light the flame. Like Anastacia, who seems pretty chuffed with the whole idea because she thinks someone linking the flame will make it possible for her to die.

We've hashed the whole ending thing out a few times, and I'm still standing by the interpretation that the ending is fundamentally a choice between acting selflessly in linking the fire or self-interestedly in becoming the Dark Lord. I don't think there's much to support the idea that Gwyndolin is the real villain and it's all been a conspiracy to make a patsy of you.

It is a

Spoiler

lie in the sense that you aren't the fated undead like Gwynevere and Frampt tell you- that part is hogwash. You are still the chosen undead- the only difference is that it's Gwyndolin and Frampt who are choosing.

Although I agree that Gwyndolin and Frampt are getting more of a bad rap then they deserve, Anastacia doesn't have the whole story- she only knows the face value of what Framp tells her, and there's no indication that replacing Gwyn in the Kiln will actually undo the curse. Although, if we take what Kaathe says at face value and the PC is the descendant of the Furtive Pygmy and is the bearer of the Dark Soul, the PC kindling the flame might have a different effect than when it was Kindled using a God.

Sixghost-

Spoiler

Oscar was part of a pilgrimage to ring the Bells. He gives you the Key to help you escape, possibly with no further motive beyond that, and then gets owned a little later, when he gives you the Estus flask and tasks you with ringing the Bells. The Undead Dragon in Valley of the Drakes killed some other men in his unit- the bodies that have the Dragon Crest Shield and the Sword- although how they got separated isn't said.

 

[ixix]

I'm kind of tempted to start a Bandit, blitz Ash Lake, get the Dragon Greatsword, then level my Strength to 34 so I can use it two-handed. If I level nothing but Strength with one compulsory Dexterity level it's possible to use it at Soul Level 25. That's low enough to get summoned to help with the Gaping Dragon, Capra, or even the Gargoyles. I kind of want to do this, get summoned by someone still using the Drake Sword, and just show up and be like "'Sup. You call that a sword?"

ixix-

Spoiler

Has anyone figured out why exactly Oscar of Astoria, the guy that drops the corpse with the key into your cell and the guy who kills himself in the room the rolling ball opens up, does what he does? I think it's implied by him that he is undead himself and I always assumed he purposely gave you the key. Is there ever anything written or said about what the hell he was doing there in the first place?

I think

Spoiler

he's just a knight of Astora who turned undead and departed for Lordran, but got his shit ruined in the Asylum. His family apparently had kind of a thing for the Undead since he tells you "You who are Undead are chosen," and all. I don't think he has any major plot relevance other than being a potential successor to Gwyn who failed. A possible main character who wasn't, if you will.

It is a

Spoiler

lie in the sense that you aren't the fated undead like Gwynevere and Frampt tell you- that part is hogwash. You are still the chosen undead- the only difference is that it's Gwyndolin and Frampt who are choosing.

Although I agree that Gwyndolin and Frampt are getting more of a bad rap then they deserve, Anastacia doesn't have the whole story- she only knows the face value of what Framp tells her, and there's no indication that replacing Gwyn in the Kiln will actually undo the curse. Although, if we take what Kaathe says at face value and the PC is the descendant of the Furtive Pygmy and is the bearer of the Dark Soul, the PC kindling the flame might have a different effect than when it was Kindled using a God.

Sixghost-

Spoiler

Oscar was part of a pilgrimage to ring the Bells. He likely gives you the Key to help you escape, possibly with no further motive beyond that, and then gets owned a little later, when he gives you the Estus flask and tasks you with ringing the Bells. The Undead Dragon in Valley of the Drakes killed some other men in his unit- the bodies that have the Dragon Crest Shield and the Sword- although how they got separated isn't said.

Spoiler

I think the knights of Astora are kind of an interesting thing in general. There's three sort of tragic groups of knights who had something horrible happen to them in Lordran. The most obvious one is Gwyn's black knights, but then there's Rendal's Balder knights and Berenike's knights, all of whom are obviously hollow by the time the game starts. Then with Oscar and -- based on his armor -- Ricard from Astora who go hollow and attack you, and all the various Astoran knight gear you find on corpses, it starts looking like Astora's knights are angling to join the Balder knights and Berenike's knights as a cautionary tale of what happens when you're a knight in Lordran.

If you think of it that way the whole game is an attempt to stop Astora from wiping itself out as a way of thanking Oscar for giving you a key and a spiffy flask.

 

[malfcn]

Fuck it. I'll take a chance. The backlog is growing.. (Revelations, ME2, DS2, Arkham City etc..)

 

[Minamu]

Platinum get! Damn, that felt good 108:10:31 hours and lvl 158 not sure what to do now

 

[DigitalDevil]

Pinwheel was fucking creepy.


That is all.

For the three seconds he remained alive. loved the message someone laid right before him.... Boss?

 

[Leezard]

Alright, I'll kill Pinwheel right after the gargoyles this time. Let's hope hes more interesting then.

 

[xXBetter Off DadXx]

So.....I'm a Knight, without the master key. I've defeated

Spoiler

the Bell Gargoyles, and the Butterfly demons

, so the only way I can see to go at this point is either

A: through the graveyard and below to the "them skeletons don't stay dead" area(P.S. I'd imagine there is a way to kill them for good, most likely involving the floating energy skulls) or

B: through the Valley of the Drakes towards Blighttown, but I cannot seem to kill that bastard Drake that is on the ledge.....any ideas? I think I'm at level 30 by the way. Thanks in advance.

 

[scosher]

So.....I'm a Knight, without the master key. I've defeated

Spoiler

the Bell Gargoyles, and the Butterfly demons

, so the only way I can see to go at this point is either

A: through the graveyard and below to the "them skeletons don't stay dead" area(P.S. I'd imagine there is a way to kill them for good, most likely involving the floating energy skulls) or

B: through the Valley of the Drakes towards Blighttown, but I cannot seem to kill that bastard Drake that is on the ledge.....any ideas? I think I'm at level 30 by the way. Thanks in advance.

Correct Answer:

C:

Spoiler

If you haven't gotten it, there was a "Basement Key" in the Undead Parish area by the gates that you open. You can then use that to open the door at the dragon bridge, on the other side where you first met Solaire of Astora. Lower Undead Burg/The Depths is your next destination. The graveyard area is meant for later in the game although you can explore and the Valley of Drakes isn't really an "area" with a boss, but just a connecting link to multiple zones.

 

[Leezard]

So.....I'm a Knight, without the master key. I've defeated

Spoiler

the Bell Gargoyles, and the Butterfly demons

, so the only way I can see to go at this point is either

A: through the graveyard and below to the "them skeletons don't stay dead" area(P.S. I'd imagine there is a way to kill them for good, most likely involving the floating energy skulls) or

B: through the Valley of the Drakes towards Blighttown, but I cannot seem to kill that bastard Drake that is on the ledge.....any ideas? I think I'm at level 30 by the way. Thanks in advance.

There is another way. Remember the bridge with the Red dragon? In the Undead Parish you can find a basement key. If you have the basement key you can open a door to the lower Undead Burg, where you can explore a bit more.

 

[xXBetter Off DadXx]

Correct Answer:

C:

Spoiler

If you haven't gotten it, there was a "Basement Key" in the Undead Parish area by the gates that you open. You can then use that to open the door at the dragon bridge, on the other side where you first met Solaire of Astora. Lower Undead Burg/The Depths is your next destination. The graveyard area is meant for later in the game although you can explore and the Valley of Drakes isn't really an "area" with a boss, but just a connecting link to multiple zones.

Spoiler

Okay, I've do have that key. By the door at the dragon bridge you mean that gigantic door guarded by 4 or 5 of them right? I ran past them once and got up the ladder next to the door, but I'm guessing that you have to approach the door itself(at ground level) to open it right?

 

[Leezard]

Spoiler

Okay, I've do have that key. By the door at the dragon bridge you mean that gigantic door guarded by 4 or 5 of them right? I ran past them once and got up the ladder next to the door, but I'm guessing that you have to approach the door itself(at ground level) to open it right?

Nah, not that door. The one you're looking for is on the other side. Near where you met Solaire the first time.

 

[xXBetter Off DadXx]

Nah, not that door. The one you're looking for is on the other side. Near where you met Solaire the first time.

Oh shit, I forgot all about that door. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[scosher]

Spoiler

Okay, I've do have that key. By the door at the dragon bridge you mean that gigantic door guarded by 4 or 5 of them right? I ran past them once and got up the ladder next to the door, but I'm guessing that you have to approach the door itself(at ground level) to open it right?

Nope, the one by Solaire.

Also, the other "door" (gate) you're talking about can be opened by a lever on the other side. It basically just gives you access to a bonfire, but you should do it anyway, cause later on

Spoiler

you can warp there, as that's where you can join the Sunbro covenant if you have the minimum faith requirement

.

 

[xXBetter Off DadXx]

Nope, the one by Solaire.

Also, the other "door" (gate) you're talking about can be opened by a lever on the other side. It basically just gives you access to a bonfire, but you should do it anyway, cause later on

Spoiler

you can warp there, as that's where you can join the Sunbro covenant if you have the minimum faith requirement

.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

I want people to summon me for the Ornstein and Smough fight but I'm not getting many takers. I think 53 is a good level, but is it good to just place my summon sign on or at the top of the stairs leading to the room?

 

[EasyMode]

I want people to summon me for the Ornstein and Smough fight but I'm not getting many takers. I think 53 is a good level, but is it good to just place my summon sign on or at the top of the stairs leading to the room?

53 should be fine. I generally have much more luck putting my sign down near the bonfire. By the time someone gets to the those stairs they tend to already have two phantoms.

 

[edbrat]

I want people to summon me for the Ornstein and Smough fight but I'm not getting many takers. I think 53 is a good level, but is it good to just place my summon sign on or at the top of the stairs leading to the room?

40-55is fine for o&s - I had a lot of joy placing my summon sign just after the roundabout thing in the middle of the walkway leading to the stairs which lead up to the hall which leads to the bosses, perhaps the most fun I've had in the game so far.

Just schlepped through tog and catacombs tonight, I really hated the darkness stuff and got horribly horribly lost, the first time in this game where I just wanted to get to the boss and get the hell out of the level, exploration was just such a ball ache. Kind of amazed that the same design team who gave us sens and anor Londo thought the pitch black approach to tog was a good idea, just seemed a copout given how aŵesome some of the other levels are. Oh well.

 

[Ill Saint]

Need to start a Tomb of Giants Defence Force. Going through that place for the first time, straight after Catacombs was probably the most harrowing, tense and adrenalin-pumping experience I've had in gaming. Went in there too early and had to find my way back out. My hands were shaking by the end of it. Gotta give a lot of credit to any part of a game that can impart those kind of feelings and emotions in me.

Then discovering how the lantern guides your way... awesome. Being able to see Lost Izalith and Ash Lake... beautiful.

 

[H_Prestige]

I've died three times to smough and ornstein but I did pretty well in the last one. I was using the lightning iaito, eagle shield, and havel's set, but now I think it is better to use the lightning spear instead so I can block while attacking. I just don't know if I should stick with havel's set or go back to my usual light armor for speed. Any advice?

 

[sixghost]

Need to start a Tomb of Giants Defence Force. Going through that place for the first time, straight after Catacombs was probably the most harrowing, tense and adrenalin-pumping experience I've had in gaming. Went in there too early and had to find my way back out. My hands were shaking by the end of it. Gotta give a lot of credit to any part of a game that can impart those kind of feelings and emotions in me.

Then discovering how the lantern guides your way... awesome. Being able to see Lost Izalith and Ash Lake... beautiful.

I really enjoyed that place. I contend that if they just gave you the lantern when you defeated Pinwheel, it would have been a better area though. You can pretty easily be without a light source for the first half of that area if you don't have the INT to use Cast Light, or if you never find that spell merchant. The only other light sources are the maggot, which is very hard to get if you know how to do it, and almost impossible to get if you don't.

I just wish they gave you some other option that wasn't just inching your way through the darkness 1000 times until you had a line of prism stones guiding the way.

I think it would have been amazing if you were forced to sheath your weapons to use the lantern, but they gave it to you right at the beginning, forcing you to either fight in complete darkness, or just evade everything.

 

[one85x]

That part at the beginning where you're ambushed by two giant skeletons with an archer shooting at you is pretty ridiculous. Other than that, it's cool that the darkness works both ways. You can get all the way to Nito without initiating an attack from any of the dogs (most of them at least).