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[F0rneus]

The only thing I'd change about the art is the character faces. I find the rest of the game very atmospheric, but those alien faces are a huge turn off. I know it's kind of their signature style, but it really isn't very appealing.

It's basically the only thing keeping it for being a near perfect game for my tastes. And it's more of a problem than you'd think. The faces are astoundingly dumb. The world and lore are pretty damn great so far. The atmosphere is dark and heavy at times. There's a real attempt at something here.

But the faces...are so ugly and cartoonish, it literally sinks down a lot of the world building they are trying to do. It's hard to take dark backstories seriously, when everyone looks like a Sackboy who was dunked in toxic waste.

 

[NoctisVsStar]

That optional boss lol

Spoiler

the jester

got him my first time.

 

[Look! The Pie!]

How did I not know about this game? It looks downright gorgeous, and I've wanted to play a 2D Souls game for the longest time. Definitely going to try it out before DS3 drops.

 

[super-famicom]

Played about 3 hours, this game is pretty fun! Started off as a lowly Level 1 Pauper, now am Level 23 and using a Claymore +3. Got a few rings, including one that increases roll speed and a charm that increases weapon range. Going heavy into Strength, Endurance, and Willpower.

Character design looks ugly as hell, but the gameplay feels great, so I can overlook this.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Oh, another thing I was wondering: why is it that sometimes the health bar is capped at like 95% of its full bar for some reason? It seems to arbitrarily disappear when resting at sanctuaries or something... don't know what causes it.

As you take damage your max health (and maybe stamina?) would decrease bit by bit.

It's like a fatigue of sort and resting at the Sanctuary/Shines would refresh it.

 

[Audioboxer]

Damn, I was 1 or 2 hits away to kill The Unspeakable Deep. I'll get it, I'll get it...

I posted a video earlier of me doing it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOpXsYjcDFM

Since then I rolled my Knight and I done it again. Takes a little longer without weapon buffs. If you're just after the trophy and aren't already playing a cleric that's what I recommend to do it.

I take it you can't take over sanctuaries? Those that are already set that is. I've just started joining new creeds to get the trophies. I found the sin women to absolve but I can't remember where she is now. Not really sure what creeds are used for yet anyway. Or what to do with them.

 

[Edzi]

I played this game at PSX and was sort of underwhelmed, but the reviews make me want to give it a second chance. Problem is, I'm not sure I can get over how ugly the art style/characters look, and I fear that might really taint my experience with the game even if I end up liking the gameplay since a huge part of what makes souls like games special is the art aesthetic and atmosphere.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

The environments are beautiful, don't know why everyone says the game is ugly (the characters don't bother me, but I can see why people don't care for them). Gritty and bleak but really well done, reminds me of Demon's Souls more than Dark Souls actually.

 

[F0rneus]

That optional boss lol

Spoiler

the jester

got him my first time.

I don't even know where I got the damn key to get there haha. He did take me by surprise haha.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

I'm honestly surprised this game is getting this much flack for the character design.

I take it you can't take over sanctuaries? Those that are already set that is. I've just started joining new creeds to get the trophies. I found the sin women to absolve but I can't remember where she is now. Not really sure what creeds are used for yet anyway. Or what to do with them.

You can 'desecrate' a Sanctuary by attacking the npc, you'll have to fight a Guardian but after that you can claim the Sanctuary for your creed.

 

[Bl@de]

Any timeframe for the PC release? Game looks interesting.

 

[Audioboxer]

I'm honestly surprised this game is getting this much flack for the character design.



You can 'desecrate' a Sanctuary by attacking the npc, you'll have to fight a Guardian but after that you can claim the Sanctuary for your creed.

Ahh. I think the issue is I must have joined before I tried attacking. Swipes just went through NPC? No idea how to rejoin the iron ones now? They were my chosen at the start. Maybe I have to absolve sin first.

 

[Rumble19]

How is the coop in this game? I think it could be fun to play through a souls game with my girlfriend as long as the systems are there and fun.

 

[Nameless]

Just like a Souls game I spent most of my first session running through the opening area over & over practicing combos and getting my timing down while gaining a handful of levels. The core mechanics are extremely fun & satisfying and both the level design and aesthetics of the world are strong as well. Downed the first boss and got to Sanctuary #2 before making myself got to bed. Can't wait to get off work and play more.

Game seems like a steal for the price.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Ahh. I think the issue is I must have joined before I tried attacking. Swipes just went through NPC? No idea how to rejoin the iron ones now? They were my chosen at the start. Maybe I have to absolve sin first.

Sorry, everything I know is from watching German Spy's playthrough of the Alpha and going through the wiki ^^

So far info about the specifics of the Creeds and their mechanics isn't well known yet

 

[F0rneus]

I just realised that playing as mage kinds of screw you over in the gear department haha. Haven't found a single new staff yet. No mage gear. Sweet nada everywhere.

 

[Edzi]

Sorry, everything I know is from watching German Spy's playthrough of the Alpha and going through the wiki ^^

So far info about the specifics of the Creeds and their mechanics isn't well known yet

I haven't kept up, but has Spy said much regarding the game? Is he a fan?

 

[NoctisVsStar]

I paid salt for sin forgiveness idk if it worked

 

[FiraB]

I just realised that playing as mage kinds of screw you over in the gear department haha. Haven't found a single new staff yet. No mage gear. Sweet nada everywhere.

Yeah but once you get certain gear you become godlike.

 

[BumRush]

I bought one from a merchant, and then somehow ended up with another 4. Think it was just enemy drops.

1) At the cleric covenant bonfire. Go right and there's an ambush of like 7-8 dudes of pop out of the body pile. They regularly drop the hair.

2) Buy them from a stone mage or find them laying around. There's a MUCH better spell that the fireballs on the way to Village of Smiles...behind a secret passage. Can't remember where exactly, and I just found it a little while ago haha.

3) Your stamina gets halved from doing heavy attacks or casting spells. You need to chug blue bottles to recover that.

Locks of hair I have seen merchants selling it and I'm guessing it's also an enemy drop. The spells I have found them in diferent parts of the game either behind a strong enemy or hidden on some part of the stage (No merchant I have found has spells).

Thank you!!

 

[Bloodporne]

The environments are beautiful, don't know why everyone says the game is ugly (the characters don't bother me, but I can see why people don't care for them). Gritty and bleak but really well done, reminds me of Demon's Souls more than Dark Souls actually.

Based on gameplay videos I've checked out, the world itself looks really nice but the characters have this weird F2P flash game look to them that's pretty fugly to me. I'll still eventually buy it based on the positive feedback in this thread...as long as the game itself is cool, I won't care much about things like that anyway.

 

[bobohoro]

Can a knight use magic?

Everyone can use everything. The only thing the starting class does is spec the first two black pearls, except for Pauper who starts at Level 1 (and those two pearls can't be removed with grey pearls) and the starting loadout changes.

Oh, another thing I was wondering: why is it that sometimes the health bar is capped at like 95% of its full bar for some reason? It seems to arbitrarily disappear when resting at sanctuaries or something... don't know what causes it.

I think there is a fatigue system at work. It's easier to see with magic attacks, since those also cut the stamina gauge down, but there is something similar happening with health.
How and why it happens, I have no idea however.

Got a staff for my mage. Can float with it. 5th boss spoiler:

Spoiler

The dragon is easy to cheese like that. Everything but its lunge attacks has a hitbox the height of your character, so floating a couple of meters away and spamming lightning in the air is fast and safe.
Except for the times it decides to spam the lunge attack, then you die.

 

[NoctisVsStar]

Is there any sort of fast travel outside the horn?

 

[Lapidus' Beard]

Two bosses down, third one downed me. Great game!

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

I haven't kept up, but has Spy said much regarding the game? Is he a fan?

Lol Spy pretty much helped made the game ^^;

He helped out with the testing and bug report and even contributed to the script/item description.

 

[Thewonandonly]

Hey where do I go after the first boss I'm lost :/

The knight boss

 

[jimboton]

Is there a way to play the game without player created messages? Other than playing offline? If there's an option to do that, I missed it.

 

[Maybesew]

So Co-Op is purely local?

 

[Labadal]

So Co-Op is purely local?

Yes.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

I'm getting some progress. Four bosses down, and some new places to explore. I get annoyed at traps and some enemies now and then, but generally it's a nice game. It does give heavy Demon's Souls vibes in terms of the bleakness and evil level design.

 

[ike_]

Based on gameplay videos I've checked out, the world itself looks really nice but the characters have this weird F2P flash game look to them that's pretty fugly to me. I'll still eventually buy it based on the positive feedback in this thread...as long as the game itself is cool, I won't care much about things like that anyway.

Yeah, the characters do have a weird Bug's Life/Bee Movie look to them. I'm surprised that doesn't bother me more as a total Fashion Souls lunatic. But there is a really impressive artistic touch on the lighting, the blood splatter, the boss intros, etc. that I wasn't expecting.

I'm like 10 bosses / 10 hours in and the more I play it the more good things I have to say about it.

 

[ramyeon]

The traps in this game are stupid.

 

[super-famicom]

FYI: If you summon a leader to your sanctuary, they offer mini-quests to complete (turn in x amounts of enemy drops). The rewards are extra items given to you whenever you pray. So far, I've completed one and now I receive an Imperial Shockstone (buffs weapon with lightning damage) in addition to the healing items.

 

[F0rneus]

The traps in this game are stupid.

I'm kind of used to them now. Village of Smiles is pure bullshit at first because they are next to impossible to see, but once you know where they are it's fine. Could have been implemented better though. Much better.

 

[Samus4145]

I'm terrible at Souls style games. I can't even beat Sodden Knight.

 

[NoctisVsStar]

I'm terrible at Souls style games. I can't even beat Sodden Knight.

Level up your armor and weapons

 

[Samus4145]

Level up your armor and weapons

He has all my salt lol

 

[NoctisVsStar]

He has all my salt lol

Forget about it and go grind for more salt and later return.. Salt come and goes. Trust me I lost 11k

 

[Figboy79]

It's basically the only thing keeping it for being a near perfect game for my tastes. And it's more of a problem than you'd think. The faces are astoundingly dumb. The world and lore are pretty damn great so far. The atmosphere is dark and heavy at times. There's a real attempt at something here.

But the faces...are so ugly and cartoonish, it literally sinks down a lot of the world building they are trying to do. It's hard to take dark backstories seriously, when everyone looks like a Sackboy who was dunked in toxic waste.

I agree. If there's one thing that I'd want a patch to address, it's character faces. Maybe have it be a toggle in the options menu, but the faces are super distracting from the wonderful atmosphere and world. It's a tonal clash that doesn't work. Sometimes the juxtaposition of stylization and more serious subject matter can work (look at the original Batman: The Animated Series; that was a surprisingly heavy, dark cartoon, but the art style was stylized to great effect). I don't think this particular stylzation works.

 

[anddo0]

Should I bother upgrading my starting gear?

 

[OniBarubary]

I am surprised as hell at the tone and lore to this world. It's incredibly hard to pull a hands off, speculative atmospheric lore a la Dark Souls but they really nailed it. What's funny is that I am not even slightly bothered by how much this game is pure homage/rip-off/take-off of Souls because it's execution is fucking great and most games that attempt this fucking drop the ball hard. As a result I never feel like I'm getting inundated with Souls-style games because there are so few that actually manage it. Like...this and Dark Maus off the type of my head, which was also surprisingly good (and if I'm honest, probably harder than any of the Souls games)

 

[super-famicom]

Should I bother upgrading my starting gear?

Nah, there's better stuff out there.

 

[Gr1mLock]

It's a joke =P. It's a Manga that the souls series draws heavily from.

You were supposed to keep going. Gosh!

 

[Meneses]

The environments look great but I agree with those who say the characters look bad.

The faces in particular are really off-putting.

The game is pretty good.

 

[socksfelloff]

Hey where do I go after the first boss I'm lost :/

The knight boss

when you defeat him you get a

Spoiler

key

. Go back the way you came and there is a door on your

Spoiler

right

I just beat the first boss with my knight. I died to him a few times so I ground out 2 levels and tried him again. Got him!

I found the spear to be terrible. Doesn't suit my play style so I stuck with the beginner sword.

Currently speccing for 2h mace/axe just like I do in every single game I've played since 1986

 

[Audioboxer]

Anyone know where the earliest Stone Alchemist is?

 

[super-famicom]

Wow, the

Spoiler

False Jester

lives up to its name. What a joke of a boss.

 

[Kiyo]

After killing my 5th boss,

Spoiler

The Jester Boss

, is the next place I'm supposed to go the

Spoiler

Castle of Storms

? I tried exploring around that area but was getting completely destroyed by some of the stuff in there. I haven't leveled up my armor at all, maybe I should? I tried exploring elsewhere but couldn't seem to find another route to go.

 

[AmethystEnd]

After killing my 5th boss,

Spoiler

The Jester Boss

, is the next place I'm supposed to go the

Spoiler

Castle of Storms

? I tried exploring around that area but was getting completely destroyed by some of the stuff in there. I haven't leveled up my armor at all, maybe I should? I tried exploring elsewhere but couldn't seem to find another route to go.

If you have the first brand, yeah, castle of storms is next for the 2nd brand

Spoiler

wall jump

!!!

 

[NoctisVsStar]

I agree. If there's one thing that I'd want a patch to address, it's character faces. Maybe have it be a toggle in the options menu, but the faces are super distracting from the wonderful atmosphere and world. It's a tonal clash that doesn't work. Sometimes the juxtaposition of stylization and more serious subject matter can work (look at the original Batman: The Animated Series; that was a surprisingly heavy, dark cartoon, but the art style was stylized to great effect). I don't think this particular stylzation works.

The faces is part of their art style, check the dishwasher and Charlie murder game it's by design. It's an acquired taste so it's understandable that some don't like it. Probably a lot people's first Ska Studios game, so don't expect a patch on that end.