• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

I don't care what you've heard, watched or read. PLAY DARK SOULS 2 before you die

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
The world progression is really just kills DS2 for me. With the exception of Majula, there weren't really any memorable areas.
No Man's Wharf, Lost Bastille, Shrine of Amana, the Gutter, Iron Keep, Undead Purgatory, Dragon Aerie, Shulva, Brume Tower, Frozen Eleum Loyce aren't memorable? K

Plus, if someone could explain to me how the Iron Keep exists above a windmill fortress, I would appreciate it.
Troubled development. But sure, game is now ruined because of one goofy little mistake, 0/10 dumpster fire trash don't play ever

The idea was fine; they wanted Iron Keep to be sunken into a plateau-top caldera.

That doesn't really work though when you forget the plateau.

But for how bone-headed and immersion-breaking this is, Iron Keep ends up being one of the more fun areas of the base game.
This. The Iron Keep is one of my favourite areas.
 

Toxi

Banned
Yes, i fell down the first time (well many times:p).
I like how patient you have be here, with your attacks. Get too greedy, focusing only on one then the others will make their presence known to you.
I just like fighting humanoids, i guess.
Though there could have been different phases to the fight, like in Dark Souls 3.
There were different phases though: First one Sentinel on the platform, then two on the ground (unless you wanted to challenge yourself and fight all three). That might be why the fight is so fun; it's really dynamic compared to most others in the base game.

And it also rewards constantly adjusting your positioning and the camera and watching the bosses' telegraphs to find openings.
 

MTC100

Banned
I played through Dark Souls 1 and didn't really enjoy it. I played through Bloodborne and loved it. I don't think playing Dark Souls 2 will satisfy me in the least.

I don't find any of the souls games appealing except maybe Bloodborne.

Come at me.


I know what you mean, Bloodborne has this fantastic horror vibe to it, one that made Resident Evil 4 so great back then on the GameCube. I would go as far as saying it's the best horror game to date, even though it's an Action RPG at its core and has so much gameplay in it it puts most modern games to shame(besides perhaps Breath of the Wild and the upcoming Mario Odyssey).

That's really something Japanese games seem to value the most, even at times like these.
 

Surfside

Banned
There were different phases though: First one Sentinel on the platform, then two on the ground (unless you wanted to challenge yourself and fight all three). That might be why the fight is so fun; it's really dynamic compared to most others in the base game.

No i meant more, that they transform into something new, like in 3.
 
No Man's Wharf, Lost Bastille, Shrine of Amana, the Gutter, Iron Keep, Undead Purgatory, Dragon Aerie, Shulva, Brume Tower, Frozen Eleum Loyce aren't memorable? K

Why ruin your list with Lost Bastille? Such a small boring zone with a basic template. The only neat thing is the hidden blacksmith wall.

Other than that yea, you've got pretty much all the good zones covered. Dragon Aerie had me swoonin the first time. And I liked Shrine pre-nerf even.
 

Toxi

Banned
No i meant more, that they transform into something new, like in 3.
Hmmm... Dual-wielding Mirdan Hammers?
Why ruin your list with Lost Bastille? Such a small boring zone with a basic template. The only neat thing is the hidden blacksmith wall.

Other than that yea, you've got pretty much all the good zones covered. Dragon Aerie had me swoonin the first time. And I liked Shrine pre-nerf even.
I think Lost Bastille's layout is pretty decent. Not bad, not great.

I do love how Scholar of the First Sin added three Pursuer fights. Including one that's there just to fuck with you when you pick up the Fragrant Branch. Wish they kept the random Pursuer fights going through the whole game, it's a neat idea and reminds me of the Dark Souls 1 Black Knights.
 
I am intrigued by DS... but I just don't want to play a game set in a world of complete misery/darkness/gore anymore, not really how I want to spend a few hours every night. If the hub world was a nice town with villagers and green grass and blue skies I might feel differently.
 

Surfside

Banned
Hmmm... Dual-wielding Mirdan Hammers?

Yeah something that gives them a new abilitie, more range or lets them become more agressive.

Why ruin your list with Lost Bastille? Such a small boring zone with a basic template. The only neat thing is the hidden blacksmith wall.

Other than that yea, you've got pretty much all the good zones covered. Dragon Aerie had me swoonin the first time. And I liked Shrine pre-nerf even.

Well you get to fight the Ruin Sentinals :p

Also you get to meet the most awesome character in Souls.

That made this area sarisfying enough.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
Why ruin your list with Lost Bastille? Such a small boring zone with a basic template. The only neat thing is the hidden blacksmith wall.
It's one of my favourite areas, actually. I always enjoy decrepit, moody castles, and it being moonlit and also a prison always adds to the atmosphere, for one. For another thing, it has really cool and intricate level design that loops around itself with tons of clever shortcuts, it's very fun and rewarding to explore with lots of nooks and crannies. And it has one of my favourite bosses, the Ruin Sentinels. Lost Sinner was also a pretty solid boss, at least pre-nerf, I hate how easy she became after the nerfs :( and the Gargoyles are a decent boss too, pretty challenging. Oh yeah, Belfry Luna was also my favourite place to invade, I farmed so many chunks there xD it's sort of part of the Bastille too, even if technically it's its own area.

Lost Bastille is honestly one of the purest, most "Souls-like" area in the entire franchise. It has everything that makes a good, classic Souls level, from atmosphere, to clever shortcuts, worthwhile exploration to discover cool secrets and good loot, and of course nasty ambushes (like the exploding mummies haha, those fuckers), and an epic boss battle. I love it.
 
Shrine of Amana (esp. pre-nerf) will always be one of my all time fav. of the Dark Souls series.

Dragon Aerie was freakin' amazing too!
 
You sure about that? I get the impression from your posts you didn't like Dark Souls 2 at all.
I mean, I enjoyed it well enough and I certainly don't hate it. I just don't like it nearly as much as the other games. Though at one point I liked it more than DS1.
 

dsk1210

Member
Absolutely adore Dark Souls 2.

It has the most variety of locations by a long shot, yeah sometimes the layout might not make perfect sense but every area is quite unique looking.

It does not control quite as well as number 3 but it's a great game that does a lot of things right with a few missteps.

Also it's great for magic users.
 

DaciaJC

Gold Member
It's one of my favourite areas, actually. I always enjoy decrepit, moody castles, and it being moonlit and also a prison always adds to the atmosphere, for one. For another thing, it has really cool and intricate level design that loops around itself with tons of clever shortcuts, it's very fun and rewarding to explore with lots of nooks and crannies. And it has one of my favourite bosses, the Ruin Sentinels. Lost Sinner was also a pretty solid boss, at least pre-nerf, I hate how easy she became after the nerfs :( and the Gargoyles are a decent boss too, pretty challenging. Oh yeah, Belfry Luna was also my favourite place to invade, I farmed so many chunks there xD it's sort of part of the Bastille too, even if technically it's its own area.

Agreed with most of your points regarding Lost Bastille, but man, there's no way I would consider the Belfry Gargoyles to be anything but an awful boss. They epitomize the worst design of Dark Souls II. Don't know if they were changed at all in SotFS, but for me, they're easily one of the lowest points of vanilla.
 
I mean Dark Souls 2 (SOTFS) is a good game, but it's not like a life-altering experience or anything. If you're a fan of Souls then of course you should play it, but it's not important to play at all if you don't care much for the series.

Bloodborne on the other hand...

I don't find any of the souls games appealing except maybe Bloodborne.

Come at me.

wow you're such a maverick
 

Fisty

Member
Liked it more than DS3, at least it wasn't lots of reused/repurposed areas. Even Kojima waited 10 years before ripping himself off
 

Rush_Khan

Member
The original DSII was pretty poor, but when I played SotFS aftee beating Bloodborne, I switched to a dodging combat style and really enjoyed. Thought SotFS was more balanced as well compared to the OG.
 

zenspider

Member
Counter argument: Don't waste your time. Play Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Dark Souls 3 or Bloodborne instead.

Hahahaha.

I love NeoGAF's bi-monthly attempt to sell Dark Souls 2. My least favorite From Soulsborne game by a healthy margin. PvP and build replayability is not what is appealing to me about these games.
 

Cyanity

Banned
no pause no play

This is a meme, right? Please tell me people aren't actually passing on the DS games because of the lack of pause? Do people realize that you can just stand still in most of the game's areas and walk away from the computer/console, no problem?
 

Toxi

Banned
I mean, I enjoyed it well enough and I certainly don't hate it. I just don't like it nearly as much as the other games. Though at one point I liked it more than DS1.
If you do play it again, I hope you enjoy it more. Try leveling up adaptability early (unless you're going with a magic build); it doesn't just increase I-frames, it also speeds up item use, especially the Estus Flask.

Also, always have a bow. Always.
 

SeppOCE

Member
DS3 is better and actually made by the guy who did the other souls games. DS2 was good but its a much easier souls experience than the others so it didn’t feel like anything more than a love letter.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
What if i find the art style repulsing? I'm not a big goth/gore fan, is it still worth a try or am i going to just be cringing the whole game?
 

sappyday

Member
It grew on me tremendously. It's probably the one I've played the most in the series. I still every other game in the series is objectively better but I have a lot of fun playing DS2 and it's only one that I can restart a play through without quitting one zone in.
 

Persona7

Banned
DS3 is better and actually made by the guy who did the other souls games. DS2 was good but its a much easier souls experience than the others so it didn't feel like anything more than a love letter.

Not sure if you realize this but video games have massive development teams consisting of countless people. Later games had co-directors as well so Miyazaki wasn't 100% into them as he had other responsibilites.
 

Toxi

Banned
What if i find the art style repulsing? I'm not a big goth/gore fan, is it still worth a try or am i going to just be cringing the whole game?
Dark Souls 2 has a few grotesque enemies, but nowhere to the same degree as Dark Souls 3 or Bloodborne. Most of the areas are pretty standard medieval fantasy, with a focus on crumbling grandeur. The most consistent grotesque element is that your character becomes a green rotting zombie as you die more and more without using a Human Effigy.

The game's not a looker graphically; there are some really ugly parts that were clearly designed for the original lighting system and have repeated textures and flat grey surfaces. The art design shines through in some areas though, and using a torch always looks great.

Enemies are mostly guys in stylized plate armor and monsters you'd see in a D&D monster manual.
 

Alebrije

Member
Think other letdown is that DS2 has a completely separate story compared to DS1 and 3. It's an stand alone story with elements of the DS lore like the Dragonslayer clone.

The remaster is cheap no great graphic improvements , areas feel empty but as far as remember is 60 fps and recognize has some of the best DLCs and they a worth playing.
 
DS3 is better and actually made by the guy who did the other souls games. DS2 was good but its a much easier souls experience than the others so it didn’t feel like anything more than a love letter.

Not sure if you realize this but video games have massive development teams consisting of countless people. Later games had co-directors as well so Miyazaki wasn't 100% into them as he had other responsibilites.

This.....


+Easier? I don't think that's a normal opinion.

Throne Watcher, Throne Defender, and Nashandra??? Fuck that.

INFINITELY worse than Gwyn at the very least.
 
I’m kind of weird in that I LOVED Dark Souls 1 but never finished it (got maybe halfway through), got bored with Dark Souls 3 maybe 20% through and haven’t touched it in a while, and was kind of meh on Bloodborne but for some reason finished it. I found B.B. easier than either Souls game.

If I loved 1 but found 3 kind of boring, what would draw me into 2?
 

Toxi

Banned
I’m kind of weird in that I LOVED Dark Souls 1 but never finished it (got maybe halfway through), got bored with Dark Souls 3 maybe 20% through and haven’t touched it in a while, and was kind of meh on Bloodborne but for some reason finished it. I found B.B. easier than either Souls game.

If I loved 1 but found 3 kind of boring, what would draw me into 2?
It really depends on what you liked about Dark Souls 1 that was missing in Dark Souls 3.
 

Lux R7

Member
with 100 agility (a must have for me to properly enjoy the game) it's just another fantastic souls experience.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
Agreed with most of your points regarding Lost Bastille, but man, there's no way I would consider the Belfry Gargoyles to be anything but an awful boss. They epitomize the worst design of Dark Souls II. Don't know if they were changed at all in SotFS, but for me, they're easily one of the lowest points of vanilla.
*shrugs* I found them fun and challenging to fight. It gets pretty hectic when there's a bunch of them at once, but that's what makes it interesting, you gotta be able to use the terrain and hit-and-run tactics effectively to handle the multiple enemies (who aren't that aggressive, actually, but can still harass you from multiple sides).

The worst bosses in DS2 for me are the Dragonrider, Covetous Demon (seriously lol, wtf), Royal Rat Authority, the Last Giant (it's OK for a first boss, but still kinda tepid and boring), Prowling Magus/Congregation, and Aldia (he's just kind of boring, his attacks aren't that dangerous but you spend too much time waiting for the openings). Some bosses have cool designs, but are unfortunately kinda dull to fight and/or way too easy, like the Guardian Dragon and Demon of Song. Oh and fuck Smelter v2, that shit is lame.

For multiple-enemy bosses I dislike the RRA the most, because the additional mobs + them being quick and aggressive + toxic makes it really unfair unless you got fast ranged weapons or something to fell them all in one swoop. It's like Capra, except even more annoying; if you kill 'em fast the rest of the boss is a joke, if not, you die almost instantly. Meh. Plus that big rat is ugly and uncool. xD

I don't mind multiple-enemy bosses as a principle, unlike some other people, I think Freja, the two pets, the Skeleton Lords and some others like it are fine. But I really don't enjoy the RRA as a boss for the reasons above.
 

RK9039

Member
I'm slowly going through this one again, I gave up on this when the game came out - even quit on Dark Souls 3 for that matter. I loved Demon's Souls, Bloodborne and Dark Souls 1 was always my favourite.

Dark Souls 2 just feels so tacky compared to the other ones for some reason. I'm still going to continue for now though.
 
I will give Dark Souls 2 credit for having the best dual wielding system in the series because I really like running fist weapons and this was the only game that really let me go all in on that. Otherwise it was completely unremarkable.
 
Top Bottom