I think that all the Souls games are kinda clunky, just clunky with different things (and those gulfs between each of them are pretty vast). Demon’s Souls linearity and level design made things much more even keel, whereas the intention in Dark Souls was to show a vast world that was heavily designed as such, whereas Dark 2 went back to the more level-like construction due to bonfire warping, but brought back some of the more interesting aspects of Demon’s (particularly, the NPCs, a more coherent and less item-based story, jumps in difficulty). Dark 3 is the only game that I feel is sort of a remix of everything, but it being so mashed and condensed makes it frustrating to take in, whereas most of the other games play on much more reliable beats within the exploration (starting point, middle point, end point - whereas Dark 3, like Bloodborne, is often starting point to end point). Bloodborne changes the mechanics to something that feels frenetic and not clunky, but the design of starting point to end point is still there and as a player who likes taking things in more consumable chunks, it just upped the stress of having to worry about things that should have been irrelevant, like Blood Vial or Quicksilver numbers (e.g. am I going to get to Boss X with enough materials to realistically combat it since the game only has these shortcuts and oftentimes doesn’t give me a chance to spend my resources - which now becomes a question of whether I’m going to run back to restore my resources or hang around and try, not knowing if I have enough resources or not). Given the Bloodborne’s dark mood, I feel like more mid-points, to let the player simmer a bit more often, would have served it (and Dark 3) better than doling out shortcuts that don’t really feel like they’re part of the game so much as they were put there to tease the player.
Can you elaborate on this? I don’t know what you mean.
I feel like more mid-points, to let the player simmer a bit more often, would have served it (and Dark 3) better than doling out shortcuts that don’t really feel like they’re part of the game so much as they were put there to tease the player.
Shortcut-heavy design was the biggest loss I felt from Demon’s to Dark; individual levels in Dark are very linear compared to the often “compound” feel of the opening-then-closing paths in Demon’s (particularly 1-1 and 2-1). Between-level world shortcuts in Dark were less interesting in navigating the levels and the way it compressed the world made everything feel small and more convenient.
What about shortcuts feels gamier than checkpoints? Do they feel like flimsy barricades?
Practical example is just the distance between bonfires/lanterns. While not necessarily shorter or longer, they interrupt play (i.e. combat) in Dark 3/Bloodborne less often. Whereas I liked the interruption of a bonfire/lantern between bosses because it gave me room to breathe and to feel like progress existed outside of beating bosses.
Shortcuts largely “replace” them in Bloodborne and Dark 3, but they don’t really serve the same function and shortcuts don’t do nearly as good of a job at indicating progress (or at least, they don’t really encourage being reflective).
Ah, ok.
It’s hard to gauge and different levels within a single game hit different targets but on the whole I don’t like the extra bonfires in Dark Souls 2, 3. My favorite layouts are the long slogs with surprising shortcuts, like Demon’s 1-1 and the return to the gate, or opening up an elevator in Bloodborne; I’m much happier with a long level trek, to build anxiety and tension, and than a quick route to the boss, since I tend to clear the level before checking out the boss.
Shortcuts also give me new angles and perspectives on the level and teach me more of the shape and I find that very interesting.
Can’t really disagree with that, it’s a fair point. I think it’s just that I often found the shortcut design frustrating rather than helping to build tension. Especially after a few deaths or a certain amount of time being unable to figure out where it was.
Shortcuts are edifying in requiring an assessment of architecture, but I’m not sure they’re necessarily encouraging a reflection on its design by themselves. I think bonfires and closeness to things that signify history provide that better.
It might be playstyle-dependent; I’m very thorough and it usually takes me 2-4 hours for each new level in a Souls game; always avoiding the boss until the end (or even after exhausting all unlocked zones). I’m generally 60-70 hours to complete these games.
The first time I play I explore very similarly, but I do tend to rush the first run so I can experiment with the second or third run (as well as finish any non-required bosses, because I often don’t finish them the first run). I also don’t tend to play NG+ because I find the limitations of the initial experience more enjoyable. I think my first runs tend to be about 30-40 hours, but I’ve played all these games for hundreds of hours each, if Steam is correct.
I do this mostly because I want to try everything at the outset, but ultimately want to play again in the “style” that I prefer for the game. And then experiment with other styles. I gravitate strongly towards casters, but on each game I did my second run with a different kind of caster. Demon’s was a Sorcerer, Dark 1 was a Pyromancer, and Dark 2 was a Lightning build (and then Dark when lightning became hot garbage). Dark 3 I’ve played mostly with the Farron Greatsword (though also played through with a sorcerer, which I found to be pretty boring) because I just love its movement set. I think it’s probably my favorite weapon in any of the DS/BB groupings. Just a really fluid, really fun set of moves. BB my first playthrough was with the Threaded Cane due to its absurd reach and the game’s tendency towards mobbing you. Then did Saw Cleaver, and now I’m trying the Kirkhammer (aside from its slow transform, I think Kirkhammer has been my favorite so far).
I think the only game I played through a significant portion of NG+ was actually Dark Souls 2 (still didn’t finish it though). I think a lot of it was due to the all red NPCs.
Went back to Dark months after not playing it (lol this is a long time for me) and man, the enemy situating feels so… austere next to Dark 2. Is that the right word, austere? Now I understand the sentiment of 2 being more exciting to revisit from a challenge-based point of view, although I’ve played so much of the first game now that the comparison is bound to be warped – the very idea of Dark peronally challenging me is absurd
The pilgrims of the dark covenant is cool… I wish the chasms were longer and had big non-combative stretches where you could reflect on your surroundings. It’s such a perfect complement to the game’s theme of tunnels, holes, caves, that you’d have this cult that lets you access ancient, pitted, ritualistic (?) passages
Darklurker is a dump and its theme is unlistenable but w/e. Def a part where Demon’s’ scoring would’ve heightened the dramatic effect rather than diluting it. Whole thing should’ve been variations on that solo harp section
Probably a reference to something, but I have no idea what.
I once took what could have been a decent screenshot of this creature, but unfortunately the HUD was on.
Anybody know if there’s a really good LP of Bloodborne out there? I’ve decided that as much as I want to see the rest of the game, I don’t actually want to play the rest of it.
I like LPs from Bananasaurus Rex, he’s one of the better variety streamers. Good balance of chill and non-forced enthusiasm.
1- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/5026769
2- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/5027210
3- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/5039864
4- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/5040135
5- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/5040969
DLC1- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/31223875
DLC2- https://www.twitch.tv/videos/31224138
I played a little of Dark Souls 2 SotFS. I’m not committing to it until i beat Bloodborne, but it felt good to come back to, and at least for the first few areas (Forest of Fallen Giants and Heide’s Tower) the enemy placement is definitely much more interesting. Their locations particularly make more sense in a storytelling way – like, it made no damn sense that there were no Heide’s knights in actual Heide’s, but now they’re chilling all over the place. And that one frustrating encounter in FoFS where you climbed a ladder and three dudes jumped you while a fourth dude shot arrows has been replaced with a room full of dead soldiers who pick themselves up when you approach – it’s more sensible, both as a narrative and as an early game play scenario.
ADP still sucks, i still don’t like the gamefeel as much as the other games. I forgot just how nice the atmosphere is in this one, though. Things Betwixt is a really cool, suggestive area, and while the Nexus will always and forever be my favorite hub, Majula is a close, close second
edit: also, the option to turn off your UI when you’re not attacking or using items was smart and good and there’s no excuse for Bloodborne to lack it!
how did the dark souls 3 dlc turn out? i played through the base game on ps4 at launch and can’t really remember all that much about it, considering picking up the humble store half price complete bundle for pc
It’s pretty much a greatest hits situation. The new bosses are interesting.
I guess for the Ringed City in particular I was hoping for a more desert-y situation but got more what I expected than I was hoping for.
Overall, pretty good. Though probably not as good as DS1 or 2’s DLC. Would say DS2’s DLC is the strongest of the three, DS1 being closely behind it, and DS3 being a bit behind that.
I only want to play Cat Souls now
While replaying Dark 2 I’ve been observing how my playstyles differ between Dark Souls entries. Like even though I still think the overall mechanical changes to 2 make player/player interactions kinda cramped and dull I am newly appreciating handling my character in 2 relative to 1/3. I use leaping attacks all the time in 2, for example, and I almost never did that in the others. It just seems more complementary to how stamina works or something. Like why would you use leaping attacks in 3, ever. You have so much stamina that recovers so quickly and your R1 is so fast
Idk. The more I think about it the more boring and self-defeatingly conservative Dark 3 seems