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LTTP: Dark Souls 2 - eh, perhaps I should have played this before Bloodborne

You can't honestly tell me that an Arcane build is "mostly just tweaking the numbers" compared to using actual spells, and the turtle type builds don't even exist.
I'll freely admit that for spellcasters or people who enjoy playing defensively it will probably be the weakest game, as those play styles aren't really even present.
 

Jito

Banned
Purposely grinding out enemies instead of just progressing through the game naturally sounds like a pace killer. Why are you doing it?
 

Sanctuary

Member
Ok, is DS1 the one that is on PC that Durante fixed or was that 2?

http://neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=488240&highlight=dsfix

I'll freely admit that for spellcasters or people who enjoy playing defensively it will probably be the weakest game, as those play styles aren't really even present.

Also, there were so many snide, "git gud" comments when anyone mentioned build variety as though those coming from a Souls game only wanted to "hide behind a shield". Personally it has nothing to do with "skill" and everything to do with experiencing different playstyles. In the end, Bloodborne offered slower, but harder hitting melee, and faster, but weaker melee and that was essentially it. One or two playthroughs and you've experienced pretty much all the game had to offer in that regard. With The Old Hunters, the game seemed like it finally had enough variation (even though it was still "just melee" unless you decided to go with the odd broccoli build) that should have existed in the vanilla game.
 
Should have just played 1 and 3 instead. There's really no reason to play 2 unless you are starving for more Souls after you beat the proper games.

The PvP is terrible in the entire series, don't believe their lies.
Boy you crazy.
DS3 has some fun PVP if you have friends. Summon two bros with that monkey paw thing and just get invaded all night long in 3v3 pvp action. Super fun stuff.
 

friz898

Member
Thanks guys!

Maybe I can get sucked into this game. I've changed so much since my kid days, when I was a kid, I actually looked forward to fights in Zelda 2 againt the knights, and I would purposely out black and stab them instead of just jump-slashing them like most poeple.


Now I can't be bothered to do a stealh thing in Batman because I'm too impatient, and just want to go fight them all. (Same with Ass Creed).
 

Gator86

Member
If the title of the game wasn't Dark Souls 2, it wouldn't get even a fraction of the attention it gets. In fact, I would say /is snatched by an enemy grab despite being a dozen feet away
 

Sanctuary

Member
If the title of the game wasn't Dark Souls 2, it wouldn't get even a fraction of the attention it gets. In fact, I would say /is snatched by an enemy grab despite being a dozen feet away

You know, after all of the "B Team" complaints, Bloodborne ended up having a lot more hitbox and grab issues than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, yet those just get swept under the carpet constantly.

That's because Bloodborne happens at like 5x the speed and you have better tools to avoid them and because it's more fun.

You have less tools, and it would be borderline unplayable without the quick dodge.
 
You know, after all of the "B Team" complaints, Bloodborne ended up having a lot more hitbox and grab issues than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, yet those just get swept under the carpet constantly.
That's because Bloodborne happens at like 5x the speed and you have better tools to avoid them and because it's more fun.
 

DaciaJC

Gold Member
Wrong, these games get praised for both and I strongly agree they're their strongest point (in BB after combat as they finally perfected that),

I personally wouldn't say combat was "perfected" in Bloodborne outside of the aggressive melee playstyle that it focuses on at the expense of pretty much every other playstyle previously seen in the Souls series.
 

RPGam3r

Member
Should have just played 1 and 3 instead. There's really no reason to play 2 unless you are starving for more Souls after you beat the proper games.

The PvP is terrible in the entire series, don't believe their lies.

Except DS2 is better than all other Souls games, including Bloodborne.
 

Nev

Banned
You know, after all of the "B Team" complaints, Bloodborne ended up having a lot more hitbox and grab issues than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, yet those just get swept under the carpet constantly.

Hahahahaha. What the fuck, really.
 
Except DS2 is better than all other Souls games, including Bloodborne.

You also said that the movement and combat are what you like the most about DS2 and that the other games in the series felt wrong after playing it, so it's pretty hard to take your opinion seriously.
 

Gator86

Member
Except DS2 is better than all other Souls games, including Bloodborne.

shaking_head_breaking_bad.gif


For me, DS2 felt like the opposite of Bloodborne and was a quantity over quality approach to everything. Interesting, challenging enemies? Pass, here's a mob of grunts. Cool weapons? Nah, here's 20 identical boring-ass swords.

Obviously, different strokes for different folks, but I vastly prefer the more streamlined Bloodborne with its emphasis on doubling down on the best stuff. Please, point me to a better weapon in the Souls series than the goddamn Kirkhammer.
 
You know, after all of the "B Team" complaints, Bloodborne ended up having a lot more hitbox and grab issues than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, yet those just get swept under the carpet constantly.



You have less tools, and it would be borderline unplayable without the quick dodge.
...No it didn't.
 

RPGam3r

Member
You also said that the movement and combat are what you like the most about DS2 and that the other games in the series felt wrong after playing it, so it's pretty hard to take your opinion seriously.

I stand by that, I consider tha other Souls games to at times feel a bit janky. DS2 felt smoother, more reliable. To be honest I don't care if you take my opinion seriously.
 

SRTtoZ

Member
It doesn't play as well as Bloodborne but the amount of ways you can play with different setups and classes make it a game you can play over and over. Just give it a chance.
 

Kaisos

Member
I hope you're playing Scholar of the First Sin aka the version with the good and interesting enemy placements, OP. Also, Dragonrider is a really really easy boss because you can just circle strafe him, you absolutely do not need to clear all the enemies. You might want to do that for Old Dragonslayer, but he's optional, so...

Should have just played 1 and 3 instead. There's really no reason to play 2 unless you are starving for more Souls after you beat the proper games.

The PvP is terrible in the entire series, don't believe their lies.

It is a "proper" Souls game, stop doing this.

The problem is that you're trying to compare it to Bloodborne when you should be comparing it to Lords of the Fallen.

I feel that people who make this comparison have not played Lords of the Fallen, which is an extremely bad game by an extremely bad developer, and is entirely unlike Dark Souls 2, which is merely a less good Souls game.

You know, after all of the "B Team" complaints, Bloodborne ended up having a lot more hitbox and grab issues than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, yet those just get swept under the carpet constantly.

Nah, the actual problem with Bloodborne is what happens when you wall on a boss and run out of bullets and blood vials.
 

Easy_D

never left the stone age
I'd argue that DS2 is much better than DS3.

At least from a replayability standpoint.

Yep, not even done with 3 (final stretch) but everytime I think about playing it I just feel like going back to 2 instead. Not to shit on 3, but it doesn't really feel unique enough, 1 and 2 have their own styles, but 3 just feels like more of 1 with better graphics.
 
Nah, the actual problem with Bloodborne is what happens when you wall on a boss and run out of bullets and blood vials.

Couldn't this be said to be a problem with Dark Souls 2, especially since the life gems spawn less frequently than blood vials?
 
I stand by that, I consider tha other Souls games to at times feel a bit janky. DS2 felt smoother, more reliable. To be honest I don't care if you take my opinion seriously.

I assume you know you're in a small minority when you say that. Dark Souls 2's saving graces are its build variety, multiplayer, and replayability. And the DLC level design. It's worse in every other aspect compared to the other games, including combat. Especially combat.
 

Seiru

Banned
Bloodborne is a good game, but barely qualifies as a Souls game. It's a casual action game with way too little gear and character customization. Those are the two aspects of Souls games that interest me the most, and is probably why I like DS2 the best out of the four Souls games.

Different strokes for different folks, but I maintain that the games shouldn't be lumped together and compared like this. I cringe every time I read the word "Soulsborne".
 

Nev

Banned
Nah, the actual problem with Bloodborne is what happens when you wall on a boss and run out of bullets and blood vials.

You go and farm a few mobs so you can buy 100 not counting the dropped from enemies?
I'm not that much of a fan of the vial system but this argument is just silly. I had like 600 vials on store.

Bloodborne is a good game, but barely qualifies as a Souls game. It's a casual action game with way too little gear and character customization.

Lfuckingmao. Implying a Souls game isn't an action game with light RPG elements. "Casual", are you guys for real?

Those are the two aspects of Souls games that interest me the most, and is probably why I like DS2 the best out of the four Souls games.

That's why you liked DS2 more and that's why you should stick to roll dice stats/numbers RPGs or MMOs instead of the Souls series, which has never been about stats or gear but player skill. Gear, builds and stats in Souls is an extra, it has never been the focus. You can beat the game with no weapon and no gear and level 1.
The RPG mechanics are an addition, it doesn't rely on them like those other maths RPGs. If you are trash, you are trash, no matter how much you invest on your gear or your stats.
 

RPGam3r

Member
I assume you know you're in a small minority when you say that. Dark Souls 2's saving graces are its build variety, multiplayer, and replayability. And the DLC level design. It's worse in every other aspect compared to the other games, including combat. Especially combat.

I doesn't really matter if I'm in a majority or minority. I'm just stating how I felt when loving these games. I disagree with you, the combat to me is much better in DS2. The main reason I return to DS2 over the others is build variety and the way the combat feels.
 

horkrux

Member
DS2 was the Skyward Sword of the Souls series.. a great game but not a good Dark Souls.

What does 'not a good Dark Souls' even mean? Either a game is great or it's not. People also say that about MGSV all the time, but it doesn't even hold true for all fans of the series (including me). Sounds like trying to make an opinion objective.

I can get behind 'not a somethingsomething game' when it's too different, but that's not necessarily meant as a negative.
 

Kaisos

Member
Couldn't this be said to be a problem with Dark Souls 2, especially since the life gems spawn less frequently than blood vials?

Life Gems are purchasable for 300 souls throughout the entire game and you also have Estus Flasks automatically refilling. If anything you have too much healing in DaS2 vs the potentially none in Bloodborne.

You go and farm a few mobs so you can buy 100 not counting the dropped from enemies?
I'm not that much of a fan of the vial system but this argument is just silly. I had like 600 vials on store.

Vials become prohibitively expensive around the time you beat Vicar Amelia and in any case having to grind at all, ever, in any game, but especially a Souls game, is bad game design.

Vials are a bad idea because they drop so frequently during normal play that you won't run out of if you're halfway decent, but the minute you wall on a boss you have to stop attempting it and go grind for thirty minutes so you can do 3-4 more attempts. It's not fun.
 
What does 'not a good Dark Souls' even mean? Either a game is great or it's not. People also say that about MGSV all the time, but it doesn't even hold true for all fans of the series (including me). Sounds like trying to make an opinion objective.

I can get behind 'not a somethingsomething game' when it's too different, but that's not necessarily meant as a negative.

It means it's a good video game, but not as good as the other games in the series.
 

Kaisos

Member
I'm still in on DS1. Beat Demons. But all this DS2 criticism makes me wanna skip it.

Honestly even though I enjoyed the game I have too many caveats about it to really recommend it to other people. Same with Demon's, actually.

If you don't think you're going to like it I'd just skip to Bloodborne.
 
Bloodborne is a good game, but barely qualifies as a Souls game. It's a casual action game

LOL

It's literally a sped up Dark Souls with no shields. You'd have to be insane to think otherwise.

Boy you crazy.
DS3 has some fun PVP if you have friends. Summon two bros with that monkey paw thing and just get invaded all night long in 3v3 pvp action. Super fun stuff.

I've done this in the area after Pontiff many times, the DS1 Sif forest, the DS2 lava bridge, Oolacile, Burg etc.

The PvP in these games will always be shit unless they change the netcode and use dedicated servers. There's nothing fun about hitting someone and getting no hit, and not being anywhere near someone and still getting hit. Don't even mention the lagstabs.

Co-op is fun, PvP is not.
 

Kaisos

Member
What is walling [sic] on a boss? Did you mean wailing?

Being "walled" means "getting stuck for a long time", basically. "I ended up walling on Shadows of Yharnam, used sixty blood vials, and had to grind for more."

It happens more often to bad players (like me) which is why the Estus system was so elegant and why I'm mad Bloodborne has consumables.
 
I'm still in on DS1. Beat Demons. But all this DS2 criticism makes me wanna skip it.

It's a good game that is unfortunately apart of a much greater franchise. I'd say give it a chance after playing the rest of the series with some time removed from the other games.
 

Ahasverus

Member
I have only finished DS2. DS1 is cool but far more frustrating and janky; without having played DS2 I wouldn't be interested in Bloodborne, which I'm playing as soon as I get a ps4. Not a fan of 1.
 

Van Bur3n

Member
Ah, a Dark Souls 2 thread...

Except DS2 is better than all other Souls games, including Bloodborne.

But here is the twist: Can you actually explain why?

Anyway, I'd say the best way to play the Souls series is in the order they release. OP, you seem to be jumping around in a rather messy way going from Demon's Souls to Bloodborne (or the other way around, you never made that clear) and now Dark Souls 2, rather than playing the first Dark Souls which is widely regarded as one of the better games of the series along with DeS and BB.

That said, as for Dark Souls 2 itself, I consider it the weakest of the Souls games but still enjoy it like all Souls games because its more of what I love. I can at least assure you that the DLC of DS2 is definitely a significant improvement on the base game and all three of the Crowns DLC offer a lot of content. Still some flaws to be seen like the annoying unbreakable poise of some enemies, but still worth experiencing; if not for the bosses alone.

As for Bloodborne, after playing through it recently, it's probably my favorite Souls game, or at least on par with the first Dark Souls. If I could name one criticism I have with it, it is definitely the blood vials that have been mentioned. Why they went from the perfect estus flask back to the incredibly flawed grass of Demon's Souls, I will never understand. The lamps only allowing travel back to Hunter's Dream is also an unnecessary inconvenience coming back from Demon's Souls as well.

Really wish they'd just make the hub area part of the world like DS1 and DS2, but much like DS1 where its much more interconnected, rather than separate like in DeS, BB, and DS3. Makes for much more interesting level design.
 

ghibli99

Member
Bloodborne is a good game, but barely qualifies as a Souls game. It's a casual action game with way too little gear and character customization. Those are the two aspects of Souls games that interest me the most, and is probably why I like DS2 the best out of the four Souls games.

Different strokes for different folks, but I maintain that the games shouldn't be lumped together and compared like this. I cringe every time I read the word "Soulsborne".
"Casual action game". LOL These threads always deliver. I'll give you the character customization argument, but less gear doesn't mean the gear itself in BB isn't great... because it is. And the iframes and recovery argument only get you so far, especially since players going in with little information won't even know what those are. Hell, a lot of users don't even know how to equip themselves at first. You can't play this game like a casual. You just can't.
 
"Casual action game". LOL These threads always deliver. I'll give you the character customization argument, but less gear doesn't mean the gear itself in BB isn't great... because it is. And the iframes and recovery argument only get you so far, especially since players going in with little information won't even know what those are. Hell, a lot of users don't even know how to equip themselves at first. You can't play this game like a casual. You just can't.

Yeah, so casual GAF cried itself to sleep for days trying to get past the (presumably) second goddamned boss in the game. Check the OT's, they're a bloodbath.

Hell, the official thread had series vets straight up rage quitting because they couldn't get past the standard mobs at the yharnam bonfire.
 

bubumiao

Member
Being "walled" means "getting stuck for a long time", basically. "I ended up walling on Shadows of Yharnam, used sixty blood vials, and had to grind for more."

It happens more often to bad players (like me) which is why the Estus system was so elegant and why I'm mad Bloodborne has consumables.

Okay, got it.
 
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