I totally half assed my first Dark Souls playthrough to completion, first save was corrupted but managed all the way through next time. The stats, weapons, items mostly went over my head at anything more than basic idea of how it worked. I kinda lost the will to play through a second time. I should learn more about the other parts but it's a big investment and chore to get that far again with a new character to see if it worked out.
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What if you never "get good" at Dark Souls/Bloodborne?
- Thread starter mishakoz
- Start date
Did you get some alternate reality version of the game where Gwyn is much harder or something? I thought he was pretty easy, only took like 3 tries for me the first time. I would say the game peaks in difficulty at O&S and slopes down from there, which I'm pretty sure is intentional.
Lothric Knights are an endgame enemy haphazardly tossed into the beginning of the game with reduced stats, as if that makes up for their completely out of depth moveset. You won't see them again until near the end of the game where they actually belong, at which point you will hopefully be better prepared to take them on.
Even still, you could probably do a lot better against them now if you had a less rigid mindset. I don't know who told you that you "have" to parry them, but that's crap. If you can't get the parry timing down you should try tactics that aren't as difficult to pull off. I personally prefer to wait for them to block and then use guard break attacks on them, which is very safe and doesn't require particularly precise timing.
SchrodingerC
Member
Just take the experience you've gained from the game and toss that shit aside for another game you'll have fun playing.
No shame in giving up playing the game, regardless what the git gud goobers say.
No shame in giving up playing the game, regardless what the git gud goobers say.
RedSparrows
Member
Spiritwalker
Member
Lothric knights are pretty easy to backstab, even early on. Just make sure you don't take on more than one at a time. And there's no need to parry anything in this series. I never did.
disappeared
Banned
The games aren't for everyone. I've solved Demon's and Dark 1 a couple times apiece but that equates to nothing in the grand scheme of things.
The "get good" shit was sorta har-har at first, but it's a gag that was beat into the ground a long time ago, and the more I think about it the more I think it was kind of a dumb sentiment to begin with.
If you're not enjoying something, forcing yourself to do it isn't going to make you happier.
The "get good" shit was sorta har-har at first, but it's a gag that was beat into the ground a long time ago, and the more I think about it the more I think it was kind of a dumb sentiment to begin with.
If you're not enjoying something, forcing yourself to do it isn't going to make you happier.
SuitedforGaming
Member
The truth is, you don't have to be good, you just have to enjoy the game enough to keep pressing on. If you are annoyed by the frustration just move on to something else. Despite what the "git guders" will tell you the game is not for everyone. It is okay not to like it.
almostjuliuscaesar
Member
i see. nobody told me to parry i just remember finally landing it against the one at the top of the cast and wrecking his health with the gut strike so i figured that was the key to beat them but ill try the guard break
almostjuliuscaesar
Member
they do often leave themselves exposed with a heavy swing but maybe I'm not at the right angle i keep swinging instead of initiating the back stab
Breaking their guard will put them into the exact same "riposte-able" state, so it's a nice alternative if you can't or don't want to risk parrrying. If you're using one of the many longsword variants make sure you take advantage of the guard break weapon art they have, as it's far more effective and way less obnoxiously hard to pull off than the kick.
TheVampire
Banned
I was never good at parrying in Bloodborne.
So I just dodged and used the canon as my main gun weapon as a last resort thing.
So I just dodged and used the canon as my main gun weapon as a last resort thing.
Honestly I think this is the main "issue" (I don't know if there actually is an issue, some people are just not as good at certain games). Firstly, you can run past all the enemies on the way to Gwyn, you don't have to fight them. Secondly, 15 attempts is not a lot for this type of game. The idea of "git gud" is purely pattern recognition and learning, "when I see boss doing X, I do Y". For bosses with many attacks or a lot going on, this can take many tries. But more importantly, you have to try a lot to build up muscle memory and pattern recognition. Doing 15 or less attempts, putting the game down, then coming back to it days/weeks later is the WORST way to go about beating a Soulsborne game, you are starting nearly from scratch each time. And if you don't have the time or desire to put more into it than that, you probably will never "git good", or it will take you a ton of time to do so, that is just how it is. Which is fine, but also expected.
Also, you can parry Gwynn. I'm sure if you knew that, you could've saved yourself your many months of tries, he dies in like 3 parries, and doesn't even have a difficult parry timing. Doesn't really address your main point, but still.
GKSilKamina
Member
Sometimes you gotta know when to throw in the towel.
SmoothRunningGun
Member
Play other games that you enjoy. I don't recall the final boss being that bad but it's been a while.
TheDarkKnight774
Member
I think the game gives you two options outside of refining your technical skills
1) you can keep farming and leveling up. It won't break the game but it makes it easier to be more "over leveled" for a fight
2) summon people
1) you can keep farming and leveling up. It won't break the game but it makes it easier to be more "over leveled" for a fight
2) summon people
Going full fat roll Havel is a perfectly legit PVE tactic for DS.
Vinnie pretty much did this the last half of his giant bomb play through (which, aside from possibly the metal gear scanlon series, is the best GB playthrough they've ever done). I think he killed him in like 30 seconds using full havel and power within.
Vinnie pretty much did this the last half of his giant bomb play through (which, aside from possibly the metal gear scanlon series, is the best GB playthrough they've ever done). I think he killed him in like 30 seconds using full havel and power within.
I've always felt that as difficult as the Souls game are, it really is a matter of persistence with a little patience. Enemies and bosses can be very very hard at first, but they all fall into a pattern you can memorize and master. Then when you go back and play a second time you think, "oh that was easy." You really have to be patient with yourself most of all. Take bosses one phase at a time and learn something each attempt, and then apply it to your next run. When I get to a point where I'm just throwing myself at an encounter, I know it's time to take a break. Stick with it! Your mindset is very important though.
That's a pretty high soul level for a first play through so it's not surprising you can't get summons. Most people who are playing now have cleared the game multiple times. I've been playing around on a character that's in ng++ and I'm sl 107.
That (the concept of the post) pretty much describes me with these games. I've been playing games since the mid-80s, and have defeated a number of old-school games now considered difficult, but I have a tough time with this series. I got on Demons Souls early with the Asian release. I absolutely love the game due to its atmosphere and how much fun it is to play, but I've never really gotten much beyond the first boss. I still think about the game and plan to get back to it eventually.
In the mean time, I've purchased Dark Souls PS3 (still in shrink wrap), Dark Souls on Steam, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls II PS4 (only because it was on sale). I never played any of them because I wanted to beat Demons Souls first. I finally stopped buying the games so I haven't picked up III yet, but I'm sure I will if a decent enough digital sale comes around.
I guess to answer the question, even if you never get good at them, games can still be fun to play. Shit, I've been playing fighting games at a novice level since 1991.
In the mean time, I've purchased Dark Souls PS3 (still in shrink wrap), Dark Souls on Steam, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls II PS4 (only because it was on sale). I never played any of them because I wanted to beat Demons Souls first. I finally stopped buying the games so I haven't picked up III yet, but I'm sure I will if a decent enough digital sale comes around.
I guess to answer the question, even if you never get good at them, games can still be fun to play. Shit, I've been playing fighting games at a novice level since 1991.
When people say you'll get a tremendous sense of satisfaction from beating something in a game, I think it's usually implied that you need to be enjoying the base gameplay to some extent in order for that satisfaction to manifest.
I get that satisfaction with Souls games because I love the core gameplay, even when I'm banging my head against a rock vs one boss 30 times in a row.
Puzzle games on the other hand? I never feel that sense of satisfaction when I solve one, because I don't enjoy the act of solving puzzles.
I get that satisfaction with Souls games because I love the core gameplay, even when I'm banging my head against a rock vs one boss 30 times in a row.
Puzzle games on the other hand? I never feel that sense of satisfaction when I solve one, because I don't enjoy the act of solving puzzles.
Chilled_Eskim01
Member
Maybe try other games? I'm not knocking you for trying, please don't take it like that. But you sound like you didn't enjoy your time at all, nor did you adapt to the game well enough to really "overcome" the obstacles in any meaningful way. Not like that's a bad thing on you or anything, some people just don't ever "git gud" in these games. It just never "clicks" with some, and again that's fine.
The "gauntlet" you describe before Gwen is a total of 5 black knights, 4 of which you can easily run past and 1 that takes little more than to lure it off the walkway and then juke it. By no mean was it meant to take someone 10 minutes a piece, especially if you had to do it 50 times. Also, Gwen's AI/fight is really easy if you learn how to parry or dodge properly.
But these games just ask that you invest and learn how to play them the way that they ask you to play them. The normal player won't find themselves bending the games' rules to their whims, so you have to give a little to learn how to play by its rules. Maybe OP did that, maybe they didn't, but by all the info in the post it definitely doesn't read like that. I know it sounds "elitist" or whatever, but I had that same moment of just not understanding why I couldn't progress, and then had my eureka moment which changed how I played the game. I can't explain it, it's really one of those things you have to experience yourself, but some people just get these games and others don't. And that's perfectly fine.
The "gauntlet" you describe before Gwen is a total of 5 black knights, 4 of which you can easily run past and 1 that takes little more than to lure it off the walkway and then juke it. By no mean was it meant to take someone 10 minutes a piece, especially if you had to do it 50 times. Also, Gwen's AI/fight is really easy if you learn how to parry or dodge properly.
But these games just ask that you invest and learn how to play them the way that they ask you to play them. The normal player won't find themselves bending the games' rules to their whims, so you have to give a little to learn how to play by its rules. Maybe OP did that, maybe they didn't, but by all the info in the post it definitely doesn't read like that. I know it sounds "elitist" or whatever, but I had that same moment of just not understanding why I couldn't progress, and then had my eureka moment which changed how I played the game. I can't explain it, it's really one of those things you have to experience yourself, but some people just get these games and others don't. And that's perfectly fine.
Orochinagis
Member
My friends didnt, I started to be the tourist guide for them, 4 times, on the same game
Head.spawn
Junior Member
Watch someone else play it on Twitch and then move on with your life.
These games aren't for everyone, just be honest with yourself and how much time you want to invest in it and how much enjoyment you get.
These games aren't for everyone, just be honest with yourself and how much time you want to invest in it and how much enjoyment you get.
Mr. PlayStation
Member
I tried Bloodborne, managed to get through the campaign thanks to a family friend of mine who carried me through every boss battle. Then he got busy and I stopped playing. Recently tried getting back into Bloodborne from scratch, finding it incredibly hard. HALP!
stuminus3
Banned
The 'git gud' thing is just a joke that some impressionable young nerds took seriously so...
Chaos2Frozen
Member
Summon help
Auto-Reply
Member
I think get what you mean, let me try and rephrase it a bit.
You have played through the game and you like the game, you had a lot of fun. Your question is, for as much fun as you had and for as long you have played the game, shouldn't you have an easier time against some of the bosses that come later in the game?
Then you can ask yourself if you can only consider yourself "good" in Dark Souls if you have no problem against those bosses after that much time of preperation and if it is your fault or if the game is simply not designed that way.
Being good at one specific thing can mean a lot of things, I believe the majority of people had trouble with many bosses from beginning to end in Dark Souls, thus nobody really was good at it.
I, other players and probably you too have crushed some bosses on the first try, now does that mean you were good at playing Dark Souls? Maybe, I don't really think so myself tho!
Some people had next to no problems at all with anything and that can also be linked to the way they have played the game, but that maybe was so inherently different from what you did that I also wouldn't say they were better at the game than people who had more trouble. They simply leveled up a ton and grinded the game to death (I did this a lot because it was fun to me at the time) or don't engage in direct combat and kill everything with magic, even then they died to bosses later in the game! Now I don't want to say that you don't need to be good at parts of the game to do all these things. But is that what it means when people say "git good" when it comes to Dark Souls?
Here is what I think "being" good at Dark Souls means and it's different from "getting" good:
Being naturally good means you are naturally good at reading enemy behaviour and are able to adjust tactics quickly because you are observant and curious about all and everything in the world around you.
(this was not me, I looked shit up on the Dark Souls wiki)
Still that doesn't mean you wont die a lot (especially not with stuff like the Bed of Chaos or the Four Kings etc), just that you're optimally prepared for the game wether you are even aware of that or not. Being good at that also means you get better the longer you play it, but that's the same with people that are not naturally good at it, you're just faster learning.
So when you are not naturally good at it you learn slower and have a harder time. You can still outmatch people that are naturally good at the game by putting in more effort but that's besides the point.
Most people get good at the game by repetition, there are people that are good at timing and they block/parry and evade better than others. Those people usually will have an easier time with the game, but they also have to learn the different timings and attacks from enemies as they don't know the game when they first play it and so it's not that they are magically prepared for everything the game throws at you.
Then the game has many mechanics to build different characters with different abilities. It's not even meant to be viewed in the way of one perfect playstyle and you are doing it wrong if you play differently. If being good at Dark Souls only means you can read enemy attacks easily from the get go and you have good reflexes then you are dismissing the majority of the game.
For some people it's fun running around naked with a dagger or dressed in robes and a staff casting spells and others like the sound of enemy attacks getting deflected from a heavy shield and shiny armor.
So I think you can be good at Dark Souls and you can get better at it too. It just doesn't mean much as the game itself is not perfect so there is no perfect run on the first try (prolly not the second and third either etc) and as long as you are having fun at what you are doing that's more important that perfecting the game on one mechanic alone or one build (or all builds).
I crushed Gwyn on my first try, doesn't mean anything as I grinded Darkwraiths for days and played around 30 hours simply killing Artorias for other players as a summon. So I had poise up the A due to leveling and items and Artorias shield, lot's of +15 weapons. I was able to block the heaviest attacks from Artorias and still stand and still had stamina to spare. I could block-tank many enemies without magic or Havel armor.
So a lot of the game felt easy to me after that, I still died though (directly to Kalameet after that and quite a few times at that lol) and wouldn't ever consider myself being good at the game in a general sense of reading enmey behaviour easily, because I was honestly terrible at that. I know the game by playing it a lot and getting information on it from outside the game (boss tactics, Smough/Ornstein pillar draw run etc), some people call that cheating, and I somewhat agree on that. I like cheating though
The Important thing was that I had fun playing the game, only when you feel like that gets out of balance and is affecting your enjoyment of the game then you can ask yourself if "getting good" is the answer to that or if there are other ways.
You have played through the game and you like the game, you had a lot of fun. Your question is, for as much fun as you had and for as long you have played the game, shouldn't you have an easier time against some of the bosses that come later in the game?
Then you can ask yourself if you can only consider yourself "good" in Dark Souls if you have no problem against those bosses after that much time of preperation and if it is your fault or if the game is simply not designed that way.
Being good at one specific thing can mean a lot of things, I believe the majority of people had trouble with many bosses from beginning to end in Dark Souls, thus nobody really was good at it.
I, other players and probably you too have crushed some bosses on the first try, now does that mean you were good at playing Dark Souls? Maybe, I don't really think so myself tho!
Some people had next to no problems at all with anything and that can also be linked to the way they have played the game, but that maybe was so inherently different from what you did that I also wouldn't say they were better at the game than people who had more trouble. They simply leveled up a ton and grinded the game to death (I did this a lot because it was fun to me at the time) or don't engage in direct combat and kill everything with magic, even then they died to bosses later in the game! Now I don't want to say that you don't need to be good at parts of the game to do all these things. But is that what it means when people say "git good" when it comes to Dark Souls?
Here is what I think "being" good at Dark Souls means and it's different from "getting" good:
Being naturally good means you are naturally good at reading enemy behaviour and are able to adjust tactics quickly because you are observant and curious about all and everything in the world around you.
(this was not me, I looked shit up on the Dark Souls wiki)
Still that doesn't mean you wont die a lot (especially not with stuff like the Bed of Chaos or the Four Kings etc), just that you're optimally prepared for the game wether you are even aware of that or not. Being good at that also means you get better the longer you play it, but that's the same with people that are not naturally good at it, you're just faster learning.
So when you are not naturally good at it you learn slower and have a harder time. You can still outmatch people that are naturally good at the game by putting in more effort but that's besides the point.
Most people get good at the game by repetition, there are people that are good at timing and they block/parry and evade better than others. Those people usually will have an easier time with the game, but they also have to learn the different timings and attacks from enemies as they don't know the game when they first play it and so it's not that they are magically prepared for everything the game throws at you.
Then the game has many mechanics to build different characters with different abilities. It's not even meant to be viewed in the way of one perfect playstyle and you are doing it wrong if you play differently. If being good at Dark Souls only means you can read enemy attacks easily from the get go and you have good reflexes then you are dismissing the majority of the game.
For some people it's fun running around naked with a dagger or dressed in robes and a staff casting spells and others like the sound of enemy attacks getting deflected from a heavy shield and shiny armor.
So I think you can be good at Dark Souls and you can get better at it too. It just doesn't mean much as the game itself is not perfect so there is no perfect run on the first try (prolly not the second and third either etc) and as long as you are having fun at what you are doing that's more important that perfecting the game on one mechanic alone or one build (or all builds).
I crushed Gwyn on my first try, doesn't mean anything as I grinded Darkwraiths for days and played around 30 hours simply killing Artorias for other players as a summon. So I had poise up the A due to leveling and items and Artorias shield, lot's of +15 weapons. I was able to block the heaviest attacks from Artorias and still stand and still had stamina to spare. I could block-tank many enemies without magic or Havel armor.
So a lot of the game felt easy to me after that, I still died though (directly to Kalameet after that and quite a few times at that lol) and wouldn't ever consider myself being good at the game in a general sense of reading enmey behaviour easily, because I was honestly terrible at that. I know the game by playing it a lot and getting information on it from outside the game (boss tactics, Smough/Ornstein pillar draw run etc), some people call that cheating, and I somewhat agree on that. I like cheating though
The Important thing was that I had fun playing the game, only when you feel like that gets out of balance and is affecting your enjoyment of the game then you can ask yourself if "getting good" is the answer to that or if there are other ways.ShemhazaiX
Member
If you never get good, just play a magic build.
ScientificPizza
Banned
the problem is there are A LOT of impressionable nerds apparently
AzureFlame
Member
If you can't get good then get out.. jk.
The challenge is one of the most important part of the souls series, they are not as hard as people make them out to be, you just need to play slowly and carefully, dying is part of the fun, just don't think about "oh im gonna lose all my souls!", just expect that to happen alot and you can always farm them back easily, just focus on exploring slowly and carefully, if you having troubles with certaint bosses then just summon players to help you out or check online for an easy way to break the game.
The challenge is one of the most important part of the souls series, they are not as hard as people make them out to be, you just need to play slowly and carefully, dying is part of the fun, just don't think about "oh im gonna lose all my souls!", just expect that to happen alot and you can always farm them back easily, just focus on exploring slowly and carefully, if you having troubles with certaint bosses then just summon players to help you out or check online for an easy way to break the game.
nickinerdface
Banned
i make my friend who is good at dark souls stream so i can watch the game how it's supposed to be played but make him do everything i'd do if i were playing it instead, lol!
stuminus3
Banned
Two-handed axe -> Holy Blade or Pizza Cutter (if you have the DLC). Put enough points into strength and skill to equip the weapons, then dump everything into health and stamina until you hit the softcaps.
I'm making my 3rd or 4th way through the game, just beat
Shadow of Yharnam
the hunter you fight with Eileen, I didn't know where he was coming from and he got me from behind
Papo Swing
Member
You get drunk, you lose the fear and you have FUN.
i got stuck at one of the bosses in Bloodborne. I watched all the youtubes of how to beat it, died a hundred times, and still couldn't beat it. Because I wasn't making any progress, I gave up. Because I couldn't beat a boss, half the game was locked off to me and I didn't get to see areas that were apparently the best in the game
What boss? The only one I can think of is the Blood-Starved Beast (poison + one-hit kill at that point), but he's optional.
I never got good at Bloodborne. I could not get past the Cleric beast. I lost count of how many times I tried it, and the level of frustration got me to give up.
I think there's a fine line between challenge and frustration and sometimes the frustration becomes too much.
I've given up on many games as I just can't get good at them, and for me personally I get enjoyment out of doing well on games.
I use the same logic on puzzle based games etc, if I need to keep looking at a guide, or playthrough video on YouTube I end up giving up. It's pointless me playing a game that I need to keep getting advice on.
I think there's a fine line between challenge and frustration and sometimes the frustration becomes too much.
I've given up on many games as I just can't get good at them, and for me personally I get enjoyment out of doing well on games.
I use the same logic on puzzle based games etc, if I need to keep looking at a guide, or playthrough video on YouTube I end up giving up. It's pointless me playing a game that I need to keep getting advice on.
The game doesn't really expect you to beat the Cleric Beast on first try. After you lose to him once, you get insight, allowing you to level up. And you should be able to get your weapon to +2 or +3 in the starting area (with a bit of farming).
I am not a person who is good at hard games. I would get wrecked at anything involving actual human beings as opponents. Souls? Frustrating. Cheap at times. Unfun at times. But not particularly difficult in the bigger picture.
