Multi Soulsborne Discussion

[Spiner202]

Seeing a comment from @Xellos about not understanding the hype around Elden Ring, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the Souls (and related) games here. They're pretty much the darling child of the internet, so I'm curious if GW holds the same opinions. Here are a few discussion points (but jump in with whatever your thoughts are):

1. Which games in the series have you played and how would you rank them?
2. Do you prefer the slower, more methodical approach of the early games or the faster pace of Bloodborne and later Souls games?
3. Whether or not you like the games - are they really as good as everyone on the internet says they are?
4. What do you want next out of this series (I know they're going back to Armored Core, but I presume another Souls-like game will come)?

The games I have played are Bloodborne, Dark Souls II, Dark Souls III, and Demon's Souls (PS5), in that order. Though my memory of DSIII is a bit hazy, I'd rank them as: Bloodborne, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls III, and Dark Souls II. The first two games on my list are excellent, while the latter two I didn't enjoy quite as much. DSII in particular just feels really cheap and way too difficult at points. I do think it has more memorable locations than DSIII (Majula in particular is probably one of the coolest hub worlds), but it also had the most frustration. For whatever reason, I never bought The Old Hunters, but I am planning on doing that at some point this year and will probably relive all of Bloodborne's glory.

Despite Bloodborne being my favourite, I feel like the weighty approach of Demon's Souls is somehow more satisfying. It's amazing when you use a shield and it... works? I guess I have more of a run and gun style of play in the vast majority of games I play, so do the opposite is surprisingly fun.

All this said, I am blown away at how much the internet loves this series. At its best, it's very good, but there are tons of other games I prefer. I think a lot of it has to do with Reddit-types not liking a game to "insult their intelligence", when I personally find these games have gone too far in the other direction. Sure, there's a plot, but unless you want to devote most of your life to finding it, it will be hard to do. The fact that you can mess-up playthroughs by doing something as innocuous as talking to an NPC is just wild. The strengths of these games are the gameplay, and the atmosphere/design of the worlds and enemies, but I feel like they miss the mark on a lot of other things. I'd also add that the more I play these games, the less I want to fight actual enemies. On a first play through, I feel like I methodically attach each enemy, but on subsequent playthroughs, I feel like I just rush towards the boss, because the levels can be so challenging.

I'm not really in the best position to answer what I want next, as there's still several games I haven't played (DS1 remastered, Sekiro, and Elden Ring). I would like to play at least DS1 and Elden Ring at some point. I also think that the things I want out of the game that aren't in there make it inherently unsouls-like. Still, I wouldn't mind more cutscenes and a clearer story. I think the sheer atmosphere of some of these games would really elevate a well-told story to another level.

 

[TD]

I've played them all except for Sekiro (it just doesn't appeal to me). I'm a self-admitted From fanboy, playing the OG Demons Souls all the way back in 2009. I'll be the first to admit that they are not for everyone though. They check nearly every box I could want in a game. I've spent 1000s of hours on them.

I definitely prefer the slower pace. Bloodborne, I played but I don't really care for. The rankings are extremely difficult for me as there are things I love about all of them and things I hate about them.

My rankings here are based on FIRST playthrough.

1) OG Demons Souls - as said, played in 2009 and it started it all for me, I got stupid into the online play
2) Elden Ring - my favourite for a first play through, but the sheer size makes replayability a slog, the DLC has lost all momentum for me
3) Dark Souls 2 - the dark horse that a lot of Souls fans call the worst, I don't agree in the slightest, it brought a lot of new ideas to the table and while not all were great, it was a significant step in innovation
4) Dark Souls 3 - this was much faster paced so it was a weird adjustment for me, but the environments and covenants look a big leap
5) Dark Souls - a lot of people call this one the best but I'm not as into it, QoL was lacking, traversal was a slog, post Anor Londo is not good and felt lazy, the DLC was the strongest point
6) Bloodborne - lacked customization and variety, felt redundant and repetitive by the end, severe performance issues, chalice dungeons while a good idea on paper.. sucked, it's also the only one I never bothered with the dlc

What do I want next? I want them to go back to the Souls formula. Slower paced, tight level design, great environments, dungeons, and traps. I'm tired of open world gaming. I also really want them to stick to storytelling through lore and gameplay.

 

[Spiner202]

What do I want next? I want them to go back to the Souls formula. Slower paced, tight level design, great environments, dungeons, and traps. I'm tired of open world gaming. I also really want them to stick to storytelling through lore and gameplay.

This is what concerns me most about Elden Ring. I already find some of these games to be fairly long and exhausting - the idea of an open world Souls game seems like it will make the game far more challenging to complete and maintain my attention.

 

[TD]

This is what concerns me most about Elden Ring. I already find some of these games to be fairly long and exhausting - the idea of an open world Souls game seems like it will make the game far more challenging to complete and maintain my attention.

So that's the double edged sword that is Elden Ring.

On one hand - I've never played an open world game like it. It doesn't hold your hand for side stuff but it does point you in the direction for main stuff. It truly does reward you for curiosity and exploration. You can access a large chunk of the game off the bat if you choose and there really is only one bottleneck in the entire game. You can also very easily leave something that is challenging and come back to it later, and most bosses/zones have ways of outright skipping them if you so choose. It's the most forgiving and accessible soulslike to date.

The exploration is what makes it special which is why I rank the first playthrough so great but subsequent ones are a slog.

I wish their DLC would include a dungeon rush type mode, but I doubt it and I'm probably being too hopeful it could exist.

On the flip side, the lack of markers is a deterrent for some and it's really easy to miss a lot of stuff unless you really take the time to explore or use a guide. Only one area is something that cannot be returned to once you reach a certain point, but everything else can be accessed at any time.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I just need to know which game a scrub like me will find most enjoyment out of besides Elden Ring.

 

[TD]

I just need to know which game a scrub like me will find most enjoyment out of besides Elden Ring.

What did you like and dislike about Elden Ring?

 

[Fool's Requiem]

What did you like and dislike about Elden Ring?

I didn't play it, I just don't want to play a big open world game right now.

 

[TD]

I didn't play it, I just don't want to play a big open world game right now.

If someone wants to get the general feel of a soulsborne without coming to something huge like Elden Ring, my top recommendation has always been Demon's Souls.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

The remake or the likely janky original one?

 

[TD]

The remake or the likely janky original one?

While the original holds a special place for me and has actually aged decently well, like you suggested - there's a certain amount of jank. I would recommend the Remake to newcomers.

It's basically the original game with updated graphics, less jank, and a bunch of QoL improvements.

 

[Raine]

(I know they're going back to Armored Core, but I presume another Souls-like game will come)?

Fuck yes Armored Core! Can't wait. ...That's my entire contribution to the thread.


I presume it's probably best to just play through the games in release order for best results? Like, playing Bloodborne before PS3 Demon's Souls probably makes the latter a much rougher experience? Kinda like how you should definitely not play Persona 3 after Persona 5. I intend, at some point, to try 100%-ing/Platinum-ing the entire series back-to-back across both platforms in a gauntlet of complete idiotic misery. Or, uh, die trying. But haven't done much digging yet.

 

[TD]

I presume it's probably best to just play through the games in release order for best results? Like, playing Bloodborne before PS3 Demon's Souls probably makes the latter a much rougher experience? Kinda like how you should definitely not play Persona 3 after Persona 5. I intend, at some point, to try 100%-ing/Platinum-ing the entire series back-to-back across both platforms in a gauntlet of complete idiotic misery. Or, uh, die trying. But haven't done much digging yet.

That's a good question, since I've been into it since the beginning and played them in release order.

It's probably a good way to go (in release order). You can definitely see how they've evolved over time and improved.

Dark Souls 1 has some especially rough points (such as not even unlocking fast travel until about 75% of the way through). Thankfully, that's something exclusive to DkS1.

The platinum trophies for the games aren't especially hard and generally speaking, you can play through most of them and go through clean up. The trophies usually consist of beating bosses, joining covenants (like factions/guilds), getting the different endings, and getting all special weapons, spells, etc. The most challenging trophy set is probably DkS2 from a planning perspective. Bloodborne is annoying because you have to do the chalice dungeons so I never bothered. As long as you can get good at the gameplay, trophies aren't bad.

 

[Spiner202]

The platinum trophies for the games aren't especially hard and generally speaking, you can play through most of them and go through clean up. The trophies usually consist of beating bosses, joining covenants (like factions/guilds), getting the different endings, and getting all special weapons, spells, etc. The most challenging trophy set is probably DkS2 from a planning perspective. Bloodborne is annoying because you have to do the chalice dungeons so I never bothered. As long as you can get good at the gameplay, trophies aren't bad.

I'm a bit annoyed with myself for never getting the platinum for DS2 and 3 because I know it's going to be a nightmare when I go back to work on them. I only have the handful of trophies in DS2 for getting all of the spells, covenants, etc. DS3 is similar but I think I might not have beaten one boss as well?

Once I'm ready to face them again, I'll have to look at a guide and just make a call on whether it's best to start from scratch on a new file or pick up where I left off.

 

[Smacktard]

1. Which games in the series have you played and how would you rank them?
2. Do you prefer the slower, more methodical approach of the early games or the faster pace of Bloodborne and later Souls games?
3. Whether or not you like the games - are they really as good as everyone on the internet says they are?
4. What do you want next out of this series (I know they're going back to Armored Core, but I presume another Souls-like game will come)?

I've played them all except Elden Ring and the DeS Remake.
Ranking:
Sekiro > DaS = DaS3 > DaS2 > DeS > Bloodborne

Sekiro is one of my favorite games of all time. The combat is fluid, challenging, and fair, and rewards aggressive gameplay, but it also punishes sloppy gameplay. When you get into the rhythm of a boss, few things can beat that feeling of mastery and expertise. You get in the zone.

Dark Souls is pretty much the polar opposite of Sekiro, but traversal and exploration was really fun in this game. The environment itself can be your biggest adversary, although trash mobs are genuinenly threatening at times in the game. The slow and methodical nature of traversal and the inability to warp between bonfires meant every decision and journey you took had tremendous weight. I loved that feeling. When you left the safe zone, you knew you might not be back for a long, long time. The interconnectedness of the world was excellent.

DaS2 had some gorgeous and varied locales, and I found it easy to overlook some of design inconsistencies. However, tying iframes to a stat (and not explaining this in-game) was just one of many huge design flaws in the game. The game certainly feels more dangerous than other Souls games, with trash mobs posing a bigger threat than ever, to the point of being unfair at times. I still liked the game, but some points were plodding.

DaS3 was great, but a lot more action-y than other titles. Fun to traverse, fast battles, and some of the best bosses in the entire series. Trash mobs weren't as threatening as other entries, but it wasn't a cakewalk either.

Bloodborne I just really did not enjoy at all. All of the locales looked the same, chalice dungeons were repetitive, boring, and annoying, trash mobs posed no threat, and some of the boss fights were janky. Difficulty was low until it would suddenly spike drastically (3 red hunters in a row, certain bosses, etc.). Framerate wasn't great on the PS4 and there was some choppiness. Least favorite Souls game.

Demon's Souls had its pros and cons. I like the way some levels are laid out (especially the first level, which is perfection), but some areas are just annoying to traverse (4-2, 5-2, etc.). Some great horror elements though, especially Tower of Latria. Good shit.

Bloodborne - lacked customization and variety, felt redundant and repetitive by the end, severe performance issues, chalice dungeons while a good idea on paper.. sucked, it's also the only one I never bothered with the dlc

I really didn't like Bloodborne but FWIW I quite enjoyed the DLC.

I just need to know which game a scrub like me will find most enjoyment out of besides Elden Ring.

I'd start with Dark Souls Remastered, tbh. Demon's Souls is a bit more confusing, less clear, etc. DaS is the tighter game. But still, look up where the bonfires are in the Darkroot Basin and Sen's Fortress. They're kind of bullshit and knowing where they are makes the game a lot more enjoyable.

 

[TD]

I'm a bit annoyed with myself for never getting the platinum for DS2 and 3 because I know it's going to be a nightmare when I go back to work on them. I only have the handful of trophies in DS2 for getting all of the spells, covenants, etc. DS3 is similar but I think I might not have beaten one boss as well?

Once I'm ready to face them again, I'll have to look at a guide and just make a call on whether it's best to start from scratch on a new file or pick up where I left off.

So with the platinum trophies, I'll say this..

DS3 you do not want to start over. The "get all rings" trophy is a pain in the ass since some can only be obtained in NG+2, so doing all the trophies on one character makes the most sense.

Thankfully DS2 can be done on one character/playthrough if you choose and doesn't have an all rings trophy (there are 2 that are absolutely insane). Bonfire ascetics allow you to fight bosses again to get their Souls without needing another playthrough.

I will say though that DS2 has the best NG+ and it's not even close. There's actually new enemies and moves.

 

[Smacktard]

So with the platinum trophies, I'll say this..

DS3 you do not want to start over. The "get all rings" trophy is a pain in the ass since some can only be obtained in NG+2, so doing all the trophies on one character makes the most sense.

Thankfully DS2 can be done on one character/playthrough if you choose and doesn't have an all rings trophy (there are 2 that are absolutely insane). Bonfire ascetics allow you to fight bosses again to get their Souls without needing another playthrough.

I will say though that DS2 has the best NG+ and it's not even close. There's actually new enemies and moves.

Yeah, DS2 had a lot of time and care put into it, but there are still some really questionable design choices that make you go WTF.

If you use DS3 as an example of a frustrating Platinum, well DS2 suffered from the same thing with regard to Branches of Yore and Pharros Lockstones. Having a limited of number of them per game while also having no idea where to use them meant using a guide was mandatory.

FWIW I used a trophy guide for all Souls games. There were a couple of times were some good stuff was spoiled unfortunately, but I'd much prefer that over running through each game MULTIPLE times in order to make sure I get everything for the Plat.

 

[TD]

Yeah, DS2 had a lot of time and care put into it, but there are still some really questionable design choices that make you go WTF.

If you use DS3 as an example of a frustrating Platinum, well DS2 suffered from the same thing with regard to Branches of Yore and Pharros Lockstones. Having a limited of number of them per game while also having no idea where to use them meant using a guide was mandatory.

FWIW I used a trophy guide for all Souls games. There were a couple of times were some good stuff was spoiled unfortunately, but I'd much prefer that over running through each game MULTIPLE times in order to make sure I get everything for the Plat.

In vanilla DS2, the branches and lockstones were an issue for sure. In SotFS, you should be swimming in them as long as you thoroughly explore for loot. I've done playthroughs of it more than any other Souls game though, so it's possibly partially habitual for me.

If you needed the rings you get from the no death and/or no bonfire runs for platinum, people would've rioted so at least they didn't do that.

 

[Smacktard]

In SotFS, you should be swimming in them as long as you thoroughly explore for loot.

Nah mate, that was the version I played. There's only 19 Pharros Lockstones, and there's 22 Pharros Doors in Doors of Pharros alone, let alone all of the other locations in the game. You're right about the branches of yore though. I could've sworn I remembered saving them because there weren't enough, but it turns out there's JUST enough

 

[TD]

Nah mate, that was the version I played. There's only 19 Pharros Lockstones, and there's 22 Pharros Doors in Doors of Pharros alone, let alone all of the other locations in the game. You're right about the branches of yore though. I could've sworn I remembered saving them because there weren't enough, but it turns out there's JUST enough

Is there anything in Doors of Pharros tied to the trophies? I know there's a weapon or two but I thought that was primarily about setting traps for people you lure in.

(Which is a good note for trophy hunters, Doors of Pharros and the rat place underground aren't a good use of lockstones - even though you can farm lockstones)

 

[Spiner202]

Demon's Souls is a bit more confusing, less clear, etc.

This is one thing I totally forgot to mention about Demon's Souls. Even though I liked the game, they did not explain the character tendency/world tendency mechanics at all. And the world tendency has a huge impact on the difficulty of the game.

 

[Smacktard]

Is there anything in Doors of Pharros tied to the trophies? I know there's a weapon or two but I thought that was primarily about setting traps for people you lure in.

(Which is a good note for trophy hunters, Doors of Pharros and the rat place underground aren't a good use of lockstones - even though you can farm lockstones)

Ah, wasn't aware you could farm the Lockstones. Still, it's an annoying mechanic not knowing whether you're using a rare consumable on something that will outright kill you or not. I am pretty sure there are some rings or something wrt the Doors of Pharros since I remember my guide sending me all the way through there

 

[TD]

This is one thing I totally forgot to mention about Demon's Souls. Even though I liked the game, they did not explain the character tendency/world tendency mechanics at all. And the world tendency has a huge impact on the difficulty of the game.

They do actually sort of explain it for the PS3 version but it's not explained in-game, it's in the game manual when you buy the disc version. They don't dive into pure black and pure white specifically, but they mention what affects it and the outcomes.

It definitely should've been explained in game, though.

 

[TD]

Ah, wasn't aware you could farm the Lockstones. Still, it's an annoying mechanic not knowing whether you're using a rare consumable on something that will outright kill you or not. I am pretty sure there are some rings or something wrt the Doors of Pharros since I remember my guide sending me all the way through there

Probably to kill the boss and get the soul for the pyromancy, that's my guess.

 

[Rachel]

1. Which games in the series have you played and how would you rank them?
2. Do you prefer the slower, more methodical approach of the early games or the faster pace of Bloodborne and later Souls games?
3. Whether or not you like the games - are they really as good as everyone on the internet says they are?
4. What do you want next out of this series (I know they're going back to Armored Core, but I presume another Souls-like game will come)?

I've played all of them except Sekiro. May play it at some point, not sure

Slower. Not sure what is faster pace except Bloodborne

They are really good. Elden Ring is now my favorite game.

I want more like Elden Ring, it wasn't "perfect" but I loved everything about it, guess only thing I can think of is their mysterious quests don't work so well in the open world where it is very easy to miss NPCs. Need that part to be worked on. And yeah, they reused enemies, less of that next time.

 

[Squall_Lionheart]

1. elden ring
2. sekiro
3. DS1
4. DS3
5. DS2
6. bloodborne

yeah, i don't like bloodborne. it's overrated af. suck it

 

[Smacktard]

1. elden ring
2. sekiro
3. DS1
4. DS3
5. DS2
6. bloodborne

yeah, i don't like bloodborne. it's overrated af. suck it

Your list p. much aligns with my list. I can't wait to play Elden Ring now. Haven't played Demon's Souls?

 

[Squall_Lionheart]

oh! demon souls. i forgot

1. elden ring
2. sekiro
3. DS1
4. DS3
5. DS2
6. demon souls
7. bloodborne

i liked demon souls but i prefer the mechanics in dark souls games. it was still a great game though, even so far down the list

elden ring is great! man oh man. i want to erase my memory of it so i can play it for the first time again

 

[Smacktard]

oh! demon souls. i forgot

1. elden ring
2. sekiro
3. DS1
4. DS3
5. DS2
6. demon souls
7. bloodborne

i liked demon souls but i prefer the mechanics in dark souls games. it was still a great game though, even so far down the list

elden ring is great! man oh man. i want to erase my memory of it so i can play it for the first time again

Your list perfectly aligns with mine, it's crazy. Just waiting on the PS5 slim before I play Elden Ring.

 

[Squall_Lionheart]

a fellow bloodborne non-enjoyer! O_____O a rare find!

 

[Smacktard]

a fellow bloodborne non-enjoyer! O_____O a rare find!

What caused you to dislike Bloodborne so much, fellow chad?

 

[Squall_Lionheart]

i didn't like the vial system. that's my main complaint.

i didn't like the combat either. DS and sekiro do combat much better, imo.

to be honest, i didn't even rreally like the atmosphere. i don't know why, it just didn't appeal to me

also, i know these games aren't known for their stories, but i completed it without realising it was the end, then it suddenly ended, and i was like.. "what the fuck?" but also "good" because i wasn't enjoying myself, really

the only thing i enjoyed was the cool level design. it was similar to dark souls 1, in that regard

 

[Raposuh]

Just gonna leave this here for yall. I watch this at least twice a year and it always leaves me in the mood to start up a new build in DS2.

 

[Op19]

I love me some Soulsborne/From Software. My ranking:
Elden Ring
Dark Souls III
Bloodborne
Sekiro
Dark Souls
Dark Souls II
Demons's Souls.

Demon's Souls has always felt like a proof of concept to me, something to show they can do something like Dark Souls later. Its good but Dark Souls blows it out of the water IMO. Dark Souls II, despite being very low, is underrated and worth playing through.

Sekiro has the best combat of all From Software games, its very focused and has a perfect rhythm to it. But I've never been a fan of the samurai setting or aesthestic, just a personal taste thing. Still an excellent game, need to beat the final bosss one of these days.

Bloodborne's story and lore is very interesting to me, but the game is also pretty scary even compared to Dark Souls and I'm a bit of a wimp so it stresses me out. FromSoft games are comfort for me at this point except Bloodborne because of the setting. BUT its still an amazing game.

Dark Souls 3 has the best boss fights and I love how it wraps up the Dark Souls story.

Elden Ring is Dark Souls in an open world. Its amazing, has great combat, amazing buildcrafting, interesting lore and characters, it rewards exploration and has an impeccable sense of discovery. Can't wait for the DLC.

 

[Smacktard]

Bloodborne's story and lore is very interesting to me, but the game is also pretty scary even compared to Dark Souls and I'm a bit of a wimp so it stresses me out. FromSoft games are comfort for me at this point except Bloodborne because of the setting. BUT its still an amazing game.

Interesting take. I found this for DeS and DS, but never really found it for Bloodborne because of how non-threatening the trash mobs are.

 

[Op19]

Interesting take. I found this for DeS and DS, but never really found it for Bloodborne because of how non-threatening the trash mobs are.

At this point I don't find most Souls games to be particularly threatening, but its more the vibe of Bloodborne I consider scary and the creature. I dont think I found Bloodborne more or less difficulty, overall, than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls tho

 

[Quagmire]

A student a long time ago let me borrow Demons Souls, I didnt get far, didnt care for it.

I tried Dark Souls 6 or 7 years ago, also didnt care for it. I own Bloodborne but havent played it yet.

Overall I dont think the series is for me, I might like Bloodborne, but for games of these size in terms of length, I prefer story and characters, the lore and the hunting for the story dont interest me.

It's also kind of overwhelming as I will want to play as a best class (for me) and am afraid of picking something that wont work long term or wont be optimized. This might have been a series I would have enjoyed in high school when I had a lot more gaming time. I do appreciate what they do and how well crafted they are

 

[Smacktard]

Th

A student a long time ago let me borrow Demons Souls, I didnt get far, didnt care for it.

I tried Dark Souls 6 or 7 years ago, also didnt care for it. I own Bloodborne but havent played it yet.

Overall I dont think the series is for me, I might like Bloodborne, but for games of these size in terms of length, I prefer story and characters, the lore and the hunting for the story dont interest me.

It's also kind of overwhelming as I will want to play as a best class (for me) and am afraid of picking something that wont work long term or wont be optimized. This might have been a series I would have enjoyed in high school when I had a lot more gaming time. I do appreciate what they do and how well crafted they are

The Souls games require a lot of investment to get anything out of them, and each one is different enough from the last that you'll have to get familiar with a completely different play style/mechanics. For that reason I think Sekiro is better for blind runs since you can't really fuck up your stats.

I don't really like restarting games because I screwed myself by picking shit stats, especially since you can't re-stat in most souls games, so I prefer to look up good builds online before I I start playing.

I didn't like DeS or DaS when I first started playing them either. I almost dropped DaS, which was the first game I played in the series, but I pushed through and it ended up being one of my favourite games ever.

 

[Squall_Lionheart]

At this point I don't find most Souls games to be particularly threatening, but its more the vibe of Bloodborne I consider scary and the creature. I dont think I found Bloodborne more or less difficulty, overall, than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls tho

honestly, this might well be another reason i didn't like it. it WAS creepy! always had me on edge

 

[VashTheStampede]

I play video games for escapism, really. And the two biggest motivations for me typically are:

1. Power fantasy
2. Stories

I've tried playing several games in this genre but they damn sure don't provide the former (at least until you put a lot of work in) and the latter is practically treated as an Easter Egg rather than a driving force at times. Also, there's something about the idea of just running past 100 enemies after respawning that is a massive turn off. Just feels WRONG.

That said, I've always enjoyed watching people play the games on twitch. So every once in a while, like once a year or so, I jump back in again and give one of them a shot. Maybe this is the time that it'll click with me.

Bloodborne, I was close. I LOVED the setting and the mystery was very interesting. I even beat the Cleric Beast on my first try. This is it! And then it wasn't. Got tired of banging my head against the wall against the Blood-Starved Beast for hours on end. Once I finally beat him, I decided to step away from the game.

Then Elden Ring came out...and boy I absolutely LOVED that game. Put in probably about 60-70 hours and I enjoyed exploring the world, finding little hidden nooks and secrets. The fact that if you ran into something that was just too frustrating you could just...go somewhere else, that was a huge win in my book.

But eventually I got to a point where it felt like too much work to make more progress. Maybe one day I'll pick it up again. I think, when it was all said and done, it was my second favorite game of that year.

 

[Smacktard]

Got tired of banging my head against the wall against the Blood-Starved Beast for hours on end. Once I finally beat him, I decided to step away from the game.

BSB is one of the more bullshit bosses in the game tbh. It almost drove me to quit. The BSB represents one of my biggest gripes with the game, and specifically with beast-tyle bosses: they feel like you need to cheese them. Basically if you stay on the left side (or right?) of BSB the whole fight, he just can't hit you. You don't even have to dodge -- he just straight-up whiffs all of his attacks.

Many of the tougher boss fights in the game are just like that -- finding ways to cheese the boss and exploit AI/hotbox gaps rather than perfecting roll timings and attack strategies.

 

[VashTheStampede]

I'm wondering if I should try to jump back into Bloodborne after spending so much time with Elden Ring. Pretty sure I could handle things a bit better now...

 

[TD]

I'm wondering if I should try to jump back into Bloodborne after spending so much time with Elden Ring. Pretty sure I could handle things a bit better now...

If you're like me and have a hard time going back to inferior performance (sub 30fps and screen tearing), the game becomes borderline unplayable.

 

[Smacktard]

I'm wondering if I should try to jump back into Bloodborne after spending so much time with Elden Ring. Pretty sure I could handle things a bit better now...

FWIW I still never liked BB I think Dark Souls III is probably the most approachable game if you liked ER. It's not as unforgiving as DaS I find, and is faster paced, like ER.

If you're like me and have a hard time going back to inferior performance (sub 30fps and screen tearing), the game becomes borderline unplayable.

FPS drops on PS4 were atrocious. I couldn't stand it, especially in the starting area.

 

[TD]

It's also kind of overwhelming as I will want to play as a best class (for me) and am afraid of picking something that wont work long term or wont be optimized. This might have been a series I would have enjoyed in high school when I had a lot more gaming time. I do appreciate what they do and how well crafted they are

This is actually one of the things I appreciate about the Souls games. Your starting class is not a big deal and it's easy to follow the prototype or pivot. Most of them also have ways to respec.

Also sure there's ways to optimize things but because there is no level cap (unless you're interested in invasions), but it's not really a necessity. Pretty much everything can be viable.

 

[TD]

FPS drops on PS4 were atrocious. I couldn't stand it, especially in the starting area.

I'm blown away that they never released a performance patch for either PS4 Pro or PS5.

From has never been known for top notch performance, though.

 

[Raposuh]

I'm still surprised the only DLC Sekiro got was the boss rush modes. Really thought we'd get at least a couple more Buddha Bell's that could take us into alternate memories to fight people mentioned in the backstory. Really wanted to face off against Tomoe.

 

[Op19]

This is actually one of the things I appreciate about the Souls games. Your starting class is not a big deal and it's easy to follow the prototype or pivot. Most of them also have ways to respec.

Also sure there's ways to optimize things but because there is no level cap (unless you're interested in invasions), but it's not really a necessity. Pretty much everything can be viable.

Yeah IMO though they are fairly tough the games are also simple to understand IMO. You dont need to stress about your class cause its really only a starting point, you're not stuck playing one way the whole time. Elden Ring in particular has a pretty good system for respeccing.

 

[Spiner202]

I'm going to bump this thread because I suspect it will take me 1-2 months to get the platinum for DS2, and I can contain my many thoughts that will come in this spot.

Firstly, I just need to say that it is completely obnoxious that every time you boot up DS2, it brings up the screen to purchase PS+ if you don't have an active subscription. This wasn't a problem last time I played, but I've never seen a game be this obtrusive about it. This wouldn't typically be an issue because I don't close down the game that often, but with making several backup saves, I regularly have to restart the application.

I am following this guide. As you can see, it's even wordier than I am. My initial three thoughts are:

(1) I'm happy I've played DS2 before because this is probably the worst way to experience the game. It's especially bad to use a guide since you can't pause this game (even when you aren't connected to the internet!), but it's so specific that the wonder and exploration of the game is killed quickly.

(2) So far, this guide recommends killing all enemies 10 times to perma-kill them. I actually don't mind this mechanic, and I'm sure it's going to be way too grindy, but I also don't mind just tossing on some music or a podcast and going for it. Again, not the ideal way to experience the game though.

(3) The best thing about following a guide is all the stuff I missed. For example, there's an estus shard in Majula that you can get right away. I don't remember doing this in my play through, but to immediately have a second estus flask is going to make life much easier.

 

[Smacktard]

So far, this guide recommends killing all enemies 10 times to perma-kill them. I actually don't mind this mechanic, and I'm sure it's going to be way too grindy, but I also don't mind just tossing on some music or a podcast and going for it. Again, not the ideal way to experience the game though.

Do NOT do this. If it happens, let it happen organically. IMO the most difficult part of the game is the very beginning, up until you finally beat Pursuer. After this, enemies don't pose as much of a threat.

There's a better guide (IMO) that just lists what to pick up/do when and where. It's less wordy, more action-oriented. No thinking, just "do this, do that next, do this". I don't have it handy but if you search around I'm sure you can find it.

 

[Spiner202]

I will see if the guide gives up on this - I'm only at the second combat section in the Forest of Fallen Giants. If it doesn't, I'll probably just make the call to move on. I beat the game the first time without needing to do that.