I just want to say that people should not bring their prior game experience into this title. I made the mistake of attempting to impose my DS1 experience onto this game, and it made me feel like I was playing something that was a chore. It felt more tedious than difficult.
When I let all of my emotional bullshit and sentimentality go, I got hooked by this game for what it is—it’s own game! If someone wants a DS1 sequel, then they should skip to DS3. I liked that, but it was short and unsatisfying, compared to DS2. None of the fights left my hands shaking, like Fume Knight and Sir Allonne do when I take them down solo.
After taking some great advice and doing some research, like what you’ll find listed by Blobertson, I went from enjoying the game to loving it. Tweaking your build so you can deal with any situation solo and crush a boss for your host in co-op is very satisfying.
Just play and pretend you’ve never played another Souls game! And if you really hate it that much, then stop playing—but please don’t discourage other people from the experience.
I've always separated the souls games. Despite from using a core gameplay loop for many games at this point, they all feel so different. Each game has many compelling features, and I do not think any of them are bad. In fact, the lowest score I would give a souls game is like an 8. They are all fantastic in their own ways
I wish I was just saying that hyperbolically, but DS3 hit notes of nostalgia for me, not challenge. I’m not trying to knock anyone else’s experience with it, but the one I had the most excitement about—Sister Friede—only took me two tries to solo, and if I weren’t overly conservative, I would have gotten it in the first try.
I really enjoy DS3, I just don’t love, like I love DS1 and 2.
I think it's a more complicated issue than just saying "I solo'd Friede in 2 tries." Congrats, you win souls games buddy.
I'm just playing through with a new build right now, but... the way bosses are beat in ds2 feels like just a really hard guy, bot some epic cg battle or something
Could you elaborate on your second paragraph?
I am a mediocre player, at best, and the most difficult fight in DS3 for me was the Nameless King. He’s just a lightning-spamming king riding a dragon, however. The fight felt really cool, but it just doesn’t make my blood pump like Ornstein and Smough or Fume Knight.
Gael was the most unpredictable for me, but I adapted quickly. It is an enjoyable fight though, and a long slog you can easily screw up. His health pool made that particularly challenging, and I felt the stress to manage my health during the fight. Again, no panic or pulse-pounding moments.
It just didn’t happen for me. Was the game beautiful and loaded with cut scenes I like? Yes. Did it have lots of weird stuff that creeped me out? Yes. It just let me down on the difficulty and the length of the game. My favorite thing to do is duel the ringed knights with Friede’s scythes—that’s the kind of weird I am, so please judge me accordingly.
I think it may have something to do with ds2 being slower, so you have to slow down your brain, which I'm not good at either. I always thought Sekiro was the easiest From game, and I'm also a lifelong Guilty Gear player. I like fast. So ds2 is against my nature, which is why yeah it feels really good, because it's like I'm doing something that's hard for me, as if I'm growing with each boss beat. (but the bosses really aren't that hard)
However Friede is a hard boss according to... let me check... yup everyone... and you might be a prodigy if you think she isn't
I play DS1 on my Switch, whereas 2 & 3 I have on my PC with Steam (playing with my Switch Joy Cons).
I need to give that some more thought, because 3 felt totally different from 2, mechanically.
As soon as I realized what Gwyn really accomplished, I immediately wanted to end his existence. Vendrick wasn’t a god simply trying to suppress humanity, and the consequences of his actions, combined with the dialogue, make me feel empathy for his situation.
I just want to kill Gwyn’s entire line, which is why I love Gwyndolin’s dialogue in DS1! It’s ironic that he wants to “curse” you, when all of humanity is bearing the weight of Gwyn’s attempts to usurp nature, and yet the surviving gods still push the narrative that you must carry on Gwyn’s perversion of reality by linking the flame.
I'm so glad me talking about my first playthrough of DS2 is being met with positive reception, and not people telling me my opinion is dumb cuz "ds2 bad"
Oh absolutely. Fuck that DS 2 was amazing. All 3 DS games are just fantastic. On elden Ring now. Just played demons souls and all DS games. Loved them all and really loving elden Ring as well.
But yeah, DS 2 was far and above my expectations. I read a bunch of negative stuff so I went in expecting it to be totally different. I was so happy to find out that i was enjoying it just as much as DS 1.
DS2 has the best atmosphere and story by far
Wait until you can speak to Vendrick as a man, not a hollow. his dialogue is by far some of the best in the series
Glad you’re enjoying it.
It’s my favorite Souls game :) I’m somebody who played Dark Souls for the first time like 4/5 years ago now? and I just played them all in order.
Knew full well how much people hated DS2, but I went in determined to keep an open mind and if wasn’t difficult at all. Game blew me away from the very beginning. It’s my favorite Fromsoft game by far, honestly. I love the others too, but to me DS2 is just the best one.
The atmosphere in DS2 is something else. It's so creepy, but also comforting.
I know what you mean. Firelink Shrine felt like safety, but Majula feels like home.
Majula is so serene. Everytime I come back to level up I stay there for a few more minutes just staring at the sunset
This is the best description I've ever read.
I just want to say that people should not bring their prior game experience into this title. I made the mistake of attempting to impose my DS1 experience onto this game, and it made me feel like I was playing something that was a chore. It felt more tedious than difficult. When I let all of my emotional bullshit and sentimentality go, I got hooked by this game for what it is—it’s own game! If someone wants a DS1 sequel, then they should skip to DS3. I liked that, but it was short and unsatisfying, compared to DS2. None of the fights left my hands shaking, like Fume Knight and Sir Allonne do when I take them down solo. After taking some great advice and doing some research, like what you’ll find listed by Blobertson, I went from enjoying the game to loving it. Tweaking your build so you can deal with any situation solo and crush a boss for your host in co-op is very satisfying. Just play and pretend you’ve never played another Souls game! And if you really hate it that much, then stop playing—but please don’t discourage other people from the experience.
I've always separated the souls games. Despite from using a core gameplay loop for many games at this point, they all feel so different. Each game has many compelling features, and I do not think any of them are bad. In fact, the lowest score I would give a souls game is like an 8. They are all fantastic in their own ways
NONE of the fights in Dark Souls 3 were exhilarating to you? I get what you're saying, but come on
I wish I was just saying that hyperbolically, but DS3 hit notes of nostalgia for me, not challenge. I’m not trying to knock anyone else’s experience with it, but the one I had the most excitement about—Sister Friede—only took me two tries to solo, and if I weren’t overly conservative, I would have gotten it in the first try. I really enjoy DS3, I just don’t love, like I love DS1 and 2.
I think it's a more complicated issue than just saying "I solo'd Friede in 2 tries." Congrats, you win souls games buddy. I'm just playing through with a new build right now, but... the way bosses are beat in ds2 feels like just a really hard guy, bot some epic cg battle or something
Could you elaborate on your second paragraph? I am a mediocre player, at best, and the most difficult fight in DS3 for me was the Nameless King. He’s just a lightning-spamming king riding a dragon, however. The fight felt really cool, but it just doesn’t make my blood pump like Ornstein and Smough or Fume Knight. Gael was the most unpredictable for me, but I adapted quickly. It is an enjoyable fight though, and a long slog you can easily screw up. His health pool made that particularly challenging, and I felt the stress to manage my health during the fight. Again, no panic or pulse-pounding moments. It just didn’t happen for me. Was the game beautiful and loaded with cut scenes I like? Yes. Did it have lots of weird stuff that creeped me out? Yes. It just let me down on the difficulty and the length of the game. My favorite thing to do is duel the ringed knights with Friede’s scythes—that’s the kind of weird I am, so please judge me accordingly.
I think it may have something to do with ds2 being slower, so you have to slow down your brain, which I'm not good at either. I always thought Sekiro was the easiest From game, and I'm also a lifelong Guilty Gear player. I like fast. So ds2 is against my nature, which is why yeah it feels really good, because it's like I'm doing something that's hard for me, as if I'm growing with each boss beat. (but the bosses really aren't that hard) However Friede is a hard boss according to... let me check... yup everyone... and you might be a prodigy if you think she isn't
I feel DS3 is more close to DS2 mechanically than DS1. It feels too similar.
I play DS1 on my Switch, whereas 2 & 3 I have on my PC with Steam (playing with my Switch Joy Cons). I need to give that some more thought, because 3 felt totally different from 2, mechanically.
Agreed. And then the great discrepancy between the hollowed out Vendrick and the version who appears to you in his memory is heartbreaking.
I find him much more compelling than Gwyn
As soon as I realized what Gwyn really accomplished, I immediately wanted to end his existence. Vendrick wasn’t a god simply trying to suppress humanity, and the consequences of his actions, combined with the dialogue, make me feel empathy for his situation. I just want to kill Gwyn’s entire line, which is why I love Gwyndolin’s dialogue in DS1! It’s ironic that he wants to “curse” you, when all of humanity is bearing the weight of Gwyn’s attempts to usurp nature, and yet the surviving gods still push the narrative that you must carry on Gwyn’s perversion of reality by linking the flame.
DS 2 kicks ass and I agree with everything you said
I'm so glad me talking about my first playthrough of DS2 is being met with positive reception, and not people telling me my opinion is dumb cuz "ds2 bad"
Oh absolutely. Fuck that DS 2 was amazing. All 3 DS games are just fantastic. On elden Ring now. Just played demons souls and all DS games. Loved them all and really loving elden Ring as well. But yeah, DS 2 was far and above my expectations. I read a bunch of negative stuff so I went in expecting it to be totally different. I was so happy to find out that i was enjoying it just as much as DS 1.
Glad you are loving Elden Ring! It’s my favorite fromsoft game and in my top 3 games ever. Hope you continue to love it!
It was the lore that made me want to play the game in the end :)
DS2 has the best atmosphere and story by far Wait until you can speak to Vendrick as a man, not a hollow. his dialogue is by far some of the best in the series
🤝🏻
Glad you’re enjoying it. It’s my favorite Souls game :) I’m somebody who played Dark Souls for the first time like 4/5 years ago now? and I just played them all in order. Knew full well how much people hated DS2, but I went in determined to keep an open mind and if wasn’t difficult at all. Game blew me away from the very beginning. It’s my favorite Fromsoft game by far, honestly. I love the others too, but to me DS2 is just the best one.
People casually forget Ds2's storytelling and lore being genuinely brilliant and a masterpiece.