Dark Souls (360)

[Danimal]

These are my brief impressions from playing Dark Souls on the 360 which is the sequel to Demon Souls.

- Watch long intro video which makes little or no sense.
- Awaken in cell, can't see anything.
- Walk, see red on floor read message.
- Rinse, repeat above for 10 minutes.
- Fight something (skeleton??) which just stands there.
- Walk some more, end up in room with giant ass Demon who is beating the s*** out of me, run away.
- Get shot out of the darkness by another skeleton, learn how to fight.
- Spend 10 minutes trying to get the key combo for Kick and flying attack to work. CAN NEVER GET THIS TO WORK...move on
- Fight more skeletons, find better weapon no kicking their ass.
- Oh no 3 at once, how do I use this bomb I have.
- Stumble upon Knight who give me a story about something... now fight more skeletons and then eventually the knight as he dies??? (hard to know because we are all dead already)
- Go through white light to another area, read a message about a falling attack, take step fall off ledge and die.
- Restart from last bonfire, find a message that tells me how to use the bomb, missed it first time.
- Battle through all the enemies again, come to ledge. Don't fall off this time...SMART!
- Take time to look around, Oh no I don't I am standing over the demon, he kills me in about 3.5 seconds.
- HIT GUIDE, HIT Y, GO BACK TO DASHBOARD.

In other words Dark Souls is every bit as hard and tough and frustrating as Demon Souls. Personally I love it, just wasn't in the mood for it last night. Still perplexed why those few moves wouldn't work. Not looking forward to dying over and over trying to kill the demon.

I have barely scratched the surface and it has been a long while since I played Demon Souls. I didn't see any ghost of people dying or anything like that. Never cracked the rule book, saw Terry on at the same time. Wondered if we could play together but then he left.

Much to learn and try, need to be in the right mindset, perhaps tonight.

[TCrouch]

Dan, I can tell you exactly why those moves didn't work.

You have to press the L stick and the attack button at PRECISELY the same time. Running forward and then hitting the attack just does a normal attack.

But Forward+Heavy at the exact same time will launch a jump attack. The same thing with light attack does the kick. After a while you get used to it.

I was getting my ass handed to me for more than an hour last night when I discovered I was going the wrong way. I was heading down into a graveyard and missed the path up the cliff behind where you spawn to the zombie stuff you can kill pretty easily. At the end of the evening I was just exploring and killing away, and saw a white door where I went "eh, let's go through and check it out". I find myself on a long bridge where I'm expecting a dragon or something to strafe me.

But no...some 30 foot tall bull-headed demon jumps off a tower and I can't go anywhere but fight it. At this point I have over 5,000 souls saved up, so dying wasn't an option. Through careful tactics and not exposing myself to much, I downed the first boss on the first try About the greatest accomplishment I've had in gaming LOL. I just got under his nut sack and kept blocking what I could and only taking a swing when he opened himself up.

I'm finding a good pace to the combat, between walking around with my shield up all the time and letting go to regen stamina. You never want to just mess around and start hitting attack buttons like most games of this style, though. I will lock on and use the R stick to switch targets and strafe the mobs, and really try to avoid attacking unless I know it's going to connect. After a while I was on a roll and really started feeling powerful.

Then I went through a door that required the master key, and consequently got 1-hit by some massive armored dude carrying what appeared to be the thighbone to a Brontosaurus.

Between that and Rage, it's been a ridiculous week. Oh, and learn to tell the difference between the enemies. All the ones you were fighting were zombies, not skeletons. If you try to fight skeletons with a bladed weapon you're asking to get slaughtered. Always keep one crushing and one slashing weapon on you at all times and ready to roll with. Because the skeletons I was fighting after the tutorial were downright nasty. Zombies (at least early on) are much easier, other than the flamebomb-tossing bastards that love to pepper you from rooftops as you fight their brethren.

[Danimal]

I don't think I am anywhere near out of the tutorial. Did you have ot kill that demon in the beginning by jumping off the ledge and stabbing him? If not then I must have gone the wrong way.

Why don't I see ghosts of people who died to learn from their mistakes? Can you play co-op in this game or not?

Questions I have, yes I do...

[TCrouch]

Yes, I had to kill that demon. That's still the tutorial.

He really does take a lot of damage, so my method was to use B to sprint out of range (or roll away if he's raising the club over his head for an overhead strike), then sprint back in and whack him once or twice in the leg when he's recovering. What you'll also notice is that if you're a warrior/knight class, you can block those massive blows entirely from stamina. So that's where the combat pacing I referred to before comes into play. Make sure your stamina is high. Don't just walk around blocking, because it doesn't regenerate that way.

Block, take the shot and see that it drained like 70% of your stamina or something. Let go of block, since he's so big that he can't swing twice really fast, and charge in and hit him once to be safe. Let go of everything and lock on if necessary and let the stamina regenerate. Then block again once it's full. Block his shots, chip away, and you should take him out with 5 or 6 rushes.

And there's co-op but not the normal sense. This is a single player game through and through. I think you can summon shades, but I'm not certain you choose WHO you summon. And you have to be human and not hollowed, which is done by spending humanity at bonfires. As soon as you die, you're back to zombie-body again, and I haven't even begun to figure that out.

You'll see blood stains once you get out of the tutorial. You won't see them where you're at, but you will once you beat that demon.

I'm Gameflying it, so I don't have a manual or box or anything. Just trial and error, and deaths.

Lots and lots of deaths.

[XXXIV]

Lots and lots of deaths.

The games main theme.

Having played through Demons Souls (My greatest video game accomplishment) I am thinking that this game might turn out to be even harder ... but it also has aids that the original didnt have like the Bonfires and Estus Flask which gives you 5 or 10( when you kindle) health potions every time you rest at a fire.

The manual doesnt offer much more than the basic game controls and a few notes on the game play. Three-four scantily clad pages in english. Think EA. I did have a bit of a head start as much of the game is like its predecessor but that was little comfort as the first undead Burg mini boss was two hitting me into oblivion.

The game is in itself designed to be trial and error. You are supposed to die. Die again and again. You are supposed to learn the game as you play it. Cruel bastards the designers are.
When you do achieve some goal like finally beating the tauren demon(the first mini boss after the tutorial boss) you do get a damn good feeling of video game accomplishment.

I dont know if I will have the patience to do this again but so far Im totally sucked in.

[TCrouch]

When you do achieve some goal like finally beating the tauren demon(the first mini boss after the tutorial boss) you do get a damn good feeling of video game accomplishment.

That's why beating him on the first try had me fist pumping like an idiot in my game room

[XXXIV]

When you do achieve some goal like finally beating the tauren demon(the first mini boss after the tutorial boss) you do get a damn good feeling of video game accomplishment.

That's why beating him on the first try had me fist pumping like an idiot in my game room

First try is pretty sweet.

I was in that same joyful place after a 4-5 try kill only to be knocked back to earth 20 minutes later as I was poisoned to death by a rat bite.

[TCrouch]

I just saw the dragon attempt to scorch everything and perch, waiting for me to do something stupid, and figured that was a good time to head back and pack it in for the night. I'll see how grisly he can make my death in about an hour here at lunch.

[XXXIV]

I just saw the dragon attempt to scorch everything and perch, waiting for me to do something stupid, and figured that was a good time to head back and pack it in for the night. I'll see how grisly he can make my death in about an hour here at lunch.

No comment.

[TCrouch]

Finding that 200 damage sword certainly helped speed things along

Absolutely loving this game. It's very difficult, but not in a cheating way. After I got that sword I was 1-hitting most of the lesser mobs and just tearing through everything I came across. I got impatient and didn't respect one of the mobs very much and ended up dying in about 3 seconds when I missed a swing. Any time I've died, it's because I either made a mistake or didn't know what was coming. Each time I die, I learn, and I get a little further.

My biggest problem now is just being lost. I know there's a bell to ring, and I think I know where it's at, but I keep running in circles it seems.

[XXXIV]

Finding that 200 damage sword certainly helped speed things along

.

Yes it does!.. but know that it will not scale with our stats so at some point we will need a new weapon.

Respect all mobs. I forget too. Lose focus and let your guard down for a second and you are a green stain on the pavement.

You will be at the tower soon enough. I love exploring and finding new creepy stuff.

[TCrouch]

Yeah, and the whole thought process I've been trying to keep in mind:

"If it LOOKS like it can 1-hit you...it can."

There's some of those guys that you just look at and know you're about to get tossed around like a salad. Then you try anyway...and get thoroughly embarrassed. All I want to do is get a little bit better and see a little bit more of the world each time I play. It's damn near like an MMO--grind away, get your character a little tougher, try new strategies, etc.

Is the tower near the Smith and the huge guy shooting magic bolts at me in what seems to be a church? I cleared that out but couldn't find a way up to that guy...but it was late. That was my best guess on where it might be at the time.

[XXXIV]

There's some of those guys that you just look at and know you're about to get tossed around like a salad. Then you try anyway...and get thoroughly embarrassed. All I want to do is get a little bit better and see a little bit more of the world each time I play. It's damn near like an MMO--grind away, get your character a little tougher, try new strategies, etc.

Is the tower near the Smith and the huge guy shooting magic bolts at me in what seems to be a church? I cleared that out but couldn't find a way up to that guy...but it was late. That was my best guess on where it might be at the time.

Yes. You have to try ( especially when you arent risking so many souls). Try em to see what they got. Its not like you have to put in a quarter to try again .

Once you except the fact that you will die , that you must die, you enjoy the game much more for what it is....sick.

Yes, the tower is near the first smith. Not the lightning guy with the tail below the smith, that goes elsewhere. Some baddies and some stairs and some ladders. You will know.

[TCrouch]

Yeah, I took the one-legged statue thing under the smith on once. I was actually doing pretty well with blocking and damaging him--until he finally connected and 1-hit me.

[XXXIV]

Yeah, I took the one-legged statue thing under the smith on once. I was actually doing pretty well with blocking and damaging him--until he finally connected and 1-hit me.

He whacked me once too. I ran around him the next time. That one leg thing slows him down.

[Danimal]

This game is so frustrating at times but utterly addictive. I have been stuck in Undead Burg for a while and finally got past the spot I was stuck at. Traveled around a while and got butt f***ed on a narrow bridge. I was frustrated there were no bonfires nearby, doing that whole section again is painful. Then I discovered another section I had completely bypassed and started exploring that and it eventually circled back to the spot I started but got me a lot of souls.

It seems however that the path lies across that bridge with the huge ass monster and I fear that battle because it is such a long trek to get there and no save spots before it. So my questions are

1. Am I missing a save spot?
2. In the tower that leads to him, did anyone go down instead of up? It is so effin dark down there I can't see s*** so it scared me off.
3. Did anyone go the other way at the start instead of towards undead burg and the church?

I started with a thief and I regret it. I have a long sword as my best weapon and still his starting armor. Item drops are non existent for him right now.

An honestly if any game screamed the need for true co-op play it is this one.

[TCrouch]

Not sure what the bridge with the huge ass monster is...if you go down instead of up to the undead burg, you'll get roasted worse. The ghosts down there you can't harm AT ALL when you start, so it will be miserable.

But I finished the Undead Burg and can't remember the spot you're referring to. Unless you mean the Tauren Demon? If that's the case, that's the first boss fight of the game, and he's a huge pain in the ass for a lot of people. I just ended up going under his legs and hitting him from the underside and tried to keep enough stamina to block at all times. Don't ever over-exert yourself against him. That must be what you're talking about, because there isn't a bonfire for a LONNNNG time before that fight.

I DID go down instead of up...once. There's a dude down there that 1-hit me with what looked like a brontosaurus bone

And what you may be missing is the grinding. You get stronger every level, and there's the merchant right back by where your last bonfire was that sells chain mail if you can't stand your armor that bad. Each time you go back to the bonfire and rest, there are like 6 zombies really close that you can pop. The archer, the guy on the stairs, 2 more below the stairs, and then the 2 spear-using shielded guys and one more down below them. If you clear those guys out, that's good for a couple hundred souls. Run up, repeat, and then get your armor or other stuff from the merchant on the ledge below those 2 spear guys.

Even as a thief, you can leave that area with a full set of chainmail, a couple of levels, a bow and arrow to take out the fire-bombers, a longsword (I prefer the long-ass rapier thing found down below in the first set of easy zombies to anything else at the beginning), and the wooden shield in a chest. By the time you go for that first boss fight, you could be decked out pretty well no matter which class you start with.

[Danimal]

Yes it occurred to me last night that I should be grinding that section and in fact if I go back down and across the way their is a little section that circles right back to the top and allows you to pop 5-7 more zombies. I have not been able to find a bow at all, frantically looking so I can lure things out.

I wish it was clear how many souls were needed for each level, I see a req. souls field on the character sheet but it is always a 0 in there.

As I have gone up a few levels I am getting more item drops. I guess your level effects that stat?

[XXXIV]

It seems however that the path lies across that bridge with the huge ass monster and I fear that battle because it is such a long trek to get there and no save spots before it. So my questions are

I assume you are referring to the Taurus Demon. The one that is at the top of the tower and through the white fog. There is no way around him and it is the way you have to go at the beginning of the game.
Remembering how I defeated him.... you have to immediately look back after crossing thru the fog and climb a ladder and take out the two archers on top of that tower. Then you climb down and start to cross towards the other tower. As soon as you see the demon approaching run back and climb the ladder to the top. Then when he gets to near enough do the jump attack. Dont wait too long or he will climb up and one or two hit you dead. I then ran away from him then when he approached ran back towards the ladder and repeated. I then got behind him and killed him. He is slow and you can time him...after he kills you a couple three times.

There is only one bonfire I know of in the Undead Burg before that first Demon. The Undead Burg is the way you have to go at the start.

Thief is not the best choice at the start but after you level a few times it starts to matter less and less to the point where it really doesnt matter how you started the game as you are not locked into a class. You can make any type of character you want with how you disperse the points you get as you level.

[XXXIV]

And what you may be missing is the grinding.

Yes. You must grind. Pain in the ass that it is.

[TCrouch]

And Dan...from the bonfire you can save at, if you exit the doorway and look to your right, there's an archer on a platform and a swordsman on the stairs leading down to the right. Kill them both.

Go down the stairs and kill the 2 guys I referred to before. Look left and you'll see a small bridge leading to another platform with 2 spear-wielding zombies. As a thief, you don't even have to block. Just circle around them and when they go for the thrust, get behind them and 1-hit backstab them.

After they're dead, look around on that platform and there is a pile of boxes. Break them.

That reveals stairs down. Go down them.

Kill the zombie hiding behind the bookcase in that room.

In that room, there are 2 exits: one leading into a little bridge/tunnel thing, and one heading outside to a ledge. Go out onto the ledge.

Look to your right and there's a sitting zombie there. Talk to him and he's a merchant.

He sells the chainmail, as well as a bow for 1000 souls. Buy the bow. That's the first thing I buy on every toon I make. He also sells ammo.

[XXXIV]

Yes it occurred to me last night that I should be grinding that section and in fact if I go back down and across the way their is a little section that circles right back to the top and allows you to pop 5-7 more zombies. I have not been able to find a bow at all, frantically looking so I can lure things out.

I wish it was clear how many souls were needed for each level, I see a req. souls field on the character sheet but it is always a 0 in there.

As I have gone up a few levels I am getting more item drops. I guess your level effects that stat?

Your humanity effects drops. The number in the top left of screen. Dont worry about that . Keep killing and you will get drops. The same ones over and over.

I bought my first bow from the merchant Terry referred to.

As for going down in that first big tower...I didnt have the master key so I couldnt. A mistake I mad starting the game. Take the key as your gift... Luckily you do get a key for that door after you kill the pretty butterfly. . I have gone back and that f***er has killed me ten times.
There is also a door at the bottom of that dar from the place where the hydra is.

HOT TIP. Roll into barrels to break them. I killed the first( I hope not the last) Pyro trainer in the depths instead of saving him by swinging me sword

[XXXIV]

I also wanted to know how many souls to the next level. and I found this...

I am at Soul level 45 so I now need 12,384 to get there.

http://www.giantbomb.com/dark-souls/61- ... -517950/#3

[Danimal]

Thanks for all the tips guys, really is a fantastic game.

[TCrouch]

It really is. It's just such a different style of game to play. It's not just "slog through the story and get to the next area". It really boils down to things like:

Do I feel powerful enough that I can get through several fights without taking damage currently?
Do I have an acceptable method of ranged pulling?
Is my movement speed hindered too much?
Can I block without taking damage?
Can I defeat some of the 'tougher' enemies on my current stage without getting 1- or 2-hit?

If you answer no to ANY of those questions, then the plan is to stay in that zone, rest and grind a few more times and keep wiping the zone clean. Personally I haven't even gotten to ring the first bell yet because I keep going through the Burg and learning to make entire sweeps without ever dying or taking much damage.

That and I spent Friday through Monday playing The Old Republic beta, which really took away from my Dark Souls time, but that's an entirely different conversation