For discussion of games made by FromSoftware, from Demon’s Souls to Sekiro, and older titles if you’re boomer enough. We can discuss Elden Ring in here once we get gameplay in just under 2 weeks time.
I feel like i’ve arrived at a point where I appreciate each game for it’s own strengths and ideas. Since From is pretty much the only developer still making good video games it seems pointless to rank them against each other. That said, DS1 > BB > Sekiro > DeS. DS2 and DS3 are both enjoyable in their own right but are like spin offs and not really comparable with the original titles.
Thoughts on the series? Favourite areas and bosses? Hopes and dreams for Elden Ring?
I wont say I’m a die hard “from” software guy but i’m always interested in their work. started with Demon souls and it’s still my fav game to date. Bloodbourne was amazing and Sekiro felt like it was more frustrating to me than all the other games. The sense of accomplishment of beating these games though are unmatched.
Even though Sekiro was a tough time for me i enjoyed all the locations, it really benefited on the ps4 hardware. it’s a gorgeous game to die in.
i never played DS2 so I’ll have to rank em a lil different.
Demon souls>Bloodbourne>Sekiro> DS3>DS1
I only rated ds1 that low since i never complated it. maybe one day i’ll get back to it.
You and me both, man! I think Demon’s Souls has a really unique charm which the others just don’t get. I actually much prefer it’s slight aesthetic difference in flavour and characters much more than Dark Souls too.
I do like Demon’s Souls. It’s the only one with lore that makes logical sense, and I think it has the best NPCs too. Great game, and it obviously did every level design trick first , but I found it difficult to get absorbed in that game the way I did in the others, mostly because of the way the world is split up and how linear most of it is.
Dark Souls 1 isn’t any less flawed, it has some absolutely abysmal areas. But the world pulls you in like nothing else. Ultimately that sticks in my memory and I always have the urge to replay it.
Dark Souls 2 is the best of the souls sequence on account of its immensely improved gameplay experience and its compelling lore even if the level design suffered massively.
Dark Souls 3 is thematically the richest of the 3 but the gameplay regression made it the most forgettable in retrospect.
I really love Dark Souls 1, but DS2 is the one that actually got me into the series and is the one I’ve played the most by far. I absolutely love it and I do think its the best game. 3 is very forgettable.
Also, DS2 had an amazing run of multiplayer activity and multiplayer actually working. The number of fight clubs and invasions and summons was just awesome. Really a great game.
I feel like the re-release really was a step down from the original game + dlc. In trying to improve the poor level design they just dumped overpowered enemies from other areas in random places and it was not a good choice.
I have Demon Souls but can never be bothered to hook up my PS3 to play it. Played a bit and didn’t really like it all that much. Never have played Bloodborne, no PS4 or plans to get one, but from what I’ve seen of it I don’t think I’d like it anyway
See I’ve only ever played Scholar of the First Sin and it’s one of my most played PS4 games I’d think, I think it’s really quite addictive and with a DS4, Dark Souls goes leaps and bounds above what it ever was on PS3.
I think the majority of people prefer SotFS. I just didn’t like it. But that’s probably because I’d already played through DS2 like 10 times by then and I didn’t like it being changed at that point haha. I only play on PC so hopefully new souls games keep coming to PC
There’s a screencap out there showing all the real architecture that DS1 and some of 3’s locations were based on, with 2’s next to them looking like they were built in Minecraft. Then you think about the world design, the fact that you climb up mountains to emerge in swamps and to places supposedly sinking into the ground…
It’s a lot of fun to play around with different builds in DS2, it absolutely has it’s strengths, but it really does feel like a fan game to me. The art direction and construction of the world is what gets me turnt in these games, so when it’s bad to the point of being offensive it is hard for me to ignore even if the game is fun.
It’s sad to think we may never see DS1’s world design in a video game again, as not even From have been able to replicate it despite trying. Sekiro came closest, but they still gave up and resorted to doors teleporting you to old areas instead of the geography actually checking out.
There was a really neat map someone made that I cant find now that showed the layout and geography in DS1 of how one level lead to another and how consistent the whole map was of the game, not even just how much better the architecture and style was. DS2 was basically teleporting you to random places, taking an elevator up into a lake and weird shit like that. Fine for most games, but following up to how good it was in DS1 was definitely a let down.
The strengths of DS2 were 100% in the builds and leveling, and the super simplified smithing and upgrading. I guess why I like it so much is that it’s better in all the ways that affect PvP and PvP was like 90% of what I did in DS2. No other souls game has ever had me care that much about PvP but it was a blast in 2. That’s what makes it my most played and the one that’s the most fun, but in terms of the quality of design and how much it really captures what Souls is all about, you can’t really beat DS1.
Yeah i’ve seen it, there’s an interactive version as well that i’ve been too lazy to download.
I thought DS3 had pretty good PvP for fight clubs as well. Not at first, but after a few patches they somehow got it balanced enough that each obscenely OP build was hard countered by a different obscenely OP build. The netcode and hitboxes were janky of course but still there was fun to be had.
Also regarding SotFS, i’ve heard other people say that it’s worse too, who played vanilla DS2 first. I’ve only ever played SotFS so idk.
Dark Souls 2’s disjointed world design is absolutely born out of technical limitations and time constraints; as the original light and shadow mechanics which were behind the original vision of the game couldn’t be done on the PS3 and 360 which led to the entire game being scrapped and redone within 6 months (yes, almost the entirety of DS2 was redesigned in 6 months which makes it an even bigger monumental achievement)
But at the same time it had the best art direction of the 3. The disjointed world while a step down in comparison to 1 slotted in relatively well with the dreamy, almost surreal state of existence of Drangleic. It was serviceable.
That and DS2s DLCs easily featured some of the best level design the series has ever seen so it helped redeem itself.
DS1 is just too rough to go back to after playing subsequent souls games and becoming familiar with the at the time unique concept and gameplay loop.
This is a very valid point as well. The DLCs for DS2 were absolutely top notch. I think the Crown of the Sunken King is the best part of any souls game by any metric. It’s got everything.
When Demon souls 1 first came out I was just getting into an anime/Manga called berserk. It was perfect place and perfect time for that game. I got to live out all my dark demonic fantasies! The atmospher of that game for it’s time too was sooo oppressive. maybe when i get a ps5 i’ll give it another shot. one of the first games where i enjoyed the grind, felt like i got better with each attempt.
God, I wish I could get a PS5 for Demon’s Souls remake so bad. But apparently it’s not as well balanced and some changes prevent it’s legendary status? I’d hope that’s wrong. Such a great game.
World tendency was always a big confusion, idk if they ever made it easier to understand. I might get it on ps5 but these c\days i dont tend to replay alot of games.
