Dark Souls II Is Coming to Ruin Your Day

Recommended Videos

Constapatience

New member
Jun 15, 2012
7
0
0
I only hope that it is harder much than Dark Souls. I loved that game but it really wasn't as hard as everyone has claimed. Still hard just not that hard.
 

Constapatience

New member
Jun 15, 2012
7
0
0
I only hope that it is harder much than Dark Souls. I loved that game but it really wasn't as hard as everyone has claimed. Still hard just not that hard.
 
Dec 14, 2009
15,526
0
0
I still can't believe how awesome this trailer is...

And that music? So freakin' fitting, I really get a huge Dark Souls vibe from it.

Can't wait for this, really looking forward to it.
 

Freaky Lou

New member
Nov 1, 2011
606
0
0
William Dickbringer said:
so if dark souls 1 was harder than demon souls then how does dark souls 2 get harder....oh god permadeath
It's going to be considerably easier than either of the previous installments.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/12/08/dark-souls-2-and-the-fine-line-between-challenge-and-accessibility/

game directors new to the Souls series, Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura, who have taken the reins from Hidetaka Miyazaki.
they intend to mould Dark Souls II into a more approachable form
?I personally am the sort of person who likes to be more direct than subtle,? he tells us. ?[Dark Souls II] will be more straightforward and more understandable.?
This looks like the downfall of the Souls series to me--but that being said, "straightforward" and "accessible" do not necessarily mean "easier" (though they usually do when it comes to game journalism.) I don't think it's worth getting excited over yet---too easy for it to be the ruination of the franchise atm.
 

Rainforce

New member
Apr 20, 2009
693
0
0
Only thought after watching the trailer:
[HEADING=2]"TAKE THE STRONGEST AND HEAVIEST ARMOR YOU CAN FIND
AND CROSS THAT RICKETY OLD BRIDGE LIKE THE MAN YOU ARE!"[/HEADING]
"Sure, gimme a sec."

And thus everyone ignored the implications of a half-broken bridge that will likely collapse under your body weight alone.

way to go, Dark Souls II, show the children how it's done.
: D

actually: I still need to finish DS, but damn that game is fun. Can't wait for this one, considering how it should be designed with the pc in mind, and a better server system and all that.
 

crimson sickle2

New member
Sep 30, 2009
568
0
0
If the trailer is to be believed, it may mean we need to carry a lantern/torch everywhere instead of having a supernatural glow emanating from the character. There was a lantern used in one area of Dark Souls 1, but it could be really bad if they do it in Dark Souls 2. Remember everyone complaining about Doom 3? Other than that, it's looking good.
 
Sep 13, 2009
1,589
0
0
The game looks amazing and I'm happy for the sequel, but... is it just me or does it seem to be a bit lacking in the dark souls/demon's souls aesthetic? Both of the previous games had really interesting looking creatures and enemies, these seem a little too standard and run of the mill. It's just a trailer so chances are they aren't moving away from that aesthetic, but this trailer worries me just a bit
 

NeutralDrow

New member
Mar 23, 2009
9,097
0
0
Freaky Lou said:
This looks like the downfall of the Souls series to me--but that being said, "straightforward" and "accessible" do not necessarily mean "easier" (though they usually do when it comes to game journalism.)
Maybe they mean a story that can be followed, that's not 1/10 exposition, 1/10 pieced-together sentences from item descriptions, and 8/10 fanwank online speculation? That would certainly be more accessible.

Maybe discernible characterization, so people can't berate me for killing a random giant wolf with a sword without shedding a tear because it's apparently a tragic character in the arcane and incomprehensible backstory.

Maybe a map. Making it so there's some hint that new things are in old areas. Making exploration fun, in other words.

Maybe a character that has better pathfinding skills than a blind wiener dog, who can move more than half a foot off the ground in something other than a "falling to your death" context and isn't trapped by ankle-height tree roots.

Clive Howlitzer said:
Let us hope it isn't another mediocre game that everyone rants and raves about for being so amazing.
I'm sort of hoping for the same thing, myself. Though I think I'd describe DS as merely "good" rather than mediocre. It was an okay game for all its problems.
 

Headdrivehardscrew

New member
Aug 22, 2011
1,660
0
0
godofallu said:
Ruin my day? More like make my year.

Doing a lan party with 3 people cooping through this game was epic. Discovering traps together, being crushed by giant boulders and being eaten by chests. Drinking way too much and forming roman shield/spear walls. Having an archer pick off targets while the rest covered him with a shield.

Going 2 handed and rushing a giant boss while another kites it and draws aggro.

The game was just stupidly good and had the best "difficulty" of any game. No such thing as easy or normal or hard. Enemies were balanced by their move set not their adjustable invisible stats.
I just have to second you on every bit you said there.

I myself was a victim of the negativistic counter-hype, believing that whoever made this game was probably insane. I read about perma-death, losing 'currency' and 'score' and having to start at the beginning.

Then, eventually and totally by accident, I read that it was a game by From Software, the crazy ingenious bastards that invaded my dreams a thousand years ago, back on the PSX with Kings Field.

Yes, my first encounters with enemies was frustrating, because I didn't know what to do or where to go.

The moment you accept the Souls games as what they are, they are the most satisfying, most Zen gaming experiences out there. Every enemy is 'hard' and deadly, until one takes a moment, a step back to analyse the moves and attacks of any given enemy. I only started practicing parry/ripostes and backstabs in Anor Londo, when I had to admit that 'normal' routines just wouldn't be viable options to cut through the mass of Silver Knights in a timely manner. Did I die? Oh yes. Did I run for my life? Hell yeah. But the moment you are in control of an area, know every nook and cranny even though there's no map, and when you even manage to find shortcuts, it's just something I haven't felt since, say, the very first Donkey Kong, Mario, Castlevania or Metroid. It's just pure gaming bliss that invites players to not only give their best effort, it made me a perfectionist just by existing. There's no holding hands, there's no overload of story or exposition, and yet these games inspire to dream, write, draw and just come back for another serving, and be it just as a friendly Sun Bros guy, praising the sun, killing big bads and having a blast. Over and over and over again.
 

Jamous

New member
Apr 14, 2009
1,941
0
0
I'm actually really quite looking forward to it; despite how infuriating Dark Souls could be at points, it was still really good fun to just explore and find out more about the world.
 

Tanakh

New member
Jul 8, 2011
1,512
0
0
NeutralDrow said:
Clive Howlitzer said:
Let us hope it isn't another mediocre game that everyone rants and raves about for being so amazing.
I'm sort of hoping for the same thing, myself. Though I think I'd describe DS as merely "good" rather than mediocre. It was an okay game for all its problems.
I'll join you, it's a fun good game. Not sure why people think it's hard, as long as you keep your eyes open and have time to retrace your steps after some traps/abushes/random bad dodge you should be fine. It has indeed a good challenging gameplay, but for me if SC and SC2 (high in the PvP ladder) were a 10 in therms of difficulty, DS would be around 4 at most.
 

yaydod

New member
Nov 29, 2011
246
0
0
Well, i did like Dark Souls but it would be nice if it just took 2minutes to explain some basic stuff and maybe some back story. I do not think it is great when the only source of info is made by fans for fans. Oh and please tell me what you mean by more defense, give me some numbers to illustrate it (accessible from another menu maybe).

Just make the game a bit more clear, i got the PC version with the DLC and missed the whole DLC because i had no clue where it was and how to get there. I finished the game without even seeing the new content, to have an idea how to get there i had to look up a guide (how the hell do you want me to know all the necessary stuff to get in there), in my eyes that is not the best design choice.

One last thing, please make it easy to go offline, maybe put on options on the bonfires or at the start of the game. Also DITCH GFWL PLEASE!!! That piece of crap would not let me play offline without ERASING (yes, ERASING) my saved games, so i just ran some crap to avoid annoying invasion from higher level guys (love it in the first time you get in the first building/city, you get invaded by a guy in a new game+, good thing you can still push them of ledges).

TL;DR : So yeah, interested, just make the game a bit more clear, ditch GFWL for PC, fix the netcod, gives us an option to go on/offline easily, maybe more weapon types and upgrade the lighting (i shouldn't have to reconfigure my screen to be able to something).
 

Busard

New member
Nov 17, 2009
168
0
0
Maybe discernible characterization, so people can't berate me for killing a random giant wolf with a sword without shedding a tear because it's apparently a tragic character in the arcane and incomprehensible backstory.

Maybe a map. Making it so there's some hint that new things are in old areas. Making exploration fun, in other words.
Yeah because reading item descriptions and just looking around is too hard, god my head hurts so much because I wasn't spoonfed every information.

Oh, and how is it exploration if you have a map hinting you where to explore. That's just hand holding for the basic cod-bro "OOH DID YOU KNOW THERE'S SHINY NEW STUFF FOR YOU HERE ? GO GET IT CHAMP".

That's the kind of thing I hope they don't listen to. Sadly, seems like they're going to do just that and it's likely we might have a watered down "souls" game that pleases to a mass that isn't interested in the actual challenge in the first place, just another rpg they can drone through.
 

yaydod

New member
Nov 29, 2011
246
0
0
Busard said:
Maybe discernible characterization, so people can't berate me for killing a random giant wolf with a sword without shedding a tear because it's apparently a tragic character in the arcane and incomprehensible backstory.

Maybe a map. Making it so there's some hint that new things are in old areas. Making exploration fun, in other words.
Yeah because reading item descriptions and just looking around is too hard, god my head hurts so much because I wasn't spoonfed every information.
It does not have to be spooned fed info, maybe put it in the form of a book or a not that you can find in the game, but i it is not practical that you need to read the item description on 6/7 different items (that you are not even sure to find) to get SOME back story, just give us a book/bestiary like in the older games which didn't spoon feed you back story but made it accessible.
The books might have some help full info about monster, areas etc.. by giving at the same time same time some back story.
OH NO FREE INFORMATION, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!


Busard said:
Oh, and how is it exploration if you have a map hinting you where to explore. That's just hand holding for the basic cod-bro "OOH DID YOU KNOW THERE'S SHINY NEW STUFF FOR YOU HERE ? GO GET IT CHAMP".

That's the kind of thing I hope they don't listen to. Sadly, seems like they're going to do just that and it's likely we might have a watered down "souls" game that pleases to a mass that isn't interested in the actual challenge in the first place, just another rpg they can drone through.
A map would be a good addition but it is just a map that fills out on its own with a magical marker saying "you are here", it would just show you the areas you didn't explore yet by not having the map completed in those areas, like a ton of good games before hand (with a thing like that i might not of have missed the whole DLC), but that is accessible info GASP i don't have to read/watch through 15 different guides to find some info THE HORROR.

I do hope that they listen to their player base, just give me the feeling that i am not plowing through a swamp during a pitch black night with flying blood thirsty alligators when i want to find some info, just keep the swamp and blood thirsty alligators.
 

CAMDAWG

New member
Jul 27, 2011
116
0
0
DrunkOnEstus said:
Is there something wrong with me if I watched this 10 times already? I took some money out of my pocket and threw it at the TV to get a laugh out of my wife, but if it warped the cash into another dimension and pre-ordered a collector's edition for me, I would be thrilled. From...new guy...Do not fuck me over by selling me "dark Skyrim" before it's released. I don't ever pre-order things, but I have faith in these guys. Now for speculation!

Streamline (which doesn't mean "dumbed down" necessarily) the weapon/armor upgrades, and make it more clear. Mechanics can be clarified without ruining the opacity of the rest of the experience, IMO.

If you're switching to a server-based thing, plan to keep it open longer than Demon's, and if you can help it don't announce the end of it all multiple times. I shouldn't do "my final online moments" more than once (I realize how crazy I sound). I could do without "world tendency" coming back.

More Asian/DEX weapons would be awesome. Actually, more loot of all kinds, which I'm sure they're planning.

Try not to go "full blown open-world sandbox" on me. I loved the level design and unique shortcuts. Getting around Lordran was awesome and that can be done on a larger scale.

I'd like it if most of the weapons crafted from boss souls were more useful, those should be some of the best stuff in the game (see Demon's Souls)

Make sure the netcode is excellent. Spend a lot of time on this. My favorite moments were in parties and it sucks to wait an hour to get a summon.

I don't think it would be so bad if we could talk to eachother. The way "bowing" and the code of honor in a lot of duals/invasions turned out organically tells me that you won't hear too many racist/homophobic vitriol in your headset. It could really add to the immersion and planning. I could be totally wrong about this, though.

I haven't been this excited about a game release in a long time, I feel like a teenager again. I've got your back From, bring your best.
I'm just going to put it out there that there is something wrong with you for watching it ten times. It's dark souls II! 15 times minimum!

Jokes aside, I agree with pretty much all of what you said, not so much the chat though. I really liked the gesture system (aside from "well? what is it?" of course), and gough's carvings were just the icing on the cake. They forced a little more interpretation into player communication, and I liked that you had to point, and guide your buddies to an area, rather than just saying "hey guys, there's a secret wall over here". Plus, I really think that, given how bad the online community can get, it's better to not have to mute people all the time.

Something I'd like to see is splitscreen play. It's very unlikely to happen, given how few games have splitscreen anymore, but just imagine being able to duel your friends, in the same room, with no latency issues. That's be great. Especially in australia where connections were complete shit on a good day.

I'd also like to see them give faces a bit of a better go. Not so much the player's face, but the npc's could do with a touch up. That'd be on the bottom of my wishlist though.

I'm not sure if I'll pre-order it, because I just find the pre-order practice supremely stupid, and I'm ever so slightly worried that namco-bandai are pulling the strings more than From are, but this is probably the most excited I've been for such little information.
 

Denamic

New member
Aug 19, 2009
3,804
0
0
Whether or not dragons are alive to begin with is up for debate.
People with the darkbrand who lose their soul become undead. Dragons never had souls to begin with.
Sniper Team 4 said:
Explain how things work. Please, I'm begging you. I know Dark Souls is suppose to be hard. I know you're suppose to cry because it killed you and then killed your ghost, and your puppy, and your family. I get it and I appreciated it. But when I'm over twenty hours into the game and still don't understand the basics like how to use magic--yes, I know I always bring that up so, I'm sorry--because the game never bothered to explain it, that's not challenging. That's bad game design. Give the player at least the basic rule book before you make him play your game. Please.
Equip spell, use focus/talisman/glove.
What is there to not understand? And how have you managed to not figure out something that trivial after 20 hours? Have you figured out how to swing your sword yet? Have you mastered blocking? Because the concept is the same. Equip item, push button.
 

Yeager942

New member
Oct 31, 2008
1,097
0
0
FROM really needs to ditch GFWL. If I can't even fucking connect to my friend because I need to mess around with my ports because of GFWL's general shittiness, we have a problem.
 

DrunkOnEstus

In the name of Harman...
May 11, 2012
1,712
0
0
CAMDAWG said:
Yeah, I take back the chat thing, you're totally right. But if there were a splitscreen, wouldn't you talk to the couch partner? I'm not sure you'd still use gestures. I'm fine with it the way it is, though.

The NPCs certainly need work. Not just the faces, but in 2009 onward there should be mouth movement when a character speaks. It's on Amazon right now, with a release date of Dec 31 2013 which looks pretty placeholder to me. To be honest the thing that shocked me the most about the trailer was that it had only been about a year. Either this is a very early announcement just to start a slow-burn of excitement or someone at Namco discovered crack smoking and is going for annual Dark Souls releases. I hope Namco is just fronting the money for the million+ sales practically guaranteed if it's un-fucked with. From usually has a policy of making the games it wants to make, even resorting to paying for it themselves if they have to. In Japan there's way less of these demands that it have easy modes, maps, quest markers, exposition dumps, and so on. That's their #1 bread and butter market, so I doubt we have anything to worry about in that regard if Dark Souls' surprise success in the west hasn't warped their minds.

There's some interesting math to be done about "homogenization" (regardless of if it's happening to Dark Souls).

There's about 140 million consoles out there, 360 and PS3 combined. Skyrim, a wild success, sold about 10 million. That means about 14% of the user base liked it, and 86% enjoyed other things. Call of Duty, the sales monster that games like Resident Evil and Dead Space seem to be chasing, sells about 20 million each time. 72% of the market doesn't want the most popular thing, or things like it. If every other game company hypothetically (very, very, I know what this is) converted to a "design by metrics, make it more like COD so we can get those sales" philosophy, 72% of gamers wouldn't have anywhere to spend their money and be fully satisfied. Cutting out about 3/4 of potential markets and niches just isn't smart, industry-wide. Food for thought, I guess.



Freaky Lou said:
It's going to be considerably easier than either of the previous installments.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/12/08/dark-souls-2-and-the-fine-line-between-challenge-and-accessibility/
I'm not sure that the source article from the directors is implying that. A while ago there was an article where Miyazaki himself was apparently discussing an easy mode and how to make the game more approachable. It was later discovered that it was a translation error and that the author was trying to make it sound more like that. Japanese is a language of many implied terms, and direct, literal translations rarely come out as intended. It's better to translate the intention of the statement based on context, and something like "we don't want mechanics to be hidden, and we'd like it to be easier and approachable within the game itself" is open to interpretation. In any language it's pretty open to interpretation given the little that we do know. I'll try to find the JP source directly, and if I see otherwise I'll edit it here. I'm not saying "you're wrong", just that we don't really have enough to go on to say that the whole game will be easier and will require less thinking/planning/strategy.
 

NeutralDrow

New member
Mar 23, 2009
9,097
0
0
yaydod said:
Just make the game a bit more clear, i got the PC version with the DLC and missed the whole DLC because i had no clue where it was and how to get there. I finished the game without even seeing the new content, to have an idea how to get there i had to look up a guide (how the hell do you want me to know all the necessary stuff to get in there), in my eyes that is not the best design choice.
Oh, good, I'm not the only one.

Friend online: "By the way, you know that place where you killed that hydra, and then freed that sorceress from that golden golem? Go back there if you want to find something."
Me: *having already killed the sun and brought about an Age of Dark* "Oh, you mean the out-of-the-way place where there's no indication that anything remains after you explore it once and have no reason to return once you've picked the area over for items and boss fights? Bit late for that."