Will I like Dark Souls?

[Godric]

Hi I am new to this forum and am wondering if anyone can help me here. I have been looking at the game Dark souls and am wondering if it is the game for me, as I absolutely love the art style ect. I am wondering though

1. Does the game pull unfair moves? I am currently playing the Witcher 2 and although combat can be tough as long as i remember to parry and very occasionally roll I can survive and if i do die I can see why. Compare this to other games I have played where as soon as i recover from being knocked down I am hit again before i can even attack. This just becomes frustrating.

2. Do earlier enemies get easier as you level up? and finally from what I have seen from videos a lot of player seem to use a hit and run away tactic is this the only was to win?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

 

[SonicWaffle]

Hi I am new to this forum

Welcome, new brother or sister. Put on your robe and we shall begin your initiation rites. It just so happens that I have a vial of virgin's blood to hand, and if you'll grab a silver sickle we can sacrafice the goat as soon as the clock strikes midnight.

and am wondering if anyone can help me here. I have been looking at the game Dark souls and am wondering if it is the game for me, as I absolutely love the art style ect.

Apparently (according to erttheking, anyway) this forum hates Dark Souls, so I'm not sure how helpful we're going to be. I've never actually played it, but I've watched my flatmate slogging through it, and he claims that while it's painfully difficult to begin with the game forces players to adapt, learning strategies and tactics on the fly, so that what they struggled with earlier becomes second nature as they learn how to deal with certain monsters.

Sorry I couldn't be more help, New Friend!

 

[King Billi]

As someone who was also first attracted to Dark Souls for it's art style and designs I would personally recommend checking it out. Some areas can be truly breathtaking to behold.

The game really isn't as difficult or unfair as its reputation would suggest although there are a couple of sections in particular which are very notorious for testing players patience. A common issue new players tend to have is that the game flat out dosen't explain alot of it's mechanics and leaves the player to figure stuff out on their own, whether you consider that cool or just annoying depends on you personally I guess but there are alot of walkthroughs out there now which explain the basics.

Earlier enemies are certainly much easier to fight as you level up, in fact your character can get ridiculously powerful later in the game or on New Game+ but you never become invulnerable enough so much so that enemies cease to be a threat.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Genocidicles]

1)Sometimes the game pulls things that can feel kind of cheap, but there was usually a way you could've avoided it.

2)If your not careful then the early enemies might still be able to kill you if they swarm you, but you'll end up being able to one-shot the majority of the early enemies sooner or later.

As for the hit and run thing that's a tactic for dealing with some bosses I think, but even then there are other ways of dealing with them.

 

[Colt47]

The game is fun once you get a hang of the techniques necessary to fight effectively. It's an Old School style game that is technically linear: as in it doesn't tell the player where to go, but rather tells the player what areas he's not ready for by having obstacles that can only be overcome by getting stronger first. This is sort of where the whole "prepare to die" thing comes from, because the game facilitates player death as a learning tool. My suggestion is to try the game and see how you like it. I think it's went on sale a number of times and gone below the 20 USD mark.

Also, while the game doesn't official support an easy mode, it's possible to back up saves on the PC version and bypass the auto save feature. So for those who are a little risk averse, there's a work around to make the game more enjoyable. Just as a warning: the game does have a few points in it where the difficulty spikes a bit.

 

[krazykidd]

I haven't played the witcher but i can't comment on that . But as far as difficulty goes , as long as you are able to learn while playing you should be fine . If you die and your first reaction is :" well that didn't work , let's try something else " you are going to be okay . If however you are the kind of person that will try the same tactic time and time again regardless of how many times you fail , you will find it tedious. While the game doesn't require you to be perfect , it requires you to at least know what you are doing . Some people call it trial and error , but i call it just getting better at the game . It also depends on your class . Parrying , dodging , blocking are all in. Your arsenal of things you can do, so use them. You have to see dying as a learning process , because you will die . If you get frustrated by death you'll hate the game .

As for enemies , earlier enemies get easier as you level because you will be stronger. There is no "proper" way to play the game . Play how you want . Want to hit and run? Fine . Want to lure enemies one by one with you bow? Okay. Want to run into the mob and try your luck? Cool . Want to run past all the enemies ? Fine . Do what you want , how you want . I personally played a tank , i rarely used backstabs and parry . I know a lot of people that swear by both those methods . Everything is valid . Play how you find fun . Find you playstyle and go with that .

This game is a lot more about the journy than the destination . Dark souls is hard to recommend because it's challenging . You have to be carful, you have to think , you have to be motivated . The satisfaction from passing a hard part is amazing . You feel rewarded simply by overcoming adversaties . There is a certain mindset you have to have going into the game . Dark souls is not the most relaxing game , but it is one of the most satisfying . In my opinion .

I say if you can get it cheap , go for it . If possibly , try it at a friends house . If it's on console , rent it . But , be prepared to die .

 

[Rack]

(Snipped)

1. Does the game pull unfair moves?

2. Do earlier enemies get easier as you level up?

3. From what I have seen from videos a lot of player seem to use a hit and run away tactic is this the only was to win?

1. Depends on what you man by fair. Enemies will fairly often try and ambush you or attack you from behind or round a corner. They also have 1 hit kills that are hard to predict. But you get to keep any souls you gained as long as you get further next time and you'll usually be able to do that if you learn from your mistakes. Mostly the game itself feels fair, even if the enemies aren't. There are also a few areas and bosses that are complete bastards that will kill you over and over far from the nearest savepoint.

2. Yes. They can still kill you if you're careless but with good equipment you can one shot enemies that were originally quite tough.

3. Pretty much. If you're very good you can dodge forward and backstab them for huge damage, and when you have resources you can sometimes pick them off with ranged weapons and spells. But standing toe to toe just isn't a good option against most enemies. With a good shield you can replace run with block but the principle is the same.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well here is how it works:
- before every boss you have a 10-15 minute minion grind
- each time you save or die these minions reset
- each time you die you go back to the 10-15 min away point
- bosses can one-shot you, but these shots are easy to evade when you know their sequence
- each has at least a 5 step sequence so you will die frequently

But the combat is really unique and the world is quite interesting, it is one of those games that you simply must see.

 

[Bertylicious]

Dark Souls is the dogs bollocks. It was hugely entertaining and one of my best purchases during 2012.

1. There are a lot of times when you'll end up dead but you'll be more angry with yourself than the game. Death isn't that big a problem really.

2. Yes.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

1. Does the game pull unfair moves? I am currently playing the Witcher 2 and although combat can be tough as long as i remember to parry and very occasionally roll I can survive and if i do die I can see why. Compare this to other games I have played where as soon as i recover from being knocked down I am hit again before i can even attack. This just becomes frustrating.

In a word, yes. In two words, "sort of". It's not so much unfair as things you would have no reason to anticipate unless you're using a walkthrough. Certain new attack types, new enemy types, new environmental challenges, WILL kill you when you first encounter them. And probably several times after that, too, until you figure them out. Dark Souls is very much a game in which you learn via failure. Death seldom sets you back far, but having to repeat the same area over and over and over while you figure out a tough boss can be wearisome. It is at these moments you will hate the game.

2. Do earlier enemies get easier as you level up? and finally from what I have seen from videos a lot of player seem to use a hit and run away tactic is this the only was to win?

Yes, much easier. Trivial, even.

Hit and run is a tactic you might employ for some enemies, yes. Generally speaking be prepared to employ a lot of cheese. The game delights in stacking the deck against you, so take all available opportunities to stack it back.

Will you like the game? Probably. It's pretty good. Extremely frustrating and tedious at parts, but good.

 

[lRookiel]

I'm on NG+ currently and I didn't go to ash lake in my first playthrough. Good god that place is amazing to look at, and the music..... HNNNNNG! So yeah the art style and the aesthetics of the game are TOP NOTCH!

1: Yes you might die to some cheap moves but most things can be figured out via learning how the enemies attack then blocking/parrying at the right time. Or you could just be a spell caster and pew pew things to death

Oh and Bed of chaos... That is all.

2: Yes, the early enemies are so easy and slow and they get even easier. hit and run.... depends what character you are. I play a big heavy armoured knight with a greatsword so I tend to just hit things till they stop moving

Will you like this game? FUCK YES!

 

[Corven]

There is an in game hint system that can alleviate most of the "unfairness" if you read them, they'll usually read like "watch out for surprise attack" or "trap ahead". if you read those you will at least have some warning on what you're about to walk into, of course the message could be lying to you, there is always that possibility.

 

[Mikejames]

On the good, the environments and atmosphere they create are lovely. There's a large amount of different creatures to see, tragic NPCs to talk to, and places to uncover. Plus the combat's pretty satisfying once you get the hang of it.

On the downside, I'll have to reiterate that it is a time-sink. I cursed every time that failing against a boss set me back ten minutes to fight two dozen frustrating enemies that respawned again. There are also a few places that force platforming when the game really wasn't designed for it, and some walls are fake for little reason other than to make you attack random dead ends in hallways. The side-quest requirements are convoluted as can be too. I ended up consulting a guide concluding some of them, and I say that without shame.

So I do recommend trying it, but I have called it a love/hate relationship.

There is an in game hint system that can alleviate most of the "unfairness" if you read them, they'll usually read like "watch out for surprise attack" or "trap ahead". if you read those you will at least have some warning on what you're about to walk into, of course the message could be lying to you, there is always that possibility.

Whoever keeps writing "Try Jumping Off" can get bent.

 

[Ickorus]

1. Does the game pull unfair moves? I am currently playing the Witcher 2 and although combat can be tough as long as i remember to parry and very occasionally roll I can survive and if i do die I can see why. Compare this to other games I have played where as soon as i recover from being knocked down I am hit again before i can even attack. This just becomes frustrating.

In a word, yes. In two words, "sort of". It's not so much unfair as things you would have no reason to anticipate unless you're using a walkthrough. Certain new attack types, new enemy types, new environmental challenges, WILL kill you when you first encounter them. And probably several times after that, too, until you figure them out. Dark Souls is very much a game in which you learn via failure. Death seldom sets you back far, but having to repeat the same area over and over and over while you figure out a tough boss can be wearisome. It is at these moments you will hate the game.

I disagree with this to an extent, if you play carefully you can figure out a new enemy without dying, of course, if you're too careful they will wear you down to a point where you need to turn around and resupply Estus Flasks thus negating your progress.

Another thing to note for the OP is that if you take in your environment you can often anticipate what you may be facing in future, for instance you see a charred bridge and lots of corpses there's a good chance a big flamey thing lurks around there.

Most of the things that you may not anticipate immediately are unlikely to one-shot kill you too unless you're running on fumes at the time.

Oh and another tip for the OP if he gets the game:

You can cut the tail off most enemies that have tails and if you get the drake sword don't use it, it doesn't scale well and will become a crutch that becomes useless towards the later stages of the game thus leaving you a bit gimped as you'll have relied on it too much up to that point.

 

[Maxtro]

Dark Souls combat in a nutshell

Dodge, dodge, hit the enemy dodge, dodge
If you screw up the dodge, you will die in one or two hits.

Have fun.

 

[shrekfan246]

Hi I am new to this forum and am wondering if anyone can help me here. I have been looking at the game Dark souls and am wondering if it is the game for me, as I absolutely love the art style ect. I am wondering though

Hello, and welcome. I'll probably mostly be reiterating what other people have said, but here goes.

1. Does the game pull unfair moves? I am currently playing the Witcher 2 and although combat can be tough as long as i remember to parry and very occasionally roll I can survive and if i do die I can see why. Compare this to other games I have played where as soon as i recover from being knocked down I am hit again before i can even attack. This just becomes frustrating.

Yes and no. Unless you know what you're getting into when you start up the game, you'll find many things that, well, one might not normally expect from an average game. If you get the hang of your character quickly, go the proper way for beginners (not towards a large graveyard filled with skeletons...), and always have your shield up when you're walking around unexplored areas, you shouldn't normally be killed by things you weren't expecting.

As for the combat, it is mostly centered around managing your stamina, taking potshots at enemies, blocking and parrying+riposting their blows, dodging swings of larger enemies, etc. There aren't any enemies that I know of which will stunlock you unless you let yourself run out of stamina and/or overburden your carry weight by equipping too much heavy armor.

2. Do earlier enemies get easier as you level up? and finally from what I have seen from videos a lot of player seem to use a hit and run away tactic is this the only was to win?

Enemies have static "levels" of difficulty, yes, so the early-game enemies get easier as your character gets stronger. They're not particularly difficult to begin with, though, as if you're leveling your stats and weapons in accordance with the areas you're visiting then most of the enemies you fight will only take three-four hits to kill.

And "hit&run" is not the only way to win, especially if you're a magic-user. Most bosses are actually easier the closer to stay to them, because you can easily circle around behind them and most of them can't automatically hit you from that angle.

There's a certain amount of risk to reward in Dark Souls. You need to be cautious, but the game also pushes you constantly into taking massive risks. And the payoff at the end, when you've overcome another boss, feels very satisfying.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Hi I am new to this forum and am wondering if anyone can help me here. I have been looking at the game Dark souls and am wondering if it is the game for me, as I absolutely love the art style ect. I am wondering though

1. Does the game pull unfair moves? I am currently playing the Witcher 2 and although combat can be tough as long as i remember to parry and very occasionally roll I can survive and if i do die I can see why. Compare this to other games I have played where as soon as i recover from being knocked down I am hit again before i can even attack. This just becomes frustrating.

2. Do earlier enemies get easier as you level up? and finally from what I have seen from videos a lot of player seem to use a hit and run away tactic is this the only was to win?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Welcome to the Escapist. Just stay outta the basement. :[]

No, the game's completely fair. If you get killed, it's your fault. Although the camera will get borked in one or two places. But it's only a couple seconds. Just make sure that if you're switching targets on a small bridge, you stop long enough to switch and then move again. I've walked myself right off a bridge, switching targets on a very narrow one.

And yes, earlier enemies get much easier as you level up. All stats increase your defensive capabilities, regardless of what you choose. So as you level, earlier enemies will have a harder and harder time killing you.

As for PvP, I have no idea. I stay offline because I prefer the solo experience, myself.

 

[Innegativeion]

*snip*

I fucking loved dark souls. It's extraordinary, in my opinion.

Know that most exaggerate the game's difficulty a bit.

1. Combat in Dark Souls is relatively precise and slow (although in the midst of a fight it rarely feels slow at all; it gets rather intense). This serves the purpose of making sure the player always sees what kills them, and with a prepared mindset can always react to whatever's coming.

Patience and precision is key in this game. Wait for openings. Dodge purposefully.

So while it IS very difficult, I do not think it is in the least unfair. You will die a lot, but you will learn to adapt to Dark Souls' combat.

There ARE some environmental hazards that may seem like unfair killers at first, but as you come back to where you died you'll always notice there are environmental indicators. Bloodstains, charred bones, sounds, tight hallways, that sort of thing.

2. They do, though not to the extent of most RPGs. You will get strong enough to kill some enemies in a single blow eventually, but even in the lowest level areas, if you play like an idiot you can still get mulched, no matter your level.