New to Souls - NEED Help

[BigTime2Game]

Hello everyone!

I'm thinking about taking a run at Demon's Souls. I've heard that the Souls games are difficult and challenging, and don't have much of a story. I don't mind the story part as long as the gameplay is on point. One game that comes to mind is Ninja Gaiden: Black and it's in my top ten best games of all time. Knowing that I have mastered this game and can plow through it with ease, even though it has a reputation of being difficult, is VERY satisfying!

I know Demon's Souls is an action RPG and not a hack and slash like NG but I'm wondering if Demon's Souls is in the same spirit as Ninja Gaiden - being a game where the challenge is worth the reward?

Also I know there is an offline and an online mode. I've heard that playing online is the best way to play however I'd rather play solo. Would it really be that detrimental if I go solo?

Thanks in advance!

Also, this is my first post!

 

[HighOnLifeLowOnIQ]

Welcome to the IGN boards. Demon's Souls is not a hack and slash, but it is very difficult but also rewarding. I'd describe it as more along the lines of Skyrim, but less story and a lot more difficult. I haven't played much of the Gaiden games, so I can't really comment on how similar they are.

As for playing online: it isn't a necessity by any means. Playing online allows you to see messages left by other players (some to help; some to hurt); you can also call other players to your game (or let them call you) to help you out; or you can "invade" other peoples' games and kill them for rewards (and they can do the same to you). The messages might save you from a few cheap deaths, but otherwise the online is just for extras with Demon's Souls. The Dark Souls games utilize the online more efficiently... though it's not a necessity there either.

 

[bennissimo]

Enjoy! Feel free to skip Dark Souls 2. But make sure you eventually play Bloodborne.

 

[BigTime2Game]

Thanks! I'm going to start it up later tonight. I'll update my impressions.

Bloodborne looks sick and I'm looking forward to jumping in but I have a backlog of around 140 games and my strategy, for now, is to play by release date so it may be a while.

 

[BigTime2Game]

Ok so I've chosen Priest for my character's class. I went through the tutorial although I don't really know if I'm finished with the tutorial or not considering that I did not defeat the big beast that killed me with one hit. I was then sent to the Nexus and from there I entered the 1st stage.

So far I've died maybe 5 times. I've progressed only a short way and the starting over all the way from the beginning becomes tedious. Sure I know what lies ahead but it feels more like work than fun.

I have some input on comparison of Ninja Gaiden and Demon's Souls but I'm going to spend some more time with Demon's Souls to be fair. I'll update accordingly.

ALSO any tips is HIGHLY appreciated!

 

[HighOnLifeLowOnIQ]

Whenever you defeat a Boss a new point is added, so you don't always have to start from the very beginning. Practice parrying, dodging, and attacking on the opening enemies. Save any firebombs and turpentine you find for the first boss fight (weak against fire); as soon as you defeat the first boss you'll be able to upgrade your abilities - Vitality, Endurance and Faith would be the attributes I'd focus on with a Faith class. Remember, DS is not a hack and slash; retreat if you must.

 

[BigTime2Game]

Thanks for the tips for that first boss!

So now I'm hooked! I have called it quits several times only to come back and give it another try. Now after finishing 1-1 I'm all in! After so many attempts trying to cross the bridge in 1-1 with the Priest, I ended up starting the game over using Royal and it helped ALOT. I even went back and finished 1-1 with my Priest.

Now, I suppose, to answer my own question, so far Demon's Souls is in the same spirit as Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden, even though it is a hack and slash, it is not a button masher - it wants you to spend time with each encounter learning your opponents. Demon's Souls is at the same level. I found myself repeating a certain section at least 10 times. When I changed to Royalty I was getting through with ease. Sure I died a few times but I learned and didn't make the same mistake again, that was until the third blue eyed knight - the one closest to Ostrava, waiting down the hall on the way to getting the Scimitar (sp?). He kept killing me and I couldn't understand why. I always killed the first two with ease using the same technique but the third knight was difficult! Then I figured it out. The knight was only challenging because I didn't have patience. I assumed I could kill them all the same way quickly but it's like the game knew what I was doing and adjusted. So I set my mind to knowing that this battle with him was not going to be quick. I catered to the knight and danced as much as he allowed, wearing him down, striking when the time was right and alas I defeated him. Feeling of accomplishment...of reward? Yes indeed! This was my breaking point. After that it was on. I went ahead and finished 1-1 like a ninja.

Looking forward to finishing this game but it may be a while before I can play again with school, work and family.

 

[HighOnLifeLowOnIQ]

I did the same thing. I started off with the Thief parrying all the early enemies and thinking I was some kind of beast, only to get massacred by the stronger opponents later on. I switched over to the Barbarian and proceeded to ground and pound and ultimately ended-up having more success that way. I took a few shots at that blue-eyed knight early on, but he kept killing me, so I just came back later after I'd leveled up a little more. It just takes patience, will-power and some creative thinking occasionally... that's why I like it.

 

[BigTime2Game]

I have progress more than I thought I would. So far I have defeated the boss in 1-1 and the dragon and knight boss in 1-2. I have defeated the spider in 2-1 and now, it seems, I may be waving the white flag. The boss in 2-2 is, for me, a game quitting boss. I have tried to defeat him with every angle I can imagine. I use the water spell and equip the fire-resistance ring. I dance with him for a while, getting a few soul arrow shots in when I can. Heal when I can. He has this sort of pattern that I exploit when I can.

The game quitting tendency comes when he does a move that takes away ALL of my health. The killer is that he's done this move all through the fight but it's when he's almost about to die that this move becomes a one hit kill. Mind you I'm not in soul form so my health bar is at max. I've only got one more of those stones that brings me into human form.

Speaking of tendency, Stonefang Tunnel is now at dark world tendency. This may contribute to this cheap move but still, how much more leveling up must I need before I can try to take him and the dark world tendency on again? I think I'm at level 30. I have been really getting into this game too but if world tendency makes this harder than it already it to the point of being cheap - count me out. I've read that Dark Souls doesn't have the world tendency feature. I'm thinking about skipping this and begin playing Dark Souls. Which brings up another question:

Is there anyone here who didn't like Demon's Souls but love Darks Souls?

 

[HighOnLifeLowOnIQ]

It's been a long while so I don't remember what strategy I used on that boss. I didn't know which world was which at the time, so I ended up in The Valley of Defilement early on which quickly went into Dark World form... everything after that nightmare seemed pretty easy. When all else fails: thief ring and arrows, or try and summon someone to help you, if that's possible.

I loved both Demon's and Dark. Dark Souls does not have the world tendency thing going on, but it's no less difficult. Nevertheless, still an awesome game.

 

[BigTime2Game]

I assume some people who are veterans of the Souls games probably knew I was going to come back and say:

Yes I was able to finally defeat the boss and also defeated the final boss is Stonefang Tunnel (2-2). Felt damn good too!

I have now moved on to Tower of Latria and was able to defeat the first boss (3-1). I now have the Theif's leather armor, the armor of the guy on the cover, and was able to free Sage Freke which make me feel like a total badass. Man I like this game! It's questionably addictive.

 

[BigTime2Game]

It's been a long while so I don't remember what strategy I used on that boss. I didn't know which world was which at the time, so I ended up in The Valley of Defilement early on which quickly went into Dark World form... everything after that nightmare seemed pretty easy. When all else fails: thief ring and arrows, or try and summon someone to help you, if that's possible.

I loved both Demon's and Dark. Dark Souls does not have the world tendency thing going on, but it's no less difficult. Nevertheless, still an awesome game.

The Valley of Defilement eh? Maybe I'll try that next time instead of going through 3-2. I've used Thief Ring in 3-1. Came in real handy against those octopus head monsters. I still have yet to use the arrows. So far Soul Arrow has been working for me but now I've got this fire magic that's been working even better as far as projectile weapons go. I'll give the arrows a try.

 

[HighOnLifeLowOnIQ]

The Valley of Defilement eh? Maybe I'll try that next time instead of going through 3-2. I've used Thief Ring in 3-1. Came in real handy against those octopus head monsters. I still have yet to use the arrows. So far Soul Arrow has been working for me but now I've got this fire magic that's been working even better as far as projectile weapons go. I'll give the arrows a try.

The V of the D is pretty ugly. If you have any anti-poison gear, have it ready. And the final "boss" of that area is an optional kill, so don't be too quick with the sword... unless you're just frustrated as hell and want to kill everything, like me.

 

[BigTime2Game]

Yes it is indeed pretty ugly! That damn swamp played with my mental! Had no direction and at one point it seemed endless. The enemies were not an issue - it was the world itself! I must say, the whole thing, from 5-1 to 5-3 was some of the best level design I've ever seen for a game such as this! Out of all the bosses in this game, this was the best. Not because of the challenge, or lack thereof - as you said the boss is optional. It's because of how it showed the true tragedy that followed one man's choice.

That being said I have finally finished this game yesterday! What a masterpiece! Every preconception I've had is gone. At first I thought Demon's Souls was dark and hard for the sake of just being dark and hard mainly because that's the way it's put out there to the broader audience. I think everything, big and small, is on purpose. The world is unforgiving for a reason.

Let me just say this, and maybe those who have played it understand what I'm talking about, I think the creators knew that in order to defeat such a world, the player had to become everything it is not. I'm not talking about the avatar we create but us as players. There were times when I had to shift my desire and ambition in order to defeat enemies and bosses in this game. I have not played a game yet that has made me question my perseverance and determination. The key to press on is humility. Besides, what else can overcome a world consumed by evil because of a king who made a choice built on pride?

I'm looking forward to Dark Souls and I'm hoping that it's as well rounded as Demon's Souls even without the Nexus and worlds you can travel to. I have been tackling my backlog by release date so I have a few more games to beat before I get there.

 

[HighOnLifeLowOnIQ]

A masterpiece indeed. Dark Souls is just as good, just as poignant, and just as rough. Dark Souls might be open world, but its locations definitely vary. In fact, it's more varied than Demon's, I'd say. But still the world is similar: its dark, it's depressing, and it's dying. And you have to become a part of it to ultimately defeat it. If you really liked Demon's then I'd recommend skipping to Dark... or course, after beating Demon's Souls those other games shouldn't take you any time at all to accomplish.

 

[BannedUser]

Its a tough call, but I think Dark Souls is the better game over all. It uses a lot of the same ideas and is much larger. Both have some great level design, but Dark Souls ties it all together as one world. It truly has one of the best level designs made IMO. Plus they fixed a lot of the annoyances with Demon Souls. Not to degrade Demon Souls as it has a wonderful atmosphere and mystery to its worlds and frankly it was the first. They both have pro's and cons.

The Souls games to me are some of the best games ever made. They feel so fresh compared to all the cakewalk checkpoint, regenerating health games that are loaded with long cutscenes and no air of mystery to them. Much prefer the way the souls games tell their story. Don't be naive the souls games stories are deeper then the majority of games it just isn't handed to you in a cutscene.

If you liked Valley of the Defiled, Blighttown will be very similar to you.

 

[BigTime2Game]

You all are spot on about the story! There were some things I wish I had/hadn't done that would have helped to flesh out some of the characters. I recently watched a couple of youtube videos on the lore of Demon's Souls and didn't realize there was more to Stockpile Thomas and Ostrava. Nor did I know I was carrying a key that lead to a door that would have introduced me to the Old King and the Soul Brand. I'm sure there is plenty more that I've missed concerning some of the characters.

You guys have made it very tempting to skip ahead! I will probably complete a couple more games on the list and just jump ahead to Dark.

 

[poopymaloan]

cant hit the four kings at all no damage just swings right thru ... why ?

 

[SocraTetresGAME]

Yeah, part of the fun of Souls is that they aren't giving much to go one with the character development. Just enough to let you know that they are interesting, but the souls games want their characters to live their own stories, whether you happen to go to where those stories are happening or not.

I've always thought of the souls games more like RPG puzzles. Of course there is a wide array of skills and options available to the player, but in the end it boils down to two things: Solution for Traversing the map, and Solution for beating the boss. Often you'll have to make a whole new play style to defeat and boss, and then never use that play style again for the rest of the game. It's fascinating really.

 

[BannedUser]

cant hit the four kings at all no damage just swings right thru ... why ?

No idea I don't remember there being any condition to hurting them.