From Software It's another Demon's Souls thread god damnit

[Leechmonger]

I replayed DeS last year and it held up great, better than Dark Souls. Thankfully Dark Souls is different enough to be a worthwhile sequel anyway.

 

[sullynathan]

I think it's too dumb to judge the game by 2017 standards and after 4 successors. Of course it has its flaws that make me throw the controller and smash the TV, but I appreciate everything it has to offer and it's a lot.

if I played the game back in 2009, which honeslty wasn't that long ago, I would still think it's shit.

 

[Socur Toxanarosa]

Demon's Souls has a weird fever dream feel to it that makes it so unique, it's like a Dark Souls directed by David Lynch.

 

[hackncrazy]

Demon's Souls has a weird fever dream feel to it that makes it so unique, it's like a Dark Souls directed by David Lynch.

That's exactly how I feel.

In terms of atmosphere, there is not a single game in the souls series that comes even close to what Demon's Souls did.

Maybe it was for simple lack of a budget, but places like Tower of Latria and Shrine of Storms seems like places that came out of a nightmare. In fact, the Shrine reminds me a post-apocalyptic scenario way better than anything that Fallout has ever done in its existence.

Boletaria and Valley of Defilement are also nightmarish in some sense.

The only place that I don't like very much is the Stonefang Tunnel. The rest of them are top notch in terms of level design and atmosphere.

 

[Teut Busnet]

I think ENB said it best:

DeS for setting and lore
DS for PVE
DS2 for PVP

I'm a bit of a setting/atmosphere fag, so Demon's Souls is still my favourite, but I wouldn't call Dark souls a weaker game.

Sadly, smithing and farming is the worst of all 'Soulsbornes' (wich only sucks when you try to optimize your build, but still).

 

[Hyperion]

The only place that I don't like very much is the Stonefang Tunnel.

I remember my first time ever getting invaded in a Souls game was in Stonefang right as I took the giant elevator down. We ran into each other in one of the tunnels with the low hanging ceiling. He was wielding the Dragon Bone Smasher, and every single attack would bounce off either the ceiling or one of the walls, which left him helpless to my spear pokes. Made me instantly fall in love with the area and game because that level of attention to detail was unheard of at the time.

3rd area of Boletaria was just delicious, and the entirety of Latria is, in my opinion, the best zone in the entire series.

 

[Silva]

Never played it, but watching it on youtube already shows how awesome the atmosphere is. Can't wait for playing it remastered on PS4 together with DS1.

Does it have some of those great boss songs like Abyss Watchers and Gerhman?

 

[hackncrazy]

Never played it, but watching it on youtube already shows how awesome the atmosphere is. Can't wait for playing it remastered on PS4 together with DS1.

Does it have some of those great boss songs like Abyss Watchers and Gerhman?

There are boss themes that are quite memorable, like Flamelurker, Adjudicator, Tower Knight and Maiden Astraea

Also, I was like you, waiting for PS4, but after I thought about it, I saw that a PS3 was 80 bucks and the game itself is 10 bucks on psn.

A remaster on PS4 wouldn't be less than 60, so with 90 I got a new system that allowed me to play some gems that I've skipped like Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Tales games, Ni No Kuni, Puppeteer etc.

 

[Hyperion]

Demon's Souls OST was a different beast from the OST of future games. The songs were far less busy, individual instruments and vocal tracks were far more audible. This really lent to the dreary atmosphere as opposed to the more grandiose scale of the others. I want to say it was more violin and cello heavy than other entries as well, but that could just be my memory recalling certain themes better than others.

Spoiler

The 3 standouts, in my opinion. Maiden Astraea's was particularly fantastic because of the circumstances. Defeating the boss kinda left you questioning, "Did I just do the right thing?"

 

[Transfiguring Roar]

I'd have to say Shrine of Storms is my favorite area in DeS, just ahead of Latria. The area does a great job of conveying a strange/alien, ancient civilisation, and it really made me feel isolated, a lot more than the other levels.

There wasn't a single level that I didn't like in DeS, just small parts that I thought could've been done a little better.

 

[Silva]

That theme of Maiden Astrea is nice.

 

[Socur Toxanarosa]

Demon's Souls has a weird fever dream feel to it that makes it so unique, it's like a Dark Souls directed by David Lynch.

That's exactly how I feel.

In terms of atmosphere, there is not a single game in the souls series that comes even close to what Demon's Souls did.

Maybe it was for simple lack of a budget, but places like Tower of Latria and Shrine of Storms seems like places that came out of a nightmare. In fact, the Shrine reminds me a post-apocalyptic scenario way better than anything that Fallout has ever done in its existence.

Boletaria and Valley of Defilement are also nightmarish in some sense.

The only place that I don't like very much is the Stonefang Tunnel. The rest of them are top notch in terms of level design and atmosphere.

The art, soundtrack and post processing effects(the fucking bloom) played a big big part, the Dark Souls series are so much more visually sterile and the soundtrack is great but much more generic, could've been the OST for Dragon's Dogma and it wouldn't had felt out of place, now put Demon's Souls OST in another game, it wouldn't work even as Dark Souls OST probably, it's organically ingrained in the game's core and concept.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Does it have some of those great boss songs like Abyss Watchers and Gerhman?

Demon's Souls has the single best track in any Souls game, "One Who Craves Souls", which plays in the ending if

Spoiler

you kill the Maiden in Black.

The other ending track, "Return to Slumber", is a song similar to the ones later used for the endings of both Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2, but I think somewhat better than its successors. Demon's Souls also has some good music at the beginning of the game, "The Beginning" and "Tales of Old", and the track used in the Nexus, "Maiden in Black", is about as good as the tracks used for the Firelink Shrine in Dark Souls and Majula in Dark Souls 2. As for the boss themes, they tend to be less bombastic than the ones used in later games, with many being much slower and quieter, aiming to contribute to a feeling of creepiness or unease, in particular "Fool's Idol", "Adjudicator", and "Maiden Astraea".

 

[Socur Toxanarosa]

That theme of Maiden Astrea is nice.

It's a nice track out of context, but it's use in the game is one of the highest point in the Souls series. I wouldn't hear lot of the tracks if i were you, it could diminish the impact if you play the game later.

 

[sullynathan]

does anyone really give a fuck about atmosphere when giant arrows and magic spells with shitty hit detection keep hitting you?

I remember the only time I was invaded in Demons Souls. It was the boss invasion, I thought the guy was going to be some noob crusher still playing the game in 2016 in hopes of killing new Demons Souls players. Turns it out it was a noob with half my level and wasn't very familiar with the game. Killed him in 5 hits.

 

[Socur Toxanarosa]

does anyone really give a fuck about atmosphere when giant arrows and magic spells with shitty hit detection keep hitting you?

I remember the only time I was invaded in Demons Souls. It was the boss invasion, I thought the guy was going to be some noob crusher still playing the game in 2016 in hopes of killing new Demons Souls players. Turns it out it was a noob with half my level and wasn't very familiar with the game. Killed him in 5 hits.

Yes, i play Ninja Gaiden when i want great combat. Try some Skyrim if you think Demon's Souls combat is awful.

 

[sullynathan]

Yes, i play Ninja Gaiden when i want great combat. Try some Skyrim if you think Demon's Souls combat is awful.

I've played all three games, what point are you trying to make and why are you putting words in my mouth?

 

[Socur Toxanarosa]

Yes, i play Ninja Gaiden when i want great combat. Try some Skyrim if you think Demon's Souls combat is awful.

I've played all three games, what point are you trying to make and why are you putting words in my mouth?

That the combat in Demon's Souls is indeed more flawed than the later entries, but still much better than everything outside the franchise in the genre except for Dragon's Dogma and Nioh. And like Matthewmatosis said, the Souls series is not about the combat, games like Ninja Gaiden and it's genre do it much better, so we do give a fuck indeed about atmosphere and shit.

You're like "who gives a fuck about the writing when the driving in GTA V is so shitty", yeah, it's not as good as Forza, but GTA is not a racing game, there are many important aspects outside the fucking driving.

 

[Hyperion]

He's been on a crusade against the game ever since he finally played it like 2 or 3 months ago. He gets irrationally mad at people who like a different game in the series than he does.

 

[Jasede]

The big secret is that while combat in these games is good, it's not incredible. Certainly no Bayonetta or DMC3 or God Hand. That's precisely why the art, music, atmosphere are so important.

I bought DS3 recently and I'm a bit disappointed with the gameplay because it feels like they tried to turn it into a fast paced action game. It's good but I miss the slow, heavy style from DeS and DS. DS3 is twitchy, like they tried to turn it into Ninja Souls. Too much rolling for too little stamina use and the enemies seem to have Infinite stamina and five, six string combos.

 

[Elwro]

It took me more than a year to figure out that in DS3 'poise' means something different than previously and you need to worry about other things than the opponent's Stamina (weapon classes are much more important). When I got the hang of it, I started to appreciate the new approach. Also, be sure to explore the weapon skills and learn how to use them!

 

[Jasede]

What does it mean, then? I'm a bit at a loss right now and having trouble adjusting to the changes.

 

[Black Angel]

Great video by Matthewmatosis, sums it up very well why Demon's Souls is the best game in the franchise.

Matthewmatosis nailing it as always. You guys seen his 6 hours Dark Souls commentary, too?

Demons souls can't rank higher because dark souls and all its sequels exist.

Lol, no. Even though I haven't played Demon's Souls, nothing can ever top the Nexus as a hubworld of Soulsborne games. The lack of something akin to World Tendency also made me disappointed because that sounds like a feature that's really fun to have in a Soulsborne game.

 

[Leechmonger]

Matthewmatosis nailing it as always.

I didn't realize I could still be interested in what a Youtuber has to say about videogames until I found his channel a couple years ago.

 

[Elwro]

What does it mean, then? I'm a bit at a loss right now and having trouble adjusting to the changes.

This: https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls3/comments/4j4f94/ds3_poise_researched_and_explained/ is a good introductory post. Believe, there's hours of reading more if you dig.

Also, damage reduction and absorption work in this way: https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls3/comments/4f8yy8/how_defense_and_absorption_really_work/ which somehow I completely failed to realise on my own.