Was Dark Souls 2 the greatest game that From Software ever made?

[Silverfish]

Okay, but my point wasn't that ER is the better game overall, just in terms of customization. Summons trivializing the game is a non-factor, since we could say the same for hex builds or poison arrows in DS2.

 

[H. P. Lovecraft's Cat]

I never used them because I have a penis.

 

[Silverfish]

Never said you did, champ.

 

[REhorror]

Legit don't understand what DaS2 does well here, is it the options thing again?

Wouldn't say it does anything exceptionally well but the atmosphere is pretty unique among it's peers, it goes all-in on the fever dream quality that all FS games have more or less. Also the "clunkiness" makes it inherently feel more like an adventure game and less like an action game, especially combined with the secrets/"puzzles" that go at least a bit beyond "hit illusion wall". If someone only likes DS games for the action (lol) I can see how DS2 sucks but then again these people are missing out on 75% of what makes DS games so very enjoyable to begin with. Bottom line DS2 is a good game if you've got a taste for what it's offering.

DaS2 atmosphere feels cartoonic so I can't agree.

I think DaS3 actually has the best atmosphere in the Souls games (ER included) due to the dreary, worm-infested, gray and Gothic horror-like feeling.

And as said in other threads, I do not soyface myself over level designs in Souls games so that's kinda whatever for me I guess (I just wish they make it that there's no teleportation mechanicism).

Dark Souls 3 play the fastest, smoothest and you feel being the most badass vs. the most badass bunch of it's clear the best out of me. ER surpasses it by having even better weapon arts so you can go faster I guess, I just wish ER is more horror-inspired and dreary.

 

[Morenatsu.]

Customization is for fags

 

[REhorror]

Customization is for fags

He's right you know.

As I grow up, I prefer specific characters/preset with known strength and weakness instead of free-form customisation.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

DaS2 atmosphere feels cartoonic so I can't agree.

I think DaS3 actually has the best atmosphere in the Souls games (ER included) due to the dreary, worm-infested, gray and Gothic horror-like feeling.

Funny, I'd say DS3 feels like a Souls themepark where 1 and 2 feel genuine. That's what bounced me off 3 the first time, it's trying way too hard to the point of...well, a themed park. Don't get me wrong, still fun if you adjust your expectations.

 

[Multidirectional]

Funny, I'd say DS3 feels like a Souls themepark where 1 and 2 feel genuine. That's what bounced me off 3 the first time, it's trying way too hard to the point of...well, a themed park. Don't get me wrong, still fun if you adjust your expectations.

This is a thing I noticed pretty much immediately with DS III, it's tryharding to be "Dark Souls turned up to 11". It doesn't have a vibe of its own, unlike previous two games. Only superficial plebs can get impressed with atmosphere in DS III.

 

[Hell Swarm]

I think DaS3 actually has the best atmosphere in the Souls games (ER included) due to the dreary, worm-infested, gray and Gothic horror-like feeling.

That's the big problem with 3's setting for fans of the previous games. It's just so bland. Everything is grey and a reference to a better version of the things before it. Lothric Castle seems cool as an updated version of Demon's souls but it never gets out of that nostalgia wank. It suffers from grey visuals and a lack of new environments to make it memorable. Even the hub is a pain in the ass to navigate around.

Dark Souls 3 play the fastest, smoothest and you feel being the most badass

Why would you feel more badass because the games faster? This isn't Devil may cry where you're chaining long combos together and really pushing what is possible for you to link up. It's Dark souls and you're rolling through everything and pushing the attack button to do the same exact animations over and over.

Weapon arts in DaS3 and Elden ring were a mistake. They're poorly designed solutions to turning the games into anime boss rushes over dark fantasy exploration. If From want to make anime style boss fights I'm okay with that but the player needs a move set to match it. Weapon arts are like putting a turbo on a 1990 mini. The whole system needs to be revamped and brought up to a more modern and deep combat system. Adding shield counters and weapon arts isn't enough to keep up with bosses like Malaketh. The cracks have been showing since the 2nd games DLC and 2, Bloodborne and Elden ring are leaning too heavily on outdated combat designed for exploration not weeb furries one-shotting you through pillars.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

It doesn't have a vibe of its own, unlike previous two games.

Agreed, DS1 obviously has a very grounded opening segment, DS2 is very dreamlike, DS3 starts off as a bit of an edgelord; Then you load into Lothric ramparts and it just looks like a DS themepark stretched out before you.

 

[REhorror]

DaS2 atmosphere feels cartoonic so I can't agree.

I think DaS3 actually has the best atmosphere in the Souls games (ER included) due to the dreary, worm-infested, gray and Gothic horror-like feeling.

Funny, I'd say DS3 feels like a Souls themepark where 1 and 2 feel genuine. That's what bounced me off 3 the first time, it's trying way too hard to the point of...well, a themed park. Don't get me wrong, still fun if you adjust your expectations.

Eh, I LOVE the deary grimdark and almost monochrome color of Dark Souls 3 I guess.

None of the Souls world feel "genuine" to me, it's not like we are talking about Gothic here, it's a giant dungeon for you to get through, and it better be as horrific as possible.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

None of the Souls world feel "genuine" to me, it's not like we are talking about Gothic

I'm not talking "Gothic genuine", I'm talking style/flavour/vibe/etc.

it better be as horrific as possible.

You might not be aware of what that actually means, no thx lol.

 

[REhorror]

None of the Souls world feel "genuine" to me, it's not like we are talking about Gothic

I'm not talking "Gothic genuine", I'm talking style/flavour/vibe/etc.

it better be as horrific as possible.

You might not be aware of what that actually means, no thx lol.

A genuine world for me is something that feels alive, NPC having their own lives and schedules, etc.

Dark Souls is meant to be a unforgiving hostile environment where people die and live again constantly, it should even be more horrific.
And not a native Eng speaker myself, I mean horror-esque when I say horrific, etc.

 

[Hell Swarm]

A genuine world for me is something that feels alive, NPC having their own lives and schedules, etc.

Nothing in any From game feels organic like that. They all feel like gamified elements put there to randomly stumble over. They're placed in specific places and stand around until you talk to them. You never encounter an NPC traveling through a dungeon or picking up items. Their entire existence revolves around you progressing their dialog in the right order and not progressing too far. Usually this means they pop in and out of the hub area for a while before disappearing again because you gave them an item or you beat another boss.

 

[REhorror]

A genuine world for me is something that feels alive, NPC having their own lives and schedules, etc.

Nothing in any From game feels organic like that. They all feel like gamified elements put there to randomly stumble over. They're placed in specific places and stand around until you talk to them. You never encounter an NPC traveling through a dungeon or picking up items. Their entire existence revolves around you progressing their dialog in the right order and not progressing too far. Usually this means they pop in and out of the hub area for a while before disappearing again because you gave them an item or you beat another boss.

And naw, From games used to be very story heavy, as seen in Armored Core and Another Century's Episode, these games are full of with exposition, world building, characters, etc.

The Souls games in particular are legit just challenge run and they never give a shit about the story, but westoids think they are super smart for muh environmental storytelling.

Sekiro for example, they give a shit, hence all the cutscenes and clear cut character motivation.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

I mean horror-esque when I say horrific, etc.

Horrific implies something like

nsfw

You can imagine "as horrific as possible" might not be the best idea

 

[REhorror]

I mean horror-esque when I say horrific, etc.

Horrific implies something like

nsfw

View attachment 47240

You can imagine "as horrific as possible" might not be the best idea

That's not so bad either tbqh.

I'm a full on gory grimdark fan, not full on guro tho!

 

[Hell Swarm]

And naw, From games used to be very story heavy, as seen in Armored Core and Another Century's Episode, these games are full of with exposition, world building, characters, etc.

Neither of those games have very good stories, world building or characters. One is an arena shooter with nothing beyond 'Go kill this thing' for story and the other is a weeb cross over game with clashing themes. You cannot put UC Gundam and Getter robo in the same universe and make it coherent Weeboid.

 

[REhorror]

And naw, From games used to be very story heavy, as seen in Armored Core and Another Century's Episode, these games are full of with exposition, world building, characters, etc.

Neither of those games have very good stories, world building or characters. One is an arena shooter with nothing beyond 'Go kill this thing' for story and the other is a weeb cross over game with clashing themes. You cannot put UC Gundam and Getter robo in the same universe and make it coherent Weeboid.

Yeah, they have cool as shit story, sorry that you can enjoy cool things.

And weeboid, what? Man, lame as fuck.

 

[Machocruz]

DS3 is DS1 fanfic. 2OUL vs. SOULL3SS

 

[Silverfish]

This isn't Devil may cry where you're chaining long combos together

Never used sellsword twinblades. You hate to see it.

 

[Morenatsu.]

soulsbourne story and settings are just fine, just like r-type's

 

[H. P. Lovecraft's Cat]

Demon's Souls, DkS1, DkS2, and Bloodborne are all atmospheric masterpieces. DkS3 as others have said doesn't have it's own identity. "Themepark" is a good way of describing it. Elden Ring has it's moments but it's kind of all over the place. Comes with the territory of being a giant open world game.

 

[Ezekiel]

I started playing Demon's Souls in February of 2012. Still plenty of invasions and cooperation at that time. You weren't supposed to take it so seriously.

So 3 years later when the messages were irrelevant. The messages only mattered on that special month, the year of our lord February 2009. This is the case with every Souls game. And I'm not taking it seriously. I love that the messages still exist for butthole jokes and trolling. If they ever took that away from us I would be devastated.

Take them out. Aside from them all being irreverent, the spamming of them makes the land look shittier too. Of course, if I ever got into FromSoftware's games again (if I ever add more than seven hours to Elden Ring), I will probably just play offline anyway. The PvP stopped being exciting to me after Dark Souls II and the PPvE always felt like cheating. I didn't even care that there was no one in Bloodborne (because I didn't want to pay Sony to fully access the game that I already fully paid for and whose server isn't run by them).

 

[Morenatsu.]

If you hate messages so much why don't you try finger but hole