I've played a ton of Bloodborne and have been hungry for more so I went ahead and picked up Dark Souls I and II during the steam sale. What should I know going into these games, all I really know is that dying is more complicated than just losing blood echoes.

Pro tips?

git gud.

Slow down.

@lackluster: Dying isn't much different from Bloodborne. In Dark Souls 2 though, you lose a bit of max health every time you die, up to a limit.

Pro tips?

• Dark Souls is slower paced, don't rush into things and expect to cut dudes up
• Get a 100% block shield as soon as possible
• Never put a point into Res
• Pay attention to equip load, over 50% you will fat roll, under 25% you will fast roll.

Honestly, you should be okay if you played a lot of Bloodborne. The skills will carry over.

Stamina is MUCH more important, and health can be close to pointless (based on build). The games are pretty much opposites when it comes to that, Bloodborne is about managing health, Souls games are about managing stamina. Also, if you decide to go with blocking, learn to let go of the button as much as possible to regain stamina quicker (and upgrade your shields for better stability which means less stamina loss).

Oh, and equip load is a thing you need to pay attention to.

It's maybe 25% (random number out of my ass) slower, but more or less plays the same. Honestly, the iframes of the fast roll (or ninja flip, if you get the ring) are so good, you can roll through stuff just like in Bloodborne. The quick-step in BB obviously has a ridiculous amount of iframes, so the timing is a bit tighter, but it's not as punishing as you might think. Dark Souls II is a little bit different, and plays even slower than DS I. The roll in DSII starts off being kinda ass, but when you get your Agility up to a certain level (110, I think? I forget.) it becomes just like the roll in DSI.

You could just ignore all this and use a big shield, but I always thought that was a pretty boring way to play those games, and it might turn you off, being fresh off of Bloodborne and all.

Say goodbye to Bloodborne's super dodge.

I couldn't get past the beginning boss the you come to later and has the exploding hammer. But yeah, shield all the way.

You're trash. The enemies are better than you and you are garbage.

This is all you need to know.

I would say starting out is slower, but you can largely play similarly. I always found having a shield and heavy armor sort of boring. But it's mainly going to be equip load and misjudging your damage that will get you killed. It's very similar if you build a similar character to bloodborne. If you DO decide on a shield and heavier armor it's like a totally different game where you need end more than vit.

@theblue: I think this is a pretty good summary.

In addition, DS is more complex in levelling and more obtuse (although DS2 explains more than DS1), but nothing a guide can't help you with. It's also great fun, so enjoy!

If you're moving to Dark Souls 2, don't expect to dodge through attacks the same way. Way less generous with invincibility frames.

Your bloodstain will always be 10ish seconds from your point of death. No dude will ever eat them!

Going from Dark Souls to Dark Souls II alone will be a bit weird--and both of which are drastically different from Bloodborne's feel--so play them and give yourself time to get acclimated to them. Both games play differently when compared to each other, too.

(I'd also recommend getting Demon's Souls if you have a PS3--it's still my favorite game out of all 4, but that may be because it was my first... take my bias as you will!)

Shields are good, check the stats for what percentage of the type of attack they block though.