Hi guys, just wanted to share my first time experience so far. Didn't know if I would like this game, not based on difficulty I usually like games that are challenging. I thought it would be too much RPG for me, maybe I just didn't read up on the game too much or something. So with the Steam sale I decided to pick it up and started playing last night. Took me hours to finally beat the black knight and by the time I did was the most rewarding feeling of any game i have felt in a LONG time. And I love thatthe game is hard but not in a cheap way, in a way that makes it fun to keep replaying the same thing over and over. Wish I played this game when it was first released because this game is amazing, which you all already knew haha.

Thanks for reading :)

Andy

Ehh, it's o-k.. nothing special. I mean you know what's a good game? Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Ya, Dark Souls is the game of this generation you know. It will be remembered for a long time. You should enjoy it for a very long time.

Love, Josh (yes, I'm making fun of you lightheartedly for signing forum posts =P This isn't a BBS or a letter that will be carried by pigeon, dude!)

@humanity I don't know that Dragon's Dogma is a better game, that's a bit trolly thing to say (since this thread is about Dark Souls). I do intend to play it eventually, though. I'm sure it's fine as a game but we'll see how amazing it is.

The PvP, camera, the unintentionally slippery surfaces, the enemies' ability to strike through objects and each other, and Bed of Chaos are cheap. Having to redo large, mostly empty areas isn't cheap, but it can be a frustrating waste of time. If this were an old game, I would use quicksaves occasionally. Also cheap is when a message shows up that prevents you from attacking and defending. I don't know why that happens.

@cornbredx: Dragon's Dogma is like a really easy version of Dark Souls with worse controls and AI companions that say the same things over and over. Oh and there's like 1 boss in the whole game. I enjoyed it but comparing it to Dark Souls (or even Demon's Souls) is absurd

Dark Souls is pretty amazing. I loved it a lot, and along with New Vegas and Skyrim, it's one of few games I still revisit.

@humanity: When it comes to Steam then we'll talk ;)

A guy comes on here and shares his first experience with a game and you all immediately start pointing out all the flaws you found with the game and saying what other games you think are better. I could have sworn for a minute that I was on /v/ and not Giant Bomb.

Anyway, I'm going to share something that is always useful to new players and can help clear up some of the more confusing aspects of the game.

@humanity: Oh please, Both games are bloody fantastic!

I have finished Dark souls 3 times on PS3 and also Demon Souls twice. I am currently playing through the PC version of Dark Souls. The Souls franchise is one of my favorites this gen.

This is the ultimate face-off for me. I find these two games compliment each other like no other games before... Where Dark Souls is weak, Dragon's Dogma shines. And vice versa. If they were melded into one game I actually think it would be the most perfect game ever made. Best thing is to play both because they're both outstanding.

@iburningstar hahahaha kill the dogs first. yes

Oh it gets cheap too.

@iburningstar: thanks!!

@cornbredx: hahaha just realized I did that, damn you work emails!

Aye lad, a proper Pc port 'twist be a pirates dream.

I only just recently got into Dark Souls and I fucking love it now, and it's really not that hard if you take your time. Hell, after a while I was tearing through most of the bosses on my first or second try. After I beat it I started all over again as a spell caster and it's still just as fun as it was the first time though. Definitely one of the best games I've played this gen.

I heard a bell just now.

Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Even when the going gets tough, stick with it. I was so close to quitting at one point because I felt like I had hit a wall and nothing I was doing was working, but the moment I got over that hurdle, the game gets so much better. This is easily the best game I have played in YEARS, and it makes me sad that I have been avoiding it for so long.

That being said, there's going to be a part with two archers shooting at you on a VERY narrow passage that will get you killed a LOT. These archers are harder than any boss in the game, and you will curse the developers for putting that bullsnap in there. Just run like you've never run before in that part, and pray that the gods are with you, since surviving it is almost luck based. It was the only time in the game where I felt it was very cheap and unfair.

Be light. Don't even bother with the one on the left, go to the right. Roll under his arrows, and smack him off the ledge or until he dies (if he attacks with a sword, hopefully you're good at parrying). I doubt you specifically need the advice, but it's worth putting it here in the event that someone else does.

Man, dragons dogma was fun and all, but its got nothing on dark souls, sorry.

Yeah I'm going to have to agree, Dark Souls is kind of amazing.

I wrote that half jokingly but as much as I loved Demons Souls I dunno if I can honestly say I enjoyed Dark Souls more than Dragons Dogma. I felt like large parts of Dark Souls were kind of a chore to get through as a result of their choice to unify the levels from the hub world model. Since everything had to be connected there were a lot of really bland and uninteresting areas. Still good gameplay, not enough fixes from the original for my liking. I guess I was just kind of burnt out from playing the original.

Agreed with everything - glad someone else is going through it for the first time now, going through Anor Londo myself. I tried Demon Souls though never liked it, but everyone was spot on about how awesome this game is. The quasi-platforming is kind of annoying, but the difficulty, combat, exploration, and character/player skill development are all miles above any game I've played in years.

And I'm actually liking the multiplayer, despite having misgivings about it. Makes walking around as human add even more tension to an already tense game. I've been invaded twice, almost fought off the first guy, second guy tried to push me into some basilisks to get cursed but I killed them and him - extremely satisfying. And the notes add a level of community interaction without ruining the experience. Seeing messages about great views, praising the sun, and "I did it!" after each boss is great.

As someone who started playing a few months ago (inspired by Load Our Last Souls) and just got through Anor Londo with my second character, I think you should know something. You shouldn't feel bad if Anor Londo makes you want to stop playing. I'm not suggesting by any means that you should stop playing, but if there was any point (other than the last boss) that made me want to just cut my losses and uninstall the game, it was Anor Londo.

It is awfully pretty, though.

@iburningstar said:

A guy comes on here and shares his first experience with a game and you all immediately start pointing out all the flaws you found with the game and saying what other games you think are better. I could have sworn for a minute that I was on /v/ and not Giant Bomb.

Anyway, I'm going to share something that is always useful to new players and can help clear up some of the more confusing aspects of the game.

This was fantastic. I've been looking to dive into the game for the first time, but knew it requires a lot of finesse and experimentation. These are great tips without giving too much away. Thanks for this!

Saying that Dragon's Dogma is better than Dark Souls is like saying Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is better than Skyrim.

The only thing that I'll say (with only the minorest of spoilers) is that when you get to Blighttown, go look up the shortcut that lets you skip a big portion of it. Seriously.

I envy you mate

Your first time through DS is a pretty awesome experience

Fuck that.

Blighttown is a rite of passage. Skipping it the first time through cheapens the experience and, in my opinion, substantially weakens your perspective of the game.

If you're on consoles, Blighttown can be super frustrating because of the framerate problems. If you're on PC, then yes... it's an important stage of the game and prepares you for what you're going to experience in Sen's Fortress.

@andykoopa: Something That I have learned when playing darksouls and demon's souls over the past few years is that you dont need to ever think about "am i strong enough?" or "Do I have the right weapon or high enough level to fight this?" as you can beat the game without practically leveling at all. Learn the skills of dodging / blocking and backstabbing and strafing. These are your weapons. Once you master them, the game will only give you accomplishments that beat any other in recent games. Enjoy dying!

Yeah, I got frustrated by the archers on ledges part in Anor Londo, as that felt kind of random in getting them to cooperate and not knock me off and the platforming is not my favorite, plus the long run through lots of enemies to get back to them. But otherwise not terrible - I've definitely had trouble at some of the other blocking levels or bosses that people mention, and have had my fair share of deaths learning what to do, but luckily besides that nothing so bad that I've wanted to quit the game. And getting past Anor Londo feels like a huge weight off now that I can warp and have got some serious armor and weapons going for me.