Dark Souls 2

[Ferral]

So my copy arrived at around midday today and started playing it on PS3.

Initial impressions are good and more of the same.

However, this game seems a lot harder than the first game, feels like cheap dirty tricks at times. Previously on Demons / Dark Souls you could draw enemies out so you could do a 1 on 1 fight, maybe 2 at a push.

This time round you gets groups of 4 enemies all 2 handing their swords coming at you, aggro 1 in a group and get the other 3 coming at you, no way to thin out numbers. Narrow spaces tend to make things difficult but combine multiple attacks coming in a barrage of hits from a group and you die within seconds.

I have taken the route through the Giants Forest to start, not fighting the white knight there and pushing through to the fortress, trying to head to the first boss which is Last of the Giants, just can't seem to get there. Always killed in same spot, 2 knights throwing fire bombs into a small courtyard with a heavily armored enemy blocking a doorway. I have managed to lure the heavy armor out but he is extremely fast and agile and takes very little damage with fire sword.

Can only find 1 other route out at the minute and that is where there is a Norse looking guy with big blue sword, strong enemy just past him though.

Will keep plugging away at it as the OCD in me keeps me exploring a bit, should imagine in the next hour or two should have a bit of a breakthrough and start making progress!

[kalniel]

So you're essentially complaining about their cheap tricks because your cheap tricks don't work any more?

[Ferral]

Its just the whole thing with Stamina needing it for attack, block & evasion, need to try and power level a bit & up a few stats etc. It just feels extremely tough at the start in comparison to the previous games.

EDIT :

Starting to make a bit of headway now, Few decent swords and also a short bow which is handy for pot shots if you are above something!! I took out Last Giant and Pursuer Bosses, done a run through Lost Bastille up to the first fog gate there, didn't go through it though. Headed back to the central hub, leveled up and headed off to Heides Tower of Flame where I got smacked about a bit by the 2nd giant knight similar to Sentinels at Anor Londo in the first game. So after dying I ended back up at the central hub so decided to call it a night, starting to really get into it now.

Like the fact that you can have 3 items assigned to each hand for on the fly changes of weapons and shields, you can also wear 4 rings now.

Only real minor gripe is the new health system, once you die and become hollowed each consecutive death reduces your health bar down towards 50% so you can end up in dire straits if you die to much. You can find a ring at Tower of Flame that stops it at 75% health though. Finding and using effigies restores your humanity and if you die it resets the health drain to top again ready to start dropping each time you die. I have yet to get an effigy drop from a slain enemy though, they have always been in chests or given by an NPC so I am hoping a bit later in the game they will become more readily available.

[mangekyoumusa]

I want to see pewdiepies gameplay lol,
I saw the 1st one, it seemed quite hard,
But then it got easier,
Do they still have good settings in that game like the first one?

[Ferral]

I have now worked my way through a few of the areas but hit a brick wall at The Lost Bastille, can work my way through the level with no worries but the boss fight is a pain, there are 3 enemies (Ruin Sentinels) to endure, hope this isn't another Ornstein & Smough!

[gtech]

I'm guessing you've beaten them by now?
They didnt cause me too much trouble. So far I'm in Drangleic Castle and just beat the Looking Glass Knight. Ive put about 80 hours into it and I'm at level 110, there are so many good boss battles that I've enjoyed.

[Lil-Diabo]

I've somehow managed put about 60 hours into this game and I'm only at level 50-odd
(Although I restarted and chose a different character etc)
Really enjoying it so far, so easy to lose/immerse yourself

I find that quite a few of the bosses are "easily" defeated if you constantly circle them and time your attacks.
I have quite a number of effigy's saved up (I never use them), but I'm struggling to gather enough souls for leveling up - currently costing me 5k a shot - I was hoping to get a well balanced character but I'm thinking I might have to strictly level up my strength/attack and wait to level up my spell/magic

I've just arrived at Drangleic Castle before saving the game. Will see how I get on

[Ferral]

I've hit Soul Level 183, finished the game and started New Game+, currently at the start of Iron Keep but its a lot tougher, there is an Alonne Captain (Guys with lightning swords) Dark Spirit in the entrance to the keep who keeps kicking my backside presently.

Played yesterday for about 2 hours and clocked up around 250k souls just laying my summon down for Mytha Boss (Beheaded Medusa) over and over at Earthen Peak, easy way to get sunlight medals and around 15k souls every time the boss is defeated. Finally hit level 3 with my covenant after leaving Blue Sentinels and joining Heirs of the Sun (Jolly Co Operation and Praise the Sun!! ). I now have the Sunlight Spear but can't cast it just yet as I need 55 Faith which is another 20 levels away, may just respec as Faith does up your elemental damage bonuses as I use a Fire Longsword +10 and a Lightning Heide Knight Longsword +10, take 10 points or so off things like Strength.

Lil-Diablo If you wear the Silver Covetous Ring (Coiled Silver Serpent) you get more souls for each enemy defeated, also lay your sign down beside a boss fog you are comfortable with, few runs with the boss in co op will really boost your souls

[Lil-Diabo]

Thanks for the tip Ferral.
I've gotten that ring now and I've made a couple of changes to my character spec. Boosting my strength to 30 so I can use this shield that blocks 100% of physical attacks.
In a few short hours I'm on level 75

Dark Souls 2 being my first game in the series, I kept saving up my effigies for something important as I didn't mind being half dead, not to mention I die... A lot! I thought to myself I've got that ring that doesn't let you drop below 75% anyway.
Only today when I was reading up on a wiki page did i realise that you need to be human in order to summon help. Was struggling to take out the boss trio but once I managed to summon someone else (who unfortunately died on me half way) I managed to take them down.


Quite funny as I barely levelled up my vitality, so I literally had to take off every armour accessory just to wield this big sword and shield.

The skeleton bosses are proving to be a little troublesome, not so much the big bosses but the smaller skeletons that show up afterwards.

[ZaO]

I didn't really play Demon Souls. Think I had a go on a demo of it or something. But Dark Souls, I played quite a lot! Probably about 30 hours I think. It's one of the hardest games I've ever played. I really like how homagenistic (is that even a word?) it is to old school games, where you had to learn patterns and enemies can reappear in areas. I assume these games are much more popular with a more mature crowd that played those older style games growing up. But I could never finish Dark Souls. I just felt like I was left dead in the water a bit too much for my liking. It was just a little too tough for me as well. Though I wouldn't want them to change those things about the game! I totally respect the game. And I think it's one of the most unique, beautiful and hellish gaming experiences I've had. I actually remember my first online encounter with someone, who messaged me and said, "Welcome to Hell". Haha

As for Dark Souls II - I just bought it for pc lastnight, and I'm excited to start playing it this evening I've already spent some time watching videos to learn a little about the game and have an idea of what to expect. The general impression seems to be that while it has a better tutorial than Dark Souls, it is just as hard in the end. Yet the boss battles are less exciting. I'll have to post back here with some thoughts once I've played enough to really get a good impression of the game. But just wondering, do you guys have any really important tips for me that are essential for the first couple of hours of play? Any big mistakes you made? Cheers

[Makzilla]

I want to see pewdiepies gameplay lol,
I saw the 1st one, it seemed quite hard,
But then it got easier,
Do they still have good settings in that game like the first one?

I've actually seen pewdiepies gameplay. He seemed to have struggled a lot throughout the first 2 or 3 videos, and it was hilarious of course. Yes the settings are decent.

[Makzilla]

i have now worked my way through a few of the areas but hit a brick wall at the lost bastille, can work my way through the level with no worries but the boss fight is a pain, there are 3 enemies (ruin sentinels) to endure, hope this isn't another ornstein & smough!

ha ha ha ha ha!!!

[Makzilla]

Just a quick question. About how many times do you think you die in a days gameplay of Dark Souls 2?

[grayg1]

I've hit Soul Level 183, finished the game and started New Game+, currently at the start of Iron Keep but its a lot tougher, there is an Alonne Captain (Guys with lightning swords) Dark Spirit in the entrance to the keep who keeps kicking my backside presently.

Played yesterday for about 2 hours and clocked up around 250k souls just laying my summon down for Mytha Boss (Beheaded Medusa) over and over at Earthen Peak, easy way to get sunlight medals and around 15k souls every time the boss is defeated. Finally hit level 3 with my covenant after leaving Blue Sentinels and joining Heirs of the Sun (Jolly Co Operation and Praise the Sun!! ). I now have the Sunlight Spear but can't cast it just yet as I need 55 Faith which is another 20 levels away, may just respec as Faith does up your elemental damage bonuses as I use a Fire Longsword +10 and a Lightning Heide Knight Longsword +10, take 10 points or so off things like Strength.

Lil-Diablo If you wear the Silver Covetous Ring (Coiled Silver Serpent) you get more souls for each enemy defeated, also lay your sign down beside a boss fog you are comfortable with, few runs with the boss in co op will really boost your souls

To the right of that dark phantom is a merchant who you can trade skeptic's spice with to lower the faith requirement on sunlight spear (or other faith spells + simpleton's spice for intelligence spells)

[Lil-Diabo]

Just a quick question. About how many times do you think you die in a days gameplay of Dark Souls 2?

In the beginning quite a bit, but I now since I'm using effigies and I'm way more cautious. I tend to limit my deaths to about 10 in a session.
Thats just about the tipping point where I need to start rationalizing and telling myself that throwing the controller at the TV is NOT going to help me.

But still really enjoying this game, have put quite a few hours into it and I've made steady progress to level 90.
I'm currently stuck at the foggy area in Shaded woods. I've run around completely lost and collected quite a few items.
I've even managed to hit whatever is out there... ONCE... before being killed

[Ferral]

Foggy area Shaded Woods is easy to get through, Stick to the left side of the area, talk to the Vengarls head that is in the clearing with the circular ruins, his head is on the rocks there, come out of clearing and keep sticking to the left wall and you will eventually starting climbing a bank up to the Shaded Ruins which is where you need to be.

Once you kill The Dukes Dear Freja (Spider Boss) you will enter an area with a headless body, this is the Body of the Vengarl head you spoke to, once you kill it and light the primal bonfire, go back and talk to the head and he becomes a merchant and can be summoned for a few of the boss fights later on.

I used the service from the merchant in the Iron Keep to lower requirement for Sunlight Spear, I got invaded at Cardinal Tower so hid upstairs near the bonfire and closed the door. As the invader came in hit them with 2 sunlight spears and they were outta there!!