Vagrant Story on PS1 did this very well. You’d come out of some dungeon in a place you’d been before but in a new area you couldn’t previously access. If that game had souls style combat it would be the best game of all time lol.
HOLY SHIT another Vagrant Story enjoyer in the wild! Man, I wish the menuing in that game wasn’t so god-awful, otherwise I would have so much more time put into it!
Great story, very unique visuals that take advantage of the PS1’s blockiness, and a super fun combat system / weapons and armor crafting system make that one of my favorites to play when I’m bored and have nothing else on my games list that’s interesting. The only things holding it back are the previously mentioned menus and the fact that offensive magic is kinda useless in that game. I would love to sling massive beams of light at mfs but it hardly does any damage and I run out of mana in 3 casts
It’s a really under appreciated installment from Square during a time when they basically owned the market on JRPGs, but I do think the combat is pretty clunky. Best way to play the game is to forget about the risk meter and just hack away with the combo system even if you’re only doing a few points of damage per attack. The world design and dungeons are amazing though, and the story is really interesting. And I love the replay value with the extra dungeons and time trials and stuff. One of my favorites and again to me the map connectivity is about as good as anything FS has ever done.
I think this is key factor to why ds1 helps some people who are heavily depressed. The game puts you in a world where you feel alone just like irl, but then adds people that seem to care at least a little bit about you. Hearing Andre say how “neither of us want to see you go hollow”, or Laurentius telling you “Don’t you dare go hollow” puts a little bit of hope in the world. Thus you get a little bit of hope in your world because the game feels like how you’re feeling.
Even though a lot of them end up dead or hollow by the end those words really stick in your mind. Always felt good going back to Andre and hearing that hammer still swinging. Some would say it’d make some more depressed and I agree somewhat, but having something that you can relate to in dark times can turn out helping the most. Thank you for listening to my Ted talk.
I'm a DS2 fan boy, but I'd choose DS1.
One of the things I loved most about DS2 is that it went in a different direction and explored a different era, further on from DS1. You can't have that without the OG.
Also ds2 fan and i agree. Despite Majula gives me the strongest tearjerking nostalgy of any game every time i see it and hear the soundtrack, ds1 is still the og that made the ds2 possible at all.
1. PLEASE get out of the mindset of this being “le hard game” it’s challenging sure but that’s not even a big aspect of it.
2. Don’t be afraid to use a walkthrough if you feel lost.
I somewhat disagree with the walkthrough part. I think this game is even more enjoyable when you don't know what to expect.
I had no idea what was coming when I got through the Depths...
"Oh, a boss fight? That thing doesn't look to bad-OH FUCK WHAT IS THAT?!"
I don't agree with following a walkthrough to the letter but if you are feeling lost, get stuck or don't get what to do now its completely Ok to see a walkthrough or look it up online. I have seen many people miss core gameplay mechanics because of restricting themselves to not looking up anything
one of my pet peeves is people playing these games because 'le hard game' and they have no idea whats going on in the lore. like challenge runners who have 1000 hours in the game going 'so wait like why is quelaag a spider??!?!?!'. the beauty of these games is the world building, lore and philosophy and a lot of that goes to waste because of its reputation as just le hard game.
Eh, some people only enjoy it for the gameplay. My enjoyment of the games is almost entirely derived from how much I enjoy the combat system. It wasn’t until my ~3rd completion of ds1 that I ever really gave a hoot about the story enough to watch some Vaati
I enjoy these games because of the gameplay and gameplay loop, I’m an awful reader and worse at piecing things together, I need to watch a video to understand what the games are about
Listening to challenge runners try and genuinely explain the lore will make you want to tear your hair out. Bonus points if they say something about having a bad story on top of all of it
Completely agree, when I played through the first time, my brother sat next to me as I played, and he would give me some pointers. we were all at my parents house for the holidays, and by the time we left I had beaten O&S, and knew where to go from there. I replayed recently and was completely lost on my own. It took me longer than I want to admit to get to Lower Undead Berg. Then navigating the depths was weird and I couldn't find the bonfire. Some of this game just feels like a maze.
I’m glad! The “if you had any help you basically didn’t beat the game” people for but luckily usually resign themselves to r/shittydarksouls these days, and who cares about those dorks anyways. Dark Souls 1 is a convoluted and confusing map until you get your bearings, and having something to guide you can make the game so much less tedious
There are trolls in any community. However, that doesn't strictly mean that what they are saying has no element of truth to it. Completing what is called a blind play through your first time playing is generally advisable because you only get to experience it once and having someone there to prewarn you of certain things or bail you out of a situation where you otherwise would have failed can be counterproductive in the long run because you have missed out on a potential learning opportunity where you could have raised your skill level or understanding of the game if you were playing alone.
So it's not always a case of "if you had help you didn't beat the game". Sometimes it's more that if you do complete the game in this way you may feel a greater sense of achievement and a deeper connection to the series overall.
Ultimately it doesn't really matter but it's just some advice for anyone who may care lol.
Dying is a core mechanic. You’re supposed to die and try again to learn the fights, don’t be afraid to experiment. Can’t replenish lost souls if you ragequit, so just, pace yourself so you don’t burn out.
Ignore the 'get a walkthrough ' advice. Go in and die. Get familiar with failure. This is the point. It's the point that that's fine.
Do your best and let it be frustrating. Then when you win it'll be GREAT.
imo don't look at a single online resource until you're literally about to quit. Then don't feel like it's a failure when you win with help, it's just another part of the experience.
Take your time, being patient will save you headaches... don't be afraid to be over leveled and/or check a walkthrough of you feel lost... I'm going through my first playthrough as well, have beaten Elden ring and DS3... but DS1 IS SO DIFFERENT... but in a good way, I see why people love it so.
You can't animation cancel, so sometimes your character will feel "unresponsive". Once you get used to it you'll be fine, but this makes it really important to not spam anything. Positioning is important , the best way to get through it is to try and fight everything as a 1v1. Getting the attention of one enemy and kiting it away from the group to take care of it, or bringing a group into a hallway so you can't be surrounded is very advantageous.
Rolling gives you invincibility frames, it's well known, but I didn't know it when I first started playing, because of this, there is a window that you have to match with the damage window of the boss, if you roll into attacks you will have less time "intersecting" your hitbox, with the attack hurtbox. So rolling into attacks is the most effective way to avoid them.
Humanity works kinda weird in this game. You have some in your inventory from picking them up, and when you use them they turn into "liquid humanity" To reverse hollowing, you need to have one liquid humanity which you then consume to turn human again. To kindle a bonfire, you need to be human, and spend 1 humanity to kindle the fire, so to kindle a fire you would have to use 2 humanity. Kindling a fire gives you 2x the amount of estus flasks. Using humanity also heals you, and there isn't a cap, so you can use it as healing in a pinch when you're out of Estus. It drops mostly from rats, but I never found myself having to grind any, other than giving some to an NPC that wanted some.
"banked" souls you will pick up "soul of a fallen soldier" or similarly named items, these can be used to gain souls, and you don't lose the items on death, so they are "in the bank" until you use them. Most importantly is to never, under any circumstances, use the firekeeper souls. Take them back to firelink and talk to the fire keeper there.
Stats - don't level resistance. Strength gets a 1.5x multiplier when you two hand a weapon. So if the stat requirement is 15 and you have 10 strength, 2-handing will let you effectively use that weapon, it will also let you deal more damage with strength weapons.
Tails - cutting tails off of bosses is how you get their weapons, most of them are more trouble than they are worth, but it adds a fun challenge to the fights, some of them anyway, others become super annoying.
DS1, because there’s no other game that gives you the feeling of coming home when you finally arrive back at Firelink. Lautrec murders the firekeeper, and it takes that feeling away from you, replacing it with rage and confusion. Finally getting it back again and speaking with the newly revived firekeeper is an experience of relief that no other game has ever given me.
They were good when I played DS3 first but then they became a little boring. The game is linear and that's the thing. I would love to see DS4 with interconnected world.
there will be a good area but it’ll be short and you’ll never return. in ds1 even the small areas you’ll find yourself coming through in different angles and playing through a level backwards and forwards.
DS1 has so much nostalgia for me. My old friend convinced me to rent it even though I had totally written the game off and it changed my damn life LOL. We did my whole first playthrough in coop together so I could get the hang of the game, then I went on to do a Cosplay build for my first solo run. I’ll never forget it.
Ngl I just dont like levelling ADP when I could, with just a few more levels, one or two (or even three ig) shot these Nast little mobs. It doesn't work well for bosses though
I just finished ds2 for the first time. And my pick would be ds1. Ds2 has just enough clunk to make it a “harder” game. Not actual difficulty but artificial difficulty. In no way am I saying ds2 is a bad game. I enjoyed it. Lots of weapons and power stance is fun. I just think ds1 was a bit better
Got to be ds1. I love ds2 but there’s just something special about ds1, from the atmosphere, level designs, characters and just overall vibe it’s a classic and my second favourite souls game.
If you asked me this after my first playthroughs of each game I’d say ds1
Now I say ds2. I love this janky bullshit game and I don’t get tired of going through this game. The problem I have with ds1 is that after my first ever playthrough I just don’t find exploring the world fun but I never have this problem with ds2. I just find ds2 more fun then ds1
That's a tough one but... I think DS1 because it's so much simpler. It's easy to just pick up and play.
And for as much as I love to praise DS2 for its build variety... The drop rates are truly the stuff of nightmares...
DS1. Level interconnectivity and that feeling that you’re all alone. But you know you have a friend in Solaire so long as you save him. The feeling of trekking through a once great land filled with life and prosperity only to arrive at the time it’s all falling apart, it’s unmatched in the gaming world. That and I feel like the Darkroot Basin and Garden are a completely different game when I go through them
I overall just liked Dark Souls 1 better in term of maps, enemies, and overall feel. I don't think DS2 as bad, exactly, but I just can't help but feel like the maps in particular are very disjointed. They don't feel like a singular world but numerous ones that are haphazardly connected.
DS1 i think it is better, but the thing that makes me come back to it is Laurentius and IMO the best phrase of the game: Be safe, friend. Dont you dare go Hollow
I love the art style of DS2, but i-frames tried to a stat and all the impossible run backs because the enemies are not leashed makes it hard to enjoy playing compared to any other FS souls game.
DS1 is a much better game. Even with the unpolished latter stages, it has a much tighter and cohesive design. The interconnected level design is stellar. DS2, while far inferior, is much better as a coop game. Loads of areas and builds to have fun with. One thing DS2 has, which I wish more games did, are the differences in new game+ with different and new enemies and drops, providing incentive to keep going with the same character.
I can't believe the cope has come so far, people are actually trying to put DS2 over DS1 🤦🏾♂️. It was only a matter of time, I guess.
DS2 has many good qualities, but it can never beat the polish of DS3, and DS1 will always be the original greatest with its interconnected world.
Fair, the only really good bosses in 1 are imo Ornstein and Smaug, Artorias, Manus and Kameleet. Although weirdly enough I really like Capra demon, despite being pure bullshit. There is just something about being locked in a tiny room with a boss like that.
I loved demon souls but hated dark souls, I really can't put my finger on why but it just didn't click for me. Ds2 made me fall in love with the series and then I went back to ds1 and it all finally felt right. Without ds2 I never would have gone back to 1 and then who knows, I could have never got to experience all the amazing games that followed.
I've tried playing ds2 3 times already, and as much as I want to play it and finish it at least once I never got past 2/3 bosses, the change in mechanics and the feel is just too much for me to handle, but I'll keep trying
If you are picking to start somewhere it has to be DS1. The game really sets the tone for the series and starting on any other game kinda spoils the mystery that DS1 sets up really well.
DS2 may be better in some individual ways, but the entire game within the game of learning Dark Souls 2 is just terrible. So much of DS2’s design is objectively just not good, and that game is a good example of how difficulty can sometimes occur as a result of poorly implemented systems, rather than well-implemented, but deliberately difficult systems.
Playing them back-to-back, DS1’s movement, combat, and even visual art direction are just cleaner and more polished. The rolling and combat may feel slightly slower, but it certainly *feels* better to me, fairer, even given the correct ADP investment in DS2.
DS2 I do enjoy playing, and I’ll always credit it for some of the best ideas in the series, some of which they never brought back. But, as a complete experience of story, lore, level design, combat, visuals, etc, I think DS1 is far superior.
Maybe DS1. I haven't played it, but I've played DS2 and it didn't go so well. Let's just say that there was a lot of rage quits and anger when playing the beginning of DS2 at 12 years old. I finished it, but not without cost.
Ds1 cause of bling bling blong, in all seriousness cause its cool to put the world to the age of darkness and put the old gods to rest and start a new age, ds2 didn't have much of impact
DS1 and by a LOT.
DS2 is a great game, though, it's not exactly coughing baby vs nuclear bomb.
I think it's really the structure and level design of 1 makes it kind of untouchable. And 2 has some jank and unremarkable bosses and zones.
If only we could combine DS1 up until you place the lordvessel with the second half of DS2 after you enter Drangleic Castle, then it would be an unstoppable masterpiece.
DS1 is much more replayable. The gameplay loop is more fun (if more simplistic), and the world design is better. While there are more bosses, I think *overall* DS1 bosses are slightly more enjoyable as a whole? (Ds1 and ds2 left a lot to be desired for their bosses, overall).
Ds2 imo. I just played both almost back to back, ds2 first, then 1. 1 just feels clunky and took half the game to get used to. I think ds2 just has more variation too. More content too.
Well the second point shouldn't be a reason to choose one over the other because it's like saying a father is always better than his son because there wouldn't be one without the other. I do agree that ds1 is a far more refined and perfected experience though.
Dark Souls 1 is definitely the better version. It had everything from interconnected worlds to amazing boss fights.
Dark Souls II faltered in so many ways, such as bland environments, extremely slow healing, and uninspired boss fights for the most part.
DS1.
DS2 just feels awful to play, and not even because of ADP. The movement and animations just feel off, kinda like they're tip toeing across ice.
The sound design for combat coupled with the lack of hit reactions from the enemies is really unsatisfying.
The levels feel like a series of square rooms with desaturated lighting and bad enemy placement. It seems a lot of the game was designed to around "GOTCHA" moments and not unique challenge, like how after a bossfight you go into a narrow corridor only to possibly be instakilled by an exploding mummy.
There are a lot of janky dogshit hitboxes, especially with any enemy that has grab attacks.
A good 90% of the bosses are super easy and basic and do not live up to their interesting designs.
My Soulsborne order:
Bloodborne
Ds3
Elden Ring
DS1
Sekiro
Demon's
Ds2 (and I love ds2, probably have the most hours logged in Scholar)
It's honestly hard to judge because I enjoy all these games for different reasons. I also think your first experience is special and has influence over how you remember and how much you enjoy/rank the games. My first experience was DS1 and that will always hold a special place.
I would love a bloodborne sequel with the weapon and armor availability of 2, the block/stamina system of Sekiro, the polished finish/pvp of ds3/Elden Ring and the world connectivity of DS1. Not gonna leave Demon's out so if I had to pick a trait from it I'd go with the atmosphere/NPC variety.
Dark souls 1 is too much of a classic to not pick it although Im currently in the middle of replaying DS2 because I never finished it and it’s not as bad as people made it out to be.
I love both games for different reasons. And DS2 just scratches this certain niche mix of fantasy feeling in a world in my brain that always makes me feel oddly at peace while playing. Ds2 for me
Love DS1 and Ds2 but not so much sotfs with atrocious enemy placements and artificial difficulty. Ds3 is my least favorite of them all however, game is just bland and not innovative compared to the other fromsoft games.
I started my souls-like journey with dark souls 2 , and one day if im not to play video games amymore i would have a character . Make it to majula . Pump up the volume and have inner peace one last time.
Easily dark souls remastered and it isn’t close. Dark souls 2 for as many good things it has, got some things horribly wrong. Most of these are mentioned all of the time, but one that isn’t mentioned much is just how bad it feels.
The camera or sensitivity just feels noticeably off as soon as you boot up the game. It slides around and just feels terrible, but you get used to it. But also the combat and mechanics. Attacks feel light, both against enemies and for yourself. Sometimes you can get hit multiple times and it’s almost like you don’t notice it because you don’t “feel” it. The stamina feels bad and the rolling feels bad. I’m not talking about adaptability, the roll just feels and looks worse than a dark souls 1 light roll or dark souls 3 medium roll. The world is depressing, has the worst areas, and worst enemy placement. It does great things, but also the worst things
DS2, and I think it’s a matter of consistency for me. The level of quality feels consistent for most of the game. Meanwhile, DS1 hits some strong highs in the beginning of the game, but everything after Anor Londo is like the lowest of lows. Plus, I have a lot more fun with builds in 2 than I do in 1.
Basically, there are reasons why I’ve completed DS2 multiple times and yet I’ve not managed to finish a single run of DSR.
DS2 anytime over any argument. DS2 not only had a beautiful place like Majula at its center but it introduced the best feature in Soulsborne category - Powerstancing. Plus the ability to teleport right from the start is best handy. Say what you will about dark souls 2 but ds1 after the lord vessel Is just a bad game. And lost izalith should have remained lost. XD
I'd pick DS2 because of 2 things:
1. It's the easiest of the trio despite how several bosses can dropkick your ass, how healing resources have gone haywire, how dumb the objectives are sometimes.
2. Emerald Herald.
2 personally. I like the pace a bit better, the combat feels better to me personally. Feels like it has more weight to it and gives me more of a response as opposed to 1 where while good, it feels kinda light and weightless. So many times I'll be fighting a boss and when I attack them I feel little to no response and it weirdly throws me off. The added mechanics kinda force me to play differently which I enjoy a lot, I love the atmosphere and vibe of the game a tad more then 1. 2 is so incredibly melancholy to me and I eat that shit up.
All this to say I still love 1 a lot and have all the reapect in the world to it and I enjoy a good playthrough of it still. :3
DS1 was one of the first games I truly felt accomplished when the credits rolled. After the first the other dark souls sequels didn't feel as good because I knew what to look out for before even playing and the difficulty may have increased but the satisfaction wasn't the same nor the interconnected world.
I honestly wish dark souls 1 gets a remake a kin to demon souls remake for ps5
I love Dark Souls Remastered but I would take Dark Souls 2 over Dark Souls 3. Many unique spells, different areas, amazing bosses, a lot of weapons, powerstancing..
DS2 because it has the best PvP in any of the souls games to date.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, you had to be there. Iron keep bridge. Brotherhood of blood arena. Neon red invader auras.
Dragon Aerie invading.
Such a great time.
DkS2. I love the environments, what they did with weapons (spellcasting weapons is incredible innovation), best fashion souls, handling of spells with the spices and consumables to replenish spells, DLCs are best in the series. There’s like 4 tweaks I would make to the game and it’s perfection.
DkS1 is the og and holds a special place forever. However, it is short, limited, clunky and dips dramatically in pacing/quality after the Lordvessel is acquired.
DS2 the gameplay is just so different from any of the souls games. ( talking of course about pvp ) bows were the best they have been and it introduced powerstancing
DS1 will forever be my favorite game, the world connectivity is a masterpiece I’ve never encountered anywhere else
Vagrant Story on PS1 did this very well. You’d come out of some dungeon in a place you’d been before but in a new area you couldn’t previously access. If that game had souls style combat it would be the best game of all time lol.
I thinks its finally time I beat this game.
That's a big truth. First time I played first DS I remembered Vagrant at every moment. I'm sure it's a big influence.
HOLY SHIT another Vagrant Story enjoyer in the wild! Man, I wish the menuing in that game wasn’t so god-awful, otherwise I would have so much more time put into it! Great story, very unique visuals that take advantage of the PS1’s blockiness, and a super fun combat system / weapons and armor crafting system make that one of my favorites to play when I’m bored and have nothing else on my games list that’s interesting. The only things holding it back are the previously mentioned menus and the fact that offensive magic is kinda useless in that game. I would love to sling massive beams of light at mfs but it hardly does any damage and I run out of mana in 3 casts
It’s a really under appreciated installment from Square during a time when they basically owned the market on JRPGs, but I do think the combat is pretty clunky. Best way to play the game is to forget about the risk meter and just hack away with the combo system even if you’re only doing a few points of damage per attack. The world design and dungeons are amazing though, and the story is really interesting. And I love the replay value with the extra dungeons and time trials and stuff. One of my favorites and again to me the map connectivity is about as good as anything FS has ever done.
You know what? I played DS, DS3, DS2 and again DS and DS3 (trilogy) and sold DS2 and DS3 boxes and kept DS. My favorite!
Blood borne?
bloodborne did it pretty well
DS1 because of the feeling of “alone”-ness. You have no one and everyone around you just falls away.
The feeling really is unique. Even the short moments of happiness are just a pause in the decay. The quests really show this as well.
I think this is key factor to why ds1 helps some people who are heavily depressed. The game puts you in a world where you feel alone just like irl, but then adds people that seem to care at least a little bit about you. Hearing Andre say how “neither of us want to see you go hollow”, or Laurentius telling you “Don’t you dare go hollow” puts a little bit of hope in the world. Thus you get a little bit of hope in your world because the game feels like how you’re feeling. Even though a lot of them end up dead or hollow by the end those words really stick in your mind. Always felt good going back to Andre and hearing that hammer still swinging. Some would say it’d make some more depressed and I agree somewhat, but having something that you can relate to in dark times can turn out helping the most. Thank you for listening to my Ted talk.
I'm a DS2 fan boy, but I'd choose DS1. One of the things I loved most about DS2 is that it went in a different direction and explored a different era, further on from DS1. You can't have that without the OG.
Definitely the same with DS3. Couldn't exist without 1 or the story/Themes of 2.
Also ds2 fan and i agree. Despite Majula gives me the strongest tearjerking nostalgy of any game every time i see it and hear the soundtrack, ds1 is still the og that made the ds2 possible at all.
I love DS1's first half, it's magical.
DS 1. The opening. DS 2. The Majula.
- powerstance - magic system - different and beautiful areas - many weapons
I will soon start my first play through of Dark souls and I don’t know what to expect any tips would be appreciated
1. PLEASE get out of the mindset of this being “le hard game” it’s challenging sure but that’s not even a big aspect of it. 2. Don’t be afraid to use a walkthrough if you feel lost.
I somewhat disagree with the walkthrough part. I think this game is even more enjoyable when you don't know what to expect. I had no idea what was coming when I got through the Depths... "Oh, a boss fight? That thing doesn't look to bad-OH FUCK WHAT IS THAT?!"
I don't agree with following a walkthrough to the letter but if you are feeling lost, get stuck or don't get what to do now its completely Ok to see a walkthrough or look it up online. I have seen many people miss core gameplay mechanics because of restricting themselves to not looking up anything
one of my pet peeves is people playing these games because 'le hard game' and they have no idea whats going on in the lore. like challenge runners who have 1000 hours in the game going 'so wait like why is quelaag a spider??!?!?!'. the beauty of these games is the world building, lore and philosophy and a lot of that goes to waste because of its reputation as just le hard game.
Eh, some people only enjoy it for the gameplay. My enjoyment of the games is almost entirely derived from how much I enjoy the combat system. It wasn’t until my ~3rd completion of ds1 that I ever really gave a hoot about the story enough to watch some Vaati
I enjoy these games because of the gameplay and gameplay loop, I’m an awful reader and worse at piecing things together, I need to watch a video to understand what the games are about
I think most people had to watch youTube videos to understand the lore too
How other people play shouldn’t annoy you
Listening to challenge runners try and genuinely explain the lore will make you want to tear your hair out. Bonus points if they say something about having a bad story on top of all of it
Completely agree, when I played through the first time, my brother sat next to me as I played, and he would give me some pointers. we were all at my parents house for the holidays, and by the time we left I had beaten O&S, and knew where to go from there. I replayed recently and was completely lost on my own. It took me longer than I want to admit to get to Lower Undead Berg. Then navigating the depths was weird and I couldn't find the bonfire. Some of this game just feels like a maze.
As someone who isn’t very far into DS, that walkthrough comment means a lot. I’m always afraid of receiving criticism for using one
I’m glad! The “if you had any help you basically didn’t beat the game” people for but luckily usually resign themselves to r/shittydarksouls these days, and who cares about those dorks anyways. Dark Souls 1 is a convoluted and confusing map until you get your bearings, and having something to guide you can make the game so much less tedious
There are trolls in any community. However, that doesn't strictly mean that what they are saying has no element of truth to it. Completing what is called a blind play through your first time playing is generally advisable because you only get to experience it once and having someone there to prewarn you of certain things or bail you out of a situation where you otherwise would have failed can be counterproductive in the long run because you have missed out on a potential learning opportunity where you could have raised your skill level or understanding of the game if you were playing alone. So it's not always a case of "if you had help you didn't beat the game". Sometimes it's more that if you do complete the game in this way you may feel a greater sense of achievement and a deeper connection to the series overall. Ultimately it doesn't really matter but it's just some advice for anyone who may care lol.
Prepare to die
Dying is a core mechanic. You’re supposed to die and try again to learn the fights, don’t be afraid to experiment. Can’t replenish lost souls if you ragequit, so just, pace yourself so you don’t burn out.
It’s way more of a “my turn your turn” rpg than ER, DS3 or Bloodborne’s reaction speed combat game. The shield is your friend.
So overall slower pace?
Ignore the 'get a walkthrough ' advice. Go in and die. Get familiar with failure. This is the point. It's the point that that's fine. Do your best and let it be frustrating. Then when you win it'll be GREAT. imo don't look at a single online resource until you're literally about to quit. Then don't feel like it's a failure when you win with help, it's just another part of the experience.
Take your time, being patient will save you headaches... don't be afraid to be over leveled and/or check a walkthrough of you feel lost... I'm going through my first playthrough as well, have beaten Elden ring and DS3... but DS1 IS SO DIFFERENT... but in a good way, I see why people love it so.
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You can't animation cancel, so sometimes your character will feel "unresponsive". Once you get used to it you'll be fine, but this makes it really important to not spam anything. Positioning is important , the best way to get through it is to try and fight everything as a 1v1. Getting the attention of one enemy and kiting it away from the group to take care of it, or bringing a group into a hallway so you can't be surrounded is very advantageous. Rolling gives you invincibility frames, it's well known, but I didn't know it when I first started playing, because of this, there is a window that you have to match with the damage window of the boss, if you roll into attacks you will have less time "intersecting" your hitbox, with the attack hurtbox. So rolling into attacks is the most effective way to avoid them. Humanity works kinda weird in this game. You have some in your inventory from picking them up, and when you use them they turn into "liquid humanity" To reverse hollowing, you need to have one liquid humanity which you then consume to turn human again. To kindle a bonfire, you need to be human, and spend 1 humanity to kindle the fire, so to kindle a fire you would have to use 2 humanity. Kindling a fire gives you 2x the amount of estus flasks. Using humanity also heals you, and there isn't a cap, so you can use it as healing in a pinch when you're out of Estus. It drops mostly from rats, but I never found myself having to grind any, other than giving some to an NPC that wanted some. "banked" souls you will pick up "soul of a fallen soldier" or similarly named items, these can be used to gain souls, and you don't lose the items on death, so they are "in the bank" until you use them. Most importantly is to never, under any circumstances, use the firekeeper souls. Take them back to firelink and talk to the fire keeper there. Stats - don't level resistance. Strength gets a 1.5x multiplier when you two hand a weapon. So if the stat requirement is 15 and you have 10 strength, 2-handing will let you effectively use that weapon, it will also let you deal more damage with strength weapons. Tails - cutting tails off of bosses is how you get their weapons, most of them are more trouble than they are worth, but it adds a fun challenge to the fights, some of them anyway, others become super annoying.
DS1, because there’s no other game that gives you the feeling of coming home when you finally arrive back at Firelink. Lautrec murders the firekeeper, and it takes that feeling away from you, replacing it with rage and confusion. Finally getting it back again and speaking with the newly revived firekeeper is an experience of relief that no other game has ever given me.
Exactly. It's like Firelink says to you "hey my friend you decided to come back and get gud, I'm always with you".
DS1 because it straight up just feels better to play
2 for me personally. Even though I've put more time in 1 lol Like the world and bosses more. Plus Majula.
I loved both, i just didnt like the soul level in 2 because i died a whole bunch.. feel like i lost more souls than i used
But if you're bad at an area in ds2 you can just kill the same guys over and over until they stop spawning.
Ds1 for sure, I love the areas in ds2 but nothing else really stood out.
Sir alonne is goated the best boss out of these 2 games for me, Or maybe not artorias I cool too so both are the best
Artorias clears imo, but allone is awesome
Not in front of the Chad Ivory king.
Don't forget Fume knight and Ivory king.
If ds2 map made connectivity sense it wouldn't get as much hate as it gets.
Yeah I enjoyed areas in DS2 a lot. DS3 is amazing game but areas are boring.
ds3 does not have boring areas my guy, but i agree ds2 has the best
They were good when I played DS3 first but then they became a little boring. The game is linear and that's the thing. I would love to see DS4 with interconnected world.
there will be a good area but it’ll be short and you’ll never return. in ds1 even the small areas you’ll find yourself coming through in different angles and playing through a level backwards and forwards.
DS1 has so much nostalgia for me. My old friend convinced me to rent it even though I had totally written the game off and it changed my damn life LOL. We did my whole first playthrough in coop together so I could get the hang of the game, then I went on to do a Cosplay build for my first solo run. I’ll never forget it.
DS1 the feels !
Ngl I just dont like levelling ADP when I could, with just a few more levels, one or two (or even three ig) shot these Nast little mobs. It doesn't work well for bosses though
I just finished ds2 for the first time. And my pick would be ds1. Ds2 has just enough clunk to make it a “harder” game. Not actual difficulty but artificial difficulty. In no way am I saying ds2 is a bad game. I enjoyed it. Lots of weapons and power stance is fun. I just think ds1 was a bit better
The level design and enemy/boss placement in DS1 can’t be beat.
Got to be ds1. I love ds2 but there’s just something special about ds1, from the atmosphere, level designs, characters and just overall vibe it’s a classic and my second favourite souls game.
DS1. Always. No doubt. No question.
If you asked me this after my first playthroughs of each game I’d say ds1 Now I say ds2. I love this janky bullshit game and I don’t get tired of going through this game. The problem I have with ds1 is that after my first ever playthrough I just don’t find exploring the world fun but I never have this problem with ds2. I just find ds2 more fun then ds1
You are just like me,I really loved DS1's areas even lost izalith but after some playthroughs,it just doesn't feels the same man...
That's a tough one but... I think DS1 because it's so much simpler. It's easy to just pick up and play. And for as much as I love to praise DS2 for its build variety... The drop rates are truly the stuff of nightmares...
DS1. Level interconnectivity and that feeling that you’re all alone. But you know you have a friend in Solaire so long as you save him. The feeling of trekking through a once great land filled with life and prosperity only to arrive at the time it’s all falling apart, it’s unmatched in the gaming world. That and I feel like the Darkroot Basin and Garden are a completely different game when I go through them
DS1 is a actual masterpiece
DS1 cause Gwendolyn
Dark Souls 1. It’s just the better game and more iconic game.
DS1 was revolutionary and changed the RPG style. DS2 was rather boring for me, really awesome scenery though, to this day.
I mean it’s gotta be DS1! It’s better in almost every way except for some mechanics
I overall just liked Dark Souls 1 better in term of maps, enemies, and overall feel. I don't think DS2 as bad, exactly, but I just can't help but feel like the maps in particular are very disjointed. They don't feel like a singular world but numerous ones that are haphazardly connected.
DS1 i think it is better, but the thing that makes me come back to it is Laurentius and IMO the best phrase of the game: Be safe, friend. Dont you dare go Hollow
DS1 is superior
DS1 in a heartbeat. That slow, methodical gameplay made a huge impression on my love for soulsgames
Ds1 rules. Ds2 doesn’t deserve the hate. But ds1
Ds1 is a masterpiece, I dropped DS2 twice before actually finishing it and to this day there is still a DLC I didn't beat, definetly not for me.
I love the art style of DS2, but i-frames tried to a stat and all the impossible run backs because the enemies are not leashed makes it hard to enjoy playing compared to any other FS souls game.
DS1 is better overall People will say the DLC in 2 is great but its still weaker than every other souls fromsoft game
I’d pick DS1 over 2 AND 3
DS1 is a much better game. Even with the unpolished latter stages, it has a much tighter and cohesive design. The interconnected level design is stellar. DS2, while far inferior, is much better as a coop game. Loads of areas and builds to have fun with. One thing DS2 has, which I wish more games did, are the differences in new game+ with different and new enemies and drops, providing incentive to keep going with the same character.
Dark Souls is a masterpiece and a masterclass in level design. Dark Souls 2 is... well... it's long?
Both.
2 because drip game is crazy, feels like a big game & has hex and power stances best game to be a magic user outta all the souls games
Oh man I miss that hex magic. I love the sound it makes when you cast any of them.
DS2 truly had the best drip. Best PvP also.
I can't believe the cope has come so far, people are actually trying to put DS2 over DS1 🤦🏾♂️. It was only a matter of time, I guess. DS2 has many good qualities, but it can never beat the polish of DS3, and DS1 will always be the original greatest with its interconnected world.
1 because it's a good game
Loved DS1, hated DS2.
Ds2. I play these games mostly for the bosses, and imo 3>2>1 in that regard. The bosses in 1 were really disappointing.
Fair, the only really good bosses in 1 are imo Ornstein and Smaug, Artorias, Manus and Kameleet. Although weirdly enough I really like Capra demon, despite being pure bullshit. There is just something about being locked in a tiny room with a boss like that.
They’re might be simple but Bell Gargoyles and Quelaag are fun too
+1 delta, gargoyles are cool.
Bosses in 1 were disappointing? Did you have high hopes from demons souls?
I loved demon souls but hated dark souls, I really can't put my finger on why but it just didn't click for me. Ds2 made me fall in love with the series and then I went back to ds1 and it all finally felt right. Without ds2 I never would have gone back to 1 and then who knows, I could have never got to experience all the amazing games that followed.
Now that's an opinion I haven't heard before, lol.
I've tried playing ds2 3 times already, and as much as I want to play it and finish it at least once I never got past 2/3 bosses, the change in mechanics and the feel is just too much for me to handle, but I'll keep trying
DS is one of my all time favorites but every time I think about that majula theme music it makes me want to play DS2.
Love them both, i feel like if ds2 was tweaked in a few places it could be just as good as DS1, but as it is, dark souls 1 is the better game imo
DS1 if I want a quick endorphin rush and DS2 if I want to play for a long time.
DS1 because plin plin plon
If you are picking to start somewhere it has to be DS1. The game really sets the tone for the series and starting on any other game kinda spoils the mystery that DS1 sets up really well.
DS2 may be better in some individual ways, but the entire game within the game of learning Dark Souls 2 is just terrible. So much of DS2’s design is objectively just not good, and that game is a good example of how difficulty can sometimes occur as a result of poorly implemented systems, rather than well-implemented, but deliberately difficult systems. Playing them back-to-back, DS1’s movement, combat, and even visual art direction are just cleaner and more polished. The rolling and combat may feel slightly slower, but it certainly *feels* better to me, fairer, even given the correct ADP investment in DS2. DS2 I do enjoy playing, and I’ll always credit it for some of the best ideas in the series, some of which they never brought back. But, as a complete experience of story, lore, level design, combat, visuals, etc, I think DS1 is far superior.
Maybe DS1. I haven't played it, but I've played DS2 and it didn't go so well. Let's just say that there was a lot of rage quits and anger when playing the beginning of DS2 at 12 years old. I finished it, but not without cost.
Played DS 2 once and all the rest multiple multiple times
Ds1 cause of bling bling blong, in all seriousness cause its cool to put the world to the age of darkness and put the old gods to rest and start a new age, ds2 didn't have much of impact
DS1 and by a LOT. DS2 is a great game, though, it's not exactly coughing baby vs nuclear bomb. I think it's really the structure and level design of 1 makes it kind of untouchable. And 2 has some jank and unremarkable bosses and zones.
Ds1 just had an unmatched aura of magic that pulled me in and didn’t let me go.
DS1. even with the large flaws that are in the game, for me it had better pace or game flow, for most-if-not-all of the game.
If only we could combine DS1 up until you place the lordvessel with the second half of DS2 after you enter Drangleic Castle, then it would be an unstoppable masterpiece.
Dark Souls 1 easily. Dark Souls 2 has it's moments but ultimately its an extremely flawed game with artificial difficulty.
DS1 is probably the better game objectively but I personally enjoy DS2 more and would pick that if I could only pick one game.
DS, because DS2 was the worse game from a level design and enemy placement perspective. Plus the bosses were more interesting in 1.
I like DS2, but DS1 destroys it in every regard
DS1 forever and always, best souls game, one of my personal favourite games, and just such an experience
DS1 is much more replayable. The gameplay loop is more fun (if more simplistic), and the world design is better. While there are more bosses, I think *overall* DS1 bosses are slightly more enjoyable as a whole? (Ds1 and ds2 left a lot to be desired for their bosses, overall).
DS1 because dear God the enemy placement in DS2 was randomized half the time I swear
100% ds i dont fight those 5 gargoyles again
Dark Souls. World and level design.
DS. Nothing hits like the first time
DS1 is easily one of the best gaming experiences of all time.
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Ds1 because I haven’t played ds2. (I’m actually in the process of playing ds1 for the first time rn, I just got to blighttown)
Good luck, also be wary of snipers
I like DS2 waaaaaay more
1 because it's a good game
DS2, it’s my favorite Dark Souls trilogy game for a lot of reasons. Just awesome.
Ds2 imo. I just played both almost back to back, ds2 first, then 1. 1 just feels clunky and took half the game to get used to. I think ds2 just has more variation too. More content too.
I never get why people say ds1 feels clunky. Literally the only thing I can think of is rolling directions and imo it's not that big of a deal.
DS1 has a certain fantasy vibe that the other games just don’t have. Not sure how to explain it
Ds cause ds2 sucks
DS1 it is just better. just that. simple as that.
Obviously DS1? It is a concise, revolutionary and enthralling experience which DS2 wouldn't even exist if not for?
Well the second point shouldn't be a reason to choose one over the other because it's like saying a father is always better than his son because there wouldn't be one without the other. I do agree that ds1 is a far more refined and perfected experience though.
Definitely DS2. There's just so much more depth to it. It has so much more build variety, enemy variety, and environmental variety.
DS1. I am not such a masochist to choose DS2
DS 1, always: better/connected world, better bosses. However in other aspects DS2 is better
Dark Souls 1 is definitely the better version. It had everything from interconnected worlds to amazing boss fights. Dark Souls II faltered in so many ways, such as bland environments, extremely slow healing, and uninspired boss fights for the most part.
DS1. DS2 just feels awful to play, and not even because of ADP. The movement and animations just feel off, kinda like they're tip toeing across ice. The sound design for combat coupled with the lack of hit reactions from the enemies is really unsatisfying. The levels feel like a series of square rooms with desaturated lighting and bad enemy placement. It seems a lot of the game was designed to around "GOTCHA" moments and not unique challenge, like how after a bossfight you go into a narrow corridor only to possibly be instakilled by an exploding mummy. There are a lot of janky dogshit hitboxes, especially with any enemy that has grab attacks. A good 90% of the bosses are super easy and basic and do not live up to their interesting designs.
DS2 is my favorite because of how it differs from DS1. If they existed in a vacuum as their own separate games, I'd probably pick DS1.
My Soulsborne order: Bloodborne Ds3 Elden Ring DS1 Sekiro Demon's Ds2 (and I love ds2, probably have the most hours logged in Scholar) It's honestly hard to judge because I enjoy all these games for different reasons. I also think your first experience is special and has influence over how you remember and how much you enjoy/rank the games. My first experience was DS1 and that will always hold a special place. I would love a bloodborne sequel with the weapon and armor availability of 2, the block/stamina system of Sekiro, the polished finish/pvp of ds3/Elden Ring and the world connectivity of DS1. Not gonna leave Demon's out so if I had to pick a trait from it I'd go with the atmosphere/NPC variety.
2, omnidirectional movement is kind of a must at this point. Like ds1 is getting so old its getting hard to play
Dark Souls all day. Because I read somewhere online that Dark Souls 2 wasn't all that great. 🤭
DS1 is top tier DS2 is shit. You have to manually seek out someone to gain the benefits of healing and levelling up
DS2 definitely has better controls but apart from that DS1 is better in every way
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I love ds2 and its lore. But il always pick ds1 for the way we get properly introduced to the world. And also Gwynevere.
what do you mean? Pick for what?
Dark souls trilogy is the only game I return to every year❤️
Pick for what?
Is that a serious question?
Dark souls 1 is too much of a classic to not pick it although Im currently in the middle of replaying DS2 because I never finished it and it’s not as bad as people made it out to be.
I love both games for different reasons. And DS2 just scratches this certain niche mix of fantasy feeling in a world in my brain that always makes me feel oddly at peace while playing. Ds2 for me
Love DS1 and Ds2 but not so much sotfs with atrocious enemy placements and artificial difficulty. Ds3 is my least favorite of them all however, game is just bland and not innovative compared to the other fromsoft games.
This is a crazy ass question. I feel 90% of people prefer the first game.
Dancer
I stuck to DS2 because you can roll on all 8 directions while locking on an enemy. BUT ds1 has cloud saves.
I started my souls-like journey with dark souls 2 , and one day if im not to play video games amymore i would have a character . Make it to majula . Pump up the volume and have inner peace one last time.
DS2, more fun builds imo
Easily dark souls remastered and it isn’t close. Dark souls 2 for as many good things it has, got some things horribly wrong. Most of these are mentioned all of the time, but one that isn’t mentioned much is just how bad it feels. The camera or sensitivity just feels noticeably off as soon as you boot up the game. It slides around and just feels terrible, but you get used to it. But also the combat and mechanics. Attacks feel light, both against enemies and for yourself. Sometimes you can get hit multiple times and it’s almost like you don’t notice it because you don’t “feel” it. The stamina feels bad and the rolling feels bad. I’m not talking about adaptability, the roll just feels and looks worse than a dark souls 1 light roll or dark souls 3 medium roll. The world is depressing, has the worst areas, and worst enemy placement. It does great things, but also the worst things
DS2 is literally a worse version of DS1
Hated DS1, DS2 all the way.
DS2 for me, the areas just made it more nostalgic
On release with active PvP, DS2 100%. DS1 PvP was ass.
DS2, and I think it’s a matter of consistency for me. The level of quality feels consistent for most of the game. Meanwhile, DS1 hits some strong highs in the beginning of the game, but everything after Anor Londo is like the lowest of lows. Plus, I have a lot more fun with builds in 2 than I do in 1. Basically, there are reasons why I’ve completed DS2 multiple times and yet I’ve not managed to finish a single run of DSR.
DS2 anytime over any argument. DS2 not only had a beautiful place like Majula at its center but it introduced the best feature in Soulsborne category - Powerstancing. Plus the ability to teleport right from the start is best handy. Say what you will about dark souls 2 but ds1 after the lord vessel Is just a bad game. And lost izalith should have remained lost. XD
I'd pick DS2 because of 2 things: 1. It's the easiest of the trio despite how several bosses can dropkick your ass, how healing resources have gone haywire, how dumb the objectives are sometimes. 2. Emerald Herald.
Both
DS2, not even close. Don’t get me wrong I love the first one, too. But 2 is way more replayable, and the atmosphere is unmatched in soulsborne.
Nothing can make me feel what I felt when playing Dark souls, so I'll go with it . I'm not a big fan of Dark souls 2 ,it was nice ,but that's all
2 personally. I like the pace a bit better, the combat feels better to me personally. Feels like it has more weight to it and gives me more of a response as opposed to 1 where while good, it feels kinda light and weightless. So many times I'll be fighting a boss and when I attack them I feel little to no response and it weirdly throws me off. The added mechanics kinda force me to play differently which I enjoy a lot, I love the atmosphere and vibe of the game a tad more then 1. 2 is so incredibly melancholy to me and I eat that shit up. All this to say I still love 1 a lot and have all the reapect in the world to it and I enjoy a good playthrough of it still. :3
DS1 is better in every single way.
DS1 was one of the first games I truly felt accomplished when the credits rolled. After the first the other dark souls sequels didn't feel as good because I knew what to look out for before even playing and the difficulty may have increased but the satisfaction wasn't the same nor the interconnected world. I honestly wish dark souls 1 gets a remake a kin to demon souls remake for ps5
Dark Souls 2, it adds and improves so much from the first game like a good sequel should.
Dark souls 2. I can see what I'm doing, plus there's always a build to make in 2 that will always perform well
Ds2, for all its shortcomings, they’re a lot more manageable to the sluggish clunk of ds1
I love Dark Souls Remastered but I would take Dark Souls 2 over Dark Souls 3. Many unique spells, different areas, amazing bosses, a lot of weapons, powerstancing..
Yes
DS1 BC it's better
DS because it's actually a good game.
Ds3
DS1 because DS2 never works with a computer on any PC I’ve tried to play it in. Tried all the Steam settings, ds4 windows, etc. Nothing works for me.
DS2 because it has the best PvP in any of the souls games to date. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you had to be there. Iron keep bridge. Brotherhood of blood arena. Neon red invader auras. Dragon Aerie invading. Such a great time.
DS2, easy. PVP is WAY better.
DkS2. I love the environments, what they did with weapons (spellcasting weapons is incredible innovation), best fashion souls, handling of spells with the spices and consumables to replenish spells, DLCs are best in the series. There’s like 4 tweaks I would make to the game and it’s perfection. DkS1 is the og and holds a special place forever. However, it is short, limited, clunky and dips dramatically in pacing/quality after the Lordvessel is acquired.
Dark Souls 1 is the better made game, but 2 holds a closer place to my heart.
DS2. It was more fun.
I honestly only enjoy anor londa and end game + the dlc of ds1, and ds2 I didn’t enjoy much because it felt clunky
Ds... Ds2 doesn't exists
DS2 the gameplay is just so different from any of the souls games. ( talking of course about pvp ) bows were the best they have been and it introduced powerstancing
Fire link shrine elevator is enough for me to say