Video Games...Discuss Them

[Sycophant]

I've got a ring that gives me +40 poise, and I'm feeling pretty great about that. I'm rocking my Halberd+4 and Drake Sword pretty hard. I wish the Drake Sword acted a bit more like the Longsword (so I could use R2 to do pierce damage), but I don't know if I'll find a better combination of weapons for myself.

Took down 2 bosses yesterday, including, at long last, Capra Demon. I need to do homework basically all week (it's my Fall Break), but there's gonna be a lot of Dark Souls mixed in.

I'm not sure exactly how this game compares to Demon's Souls. It doesn't really matter. This game is wonderful. It's basically the game I always thought the original Legend of Zelda was.

[D_Davis]

I've got a ring that gives me +40 poise, and I'm feeling pretty great about that. I'm rocking my Halberd+4 and Drake Sword pretty hard. I wish the Drake Sword acted a bit more like the Longsword (so I could use R2 to do pierce damage), but I don't know if I'll find a better combination of weapons for myself.

Took down 2 bosses yesterday, including, at long last, Capra Demon. I need to do homework basically all week (it's my Fall Break), but there's gonna be a lot of Dark Souls mixed in.

I'm not sure exactly how this game compares to Demon's Souls. It doesn't really matter. This game is wonderful. It's basically the game I always thought the original Legend of Zelda was.

I'm rocking the halberd, too. +5. I got a little tired of the Drake Sword (thinking about starting another character and not getting the DS at all - that sword makes the fist few hours of the game a lot easier, though). What ring gives you a +40 poise? Poise prevents you from losing your stance when blocking, right?

I started as a Cleric, but have since become more of a War Priest/Paladin. I've got two rings that boost Endurance and Load, and I'm wearing +2 Elite Knight Armor.

Man, so how fast did you die the first time you faced the Capra Demon? Ha! Hilarious. I walked in and...BAM. Dead in about 1.5 seconds. That guy took me awhile.

I think I'm going to take on the Hydra tonight. God, that forest area is just beautiful. I think the Moonlight Butterfly was the prettiest boss fight I've ever seen in a game.

[megladon8]

:frustrated:

I have to get this game!!

[D_Davis]

:frustrated:

I have to get this game!!

If I had to choose between not playing it at all, or playing it without being online, I'd choose to play it without being online.

Really. It's just like some extra tasty frosting on top of a cake that is already delicious.

You can still hire AI NPCs to help with the boss battles.

And to tell you the truth I've mainly been ignoring the messages lately. Although sometimes a really funny one appears. I love the one in front of the first blacksmith that says "Boss Weakness Fire" or something. I'd hate to be the guy who attacks the blacksmith with fire, thus killing him. It would really suck to be without a blacksmith at that point in the game.

[Watashi]

If I didn't have the patience (or skill) for Demon's Souls, I probably want to stay away from this game.

[Sycophant]

I probably took out the Capra Demon on something like my 25th try. It was pretty aggravating that I couldn't figure out a way to consistently get past the first 5 seconds and have a real chance at taking him down. When I finally made it happen though, it felt pretty glorious, and I did get a tiny bit better at those first moments. That fight is in such a tight space!

Comparatively, Moonlight Butterfly was a piece of cake. First Demon's Souls/Dark Souls boss I took out by my 4th try.

The ring that gives me poise is the Wolf Ring, which I found in [

Show Spoiler

Darkroot Garden

]. It's made fighting those tall knights like in the tower at the Undead Parish a lot better. It's the first ring, I've found though. I'm trying to avoid spoiling item locations and stuff for myself, though I'm happy to receive information from my roommates' playthroughs, since word-of-mouth advice seems to be in the spirit of the game.

I accidentally stabbed the merchant lady in the aqueduct while practicing my halberd swings on the way to fight the Capra Demon. I need to get back to the cathedral or whatever and see if I can pay that guy to get her to forgive me.

I kind of wish the message system didn't cost an item that a lot of people probably aren't bothering with. Almost no messages get ratings. I'm trying to help out in that regard.

[Sycophant]

Yeah, if Demon's Souls wasn't for you, Dark Souls probably isn't either. It was by no means made more accessible. And bless it for that.

For me, a huge part of the appeal is acquiring the skillset. The game's brutal, but fair, and I have to meet it on its terms. It's not a game with 40 hours of content that I'm going to see all of no matter what. It's immensely satisfying to hit R1 at just the right moment and backstab a guy because I know how to do it. To dodge, parry, riposte, switch weapons, roll, and backstab to maximize damage on something I didn't even know how to initially fight. I'm getting better at this game, because that's my only option. For me, this game is video games.

[D_Davis]

Yeah - you definitely want to have your sins absolved for the merchant lady in the sewer. Without her, The Depths would be hell (curses).

I do have the Wolf Ring - I forgot. I'm not using it because one of my other rings which is totally awesome will break if I remove it. And I need my other ring to keep my Endurance/Load up so I can wear the Elite Knight Armor.

The Capra Demon took me about 20 times, too. And yeah, if you can survive that first 5 seconds, you've got it made.

I'm using some online guides/hints for some things, but not everything. I figure since the game exploits me, I can exploit the game sometimes.

[D_Davis]

For me, a huge part of the appeal is acquiring the skillset. The game's brutal, but fair, and I have to meet it on its terms. It's not a game with 40 hours of content that I'm going to see all of no matter what. It's immensely satisfying to hit R1 at just the right moment and backstab a guy because I know how to do it. To dodge, parry, riposte, switch weapons, roll, and backstab to maximize damage on something I didn't even know how to initially fight. I'm getting better at this game, because that's my only option. For me, this game is video games.

I love how much of a GAME Dark Souls is. It's not trying to be an interactive story, book, or movie. It's a goddamn video game. It's super gamey. Every cool moment is cool because it happens to you while you are playing it - not to some guy in a cut scene, or through some story-telling mechanic.

[megladon8]

It's funny because it was only a few weeks ago that I was thinking to myself how un-challenging modern games have become.

Even at their hardest difficulties, most all games can be beaten with just a little persistence and patience.

Old-school gaming made you FUCKING INSANE with how hard they got and how quickly they escalated. They were unforgiving, constantly driving players to the brink of madness. Often they even were "cheap", throwing things at you that you could never, ever have possibly anticipated, thus killing you and forcing you to start over.

Of course, much of that was simply the fact that, for a long time, the main medium for video games was arcade. They wanted your money, so they made games as hard (and addictive) as possible.

Now games are more about the experience, the narrative, etc. They hold your hand more, because they WANT you to see the whole game with relative ease.


I have more than enough room in my gaming life for both schools of gaming, and it's been a long time since I've found a game to be genuinely, old-school challenging.

It sounds like "Dark Souls" is that game, and I'm oh-so-eager to check it out.

PS - On a funny note, watch IGN's video review of the game. Honestly, the kid reviewing it sounds like he's about 6 years too young for his parents to be letting him play the game.

[megladon8]

For me, a huge part of the appeal is acquiring the skillset. The game's brutal, but fair, and I have to meet it on its terms. It's not a game with 40 hours of content that I'm going to see all of no matter what. It's immensely satisfying to hit R1 at just the right moment and backstab a guy because I know how to do it. To dodge, parry, riposte, switch weapons, roll, and backstab to maximize damage on something I didn't even know how to initially fight. I'm getting better at this game, because that's my only option. For me, this game is video games.

This reminds me of something you wrote about "Bayonetta", and that I very much agreed with. It's also something I've heard people say about the "Ninja Gaiden" games.

The enemies are not cheap. If you are losing, you have to get better at the game. Simple as that.

[D_Davis]

PS - On a funny note, watch IGN's video review of the game. Honestly, the kid reviewing it sounds like he's about 6 years too young for his parents to be letting him play the game.

That's Keza McDonald. He wrote the review as well. From what I've read, he's the best writer working at IGN now.

I thought he was female before....

[megladon8]

That's Keza McDonald. He wrote the review as well. From what I've read, he's the best writer working at IGN now.

Yes, I thought his review was good. He just sounds SO young. He really sounds like he's about 13 years old.

[bac0n]

Have you guys heard of this game called Dust 514? It's supposed to be a hybrid FPS/MMO that lives inside the Eve Online universe. Very interesting...

IGN Article

[D_Davis]

Yes, I thought his review was good. He just sounds SO young. He really sounds like he's about 13 years old.

Yeah - I just assumed he was a female because of the voice! And the name Keza...and the androgynous photo he uses.

[[ETM]]

God, it's like when Myriam Joire joined Engadget, I kept thinking "That's a strange name for a bloke".

[D_Davis]

Awesome:



That boss was really fun.

[megladon8]

"Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine" was good fun. The ending leaves it wide open for a sequel (which I very much hope happens).

Relic has a lot of room for improvement in the sequel, and I hope they make good on it.

I enjoyed this one a lot, and I'm sure I will be returning to it.

[D_Davis]

"Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine" was good fun. The ending leaves it wide open for a sequel (which I very much hope happens).
.

Looking forward to playing it at some point.

[megladon8]

Looking forward to playing it at some point.

Sounds like just about anything after "Dark Souls" is going to be a big disappointment

[Milky Joe]

So yeah, Demon's Souls. Bitchin'. Love the feeling when you try a boss a bunch of times and come nowhere close to beating him, then finally have the "a-ha" moment where you figure out how to do it easily. Then you move right along to the next challenge.

[Dukefrukem]

Played Demon's Souls for 3 hours last night... made zero progress.

[bac0n]

Fired up Dead Island last night and put a few hours in... yeah, I think me and this game are going to get along famously. Knocking zombies down with a broomstick and then stomping a mudhole through them while they make silly zombie noises? Oh hell yes.

[Scar]

Fired up Dead Island last night and put a few hours in... yeah, I think me and this game are going to get along famously. Knocking zombies down with a broomstick and then stomping a mudhole through them while they make silly zombie noises? Oh hell yes.

I unlocked the uber-stomp of DOOM last weekend. I will show you when we get around to playing online.

[Spun Lepton]

I unlocked the uber-stomp of DOOM last weekend. I will show you when we get around to playing online.

I've progressed beyond the uber-stomp. I now have the uber-leap-stomp. It's ... basically the same as the uber-stomp, only faster.

Last night I discovered that if you're hurting for cash-money, go to the hotel on the first map. There are a ton of suitcases there. I looted like a madman, made away with a few thousand dollars.