Dark Souls 3

My sister is buying this for me tomorrow morning. It will be 'The Fire Fades' edition. I rented the original on release and I think I reached the second boss. Really liked what I played. Don't have much to add at this point but I'll talk a little about my Souls history.

I started with Demon's Souls way after release and only used the bow or ranged magic. I had a character for each. I have zero interest in melee in an RPG that claims I can build and play how I want.

In DeS, the bow was pretty good. I quickly went about upgrading to the Sticky Compound Bow or whatever it's called. Most of the game was sniping and positioning.  

I played Dark Souls a little but quit for some reason. I remember just not enjoying it. I remember wanting the fog ring but I couldn't beat anyone in PvP because bows just don't work against these freaks with tower shields and their 3 bros.

Never played DS2.

Played Bloodborne a little but lack of ranged combat killed it for me. Didn't enjoy a second of it.

In DS3, I used a bow of course. I liked the special abilities attached to weapons. I had one that allowed you to shoot while dodging, and another could pierce.

That's cool, but i'm not into souls. Demon's souls was a neat 1 time experience for me, i respect this the most for being the most original souls entry by and large, capitalised on its general subversive design as opposed to later entries(2-3 namely) focusing more on combat than unique area/boss encounters*raw combat was never the series greatest strength barring BB, even then its carried by other assets also*

Bloodborne's combat and world i really enjoyed, but its not a game for bow only, gun only certainly. What exactly do you have against its combat? beyond not allowing for bow only.

Because ranged is how I like to build my character and the enemies freak me out.

I also find the melee super boring. This is in all Souls, not just BB.

Edit: Just started. If I'm only going to be using bows, I should focus on dex right?

Fair enough. On the matter of ranged options, I'm partial to firearms, just like how guns look and sound, suppose that's why I like BB guns a lot, namely Evelyn, which is fired GANg$TA style(and scales with bloodtinge for more fiyahpowah!)

DS3 definelty has the bow options you want, the special arts extra moves are a step in the right direction for souls added complexity. Generally souls lacks move types beyond hit/kill the thing, of hit the thing harder and variations thereof. I don't know about DS3 stats n such, consult the wikis for that.

Quite fun so far. I only have a basic bow but I'm getting the exact type of gameplay I wanted. Crawling through each area slowly, fearing the next corner. DeS and this honestly feel almost like horror games to me.

The environments look amazing too.

Well souls does largely draw from Berserk as inspiration for its various creatures, as this series is known for its truly eldest had creatures also. Souls has some really good monster designs, even I'm disgusted at a lot of them.

How's the number stuff? Gear and such? Souls aren't the worst in that regard, in BB it's all but gone, which delights me.

Who is this purple mad phantom asshole? All it did was guard a narrow path in Undead Settlement and only came after me if I approached that part. But then it wouldnt pursue me and went back to guarding the path.

What a dick. Who does this? Who enjoys it? Have fun terrorizing a soul level 13. Shit.

I you sure it's a real player? A naked guy enemy who wields a katana is around the beginning area, after you beat iudex grundyr.

There are NPC invaders in this game too, which are coded pretty interestingly. Some will just defend a certain area or try to lure you into a death-trap. You can generally see if he's a player or not by the name. If it looks real (like Holy Knight Hodrick) then it is just an NPC, if it is like xxx_thebirdslayer_xxx_bornin2011 - then yeah, a player.

Pretty sure you encountered this NPC though:



About why people enjoy this, it's tradition. It happened to them, so they do it to others for revenge. I remember in World of Warcraft I was constantly killed by people 30-40 levels higher then me. So one afternoon when I was max level I went to their low-level home and razed that village - revenge. But some people do take it to far, one time is fine imo, but there are people out there who just play the whole day to ruin other ones enjoyment. Stream Snipers are a thing too for instance, really painful for people who just want to have fun.

Oh ok so it looks like it was the guy in your video. Thought it was an actual player because a message said I got invaded. Got no idea how this stuff works.

I remember in Dark Souls I got attacked by a group of 3 in some forest. Total dicks. I'd never want to do that to someone.

Don't think I can beat this NPC invader. He has too much health and heals a lot. I only have the starting bow and a basic longbow at present.

Do they go away if you quit the game and come back?

DkS3 has probably the best bow play, the shortbow especially is really cool. I see how you could enjoy DkS3 so much only using bows. The crossbow also has an ability to do a melee attack if the enemies get too close, though IIRC is trash. But yeah, bows are fun in this game.

I'm playing DkS3 back to back with Sigma 2 these days. I'm the opposite of you because I actually play melee only haha. This game is good, but it has a couple of things I dislike: low stamina consumption, fast safe healing, stunlocks. These things are really powerful even at SL1. Though I rarely play SL1 runs because I like using many weapons. So generally I get bored of DkS3 but I think this time around I'm enjoying it and having fun. There are a couple of weapons I never properly tried, this time I'm using the knives a little bit and they are tons of fun: quicksteps, fast attacks, cool movesets, low damage (yes, it actually makes them more fun). I'm in the undead settlement and I'm going to try the scythe too.

This is like a new game for me, I didn't really like it on launch and I finished it just two times I think. I also wanna try the "melee spells" and some pyromancies. In fact I started deprived because I want to try a lot of stuff.

I agree the game is visually stunning. I also agree about seeing them as horror games, at least the first playthrough
But yes man, you'll have fun

My progress is slow as hell with this weak bow. Is there a way to carry more than 99 arrows? Seems I can't carry separate units. Really annoying because I have to be at a bonfire to restock and I don't do much damage so this is constant.

I guess once I get more souls I can keep boosting dex and str but right now it sucks. I really want that huge bow with the harpoon arrows that I saw in a video.

Right now I'm after the Pharis bow. Looked up where to get it and I think I'm somewhat close. I'm at some swamp with giant grabs and other powerful enemies.

Most of my time is spent learning an area, using Homeward Bone when I run out of arrows, then seeing if I can dash back to that point without fighting anything. Once I get that bow I'm going to power it up and make them pay.

Did you upgrade your current bow?

My current bow is the basic longbow and yes I've reinforced it a few times. Maybe 4 if I'm remembering right.

Pretty sure 99 arrows is the max, but you can carry multiple versions. So like 99 regular arrows and 99 fire arrows.

I figured that would be the case but I haven't come across any other arrow types yet. There was a merchant locked in a cell so he might have something. I'm at Road Of Sacrifices now.

I'll probably just look up where to get all the arrow types later. Starting to bug me actually.

http://darksouls3.wikidot.com/ammo

Here's the list!

The easiest one to get is by saving Greirat which you can do pretty early in the game. That should give you access already to five arrow types (two from the Shrine Maiden (wood & feather), three from Greirat (standard & large & fire).

Damn look at them all! I wouldn't mind those poison arrows too.

Looks like I'll have to find this guy asap. Been too busy to play recently though.

I rescued the guy and can now buy standard, fire and heavy arrows. Fire and heavy are too expensive but standard is ok.

I'm not enjoying the game much anymore though and will probably quit.

What's holding your enjoyment back? Not that I don't understand though, it is the only Souls game I sold back after a while.

Possibly the way I play with only bows. And now I'm at a point where only grinding will see me through.

I just got pulled into some piece of cloth by this asshole and now I'm in snowy realm full of wolves, zombie knights, and evil trees.

Tried to pick them off but seems when you alert one you alert them all. A wolf howled and woke up like 15 others and I couldn't shake them. Ended up just running past everything and decided to keep running through these sections. Found a cathedral with some woman who said nothing that made sense, then I entered a village full of mutant bird people and the big ninja one got me.

Kinda just lost interest now. I could grind and come back but it takes too long and is super boring. If I could find Farron Keep, I'd be able to get the Pharis bow which is what I really want, but at this point even that probably won't keep me playing.

I might go play Matterfall for a while and try for some high scores or something. I need to play stuff like that with only light upgrades.

Having said all that, I do consider DS3 a good game. There's nothing actually wrong with it in my eyes, though I'm sure Souls vets would contest that.

Birdman wrote:I just got pulled into some piece of cloth by this asshole and now I'm in snowy realm full of wolves, zombie knights, and evil trees.

This, sounds like the first DLC area haha. Since I don't recall the area and I never played the DLC. Might be worth it to save that area for later.

Having said all that, I do consider DS3 a good game. There's nothing actually wrong with it in my eyes, though I;m sure Souls vets would contest that.

Nawh they like it, I just didn't care for it much.

I just checked online and it's called Painted World of Ariandel and yes, it's the DLC area. Would have been nice if they had warned me first. If I ever play this again, I'll find and murder the guy who sent me there.

I found the Pharis bow finally. Managed to seriously cheese these three huge beasts from a cliff nearby. I love doing shit like that. These monsters are freaking me out. Is this actually a horror game?

Why has my character turned into a zombie? It took me ages to make and now it looks like a burnt corpse. I don't even know when it happened.

I realized how little I know about how anything works in this game. No idea what infusing weapons does but my bows are never selectable for it.

Weapons that don't have an innate magical ability can be infused, but the Pharis Bow already has a special effect I believe so you cannot infuse it, just upgrade its numbers.

Also you become undead if you die. Use an ember to become human again.

Birdman wrote:Why has my character turned into a zombie?

Did you talk with a character that let you level up a couple of times for free? He's called Yoel, anytime you level up with him you'll turn more and more hollow (which means you'll also look like a zombie). There is a way to revert that but I can't remember what it is. Though, it's part of a subquest and reverting back to your form will actually change the developement of it.

Yeah I forgot about that, could be the free levels from Yoel that you got, those start a mini plot line that can lead to an extra ending but as a result you will be 'hollowed' the whole time.

You can also buy some items from Yuria or kill her for maybe her sword. I can't remember well, though on my current character I saved Yoel but didn't accept the "true potential" thing. I just keep him there as a friend because I like the character design of these pilgrims, but I don't want to look hollow.

Frankly, I didn't like this game when it came out but recently I'm actually having fun playing it "my way". I still think it would have been cool if they went a different route.

For example, I wanted the world to be more connected like in DkS1. I also wanted the movesets to be fully original, and not copied from DkS1. Though, I admit that the dual wielding weapons are really stylish and give the player the opportunity to create unique attack strings alternating L1 and R1.

I also think that they could have borrowed the "trick attacks" (L1) concept from Bloodborne, introducing a "transition attack" when you switch from one handed to two handed and vice versa, instead of the weapon skill system. I'd also liked if there were unique R2 backstep and running attacks. I also think backstep should have i-frames so the backstep attacks would be really useful, I can't belive they don't have neither i-frames nor hyper armor in BB.

Though it's still a good game and the art style is beautiful. Also the combat is visually satisfying and the rythm is pretty dramatic. The death animations are also very satisfying, so I always have this suspention of disbelief (I hope is the right english translation) and the game trick my imagination pretty well into thinking I'm actually assisting to a real fight. Just, damn 30 fps, bring an action mode like Nioh.

Nioh really brought some graphical life improvements in general with "skip watched cutscenes automatically" options and the Action/Movie mode settings.

For me Dark Souls 3 was a weird game. Lots of reused content, and didn't really fill the void anymore. Bloodborne took many steps forward in terms of combat, while Dark Souls 3 went back to the 'old style'.

Finding the Cinders mod really made me fall in love with this game all over again. It adds in a lot; New enemy arrangements, new NPC enemies, new armours, new weapons, new shops, and it even lets you refight bosses.

If you have Dark Souls 3 on PC, I really suggest giving this a look.

I’d definitely check it out if I had a good PC. I’m always down for replaying this game.

Decided to continue Cinders.

I have this ring that lets you sprint around automatically, and infinitely; Unsurprisingly, I always have it around on account of it being a massive mobility upgrade. Even lets you use Estus while running, which looks funny as fuck. The downside is that your character is more difficult to control, and turning 180 degrees to sprint the opposite direction now has a delay.

I also have a ring that replaces block with quickstep. Never realized how unbelievably good the quickstep is. Always keep that one equipped as well.

Both of those rings are modded.

Then I have the prisoner's chain for the stat boosts, and the Unholy Remains, which is just a booster for pyromancies.

Weapon I use are the brigand twindaggers. Really fast weapon, unsurprisingly, and because I've invested so heavily in it, they hit pretty hard as well.

Reached the profaned capital. Fought this dude named Iwai (Modded). Dropped Alonne's set, which is neat. Then I fought the Pursuer (Don't get your hopes up, it's just some dude in Pursuer armour. Also modded.). Took him down by knocking down his shield via kicking, which allowed me to inflict a critical. Since daggers are really good for crits, I took him down in two shots.

Then I reached this room full of warden-priest-cultist things. Don't know what they're called. I used one of my pyromancies, Immolation, which basically sticks this hurt-aura around you. Works great against hordes of small enemies, since it stuns them. Happened to do the same against these enemies, but I ended up pissing off 2 mimics, and died.

This mod's definitely worth your time.

Also, backflips are added back into the game. You can do it as long as you're under 30% weight, I think.

Interesting to hear about these mods, I've never really been a fan of gameplay-changing moddifications, but I can see these really bumping up the game. What is the 'quickstep' though? Don't remember DrkS3 having this.

Me personally, I've always been down for gameplay mods (At least, once you're finished with the base game). Probably because I grew up on Minecraft.

Quickstep was in the base game, but it's a weapon skill. Certain daggers (A lot of them, actually) let you use a quickstep. It's a really fast dodge that consumed FP, or mana (Which regenerates now with this mod, which actually makes magic viable. Regenerates slowly, though.). If you're locked onto an enemy and dodge forward, it works well for getting around and behind them. Didn't work so well if you were 1 handing a normal greatsword, if I recall my online experiences correctly. But other than the couple of times I experimented with it online, I mostly just used quickstepping to speed my way through Farron Keep's mud.

Recently got around to doing a playthrough to actually finish the DLCs. This game is weird, the things I find fun in it are very different now than when the game came out. 5 years ago I was all over the combat and bosses, but now the exploration and RPG loadouts are more appealing. Routing my path through the game so that I could efficiently level my character for each boss was fun, and being able to "opt out" of the bosses somewhat by doing so definitely improved my experience.

DLC1 (Ashes of Ariandel) is alright, areas are nothing special but nothing too terrible. The DLC boss Friede is pretty bleh, a three phase encounter where the first two phases are much easier than the third. In Sekiro these types of fights (e.g. Genichiro) are okay because you can melt the first healthbars in seconds, whereas the DS stamina system makes Friede take much longer. The last phase is the actual fight, unfortunately it's basically just learning roll timings as usual with the damage jacked way up, so getting hit sends you back to the first phases again.

DLC2 (Ringed City) is drastically better than everything else the game has to offer. The aesthetic is a sort of mashup of all the DS games, but ironically the area layouts feel much more original than the main game. One of my favorite zones was this small spiral staircase in a tower. You need to get to a specific doorway, but various portions of the stairs are blocked with debris, while other parts have holes in the ground. Just blindly walking forward along the staircase will lead you in circles and make you dizzy. To figure out where to go, you need to look across the gap in the middle and try to see which holes you need to fall into and which you have to avoid. It really gave me a Demon's Souls vibe, something I feel has been mostly lost in the subsequent games.

The end bosses of DLC2 are very interesting to me because of how different they are. Slave Knight Gael is an archetypical DS3 boss: flashy dude with a big sword. However he is much better done than most of the game's bosses for a few reasons. His combos aren't overly long, and the longest one is very telegraphed. The afterimages on his strikes in the second phase make it matter how you roll the attacks, since rolling parallel will get you hit much more. Some creative attacks, like the light disc throw that returns after a few seconds, give you more to consider than just the usual roll timings. Gael staggers often but only for a short time, meaning that calculated staggers can enhance aggressive play without trivializing things.

The other boss, Darkeater Midir, is great because it's not actually a Dark Souls boss. Midir is basically a Monster Hunter boss ported into DS3, with concepts such as the boss size being much bigger than the player, the head taking double damage, and many attacks that cannot be iframed and can only be avoided with positioning. As such, classic MH gameplay patterns are present here, such as baiting attacks that give access to the head, calculating when to go for the head vs. get safe damage on other parts, and setting up on attacks by moving in advance to where the head will be. Because this is a jankily reproduced MH boss instead of a monster you are actually fighting in MH, it's not as good as the MH greats (Nargacuga, Glavenus, Rajang, many many others) but it's still a solid fight.

Overall I had a lot more fun than I thought I would. It helps that I finished my full playthrough in about a week, as too much more and the game would probably be overstaying its welcome. DS3 really shows that FromSoft is running low on ideas though, I would love for them to move into some new territory with Elden Ring.

An interesting take on Midir honestly. To me she always felt like the worst concepts of the Souls series wrapped into a single fight haha, though granted it has been ages since I've done the fight and not even on my own system (at a friend's place). She felt like a giant floating hurtbox, lots of pattern learning, a huge bulk of HP making for a very long fight (thus, plenty of chances to screw up and die).

I can really relate though with what you like about the series now that you're playing it 5 years later. When I first picked up the series I enjoyed the fighting, but as I got older it was more the exploration that hit a high note for me. Especially in Dark Souls II: SOTN where you could basically go wherever you wished, made for a really great game, especially on replays where no run was the same.

> new territory Elden Ring
I really wish it were true but from what I've read and seen, also in terms of the leaks, it really is shaping up to just be another Soulsborn title with a twist instead of something really new.

Me and my brother recently finished a couch co-op run of DS3. So I figured while the game was fresh in my muscle memory I'd attempt a SL1 run.
I'm yet to really challenge run souls game, as the combat challenge was rarely what interested me in those games. I've done NG+ climbing in DS3 and Bloodborne, but that's about as close as it got.

I was surprised how easy the whole experience was now that I'm through it. While I'm yet to do the DLC, I have done all base game bosses. Few of which gave me any hardship.

The first real hurdle was Dancer: a boss with some tricky dodge timing and a surprising amount of range at times. I fought her early so I could get some Titanite chunks to make Pontiff a cake walk. It took me maybe 20-ish minutes of attempts.

Nameless King was similar only I had to play more passive. Maybe 25-minutes of attempts.

Dragonslayer armour was a cool boss. I tend to like enemies with shields, as you can bait and manipulate what moves they do based on which of their sides you're standing on. Making positioning feel more important. Also around 20-ish minutes of attempts.

Twin Prince's has always been one I struggled with. I struggle hitting dodge at the right time when he starts to charge an attack and then teleports to blind side you with it. Lothric's Projectiles thrown into the mix exacerbates this. 30-ish minutes of attempts.
 
And Soul of Cinder I anticlimactically got on my first attempt. Though it was close, as I used up all my sips.

My in game time was close to 12 hours. I didn't just run through most areas as it had been a while, and I couldn't remember where all the useful items were. Had I a route I'm sure my playtime would've been much faster.

The challenge of Souls challenge runs often comes from fights just being longer, and some magic-abilities being gated off. This can be an issue in earlier games where fights were more gimmicky, such as the dsp-race of Four Kings, but in later games it really just meant you had to memorize patters more fully and make less mistakes.

There's some runners (a few here too) that did no-dodge runs which are arguably more interesting imo since it forces you to re-evaluate the game's combat.

-No Dodge stuff
I've seen Seraphim17 do these and, while it's impressive, it does seem like a lot running away and waiting for bosses to complete strings only to hit once, run rinse and repeat. Hardly seems transformative to the games combat. Obviously some bosses you can use clever positioning with the knowledge of hitboxes and tracking to kinda mosey around attacks. Which is cool. But I kinda feel this game, from a real-time action combat perspective, lacks the dynamics that really are needed to keep combat engaging.

I might give BL4 in Bloodborne a go sometime. But I'm becoming more of the opinion that playing ARPG's like they are pure action games is fucking stupid. And that it's best to play action games for that.
Why ignore the RPG mechanics? It's like half the game! If people don't like the RPG mechanics, why the hell would you play an ARPG in the first place?

I think it depends on said ARPG ofc but for these games it’s definitely best if you just play it as a mix of both. I always try to go with a battle mage type build due to this.