Demons Souls

noodler · 11-11-2009 4:59pm

ankh98 wrote: »

Well all the best to ya. Hope it gets what's coming to it. I for one have the boss at the end of 2-1 to contend with tonight! Haven't actually seen it yet as i keep dying really stupid deaths towards the end of the level. But tonight it's soul shall be mine! :pac:

Its a bit of a broken boss fight tbh.

Its possible to stand there and just kill him with 20 arrows and not worrying about his attacks.

johnny_ultimate · 12-11-2009 2:14am

Just started this game yesterday (bastard arrived on the same day MW2 was released :pac:) and I am seriously loving it. I've always had a major problem when RPGs try to incorporate real time combat, but this works beautifully. I'm not far in yet (killed the giant armoured dude just there by hacking away at his legs til he fell over - is that 1-1 or 1-2?) but I can see myself sinking a lot of time into this. Hardcore RPGs ftw.

Retr0gamer · 12-11-2009 3:06am

It's hardly an RPG though. It's very much an action game with RPG elements.

noodler · 12-11-2009 3:51am

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It's hardly an RPG though. It's very much an action game with RPG elements.

This, its very satisfying though. I fi had one word to describe DS it would be that.

Retr0gamer · 12-11-2009 12:26pm

It's closer to Kingdom Hearts than any RPG and I'd never class Kingdom Hearts as an RPG. Need to play this again, pokemon took up all my time last night.

ankh98 · 12-11-2009 12:36pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

2-1's boss isn't too bad. His pattern is easy to figure out and the shortcuts you open up leave you very close to him so it's not like 1-2 where you have to do the whole level all over again.

Got this sucker last night! On my third attempt after trying to melee him and getting battered by the fire attacks which seemed to be caught in a loop. There was no break to it, not even time to heal! So in the end i just stood back and tossed a tonne of arrows at it! Not the most exciting strategy, but it worked.

Had a quick run into 3-1. Bloody hell, them tentacle fellas are badasses! Although, i was going toe to toe with them. Maybe if i'm a bit sneakier that'll take care of them.

Retr0gamer · 12-11-2009 12:42pm

2-1's boss isn't all that bad. You just have to put your shield up and brave a few flame hits or avoid them with rolls if you have better reflexes than me. A flame shield helps but I wasn't strong enough to use one at the time I beat him. Once you get close he'll take two swipes that can be blocked with a shield then fall and leave himself open. After he repeats this pattern you'll see the flames gathering in his mouth. Thats your cue to get the **** out of there. That will give you plenty of time to heal. It's much more satisfying melee-ing the bosses. Using ranged weapons just feels cheap to me and I love figuring out boss patterns.

johnny_ultimate · 12-11-2009 1:06pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It's hardly an RPG though. It's very much an action game with RPG elements.

Well it is far more stats-heavy then your typical action game for sure, and the item / magic / weapons systems feel far closer to something like Oblivion. I'm not really arguing though - I think it is a very competent mesh of the two genres, one which has all the engaging inventory and stat elements of RPGs and a gratifying, real-time combat system. Overall, it is simply an extremely satisfying hybrid alright.

ankh98 · 12-11-2009 1:20pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It's much more satisfying melee-ing the bosses. Using ranged weapons just feels cheap to me and I love figuring out boss patterns.

I agree completely. Last night was one of those times i just didn't have the patience for it. I really should have just put it aside for when i was feeling more engaged. I promised myself when it was done that i'd beat him properly on NG+

Retr0gamer · 12-11-2009 1:28pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Overall, it is simply an extremely satisfying hybrid alright.

Noodler really hit the nail on the head there

Andrew76 · 12-11-2009 2:49pm

ankh98 wrote: »

Had a quick run into 3-1. Bloody hell, them tentacle fellas are badasses! Although, i was going toe to toe with them. Maybe if i'm a bit sneakier that'll take care of them.

If you get up close to them from behind then they're fairly handy to kill. Oh and don't waste your souls buying the Ring of Avarice on this level (if you have that amount to spare), you'll get it for free on the next.

noodler · 12-11-2009 6:27pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It's closer to Kingdom Hearts than any RPG and I'd never class Kingdom Hearts as an RPG. Need to play this again, pokemon took up all my time last night.

I was actually going to say this to you, have been thinking it was very KH-like during a few plays.

The roll is probably the biggest reason. I tried to finish off the Spider melee style in my first attempt (2-1) as Ii ran out of arrows but he was taking ridiculous amounts of health of me and the Purple Flame Shield could only block one before the stamina. I also felt it was very hard to avoid the attackswhen you are that close.

I just stood in an indent and peppered him with arrows. Cheap but fun at the same time.

One problem with this game is that you can pump an hour or so into it and still find yourself back at he start. Sure you have learned the outlay of a level etc but in the days where its harder and harder to find time for games it can feel a little annoying. Part of its charm I guess.

Should I go for 3-1 now that 2-1 is finished?

ankh98 · 12-11-2009 7:05pm

noodler wrote: »

One problem with this game is that you can pump an hour or so into it and still find yourself back at he start. Sure you have learned the outlay of a level etc but in the days where its harder and harder to find time for games it can feel a little annoying. Part of its charm I guess.

Should I go for 3-1 now that 2-1 is finished?

I agree with this statement completely. Tuesday night i spent maybe 2 hours playing, mostly 2-1, and by the end i had leveled up a couple of times, that's about it (thanks mostly to souls i'd found lying around). It can be thankless trudging through a level that doesn't really reward you with much for the time you put in.

But that's the game. It doesn't hold your hand, it doesn't give you any explanation of what might be useful against an opponent you have come up against for the first time. And in all fairness it's refreshing to get dropped in a strange environment against unfamiliar foes and figure out a strategy for yourself. It will most likely be completely different from the next person.

As for starting 3-1, after just finishing 2-1? I tried 2-2 straight away, got my arse handed to me and then went onto 3-1 without a second thought.

Retr0gamer · 12-11-2009 7:45pm

noodler wrote: »

One problem with this game is that you can pump an hour or so into it and still find yourself back at he start. Sure you have learned the outlay of a level etc but in the days where its harder and harder to find time for games it can feel a little annoying. Part of its charm I guess.

During the 16-bit era you would experience this in almost every game. I remember trying for nearly 2 weeks to get past the 3rd level boss in contra hard corp on the mega drive. You don't seem to be making progress but you are getting a little better every time. I'm kind of used to this type of game but if a game is this challenging it's very hard for the game designer to balance it out and make the game fun enough for people to want to go through it again and I'm pleased to say with Demons Souls they really nailed it.

noodler · 14-11-2009 1:40am

ankh98 wrote: »

Had a quick run into 3-1. Bloody hell, them tentacle fellas are badasses! Although, i was going toe to toe with them. Maybe if i'm a bit sneakier that'll take care of them.

They are now my favourite enemy to kill. Very satisfying to kill (keep using that word). Finished 3-1 tonight. I found that sneaking up and doing a critical hit followed by an R2 did it (so 2 hits). One of the strongest enemies so far in that if they hit you once, thats usually it as you get stunned when you get up and then they suck you dry. I freed the sage but couldn't find the key for the phantom.

Also killed the Fallen Idol, was a DS moment, I hadn't any arrows and didn't want to grind in another world to get them (no herbs either actually) so I just went for it one more time. I had her to the point that 2 more R2s would do it but I only had a smidgen of health left and was cowering behind a pillar. Then I got a 'your message has been recommended' screen and full health so I went for her.

Thats, 1-1, 2-1 and 3-1 done for me now.

I also inavded my first world. Caught up with a guy on 2-1 where the lava pit is. He was busying fighting three miners with hot rods. I got stuck in and nearly had the lad beat when he rolled into the lava. Body back for me! Didn't get anything else though, maybe he had no souls?

Haven't been invaded yet.

Retr0gamer · 14-11-2009 3:07pm

I'm at the same point as you noodler. You need to be in body form to be invaded. I'm going to try it tonight, the asian servers weren't the stablest when I got the ability to do so.

Also to free the other phantom you have to go through a bit of 3-2 first.

AnCapaillMor · 16-11-2009 11:52am

World 3 has to be pure white as well to get the key in 3-2. Its by the flame that releases the 1s tentacle. go up the stairs, there should be a gap yu cannot corss, if its pure white there'll be a plank across, just continue across and up the winding stairs.

as for the squid heads wait till 3-2 and 3-3 where you've sfa room to maneuvre.

Retr0gamer · 16-11-2009 1:12pm

4-1 and 5-1 are giving me trouble now

Also breaking into other worlds is a very good way of getting me killed very quickly.

AnCapaillMor · 16-11-2009 1:42pm

5 is one of the toughest and also the least fun off all the worlds. 4's very tough at the beginning but very rewarding soulswise. Big shield and a blunt weapon are very effective against the skeletons. stay away from the black skeleons unless you've decent magic or a bow and some patience, melee is next to impossible.

Invading is bloody tough, best hope is materialise and run like a mofo, remember the baddies in the level won't attack you and try and ambush. Pray you bum into a magic user. Try and get foes ring, bump up attack as a back phantom.

Retr0gamer · 16-11-2009 1:50pm

I'm using a lot of magic on the enemies in 4-1. Seems to work well. Also I killed the black skeleton with the two katana's by blasting him with soul arrows then using the bow when I ran out. That and constat back peddling worked

The big fat bastard in the centre got me though with a flukey butt stomp.

AnCapaillMor · 16-11-2009 2:08pm

He's one of the handier bosses once you figure him out, same with 4-2, the problem is getting there. There is a very short shortcut to the 4-1 boss.

Go up to the first tower where the 2 archers were, go the end of the tower, the corner of the wooden planks, lighten load and then roll, you should land on a ledge just behind the entrance to the ruins where the boss is.

jayteecork · 18-11-2009 3:12am

Done 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 4-1.

Trying to do 3-1 right now.

Great game.

johnny_ultimate · 20-11-2009 1:07am

Finished World 4-1 yesterday, which is now officially my level of the year

Wonderful piece of game design, felt the game really came into its own during it. While I may just have used the somewhat spammy 'take on every enemy from a distance with the ridiculously MP effective speed fireball spell' technique (including the boss, somehow!) it provided a near perfect balancing - plenty of tricky bits (golden bastards hiding behind the cliffs, and those flying spike spammers!) but very fair - I rarely felt any death was down to anything but my own carelessness or stupidity. Have 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 3-1 and 4-1 finished now, and like most of you, I think this is probably fast becoming my favourite PS3 game (Uncharted 2 still puts up a fight though). Rarely has gaming torture been so thoroughly rewarding.

jayteecork · 20-11-2009 2:38am

Finally nailed the Flamelurker.

That's 1-1,2-1,3-1,4-1,5-1,1-2,2-2 in the bag now.

AnCapaillMor · 20-11-2009 9:45am

Johny U 4-2 is where its at, way better than 4-1 and souls galore. Its lucky that the fabled pure bladestone s in that level because most people would'nt be bothered if it was'nt I could play 4-2 all day.

jayteecork · 20-11-2009 4:19pm

Just killed the old Hero.

Now for the Maneater. Just learned the reincarnate spell so maybe that will help.

Andrew76 · 20-11-2009 4:25pm

Maneater is fairly handy, Warding is a very useful spell to get if you don't already have it and

use the fire brazier in the middle to protect against his spells

.

noodler · 20-11-2009 6:28pm

Hmm, tonight I will start either 4-1 or 1-2 (Have done 1-1, 2-1, 3-1)

jayteecork · 20-11-2009 6:37pm

That second chance spell doesn't work like I hoped.

Just tested it out (lol, first I thought you cast it after death) and it's not really a "reincarnate" spell it's more like getting a half moon herb at the point of death.

If you're back is to the wall and the baddie is beating on you he's still going to be beating on you.

Ah well, this was after I grinded 45K souls to get my faith up so I could use the bloody thing!

Faith ain't bad overall mind you, both magic and physical defense improve if you level it.

noodler · 21-11-2009 2:40am

Killed the Red Dragon. Can I kill the blue one?

Having trouble on 4-1 once I get to the cliff with golden skeletons. Bloody flying stingray are using hat seaking icicles. Very annoying. Just spammed my strength so I could use the steel shield. Hope it helps, Ive trid it about 6 times.

Demons Souls

Comments