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The Souls series has been a blessing for video games & there's nothing like them

Rtas

Member
Hopefully they do a Souls-esque game in a completely different setting. No more castles, no more dragons, something new.

This is some embarrassing shit.

He has a PHD in history specializing in Historical combat through this he does HEMA along with other medieval combat and martial arts styles, people laud this game over its "realistic" combat, according to him its inaccurate and that saddens him. Why is this embarrassing?
 

pa22word

Member
He has a PHD in history specializing in Historical combat, people laud this game over its "realistic" combat, according to him its inaccurate that saddens him. Why is this embarrassing?
The only people calling the game accurate to real life are people who've been drinking way too much fanboy koolaid and shouldn't be taken seriously.
 

JDB

Banned
He has a PHD in history specializing in Historical combat through this he does HEMA along with other medieval combat and martial arts styles, people laud this game over its "realistic" combat, according to him its inaccurate and that saddens him. Why is this embarrassing?
What? Who lauded this game for its realistic combat?
 

Rtas

Member
What? Who laud this game for its realistic combat?

Spend 11 seconds on the Souls subreddit or any youtube playthrough of the last 3 years. You'll hear people call it "Realistic" dozens of times in a few minutes.


I acknowledge not everyone views it this way, I'm saying his reaction to those vocal few.


The only people calling the game accurate to real life are people who've been drinking way too much fanboy koolaid and shouldn't be taken seriously.

I'm aware of this like with many other games, he is rather limited in his knowledge of fanboy gushing, he's only started gaming in the last 5 years
 
J

JeremyEtcetera

Unconfirmed Member
It was a right place right time situation with the Souls series. People were getting tired of the industry headed towards an obsessively hand holding, overly tutorialized, super easy video game future. Skyward Sword was the peak/culmination of these things to me.
 

Kudo

Member
Without them, gaming would be so much less.
I think they're the current pillars of gaming for me, I hope we'll hear what FromSoft is up to soon enough.
 

hotcyder

Member
The Souls series is massively over-rated

tumblr_mnbbjz2XpF1qdzs7mo1_500.gif


(They are very good but come on guys)
 

AndersK

Member
So what is overrated about them?

Overrated is, and has always been, a roundabout term to state that "the masses" who love something haven't seen "the light" and come to the only true conclusion: That said game/move/piece of entertainment isn't a good as they think, cuz i said so.

The term has bothered me for some time. Overrated isn't solely a critique of the thing itself, but the people who like said thing. Too smug for me, tbh.
 

jacobs34

Member
Dark Souls and Bloodborne are both in my top five games of all time. I'm not sure we'll see anything like this series again in our lifetimes, but I'm so glad we got to experience the Souls games.
 
Can't wait to see what Miyazaki, and his team reveal next year. My favorite developer by a mile. DS1 is in top 3 favorite games of all time, and BB is one of the greatest works of art ever created.

034-480x319.jpg
 

cyba89

Member
Its not that I want handholding I'd simply more like an inkling of what I'm meant to do at the start of the game, you just get out and have no explanation of what you're actually doing

The first NPC in Firelink Shrine tells you about two bells you have to ring and he also tells you where they are.
 

Sami+

Member
Demon's Souls had more personality than any of the Dark Souls games. It's the father of this new genre and brought so much innovation to the table like invasions, no voice chat, and also the overlooked aspect of bringing NPCs to your lobby/HUB, some who can be bad. For example, in Demon's if you bring Yurt to your lobby, he will start slowly killing other NPCs.

I would have said this before I played Dark Souls 3, which I just finished a few days ago. I'd argue it's the only Dark Souls game to have that same atmosphere and tone that Demon's captured back in 09. I absolutely LOVED Yuria and the entire Londor questline in DS3, wasn't at all what I expected and I loved all the turns it took.

I honestly think Dark Souls 3 is my new favorite game, which was previously Demon's Souls. It's seriously just so good.
 
Overrated is, and has always been, a roundabout term to state that "the masses" who love something haven't seen "the light" and come to the only true conclusion: That said game/move/piece of entertainment isn't a good as they think, cuz i said so.

The term has bothered me for some time. Overrated isn't solely a critique of the thing itself, but the people who like said thing. Too smug for me, tbh.
The irony in this post...
Most of the time , what you've just described here is the common attitude among souls fans towards fans of other games.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
That is not to say that all of the Souls games are "the best game ever"
But they are, though. :)

Came in expecting Soul Edge/Calibur =/
whatyearisthis.gif

nothing like them?

you should try blade the edge of darkness / severance
*eye-roll*

What? Who lauded this game for its realistic combat?
What, you're saying the games featuring swords like this aren't realistic??
/s

4999027199_16de16986f_z.jpg


I weep bitter tears at the inaccuracy myself.
 

Sami+

Member
But they are, though. :)


whatyearisthis.gif


*eye-roll*


What, you're saying the games featuring swords like this aren't realistic??
/s

4999027199_16de16986f_z.jpg


I weep bitter tears at the inaccuracy myself.

I'll never get over how the giant swords in Demon's Souls just clipped straight through your shoulders at all times lol. Still love the look of that game though.
 

Arkeband

Banned
Hopefully they do a Souls-esque game in a completely different setting. No more castles, no more dragons, something new.

This is some embarrassing shit.

Souls is at its best when it's a brand new setting, which is why DeS, DaS and BB are the best entries.
 
I fondly remember signing up for GameFly and renting both Demon's Souls and Dragon Age: Origins. I was in the mood for an RPG and both of those were ones that looked interesting.

Tried them both out and Demon's just wrecked me in the first level. Never reached the boss and immediately sent the disc back (along with Dragon Age, didn't like it.)

A couple weeks later I kept thinking about Demon's Souls. Eventually I said fuck it and bought and was determined to get through it.

It was such an amazing experience to play through. I raved about it to all my friends who would listen. I was hooked and I got them hooked. So satisfying to play really.

With Dark Souls 3 and it's DLC - I do feel I got burnt out. I think it's mainly due to the DLC I think. I never actually finished it. And I just don't care too, despite that, a bad Souls game is still an amazing game.
 

VertPin

Member
I don't know what you're talking about.

wiwQb3W.gif


Seems realistic to me.

...I may be the only one, but I sure hope sword arts don't come back. Most of them are too anime like and are awful for PvP. Ashen Estus sucks too.

Dark Souls 3 is still excellent though. Love me some SoulsBorne games. If only Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1 would be rereleased...
 
...I may be the only one, but I sure hope sword arts don't come back. Most of them are too anime like and are awful for PvP. Ashen Estus sucks too.

Dark Souls 3 is still excellent though. Love me some SoulsBorne games. If only Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1 would be rereleased...

That wasn't even a Weapon art though. Just the L1 attacks.
 

Wamb0wneD

Member
Spend 11 seconds on the Souls subreddit or any youtube playthrough of the last 3 years. You'll hear people call it "Realistic" dozens of times in a few minutes.


I acknowledge not everyone views it this way, I'm saying his reaction to those vocal few.
Because it's so realistic to dual wield two magical scytes that emit frost.

I've hear a hundred praises of these games, and not one of them was realistc swordplay.
 
Completely agree. I know people are getting annoying with Souls-fanatics but I don't really mind. I love these games and I consider them to be among the best not only gaming but cultural products in recent years. Dark Souls and Bloodborne are breathtaking experiences and represent exactly what I want from games.
 
I really wish I could understand the hype and love this series gets. I always feel like I should enjoy them but even when I had finally got passed a hard part I found myself not excited for what's up ahead.

I think it's cool all the people it has inspired with its gameplay and difficulty, I will just never get it.
 

Raven117

Gold Member
Indeed. Truly a remarkable series. Finding that gem in 2009 in Demon's Souls (even preordered the collectors edition back when it was just an "importers" game, is one of my favorite gaming purchases).

That one game reminded why I pick up a controller at all any more.

Sure, the series has hit fatigue a bit, and I'm ready to see what else FromSoftware has to offer, but mother of gawd, the series is sublime.

While I know this isn't a which one is "better", Demon's to me is the most raw, creative and daring of the bunch. Couple that with just how much of a secret it was when it first came out...it was a recipe for something great.

While Dark Souls refined the formula with incredible level design...there was just something more allusive in Demons.
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Yup, they've all been incredible to me. Before Demon's Souls I was never hugely into combat-centric action games. Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta--games like these don't appeal to me.

But the Souls series managed to find that perfect balance between weighty, meaningful, skill-focused combat without all of the inputs common to action games, all the while still feeling deliberate and strategic.

Not to mention the consistently fantastic world-building in each of the titles, the memorable settings, bosses, weapons, soundtracks, etc.
 

JDB

Banned
Weapon arts were great. Guess you could dislike the specific attacks of some weapons, but I loved the increased amount of attacks each weapon had. Never really used the Ashen Estus Flasks, though.
 

cireza

Banned
I personally find that Souls games brought me the same kind of experience I already had and loved with Hexen on Saturn, Record of Lodoss War and Dragon's Blood on Dreamcast.

Not exactly the same genres, but still very close in many aspects.
 

Atlas157

Member
Personally was never a fan of this series. I played through all of them and while the difficulty was refreshing the buggy and clunky combat was horrendously unfun.

Couple that with the fact the game literally does not tell you at all what to do or when its necessary. No game should absolutely require a guide or trial and error to find the next objective.


I started the game the first time got past the first "boss" and upon leaving the asylum I promptly ran somewhere I (according to my friend) shouldn't be going near till later in the game. But of course the game doesn't say that, it lets you run straight in and die to an enemy you have no hope of defeating.


Difficulty was refreshing though a lot of the people who say its the hardest game ever seriously need to go back and play Contra. The art and story were engrossing and beautiful but the gameplay and horrible combat ruined these games for me. I know a friend who actually does HEMA as a historical martial artist and the swordplay in this game literally makes him cry with its inaccuracy.

It's people like you that's the reason why games these days are piss easy and spoon feed you where to go with every objective or quest.

There's this thing called exploration. If you go into an area in a game and you immediately get destroyed, guess what? That's your sign not to go there. The game tells you if an area is too difficult for a new player by trial and error and by killing you for making that mistake. That's the way of the game making you think "I should come back here with better stats and gear". And even then, it's possible to beat the entire game at level 1, with no armor, with your fist only. You can go to mid game areas immediately after arriving at Firelink and survive if you're good enough.

Also, who cares if the combat in a fictional action RPG is inaccurate? Does your friend go to every single game with swordplay and criticize those too? The funny part is that he chooses to criticize the swordplay in a game with many fictional elements to it. if the game isn't trying to be realistic, who gives a shit? That's like criticizing Forza Horizon for being unrealistic because of the simcade driving physics, when it's not even trying to be realistic like a real sim.

I'm not trying to downplay your opinions here, but I haven't seen this much whining about the series in a single post in a long time.
 

Javier23

Banned
I know a friend who actually does HEMA as a historical martial artist and the swordplay in this game literally makes him cry with its inaccuracy.
I can imagine this guy spending his days crying at every slight disappointment he faces in his daily life.
 

Stiler

Member
I love the Souls games and while I agree that it's world design/lore is unmatched I think you can actually trace a lot of its roots back a bit to a little known game,

DcszPlz.png

qqqjOIy.gif


It shares a lot in common with the souls games, from it's weary world design and very similar combat systems (moves depend on what weapon you pick up, etc).

I loved the combat in Severance and the souls games are pretty much the closest to it that any game ever came after it.

Severance combat was a bit more in depth, when it comes to moves it has more per weapon then souls and the inputs are more like say, a fighting game, but once you get used to the controls the combat is amazing like souls.

You have to take into account the stamina cost, the length of the attack, and the enemies also can damage other enemies so positioning/dodging is key like in the souls games.
 

autoduelist

Member
Couple that with the fact the game literally does not tell you at all what to do or when its necessary. No game should absolutely require a guide or trial and error to find the next objective.


I started the game the first time got past the first "boss" and upon leaving the asylum I promptly ran somewhere I (according to my friend) shouldn't be going near till later in the game. But of course the game doesn't say that, it lets you run straight in and die to an enemy you have no hope of defeating.

The game -clearly- did say that area was too difficult for you... by killing you. If that's not a neon sign saying 'go a different way', then I don't know what is. Perhaps you struggled with this because you're used to modern, linear games [so didn't even think to try another path]... but this isn't a problem with D*Souls, it's a problem with modern game design that more games don't do this.

Like, this literally hurts my head. I want there to be different paths to explore, and not all zones should be safe at all times. Not every hard zone should be locked behind silly contrivances [oh, this bridge is broken til you do this and that], or so far away from the starting zone that there is no way to reach it until you've level'd enough that it's now easy.

I mean, what's the point of a hard zone if you can't reach it til it's not hard anymore?
 

ApharmdX

Banned
I love these games and they have left a fantastic legacy, but sadly they have ruined combat in other adventure/action RPGs for me. Playing Breath of the Wild and the combat is terrible compared to Souls. I struggled with The Witcher 3 for the same reason. From has the "right" approach to combat, and most other systems compare poorly to theirs. Other developers need to take away the lessons taught by Dark Souls and incorporate them into their own games. Until they do I'll continue to be disappointed in their battle systems.

Bloodborne is a masterpiece that stands above the rest of Froms games, in my opinion.

If you include the DLC, possibly. I like Dark Souls 3 better for the build variety but Bloodborne's DLC bosses are amazing, and its world/lore are so interesting. I would not be sad at all if Bloodborne got a sequel, though I'd prefer it came to the PC in glorious 60 fps.
 

strafer

member
I have beaten the Souls games multiple times but I could never finish Bloodborne, something about it just didn't grab me, I lost interest in it.
 

sublimit

Banned
I personally find that Souls games brought me the same kind of experience I already had and loved with Hexen on Saturn, Record of Lodoss War and Dragon's Blood on Dreamcast.

Not exactly the same genres, but still very close in many aspects.

One series that the Souls games personally reminded me a lot (which is also the case for many others that i know of) are the classic Tomb Raider games.Sure different genres and all but they also share quite many similarities.Especially Tomb Raider 1 and TR 3 on Playstation (due to the similarly punishing save systems).The feeling of isolation,the level designs,the ambient sounds,being able to recognize an enemy even before you saw him due to the sounds he made,the often oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere,the minimal use of music,the deadly traps and the feeling that the environment can be both your enemy or your friend,The very cleverly hidden secrets that rewarded risk,skill and observation were all things that i missed so much in every TR i played after Chronicles and i was so glad to see all those elements back in Demon's Souls when i first played it in 2009.

To me the Souls games actually felt more "Tomb Raider-ish" than anything Crystal Dynamics has ever produced.
 

hemo memo

Gold Member
If you enjoyed the game you shouldn't be afraid to ask other players to help you.Sure many people will tell you "noooo Souls games should be always played solo!!" but seriously fuck that attitude (and i'm saying this as someone who mostly plays these games solo especially the first time i play them.)The important thing is for you to get better and to understand the mechanics of the games.And if you give them enough time and patience while having fun with co-op i'm sure you will eventually.

Thank you. I tried to play solo because Idon’t have many friends to play games with and the one I know will probably never play it. Not the type of game they play and about asking gaffers for help, sometimes the language can be a barrier. But enjoyed what I played of it. I’ll try to play one of DS games if it gets a discount on PSN.
 

jimboton

Member
I love the Souls games and while I agree that it's world design/lore is unmatched I think you can actually trace a lot of its roots back a bit to a little known game,

DcszPlz.png

qqqjOIy.gif


It shares a lot in common with the souls games, from it's weary world design and very similar combat systems (moves depend on what weapon you pick up, etc).

I loved the combat in Severance and the souls games are pretty much the closest to it that any game ever came after it.

Severance combat was a bit more in depth, when it comes to moves it has more per weapon then souls and the inputs are more like say, a fighting game, but once you get used to the controls the combat is amazing like souls.

You have to take into account the stamina cost, the length of the attack, and the enemies also can damage other enemies so positioning/dodging is key like in the souls games.

What a great game. Best thing to ever come from Mercury Steam (back when they were called Rebel Act).

Yeah, take the combat from Blade and the atmosphere, lore and exploration from From's own King's Field and you get something... suspiciously like Demon's Souls..
 
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