Agreed. It did have some subtleties in animation but they can always keep refining it!
My only hope is that they push PC and Next-gen and work in 60fps. That really does do something else for Dark Souls PC.
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Dark Souls II (PS3/360/PC) - Edge Magazine details (Prepare yourself)
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Agreed. It did have some subtleties in animation but they can always keep refining it!
My only hope is that they push PC and Next-gen and work in 60fps. That really does do something else for Dark Souls PC.
I don't know, animations were one of the things that drew me in when watching the trailer for the first time.
A good sense of weight, nice looking (for the most part, they don't look goofy) and the feet actually following the ground which, although buggy sometimes, it's something i really love.
BUT of course as everything in life, there is room for improvement.
The sprint animation when double handing is fantastic, and the way you keep heavy weapons on your shoulder.. *swoon*
The excerpts in the OP have me more than a little worried. A business decision to make it more popular and accessible? This series was clearly driven by a man with a vision and that is what made it so good. I'm not expecting great things from these two new directors with the publisher relentlessly looking over their shoulders.
Well, hopefully miyazaki's next game will be as brilliant as Demon's and Dark Souls.
Well, hopefully miyazaki's next game will be as brilliant as Demon's and Dark Souls.
Manmademan
Member
Nier doesn't get GOOD until you've beaten it and go into new game plus. At that point the game gives you kaine's backstory, and translates all of the speech you couldn't understand the first time around. I don't want to spoil the game, but everything you THOUGHT you were doing the first time through is way off base. It's really, really brilliant storytelling.
you really should. It's the only game this gen or previous that implements a morality system that isn't insultingly black and white, and makes the bioware games look like amateur hour. Your choices here actually have huge impact on the storyline, and everything comes together in a way that makes a lot of sense, despite there being a billion ways to play through the game. you can easily play through it 3 times or more and not see everything. Oh, and steven heck is the greatest character in a videogame ever. not an exaggeration.
Nope. play through Nier. in the storytelling department it's in a completely different league. Original concept, shocking presentation- no one saw this one coming. it's a shame it didn't get a better budget than it did, since the gameplay really holds it back from GOAT territory.
Sort of the point- its designed to allow you to "play" through the graphic novel, right down to the visual appearance of the cast. i won't get into gameplay, since that's a different department but this kind of game really wouldn't have worked as an action game with cutscenes- Walking dead isn't resident evil, the appeal is all in interpersonal interaction in the face of a world gone to shit. It's getting GOTY nods (from the video game awards, and from wired among others) purely on the strength of the storytelling, and that REALLY says something. Again- just talking story- the souls games don't really come close to what telltale pulled off here. It's damn near perfect and is far, far better writing than what we've even seen on the show.
the "hollywood formula" is only a small fraction of the storytelling present in games. if all you're paying attention to is the big budget AAA efforts like call of duty or uncharted, that's all you'll see- but that's not all there is.
XANDER CAGE
Member
His collaboration with Judd Apatow, Dank Souls.
I hope you are excited for Lost Kingdoms III.
Stationary turrets.
Are chariots, boats, and horses completely out of place in fantasy settings with long distances to be traversed?
Robotic fish.
I wouldn't have minded a Souls' spin off more focused on Greek inspired mithology (either dark or not i don't care), rather than medieval dark fantasy.
I hope someday they'll make it happen.
BTW this thought wasn't comletely random, seeing taoofjord's avatar sparked the idea.
I hope someday they'll make it happen.
BTW this thought wasn't comletely random, seeing taoofjord's avatar sparked the idea.
Over the terrain that has been featured in this series yes.
Manmademan
Member
Riding that armored boar would have been pretty cool
XANDER CAGE
Member
a Segway!
GhostWriter24
Member
Medieval Warthog + Multiplayer Perks + DLC packs every 2 months confirmed.
Either they're completely unnecessary or the new locations are sprawling generic Skyrimlands that require such vehicles to expedite the otherwise ponderous passage, thus breaking away from Souls tradition of levels designed to be traversed (slowly) on foot. I mean, chariots? Reminds me of Prince of Persia sequels.
I don't like the sound of vehicles in my Souls game. Even horses and boats are kind of iffy for me because it doesn't give the same feeling of isolation 'gotcha' tactics. Maybe if fishmen attacked the boats from underwater at times, but that'll just get repetitive.
Also, making the combat more 'action like'. What does that mean?
Also, making the combat more 'action like'. What does that mean?
Manmademan
Member
I like the combat, but it's not really all that complex. maybe some more fluid animations, and the ability to chain attacks together a bit might have some value.
I'm not talking turning the souls games into tekken, but you could potentially look at say, soul calibur and see some different things that could be done re: chaining a sword attack into a kick or a shield bash.
Phonomezer
Banned
What if it had one centralised, wide open space ala SotC and you got to ride around on a horse, perhaps a few ruins dotted around here and there. I wouldn't say no...
But that pretty much negates the entire concept of stamina. The reason you can't chain a lot of attacks together at a time is because you have to be conscious of your situation. Can you get in another hit, should you put your shield up, is it imperative to roll, should I back step away, can I parry his move, etc.
I can see where you're coming from though, in that it doesn't feel as exciting for some people when they're so constrained.
Manmademan
Member
pretty good idea. did you play Dragon's Dogma? It was sort of like this, but lacked vehicles to get around. (though you did gain a limited ability to warp later in the game).
adding a horse, griffin, or rudimentary wagon wouldn't have hurt that game at all. quite the opposite, actually.
i don't see how it does. Keep the stamina gauge. just allow a smarter way to chain attacks together. you can already parry, kick to create an opening, backstab, and shield bash in dark souls. Why can't I connect these attacks without leaving myself wide open? Did you ever play vagrant story? that game allowed chained attacks (even incorporating offensive or defensive magic if you wanted) while building a "risk" meter that made it progressively more dangerous for the player the longer the chain. And timing was critical and varied based on the equipped weapon. sure, you MIGHT be able to land a 6 hit combo on that mob, but screw up the timing and that's your ass. There's no reason these things can't be done while still having a compelling game.
To start, they could work on this stuff.
Beyond that, they could improve the technical aspects of combat.
- Have shields that are used for turning aside attacks and blocking projectiles, rather than forming stamina-powered force fields. Make blocking and parrying with a shield into one action that emphasizes timing.
- Backstabs could stop giving you a canned animation, invincibility frames, and massive damage just for getting behind an enemy that doesn't turn quickly enough to keep up with you. Add more opportunities for critical attack animations, but make it possible for them to be both canceled and interrupted. Again, replacing some of what parrying does.
- Add more degrees of dodging that aren't useless, and make more of them into sidesteps and hops than impractically huge somersaults and combat rolls.
- Weapons that interact with enemies when they hit instead of passing through. Stabbing attacks can get stuck. Blunt attacks bounce off of armor.
Eh, I'll not complain too loudly until I see solid reason to do so but removing the head guy who's responsible for the series in the first place doesn't seem to be a great start. Hopefully, this won't end up like Devil May Cry 2.
And I'd really like to know what Miyazaki is up to!
And I'd really like to know what Miyazaki is up to!
McHuj
Member
What I loved about the world of Dark Souls was the compactness of it. Unlike Elder scrolls, I could get from about anywhere to anywhere very quickly without the need for additional travel mechanisms.
I don't want a world that requires vehicles for fast travel, to me that says it's boring and empty. I prefer small and dense.
No if they're talking about lets say using a vehicle in a boss fight or some arena (think Roman Colosseum chariot battle), that could work. It could be interesting.
torta_smasher
Member
It is very early to jump on the any train at this point. The game is only 25% done and we haven't seen anything. Though there are some things I am uneasy about, I can only hold my breath at this point that they don't botch the game some how. I'm a little iffy about the inclusion of any vehicles whether for travel and/or combat but I will wait and see before passing judgment.
I don't mind if they improve the covenants, story telling or cosmetics of the game. As long as the game play is solid, improved and fun then I welcome some changes. And the fact that servers might come back is also good. I am cautiously excited
I don't mind if they improve the covenants, story telling or cosmetics of the game. As long as the game play is solid, improved and fun then I welcome some changes. And the fact that servers might come back is also good. I am cautiously excited
I completely agree with each and every one of these points. That said, what I felt he meant was that Souls was going to become more like, say, Darksiders. What you detailed was more dynamic than action led, where it expands the range of options available to a player in combat.
It is very early to jump on the any train at this point. The game is only 25% done and we haven't seen anything. Though there are some things I am uneasy about, I can only hold my breath at this point that they don't botch the game some how. I'm a little iffy about the inclusion of any vehicles whether for travel and/or combat but I will wait and see before passing judgment.
I don't mind if they improve the covenants, story telling or cosmetics of the game. As long as the game play is solid, improved and fun then I welcome some changes. And the fact that servers might come back is also good. I am cautiously excited
Ignore the quotes saying that it'll still be a challenging game with the same basic mechanics and world design. They are literally making DmC, and at the same time Skyrim... Making it a really bad Dragon's Dogma ripoff, I guess?
Shields and backstabs need a major revamp.
I would like to see a system where bringing your shield up as the attack is connecting is the best route in terms of stamina loss and possibly staggering the opponent.
Backstabs just need to deal extra damage. The animations are just too exploitable.
Oh yeah, and nothing like pyromancy EVER AGAIN. No idea what the concept behind it was or why they felt the need to include it. It's just an OP skill set that exist outside of any character building.
I would like to see a system where bringing your shield up as the attack is connecting is the best route in terms of stamina loss and possibly staggering the opponent.
Backstabs just need to deal extra damage. The animations are just too exploitable.
Oh yeah, and nothing like pyromancy EVER AGAIN. No idea what the concept behind it was or why they felt the need to include it. It's just an OP skill set that exist outside of any character building.
torta_smasher
Member
Nothing has been shown so I'm not going to flip the panic switch until I see something whether good or bad. And I haven't played dragons dogma so I don't know lol
I do understand the concerns many have though. After all there aren't really any games like the souls series out there.
Manmademan
Member
DD had some nice combat though. I had a blast as a ranger in that game- arrows were always sort of an afterthought in the souls games.
SJRB
Gold Member
Well yes, honestly. They stated the world will be roughly the same size as Dark Souls. And I don't remember a single moment in Dark Souls where I thought "boy I wish I had a horse".
Not to mention the level design doesn't warrant a vehicle at all. Lots of small areas, narrow hallways, great verticality.
This whole article sounds like a pile-up of everything I DON'T want to hear about a Dark Souls sequel.
I'd give my left nut for LK3.
This worries me greatly.
Demoncarnotaur
Member
Yeah, see this is what has me worried, the fact that they intervened so much and created this game with business decisions in mind. If it were the same team, director, etc making this game on thier own and they decided to make it more accessible.. ok. But that is not the case.. I mean it seems they are clearly unhappy about the fact that so much was dictated by Namco.
A big part of the fun in Dark Souls is sharing secrets. I played the game at the same time as my best friend. We both spent a lot of time with that game and would converge to talk about what stuff we've found. Honestly the inaccessibility, just how much hidden stuff is packed into the game, is probably one of the big reasons why the community is still so active and strong.
It would actually be pretty amazing if Miyazaki weren't on this so they could make a sort of sci-fi version of Demon's Souls/Dark Souls.
EatinOlives
Member
This. For Demon's Souls, Miyazaki went on record to say a large amount of inspiration for this kind of design came from a real-life experience of his, where horrendous weather (a blizzard I think) and a steep incline made for undrivable conditions. The other people stuck in this situation helped each other push cars up the incline, etc. despite the fact that they were complete strangers to one another. He attempted to translate that kind of experience into his game design, where a hostile and unyielding game is felled only by the community pulling together to figure it all out. It's the reason for complete-stranger co-op, the scavenge-y nature of finding the lore/story, leaving messages using the soapstone, etc.
It's why all the people going "EVERYONE LOOKED UP TEH WIKI ANYWAYZ LOL" are missing the point, and why this talk of "accessibility" in the form of more blatant story is completely antithetical of the way the series was conceived. It's sad that Namco doesn't give a shit about preserving that kind core ideas that made the Souls series what they are, and it's even more sad that people here are praising the severe alteration or outright removal of these ideas.
I want to play Gantz Souls. Or Blame! Souls.
Touch fuzZy. get BizZay
Member
Just got more and more concerned reading the thread, so I had to read the edge article. Pretty much every awful sounding statement is much less terrifying when its in the context of the article, instead of just being a pull-quote. But I'm still worried, lol.
One of the many things bothering me...why dual directors? Is that normal? Who calls the shots? I don't remember the last time I heard of a game having 2 directors unless they directed 2 different things, like one focuses on multi player and the other focuses on single player. I should hope that's not the case here, the 2 would need to be seamlessly integrated in a true souls sequel.
One of the many things bothering me...why dual directors? Is that normal? Who calls the shots? I don't remember the last time I heard of a game having 2 directors unless they directed 2 different things, like one focuses on multi player and the other focuses on single player. I should hope that's not the case here, the 2 would need to be seamlessly integrated in a true souls sequel.
Touch fuzZy. get BizZay
Member
Oh man, forget washing pole. Can u imagine having izumi's extending katana?
If these two nubs fuck up the Soul series...
youarealreadydead.jpeg
EDIT: Also, the biggest part of what keeps the games so appealing is not just the difficulty, it's the fact that these games have real secrets to discover. I'm not talking watered down garbage like special achievements and player titles likelike today's games, but genuine, breathtaking discoveries from the nes and master system days, like hitting a fucking texture map and having an entire new area to explore. Shit like falling off a cliff to your death, only to find that you just fell through a secret wall to find a one of a kind weapon, bosses that are not supposed to exist, and stuff that is only rumored to be true. What I'm talking about is the true excitement of discovering something yourself, before the internet, forums and gamefaqs. The kind of secrets where people think you're a lying troll just because it's really THAT difficult to reproduce the steps.
We need more of this. Much more.
youarealreadydead.jpeg
EDIT: Also, the biggest part of what keeps the games so appealing is not just the difficulty, it's the fact that these games have real secrets to discover. I'm not talking watered down garbage like special achievements and player titles likelike today's games, but genuine, breathtaking discoveries from the nes and master system days, like hitting a fucking texture map and having an entire new area to explore. Shit like falling off a cliff to your death, only to find that you just fell through a secret wall to find a one of a kind weapon, bosses that are not supposed to exist, and stuff that is only rumored to be true. What I'm talking about is the true excitement of discovering something yourself, before the internet, forums and gamefaqs. The kind of secrets where people think you're a lying troll just because it's really THAT difficult to reproduce the steps.
We need more of this. Much more.
They will Resident Evil the fuck out of this game.