• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

I got Dark Souls. Now what?

Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
I finally gave into GAF hype and rented Dark Souls (360) from LOVEFiLM. I have read so much about it that popping it in and crabbing the controller will be a nearly religious event.

I am wondering though how to go into it. I have heard the following:

- I will die ALL THE TIME. I'm thinking CoD Veteran x3.
- I must not go to the wrong direction from the beginning
- I will die all the time anyhow. Smallest slip and I am done.

Anything crucial I missed? How should I grow into the experience? Grind-rebirth cycle? How do I avoid being discouraged by the difficulty?
 
S

sixghost

Member
Pretty early on you are going to see a well with a message nearby telling you to "jump" in to the well. Listen to this message.
 
T

the madman

Neo Member
Whatever you heard was an exaggeration. You won't die nearly as much in Dark Souls as CoD veteran. Because most of the time, the game is fair, and you'll learn.
 
O

Owzers

Member
If you go to an area after the tutorial and you keep dying over and over and it's ridiculously hard....choose another direction. It's not supposed to be THAT hard.
 
O

Orayn

Member
Simple suggestion: At the beginning, go up the staircase toward the bridge, not through the graveyard. The rest will sort itself out without too much frustration, just be very patient, take your time, and ask in the OT on the Community side if you have any questions.
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
Pai Pai Master said:
You return the rental and buy the game, because you're not going to get a lot done in a rental period.
Click to expand...



Except, UK we have Netflix style game rentals. I have 4 games at once. I have had Killzone 3 since April waiting for a cheap Move.

Haven't popped in Dark Souls yet because of its special status. I don't want to ruin it, it seems half of the people trying it hate it.
 
F

Felix Lighter

Member
It's difficult and you need to remain focused and cautious as you play but it isn't as hard as I feared it would be.

Also, you need to let your shield down when trying to backstab.
 
K

Keyser Soze

Member
T

Throavium

Member
I don't understand why you can't just play it without all of the political, "what all of the other gamers say" hoopla.
 
S

sixghost

Member
Just treat every death like a learning experience, and make it a point not to die in the same way twice.

Also, never ever rush.
 
Y

Yo Gotti

Banned
- Just play the game, read the messages on the ground left by other players.
- Don't read too much into peoples suggestions from forums, it'll cheapen and at worst spoil your experience. This is a game best experienced with as little help as possible.
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
Dying doesn't matter. Die often early to take away the sting.
 
F

FaidSint

Member
Be patient and play slow. It's not as insane as everyone says its just a fair amount of trial and error getting used to it.

When you get past the tutorial, dont go to
the skeltons or down the stairs to the ruins
. Instead, go
up the green hill-ish path to the right of the skeleton place/ruins.

I'm sure everyone but me figured that out by themselves. But I spent about an hour and a half of dying to enemies that were way too hard for me, because I really bought into the difficulty hype. If you just attack stuff in the right order, then you'll rarely if ever be outmatched.
 
F

Felix Lighter

Member
As victories stack up, the game will hook you, because you feel a real sense of accomplishment that you rarely experience in single player games these days.
 
B

B-Genius

Unconfirmed Member
Throavium said:
I don't understand why you can't just play it without all of the political, "what all of the other gamers say" hoopla.
Click to expand...
Going in "blind" is a unique experience in itself, and can be very rewarding if you're in the right mindset.

But you have to appreciate someone renting a Souls game for the first time and asking a few simple questions to set them on the right track. There's no political hoopla; just an honest gamer wanting to enjoy a game and not get soured out from the start.

a) Just take your time and embrace the mood. Like others have said, dying doesn't matter. You're already dead.
b) Unless others start coming in here asking for similar advice (maybe a 'Dark Souls newbies' title change would be appropriate), then this didn't really need its own thread. You'll get tons of help in the Community.
 
W

web01

Member
Thye learning curve is steap if you have not played Demon Souls.
It will take you anywhere between 2 - 5 hours to beat the tutorial
and the first proper stage Undead Burg. But once you understand the game mechanics it
should click with you hopefully and become alt easier.
 
C

Coxswain

Member
It's not that you will die over and over and over again. It's that if you don't want to die over and over and over again, you need to play the game cautiously. It's honestly not an exceptionally hard game, even by modern standards, but it does lack the handrails most games have that keep you from falling.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
I just started playing too though not much tonight since I'm tired. Just take it slow and learn from your mistakes. It's really the best advice anyone can give with these types of games. You'll find out it's not as hard as so many say it is.
 
Chittagong

Chittagong

Gold Member
Perhaps surprisingly, I did consider whether to start a thread. I think the amount of replies demonstrates it was worth it - so many passionate people, who probably wouldn't have spotted a lone OT post. Anyway, if this isn't interesting the thread will sink fast enough. But I figured there are a good few Dark Souls rookies who might be in the same spot as I am.

Like b-Genius said, the idea is to start on the right foot, because I saw so many people mention DS in the regrets thread.

I really appreciate all the suggestions in the thread.
 
G

Ghost_Protocol

Member
Start as a Warrior or Pyromancer with the master key as your gift. Do not enter the graveyard until you're 10-15 hours into the game. You're welcome.
 
T

Throavium

Member
B-Genius said:
Going in "blind" is a unique experience in itself, and can be very rewarding if you're in the right mindset.

But you have to appreciate someone renting a Souls game for the first time and asking a few simple questions to set them on the right track. There's no political hoopla; just an honest gamer wanting to enjoy a game and not get soured out from the start.

a) Just take your time and embrace the mood. Like others have said, dying doesn't matter. You're already dead.
b) Unless others start coming in here asking for similar advice (maybe a 'Dark Souls newbies' title change would be appropriate), then this didn't really need its own thread. You'll get tons of help in the Community.
Click to expand...
Well put, just for me I tend to disconnect my own gameplay from everyone else, for single player games like these. I went into Demon's Souls without any idea what the game was or about, I adapted to the difficulty after 5 hours of dieing from stupid shit.
 
V

Varna

Member
My tip.

Don't read up on the game... especially wikis. This game is the most amazing thing going in blind.
 
A

Axelstream

Member
Lot of good suggestions here. Here's a little battle tip: hold your shield up all the time as you travel around, but in between the blows you soak up with it, let your shield down momentarily so you can recover some stamina. This is very useful when facing off against a group of enemies; just don't get caught off guard.
 
P

Poimandres

Member
Coxswain said:
It's not that you will die over and over and over again. It's that if you don't want to die over and over and over again, you need to play the game cautiously. It's honestly not an exceptionally hard game, even by modern standards, but it does lack the handrails most games have that keep you from falling.
Click to expand...

I've seen other people say the game isn't particularly hard... but I've been gaming for decades, and am finding it pretty bloody tough.

I'd recommend playing Pyro, with the master key. Those flames come in handy.
 
T

toastyToast

Member
Be extra careful your first time through an area. More than anything you're just scouting enemy positions. Also if you're going somewhere you haven't been before don't be carry a shit ton of souls.

Also try and get a 100% block physical shield as soon as possible. Knights start off with one I think, otherwise you can buy a Heater Shield from the first vendor in Undead Burg.

If you want to make things somewhat easier for yourself start off as a pyro.

It's a not a 'hard' game, but mistakes are usually punished severely.
 
H

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
Play carefully, pay attention. The game's pace is very deliberate. If you respect the game and make an active effort to learn about how it works, it is NOT unreasonably difficult.

If you do find yourself dying a lot, try to manage your souls so you don't lose too many. Try to spend as many as you can before you explore a new/dangerous place.

Another tip: The items you pick up are yours to keep, even if you die the very next second.
 
H

H_Prestige

Banned
Biggest thing to realize is that you don't lose anything by dying. You keep any item you've picked up and any progress you made. The game is constantly saving your progress. You just drop the souls you acquired since the last bonfire and the enemies are reset. In that sense it is actually more forgiving than the typical RPG.

I'm pretty far into the game and I would say that stats don't really matter as much as a solid weapon and shield, and no where near as much as actual combat skill. I would start with a light armor set for extra mobility and only put points into VIT and END. Upgrade STR only as needed, don't go beyond the minimum requirement for your weapon of choice.
 
A

Aselith

Member
You will probably die all the time at first but the game has a lot less one hit kills than Demon's Souls. Just keep yourself protected (keep that shield up!) and back off if your stamina starts to get low and you'll be fine. You'll die but just try to figure out what caused you to die and you'll do better the next go around.

Just try to have fun in the moment to moment play rather than getting hung up on how many souls you lost (it's an insignificant number in the long run) or how far you got (you'll get back there and go farther so it's not a big deal). The combat is fun so just focus on the fight you're in and don't worry about what comes later or what came before.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Alone in the Dark | Review Thread
Analysis Review 2 3
136
7K
Alan Wake replied
Lords of the Fallen devs say they worry about the amount of soulslikes; think gamers still respond to RPGs like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring
Opinion Game Dev 2
55
3K
PanzerCute replied
  • Locked
lttp: Alan wake 2, no wonder it didn't sell
22
2K
Gamer_By_Proxy replied
Started Dark Souls 3 after Elden Ring. Difficulty spikes are real
Opinion 2
79
26K
BadBurger replied
LTTP: Lords of the Fallen (2023) | Great potential, bad design decisions
Opinion LTTP
11
1K
ChoosableOne replied
Top Bottom