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[hydrophilic attack]

Solo?? I don't believe you one bit.

I don't know if I believe this.

lol why would i lie about it and lol yes solo

i just found them really easy

fume knight took me over a day tho

maybe i finally got gud? the only boss i needed many attempts to beat in iii was nameless king. in addition to him the only ones who killed me more than a handful of times were curserotted greatwood and oceiros. beat around a third of the bosses on my first attempt

oh yeah I forgot about Midir in the second dlc, that one killed me more times than nameless king

 

[Sami+]

And how you get there is really unique.

That was seriously so fucking cool. LOVED how the whole thing seemed to be a meditative trance and the way it continues into the Crestfallen Knight's story. The whole thing felt really novel.

Yes it's a really good game. Not my favourite game in the series because it was a little too conservative but they made very few mistakes in this. It's also drop-dead gorgeous on PC in 1440p. Also, it's honestly clearly the hardest game in the series despite what people with 5 games of Souls experience going into the game claimed.

Just terrific and yes, it got robbed blind in GAF's 2016 election. It was easily the best game last year.

Yeah, it's great that it came out as amazing as it did but it almost feels like holding back the release date a few months to a year would have helped it a lot. Maybe having released it with Ariandel as part of the launch and saving Ringed City as the only DLC.

 

[Randall365]

I'm in the minority, but I genuinely preferred DS1 & 2.

The main game was very good but declined in the second half. I was not so impressed with the DLC and thought they just ran out of ideas making the last two bosses relatively easy but with massive hp and ludicrously damaging last phases.

As for that reindeer bullshit...

 

[Jangowuzhere]

Got about to the halfway point and just stopped.

I am so burnt out on the series and this style of game. Especially with Dark Souls 3 and its constant reuse of previous ideas. Did we really need to explore another undead castle area? Was it really needed for us to go to more catacombs? How many creepy weird forests do we actually need to visit?

All of these games start to blend together at some point.

 

[Raitaro]

Glad you liked it so much OP. As for me:

I'm in the minority, but I genuinely preferred DS1 & 2.

The main game was very good but declined in the second half. I was not so impressed with the DLC and thought they just ran out of ideas making the last two bosses relatively easy but with massive hp and ludicrously damaging last phases.

As for that reindeer bullshit...

Personally, I agree but prefer DeS and DS to 3, but not DS 2 (which I never could fully appreciate the animations of). For some reason DS 3 never became truly memorable for me even though I did enjoy my time with it. Something about the color scheme perhaps, like the many brownish looking areas made it more forgettable? Didn't care about many of the bosses either, the princes, Aldritch (i.e. the biggest deflation of built up hype in the game imo) and Sulyvahn especially.

Not 100% sure about why exactly for any of that, I'm just conveying my gut feeling after playing it. It's a good game, don't get me wrong, but just a bit "check-listy" and not as tightly designed in its environments nor as visually striking or memorable to me as DeS and DS. Might be in part due to a general Souls burnout though.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

I'm in the minority, but I genuinely preferred DS1 & 2.

Preferring DS1 is definitely not "the minority"...

As for that reindeer bullshit...

The what now

The only reindeer I remember are from DS2's 3rd DLC (also called "horses" depending on who you ask)

 

[Nev]

I also got Demon's Souls vibes from it. Especially Lothric Castle. That place was so Boletaria.

I think the intention is pretty obviously there. The dialogue from the Firekeeper is blatant. The gameplay is also basically Demon's Souls 2.

I feel like Miyazaki and the team tried to make the definitive Souls with elements from all games and they succeeded at it, especially when removing Dark Souls 2 from history from a gameplay perspective.

The people calling this game "bad" must be out of their minds.

It's deliciously consistent and if we hadn't played 4 similar games before it'd be the best along with Bloodborne. But the fatigue is real. The fact that it managed to be yet another masterpiece after so many games in so little time is such an incredible feat.

It's the best final chapter I could've asked for the Souls saga.

 

[KLoWn]

lol why would i lie about it

To make everyone think you're better than you actually are?

Not that it's impossible to do, it's just that when you say you died at the Deacons of the Deep but killed Friede on your first try it just sounds like you're making shit up. Nobody dies at the Deacons of the Deep.

 

[ghibli99]

Damn, I really need to get to this. Only a few hours into SOTFS, which I admittedly really like so far (everyone says I'm supposed to hate it ).

 

[Human Trashcan]

Gael is such a fucking brilliant final boss. I really love how this game ended, although I wish maybe *Something* happened when you give the painter the blood of the dark soul.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

To make everyone think you're better than you actually are?

Not that it's impossible to do, it's just that when you say you died at the Deacons of the Deep but killed Friede on your first try it just sounds like you're making shit up. Nobody dies at the Deacons of the Deep.

I uh... died at the Deacons the first time xD

Because I was playing it like a Souls boss. Being careful, focusing on avoiding hits, etc. Then I saw the room get dark and backed away, expecting a large AOE attack, then I saw the poison resist bar getting filled and thought "oh, it's a poison mist?".

Except it wasn't the poison bar, I mistook that bar for what it was, the Curse bar, I just stood there wondering what was happening, and then I got cursed and died. xD

I came back, mashed r1 in the thick of it, trading hits and not caring (barely even needing to heal), then the boss died super fast. xD

On all my replays I never saw the curse fog again, because I always just mash r1 at the summoning deacon and don't worry about getting hit.

 

[Drillary Clinton]

Game is fantastic and sometimes I hesitate to say I like 1 more.

 

[ValfarHL]

Played it till about 50% just after release. Think I'll start fresh again, thanks OP!

Bloodborne is forever my GOAT.

 

[Ferr986]

I feel like Miyazaki and the team tried to make the definitive Souls with elements from all games and they succeeded at it, especially when removing Dark Souls 2 from history from a gameplay perspective.
.

IMO if this franchise (Bloodborne included) has a problem is that no game succeded to just get everything good from the previous entry to make the definitive Souls game. There's always something that weirdly is missing from the last game.

 

[Head of Vengarl]

Dark Souls III is amazing. The only thing that keeps it from being mentioned with the all time greats is Souls fatigue.

^^^

DS3 was my first Souls game. It absolutely blew me away, and basically ruined the action RPG genre for me because nothing (with the possible exception of Dragon's Dogma) comes close to matching the combat in this game. People give me shit for saying DS3 is the GOTG, but it's true. The vast majority of the complaints I hear about it can be attributed to Souls fatigue. In a vacuum, DS3 is one of the greatest games of all time, and my personal favorite RPG ever.

 

[Raptor]

As for that reindeer bullshit...

What reindeer bullshit?

 

[Gin-Shiio]

I thought Dark Souls 3 did a good enough job of mixing it up and looking visually distinct from it's predecessors. In particular though Archdragon's Peak might just be one of my favorite areas in the entire series. The whole experience is just stunningly gorgeous and totally different from everything that came before it in previous games.

You're right. Archdragon's Peak is indeed one of the standout areas of the game. There is other great stuff too, like the latter parts of the castle. However, there is a lot of stuff you might as well call a series staple at this point, such as the swamp and the catacombs, and even the undead village by extension if you count Bloodborne. The swamp and catacombs also happen to be among the worst and most forgettable areas in the game, being arguably worse than their predeccesor's take on the idea while not offering much in the way of surprises, so it's easy to have them color your perception of the game's area variety negatively.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

To make everyone think you're better than you actually are?

Not that it's impossible to do, it's just that when you say you died at the Deacons of the Deep but killed Friede on your first try it just sounds like you're making shit up. Nobody dies at the Deacons of the Deep.

yes i worry so much about whether a bunch of people who don't even know my name think i'm good at souls games

I uh... died at the Deacons the first time xD

Because I was playing it like a Souls boss. Being careful, focusing on avoiding hits, etc. Then I saw the room get dark and backed away, expecting a large AOE attack, then I saw the poison resist bar getting filled and thought "oh, it's a poison mist?".

Except it wasn't the poison bar, I mistook that bar for what it was, the Curse bar, I just stood there wondering what was happening, and then I got cursed and died. xD

I came back, mashed r1 in the thick of it, trading hits and not caring (barely even needing to heal), then the boss died super fast. xD

On all my replays I never saw the curse fog again, because I always just mash r1 at the summoning deacon and don't worry about getting hit.

lol yes this is how i died against them too on my first attempt

What reindeer bullshit?

they are probably talking about the horse enemies in the frigid wastes in the final ii dlc

 

[KittenMaster]

Dark Souls III is amazing. The only thing that keeps it from being mentioned with the all time greats is Souls fatigue.

This might explain why the game gets a lot more hate than it actually deserves despite having top quality level design (not to be confused with how the levels are connected), enemy design, and controls. I remember something similar happening with New Super Mario Bros. Wii which was a solid Mario game but was something not everybody wanted.

 

[Raptor]

they are probably talking about the horse enemies in the frigid wastes in the final ii dlc

I need to get on the DLC, damn it.

 

[nachum00]

Yet Dark Souls 1 is still the best in the franchise.

 

[usp84]

No Souls fatigue for me.Not even close


I first played Demons Souls in 2013 and since I have played every game countless times and will play them for a very long time.


So yeah Dark Souls 3 was my 2016 GOTY even better than Dishonored 2.

The DLCs have some of the best bosses in all the games.Midir is absolutely amazing.Great OST too

 

[Sami+]

Yet Dark Souls 1 is still the best in the franchise.

Eehhh. Dark Souls 1 wasn't even the best when it came out imo lol. Lost Izalith was pretty baaaaadddd

 

[Imp the Dimp]

This might explain why the game gets a lot more hate than it actually deserves despite having top quality level design (not to be confused with how the levels are connected), enemy design, and controls. I remember something similar happening with New Super Mario Bros. Wii which was a solid Mario game but was something not everybody wanted.

Yes, but Souls fatigue is real and a legitimate reason to slam the game. One Souls game per year for the last X years was bound to tire people out and I'm glad they took a break this year. Of course you're not obliged to play anything on day 1 but yeah, that didn't help DS3's reputation did it.

 

[Bronetta]

Yet Dark Souls 1 is still the best in the franchise.

Not when it has the worst bosses in the series (Capra Demon and Bed of Chaos), the worst areas in the series (Lost Izalith, Demon Ruins, Tomb of Giants, Crystal Cave) and a terrible end game.

Dark Souls peaks with Anor Londo and struggles to even match Demons Souls the rest of the time. Every area in Demons Souls is fun and well paced. Every boss is consistently good throughout.

Not to turn this into list wars but:

Bloodborne > Demons > Dark Souls 3 > Dark Souls.



Dark Souls 2 was so bad I couldnt make it more than a few hours.

 

[Wagram]

Hyperbole is the best way to make others take you seriously.

 

[DaciaJC]

Not when it has the worst bosses in the series (Capra Demon and Bed of Chaos), the worst areas in the series (Lost Izalith, Demon Ruins, Tomb of Giants, Crystal Cave) and a terrible end game.

Dark Souls peaks with Anor Londo and struggles to even match Demons Souls the rest of the time. Every area in Demons Souls is fun and well paced. Every boss is consistently good throughout.

Leechmonger and Shit Flinger are good bosses?

 

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

Not when it has the worst bosses in the series (Capra Demon and Bed of Chaos), the worst areas in the series (Lost Izalith, Demon Ruins, Tomb of Giants, Crystal Cave) and a terrible end game.

Dark Souls peaks with Anor Londo and struggles to even match Demons Souls the rest of the time. Every area in Demons Souls is fun and well paced. Every boss is consistently good throughout.

Not to turn this into list wars but:

Bloodborne > Demons > Dark Souls 3 > Dark Souls.



Dark Souls 2 was so bad I couldnt make it more than a few hours.

Dark Souls definitely has consistently stronger bosses than Demon's Souls, which 1) had fewer bosses than DS1 and 2) had Leechmonger, Dirty Colossus, Adjudicator, Penetrator, Tower Knight, Maiden Astraea (phenomenal aesthetically but there's not much going on in that fight mechanically). Demon's Souls' bosses tend to have cool gimmicks and they have great character designs, but Dark Souls did a better job of giving its bosses varied movesets to deal with - a lot of the fights aren't as memorable / gimmicky as Demon's but they are generally better (Bed of Chaos and Centipede Demon (way worse than Capra Demon honestly) aside).

Dark Souls definitely dips in quality once you get past Anor Londo but I think the degree to which it gets worse is vastly overstated. Duke's Archives, New Londo Ruins, and Tomb of the Giants are perfectly fine levels; on par with the average area from earlier in the game (even if they aren't as good as, like, Sen's Fortress, the best stage in the game). The only thing that makes them less interesting is their lack of branching paths, which I think is the one thing Dark Souls truly has over the rest of the series. Only Demon Ruins and Lost Izalith are true weak links.

 

[Nev]

Yet Dark Souls 1 is still the best in the franchise.

Nah. It's the most inconsistent in the franchise though, that's true.

Demon's Souls and especially Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne are on another level because their consistency is admirable.

These games keep their quality (with minor hiccups) from beggining to end and Dark Souls 1 doesn't. And I say that as someone who likes Tomb of the Giants and doesn't mind Crystal Caves or New Londo Ruins.

Demon Ruins / Lost Izalith should've been completely removed from the game or made 90% shorter/smaller.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

WTF is wrong with Penetrator? It's a great fight.

 

[astroturfing]

Leechmonger and Shit Flinger are good bosses?

hey man i like em.. they fit the levels perfectly. gross masses of putrid whatever, whats not to love?

DSIII needed more gross bosses/enemies. it's a bit too neat and clinical.

 

[Wink]

To me Dark Souls 3 is the culmination of everything Souls. It looks great and plays even better. It's polished like Mister Miyagi's car after tricking a kid into child labour without pay.
If there ever was a franchise where I would not only accept but be delighted if it would release on a yearly basis with minor changes in setting and/or mechanics, even if it means the teams would have to cut some corners to make it, it'd be Souls.
If fatigue is honestly the reason to dog a game I would ask those fatigued by it to kindly just skip it, be quiet and not fuck it up for the rest of us (I'm sure this break would have happened regardless of mention of fatigue or not. Miyazaki is likely sick of directing them anyway, but still, anything that might influence less Souls is a bad influence in my book)

 

[Bronetta]

To avoid completely dunking on Dark Souls, I will give it credit for the level design and some brilliant shortcuts. Ornstein and Smough are legendary, Anor Londo is one of the most memorable area in the series.

Artorias of the Abyss DLC included really improved my opinion of the game. Artorias and Manus are still among the best bosses the series has had.

I'm of the opinion that Dark Souls has some really high highs but some absolutely low lows. Demons Souls was more consistently good despite being a bit more primitive.

 

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

WTF is wrong with Penetrator? It's a great fight.

I'm not calling it bad, but it's definitely simplistic compared to most of the bosses in Dark Souls. That's my point; Demon's Souls has some cool boss concepts but Dark Souls' bosses are generally a lot more complex.

 

[DaciaJC]

hey man i like em.. they fit the levels perfectly. gross masses of putrid whatever, whats not to love?

DSIII needed more gross bosses/enemies. it's a bit too neat and clinical.

They look the part, sure, but they play about as well as Covetous Demon.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

DSIII needed more gross bosses/enemies. it's a bit too neat and clinical.

(transformed) Iudex Gundyr
Curse-Rotted Greatwood
Aldrich the Devourer
High Lord Wolnir
Old Demon King

I'd say it's fine. About on par with other Souls games. If you want more of the truly grotesque, play Bloodborne. ^^

 

[GiantBreadbug]

Bloodborne got me into the games, then DS3 was my first actual Souls game. It really is brilliant. I still just think it's a blast to play through the game.