Smelter Demon run back was so bad I ended up killing everything between me and it the requisite dozen times to clear them out. It wasn't just the length of the run it was the fact that you couldn't just run past everything without probably getting tagged by an arrow and then someone chasing you would catch up and you were on a narrow bridge fighting two guys while dodging arrows and ugh
If I couldn't one-shot Smelter and Chariot consistently, I'd probably just coward out and skip them both on most runs. Or end up putting down characters and not getting back around to them.
Though I guess if I couldn't one-shot them, I'd feel obligated to fight them because of the challenge...
I took out Placidusax by just going full dual wield big ass weapon. When he started teleporting around I just ran away and kept healing Lhuten until she grabbed aggro again.
Smelter Demon run back was so bad I ended up killing everything between me and it the requisite dozen times to clear them out. It wasn't just the length of the run it was the fact that you couldn't just run past everything without probably getting tagged by an arrow and then someone chasing you would catch up and you were on a narrow bridge fighting two guys while dodging arrows and ugh
I'm sorry, you've just reminded me I died twice to Smelter Demon due to getting stuck in the level geometry.
Smelter Demon run back was so bad I ended up killing everything between me and it the requisite dozen times to clear them out. It wasn't just the length of the run it was the fact that you couldn't just run past everything without probably getting tagged by an arrow and then someone chasing you would catch up and you were on a narrow bridge fighting two guys while dodging arrows and ugh
I'm sorry, you've just reminded me I died twice to Smelter Demon due to getting stuck in the level geometry.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck. So much rage.
One of the many many reasons Dark Souls 2 is the only Soulsborne game I've never replayed and will never ever even consider replaying. Shittier in every way that DS1 or DS3 plus with more tedious bullshit sections than both put together, I've never felt the slightest impulse to return to it after beating it.
Playing so much Dark Souls 2 II, aka Elden Ring, does kinda make me want to give the original DS2 another run through. I'm looking back on it far more fondly after how dissapointing large chunks of DS3 and Elden Ring are.
Also I just finished a bow only run in a randomizer run, so I've just about run out of things to do in ER anyway.
Well gee, I'm just about to wrap up Dark Souls 1, you all are making me real excited to start DS2. Especially after some of these locations feel so huge and empty. Anor Londo just felt so sterile and empty.
Well gee, I'm just about to wrap up Dark Souls 1, you all are making me real excited to start DS2. Especially after some of these locations feel so huge and empty. Anor Londo just felt so sterile and empty.
DS2 is v good but also be aware its home to a lot of the worst areas From has made.
You usually have a great area after a bad one so push on through.
I absolutely loathed DS2 the first time through it, I'm sure you can find me bitching up a storm as I went through it in a thread somewhere on here.
...I'm pretty sure I still have more total hours in it than any other, and probably more completed runs.
That's not a defense of it sucking the first time through, but like, it's got a lot going on that's worthwhile.
It has a lot where if you show up and don't know the trick or whatever it's horseshit, but if you do you end up forgetting it was ever a problem:
Carrying a torch around to keep spiders from attacking leading up to and during the Freya fight, carrying a bow and ammo around and doing careful pulls in certain areas that are brutally punishing if you can't, walking into Smelter with healing gems and/or resists, alluring skulls or poison arrows to deal with the chariot, etc., etc.
DS2 I’ve probably replayed the most and even now there is certain areas I clear the the enemies till they stop respawning before I go for the boss. Iron keep being the big one.
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jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
The biggest issue I have with DS2 are the bosses are kind of the worst in the series, to me at least?
None of them every really reach great status, and DS2 has the same problem as Elden Ring does where they went for quantity and not quality.
The endless parade of bosses in DS2 is part of what I like about it. And the DLC had some actually good bosses, Fume Knight and Alonne are top tier and Sinh and Aava are pretty great too.
+2
jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
The endless parade of bosses in DS2 is part of what I like about it. And the DLC had some actually good bosses, Fume Knight and Alonne are top tier and Sinh and Aava are pretty great too.
I enjoyed the DLC bosses. Burnt Ivory King fight was pretty great, and I do like Sinh. I also really liked the Pursuer, Lost Sinner, Looking Glass Knight, and Velstadt.
But man, when you remember the 2 rat bosses, Covetous Demon, Magus and the Congregation, Demon of Song, and Ornstein at Home are all in the same game...
DS2: Scholar edition was my favorite soulsgame until Elden Ring dropped.
My only real advice is to absolutely ask questions because if there's a flaw in DS2 it's that a lot of shit is just too obscure. Like, adaptibility. Look that shit up, don't just guess about it.
+4
jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
Worst boss in DS2 has to be that one that's just a knight in armor.
Genuine first thought:
Thing is, the things I remember most about DS2 is what pissed me off, while the things I remember about Elden Ring are the points where I felt like a bit of a badass.
I make art things! deviantART:Kalnaur ::: Origin: Kalnaur ::: UPlay: Kalnaur
Fume Knight, like Malenia, was nowhere near as hard as people built it up to be. Pursuer is a good idea badly executed (a DS2 specialty) and laughably easy once you've beaten it once.
Ivory King has the best boss approach/arena by far, but the actual fight sucks. I hated the mirror guy, and the rest are a shrug.
Royal Rat Authority is probably the actual worst, all around, yes. Gargoyles and every other 'just add more dudes' fight is probably next...which is like twelve bosses, sadly.
Darkluker is saved by being really cool, otherwise it would be the worst in every category.
people saying malenia isn't that hard or isn't the hardest fromsoft by a mile always drives me crazy
like, i get it, you can summon spirits or cheese it with blasphemous blade or rivers of blood
but goddamn. ten hours of failures trying to solo it. absolutely nothing even comes close. midir, fume knight, ludwig, owl father all walled me off for two, three hours tops
people saying malenia isn't that hard or isn't the hardest fromsoft by a mile always drives me crazy
like, i get it, you can summon spirits or cheese it with blasphemous blade or rivers of blood
but goddamn. ten hours of failures trying to solo it. absolutely nothing even comes close. midir, fume knight, ludwig, owl father all walled me off for two, three hours tops
I agreed this, but I'm pretty sure Owl (Father) was worse for me. Or basically the same.
If we're broadening this to 'use good weapons' then I have to ask how Royal Rat Authority is bad or challenging, when it is wholly trivialized if you have a solution for the adds in your pocket.
Actually if you're willing to change weapons for individual fights I'm not sure there are more than a tiny handful of fights in any of these games that is challenging. DS2 in particular also gives you Brightbugs, so like everything can just be DPS'd down if you find the right weapon for the job and dope up.
+1
jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
people saying malenia isn't that hard or isn't the hardest fromsoft by a mile always drives me crazy
like, i get it, you can summon spirits or cheese it with blasphemous blade or rivers of blood
but goddamn. ten hours of failures trying to solo it. absolutely nothing even comes close. midir, fume knight, ludwig, owl father all walled me off for two, three hours tops
I agreed this, but I'm pretty sure Owl (Father) was worse for me. Or basically the same.
Sekiro was brutal because there was no secret trinket or skill that would trivialize bosses.
Ngl, thats a fairly large part of why I liked it
jungleroomx on
+2
jungleroomxIt's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered Userregular
edited December 2022
Also, only like a third of Elden Ring players have killed Melania. Saying she's not that hard sounds insane, as she is famously difficult and was only really easily destructible when Rivers of Blood or Hoarfrost Stomp were a bit much
Like, make no mistake, both of those were bananas broken and overpowered. My 2nd time beating her I was using RoB and I was actually upset it was so piss easy, but my first time with a colossal sword was a god damn 5 hour nightmare.
On my first blind playthrough I just threw rocks at her for a few minutes, although it definitely took me some experimentation to get to that point. Second time around I fought her more normally and she just got stunned constantly. I didn't really bother on the two challenge runs because they both involved non-homing projectiles, and she autododges those.
Royal Rat Authority is a lazily designed boss (just throw in more enemies to make it harder), a reused/reskinned boss, and an annoying boss. The second and third times I went through, I was ready for it, and it was a lot easier, but I still hated it.
Melania is optional and if you're not using a guide, you might never encounter her. I'm not saying that she isn't hard, but there can be other reasons why only a third of the players have beaten her.
Melania is optional and if you're not using a guide, you might never encounter her. I'm not saying that she isn't hard, but there can be other reasons why only a third of the players have beaten her.
Yeah I agree. The whole Consecrated Snowfield is pretty hidden. One, you have to find Castle Sol which is on the opposite side of where the giants flame is and two, that albinauric village is pretty hidden on that side of the swamp too.
Bed of Chaos is currently my least favorite boss in all the souls games I've played. A puzzle boss with a long run back and it's incredibly easy to get shoved off a ledge or stun locked into death. It's just bad design, there's nothing in the game previously that would give you the requisite skills to overcome the challenge, and any death feels unfair. It's so unlike all the other bosses, it makes for a huge bummer of an interruption.
I bitch about DS2 a lot. It has a lot of issues. But let me be very clear:
If DS2 was released by itself, no Demon Souls, no Dark Souls 1 then it would probably be vying for a place in my top 5 games of all time. It is a really good game. But it has issues. But it is also really good even though it is incoherent.
Like, in my opion the combat is vastly better in 2 than in 1. I finished DS2 using dual rapiers for the last 50% of the game. When I fnished I started up DS1 (which I had beaten using the nuclear bomb, sorry, Fire Zweihander previously) and tried to play a rapier character and it really drove home how much omre fully fleshed out the combat mechanics in 2 are compared to 1.
Finally gonna go back and do a second proper playthrough. My first playthrough I abused mimic tear and stomp pretty bad, so I'm kind of looking forward to playing this the "right" way (still gonna use good ashes and weapons though, naturally).
Think I'm gonna try a hybridish spellsword to start out with, then if that falls apart just go full meathead giant fuckoff weapon and armor
On my first blind playthrough I just threw rocks at her for a few minutes, although it definitely took me some experimentation to get to that point. Second time around I fought her more normally and she just got stunned constantly. I didn't really bother on the two challenge runs because they both involved non-homing projectiles, and she autododges those.
Royal Rat Authority is a lazily designed boss (just throw in more enemies to make it harder), a reused/reskinned boss, and an annoying boss. The second and third times I went through, I was ready for it, and it was a lot easier, but I still hated it.
Genuinely curious which weapon "stunned constantly"?
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Y'all, Elden Ring? Still a really good video game. Watching it clean up GotY all over the place made me think about how fun it's been to see so many new people have their eureka moment with these games.
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Though I guess if I couldn't one-shot them, I'd feel obligated to fight them because of the challenge...
I'm sorry, you've just reminded me I died twice to Smelter Demon due to getting stuck in the level geometry.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck. So much rage.
I made a game, it has penguins in it. It's pay what you like on Gumroad.
Currently Ebaying Nothing at all but I might do in the future.
I guess I should give them credit for not just pumping something broken out for Christmas. High hopes for when it does arrive.
One of the many many reasons Dark Souls 2 is the only Soulsborne game I've never replayed and will never ever even consider replaying. Shittier in every way that DS1 or DS3 plus with more tedious bullshit sections than both put together, I've never felt the slightest impulse to return to it after beating it.
Also I just finished a bow only run in a randomizer run, so I've just about run out of things to do in ER anyway.
DS2 is v good but also be aware its home to a lot of the worst areas From has made.
You usually have a great area after a bad one so push on through.
...I'm pretty sure I still have more total hours in it than any other, and probably more completed runs.
That's not a defense of it sucking the first time through, but like, it's got a lot going on that's worthwhile.
It has a lot where if you show up and don't know the trick or whatever it's horseshit, but if you do you end up forgetting it was ever a problem:
None of them every really reach great status, and DS2 has the same problem as Elden Ring does where they went for quantity and not quality.
I enjoyed the DLC bosses. Burnt Ivory King fight was pretty great, and I do like Sinh. I also really liked the Pursuer, Lost Sinner, Looking Glass Knight, and Velstadt.
But man, when you remember the 2 rat bosses, Covetous Demon, Magus and the Congregation, Demon of Song, and Ornstein at Home are all in the same game...
My only real advice is to absolutely ask questions because if there's a flaw in DS2 it's that a lot of shit is just too obscure. Like, adaptibility. Look that shit up, don't just guess about it.
Genuine first thought:
Thing is, the things I remember most about DS2 is what pissed me off, while the things I remember about Elden Ring are the points where I felt like a bit of a badass.
But not TOO much. Look up the breakpoints and find your comfort level.
Counterpoint
Fume Knight, Pursuer, Burnt Ivory King, Sir Alonne, Looking Glass Knight, Smelter Demon, Velstadt, etc.
I still think the worst boss is the Royal Rat Authority and/or Magus and the Congregation.
Ivory King has the best boss approach/arena by far, but the actual fight sucks. I hated the mirror guy, and the rest are a shrug.
Royal Rat Authority is probably the actual worst, all around, yes. Gargoyles and every other 'just add more dudes' fight is probably next...which is like twelve bosses, sadly.
Darkluker is saved by being really cool, otherwise it would be the worst in every category.
like, i get it, you can summon spirits or cheese it with blasphemous blade or rivers of blood
but goddamn. ten hours of failures trying to solo it. absolutely nothing even comes close. midir, fume knight, ludwig, owl father all walled me off for two, three hours tops
You can put on the tank ring and the biggest greatshield and let NPC summons handle a whole lot for you in DS2.
I agreed this, but I'm pretty sure Owl (Father) was worse for me. Or basically the same.
I think there's a wide difference between that and choosing not to use a core system or any 'good' weapons/spells/etc.
Actually if you're willing to change weapons for individual fights I'm not sure there are more than a tiny handful of fights in any of these games that is challenging. DS2 in particular also gives you Brightbugs, so like everything can just be DPS'd down if you find the right weapon for the job and dope up.
Sekiro was brutal because there was no secret trinket or skill that would trivialize bosses.
Ngl, thats a fairly large part of why I liked it
Like, make no mistake, both of those were bananas broken and overpowered. My 2nd time beating her I was using RoB and I was actually upset it was so piss easy, but my first time with a colossal sword was a god damn 5 hour nightmare.
Royal Rat Authority is a lazily designed boss (just throw in more enemies to make it harder), a reused/reskinned boss, and an annoying boss. The second and third times I went through, I was ready for it, and it was a lot easier, but I still hated it.
Yeah I agree. The whole Consecrated Snowfield is pretty hidden. One, you have to find Castle Sol which is on the opposite side of where the giants flame is and two, that albinauric village is pretty hidden on that side of the swamp too.
But only the precisely right amount.
I bitch about DS2 a lot. It has a lot of issues. But let me be very clear:
If DS2 was released by itself, no Demon Souls, no Dark Souls 1 then it would probably be vying for a place in my top 5 games of all time. It is a really good game. But it has issues. But it is also really good even though it is incoherent.
Like, in my opion the combat is vastly better in 2 than in 1. I finished DS2 using dual rapiers for the last 50% of the game. When I fnished I started up DS1 (which I had beaten using the nuclear bomb, sorry, Fire Zweihander previously) and tried to play a rapier character and it really drove home how much omre fully fleshed out the combat mechanics in 2 are compared to 1.
I made a game, it has penguins in it. It's pay what you like on Gumroad.
Currently Ebaying Nothing at all but I might do in the future.
Think I'm gonna try a hybridish spellsword to start out with, then if that falls apart just go full meathead giant fuckoff weapon and armor
Genuinely curious which weapon "stunned constantly"?