Dark Souls II

[Griffith]

Welp, I finally, all these year's later, started DSII NG+ after finishing all the DLC. I may be over-prepared now though as I farmed the Giant Lord quite a bit after finishing the DLC (if I'd done that before I'd have rolled through it years ago) and am like lvl 350 something... sooo, NG+ isn't proving too difficult despite the extra enemies and handicaps, and I'm definitely able to solo it.

Oh, another thing in DSII's favor, it has my favorite Dark Souls parody cartoon (surprisingly large genre=) that really captures the game's quirks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kr7KDCsIws


Update: Out of boredom I switched to a Guts build: vengarl helm, forlorn armor, drakekeeper gloves/pants. Right hand: Dark Greatsword, Dagger. Left: Pyromancy flame, 3 shot repeating crossbow. Spells: great fireball (canon), flame weapon & immolation (blaze wheel). Red eye ring (brand). Bombs and throwing knives of course. I so want to cheat and unify the dark and fire buffs on the weapon to one or the other for max damage but that would be cheating the concept and variety's good too =). Also vacillating between the Greatsowrd and the Crypt Blackwood for its own resemblance to the DS and primo damage, but it's a bit short and fat and the moveset isn't as true (plus kinda sucks) to Guts and the DS (especially effective for jumping in the action and/or being surrounded), so I'm using the Greatsword for now. Unsurprisingly I guess, this is actually a very effective offensive build! Lots of fun, tears things up, and I even managed to get under 50% weight(!) so I can move like I'm using the Beast Armor too. Plus, it's just fun to imagine Guts taking on all these Dark Souls bosses. Anyway, it's breathed new life into my NG+ run.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

I'm going to withhold my final verdict until I play through the ps4 version of this game which contains all the DLC. Maybe I'm crazy or maybe I'm a fiend, but I really feel like playing more Dark Souls. And well I need to get through the ps4 version of DS2 before I can play Bloodborne and DS3, because of how quirky I am.

But anyway yeah, that's my sh*tty progress report

 

[Griffith]

I'm going to withhold my final verdict until I play through the ps4 version of this game which contains all the DLC. Maybe I'm crazy or maybe I'm a fiend, but I really feel like playing more Dark Souls. And well I need to get through the ps4 version of DS2 before I can play Bloodborne and DS3, because of how quirky I am.

But anyway yeah, that's my sh*tty progress report

Hahaha, first you hated it, now you're replaying it (and I bet you still hate it)! It's Dark Souls II, everybody. But yeah, I highly recommend SotFS for the included DLC and other upgrades that add a little more polish and cohesion to the game.

My over-souled Guts build is tearing through NG+, very versatile, especially with a bleed dagger and knuckle (false arm punch =) as quick hitting alternate weapons (and I settled on the Dark Black Cryptsword for good). The only drawback really is the lack of a bow for enemies it would be useful to snipe or aggro from a distance, but that's not Guts style anyway. Ah well, it's definitely fun causally destroying the same hordes and bosses that gave me such trouble when I was starting out, but they're all kind of the same now.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

Hahaha, first you hated it, now you're replaying it (and I bet you still hate it)! It's Dark Souls II, everybody. But yeah, I highly recommend SotFS for the included DLC and other upgrades that add a little more polish and cohesion to the game.

My over-souled Guts build is tearing through NG+, very versatile, especially with a bleed dagger and knuckle (false arm punch =) as quick hitting alternate weapons (and I settled on the Dark Black Cryptsword for good). The only drawback really is the lack of a bow for enemies it would be useful to snipe or aggro from a distance, but that's not Guts style anyway. Ah well, it's definitely fun causally destroying the same hordes and bosses that gave me such trouble when I was starting out, but they're all kind of the same now.

I broke out a bottle of sake that had been unopened in my fridge all year, so I think that gave me a bit of a push but yeah, ever since I got the platinum for the game there's been a huge void. I just haven't figured out what I wanted to do with myself. I have the Super Mario Odyssey Switch bundle AND Wolfenstein II for ps4 pre-ordered, yet there's still an itch that I don't think even they would scratch. There's something different about melee combat that makes you feel more connected. It's more intimate, and serves more of a release of bad energy (or something like that?).

But yeah, I was reading earlier in the thread that the expansions give the game true validity, so the decision was strictly a no-brainer outside of my quirkiness. I'll find a way to juggle everything on my entertainment 'plate' and I think it'll be satisfying. The ps4 version is harder.

The Guts build sounds awesome. I remember finding the Dragon Bone Smasher on one of my Demon's Souls playthroughs (with little effort, I got the precise world tendency through sheer unintended circumstance) and feeling a little bit like Guts. This was when all I had seen of Berserk was the 1997 anime. DBS became my main weapon throughout the entire file's playthrough lol I really am praying they remaster Demon's Souls with 60 FPS so I can play it all over again in current-gen glory. I'd probably try all sorts of weapon combinations

 

[Griffith]

But yeah, I was reading earlier in the thread that the expansions give the game true validity, so the decision was strictly a no-brainer outside of my quirkiness.

They're definitely the high point of the gameplay and way up there in terms of difficulty. They also add to, fortify, and unify the game's theme(s). It's basically like a bunch of mini-Dark Souls games about fallen Kingdoms rolled into one. Another reason that while DSII isn't the best Dark Souls, it's definitely the most Dark Souls (though 3 does double and even triple down its most iconic lore depending how you define "most").

The Guts build sounds awesome. I remember finding the Dragon Bone Smasher on one of my Demon's Souls playthroughs (with little effort, I got the precise world tendency through sheer unintended circumstance) and feeling a little bit like Guts. This was when all I had seen of Berserk was the 1997 anime. DBS became my main weapon throughout the entire file's playthrough lol I really am praying they remaster Demon's Souls with 60 FPS so I can play it all over again in current-gen glory. I'd probably try all sorts of weapon combinations

I hope so too, though if my brother in law gets a PS4 for Christmas I'm borrowing his PS3 for a long overdue Demon's Souls run. Then I just need to get at Bloodborne finally... fuckin' Sony and their exclusives they never put all on one system. Anyway, I think I'm getting bored of Guts-Build and more just the game in general (time to finish soloing bosses I never played like Darklurker and get out), though I added the bonefist for more beastly melee and even his iconic flying attack on Grunbeld.

 

[Death May Die]

My three brothers and I jumped back into this game recently. I did one play through back on the 360 when it originally came out. I did a pretty decent job of gutting it back then from what I remember. Now having it again (with the DLC's) on the PS4, I got to say I entirely forgotten about difficulty spike halfway through the game. It wasn't until I read "now the real fight begins" written on the ground that a flood gate of trama roared over me. Almost like I had repressed it all, because for a few years I recalled DS2 being the "easiest" DS in the series. Now two broken PS4 controllers later, I clearly remember that this game had a bit of a 1-2 punch to it. One of my brothers just up'd and quit due to his refusal to put up with the slow Flask animation alone about 1/2 into the game due to increase of difficulty. (Iron Keep) I'm once again at the end of the game wrapping up loose ends, namely the DLC's that I never played. I got to say I respect this game a lot more now. It's been a pleasant refresh overall, though I think DS3 is my favorite as I think its better paced and has more memorial characters and bosses. Though I give DS2 credit on the sheer amount of locations. It seems there is always something left to be discover. The mines always go deeper, and the towers always seem to climb higher, always offering something just around the corner.