Dark Souls & Other Souls-Likes

We have an official release date! February 5th, 2015

Bloodborne（ブラッドボーン） 発売日解禁トレーラー

So, something I've noticed in PvP lately.

The direct hit system from Demons Souls made a return as most people are aware. I believe that system also has an effect on the duration of a hit stun.

Notably my ability to combo with my Chaos Blade (2HWR/WD R1 - 2H R2 - 2H R2 for ~1400 damage) depends on which part of my weapon hits the enemy.

HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGH

looks so good ; ;

Ugh why do I have to be at work when there's a video to watch? I'll try to hold myself over for 8.5hrs!

Holy hell, Alpha looks amazing.

Alpha is ok so far... Going to put some more time in it tonight. That first boss is a real ***.

So I only just got back into DS2 recently, been playing the Sunken Crown DLC, I was fighting umm, whatever her name is, stupid ***, I was fighting with the same guy several times and kept failing.

Then he got summoned elsewhere so I summoned someone new who had just placed their summon sign, he was wearing just a Catarina Helm and some sort of Greatsword, we proceeded to kill her and the dragon on the first attempt, was fun.

Recently also I swapped from the medium armour dual wield class I started the game with, to a medium armour, Greatsword + Shield combo and absolutely loving it, don't know why I ditched a shield.

It's very bad that I only just realised there are 2 other DLCs I haven't bought, gotta look into trying those out.

Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition 60 fps test


Use Google Chrome to watch in 60 fps.

• You might also need HTML5 player activated
  

• You might also have to watch on the youtube site, so here is the link:
  
  http://youtu.be/tbH0sSck50A

"This is a quick recording test. I'm sure more sophisticated showcases are on their way.

For the longest time Dark Souls 1 was notorious for performing very poorly in certain areas (like the Blighttown) on consoles. Shortly after a PC release one kind soul created a patch that allowed everybody to play the game the proper way: in 1080p at 60 frames per second. And now with the arrival of a new youtube feature (playback at 60fps) we can finally show everyone the difference."

So Prepare to die is the Original Dark Souls re mastered......

lolz.

Prepare to die was the DLC that came out on PC ~3 months before consoles got the DLC :P

silly

So that's a thing.

Admittedly laughed my *** off at the video, but still *** up. :|

"Bloodborne" Pushed Back to March 2015
From Software's next game now set for March 24
Joseph Luster November 12, 2014 1:28pm CST

Masaaki Yamagiwa, producer at Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Studio, announced a slight delay for From Software's Bloodborne. After taking in the feedback from the limited Alpha test, the team is taking some extra time to integrate what they've learned, and Bloodborne will now launch on March 24, 2015.

Bloodborne—which comes from Demon's Souls and Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki—was originally set to launch on PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe on February 6. In addition to the delay info, the post over at the PlayStation Blog promises "exciting Bloodborne news" for early December, so be on the lookout for that.

So what do you chaps reckon, is Havel's Greatshield a bit cheap to use? The DLC Smelter Demon for instance had been causing me headaches but then I ditched rolling and used Havel's Greatshield, got him down easy.

Same for Sir Alonne who I had heard was meant to be challenging, with Havel's Greatshield, he could only damage me with his weird darkness life absorbing stab move. I'd dare say on my next attempt I would be able to kill him without taking damage and triggering his secret death animation.

Also, playing through the 3rd DLC, Crown of the Ivory King and so far just made it to the 2nd bonfire and it hasn't really threatened me like the other 2 DLCs had the potential to, is this how it is and will it get tougher?

Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will be launching in the Americas on April 7, 2015 on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and PC/Steam (DirectX 9/DirectX11)!

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will include the three previously released DLC packs - Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the ivory King - along with additional features.

All versions of the game will include the following features (Existing Dark Souls II owners will receive a patch to implement these elements):

• Additional NPCs added for an enhanced story experience.
  

• Parameter adjustments for improved game balance.
  

• Augmented item descriptions.
  

• Improved online matchmaking functionality.

Xbox One, PS4, and DirectX 11 versions of the game will include the following features (in addition to those listed above):

• Additional upgrades to graphics, sound, performance.
  

• Increase in maximum online players in single session (6 total).

I'm glad I held out on buying DLC, I was hoping they were going to do an all in one pack and they did.

<3<3<3

Saw that it was coming to current gen, not surprised.

Famitsu interview: Tanimura refers to ability to modify soul memory in Scholar of the First Sin


Major update file (ver 1.10): Feb. 5, 2015 Free update to players on existing systems (PS3, Xbox 360, Windows DirectX 9). Update adds new content, although the three DLC installments still have to be purchased separately.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (“All-in” version) Release date Feb. 5, 2015. Physical copies (PS3 and Xbox 360) for 4,570 yen (4,935 yen w/ tax), downloadable copies (PS3 and Windows DirectX 9) for 4,200 yen (4,536 yen w/ tax). Steam sales will not include tax. The “All-in” version will include the base game, the content included in the v1.10 free update, and all 3 DLC installments released so far. Recommended as a low-price package for players who don’t yet have the base game on the existing systems.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (“High-spec” version) Release date April 9, 2015. Physical copies (PS4, Xbox One, Windows (DirectX 11) for 5,520 yen (5,961 yen w/ tax), downloadable copies (same systems) for 5,200 yen (5,616 yen w/ tax). Steam sales will not include tax.

In addition to the content available in the “All-in” version, will include various new elements that are made possible by the high-performance, next-generation systems. Better graphics, changes to enemy and item placement, enhancements to online multiplayer, and various other changes. This version will provide a new experience even to players who have already finished the game.

Interview starts:
Using the “All-in” version as an opportunity to add to the story and make other adjustments

Q (Famitsu): What’s the background to the “All-in” version?
A (Yui Tanimura): It’s been over half a year since the original release, and we’ve released a batch of DLC, so we started thinking about releasing a compilation version of all of the content so far. But instead of just repackaging what came before, we decided to take the enjoyment of the game one step further and add some new content, as well as make some further revisions.

Q: Can you give us any specifics on this new content?
A: The new content can be thought of as two things. The first is additions to the story and new NPC events. The other would be various adjustments to the game to offer a fresh experience to players who have come along with us this far.

Q: When you say additions to the storyline, do you mean something like a new chapter to the plot?
A: I wouldn’t say it’s totally new, but rather adding on to what’s already there in the story. We’re offering players a different take on things by adding an NPC that will act as a narrator or guide. We’re also making some revisions to the item descriptions. So rather than make everything easy to understand or reveal the whole truth, our approach is more like dropping a few more hints that will spur the imagination of players.

Q: The NPC who will be providing more story elements has quite an unusual form. What kind of character will this be?
A: This character has a lot of knowledge of Drangleic, and will lead players somewhere they’ve never been before. This character ties in to the subtitle of this release [“Scholar of the First Sin”]. You’ll have to play for yourself to find out more.

Q: We’re looking forward to it. These NPC-related events, will they be available to players of this existing version of the game?
A: Yes, at the same time that we release the “All-in” version, a large file will be distributed to existing players as an online update, so all existing players will have access to this new content.

Q: So existing players will have access to this content for free. You also said that you’re working on various adjustments to the game. For example, what kind of changes are you working on related to matchmaking for online multiplayer?
A: It’s something we’re still working on, but we’re planning to make it so that players in NG will be able to connect to players in NG+ and beyond. We’d also like to relax the matchmaking requirements.

Q: This sounds like quite a change.
A: It’s been some time now since we released the base game, and the way that players are enjoying the multiplayer aspects has matured. Because of this, we are leaning towards breaking down the barriers. We're planning on allowing players to self-adjust their total accumulated souls [soul memory], which is the main condition for matchmaking. On top of that we're making other revisions such as relaxing the time restrictions on multiplayer and changing the rewards for a "duty fulfilled". “High-spec” version features re-arrangement of placements and enhanced multiplayer

Q: We’re looking forward to the many changes and the new content in the “All-in” version and the free update, but you’re also going to release a version for higher-spec machines after that. Can you give us the background to and overview of this version?
A: We’re in a transition phase now between platforms, and many players have told us that they wanted to enjoy the game on the latest hardware. After hearing from these players, we began development of a release for a higher-spec version, for PS4 and Xbox One players. The three DLC installments and the new content will of course be included in this version as well. In addition, because the high-spec machines allow us to get around some performance restrictions, we’re able to do even more things with the game, and this version of the game is designed to take advantage of the more powerful hardware.

Q: First of all, the graphics will be what we expect from the better hardware, correct?
A: We’d really like console players to experience the game with the same level of detail that is available in the current Windows version.

Q: Any points in particular you would like to note?
A: When the resolution increases, not only does the visual quality improve, but the amount of information improves as well. This changes the experience of exploration. Players will be able to see distant objects more clearly, and see a more detailed level of artistry. There might be a monster that players see now and say, “Hey, now that I have a good look at this thing, he’s kind of cute…” (laughs). The amount of information will be greater even in dark areas, so I think the feeling of realism that players get really will be much different. The improved hardware also allows us to create new encounters, such as in Brightstone Cove Tseldora, with a group of spiders swarming all over the player [see screenshot in article].

Q: It’s hard to get the full effect from a screenshot (laughs). Looking forward to it. So, it sounds like the new elements include changes to enemies, items, and enemy drops, but how much is changing here?
A: The greatest limitation we have with the specs of the hardware is placement of characters [enemies]. But with the high-spec version, we are taking the opportunity to revisit the placement overall. Probably the easiest way to say this is that the number of enemies and types of enemies will be increasing, with fewer restrictions on their range of movement. That’s not to say we’re just haphazardly raising the number of enemies; rather we are changing the way that the player will be attacked. We’re also including changes to item placement and some routes, and our goal is to have even players who are thoroughly familiar with the game finding things fresh and surprising. We see this version as a sort of “Director’s Cut” for the game.

Q: We have a screenshot here of what looks like the Guardian Dragon in Heide’s Tower of Flame. Is this the sort of shakeup to enemy placement that we should expect in all of the game’s locations?
A: All of the game locations will be modified like this to some extent, some more, some less. We’re retaining what we think works best and balancing as we go.

Q: Will new story-related NPCs be added to the “High-spec” version?
A: The new NPC content to be included in the “All-in” version and the free update will all be present. Our intention with those versions is to include all content that is not dependent on hardware specs. The high-spec version will include the aspects of our changes to the game that are only possible on the more powerful hardware.

Q: And you’re also making changes to the multiplayer?
A: We can do things now that weren’t possible due to the restrictions on the older-generation hardware, and we’re planning to offer a greater variety of multiplayer situations to players. We’ll provide more details on this aspect at a later time.

Q: To wrap up, how about a short message to the fans?
A: The “All-in” version and the free update were created particularly with our players on the existing releases in mind, and we hope you are looking forward to this version. You’ll be able to use all of your existing save data with the new update, so please give it a try! For the “High-spec” version, we take the changes to the game even further, to offer a new game experience even to veteran players of the original release. We’d also really like you all to check out the new multiplayer features that will be possible on the more powerful hardware. With perseverance, anyone can get to the end of the game, so we hope that new players give it a try, too.

Catarina Christmas

Perfect event to invade and ruthlessly slaughter give gifts to people. :D

Bloodborne Explained: Multiplayer & Procedurally Generated Dungeons

I wonder if I'll like the random dungeon layout or not.

It looks like a fantastic way to keep the game interesting for people who don't PvP or do challenge runs.

Don't expect to 'Praise the Sun' in Bloodborne

During the Bloodborne panel's Q&A session, a fan asked Hidetaka Miyazaki whether fans could expect to 'Praise the Sun' in Bloodborne. This relates to the iconic pose from Dark Souls and Dark Souls II after players join a specific covenant. It also happens to be Miyazaki's favorite pose from the game, as silly as it is.

Unfortunately, it looks like Praising the Sun as well as the associated pose might live on only in the Dark Souls series, not because Miyazaki wouldn't want to put it in Bloodborne, but because both Dark Souls games belong to Bandai Namco. So due to some licensing issues, it looks like Praising the Sun won't be an option in Bloodborne, not even as an Easter Egg.

However, Miyazaki stated that he wants to include something new, yet similar to Praising the Sun in Bloodborne.