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George posted:I've been doing a lot of the DLC content with a Dex build and Murakumo+10. Why is Dex bad? Is the scaling on weapons generally lower or is the scaling less valuable?
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Oct 5, 2014 09:33
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George posted:I've been doing a lot of the DLC content with a Dex build and Murakumo+10. Why is Dex bad? Is the scaling on weapons generally lower or is the scaling less valuable? Is there a weapon/build I'd be better off with? I'm like SL170 and it's hard to find actual info on builds and gear because the wikis aren't necessarily up to date with the latest calibrations and are full of really inconsistent opinions. The best advice I think anyone can give about what weapons/build to use is this: pick something that you enjoy, it's probably viable. If you like your Murakumo, keep using it! If you're getting tired of it, try something else for a while! Soul vessels aren't terribly hard to come by, and once you're used to the moveset just about any weapon is perfectly fine for PvE.
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Oct 5, 2014 09:50
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George posted:I've been doing a lot of the DLC content with a Dex build and Murakumo+10. Why is Dex bad? Is the scaling on weapons generally lower or is the scaling less valuable? Is there a weapon/build I'd be better off with? I'm like SL170 and it's hard to find actual info on builds and gear because the wikis aren't necessarily up to date with the latest calibrations and are full of really inconsistent opinions. The Black Knight Halberd can help, unless they nerfed it in a DLC patch.
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Oct 5, 2014 09:54
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Its a minor thing, but in the Duke's office you can actually see a small cage hanging next to his desk. Its been visibly and horribly torn open from the inside-out. This whole area fascinates me and its one of the ones where we were actually given a little information about what happened.
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Oct 5, 2014 10:29
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PRL412 posted:The Black Knight Halberd can help, unless they nerfed it in a DLC patch. I used this for most of my first playthrough, then decided to get fancy. I've been trying out the BKUGS for a half hour or so and it feels too slow after the Murakumo, but I've been reading good things about the Greatsword and will give that a try next.
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Oct 5, 2014 11:13
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Walrus Pete posted:The best advice I think anyone can give about what weapons/build to use is this: pick something that you enjoy, it's probably viable. If you like your Murakumo, keep using it! If you're getting tired of it, try something else for a while! Soul vessels aren't terribly hard to come by, and once you're used to the moveset just about any weapon is perfectly fine for PvE.
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Oct 5, 2014 17:20
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Good lord, spider laser. How many hit points did that tag you for on first release?
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Oct 6, 2014 16:48
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Glazius posted:Good lord, spider laser. How many hit points did that tag you for on first release? I don't know the HP values but it basically killed me from full health, while it no longer one shots you, you still don't want it hitting you as it's nasty.
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Oct 6, 2014 17:01
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  Finally, we are entering the castle that has been established as our goal at the beginning of the game. Then we forgot all about it for about 20 episodes. On to find Vendrick.   Let's wear the complete Drangleic set as we enter Drangleic Castle. We're even using the Drangleic Shield and the Drangleic Sword.  Lore No Lore video just a brief little bit of stuff that could be very relevant or just coincidence (E: to clarify, this is supposed to be fuel for speculation, not confirmed lore). We don't know, really. I touched on the cycles of Dark Souls and Dark Souls II in all of the lore vids and a bit in this video. The cycles all have some things in common otherwise we would not be able to call them cycles in contest of Dark Souls Lore. So what do we have in common? A ruler: Gwyn and Vendrick are those rulers. Eventually their land is plagued by... A curse: The curse of undeath. Humans just refusing to die for real. This is something that begins happening whenever the Flame is fading. The Flame being the First Flame, the source of divine power and perhaps what gives humans intelligence. A war against an ancient race: Dragons in the first game, Giants in the second. They are functionally the same as far as the lore of both games goes. Which isn't to say that dragons aren't a thing in Dark Souls II at all, after all there are Dragon Riders Four ancient powerful beings whose souls we happen to need: we have a bit of overlap here, since Gwyn is both the ruler and an old one. his equivalent as far as old ones go is the Old Iron King, he may as well be possesed by Gwyn's Lord Soul. Other than that we have Nito and the Rotten, the Witch of Izalith and the Lost Sinner as well as Seath and what Shalquoir calls the Writhing Ruin (possibly actually Seath, as opposed to the others who are influenced or possessed by the original Lord Souls or what's left of them) A queen: This is new actually. There is no queen in Dark Souls. Well, there had to be someone Gwyn made at least three babies with but is that person actually important? We don't know. What we do know is that the queen in Dark Souls II seems to be really important. As we learn more about her we may or may not be more likely to assume that Gwyn had a queen. But that's just some food for thought you might wanna munch on later. It could just as well be insignificant for all I know. Twin Dragonriders  Forgive the low quality of the above picture, but my six year old cousin really wanted to contribute to the Let's Play so I told him to make a pic for the dual Dragonriders. Isn't it cute? Not as cute as making you fight two Dragonriders at the same time, though. I mean, it's definitely harder than the first Dragonrider fight, which is essentially a joke to any reasonably competent player. It's almost like they were supposed to be fought in a pair and they later decided to just slap that single one in as an early boss. But we as players don't know better of course. In either case, they didn't want to design a unique boss so they made you fight more of the same. The fight plays out differently, of course. There's no death pit here, not even a removable one like with the first dragonrider. Instead we have one Dragonrider as we know and love him on the ground floor, and one with a greatbow above. The latter Dragonrider may cause you some trouble of you're not used to paying attention to two targets, which you should be by now. The entire game has been training you for this. It's a question of dodging/moving at the right time so the arrows don't hit you. I find this phase of the fight easier to deal with myself. If you don't you can initiate the second phase early by running up to the second Dragonriders platform immediately, and make the first Dragonrider smash it. That way you'll have both Dragonriders on the same floor as you. As soon as that happens it's just like fighting two of whatever enemy only this enemy has huge range, so watch out for that. Though, as you can see in the video they are still easy enough for me to try stuff like poisoning them. Which I normally wouldn't try just like that when dealing with two big strong enemies. It's important to note, though, that the second Dragonrider has significantly less health and can be taken out really quickly if you do it right. Even though I made fun of this boss with a lovely picture and a lame excuse for it (I have no cousin of that age, if you stalk for some reason me you'll know) and called it lazy (which it is) it's actually a decently enjoyable fight. I find it much more interesting, though, if I ignore that the first Dragonrider fight ever happened. Which... well... may have never happened depending on whether you fight him or make him jump to his death. I'm just sad that we get four Dragonrider weapons: The halberd, the shield, the bow and the twinblades. Now, wouldn't it be more fun if one of the two dragonriders actually used the twinblades? The other tree pieces are used by them, after all. Plus it would force you to pay attention to quick multi-hit attacks and slow-ish halberd swings. But eh, missed opportunity, I guess. Boss Weapons Oh well, we've already seen those. Item Descriptions Stone Soldier Spear Spear of the castle stone soldiers. Sir Velstadt could always be found at the King's side, and followed him upon his exit. The knights in his service waited patiently for his return, until they turned to stone. Faraam Armor Armor blessed by the war god Faraam. This armor is designed in the style of the Lion Knights, a once-mighty order from Forossa. Although the Lion Knights wore heavy armor, they were feared for their nimble two-handed swordplay. Note: We have not actually picked this up yet. It's behind one of the doors you need to kill someone nearby to unlock. Behind the one in the back on the left to be precise. There's a small side area I didn't show yet which holds this set among other things. Listing it now because I'll forget later. It's also the set of armor featured on promotional materials. In Demon's Souls it was the fluted set, in Dark Souls it was the Elite Knight set. Here it's this. I like the aesthetics of the Faraam set much less than those of the other game's poster armor sets. Hunter's Blackbow Dark Souls II: A black bow designed for long distances. Difficult to handle at first, and requiring some amount of practice to master. The hunting Goddess Evlana was no goddess at all, but rather a brave and highly skilled bow huntress. Long after her demise, the passing of lore transformed her into a deity. Dark Souls: The preferred black bow of the heroic archer Pharis. Has a longer range than standard bows, but is more difficult to use. Without proper abilities, results will be underwhelming. Note: In Dark Souls it was called the Black Bow of Pharis. The bow's description isn't really interesting. The one of Pharis' hat is, though. Pharis' Hat (Dark Souls only) Broad-brimmed hat favored by the archer heroPharis. Pharis was an accomplished archer, and though he was human, he ranked alongside Hawkeye Gough, one of the Four Knights of Lord Gwyn. His hat is universally popular among children. Note: The person who drops both the bow and the hat is female. So Pharis may have been female rather than male. Perhaps it's a translation error of sorts. Maybe simply identified as male and was referred to as such. I dunno. Maybe whoever dropped them took them from Pharis, though. Wrath of Gods (Sold by Wellager only on NG++ and on) Dark Souls II: Miracle that releases local shockwave, staggering nearby foes and causing heavy damage. Little is known about the origins of this miracle, except its shared roots with the Force spell. It makes mention of certain Gods, but alas, their actual names are long forgotten. Dark Souls: Primal form of Force. Create powerful shockwave. Wrath of the Gods was an epic tale that tattered over time and devolved into the modern Force. This primal form of Force emits a shockwave that also inflicts damage. Note: Is also a reward for reaching Rank 2 in the Blue Sentinels covenant. Which will require a whopping 150 kills. Bountiful Sunlight (Sold by Wellager only on NG++ and on) Dark Souls II: A special miracle passed down through the ages, Slowly heals a great amount of HP of self and nearby allies. This miracle, once kept by the Lindelt Monastery, was stolen and never recovered. Dark Souls: Special miracle granted to the maidens of Gwynevere, Princess of the Sun. Gradual HP restoration for self and vicinity. The miracles of Gwynevere, the princess cherished by all, grant their blessing to a great many warriors. Note: Gwynevere is one of Gwyn's children. What we see of her in Dark Souls is only an illusion set up by Gwyndolin. Who was his brother or her sister depending on who you ask (born male, raised female). Gwynevere did get married to a flame god called Flann and as far as we know they lived happily ever after. It's also one of the rewards for the Blue Sentinel's covenant. It requires 500 kills. Yes. That much. Great Chaos Fireball (Sold by Wellager only on NG++ and on) Dark Souls II:The Chaos Flame is said to have devoured the mother of pyromancy. Create a chaos flame, and hurl it at foes. This special flame creates a short-lived surge of molten lava wherever it lands. Dark Souls: Art of the Flame of Chaos, which engulfed the Witch of Izalith and her daughters. Hurl giant chaos fireball. The Flames of Chaos can melt stone, producing a short-lived lava glob. Note: Reward for 500 loving kills in the Brotherhood of Blood. The other items Wellager only sells on NG++ and on are the Crescent Sickle, the Curved Twinblade and the Spirit Tree Shield, but none of those actually contain significant Lore. And oh, you know how you can use Bonfire Ascetics to access some of the NG+ or NG how ever many plusses content? These extra items are one of the few cases where this doesn't work. You actually need to be in NG++ rather than Bonfire Intensity 3. IGgy IGsen fucked around with this message at 10:36 on Oct 11, 2014 |
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Oct 11, 2014 00:38
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IGgy IGsen posted:A queen: This is new actually. There is no queen in Dark Souls. Well, there had to be someone Gwyn made at least three babies with but is that person actually important? We don't know. What we do know is that the queen in Dark Souls II seems to be really important. As we learn more about her we may or may not be more likely to assume that Gwyn had a queen. But that's just some food for thought you might wanna munch on later. It could just as well be insignificant for all I know. Wait, are you actually uncertain about this or just playing kayfabe for new viewers to Dark Souls 2? 'Cause as far as I can tell, the Queen in DS2 has nothing to do with Gwyn, and is actually related to something/someone else.
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Oct 11, 2014 01:28
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Beautiful area, and enjoying the LP. I feel, like many others have stated, that more could of been done, especially with this section. Imaging having to fight in near-darkness here, with occasional flashes of lightning off in the distance giving you a glimpse of enemies. That painting though, I really want to know the deal behind it.
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Oct 11, 2014 01:29
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Blind Sally posted:Wait, are you actually uncertain about this or just playing kayfabe for new viewers to Dark Souls 2? 'Cause as far as I can tell, the Queen in DS2 has nothing to do with Gwyn, and is actually related to something/someone else. Nope. Im aware no queen is mentioned in the first game. I'm suggesting that a queen similar to Vendrick's is a possibility. As unlikely as that may be but assuming a cyclical nature to the story it's something that can be considered even if there are no explicit links. Crackpot theories like these are why I like the way souls games present their story.
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Oct 11, 2014 01:51
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IGgy IGsen posted:Nope. Im aware no queen is mentioned in the first game. I'm suggesting that a queen similar to Vendrick's is a possibility. As unlikely as that may be but assuming a cyclical nature to the story it's something that can be considered even if there are no explicit links. Crackpot theories like these are why I like the way souls games present their story. Right, I hear you. I figured the fact that she was Vendrick's queen was always just a red herring meant to distract the player from what she is actually connected to. I, uh, won't even bother putting it in spoilers here because I think it's supposed to be a big deal. I dunno. How seriously to people take their lore in Souls games?
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Oct 11, 2014 02:05
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IGgy IGsen posted:Nope. Im aware no queen is mentioned in the first game. I'm suggesting that a queen similar to Vendrick's is a possibility. As unlikely as that may be but assuming a cyclical nature to the story it's something that can be considered even if there are no explicit links. Crackpot theories like these are why I like the way souls games present their story. Given what the Queens are that is very unlikely. Given how big Gwyn was on partitioning out pieces of his soul, I always figured he created his children from chunks of his soul.
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Oct 11, 2014 02:16
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IGgy IGsen posted:Nope. Im aware no queen is mentioned in the first game. I'm suggesting that a queen similar to Vendrick's is a possibility. As unlikely as that may be but assuming a cyclical nature to the story it's something that can be considered even if there are no explicit links. Crackpot theories like these are why I like the way souls games present their story. I think if you want to draw parallels, Nashandra's role in the kingdom's downfall is most easily compared to Frampt and Kaathe. Though it's not a great fit, really. Nashandra's motivations are also much more knowable than the serpents' were, once we get far enough into the game to find out about her. And Gwyn, as far as we know, didn't do anything in particular to bring his kingdom to ruin like Vendrick did. For that reason alone I think he probably didn't have a Nashandra of his own. Speaking of Frampt and Kaathe, I wonder what those slimy fuckers are up to by the time DS2 happens. I think they're supposed to be immortal, so presumably they'd still be around. Somewhere.
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Oct 11, 2014 08:39
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Blind Sally posted:How seriously to people take their lore in Souls games? Incredibly. To be fair, it's one of the more interesting video game lores, and it's great for speculation. That said, they're worse than basically any other lore spergs on the planet and the best test is to go to YouTube, search for dark souls lore and see how many multiple hour long videos you can find.
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Oct 11, 2014 10:03
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MooCowlian posted:Incredibly. To be fair, it's one of the more interesting video game lores, and it's great for speculation. That said, they're worse than basically any other lore spergs on the planet and the best test is to go to YouTube, search for dark souls lore and see how many multiple hour long videos you can find. Sorry I wasn't clear, I meant people reading this thread. How much does everyone care about the lore discussion? IGgy IGsen said in the OP that they don't mind the occasional bit put in spoiler tags, but also that they don't want the thread to look like a redacted CIA document. It's hard to discuss Queen Nashandra without knowing who/what she's connected to in DS1, but then that connection might be considered to be major spoilers to some people--i dunno???
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Oct 11, 2014 10:11
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Blind Sally posted:I, uh, won't even bother putting it in spoilers here because I think it's supposed to be a big deal. I dunno. How seriously to people take their lore in Souls games? When it comes to lore at this point don't worry about spoiling stuff unless it's a bigger twist of sorts or they spoil bits of lore that may spoil future bosses or areas. For instance, don't tell anyone that Gavlan is the mastermind who is the final boss and links together everything from Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls II and that he hides in the final zone which is a water theme-park and the mid-boss are the Street Sharks from the 90s cartoon of the same name. Nashandra's identity may a bit of a twist, though. Which is why I was tiptoeing around that. As for taking it seriously? Yeah, many people do. I don't really. It's something fun to think about mostly. One of my favorite aspects of the games, actually. But you really don't want to discuss them with Youtube personalities or commenters (duh). But there are some good lore resources on youtube. For instance VaatiVidya for both games. EpicNameBro used to make decent and interesting lore videos too but he's since moved on to make low effort repeat playthroughs of all Souls games that are unbearable to watch. Walrus Pete posted:Speaking of Frampt and Kaathe, I wonder what those slimy fuckers are up to by the time DS2 happens. I think they're supposed to be immortal, so presumably they'd still be around. Somewhere. E: Oh, if you put poo poo in spoiler tags and label it as major spoilers then it's fine, I was just avoiding that myself. As long as not every post is a giant black censor bar I'm fine with everything. Might be a little difficult in Nashandra's case, though, because we know very little about her at this point but I really don't care. IGgy IGsen fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Oct 11, 2014 |
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Oct 11, 2014 10:24
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In that case, I think Nashandra is supposed to be (maybe major spoilers?)a combination of Manus and Priscilla. She's like, some sort of corrupt abomination, like Priscilla, and also (judging by her use of curses) a reincarnation or reformation of whatever was left of Manus. Also, maybe Kaathe is Darkdiver Grandahl? He certainly hides in shadows enough, is somewhat difficult to unlock if you don't know what you're looking for, and really, really wants us to embrace the dark.
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Oct 11, 2014 10:29
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Also holy poo poo I had no idea there was a bonfire nearer the boss. That's cool.
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Oct 11, 2014 11:25
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I really disliked the door puzzle to enter Drangleic. It took me a while to figure it out, until i got one of the golems activated by accident. Of course the friendly ghost just inside the door explained how they worked. Thanks a lot chancellor Wellager. It makes me wonder if he was supposed to have been placed another place originally. Or if From just hosed something up.
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Oct 11, 2014 16:35
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No, their plan was for you to kill the Royal Swordsman who's really close to that one golem. He doesn't start moving until you get a little closer. Thing is, he can easily move from the spot before you kill him regardless of that so it's possible for you to never activate that first golem as they intended.
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Oct 11, 2014 17:06
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Either way, I just found it weird that they have the instructions for the puzzle AFTER the puzzle.
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Oct 11, 2014 17:11
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Slow_Moe posted:Either way, I just found it weird that they have the instructions for the puzzle AFTER the puzzle. It's not meant to be instructions for the puzzle so much as an explanation for what the gently caress it is.
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Oct 11, 2014 17:15
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It's both.
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Oct 11, 2014 17:51
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I noticed you didn't mention Priscilla in Seathe's lore video. I always thought she was a hybrid creation of his too, seeing as she had the same white color and "fins" on her sides as he did.
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Oct 13, 2014 21:32
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I thought the generally accepted theory was that Priscilla is the illegitimate daughter of Seath and Gwynevere.
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Oct 13, 2014 22:06
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Tarezax posted:I thought the generally accepted theory was that Priscilla is the illegitimate daughter of Seath and Gwynevere.
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Oct 13, 2014 23:01
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It would make more sense for her to be a hybrid creature created by Seathe, since creating hybrids was sort of his deal. Plus, dragons are immortal and unchanging, and existed mostly in a state of eternal stasis; it's unlikely they're even capable of reproduction.
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Oct 14, 2014 00:39
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Also, how the heck would that even work? Like...Seath's a dragon...and Gwynie's a goddess...i dunno
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Oct 14, 2014 01:33
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It would make more sense if Seathe got like a piece of hair and morphed that into Priscilla.
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Oct 14, 2014 01:35
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Bigger problem: Gwyddolyn of New Londo is an illusion! There's no hair to take!
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Oct 14, 2014 01:58
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Well, there is actually a Gwynevere, it's just that she also took a hike along with 99% of the other gods when it was clear that poo poo's hosed.
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Oct 14, 2014 02:06
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Blind Sally posted:In that case, I think Nashandra is supposed to be (maybe major spoilers?)a combination of Manus and Priscilla. She's like, some sort of corrupt abomination, like Priscilla, and also (judging by her use of curses) a reincarnation or reformation of whatever was left of Manus. She's not supposed to have much of anything to do with Priscilla, to my knowledge. It's more that Manus used Dusk as a model to create daughters, and they are the queens.
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Oct 17, 2014 20:00
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 King's Passage is the last bit of Drangleic Castle. It's short but tries more to be a build-up towards the boss fight of the area anyway.  Wearing the Grave Warden's Top and the Royal Soldier Helm. Just for good measure we're also using a Katana. Looking Glass Knight  Ah, another big dude wearing armor using a greatsword and a greatshield that is actually also a mirror and will deflect any magic (and attacks) that hit it, whether he's blocking or not. It's a relatively easy fight though. In the video I make it look harder than it needs to be. At my skill level I should be steamrolling him. Not like I'm especially good either, just reasonably competent. But anyway, while he may seem like your standard Dark Souls II boss there's actually a twist to him. He'll sometimes anchor his shield on the ground hitting onto the mirror on it from the other side will be a Mirror Squire. That mirror squire can be an NPC phantom. Or an actual player. To get summoned to help the Knight place a red summon sign anywhere in King's Passage or even near the bonfire before you enter the area. reset the sign every couple seconds for best results. You can also use a cracked red eye orb but the chances are better with the red sign soapstone. Now that I think of it it's kind of a missed opportunity I didn't invite the thread to invade me here. Rest assured that I recorded me invading someone, though, that one will be part of an upcoming PvP video. As for fighting the big guy himself, well. He's got his standard sword swings you should be able to anticipate reasonably well If you've made it this far. The main thing you'll have to look out for. Not because he weaponizes it or anything. It's strictly defensive. But while you and every other enemy needs to block to avoid damage with a shield he just needs to hold it. Whenever you hit the shield it's as though you're hitting a wall. So circle him clockwise rather than counter-clockwise to avoid having his shield right in front of you a lot. You can also go the other way but you'll have to go farther. His most dangerous attacks are when he charges up briefly to unleash lightning. It's really deceiving because it appears much easier to dodge than it is but you need to keep in mind that it seems to have an AoE effect too. In my experience it's better to get away from him and dodge as late as you're comfortable with rather than staying in his face and dodge the swing that comes with it. His lighting attack comes in two forms. One is a single stream of lightning along the ground which will home in on you. The other is more of a spread. In either case, getting hit by lightning is bad news here because your lightning resistance will be decreased due to the rain. So will his but he has really high lightning resistances. On the flipside, your fire, should you use it, will be much weaker because everything is soaking wet. Boss Weapons Soul of the Looking Glass Knight, who challenges visitors to the lordless castle. Long ago, the King's Passage was a route taken by the bravest warriors to prove themselves, but now it only prevents one from pursuing the runaway king. Thorned Greatsword  Trade Soul with: Ornifex Moveset/Weapon Class: Greatsword Physical Damage (+0/+5): 84/210 Lightning Damage (+0/+5): 50/80 Scales with: STR (C), DEX (C) Requirements: 20 STR, 15 DEX Damage Type: Slash, Thrust, Lightning Special Ability: Strong attack unleashes a ranged lightning attack In-Game Description: A greatsword forged from the soul of the Looking Glass Knight. Strong attack unleashes its latent power. Fearing something wicked, the King fled the castle and never returned. But his warrior, forever true to his command, stands ready to expunge those who would challenge him. Effect: special attack (strong attack) King's Mirror  Trade Soul with: Ornifex Moveset/Weapon Class: Greatshield Noteworthy Damage Reduction: Phys. (95), MAG (75), FIR+LIT+DRK (70) Stability (+0/+5): 65/73 Scales with: STR (D) Requirements: 35 STR Damage Type: Strike Special Ability: Deflects spells with one-handed shield bash. In-Game Description: A greatshield created from the soul of the Looking Glass Knight. Can deflect Spells. The Looking Glass at the castle is said to have been a passage to another world Item Descriptions Stone Twinblade Twinblade of the castle stone soldiers. Sir Velstadt could always be found at the King's side, and followed him when he fled. The knights in his service waited patiently for his return, but turned to stone before he did. Note: The description is basically the same as that of the Stone Soldier Spear, but the wording is different. Almost as though the two descriptions have been translated by two different translators. Here's the description again: Stone Soldier Spear Spear of the castle stone soldiers. Sir Velstadt could always be found at the King's side, and followed him upon his exit. The knights in his service waited patiently for his return, until they turned to stone. Sorcery: Soul Bolt One of the sorceries devised by Straid, the great mage of ancient Olaphis. Fires a blinding, piercing bolt of light. Straid started with an unwieldy spell that back-fired on its caster, and in time, perfected it Llewellyn Armor Armor reinforced with rare geisteel. Belonged to Chancellor Wellager. Excellent defensive gear that is both light and sturdy. Quality equipment that is both light and strong. Crafted by the castle's resident master smith Llewellyn, and supplied only to a selected few. His work easily identified by its lack of ostentation, Llewellyn focused solely on an economy of simplicity and strength. IGgy IGsen fucked around with this message at 08:28 on Oct 18, 2014 |
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Oct 17, 2014 21:35
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I gotta say, the Looking Glass Knight is the right kind of creepy for a Souls game. He actually feels like a Dark Souls boss to me, out of all the ones we've fought so far. His brilliant armor is beautiful, but covered in weeping faces, and his ability to summon murderers is delightfully wicked and freaky, the way they bash their way out of the shield. Add in the whole "Crown of Thorns" motif giving a dash of Christian symbolism, furthering his uncanniness, and you have a boss that just hits all the right notes for me. And now we're in an area thick with implied symbolism and history and strangeness and a bit of creepiness. I am actually, finally, liking this game enough to be on the look for it when I have some extra cash.
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Oct 18, 2014 02:48
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Yeah. But first time I played it the design went completely over my head, it's way too subtle to properly make out in-game while you're trying to fight the guy, which is not a criticism of it, it's part of the reason I appreciate it. It is a cool design. Also: I didn't get into this yet, but I find the music for Dark Souls II to be kind of lackluster compared to that of the first game. The Looking Glass Knight's theme was the first boss music that I felt actually served the fight. The music is done by the same composer, Motoi Sakuraba, who has a good track record when it comes to his work in general. Many people wonder why the music in Dark Souls II isn't as good. The music in II just seems more like a standard orchestral soundtrack type deal to me. The fact that the default relative volume is lower than what you hear in the video doesn't help that either. Which isn't to say this is the only good piece of music in the game, of course. None of it is bad, it's just that fewer of the tracks stand out. Thing is, Sakuraba probably got way different directions for what the music should sound like. From the Design Works interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of the first game, it becomes clear that he had a very specific idea of what he wanted the feel of the game to be like. He wanted to capture to sorrow of a dying world. One time he rejected a design for a zombie dragon because it was too gory, and insisted the artist try again and this time capture the sadness of a once glorious beast that has fallen so deep instead of the decay of its body. Dark Souls II has a different feel. I'm not saying it's worse, but the entire atmosphere of the first game is part of why I still like it better than Dark Souls II. But yeah, it's not worse it's different. Not even saying it's due to different people being in charge here. Chances are that if Miyazaki were also directing this game he'd have tried something a little different.
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Oct 18, 2014 08:48
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Paracelsus posted:It's a common theory, but not directly supported by anything. This is what Dark Souls lore boils down to, really. It's almost all speculation and grasping at the few explicit straws available. And this is very much intentional, and part of why the series is such a cult hit. IGgy IGsen posted:Dark Souls II has a different feel. I'm not saying it's worse, but the entire atmosphere of the first game is part of why I still like it better than Dark Souls II. But yeah, it's not worse it's different. Not even saying it's due to different people being in charge here. Chances are that if Miyazaki were also directing this game he'd have tried something a little different. Definitely agreed on this. When I first played DS1, and when I first arrived at Firelink, I was overcome by a strange but familiar feeling. It's that feeling when you're outside on a winter day, and the sun is shining and the skies are clear, but it's still frigid cold. I never got that same feeling in DS2 (except in Eleum Loyce haha). Not saying that DS2 is a worse game because of that, but it's definitely different.
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Oct 18, 2014 09:05
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Yeah, the music seems less memorable than the first game. But the theme of you-know-which boss in Iron King DLC... 
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Oct 18, 2014 16:55
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The problem with memorability and Souls music is that most of the time music is playing you're focused on the fight so much that unless the music really stands out you probably won't really process it. Listening to a lot of the DS2 music on youtube, I can barely recognize most of the songs. I think the volume really is too low to pick out a lot of the music; a lot of the time I find myself going "there was a choral part during that fight?" When I compare the DS2 soundtrack to the songs I remember most from DS1 (esp. O&S, Sif, Moonlight Butterfly/Gwyndolin, Ash Lake), part of it might be that many of the songs that are memorable had the chorus as the primary thing you're hearing, whereas in a lot of the DS2 songs the chorus is less prominent.
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Oct 18, 2014 19:17
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