ITT god-tier Dark Souls levels

File: demons-souls-tower-of-latria.jpg (117KB, 1280x720px) Image search: [Google]

117KB, 1280x720px

GOAT comin thru

>>389922664
no

File: 20170624132312_1.jpg (584KB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

584KB, 1920x1080px

The entire cathedral and the way leading up to it

I really liked the grand archives.

File: 1378054334662.jpg (60KB, 368x381px) Image search: [Google]

60KB, 368x381px

>>389923909
As a first time player and caster this place was fucking hell for me. Fun to explore but goddamn do I not want to do it again.

Demon's souls:
1-1 and 1-2
2-1
all of 3

dark souls:
sen's fortress
Painted world
oolicile

dark souls 2:
N/A

Bloodborne:
yharnam
nightmare of menesis
cainhurst castle
research hall

dark souls 3:
the ringed city...or it would be had it not been for the staircase with the giants

1-3
Painted World of Ariamis
Hypogean Gaol

>>389922664
Upper Blighttown

Oolacile > Sen's Fortress > Undead Burg/Parish > Blighttown > Darkroot > Depths > Anor Londo > Duke's Archives > Catacombs > New Londo > Chasm of the Abyss > Tomb of the Giants > Valley of Drakes > Demon Ruins > Lost Izalith

>>389922664
lost izalith

>>389922664
Fuck that place. I'm fucking tired of it

>>389922664
I love Sen's fuck all a y'all

>>389925625
it's not even challenging. just annoying

>>389923909
>Giant building full of reused assets and enemies.
>Loop back to 1 bonfire meme, even if we have to force the player to take 2 elevators and run down a corridor of enemies to do it, completely defeating the purpose of a "shortcut".
>There's just a bonfire after you beat not-Prowling Magus at the end, so it's best to just rush that shitty boss to get a bonfire that's less tedious.
>Graveyard outside is full of enemies that spam bleed effects, but are otherwise a waste of fucking time time.
>Interior swamp elements, after having just trudged through two fucking swamps.
Cathedral of the Deep was entirely shit.

File: Duke's_Archive.jpg (1MB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 1920x1080px

What does /v/ think of The Duke's Archives?

>>389925735
that's not why I like it, the level is aesthetically pleasing to me

>>389926001
Good concept but pretty mediocre design-wise, horrendous in terms of gameplay/lore-breaking, completely broken for spellcasters due to lock-on fucking up for some reason and the forest outside is the most embarrassing looking thing in the entire game.

>>389924212
not a ds2 fan?

>>389926001
boring at best, tedious at worst
>tfw i still haven't nailed the elevator skip

>>389923170
wrong souls game nerd, but you're right

>>389926001
Learned how to elevator skip so I don't ever have to spend more than 5 minutes there again.

Shit.

File: IMG_0504.jpg (53KB, 760x428px) Image search: [Google]

53KB, 760x428px

Straight up fuck this place

>>389926373
clearly not, same with das3

>>389926697
Try going there after you get a certain key item from Eleum Loyce

>>389922664
Demon's Souls: Shrine of Storms 4-1
Dark Souls 1: Ash Lake
Dark Souls 2: Dragon Aerie
Bloodborne: Fishing Hamlet Coast

Haven't played DS3

File: 1493931544441.jpg (78KB, 960x540px) Image search: [Google]

78KB, 960x540px

is it cheating to say the whole of brume tower? i love the little skips around the map along with how much stuff you can find in the nooks and crannies of it

>>389926001
I like the Anor Londo Public Library

>>389926697
that was one of the few parts of DS2 that showed a creative spark imo

>>389926868
DaS2's DLC areas are some of the best locations in the series. The only real problem with them is that each area had those standard soldier enemies that have way too much poise and health.

File: Dark Souls™.png (2MB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 1920x1080px

>>389926001
I always liked the aesthethics. It's a very comfy location, even if it's somewhat tedious to play through. I think the archives is a lot more fun than Izalith or New Londo though.

>>389926971
i played with a great club so i didnt really have that problem
the 2hr2 would pancake pretty much everything

>>389926928
No, it really didn't. It's Tomb of the Giants reskinned

>>389926697
thats not shrine of amana.
I JUST started a ne playthrough of DS2 and shrine of amana continues to be my most hated level. Very close to that is Iron Keep. Then maybe castle drangleic.

>>389922664
I have to say undead burg is an underrated starter area after the tutorial. Was the perfect spot to start practicing my parry timings, get the mechanics of the game down and get over that initial learning curve.

>>389926868
Dark Souls 2 DLC was amazing, easily my favorite areas in the entire series. Except for the snow one. I don't think that one is very good.

>>389927028
eehhh, I think it's overly pedantic to say you can never have an area with low visibility ever again because you did it once before

besides I LIKE Tomb of the Giants

>>389927134
What the fuck? The only good area was in the DLC that had Fume Knight and Sir Alonne. Don't remember the name

>>389927082
Fuck your shit. Amana is a very good area. If you can't deal with the enemies then too bad. It's also a very nice place aesthetically speaking.

>>389927027
I started the dlc with a ultrasword and the mooks just shrugged off my attacks like they were nothing so I just dropped the game after a while but reading this thread makes me want to try again

>>389927251
If you didn't enjoy The Sunken King then we share nothing in common

>>389923909
This place fills me with despair. I don't know whether that is a good thing or not in terms of level design. Something about the lower levels of the Cathedral is terribly, terribly depressing.

>>389927305
hurrrgh, still gotta finish DS2 + DLC. Sunken King murdered my will to finish the game. Cool level wasted on godawful bosses

>>389926001
It takes way too long to finish the first time around. I probably spent 10 times as much time there as I did in New Londo ruins, and New Londo was more interesting.

File: 1463833307437.jpg (635KB, 1030x730px) Image search: [Google]

635KB, 1030x730px

Overall top five in no particular order
>Lost Bastille
>Sen's Fortress
>Brume Tower
>Forbidden Woods
>The Catacombs

Top three for each game. No particular order.

- DeS
>Tower of Latria
>Boletarian Palace
>Shrine of Storms

- DaS1
>The Catacombs
>Blighttown
>Sen's Fortress

- DaS2
>Lost Bastille + Sinner's Rise
>Brume Tower
>Frozen Eleum Loyce

- DaS3
>Road of Sacrifices + Farron Keep
>Undead Settlement
>Painted World of Ariandel

- Bloodborne
>Forbidden Woods
>Hunter's Nightmare
>Central Yharnam

>>389927269
yeah it looks good, but im not fond of having homing magic missiles spammed at me the entire time. Its not hard, but it sure as hell isnt fun.

>>389927382
God tier DLC. Especially the bosses. These 3 guys are the best boss in the series after Prowling Magus and Covetus Demon, another bunch of great bosses in the best entry of the series, and I've enjoyed fighting them just like you.

>>389922664
I want a whole game of Sen's Fortress style levels.

>>389927082
How can you hate Amana when swamp levels exist. Amana is, at worst, boring. It's not hard or tedious unless you're a shitter.

>>389923170
fuuuuuuuuuck that place

File: 2808024-1355565781[1].jpg (1MB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 1920x1080px

>>389922664
Ash Lake for atmosphere.

>>389927626
Deathtrap Dungeon

>>389923909
>unironically enjoying swamp of the deep

>>389927567
>lost bastille

this nigga's high lol

Official Rankings
6.DS 2
5.DS 3
4.DeS
3.Bloodborne
2.DS
1.Nioh

File: 1498494899111.gif (876KB, 416x410px) Image search: [Google]

876KB, 416x410px

>>389927567
>that top 5

>>389927860
>Can be played forward or backwards
>Two optional bosses and a whole optional coventant zone
>Cool enemies
>Lots of secrets and shortcuts
Get the fuck out of my face

>>389923909
No.
>Path leading up to the cathedral past a certain point is linear
>White tree archer only activates once you get close to the white tree, like always he is a shitty scripted event with bad flags
>Shitty maggot monsters that convulse when set on fire but aren't even slightly afraid of fire even if pulling out a torch while inflicted with maggots will instantly purge them
>Fire convulsions are a set animation and until the enemy recovers from the animation the enemy doesn't react to being set on fire which can lead to the enemy getting off attacks despite constantly being lit up
>Pursuer Greatshield but nothing else from the Pursuer
>The shortcut meme in DaS3 just leads to either useless shortcuts or every shortcut invalidating the prior shortcut due to one and done
>Can miss Siegward because there is literally no reason to walk past him once he triggers
>Cursed Beast room has literally no ceiling
>Cathedral Knights will walk off the rafters
>Patches can be prevented from spawning if you do the cathedral slightly out of the order that it wants you to
>Patches in his shittiest incarnation yet doesn't even stand next to the lever that lowers the bridge. They probably wanted him to stand on the other side or something but couldn't do it or the person responsible was basically retarded which is the case for a lot of things in this game.
>While not necessarily about the Cathedral, Patches retains his awfulness until the DLC because when he spawns in Firelink to fuck you over he isn't even spawned in until he has betrayed you
>Giants are unaffected by Storm Ruler despite the sword not breaking like it is clearly supposed to, given the whooping 10 durability on display
>Boss is just a bunch of priests that differ mostly in health
>Entire boss fight can be invalidated by the Pontiff Ring you get from Vordt and at least a medium speed spinning weapon since it makes it almost impossible for the player to die while they are surrounded by enemies on all sides

>>389929693
>cool enemies
>100000 copy pasted long sword soldiers

no

File: 1499194732787.jpg (51KB, 359x305px) Image search: [Google]

51KB, 359x305px

>tfw playing so much dark souls has inspired me to invent my own cosmology and fantasy setting, magic system, visual motifs, themes etc.
most fun I've had as a NEET in forever
I'll probably never make a game of it, and it'd likely be a 2d game with graphics in between SNES and GBA

>>389926868
that's funny, my friend and I were discussing what we considered the best areas and we did exclude the das2 dlcs because we felt it would be cheap. The areas are much larger than every other souls area.

>>389929893
Make a wiki of it. People like to read wikis for things that don't even exist.

>>389929729
>implied implications
You're a retard and you're still ass damaged because you couldn't abuse a chokepoint.

>>389930624
that's exactly what I did and that's why it's shit. It's not fun

>i-it's too hard for you

please, I've gotten through the FRC 5 depth chalices in BB and done level 1 runs

>>389927192
Why do you say that criticizing games when they do something wrong is a bad thing ? Are you stupid ?

>>389927885
>DS3 that high
>DS3 above anything
>Bloodborne that low

>>389930667
Sounds like you're arbitrarily shitting on a level because you have other agendas.

>>389922664
Having just gone through DS1 a few weeks ago, I still don't see the problem with Sen's Fortress. Maybe it's because I actually used my Bow when I noticed that I'd get ganked if I kept going forwards and kept an eye on the surroundings for traps. The only things that really got me were the axes by the entrance and the rocks every now and again.

>>389922664
Fuck off. Sens gives me nightmares.

>>389931681
>arbitrarily

Literally try to defend the amount of longsword enemies before ruin sentinels

>>389926001
Shit.

>350 hours in DS1

Should I bother playing the other games?

Also, I'd say the best area in DS1 is Blighttown in terms of design, even if I hated going through it the first time around

>>389932218
Play Demon's, Bloodborne, and 3. Avoid 2 like the plague.

>>389932218
No, you should go play Destiny 2 instead.

>>389927082
I don't mind the iron keep, but fuck the shrine of amana

>>389932218
>Should I bother playing the other games?
Yes. Except 2.

File: nice try.webm (2MB, 853x480px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 853x480px

>>389932218
Yes, try DeS, then BB, then DS3. If you're curious about 2 after that watch a stream of it. If you're still not satisfied, pirate it.

Bosses become a lot more complex in DS3 fair warning, multiple phases, multiple moves to roll catch, attack timings made to mess with your impulse to dodge etc.

>>389932218
get on DeS and BB pronto. I wouldn't waste time on 2/3

>>389923909
Either DS3 was your first souls game or this is a joke.

>>389926001
I liked the simplicity of the map design. Good contrast to the rest of the game's world. Also had a lot of fun invasions in there.

>>389932294
I used to feel the same way until I forced myself to sit down and trudge through it. The controls, graphics, and PvP are shit but otherwise it really isn't that bad.

>>389932562
Don't watch 2. If you're interested pick it up for ten bucks next time there's a sale. The only fun you'll get out of it is a fresh playthrough, and you need to feel the sluggish controls to really experience it.

File: soa.jpg (172KB, 1024x432px) Image search: [Google]

172KB, 1024x432px

>>389922664
The Shrine of Amana is a god tier level but shitters that get wrecked on it can recognize it's greatness.

>>389932139
They're easily handled by abusing chokepoints or by clever and careful use of fire to set off the powder kegs in the area. It's a lesson in environmental awareness and aggro control.

People who whine about it are literally just screeching casuals who'd rather blame the game than themselves.

Sen's Fortress, Tower of Latria and Research Hall are the GOAT Souls levels.

>>389933186
it's not hard to cheese with poison arrows, I always sell the double weapons/armor I get from drops to gavlan and buy a ton of poison arrows

File: hollowkindoffeel.png (412KB, 493x514px) Image search: [Google]

412KB, 493x514px

>>389923909
Anon, it's a giant empty cathedral that still manages to fit a shitload of swamp physics sections in.

>>389933186
In SoTFS it's honestly one of the better levels just because of how much more balanced it is.

>>389927305
stone ring

Undead Burgh and Lothric Castle are where the genius is at. Gimme those intertwining roads that double back and cross up and over other paths and let you look ahead and back at where you've been and where you might once return.

File: No-Man's_Wharf.png (481KB, 800x510px) Image search: [Google]

481KB, 800x510px

>>389933186
I wouldn't call it god tier. It's basically a swamp minus the poison, and it's pretty linear and annoying to navigate. I don't hate it but I don't love it either. If we're talking about god tier areas, I think this one is very underrated.

>>389933228
you're using circular reasoning, I already told you it's not hard to deal with it's just unfun

>>389929893
this desu

>>389927885
1. DS1
2. DS3
3. DS2
4. DeS

How do people even like Demon Souls, I bought it because everyone on here said it was great, it just feels like a clunky beta version of Dark Souls.

>>389933186
It's beautiful and has the best NPC summon in any souls game (Felicia). Shame it's in DS2 though

>>389923909
As much as shit eating contrarians will try to deny it, it's indeed one of the best-designed levels. Its only downside is that barriers have virtually no effect on giants when initially it was supposed to be a way to stop them from attacking you. Otherwise, very little areas in series allows such a freedom of exploration within one area - you can explore it from top to bottom, including a trip around the rafters and outer walls. It's what i wanted Anor Londo's castle to be.

>>389935201
>Its only downside
what about the long ass trek between the chapel bonfire and the first shortcut

though it was alleviated a bit when I realized you could climb up one of the buttresses and actually do something about that fucking slave ambush

>>389935201
>shit eating contrarians

We all played the fucking game anon. Get over yourself.

File: cathedral shortcut.webm (3MB, 1024x576px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 1024x576px

>>389935450
>what about the long ass trek between the chapel bonfire and the first shortcut
What about it?

>>389935632
That "shortcut" saves you what, 30 seconds?

File: 1502955737110.gif (469KB, 512x807px) Image search: [Google]

469KB, 512x807px

>>389935632
>just running past everything
why didn't I even consider this

>>389935740
It saves you from two annoying encounters with thralls and puts you behind a second ambush so you can ambush them.

>>389935753
this is why I hate the bonfire system and prefer demon's souls level design, you can bumrush through most of the dark games and are encouraged to do so

>>389923170
>Dark Souls

>>389922664
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaM9YRUsDXs

File: 1494753078198.png (1MB, 1080x1288px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 1080x1288px

>>389923170
I fucking love Latria but constant, annoying hissing noise made me want to claw my own ears out.

>>389935959
You can bumrush through DeS too if you're know what you're doing.

>>389936063
not really, there are many areas you are forced to stop at or alter the level in some way via a switch or something equivalent

>>389927567
You have downright disgraceful taste. Please refrain from posting

>>389936060
PLEASE

HELP ME

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

>>389934397
>it's no hard
>it's just unfun
Sure thing kiddo. It takes about 30 seconds to kill all of them, if even that. Then there's the entire point where that and everything after it up to the Belfry bonfire, is a coop and/or PvP area.

>>389935632
>If I run passed everything, the nearly minute-long "shortcut" is totally worth it!
DaS3 had the worst fucking level design in the series. There was so much fucking padding in areas like Cathedral and Irithyll is was unreal.

Fact of the matter is that they realized the game was piled with bonfires, so they tried to go back to making a DaS1/2 area like Undead Burg/Parrish or Forest of Giants, and instead they ended up with a massive fucking structure that takes forever to traverse, despite only having one boss, nothing but re-used enemies aside from the maggot things, and one of the shittiest and most pointless bosses in the entire fucking series.

>>389936634
>run passed everything
Except you're merely positioning yourself behind two ambushes and can backtrack while having way less resistance from enemies.
>padding
What you call padding i call exploration you shit eating contrarian. Because unlike previous games DS3 actually has big levels with lots of traversal and shortcuts on regular basis, not as exceptions. But i guess awful linear garbage like Tomb of the Giants or Aldia's Keep is more to your liking.
>nothing but re-used enemies
It's cute that this complain goes in the same sentence as Burg, Parish and FotFG.
> shittiest and most pointless bosses
It's actually easily one of the best group bosses in series, and with a theme done by Naotoshi Zin to boot.

>>389936634
>>If I run passed everything, the nearly minute-long "shortcut" is totally worth it!
Why would you fight stuff if you're just getting through a shortcut lmao

>>389936634
>DaS3 had the worst fucking level design in the series.
Not while 2 exists.

>>389933702
I'm surprised those spooky creatures only showed up in this area

>>389937884
They're below Drangleic castle too

>>389933702
It is nice but too short if you ask me.

>>389935794
I get that, but how is it a shortcut?

>>389937043
>What you call padding i call exploration
You can call it whatever you want. If your definition of exploration is "Pile this area with enemies", so be it, because DaS3 has virtually no exploration outside of a few areas.

>you shit eating contrarian
Nice.

>DS3 actually has big levels with lots of traversal and shortcuts
And they're all worthless, because they're either not "shortcuts" as is the case with Cathedral, or they're pointless, as is the case with virtually all other instances of them.

>It's cute that this complain goes in the same sentence as Burg, Parish and FotFG.
The first two areas in their respective games somehow reuse enemies? Cathedral is literally Undead Settlement with a few half-assed giants thrown around, which are hilariously oversized and whiff everything even when you don't move.

>It's actually easily one of the best group bosses in series
Don't make me laugh like that anon.

>>389937634
It's not a shortcut if you spend 40+ seconds running passed packs of enemies. At that point it's just running to a bonfire like in any other zone.

If I run through Undead Settlement and skip everything up to the second bonfire, is that a shortcut? By your definition it is.

>>389937791
>Swamp Souls 3
>Good at anything level-based

>>389938250
It is miles ahead of What's a Level Design Souls 2.

>>389926001
Tedious and repetitive

>>389938293
Considering that the majority of the game amounts to a hallway, that's a laughable statement.

>>389926697
When you encounter an area with low vision all you need to do is hug the wall, it's not hard at all ffs

>>389935201
Everyone gave solid reasons and you just blame contrarians. It's not even contrarian if most people just thought the game was "okay"

>>389927567

Nearly half the enemies in lost bastille can be tricked into killing themselves or each other and it's about the only way worth doing this shitty lvl cos it's boring.

>>389926001
I like the aesthetic and the rotating stairs puzzle. The enemies were annoying the first time around, but I'm used to them now.

Overall I enjoy the area, though the backtracking required to free Logan is still tedious.

>>389937043

Yeah nah. You're wrong deal with it.

>>389937791
The layouts of individual levels in DS2 were fine. The only thing that sucks is how they connect to each other.

>>389927767
this nigga gets it

>>389932218
Don't listen to these twats. Give DS2 a go and if you don't like it, stop playing. Personally, it's my favourite.

>>389936326
>woman singing in the background

>>389936060
>hissing
>not the faggot who keeps banging against his cell and yelling "HHHHRRR LET ME OUT"

>>389939690
personally you are a fucking faggot

File: Farron_Keep_DaS3.jpg (245KB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

245KB, 1920x1080px

What's the /v/erdict on this one?

>>389940186
>Poison swamp in a game flooded with swamps.
>Shit enemy variety.
>Shit enemies.
>No items worth exploring the swamp for.
One of the worst areas in the series.

>>389940186
A bit boring and open, and I hated how you couldn't jog through the swamp water like you could in Blighttown in DaS1, you're forced to either roll or use that retarded dagger weapon arts thing which somehow works.

>>389937934
Everyone and their mother is in that castle for no apparent reason.

>>389940707
Most of the horrors in DaS2 were made by Aldia and Vendric.

File: ariandel.jpg (208KB, 1024x453px) Image search: [Google]

208KB, 1024x453px

>you will never live within the painted world of ariandel
>you will never find a sweetly rotting bed to lie upon

>>389940186
Fond memories of being face-fucked to death by goatmen there.

>>389934779
The same way people convince themselves that DS1 has better bosses than DS3.

>>389940871
Yeah gotta love those 3 phase boss fights.
Totally interesting and not based upon how many recovery items you bring lmao.

File: Lothric_&_Lorian_Risen.jpg (442KB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

442KB, 1920x1080px

>>389940871
>DS1 has better bosses than DS3.
Literally no one thinks that though, DaS has a much better world layout and more build diversity but a lot of the bosses are just bad (Pinwheel, Sith, Moonlight Butterfly, Bed of Chaos, Ceaseless Discharge, etc.)

>>389941014
You'd be surprised, there are people who haven't played Dark Souls 1 in 2+ years (same goes Demon's Souls) and hold it to a higher standard in their head.

>>389940849
>become undead
>raid the grand archives for books to read
>go to chapel
>cut bridge
>close door
>be cozy next to the bonfire for eternity
>fuck the painter loli when she grows up, you degenerate freak

>>389941127
I have.
It's still better in every aspect but the graphic department.

>>389941351
>Being this deluded

>>389941431
No, I'm being honest here.
Nothing and I repeat, NOTHING has made me feel as engaged as ds1.

Throw a tantrum and cry about "muh backstabs" or "muh poise" or whatever the hell you want but whatever you say will not erase the fact that the latter games were absolute dogshit compared to ds1.

>>389941014
>Crystal Sage, Wolnir, Aldrich, Yhorm, Deacons, Oceiros and whatever that generic dragon you kill with a plunging attack is called just don't exist now
DaS3 also has plenty of bad bosses. I'm even not including the bad DLC bosses because it's not worth outlining why Midir is bad.

>>389941431
It really is better in most aspects though I wouldn't go so far as to say that the bosses in DaS1 aren't pretty hit and miss.

>>389922664
Send fortress is overrated. Not bad, just overrated.

>>389941580
>Deacons and Aldrich
>bad

>>389941547
If you honestly think DS1 has better bosses than DS3 there's really nothing to talk about, DS1 does everything else better, but not the bosses or AI of the enemies.

>>389941580
>DaS3 also has plenty of bad bosses. I'm even not including the bad DLC bosses because it's not worth outlining why Midir is bad.
Oceiros and Aldrich aren't so bad, but every Souls game has plenty of trash tier bosses. I'm talking on average though, compare Soul of Cinder to Gwyn, Abyss Watchers to any of the lords in DS1, DS1 bosses are so easy it's ridiculous. The only remotely challenging boss is The Bed of Chaos because of that last jump.

>>389941580
Sure, I don't know why FROM still insists on these gimmick bosses as they plague almost all of their games but Dark Souls 3 has a lot more high quality fights in my opinion and I say this as someone who still hold Dark Souls as the best.

Abyss Watchers, Pontiff Sulyvahn, Dancer of the Borreal Valley, Twin Princes, Nameless King, Soul of Cinder are all very good.
Whereas the only fights I really like in Dark Souls, DLC withstanding, are Quelaag, Ornstein & Smough and Gwyn. Sif is good too from a lore perspective but his fight is just rolling into him and staying underneath him while attacking.

>>389941693
Deacons of the Deep track is 10/10 but the fight is like a 6/10.

>>389941824
It's not even a fucking fight, what?

It's literally Prowling Magus and Congregation tier. It is THE absolute worst fight in the game, only barely tied by the Ancient Wyvern.

>>389941693
Deacons is like a shitty version of Prowling Magus.

Aldrich is a pointless fight with one dangerous attack. He dies so fast that he spends most of the time just running away.

>>389941814
>Soul of Cinder to Gwyn, Abyss Watchers
Soul Of Cinder dies so fast that I didn't even know his second phase was a "Gwyn" phase. Abyss Watchers are less dangerous than normal enemies since they throw themselves into situations where you can just backstab them.

I don't think you guys understand there's a difference between "experience" and "gameplay".

Let me ask you this. Out of all souls games, which made you feel more engaged and giddy the first time you played it?
And on the other hand, which game made you replay it till reaching absurd amounts of hours put into it?

That's what you should be asking yourselves.

File: 1480695450678.jpg (65KB, 411x412px) Image search: [Google]

65KB, 411x412px

>>389941127
Rolling either forward or to the side drives me nuts now after hours of BB and DS3

>>389942112
>Out of all souls games, which made you feel more engaged and giddy the first time you played it?
The first one I played.

>And on the other hand, which game made you replay it till reaching absurd amounts of hours put into it?
The first one I played.

>>389942152
DaS1's 4-way rolling was bad even back when it was released.

>>389924090
you can skip most of this place.

You do this
>Vordt
>Hollow Tree
>Wolnir
By this point you should have 7-8 estus (+3)
Then you do the crystal mage for more souls or go straight to the Dancer.
If you don't want to do the Dancer you should be hella over leveled and do the cathedral.

For the swamp buy a dagger and 2 hand it and use L2 to get through the thick slow bits and it works the same when you are in the inner cathedral getting past the giant.

If you take your time doing it this way the game all in all takes about 4 hours.

DS3 is probably my least favourite souls game. I like DS1 > DS2 > DS3 and the reason for this is that in DS2 most of the game is completely acessible from level 1. You can do The Rotten before you do the Lost Sinner and go in any order you want. The mechanics are garbage at points, but it's still better than the 3rd game by a long shot.

>>389942112
I don't think you understand that you actually perfectly explained from where a certain bias that infests this fanbase comes from.

File: 1484265697035.jpg (65KB, 460x460px) Image search: [Google]

65KB, 460x460px

>>389942596
Is being non-linear really that more important for you than actually good gameplay? the hell man

>>389941693
Deacons are, as mentioned in one of my earlier posts about how I have shit taste, completely bland as a fight. Because they do basically no damage and because of how the game hands out health restoration like candy the game does not punish you for standing in their midst and engaging in a collateral damage beyblade tournament while wearing the Pontiff Ring. They are barely a threat unless you use a heavy weapon and can't into target prioritization even without that strategy.
Aldrich is a mess of shit animations and his spells make the gameplay tedious because they usually force you into running away. His one big trick is the scythe that restores his HP. Like most spellcaster bosses Silencing him destroys him but unlike my previous point that requires actually speccing into it and going into miracles which are complete shit so it's not really a negative here.

>>389941814
Oceiros doesn't let you cut off his tail and he's a Seath reference. His first phase is kind of eh and his second phase is just him storming from one end of the room to the other.

>>389942112
DaS1 for the second one.
I can't really say I felt engaged and giddy because I labored through my first playthrough on just a keyboard. It was a frustrating kind of fun to complete the game that way.

>>389942804
Yes. Once you get to Road of Sacrifices it's a pretty long slog of not good gameplay with maybe one detour anyway.
Not being linear would have helped.

>>389942804
I'm really terrible at Souls games period. I like to have choices to pad out my gameplay because even though I have 100 hours in every souls game I still get stuck on bosses like The Dancer for 4 hours sometimes because I have some sorta of memory problem I swear. I like the way the world is built in DS3, but for me when I have choices to fall back on when I'm having a hard time is why I like DS2 more.

>>389942723
>a general consensus on what game is most enjoyable is bias

File: 1442885837487.gif (141KB, 400x324px) Image search: [Google]

141KB, 400x324px

>>389942976
Probably the only actual compelling argument I've heard for DS2

>>389942804
Being able to go to which areas you want and get items from certain bosses early massively improves the playthrough. DaS3 fucks this up so bad that even if you sequence break by killing Emma, there's certain items that don't even spawn until you kill the first three lords.

>>389943113
A important reason why that specific "consensus" exists is that dumb as fuck bias. Yeah, "consensus" can be something not objective at all, you fucking underage.

File: Long game.png (70KB, 2100x1500px) Image search: [Google]

70KB, 2100x1500px

>DS2 DLC areas
>Undead Berg & Parish
>Drangleic Castle, Anor Londo, and Lothric Castle
>Research Hall
Rate my taste, /v/

File: 23228131051_4f3c9d4f06_o.png (1MB, 1136x479px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 1136x479px

(note I havent played DaS2)

BEST LEVEL DESIGNS

> 1-1, 2-1, 3-2
> Undead Burg, Sen's Fortress, Painted World
> Central Yharnam, Forbidden Woods, Reseach Hall
> Grand Archives, Ithryel, Cathederal of the Deep


BEST LEVEL ASTHETICS
> 3-2, 1-2, 3-1
> Anor Londo, Blighttown, Ash Lake
> Fishing Hamlet, Cainhurst, Hunters Nightmare
> Ringed City, Irithyll, Archdragon Peak

>>389943343
>you fucking underage
lmao my man stop exposing yourself
you are only hurt because people share a different view than yours which is, if you ask me, fucking pathetic

>>389933640
This. More than doubles the poise damage on most weapons

File: Frigid_Outskirts.jpg (263KB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

263KB, 1920x1080px

>That atmosphere
>The sounds before enemy attacks
>That eerie sounds of the snowstorm

Best area of any Souls game to date

>>389944225
Lud and Zallen are in the top 10 worst bosses in the series.

>>389944225
I loved Dark Souls 2, and I thought that area was garbage

File: 1504843918237.png (278KB, 633x489px) Image search: [Google]

278KB, 633x489px

>>389927567
Gwyn really plays favourites with his kids.

>>389924212
No Fishing Hamlet?

File: Shark_Giant_Jaws.jpg (210KB, 1920x1080px) Image search: [Google]

210KB, 1920x1080px

>>389944559
>Fishing Hamlet
>Good

>>389926001
Would be fine if the mages didn't respawn

>>389943594
Cainhurst is such a simple area yet so memorable even compared to much bigger areas. Kind of like the Castle in Van Helsing.

>>389943594
BB and DaS3 look so fucking similar. Virtually no iconic uniqueness in DaS3 anywhere, it blows my mind how lazy From was.

>>389944403
Why do people say this? They're like a super version of an earlier boss that's designed to be cooped. Frigid Outskirts and 2cat were some of the best experiences I've had in a DaS game.

>>389944925
Lud and zellen are an amazing thing to solo I tell you. Beating them took 200 lives but I got them and now I can put dark souls 2 to rest! Hardest boss for my build was either the second smelter demon or the roaring ice gato

>>389944615
>good
Pardon, it's the Best area in the dlc and probably in the game. Not for me tho, I like central yharnam and cainhurst more.

>>389945904
Research Hall is much better. It has far more verticality to it which expands the ways you can traverse it and there are a lot secrets to explore with all the optional rooms.

File: The Burnt Ivory King.jpg (1MB, 2343x3496px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 2343x3496px

Who were your favorite NPCs, anons?

File: emerald herald.jpg (19KB, 305x600px) Image search: [Google]

19KB, 305x600px

>>389946546
Emerald Herald will forever be the best firekeeper. I was surprised that the one in DaS3 was so completely void of personality, and have barely any place in the story.

File: Anastacia-Firekeeper.jpg (303KB, 1024x1024px) Image search: [Google]

303KB, 1024x1024px

>>389946917
Wrong.

File: BEAR SEEK SEEK LEST.jpg (42KB, 736x588px) Image search: [Google]

42KB, 736x588px

>>389946917
>ywn get to know what Shanalotte's original story was
>she will forever be known as BEAR SEEK SEEK LEST
Feels bad, man

>>389946546
>Ivory King
>Alonne
>Vendrick
>Emerald Herald
>Lucatiel
>Aldia
>motherfucking Maldrom

Ds2 was alright

>>389946993
She's a close second.

>>389947030
But we know her story? What else could there have been? Out of all the NPCs in DaS2 she probably has the most backstory and connection to the game.

>>389922664
The Catacombs is legit patrician-tier level in DkS1
>dark
>difficult
>at least 4 (FOUR) different paths to reach the bonewheel pit

>>389942596
>in DS2 most of the game is completely acessible from level 1.

This is something I loved about it too. It was pretty cool to think of how to execute a build based on where you run of to first, and the bonfire ascetic system made that even more loaded with interesting potential.

>>389946546
Solaire and Seigmeyer. Obviously you can't like them these days because memes xD but there's a reason they were so popular.
Also Giant blacksmith.

File: SotFS_Vendrick.jpg (1MB, 1570x898px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 1570x898px

>>389947207
The Vendrick reveal is god tier desu.

>>389947242
It's also an area that constantly catches you off guard your first time through. The resurrecting enemies add a shit ton of tension too, your actions are all measured against how fast you can dispatch enemies and move forward. It's definitely some of the highest-intensity exploration in the Souls series, which isn't much of a strong aspect of the third one I feel like. Skeletons flying through the air and rolling around like freaks is a pretty great Souls tradition, too.

File: Summoned.jpg (188KB, 650x620px) Image search: [Google]

188KB, 650x620px

>>389947210
There was originally going to be a lot more for her but, like all Dark Souls games, they got cut. Doesn't help that DaS2 was made in basically 6 months

File: hqdefault-29.jpg (21KB, 480x360px) Image search: [Google]

21KB, 480x360px

>>389947312
F

>>389947383
Isn't she your child of dark? You become king after all.

>>389947435
F

File: Sweater Shanalotte.jpg (92KB, 500x550px) Image search: [Google]

92KB, 500x550px

>>389947497
No, she's an artificial being created by Aldia and Vendrick to stop the Curse, but was deemed a failure. She still tries to accomplish her goal through the Undead, but years of failure has left her bitter and hopeless. Until you show up, of course

>>389946917
Isn't it strange how she gives you the feather that lets you teleport to bonfires?

>The child of the dragon, sequestered away from the world, imagined a world of boundless possibilities from the mere sight of a feather.

If Drangleic is an "imagined world" (maybe why forgetfulness is so rampant), and it kind of is, she might be able to create a new world or something. I didn't even finish SotFS so I don't know.

File: Come on, Alva!.jpg (58KB, 600x600px) Image search: [Google]

58KB, 600x600px

>>389946546
I love my tragic romances

File: Quelaana is waiting.jpg (689KB, 1152x900px) Image search: [Google]

689KB, 1152x900px

>>389946546
Its nice she got the courage together to talk with her sister.

>>389947596
Shame they cut a pretty crucial part of her character development, an extremely good sidequest to get the aged feather

>You will never protect loli Shanalotte's smile

>>389924212
Fuck off Latria is such overhyped garbage.

The second level is just blood and darkeness boredron

File: Give me souls.jpg (153KB, 800x730px) Image search: [Google]

153KB, 800x730px

>>389947973
>go back in time and protect a young girl at crucial times of her life
>return to the present where the young girl has grown up with a massive crush on you
Are there any games that do this?

Painted World is the only good DS1 level.

File: Christ.jpg (52KB, 296x400px) Image search: [Google]

52KB, 296x400px

areas:
latria
anor londo
brume tower
central yharnam
ariandel

music:
maiden astraea
ash lake
nashandra
ludwig
pontiff sulyvahn

boss:
false king
artorias
ivory king
orphan of kos
gael

>>389947383
Is there any information on what more there was going to be of her? I know there's a child version of her in the files, but other than that I haven't heard anything.

>>389947497
No. That's some bizarre fanfiction that Vaati came up with.

She's a creature that was birthed from Aldia's artificial dragons and infused with dark and light souls. Aldia and Vendrick somehow linked her to the flames in an attempt to make her an eternal Fire Keeper, their reasoning being that Dragons exist outside the cycle. However she was unable to keep the fire kindled and the undead curse continued to worsen, so Aldia deemed her a failure and moved on to pursue other ways of breaking/leaving the cycle.

>>389947764
I think it's more likely that she holds a lot of power over bonfires, as she's intrinsically linked to them. It's entirely likely that she's able to kindle them and travel between them, and she granted this ability to the feather.

I don't think Drangleic is a world she imagined, as lore tells us that it existed long before she did, and she's a result of that kingdom's rulers.

>>389947596
I'll never trust her.

>>389923909
It genuinely my least favourite area in the game.

File: 63965830.jpg (77KB, 400x400px) Image search: [Google]

77KB, 400x400px

>>389940863
>goatmen

File: Shanalotte.jpg (203KB, 595x800px) Image search: [Google]

203KB, 595x800px

>>389948453
But she is eternally loyal to you, anon!

>>389948303
Haven't watched all of vaatis videos but I am just going off some item descriptions. The items beg the question if she is building you to become a king maybe she is doing so as a child of dark.

>>389948754
Which items?

>>389927082
Shrine of Amana is literally the best level in vanilla DaS2.

>>389948754
She was doing that because she was trying to accomplish her goal of stopping the Curse, though it would be interesting if she was basically your Alsanna

>>389948754
She's not, but it would have been a nice idea.

>>389948819
You literally just need quick bow skills. Soulsbourne levels like people with good skills.

>>389926746
???

>can't get the Emerald Herald's set
>can't get the Pursuer's set
For what reason?

File: 1465698099746.png (86KB, 283x262px) Image search: [Google]

86KB, 283x262px

>soul memory

>>389950180
Cry harder faget.

>>389949280
It's an object that reveals invisible foes

You need it to see one of the bosses of the DLC, but if you go back to Drangleic proper and head to the Shaded Woods, you'll find that it also reveals the hidden enemies scattered throughout that area

>>389949595
>Bring back Pursuer shield in DaS3.
>Rotate it 90 degrees for no reason.
>Don't add his armor or sword.

File: 1501700680254.png (146KB, 557x605px) Image search: [Google]

146KB, 557x605px

>>389950556
>mfw this franchise will die precisely because of people like you and you will never be able to enjoy one-sided stomps against new players ever again
like pottery

>>389950774
Why did they do that at all? I can understand the FUGS, but why the Pursuer's Greatshield?

File: 1483447607808.jpg (4KB, 121x125px) Image search: [Google]

4KB, 121x125px

>>389949595
>Can't get the Penetrator's armor set
>Penetrator's sword doesn't even have that cool as fuck effect

>>389951056
DaS3 reused so many fucking assets they probably just threw in whatever they could to save time.

>>389950710
I'll add that it doesn't work on the 360 version. Sometimes.

File: Hug.jpg (126KB, 600x800px) Image search: [Google]

126KB, 600x800px

>>389951151
I just wanted to cosplay as the Emerald Herald and kill other people. What even happened to the Emerald Herald and the Bearer of the Curse?

>>389927305
Better yet, do Brunei Tower first and work your way up to Power stancing 2 Smelter Hammers, you won't regret it

File: 1493298943632.png (11KB, 250x247px) Image search: [Google]

11KB, 250x247px

>>389940350
>No items worth exploring the swamp for
>Not running Heavy Greatsword with 66 strength
Stay weak, chump.

>>389943594
From what we know,Dark souls 3 was made in less than 2 years because they reused bloodborne's engine and overall assets and even brought back some assets from Dark souls 1(anor londo).

>>389944225
I prefer the shorter version in the cut content of demon's souls.

>>389944824
Smouldering Lake was straight up a reskinned chalice dungeon

>>389923909
Agreed, easily the best in DS3. Manages to be huge in scale, but still complex in design. Like a better Anor Londo, but shittier visually.

Anyone else really love the castle areas in all games?

File: Dark Souls III 08.08.2017 - 07.18.04.04.png (3MB, 1600x900px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 1600x900px

>>389952414
The funny part is that it's reused Catacombs assets that they tried to cover up with copy-pasted roots. So it's lazy on top of lazy.

>>389927567
- DeS
>Tower of Latria
>Boletarian Palace
>Valley of Defilement
- DaS1
>Royal Wood
>Blighttown
>Painted World of Ariamis
- DaS2
>D
>L
>C
- DaS3
>Grand Archives
>Irithyll
>Painted World of Ariandel
- Bloodborne
>Fishing Hamlet
>Research Hall
>Central Yharnam