Anyone else playing Demon's Souls?

Games
3443

Higher numbers are always better. If you have a shield with 90% physical, then 10% of the damage will go through.

The levels are pretty much linear. But they are huge and when you die you start at the beginning. And when you die to the boss it is pretty much the same. And you can level up in the NExus (hub) only after you have defeated the 1st boss in the castle world (1-1 Boletaria Palace). There are some shortcuts that you can open, to get to the boss in shorter time, but not everywhere. And sometimes it is enough just to run past the enemies…

And don’t try to fight a mob, they trigger one by one if you don’t rush into them… A regular enemy can kill you if you just button mash, because then you run out of juice (green stamina) and you need to recover stamina over time. It recovers faster if you put your guard down (if you don’t block with your shield).

Ah, good times lie ahead…

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If you do get around to it, just remember that the equipment and a lot of the mechanics are a bit confusing. Feel free to ask questions here. We’ll be happy to answer. And bookmark this website, I used it a LOT whenever I had questions about a new weapon I found, or a game mechanic I didn’t understand.

http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/

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I (think!) I’m finishing up Dark Souls Remastered, and I (might) have a PS5 coming my way, so if the stars align, perhaps Demon’s Souls is the next step on my soulslike journey. Looking up stuff was imperative for me to enjoy DS1, understanding the hollow/humanity mechanics without some external explanation would’ve taken some time. I assume there’s similar stuff in Demon’s Souls

3446

yes, ephemeral eyes instead of humanity. In DS3 it was ember, and in Bloodborne it was insight. When I played and abandoned Demons Souls the first time around, I didn’t even know that you could summon other players…

3447

The one constant with the Souls games is their lack of direction within game. You are either supposed to figure it out, which is often impossible, or go to the gaming community, which I think is what they want you to do.

3448

so do you need the Pulse 3D headset to get the whole aural experience or is a stereo headset just the same? There are YT videos example of binaural audio, and it sounds already great on my regular gaming headset…

3449

Any headset should work.

3450

but is it better with the Pulse 3D? I just ordered it, and I wonder if it was really necessary… watching a DS video now and it already sounds “binaural” with my regular headset.

3451

That I couldn’t tell you. If your regular set worked with the PS5 that was probably fine, I think a coupe of first party games do have a specific Pulse 3d setting v. just regular Headset setting (you’ll need to set that to get the 3d audio along with enabling 3d Audio at the system level).

3452

this video helped me to understand binaural better.

Wow, I had no idea. So this was actually used for DS and other next-gen games.

the funny thing is the mics are earshaped, to get the soundwaves do what they do when we usually hear sounds.

3453

Having finally received and set up my PS5, I’ve diving back into Demon’s Souls. The first time I played this back in the dark ages, I think I beat a total of 4 bosses. The second time, I made it through 5. This time I want to chip at it until done.

I’ve consulted the guides and am focusing on a strength build around the Dragon Bone Smasher. So I’m rocking light armor (rags) and a bastard sword to begin with. I have no shame about using online guides for builds and direction.

I surprised myself by cruising through 1-1 all the way through Phalanx without dying. Died quite a few times before laying the Tower Knight to rest. Spent some time (with varying success) trying to perfect my parry timing in Shine of Storms on my way to get the Crescent Falchion for that sweet magic damage. Now am working my way through Stonefang. The game looks amazing. (I remember Stonefang in particular being really rough looking when I played it the first time; now it is fantastic.)

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Well, lemme know when you want to do this and I’ll make another run through. I’ll go Pyro this time and I’ll pace you so I can be summonable for bosses.

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me too! I want to go Wizard, but I really feal naked. 1-1 was no problem without dying. I opened the elevator in Stonefang. Did a bit in Latria (the sound design there is so great). I think I need to do Valley of Defilement first, since they are weak against fire down there. Also I think I need to rescue a wizard in Latria, because nobody can teach me spell at the moment.

the jokes are a little bit too long… but still

edit: found Frekes apprentice hiding behind a pillar.

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Viva La Dirt League, I think that is their name, does some pretty funny stuff.

3457

Some nitpicking with the remake:

In the PS3 version I almost watched always the intro video before starting a session, the intro is so well done, music and style (for camera). The new intro doesn’t have the original, brute music, the orchestration is way too soft. So I skip it (also I play on english with subtitles, and the intro titles are subtitled, duplicated, I hate this).

I get it that for 3D audio they needed to redo the voices. But why did they change some words in the dialog? Ostrava always said: That was a bold jump, now it is a bold leap. Or the maiden said after levelling up: Art thou done? And now Art thou finished? Maybe even Are you finished. And the blacksmith had a high-pitched voice, really annoying and it suited the character. Now it is a grumpy deep voice. Not a fan. And there are many more dialog changes. Why? At least they did not change the merchant : If you want to play you gotta pay or The end of Boletaria as we know it.

The outside of stonefang had this evening atmossphere, a lot of orange colors. Now it is more bright daylight. Even with classic filter on.

In Shrine of Storms, in the start of the area, if you looked up at the castle wall, there was a mysterious knight figure (that katana samurai NPC). He is gone. I think he was there from the start. You always wondered who he is. Until you meet him much much later.

I don’t think those changes were necessary, because they recreated so many things right. I’m only a couple of hours in (2 bosses, Phalanx and Lich) I will see what else was altered…

I play with dynamic HUD, that is so great, I only keep my souls count. When fighting you get the information you need. I wished there was a way to hit a button for the item HUD without switching to the next item. Sometimes I forget what I have equuipped.

Bluepoint LOTRified Demon’s Souls, that’s the bottom line. The atmosphere is really changed. From something dark and gloomy to something more epic and legendary. More high fantasy, than low fantasy. At least that’S my current impression.

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Gasp! They changed the intro? Why would they do that? My interest level just dropped.

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They changed maybe half all of it and the music is now orchestral. Try before you buy

The game however is still the great masochistic dungencrawler that it ever was, thanks to the Old One.

also: subtitles duplicating titles are just dumb

edit: the trumpets in the original intro music are so important for the mood (war trumpets). They are brutal and rough. And they are totally missing in the remake intro. Also the organ was very prominent in the original music, it gives weight. Also missing. It is sad… I know BluePoint have their artistic freedom and used it, but I just wish they were better artists!

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Agree with this, but gotta say I love the remake. The original was an ugly game. A brilliant one, but ugly. I think they’ve captured the tone and gameplay of the original perfectly, while making it a gorgeous this-gen masterpiece. And it’s super well-populated now. I see other players’ ghosts constantly, which actually adds kind of a spooky atmosphere to the whole thing.

I cheesed the spider by sniping her and am working my way through the prison now. The mindflayers are just as terrifying as I remember.

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man, how often I had a jump scare when a ghost went by in Valley of Defilement. As a wizard I am way more scary to ambushes…

I played the original last year again, I wouldn’t call it ugly. It had this desolate feeling. The remake is more pleasing to the eyes, less desolation. I just wish they didn’t change the music so much. I think the original was midi music with voices. Very rough, the new music is too soft for my taste. At least what I have experienced until now… it will take me a couple of weeks to finish it.

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I got ganked by 3 guys as “boss” Old Monk. I just was waiting to be summoned as a helper and bang, what do you know, you become a boss monster.

(when I played OG this never happened, I didn’t even know how/why to put a summon sign).