Remember, it’s by publisher, not developer, as far as sales decisions go. And I think you’re remembering all the sales on Xbox before Elden Ring came out. Namco Bandai did put them on sale a lot, but I don’t think they have done so with as deep a discount since Elden Ring. For example, in the current Xbox sale, they put Dark Souls 3 on sale for $20, and the edition with the DLC for $43. IIRC, before Elden Ring they used to get much deeper discounts. Sekiro is a different publisher. Activision always used to put it on sale for $38 in every sale, and in the last two sales they’ve come down to $30.
The Dark Souls 3 + DLC version on PS3 has been $20 bucks for years. YEARS.
The PC version with the DLCs has always costed about double the price if not more, virtually forever.
I ended up playing the PS3 version but I didn’t have PS+ so no online except for like a month I had it for free. :(
Scuzz
2667
I played Bloodborne offline on PS for that reason.
Alrighty. I’m going to give this one another go. I assume I was just burned out on Souls games when I picked it up in 2016. But the Demon Souls remake was great and I don’t want to skip DS3 to go to right to Elden Ring…so here we go.
Brilliant!
And hopefully justifies me starting as a deprived.
so does it ever get explained why/how you’re in the same place as DS1? I don’t want spoilers, I’m just curious if this is something I’ll actually learn.
Firelink Shrine being called, well, Firelink Shrine, and the High Wall being a lot like Undead Burg is why I’m asking, very early on in the game.
(Plus, count me as someone who actually likes the story from DS1).
Scuzz
2670
DS3 is kind of an homage to the previous games. Mostly DS1 but some DS2. After all, they really are just the same world redone every so often. When done well it is a nice idea but in some spots you are kind of hit over the head with it.
I am surprised Elden Ring didn’t do just a little of it.
If you haven’t played DS2 you might give it a try if it goes on sale during the holidays. It should be played before DS3. The combat is slower like DS1, in DS3 the Bloodborne effect kicks in and the game gets faster. But I have never understood the hate for DS2. It has some great areas and with the DLC some great bosses. It does get long with the 3 DLC though.
Gotcha. Okay, so more of a homage than an attempt for a story as to why. That’s good to know. I won’t go looking for it in that case.
I liked DS2 too, just not as much as DS1. In part because the level design was smarter in 1, imo. More interconnected creativity for sure. And in part because DS1 was first (for me…I didn’t get to Demon Souls until last year).
But DS2 was great. I didn’t realize there was hate for it.
Coming straight off of Dark Souls, easy…
Dark Souls 2 lacked the inter-connected believable game space which rubbed people the wrong way. It was the lack of care in how the world was presented. Moreover taking an elevator up to a lava fortress from inside a windmill is a architectural impossibility, and a developer cheat. They cheated with their world building whereas Dark Souls never felt it did, in fact the opposite.
Outside of that, the repair system although I believe this was latter patched out, some questionable hitboxes, soul memory, and a few lame duck bosses here and there brought it down a bit further.
I do think the game is just too long for a souls game. The end game is not elegant and drags major ass. The DLCs are good paired with optionally very bad “co-op” zones.
Scuzz
2673
DS2 does have the best home spoke area. It is also connected but not as nicely as DS1 is. The geography of its connections never bothered me. I mean you are in a total fantasy world so why get weird over a few things like that.
But I played DS1 first and because of that it is my favorite.
The repair stuff in DS2 was patched out. It is still a mechanic but nothing like it was upon release. I think the biggest thing is maybe that they didn’t advance the combat much from 1 to 2. The difference from 2 to 3 can be pretty jarring and then the stuff they add in ER takes some getting used to.
And I would agree, the game is just too long. About the time you think you are nearing the end they throw a whole lot more at you.
Matt_W
2674
This was the thing that bothered me most about it. I’ve beaten or nearly beaten every Souls game except DS3. DS2 was my least favorite by a mile.
Dark Souls 3 has more believable space, and area transitions for the most part. It helps that there is this nice overlook of almost all the zones from the high wall 1-1 zone/undead burg 3.5.
Dark Souls 3 isn’t really any better for me in that regard. Yeah, the transitions make more sense visually, but a linear road with minor forks isn’t more compelling to me than the hub and spoke design of DS2.
It’s jarring from Dark Souls 1 to 2 specifically. By the time Dark Souls 3 came out I didn’t care as much, since that game is Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne greatest hits volume 12, but I’d still argue DS3 did it better than 2.
2 is easily the worst offender out of all the games.
Scuzz
2678
But even a “not as good” DS2 is better than most games. :)
Kolbex
2679
They did a whole damn lot of it with the bosses.
Scuzz
2680
True. I didn’t realize how much until I saw some video where the guy mentioned move sets and then it was quite obvious.
Tim_N
2681
PSA for those looking for Dark Souls games cheap:
They have not been on sale on Steam / GMG / etc. for at least a year, including in this recent steam winter sale.
I found out that steam keys are included in the winter sale at the official Bandai Namco EU store:
I took the gambit on Dark Souls 3 Deluxe, and it activated properly on Steam in Australia.
newbrof
2682
man, this trailer
for the people who think Elden Ring is too open, DS3 is still a beautiful game with great bosses, atmosphere and levels.
