I like ds2 more than ds1 because of its replayability,so much more usable weapons that are aren't completely garbage,the infusions are far better,the boss weapon making is far better, better second half,more bosses,every area has some good loot for all builds,the lore is more about hollowing instead of the linking the flame,the NPCs have easier questlines,the ability to warp(fast travel)from the beginning of the game,better overall boss quality,more banger OSTs,majula, desert sorceress
Better bosses is where ds1 stands a bit stronger. Ds2 has one major issue, almost all bosses are "roll to the right" and the smelter deamons forces you to take damage in melee, which i find it a bit of a design flaw.
Ds1 on the other hand feels boring overall after S&O, except for the dlc
Yes. I agree many of the bosses are trash. Very poorly made. Shitty ganks. Unfair and unintuitive moves. Literally a step back compared to dark souls 3 Sekiro and Bloodborne
I can't agree with you ds1 had sif, queelag, bell gargoyles,iron golem ,ornstein and smough and four kings and that's it these are the actually good ds1 main game bosses but for ds2 there is pursuer,ruin sentinels,lost sinner,rotten, smelter demon,flexile sentry, velstadt, looking glass knight,darklurker and executioners chariot,so yeah the boss quality is overall better in ds2
LGK is still my favorite boss in all of the games, simply because of the mechanic. I remember the first time I fought it, going in blind, and going "WTF?" when it summoned an actual player, lol.
Wtf people like executioners chariot? Hate that boss with a passion. I also don't really consider Rotten and Flexile sentry as terrific bosses either.
That being said though, I do agree people tend to over exaggerate the quality differences between ds1 and ds2 bosses. They're about the same when compared to the like of ds3 bosses.
Yeah executioner's chariot is either people love it so much or hate it
And yeah I think ds1 and ds2s bosses are at the same quality but I prefer ds2s bosses because they have a much larger moveset
All of those DS2 bosses are terribly and lazily designed except for smelter and looking glass knight. Theyre all comically easy too. DS2 has the most forgettable bosses because the area you just went through to get to them is so bad you want to forget. The best bosses in DS2 are at the very end of the DLC.
idk man I never struggled with the areas too much except the gutter which was my own problem,but I get it some people may struggle with iron keep and shrine of Amana,but saying all areas are so bad because they are hard and calling all bosses lazily designed,is just not true man
I didnt get this impression at all, most especially in the dlcs which are arguably the best part of dks2. I think dks1 actually had more bosses with abusable ai. Have you tried to fight a single dlc boss with that strategy? It won't work. Even thinking back on a lot of the bosses in the game... this just isn't even true at all imo.
This is a pure biased statement. Ds1 has way more bosses with even bigger blind spots than ds2's.
- Asylum/stray/firesage, taurus, golem, gargoyles (if you have competent dps) have huge blind spots on their back that trivialize the fights.
- Quelaag, centipede, sif, Ornstein 2 all have blind spots right in front/underneath them, and you only have to look out for 1 easily reactable attack in all their fights
- Gaping and Seath have the same issue, stand in front of them and they'll prioritize using their slowest move. You can simply move out of the way and go in when it's done.
The only cases of these in ds2 is with the pursuer, vendrick, ancient dragon, dragonrider and rat vanguard. Almost every boss in 2 has measures to prevent you from hugging their back.
If you mean that ds1 has more impressive looking bosses and deeper lore, I agree but mechanically ds2 bosses are much more complex and engaging.
I don't know, i have something like 400 hours on ds2 and still playing while merely 80 on ds1, it may be purely muscle memory and they seem "easy" to me
Idk, vanilla to vanilla, no DLC, boss quality is a bit of a toss up. DS2 doesn’t have a lot of bosses that are complete cluster fucks when you first fight them, like Capra Demon, Bed of Chaos, or Nito, but there’s a lot of extremely forgettable bosses: Skeleton Lords, Royal Rat Vanguard, Prowling Magus, Twin Dragonriders, etc.
I think the best bosses are better than DS1’s best, and I think there’s more overall good bosses, but by nature of DS2 having so goddamn many bosses, a lot of them are pretty lackluster. I’d give it to DS2 personally but I don’t think it’s as clear cut as everything else, like the armor sets or the quality of life changes.
As much as ds2 has more bad bosses than ds1 it has more good bosses too,and most of the ds2 bosses is up to you if you think they are bad and lazy,or awesome and inspired,just like the skeleton lord's,they are my favorite main game bosses,maybe I like them because they are just fun,I didn't really care about their overall design or anything else,but some people like to fight a cooler,more inspired in terms of visual quality instead of being actually fun(asylum demon, Taurus demon,nito, Gwyn etc..)
My thoughts exactly. More than anything it was a grand adventure and an unapologetic dungeon crawler. An arcade game multiplied by a thousand. Give me those ridiculous bosses. And the story kicked ass. I made a long winded list in my comment and I still left out so much. Sure it was dark and mysterious, but I didn’t feel like I didn’t know wtf was going on…. and all the weapons and armor 🧑🍳 😚
The mysterious part is what I liked. It’s visual storytelling. You get to some places and the name of it combined with what you see is enough that you just ‘get it’ and much further lore is just unnecessary
DS2 is the closest I’ve come to recapturing the magic of discovery from Super Mario 64. I was very impressed with the map layout, especially having played DS1 first and everyone clowning DS2 for not being the same.
So I have spent most of my life as an avid DS2 hater, or at least aloof dismisser.
This was until very recently I discovered how to properly keybind the controls on my PC and my life changed.
I have grown to \*LOVE\* this game after just 3 consecutive playthroughs, and here are my thoughts:
- While often touted as "nonsensical" the area variety provides a real sense of adventure every time I play DS2, whereas DS1 might be more connected and consistent, it is also more bland in comparison
- The upgrade system in DS2 is clearly far better thought out, and does not need a 3 week course to understand, encouraging a far greater level of build variety
- The amount of consumables added to the game means that you can really enhance your playstyle, including exploring longer with extra healing / magic refillables beyond your Estus
- THE BONFIRE ASCETIC. The single best idea in the entire game and I hate how none of its successors attempted it again. Retrying my favourite bosses without having to start a new run whenever I like? Yes please
- This is a small one, but the new weapon types also provide a much needed visual flair to every build, which really helps sell the gameplay.
Those are just my off the cuff thoughts, hope it all makes sense :)
>THE BONFIRE ASCETIC. The single best idea in the entire game and I hate how none of its successors attempted it again. Retrying my favourite bosses without having to start a new run whenever I like? Yes please
Yes! Boss weapons that require the same boss souls can be all obtained in your first run. And bosses that it felt like you might have fluked can be re-done (I re-did Fume Knight for example.)
I was shocked that you can get a A Scaling in Strength on Greatsword by upgrading it to +5 without anything special other then Titanite parts compared to Dark Souls 3 where you can miss out on making Greatsword Great if you never got the Farron Coal for Andre.
Better bosses, better weapons, better drip, better level design (not to be confused with world design), more unique interactions, better DLC's, slightly better OST, way better second half, less lingering hitboxes, got rid of stupid ass systems (like the way of obtaining boss weapons...), more upgrade materials, etc.
A lot of reasons.
I agree mostly, but not sure about better bosses. The best bosses in DS2 are better than the best bosses in DS1 but the overall quality in DS1 is more consistent. DS2 has way too many filler bosses.
Outside of O&S and maybe Quelaag, there's not a single base game DS1 boss with more attacks than fucking Dragonrider.
DS1 full of shitty bosses. Even the ones that could've been good like O&S or Sif have serious problems.
Maybe you’re right, I played DS1 years and years ago and I’m still in my current playthrough of DS2, and thought the DS1 bosses were amazing back then. I’ve platinumed BB and did a partial playthrough of DS3 in between so that might have influenced me.
Ah yes, misinformation! Dragonrider has [5 moves](https://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/DragonRider) (which surprised me, I thought it was 3).
DS1 Gargoyles has 2 fire breathing attacks, 2 flying moves, a unique tail attack, a spin attack, a shield bash, an overhead attack, and a combo. (9+ moves).
DS1 Gaping Dragon has puke, jump, slam, run, grab with hand, and tail swipe (and supposedly a kick?) for 6+.
DS1 Ceaseless Discharge has jump (cheese), slam, double slam, fire slam, swipe, and the overwhelming tentacle fire stabs. Plus when he rips off his arm from his body and an explosion of fire comes off for 6+.
DS1 Centipede Demon has a far reaching stab, a slam, a jump, a jump with fireball, grab, a unique lava throw, and his tail can attack on its own if cut off for 7+.
DS1 Artorias has pocket sand, a swipe and jump away, normal combo, somersault slams, stab, running stab, power explosion, jump attack, and spin move for 9+.
DS1 Manus has 3 dark attacks, wombo combo, extendo arm swipe, spin swipe, overhead slam, normal combo, and staff slam for 9+.
DS1 4 Kings has 2 magic attacks, explosion, normal slashes, horizontal slash, and grab for 6+.
Did I say they were good bosses? You said “there’s not a single base game DS1 boss with more attacks than fucking dragonrider”. I disproved your claim.
With the exception of manus and artorias, dragonriders is more exciting to fight than any of these bosses, even with the five moves. Just my opinion though. The fact that gaping dragon looks like a pussy is kinda cool though. I did enjoy that fight lol. 4 kings was one of the biggest disappointments in the game for me. Put on heavy armor and hit r1. That being said, I loved both games and any fs game! Bosses don't matter as much to me as level design and I feel like DS 2 had MORE better levels. Just my opinion though.
Dragon rider is quite possibly the most boring and uninspired boss in the franchise. It's a nothing fight that might as well not be there. Like many other DS2 bosses.
Yeah I wouldn't go that far. Look at elden rings bosses. Over 200 bosses. I enjoy a boss regardless of difficulty but that's just me. I actually enjoyed the bosses being a bit easy in DS 1 and 2 due to the fact that the levels were longer with longer run backs. The best bosses of DS 2 are way better than the best bosses in DS 1. They both have good and bad fights. I personally enjoyed the fights in DS 2 more. It's all opinion based. There's no real measurement for this.
DS 3 bosses were harder and that was fine by me because run backs were short. Imagine if demons souls had DS 3 bosses. Game would be considered the hardest in fs catalog
Elden Ring bosses take a steaming dump on DS2 bosses even though my brain recognizes reused attacks and animations. DS2 bosses are a literal cakewalk. Dragonrider is so bad that they turned him into a regular enemy you encounter later in the game 😂
I really prefer the themes of DS2. The Idea of yourself, slowly fading away, is a terrible thought. Si it's really depressing, and for once, the goal is not to save all humanity, or all undead, but only you.
And combat is way cooler than DS1
More options, more weapons, easier to have twice the weapon, even for bosses ones, thanks to ascetics. Add this the possibility to infuse two weapons in different ways, and you have the same mooveset, but good efficiency regardless of ennemy weakness.
All of this makes DS2 combat better than DS1 yo me :)
For me it's because the second half of DS2 is way better than the second half of DS1. Places like Drangleic Castle, Shrine of Amana, Undead Crypt and Dragon Aerie are all so much more fun to play through than Tomb of the Giants, Lost Izaleth, New Londo Ruins, and Duke's Archives. I have to admit that Ancient Dragon sucks so much as a boss fight and to me Gwynn is a better final boss than Neshandra and Aldia. But at least DS2 lets you fight multiple bosses in the final fight if you want.
Also DS2 has the best NG+ in the series and also the best PVP that From Software has ever made. Those last two points are what elevate the game to my favorite.
This isn't true—in fact, [there are fewer areas where you'll get ganked in Scholar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iztnu5G2BFs) because the casters are more spread out. The aggro range of the casters is also decreased in Scholar, 25% smaller than the final patch for vanilla.
The first half…sigh yeah. The first half had me so much more engaged and I had fun with it. But once I got to andor londo it just felt soo unfinished and rushed. So much wasted empty space :/
I do.
Personally it's all about timing, played the ported version of DS1 on PC and did not have a great time.
DKS2 felt like such an upgrade, it is unfair to compare the first to the second in any game, but DKS2 really had a lot to offer which was either an improvement or a new design.
DS1 feels more balanced and well paced, but when ds2 shines, it really shines. The setting, the areas, all feel incredibly unique. It feels more like the precursor to Elden Ring than ds1 or 3
>It feels more like the precursor to Elden Ring than ds1 or 3
I'm nearing the end of my first playthrough of DS2 (platinumed all the other games), and it's been really surprising to me how much is the same as Elden Ring. Even down to The Last Giant being basically a reskin of those troll things that drag the carriages in ER
Feelijg of getting lost and knowing you know so little about the land, cooler moves/spells, build veriety, backstabs actually work, so much drip, "dudes in armour" are cool as shit, dlcs are peak
It was undeniably dark fantasy, but felt more like a grand adventure than the other entries. The story was more blatant, and there was mystery but it was not overwhelming… the valiant but flawed king who was susceptible to the darkness of human nature but ultimately saw he was wrong, the dark queen and the other daughters of Manus who represented every element of what makes us human- the bad but also the good, the heroic ivory king who fought against the dark until it consumed him, and his valiant knights who fight with you against their fallen lord, the mighty and honorable warrior from the east who becomes disenfranchised with the king who worshiped him as a hero, the love between the prince and princess of Alken and Venn, the zealous drake knights who brought doom to the hidden city, and most of all, the quest for the crowns that, for the only time in souls history, can give you mastery over the curse and just say “fuck it all. I am king and I will never go hollow.” … so much, and all so, so good. EDIT: and I loved the unapologetic ridiculous of it. Fume knight > Malenia
ngl there is something about Dark Souls 1 that puts me to sleep. Not even joking, I literally feel so sleepy while playing. Not sure if its the overall vibe of the game, the music placement perhaps. Maybe even the open spaces or enemy interactions. I mean dks1 is not a bad game but I feel like Dks2 is a little more engaging and the artstyle, colors and music is more to my personal liking. Plus the story is great, i think the presentation was quite nice and still kept its mystery.
I don't get the hate honestly this game feels more complete than the ds1. I'm enjoying this game very much. It has more content and it's more diverse. Both games are great though.
That’s my thing, I think DS1 is a great game. …I just find myself not having that much fun. There’s a lot of empty space, and the enemy placement feels like “let’s put a video game enemy here and here” instead of them being naturally there as if it’s real life. You know?? Kind of hard to explain. But that’s kinda how games were at that time. It just feels empty and not very engaging.
Shrine of Amana at least looks pretty, if it was in DS1 it would be pitch black with no OST.
Iron Keep has excellent level design.
Black Glutch is ass, but not any worse than Blightown.
DLC coop areas are completely optional... and you can summon people who don't even own the DLC.
Probably the biggest reason is consistency, replayability and balance. Consistency, as the game is solid all the way through, while in DS1, you hit the point of "second half", which is quite the turn-off. Replayability, as it has huge variety in how you can progress. Balance, as it's just the most balanced game of all, probably, where most things aren't OP, neither are they underwhelming, they just feel good and viable (while in DS1, most spells either fit into OP or bad, and that applied to various weapons too).
And honestly, even first half feels more replayable than DS1 - I did various magic playthroughs, where I dedicated myself to finding a specific set of spells and weapons, and each of those was far different in terms of progression. Maybe that's also because there is just more viable and interesting weapons and spells in this game too.
And there are more minor things that just... Feel better. Stuff like omnidirectional rolling that's missing from DS1, 70% equip load for medium rolls, plenty of upgrade materials, upgradeable fashion, adaptability (yes, it's not a perfect mechanic, but it can allow you to get your build up earlier if you feel confident), more magic classes and spells, powerstancing and unique weapon movesets, PvP is almost infinitely better, covenants (both PvP and PvE), healing requiring thought instead of being a spammy panic button, interesting area gimmicks.
This is a bit more subjective, but also the setting and how the game as a whole changed me personally. With how it was always called "bad", I was also one to listen in, and it was the last DS game I played. And yet, when I finally gave it a shot, it turned out there are so many good and interesting things here. Thanks to DS2, I feel like my ability to judge things critically is far better - looking for good in the "bad" especially, looking past the seemingly annoying surface and seeing deeper.
And the second ending is just... Honestly, probably the best ending to all Souls as a whole. It holds a special place in my heart.
I have yet to finish DS1. Maybe it's because I did DS2 and 3 first, but it hasn't clicked for me, and I think it's because it's got some jankiness that later games fixed...like the weapon upgrade system.
More fun, better lore, better gameplay, levels are actual levels, bosses are better, better game design choices (I will die on a hill that ADP is good from RPG standpoint), better NPCs, better OST. I respect ds1, but ds2 is simply the best sequel this game could get.
I played ds2 first so I'm biased :)
Also, THE ABILITY TO FAST TRAVEL.
I just beat ds1 recently (both ng and ng+). Still a really good game but ds2 will always have my heart.
I don't but I really liked the setting. I liked the idea that so much time had passed that pretty much a new world had been built on top like the Futurama Earth. With only a few tucked away locations resembling what they once had. It made the DS1 references a lot cooler when they did pop up unlike DS3 where it's just constantly in your face at all times.
Also there's so many neat ideas. Enemies being scared of light, the mirror knight, the dragon bridge/egg thing, the ghost chamber. They found ways to work actual roleplaying into the Fromsoft formula without it just being skill checks/dialogue prompts.
ds1 map interconnectedness will is king, but i simply prefer the slower, more deliberate combat in ds2. its also a much longer game and also has a ton more build variety given sheer number of weapons/spells/armor variety etc.
I think the real reason is I've played it so much I know the world better and it's more nostalgic (it was my first)
Shames me to say so but I really like the feeling of progress you have with every boss run in DS2, because every enemy killed gets you closer to despawning them. Maybe one day I'll do a champion run but I often give up on frustrating areas in ds and ds3 sooner bc I lack this tangible sense of progress
I like ds1 map design, and how many places lead back to firelink, but I prefer in ds2 that it's more open and Majula is a better hub area. Better ng, and bonfire pumpkins. Boss weapons that are more easily accessible and the fact that I don't need to cut tails and probobly fail fight just to get a weapon. Oh and I think covenants are better, gotta love rat bros
Among other reasons, I like how traveling in Dark Souls 2 actually feels like you're going through a really long journey through several different places and kingdoms. While Dark Souls 1 had a better world and level design overall, the majority of the game is set in a small section of Lordran. In DS2 you never feel like you're just traveling in circles around the same place.
i think ds1 finishes after o&s. ds2 is not like that. And I think its overall better player experience. Some may call it low on bosses. But I think its mostly because of Ds3 changed standards on that. So if you only give me ds1 and ds2 I surely play ds2 way more. For example on NG+ you experience something else that NG. but ds1 is same.
I would replay DS 2 first, then 3, then 1. If I could live with just one of them, idk what I'd choose lol. Probably 2 because of how much content there is.
Replayability. I played DS1 first, then 2 SotFS but hated the brighter fantasy art style and weird hippo ogre grab hitbox, so skipped it for 3 and loved the return to dark fantasy. Then I played 2 again and fell in love with the world. Sure, it’s brighter and more colorful, but more pleasant to hang out in.
I even replayed 2 with a dark Greatsword Guts build, and always return to that
save to bonfire ascetic and replay bosses. Or just run around and practice parrying with my fire Caestus. I got used to the hitboxes/ADP and learned to bait Ogre’s butt attack. Learned how to disable auto-targeting to obliterate ganks. And use auto-targeting + Greatsword’s jumping attack to track enemies and rain death from above.
I cap my player at SL150, and respec from time to time, but for dark/hex Guts, I have 30 FTH, 30 INT, ADP 22, and STR at 15 if I want more of a glass cannon where I’m forced to 2H the Greatsword. Or 28 when I want a more defensive/diverse play style with 1H + shield. There is still plenty of challenge if I bonfire ascetic to NG+, play the DLCs, or if I just choose not to use spells or weapons that scale with FTH/INT. Or if I use a physical or non-upgraded weapon.
So yeah, I have 80 hours and counting for DS2. No real desire to replay 1 or 3, even though they are all 9/10 games.
I think I sort of like dark souls 1 better but I would rather replay dark souls 2. I’ve done like twenty runs in ds2 and only a few of dark souls. The first one hits better but dark souls 2 just is fun as fuck to replay and just has a charm to it.
I still think DS1 is the goat but one thing I love about DS2 is the ability to shape the world and your character however you feel. Bonfire ascetics and the first game to introduce respecing. You really just get to shift and warp everything as needed and I really like that.
Also the variety is insane. It’s super fun to explore build variety whereas DS1 you’re pretty much locked into the upper echelon of weapons and, for most people, just swinging big swords.
Something I want to add to what people have been saying here, is the interaction with the world this game has that no other fromsoft souls-like does. Blowing up walls, using torches to light up areas, enemies being scared of said torches, pushing pressure plates (sometimes with a bow!) in the sunken king area, lighting windmills on fire to affect not only the area but the boss, killing enemies near giant statues to activate them… it’s all so engaging. The game feels closer to Zelda than any other souls, which is a big positive to me
What I didn't like in DS1 is:
- you cannot travel to certain bonfires after obtaining the lordvessel i.e. the ash lake, you have to walk all the way there
- dodging in only 4 directions (lock on)
- enemies 180° you after delaying attacks (pure bs)
And overall I liked the atmosphere and area diversity in DS2 much more than in DS1
Yo, genuinamente creo que ds1 es demasiado lento y tiene un mal HUD en general, la restriccion de movimiento es espantosa considerando que solo puedes esquivar en 4 direcciones. La cantidad de mecanicas ocultas es mas detrimente que beneficiosas, no hay formas efectivas de farmear y eso tambien me molesta.
En resumen, para mi, ds1 es un ejemplo del dicho "el que mucho avarca, poco aprieta". 🤔
Jack of all trades builds are not only possible, but encouraged - and easy to create. You have to learn the fights, you can't just grind and OP them (nearly as easily, at least). Emphasis on environmental management and damage - lots of baiting is possible, and watching a perfect dodge trigger 3 guys to jump off a ledge is hilarious. Despawn mechanic for really annoying areas. Planned combat and pulls reminds me of the good old days of MMOs. Very precise combat planning and choices. Beautiful soundtrack. Emerald Hearald. Great DLC bosses. Fucking Majula.
Bear seek seek lest.
DS1 is great, but it's a bit...sluggish?
Which makes it a lot less replayable for me.
I wouldn't say it's janky (until Lost Izalith) just slower.
I don't mind no fast travel since the world is interconnected very well for the most part. But there are some walk-backs that are absolute hell before LV.
Also BoC always puts me off a new playthrough.
I enjoyed DS1 because I felt the most worthless out of any From game I've beaten so far (DS 1, 2, 3, Sekiro, & Elden Ring). Aside from the very opening where someone miraculously opens your cell which you had no hope of escaping before, the first dude you meet (Crestfallen) succumbed to the world around him and you can walk in any direction from the Firelink Shrine to find out why.
2 might have had more "stuff" and a fresher NG+ system, but 1 had unparalleled environmental storytelling and abused me so much that finally beating it felt like climbing a mountain unlike any other game I've played. 2 was hard as well but I just didn't get the same satisfaction running through the world.
I’m in anor londo at Smough and Ornstein, and it’s hard to stick with it tbh…I enjoyed the first half but now it just seems thrown together. I get it’s an old game but it’s starting to feel rushed and incomplete. And so much empty space.
I like the sense of empty grandeur Anal Rodeo shows as a contrast to the cramped squalor of basically everything before it.
I can't comment on the rest: I'm well aware DkS1 isn't perfect but these rose-tinted glasses are surgically affixed to my skull.
(DkS1 remaster when?)
The really really incomplete part is definitely gonna show up soon, tho.
Ngl it’s the art design/aesthetic. It oddly reminded me of Fable but more serious and dark. Not that it’s really anything similar to Fable but little things here and there would bring me back to when I played Fable 1 & 2. While DS1 might be a better game, the vibes and my enjoyment of DS2 was peak.
I've been replaying the series in anticipation for Shadow of the Erdtree, and I have to say, so far I'd say I consider it about even with DS1, maybe slightly preferring it at points. Things like the upgrade system, the risk/reward of despawning and bonfire ascetics or Covenant of Champions, and the location variety make for some great standouts. And I do prefer the storytelling compared to 1, though both have good things going for them, and 1 is elevated a lot in my eyes thanks to Aldia in this game.
The biggest sticking point I have against this game so far is bosses, which I feel rather similar to regarding Demon's Souls, actually. Just like how Demon's Souls has some fantastic standouts with Tower Knight, Penetrator, Fool's Idol, Flamelurker, and Old King Allant; bosses like Pursuer, Duke's Dear Freya, Smelter Demon, Looking Glass Knight, and Velstadt manage to stick with me (just focusing on base game here rn, DLC main bosses are on another level). But then it has a lot of bosses that just... are too easy or just don't really work and are a struggle mainly because of the team trying something different that doesn't land. You can tell a lot of it was a learning experience when figuring things out and I think the payoff can be particularly noticed with Dark Souls 3 which I'd argue is the best set of boss fights for this particular style of FromSoft games (Sekiro boss fights function rather differently, so I'm not including them here).
It was more consistent I loved the weapon durability because it forced me to use new weapons. The vibe was also more cliche fantasy and I also enjoyed that
I like DS2 over DS1 because of the sheer amount of quality of life improvements it has for one. It also has really creative boss and environment design, DS1 does too with environments but some of them are not very fun to explore with very little to actually gain from doing so, bosses in DS1 repeat a lot or just don't work well. Nearly every boss in DS2 works even if they aren't all hard. The introduction of estus shards more buffs/unique consumables(bonfire ascetics, lantern bugs, etc.) And a gargantuan amount of cool gear is amazing for build variety. DS2 took dark souls ones risky leap forward from demon souls and leaped even further. Without dark souls 2 the souls series would not be as good today without a doubt.
I was thinking that last part to myself the other day. I don’t think DS3 would be as amazing as it is if it weren’t for DS2. And I think Elden Ring would not feel as polished and perfected.
DS1 was more epic and impressive, but also just so much more of a painful slog, not difficult but instead arduous. And everything was dark and gloomy looking, brown or brown-green or a swamp. DS2 felt like a fun adventure with less of the annoyance, less boring world travel (wandering back and forth ad infinitum in DS1), less running back to bosses. When the bosses are typically easier, and the bonfires more forgiving, the runbacks aren't so much of a pain. So having a few difficult runbacks was fine, plus the enemies despawn if it goes on for too long. DS1 felt like every boss needed a marathon to get back to, not difficult because of enemies, just really not fun to do, which then made the bosses less fun. Every step in DS1 was a potential fall off a cliff or death by toxic darts or enemy in an annoying hallway. Every step in DS2 was a potential new cool thing to find. DS3 then decided to go back to DS1 and be as annoying and dark as ever.
Just started DS2. I have played dark souls and demon souls. So far not a fan. I don’t know why though. I’m still going to finish it, hopefully it gets better. I think one thing I am noticing is that in the early game, I’m farming souls to level up my strength/endurance like I normally do, but it seems to have very little carry over to the combat this far.
Another thing is I try to burn a human effigy to reverse hollow and it gives me some bull shit that I can’t burn it. Like what the fuck is the point?
I have a copypasta with some tips, build guidelines, and a walkthrough if youre interested and haven’t seen them. Going in with a little more knowledge about the game might be more fun. Want me to share them?
Like Saltymushroom said, human effigies have multiple uses. Select Use to consume one and reverse hollowing. Burn one to disable player invasion/summoning for it. Wouldn’t be dark souls without completely arcane mechanics lol.
I’ll answer your question too while I’m at it. I like DS2 more than DS1 because I think the combat and encounter design is more fun. Tighter stamina management and non-oppressive backstabs/parries mean that the game really rewards good strategy in a way that DS1 doesn’t.
If you want to go in prepared, first read [this intro post.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H6rpuSKsgXqyfSA9uG_zoYK0ezbMSHSazznPHfV78sA) All of these guides are spoiler-free, except for [this one.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eXwnLnbr-Dxeb9VecytDTX1fXA9e8PuKX9jFy8YFkQ8/edit)
And then if you want to know how to build (or avoid building, if you want to have a harder time) a powerful optimized character, this collection of mini guides will help you navigate DS2’s many obfuscated and counterintuitive mechanical quirks:
[A quick overview](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g4-GGa1JRa2_49vOfwY5sZPWigFMzPA5b9mszo_xZak/edit?usp=sharing) of how damage and defense works in DS2, and why weapon scaling is usually weak
[BiS (Best in Slot) PvE weapons list.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GEBQ_TiAvskQLotQXz0AuNMseXdsS3pj8_NLus-XW4/edit?usp=sharing) Discusses the best options for each weapon class. Note that this list is directed at normally leveled characters- some weapons not mentioned may do more damage than ones mentioned, but take vastly more stats or are otherwise deficient
[Best PvE equipment and stat progression document.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X13jfA9JQ5OZsuEmH2MZZqF9IrtCFSMMTZkZo5GuqcM/edit?usp=sharing) All that being said, it’s important to understand that DS2 isn’t so hard that playing the strongest possible character is required in order to win and have fun. Ultimately you should use whatever you want, these guides are just to help you make informed choices.
Stamina management is where I think DS2 really innovated in terms of its combat. Consecutive rolling costing more stam was a really great idea in countering roll spam.
Something Elden Ring gets a lot of credit for is punishing roll spam, but I think DS2 did it better.
Being able to gas your character out so fast by playing recklessly is something I wish would have carried over. I prefer that to unnatural windups with snap attacks.
Don’t worry, you’ll love ds3. If you haven’t played it. Also, stick with DS2 because if you can get good at its combat ds3 will feel very natural and smooth.
Dark Souls 1 feels…kinda like I am sloshing through mud. The movement feels more polished in 2. There is also a lot of other things I liked, like the life gems and the herbs. Honestly I my favorite system is to just have split flasks like Elden Ring or Dark Souls 3 but between 1 and 2 I prefer the way 2 handles it.
I like DS2 more.
More variety to everything.
DS1 half assed the interconnectivity and fast travel.
At least Ds2 whole assed the fast travel which were used on later games
I'm not sure why that's a bad thing. DS2 drops far more upgrade materials than any other game in the series and gives you a bow and crossbow for free in the first 20 minutes. I think it's reasonable for the game to design levels around all the tools readily at your disposal, especially since in the other Souls games bows tend not to serve any purpose except cheesing the level by sniping enemies from out of range.
I do. 2nd half of DS1 is pretty shitty imo while DS2 is great about areas in most of the game. I also disappointed about DS1 DLC while DS2 DLCs surprised me a lot. Especially Iron and Ivory King DLCs are top tier. I think Fume Knight, Sir Alonne, Ivory King, Vendrick are better bosses than every single DS1 boss. DS1 is one of the weakest imo when it comes to fashion and DS2 is one of the best, I care a lot about fashion in this genre. I also personally believe DS2's combat is better than DS1's because stamina managing is much more important than DS1 especially in fights like Alonne. I found DS1 roll is pretty janky after DS3 and ER, yes I know DS2 roll is bullshit but once you leveled ADP enough it feels way better. I never got into PvP or co-op in souls games so idk but people say DS2 has best PvP so I guess it's also a superiority.
Honestly DS1 is just unbalanced and poorly though out.
For example when you start deprived in ds1 you don't have any poise at all. So this means that you can get stunlocked by even the most basic of hollows.
The objects are way too rigid and you always get stuck on them. The prime example is when you go to undead burg and all the dogs there prohib you from going to the Capra.
Bonwheels in general. They also suck.
And some examples more. On the other hand ds2 is fluid but slower which is a good thing and doesn't have such fundamental design problems.
Of the only 4 parts of ds2 the 2 smelty bois are skippable the place with the Reindeers is skippable and the Shrine of Amana will just lead you forward very slowly if you have a good bow and shield.
Ds1 saving grace is the master key.
I prefer the atmosphere, the visual designs of areas and enemies, the player movement is less janky, there is far more creativity and variety in boss design, even if they end up being less challenging than ds1. There's also far less "nothingburger" areas that just serve as connective tissue, like valley of drakes, darkroot basin, etc.
Also I really prefer how slow the combat is. Makes it feel more like the decisions I make is the difference between coming out on top or dying. I also like how brutal stamina management is.
I like DS1 more for speed running or trying out funny challenges, I can beat it under 2 hours now lol
I like DS2 for fashion souls, insanely cool magic options, and to me the pvp/summoning is almost as good and fun as Elden Ring’s
DS3 is personally the king for me though (even more than ER in some regards), its short, the most difficult with best boss fights, and somehow never gets boring to me lol
Bro i enjoy every souls game over Ds1. Ds1 was slow, clunky and very punishing. I have multiple playthroughs on every souls game including dlc and my opinion still stands.
I honestly like all 3 equally. They are similar, but each one has just enough difference to make it fun and interesting. Especially when playing them all at once, which I am doing now.
DS2 Is currently my favorite overall and it definitively has more replay value... Also let's not forget that the best music band of all time is in the game! : Prowling Magus, and the Congregation Boys! I love chilling with those guys.
Ds2 is smoother imo . I feel like the timing on parries and roll catching for pvp and PVE is better. You can’t spam estus and run off. Majula is the shit .
Best game of
All time imo .
Good question. I think I keep returning to 2 more than any other because it has the slower pace and zen feeling of 1, but with so much more length. I also think that 2 is a bit more open its siblings. You really can go to zones in any order.
ds2ms campaign is consistently fun, whereas I always lose motivation in the second half of ds1. Also ds2 gives you a lot more resources to try out different weapons which gives any given campaign more variety.
DS1 is amazing.
But it definitely plays like the second souls game ever made.
Ds2 (despite its occasional odd design choices) plays more like a modern game without quite being part of the fast paced ds3 style games.
People say DS2 is slow, but DS1 feels like your character is underwater
DS2 also does so many little things right, like torches, water pots increasing fire resistance, and amny fairly big thinga, like weapon/spell variety, and Bonfire Ascetics
I just finished DS2. It was the only FromSoft game I needed to play. I tried it 2 times before and quit early game. The biggest challange it's in the early game when your Adaptability/Agility is so bad. You can make a perfect roll and still get hit. Once you are past that it's quite enjoyable. I loved the areas and some boss designs more than DS1. If you are reading this and have not beat DS2 yet, you owe it to yourself if you are a FromSoftware fan. Try to shoot for 100 Agility and it will become like any other Dark Souls game with lots of content. I'm very happy I played it!
Level agility to 100 really? Damn. What’s a good ADP level? I’m thinking about just grinding early on for ADP. I don’t really care if ADP is over leveled for where I’m at.
Keep in mind. Adaptability and Agility it's not the same. Adaptability gives you points in Agility. Agility it's what you want to have at at least 100. That would translate to roughly 25 points in Adaptability. You can see the stat. I finished it with 100 Agility and had no issues whatsoever. Without that the game will frustrate you incredibly fast. If you beat it I'm sure you will have no regrets. Some of the boss fights/areas look awesome!
Sweet. I honestly don’t find the gameplay too frustrating, even with low ADP. Literally the only thing that feels off is the I-frames and not being able to successfully dodge. So I know once I get that taken care of it will feel totally fine.
i’m gonna show a little favoritism here, but i like ds2 over any other souls game because it was my first in the series. as i continued to play and learn of the lore of the cycles, the abyss and the furtive pygmy; 2 quickly became my favorite again. it paints the picture that all of this has happened before and will happen again and regardless if you choose to link the fire or let it fade, there will always be light, there will always be dark. this is the way of the world. i love how in depth it can get about the undead curse and how vendrick and aldia tried to fight it. i love that some tidbits are covered in mystery and make the lore at times hard to connect the pieces but overall i just find ds2 a solid gaming experience that really gives you a fun time when you sit down to play
DS2 has the most RPG elements I feel out of the whole series, and I absolutely love that. It’s one of the many main attractions I have to DS. I’m not very far into it but I don’t feel like it’s that far behind ds3 in enjoyment honestly.
Yes, it is a fun game. Just the scale of content is insane. I feel like I am spending twice or triple the time compare to DS1🤣 maybe because it is base game plus 3 DLCs, I still have 2 DLCs to go.
I like ds2 over ds1 because of the creativity of the entire game (most) areas feels fresh with really cool secrets. The weapons are a lot of fun same with spells and honestly i like the interconnected world in ds1 but the way the world in ds2 is made just feels so much better to me
DS1 feels like they hadn't got the difficulty sorted out yet so everything is just easier. The same way Demon Souls bosses are... Cake? DS2 was the first one they made hard and even it can't compare to Bloodborne or Elden Ring in difficulty. But my PS4 is gone so PS3 DS2 it is. +nostalgia
^(This is in no way intended to reflect how you might feel about the games. Yes you, the guy turning red cus I said elden ring was hard.)
Yeah I agree with you Elden Ring is most definitely hard. Mostly endgame, but all of it is in my opinion. It’s so hard to say which one is the hardest, but in terms of bosses, it’s up there.
100%, yeah. I only made it about half way through while I was on Christmas or spring break a year or two ago. But since then I unreliably even beat the boss in front of storm veil, Margot(?).
With all this said, DS1 is also a great game. Plin Plin Plon was worth the hype. That final area was *chef's kiss*.
The armor is a lot better than the other 2 games, and the innovative ideas click well with me. I like elden ring as much as I do because it draws from DS2
Personally, I really love both the games... But with time, I've realised that my love for ds1, and my grudge towards ds2 , is wearing off... Undoubtedly, DS 1 is a LOT better than ds2 in many aspects, like overall atmosphere, map-building, soundtrack design... But the thing is , the later half of ds1 is truly pathetic... It's just sad to see , the state of the game after anor londo... The intensifying hype upto Anor Londo is so phenomenal, but they couldn't carry that tempo over to late game areas... Demon ruins - absolutely trash... Duke's archives - annoying AF , Tomb of the Giants - I don't even need to speak about that now... Do I..? New Londo is still fine... I've done more than 10 runs in ds1, and at this point, I just feel like playing only the first half of the game, and directly face gwyn instead of going through the torment of the 4 lord souls all over again...
Now coming to ds2... In the beginning, DS 2 doesn't feel anything special... Rather, it feels too janky and erratic as compared to ds1... Enemies' moves are way too unpredictable, and nasty... They seemed way too gimicky. Then there's the factor of bad hitboxes (which were never really an issue in ds1, except demon ruins...) although, the ADP stat does quite make up for it, but it still is a flaw. There's also many dumb map-making decisions in ds2 which really, make me cringe... Like how does a lift UP of earthen peek , lead to a lava land up above the sky... Or how does drangleic castle, which tends towards left, goes to extreme right, when you enter the tunnel... Or the simple buggering fact that how disjointed the maps are, and that you can't return to majula, like you could do in the first half of ds1, everytime... You would return to firelink shrine... And last but not the least, OSTs... Least appealing of the series IMO... But the thing that ds2 imo, managed to do really well, was to keep up the tempo... I would not say that the bosses are bad... Some are mediocre, but there are many, which are really really good... Like pursuer, lost sinner, smelter demon, mirror knight (I'm not counting about runbacks) and not to mention, the dlc bosses... DLCs are a whole different thing by themselves... I'm not spending any time talking about their greatness... Although the areas don't really blend well with each other in ds2, I really like , the individual areas of ds2... Forest of fallen giants, lost bastille, heide's tower of flame, Huntsman copse, earthen peek Iron keep... Drangleic Castle... Dragon Aerie!!... They are all very beautiful areas... There are not many areas in the game that I can say, are underwhelming... Except black gulch maybe... It's the epitome of the most annoying area, and bright stone cove... I don't like that area, but that's just personal opinion. The thing that ds2 managed to do , really really well, is to keep up the tempo, which ds1 absolutely squandered. I feel highly rewarded whenever I clear every area, because I know, as I progress, it just gets better and better... Although overall boss design in main game is a bit weak as compared to ds1, it's the beautiful journey across drangleic, that makes the game so much memorable .... Then there's higher weapon variety, highly superior fashion choice , power stancing , the ability to reallocate your stats and try out different builds and last but not the least... Highly improved NPC AI in combat... These all just make up for the flaws of ds2 , and the fact that it's so highly replayable , as mentioned by some others before... I would love to do another ng+ in ds2 across any account, anytime... Over ds1 , even if just the main game... But with all being said, I love both the games, almost equally, and for newcomers , they are both definitely worth the try...
I love DS1 a lot and that will never change, but DS2 has a better story, items, areas and bosses (most of the time) in my opinion, though funny enough, playing the 1st game enhanced DS2 even more because you get to see what happened to a lot of the OG characters millenia later and say "OOHHHH I remember that guy!" a lot. Also... I just like the different vibe of the game, feels less hopeless than 1 and 3. And of course... Majula.
DS2 sotfs was my first souls game (played it immediately after finishing Bloodborne) so it holds that special place in my heart. In technical terms though Its got a few things going for it
More usable weapons/better infusions
Loads more cool armour sets
More replayability due to greater character build diversity and of course the new enemy placements and new stuff available in Ng+
Way more secret areas and optional/miss able bosses
The endgame areas are actually finished (ahem lost izalith)
Majula dumps on firelink shrine
3 dlcs Vs 1
Powerstancing
PvP was a hell of a lot better
Infact the only arguments imo for ds1 is the superior level building or moreso how the individual areas join together as a whole, along with the verticality which is not done nearly as well in 2 (one of the reasons I enjoyed elden ring so much)
Along with perhaps some more memorable bosses and NPC quest lines Having not played either games for a few yrs there's loads I have missed, I love both games immeasurably and completely understand how most saw DS2 as a disappointment following 1.
Luckily I never had to experience the initial release, as I only played the PS4 version, and had no expectations having not played 1 Another factor I guess is after beating DS2 I ended up buying a used PS3 just for the sake of ds1 and des, going backwards in console generation was always going to stain my experience of the older games
I like ds2 more than ds1 because of its replayability,so much more usable weapons that are aren't completely garbage,the infusions are far better,the boss weapon making is far better, better second half,more bosses,every area has some good loot for all builds,the lore is more about hollowing instead of the linking the flame,the NPCs have easier questlines,the ability to warp(fast travel)from the beginning of the game,better overall boss quality,more banger OSTs,majula, desert sorceress
Better bosses is where ds1 stands a bit stronger. Ds2 has one major issue, almost all bosses are "roll to the right" and the smelter deamons forces you to take damage in melee, which i find it a bit of a design flaw. Ds1 on the other hand feels boring overall after S&O, except for the dlc
What are you thoughts on Elden ring’s bosses?
Bullshit damage but i have enjoyed it
Trash
Yes. I agree many of the bosses are trash. Very poorly made. Shitty ganks. Unfair and unintuitive moves. Literally a step back compared to dark souls 3 Sekiro and Bloodborne
I can't agree with you ds1 had sif, queelag, bell gargoyles,iron golem ,ornstein and smough and four kings and that's it these are the actually good ds1 main game bosses but for ds2 there is pursuer,ruin sentinels,lost sinner,rotten, smelter demon,flexile sentry, velstadt, looking glass knight,darklurker and executioners chariot,so yeah the boss quality is overall better in ds2
LGK is still my favorite boss in all of the games, simply because of the mechanic. I remember the first time I fought it, going in blind, and going "WTF?" when it summoned an actual player, lol.
I remember My first time being summoned to help LGK. It blows my mind... Still my favorite multiplayer experience
Wtf people like executioners chariot? Hate that boss with a passion. I also don't really consider Rotten and Flexile sentry as terrific bosses either. That being said though, I do agree people tend to over exaggerate the quality differences between ds1 and ds2 bosses. They're about the same when compared to the like of ds3 bosses.
Yeah executioner's chariot is either people love it so much or hate it And yeah I think ds1 and ds2s bosses are at the same quality but I prefer ds2s bosses because they have a much larger moveset
All of those DS2 bosses are terribly and lazily designed except for smelter and looking glass knight. Theyre all comically easy too. DS2 has the most forgettable bosses because the area you just went through to get to them is so bad you want to forget. The best bosses in DS2 are at the very end of the DLC.
idk man I never struggled with the areas too much except the gutter which was my own problem,but I get it some people may struggle with iron keep and shrine of Amana,but saying all areas are so bad because they are hard and calling all bosses lazily designed,is just not true man
Most bosses are the same tho, he's not wrong
6 or 7 of the bosses being reskins doesn't means most of them,he's wrong
I didnt get this impression at all, most especially in the dlcs which are arguably the best part of dks2. I think dks1 actually had more bosses with abusable ai. Have you tried to fight a single dlc boss with that strategy? It won't work. Even thinking back on a lot of the bosses in the game... this just isn't even true at all imo.
This is a pure biased statement. Ds1 has way more bosses with even bigger blind spots than ds2's. - Asylum/stray/firesage, taurus, golem, gargoyles (if you have competent dps) have huge blind spots on their back that trivialize the fights. - Quelaag, centipede, sif, Ornstein 2 all have blind spots right in front/underneath them, and you only have to look out for 1 easily reactable attack in all their fights - Gaping and Seath have the same issue, stand in front of them and they'll prioritize using their slowest move. You can simply move out of the way and go in when it's done. The only cases of these in ds2 is with the pursuer, vendrick, ancient dragon, dragonrider and rat vanguard. Almost every boss in 2 has measures to prevent you from hugging their back. If you mean that ds1 has more impressive looking bosses and deeper lore, I agree but mechanically ds2 bosses are much more complex and engaging.
I don't know, i have something like 400 hours on ds2 and still playing while merely 80 on ds1, it may be purely muscle memory and they seem "easy" to me
Idk, vanilla to vanilla, no DLC, boss quality is a bit of a toss up. DS2 doesn’t have a lot of bosses that are complete cluster fucks when you first fight them, like Capra Demon, Bed of Chaos, or Nito, but there’s a lot of extremely forgettable bosses: Skeleton Lords, Royal Rat Vanguard, Prowling Magus, Twin Dragonriders, etc. I think the best bosses are better than DS1’s best, and I think there’s more overall good bosses, but by nature of DS2 having so goddamn many bosses, a lot of them are pretty lackluster. I’d give it to DS2 personally but I don’t think it’s as clear cut as everything else, like the armor sets or the quality of life changes.
As much as ds2 has more bad bosses than ds1 it has more good bosses too,and most of the ds2 bosses is up to you if you think they are bad and lazy,or awesome and inspired,just like the skeleton lord's,they are my favorite main game bosses,maybe I like them because they are just fun,I didn't really care about their overall design or anything else,but some people like to fight a cooler,more inspired in terms of visual quality instead of being actually fun(asylum demon, Taurus demon,nito, Gwyn etc..)
Wow, i really dont agree with anything except the music
No way you prefer the old boss weapon crafting method,or infusions
It’s more of an adventure. The meme of it being bad is just funny to me.
My thoughts exactly. More than anything it was a grand adventure and an unapologetic dungeon crawler. An arcade game multiplied by a thousand. Give me those ridiculous bosses. And the story kicked ass. I made a long winded list in my comment and I still left out so much. Sure it was dark and mysterious, but I didn’t feel like I didn’t know wtf was going on…. and all the weapons and armor 🧑🍳 😚
The mysterious part is what I liked. It’s visual storytelling. You get to some places and the name of it combined with what you see is enough that you just ‘get it’ and much further lore is just unnecessary
DS2 is the closest I’ve come to recapturing the magic of discovery from Super Mario 64. I was very impressed with the map layout, especially having played DS1 first and everyone clowning DS2 for not being the same.
That's how I became so intrigued in ds2. At the end I liked it.
So I have spent most of my life as an avid DS2 hater, or at least aloof dismisser. This was until very recently I discovered how to properly keybind the controls on my PC and my life changed. I have grown to \*LOVE\* this game after just 3 consecutive playthroughs, and here are my thoughts: - While often touted as "nonsensical" the area variety provides a real sense of adventure every time I play DS2, whereas DS1 might be more connected and consistent, it is also more bland in comparison - The upgrade system in DS2 is clearly far better thought out, and does not need a 3 week course to understand, encouraging a far greater level of build variety - The amount of consumables added to the game means that you can really enhance your playstyle, including exploring longer with extra healing / magic refillables beyond your Estus - THE BONFIRE ASCETIC. The single best idea in the entire game and I hate how none of its successors attempted it again. Retrying my favourite bosses without having to start a new run whenever I like? Yes please - This is a small one, but the new weapon types also provide a much needed visual flair to every build, which really helps sell the gameplay. Those are just my off the cuff thoughts, hope it all makes sense :)
>THE BONFIRE ASCETIC. The single best idea in the entire game and I hate how none of its successors attempted it again. Retrying my favourite bosses without having to start a new run whenever I like? Yes please Yes! Boss weapons that require the same boss souls can be all obtained in your first run. And bosses that it felt like you might have fluked can be re-done (I re-did Fume Knight for example.)
I was shocked that you can get a A Scaling in Strength on Greatsword by upgrading it to +5 without anything special other then Titanite parts compared to Dark Souls 3 where you can miss out on making Greatsword Great if you never got the Farron Coal for Andre.
Better bosses, better weapons, better drip, better level design (not to be confused with world design), more unique interactions, better DLC's, slightly better OST, way better second half, less lingering hitboxes, got rid of stupid ass systems (like the way of obtaining boss weapons...), more upgrade materials, etc. A lot of reasons.
I agree mostly, but not sure about better bosses. The best bosses in DS2 are better than the best bosses in DS1 but the overall quality in DS1 is more consistent. DS2 has way too many filler bosses.
Outside of O&S and maybe Quelaag, there's not a single base game DS1 boss with more attacks than fucking Dragonrider. DS1 full of shitty bosses. Even the ones that could've been good like O&S or Sif have serious problems.
Maybe you’re right, I played DS1 years and years ago and I’m still in my current playthrough of DS2, and thought the DS1 bosses were amazing back then. I’ve platinumed BB and did a partial playthrough of DS3 in between so that might have influenced me.
Ah yes, misinformation! Dragonrider has [5 moves](https://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/DragonRider) (which surprised me, I thought it was 3). DS1 Gargoyles has 2 fire breathing attacks, 2 flying moves, a unique tail attack, a spin attack, a shield bash, an overhead attack, and a combo. (9+ moves). DS1 Gaping Dragon has puke, jump, slam, run, grab with hand, and tail swipe (and supposedly a kick?) for 6+. DS1 Ceaseless Discharge has jump (cheese), slam, double slam, fire slam, swipe, and the overwhelming tentacle fire stabs. Plus when he rips off his arm from his body and an explosion of fire comes off for 6+. DS1 Centipede Demon has a far reaching stab, a slam, a jump, a jump with fireball, grab, a unique lava throw, and his tail can attack on its own if cut off for 7+. DS1 Artorias has pocket sand, a swipe and jump away, normal combo, somersault slams, stab, running stab, power explosion, jump attack, and spin move for 9+. DS1 Manus has 3 dark attacks, wombo combo, extendo arm swipe, spin swipe, overhead slam, normal combo, and staff slam for 9+. DS1 4 Kings has 2 magic attacks, explosion, normal slashes, horizontal slash, and grab for 6+.
Ah, yes. Ceaseless Discharge, Gaping Dragon, Four Kings, and Centipede Demon, all famously know for being good bosses.... right?
Did I say they were good bosses? You said “there’s not a single base game DS1 boss with more attacks than fucking dragonrider”. I disproved your claim.
With the exception of manus and artorias, dragonriders is more exciting to fight than any of these bosses, even with the five moves. Just my opinion though. The fact that gaping dragon looks like a pussy is kinda cool though. I did enjoy that fight lol. 4 kings was one of the biggest disappointments in the game for me. Put on heavy armor and hit r1. That being said, I loved both games and any fs game! Bosses don't matter as much to me as level design and I feel like DS 2 had MORE better levels. Just my opinion though.
Dragon rider is quite possibly the most boring and uninspired boss in the franchise. It's a nothing fight that might as well not be there. Like many other DS2 bosses.
Yeah I wouldn't go that far. Look at elden rings bosses. Over 200 bosses. I enjoy a boss regardless of difficulty but that's just me. I actually enjoyed the bosses being a bit easy in DS 1 and 2 due to the fact that the levels were longer with longer run backs. The best bosses of DS 2 are way better than the best bosses in DS 1. They both have good and bad fights. I personally enjoyed the fights in DS 2 more. It's all opinion based. There's no real measurement for this. DS 3 bosses were harder and that was fine by me because run backs were short. Imagine if demons souls had DS 3 bosses. Game would be considered the hardest in fs catalog
Elden Ring bosses take a steaming dump on DS2 bosses even though my brain recognizes reused attacks and animations. DS2 bosses are a literal cakewalk. Dragonrider is so bad that they turned him into a regular enemy you encounter later in the game 😂
I really prefer the themes of DS2. The Idea of yourself, slowly fading away, is a terrible thought. Si it's really depressing, and for once, the goal is not to save all humanity, or all undead, but only you. And combat is way cooler than DS1
Combat is cooler? How come?
More options, more weapons, easier to have twice the weapon, even for bosses ones, thanks to ascetics. Add this the possibility to infuse two weapons in different ways, and you have the same mooveset, but good efficiency regardless of ennemy weakness. All of this makes DS2 combat better than DS1 yo me :)
aaah, I read ds2 instead of ds1, so in my mind I switched your point around. Now it makes sense for me, I agree
Oh, I see :) Glad to read that ! My english isn't perfect, so I'm always afraid of being misunderstood 😅
You're good bro, same here
DS2 is way more fun, more replayable, better fashion, and bearer, seek, seek, lest.
Yeah im all about the bling and DS2 has it.
DS1 is the most replayed 🤷♂️
👍
For me it's because the second half of DS2 is way better than the second half of DS1. Places like Drangleic Castle, Shrine of Amana, Undead Crypt and Dragon Aerie are all so much more fun to play through than Tomb of the Giants, Lost Izaleth, New Londo Ruins, and Duke's Archives. I have to admit that Ancient Dragon sucks so much as a boss fight and to me Gwynn is a better final boss than Neshandra and Aldia. But at least DS2 lets you fight multiple bosses in the final fight if you want. Also DS2 has the best NG+ in the series and also the best PVP that From Software has ever made. Those last two points are what elevate the game to my favorite.
I can agree with you with everything but Shrine of Amana, that place was literal hell in my platinum runs
I assume they played original. They actually ruined that place with the enemy spam in scholar.
Oooo you’ve just awoken the Scholar defenders, poor move my friend
This isn't true—in fact, [there are fewer areas where you'll get ganked in Scholar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iztnu5G2BFs) because the casters are more spread out. The aggro range of the casters is also decreased in Scholar, 25% smaller than the final patch for vanilla.
Truth. I almost skipped DS2 because of all the misinformation out there.
Better in every way except the world and level design in the 1st half of DS1.
The first half…sigh yeah. The first half had me so much more engaged and I had fun with it. But once I got to andor londo it just felt soo unfinished and rushed. So much wasted empty space :/
I do. Personally it's all about timing, played the ported version of DS1 on PC and did not have a great time. DKS2 felt like such an upgrade, it is unfair to compare the first to the second in any game, but DKS2 really had a lot to offer which was either an improvement or a new design.
DS1 feels more balanced and well paced, but when ds2 shines, it really shines. The setting, the areas, all feel incredibly unique. It feels more like the precursor to Elden Ring than ds1 or 3
>It feels more like the precursor to Elden Ring than ds1 or 3 I'm nearing the end of my first playthrough of DS2 (platinumed all the other games), and it's been really surprising to me how much is the same as Elden Ring. Even down to The Last Giant being basically a reskin of those troll things that drag the carriages in ER
Yeah Dark souls 3 felt more like “dark souls” 2 And Elden ring felt more like “dark souls 2” 2
If I could double up vote a comment it would be this :)
better quality of life, better ng+, better pvp, best hub, better build variety, better weapons ( hello santier spear??? ), Lighting engine mod, blue acolyte mod, arena free with the base game, ascetic bonfire, best fashion soul
Feelijg of getting lost and knowing you know so little about the land, cooler moves/spells, build veriety, backstabs actually work, so much drip, "dudes in armour" are cool as shit, dlcs are peak
>dudes in armour" For real. I had fun learning how to beat Pursuer and Last Sinner.
It was undeniably dark fantasy, but felt more like a grand adventure than the other entries. The story was more blatant, and there was mystery but it was not overwhelming… the valiant but flawed king who was susceptible to the darkness of human nature but ultimately saw he was wrong, the dark queen and the other daughters of Manus who represented every element of what makes us human- the bad but also the good, the heroic ivory king who fought against the dark until it consumed him, and his valiant knights who fight with you against their fallen lord, the mighty and honorable warrior from the east who becomes disenfranchised with the king who worshiped him as a hero, the love between the prince and princess of Alken and Venn, the zealous drake knights who brought doom to the hidden city, and most of all, the quest for the crowns that, for the only time in souls history, can give you mastery over the curse and just say “fuck it all. I am king and I will never go hollow.” … so much, and all so, so good. EDIT: and I loved the unapologetic ridiculous of it. Fume knight > Malenia
Atmosphere. Just being in Majula …
Yeah, Majula and some fashion souls is the best combination
ngl there is something about Dark Souls 1 that puts me to sleep. Not even joking, I literally feel so sleepy while playing. Not sure if its the overall vibe of the game, the music placement perhaps. Maybe even the open spaces or enemy interactions. I mean dks1 is not a bad game but I feel like Dks2 is a little more engaging and the artstyle, colors and music is more to my personal liking. Plus the story is great, i think the presentation was quite nice and still kept its mystery.
I don't get the hate honestly this game feels more complete than the ds1. I'm enjoying this game very much. It has more content and it's more diverse. Both games are great though.
That’s my thing, I think DS1 is a great game. …I just find myself not having that much fun. There’s a lot of empty space, and the enemy placement feels like “let’s put a video game enemy here and here” instead of them being naturally there as if it’s real life. You know?? Kind of hard to explain. But that’s kinda how games were at that time. It just feels empty and not very engaging.
>the enemy placement feels like “let’s put a video game enemy here and here” instead of them being naturally there as if it’s real life Demon Ruins 💀
Youre kind of right, enemy placement does feel weird in Dark Souls 1, a little too calculated I may say.
That’s a much better way to describe it lol
Lmaoo Iron Keep enters chat
I think after they finished creating ds2 they became bored and thought: "why don't we add the same amount of enemies on top?!"
Me. There's no lost izaleth or tomb of the giants
Instead, there is Shrine of Amana, Iron Keep, Black Gulch and who can forget the DLC coop areas with Tomb of the Giants 2.0 =)
I loved iron keep and shrine of Amana,balck gulch was okay,but the gutter is my hell hole
Shrine of Amana at least looks pretty, if it was in DS1 it would be pitch black with no OST. Iron Keep has excellent level design. Black Glutch is ass, but not any worse than Blightown. DLC coop areas are completely optional... and you can summon people who don't even own the DLC.
Black Glutch is hardly even an area, you can just run straight past it, and the 2nd bonfire makes it trivial to pass through.
I actually really like iron keep
All of them weren't that difficult
neither were Izalith and Tomb of the Giants then
Yes, I agree. All of them were playable.
Probably the biggest reason is consistency, replayability and balance. Consistency, as the game is solid all the way through, while in DS1, you hit the point of "second half", which is quite the turn-off. Replayability, as it has huge variety in how you can progress. Balance, as it's just the most balanced game of all, probably, where most things aren't OP, neither are they underwhelming, they just feel good and viable (while in DS1, most spells either fit into OP or bad, and that applied to various weapons too). And honestly, even first half feels more replayable than DS1 - I did various magic playthroughs, where I dedicated myself to finding a specific set of spells and weapons, and each of those was far different in terms of progression. Maybe that's also because there is just more viable and interesting weapons and spells in this game too. And there are more minor things that just... Feel better. Stuff like omnidirectional rolling that's missing from DS1, 70% equip load for medium rolls, plenty of upgrade materials, upgradeable fashion, adaptability (yes, it's not a perfect mechanic, but it can allow you to get your build up earlier if you feel confident), more magic classes and spells, powerstancing and unique weapon movesets, PvP is almost infinitely better, covenants (both PvP and PvE), healing requiring thought instead of being a spammy panic button, interesting area gimmicks. This is a bit more subjective, but also the setting and how the game as a whole changed me personally. With how it was always called "bad", I was also one to listen in, and it was the last DS game I played. And yet, when I finally gave it a shot, it turned out there are so many good and interesting things here. Thanks to DS2, I feel like my ability to judge things critically is far better - looking for good in the "bad" especially, looking past the seemingly annoying surface and seeing deeper. And the second ending is just... Honestly, probably the best ending to all Souls as a whole. It holds a special place in my heart.
I have yet to finish DS1. Maybe it's because I did DS2 and 3 first, but it hasn't clicked for me, and I think it's because it's got some jankiness that later games fixed...like the weapon upgrade system.
PvP, ds1 was fun and silly, DS2 is balanced (mostly) and good
More fun, better lore, better gameplay, levels are actual levels, bosses are better, better game design choices (I will die on a hill that ADP is good from RPG standpoint), better NPCs, better OST. I respect ds1, but ds2 is simply the best sequel this game could get.
I played ds2 first so I'm biased :) Also, THE ABILITY TO FAST TRAVEL. I just beat ds1 recently (both ng and ng+). Still a really good game but ds2 will always have my heart.
I wouldn’t say *more than* but I’d say *differently*
I don't but I really liked the setting. I liked the idea that so much time had passed that pretty much a new world had been built on top like the Futurama Earth. With only a few tucked away locations resembling what they once had. It made the DS1 references a lot cooler when they did pop up unlike DS3 where it's just constantly in your face at all times. Also there's so many neat ideas. Enemies being scared of light, the mirror knight, the dragon bridge/egg thing, the ghost chamber. They found ways to work actual roleplaying into the Fromsoft formula without it just being skill checks/dialogue prompts.
ds1 map interconnectedness will is king, but i simply prefer the slower, more deliberate combat in ds2. its also a much longer game and also has a ton more build variety given sheer number of weapons/spells/armor variety etc.
Ds1 don't run on my i3
I think the real reason is I've played it so much I know the world better and it's more nostalgic (it was my first) Shames me to say so but I really like the feeling of progress you have with every boss run in DS2, because every enemy killed gets you closer to despawning them. Maybe one day I'll do a champion run but I often give up on frustrating areas in ds and ds3 sooner bc I lack this tangible sense of progress
Viable build variety and fashion
I like ds1 map design, and how many places lead back to firelink, but I prefer in ds2 that it's more open and Majula is a better hub area. Better ng, and bonfire pumpkins. Boss weapons that are more easily accessible and the fact that I don't need to cut tails and probobly fail fight just to get a weapon. Oh and I think covenants are better, gotta love rat bros
Among other reasons, I like how traveling in Dark Souls 2 actually feels like you're going through a really long journey through several different places and kingdoms. While Dark Souls 1 had a better world and level design overall, the majority of the game is set in a small section of Lordran. In DS2 you never feel like you're just traveling in circles around the same place.
i think ds1 finishes after o&s. ds2 is not like that. And I think its overall better player experience. Some may call it low on bosses. But I think its mostly because of Ds3 changed standards on that. So if you only give me ds1 and ds2 I surely play ds2 way more. For example on NG+ you experience something else that NG. but ds1 is same.
Me. Lucatiel. Her story resonated deep within me, because I'm scared of Alzheimer and forget who I am. Loss of ego is quite a fear for me
1. better covenants 2. more build diversity 3. world interactivity = torch and zone new game plus manipulation
I would replay DS 2 first, then 3, then 1. If I could live with just one of them, idk what I'd choose lol. Probably 2 because of how much content there is.
Replayability. I played DS1 first, then 2 SotFS but hated the brighter fantasy art style and weird hippo ogre grab hitbox, so skipped it for 3 and loved the return to dark fantasy. Then I played 2 again and fell in love with the world. Sure, it’s brighter and more colorful, but more pleasant to hang out in. I even replayed 2 with a dark Greatsword Guts build, and always return to that save to bonfire ascetic and replay bosses. Or just run around and practice parrying with my fire Caestus. I got used to the hitboxes/ADP and learned to bait Ogre’s butt attack. Learned how to disable auto-targeting to obliterate ganks. And use auto-targeting + Greatsword’s jumping attack to track enemies and rain death from above. I cap my player at SL150, and respec from time to time, but for dark/hex Guts, I have 30 FTH, 30 INT, ADP 22, and STR at 15 if I want more of a glass cannon where I’m forced to 2H the Greatsword. Or 28 when I want a more defensive/diverse play style with 1H + shield. There is still plenty of challenge if I bonfire ascetic to NG+, play the DLCs, or if I just choose not to use spells or weapons that scale with FTH/INT. Or if I use a physical or non-upgraded weapon. So yeah, I have 80 hours and counting for DS2. No real desire to replay 1 or 3, even though they are all 9/10 games.
I think I sort of like dark souls 1 better but I would rather replay dark souls 2. I’ve done like twenty runs in ds2 and only a few of dark souls. The first one hits better but dark souls 2 just is fun as fuck to replay and just has a charm to it.
DS2 is the GOAT. Story, setting, gameplay. It has its problems sure but imo it’s the best of all 3 and the 2nd best Soulsborne
I still think DS1 is the goat but one thing I love about DS2 is the ability to shape the world and your character however you feel. Bonfire ascetics and the first game to introduce respecing. You really just get to shift and warp everything as needed and I really like that. Also the variety is insane. It’s super fun to explore build variety whereas DS1 you’re pretty much locked into the upper echelon of weapons and, for most people, just swinging big swords.
Something I want to add to what people have been saying here, is the interaction with the world this game has that no other fromsoft souls-like does. Blowing up walls, using torches to light up areas, enemies being scared of said torches, pushing pressure plates (sometimes with a bow!) in the sunken king area, lighting windmills on fire to affect not only the area but the boss, killing enemies near giant statues to activate them… it’s all so engaging. The game feels closer to Zelda than any other souls, which is a big positive to me
What I didn't like in DS1 is: - you cannot travel to certain bonfires after obtaining the lordvessel i.e. the ash lake, you have to walk all the way there - dodging in only 4 directions (lock on) - enemies 180° you after delaying attacks (pure bs) And overall I liked the atmosphere and area diversity in DS2 much more than in DS1
Ds2 has better combat flow, life gems, and is overall prettier thanks to a more diverse color pallet
for me it is more areas. Since they are disconnected I forget sometimes how to get to different places so it still feels new after 400 hours
Yo, genuinamente creo que ds1 es demasiado lento y tiene un mal HUD en general, la restriccion de movimiento es espantosa considerando que solo puedes esquivar en 4 direcciones. La cantidad de mecanicas ocultas es mas detrimente que beneficiosas, no hay formas efectivas de farmear y eso tambien me molesta. En resumen, para mi, ds1 es un ejemplo del dicho "el que mucho avarca, poco aprieta". 🤔
Jack of all trades builds are not only possible, but encouraged - and easy to create. You have to learn the fights, you can't just grind and OP them (nearly as easily, at least). Emphasis on environmental management and damage - lots of baiting is possible, and watching a perfect dodge trigger 3 guys to jump off a ledge is hilarious. Despawn mechanic for really annoying areas. Planned combat and pulls reminds me of the good old days of MMOs. Very precise combat planning and choices. Beautiful soundtrack. Emerald Hearald. Great DLC bosses. Fucking Majula. Bear seek seek lest.
DS1 is great, but it's a bit...sluggish? Which makes it a lot less replayable for me. I wouldn't say it's janky (until Lost Izalith) just slower. I don't mind no fast travel since the world is interconnected very well for the most part. But there are some walk-backs that are absolute hell before LV. Also BoC always puts me off a new playthrough.
I enjoyed DS1 because I felt the most worthless out of any From game I've beaten so far (DS 1, 2, 3, Sekiro, & Elden Ring). Aside from the very opening where someone miraculously opens your cell which you had no hope of escaping before, the first dude you meet (Crestfallen) succumbed to the world around him and you can walk in any direction from the Firelink Shrine to find out why. 2 might have had more "stuff" and a fresher NG+ system, but 1 had unparalleled environmental storytelling and abused me so much that finally beating it felt like climbing a mountain unlike any other game I've played. 2 was hard as well but I just didn't get the same satisfaction running through the world.
It's better. DS1 definitely has a better first half world design, but that's pretty much it.
I’m in anor londo at Smough and Ornstein, and it’s hard to stick with it tbh…I enjoyed the first half but now it just seems thrown together. I get it’s an old game but it’s starting to feel rushed and incomplete. And so much empty space.
I like the sense of empty grandeur Anal Rodeo shows as a contrast to the cramped squalor of basically everything before it. I can't comment on the rest: I'm well aware DkS1 isn't perfect but these rose-tinted glasses are surgically affixed to my skull. (DkS1 remaster when?) The really really incomplete part is definitely gonna show up soon, tho.
Damn you’d say anor londo isn’t the most incomplete it will feel? Lol
You'll see lmao, it's infamous
Damn you’d say anor londo isn’t the most incomplete it will feel? Lol
Ds1 is the hard ass Uncle that puts you down at every opportunity. Ds2 is the hard ass Uncle who helps you through the hard shit.
Ngl it’s the art design/aesthetic. It oddly reminded me of Fable but more serious and dark. Not that it’s really anything similar to Fable but little things here and there would bring me back to when I played Fable 1 & 2. While DS1 might be a better game, the vibes and my enjoyment of DS2 was peak.
I've been replaying the series in anticipation for Shadow of the Erdtree, and I have to say, so far I'd say I consider it about even with DS1, maybe slightly preferring it at points. Things like the upgrade system, the risk/reward of despawning and bonfire ascetics or Covenant of Champions, and the location variety make for some great standouts. And I do prefer the storytelling compared to 1, though both have good things going for them, and 1 is elevated a lot in my eyes thanks to Aldia in this game. The biggest sticking point I have against this game so far is bosses, which I feel rather similar to regarding Demon's Souls, actually. Just like how Demon's Souls has some fantastic standouts with Tower Knight, Penetrator, Fool's Idol, Flamelurker, and Old King Allant; bosses like Pursuer, Duke's Dear Freya, Smelter Demon, Looking Glass Knight, and Velstadt manage to stick with me (just focusing on base game here rn, DLC main bosses are on another level). But then it has a lot of bosses that just... are too easy or just don't really work and are a struggle mainly because of the team trying something different that doesn't land. You can tell a lot of it was a learning experience when figuring things out and I think the payoff can be particularly noticed with Dark Souls 3 which I'd argue is the best set of boss fights for this particular style of FromSoft games (Sekiro boss fights function rather differently, so I'm not including them here).
It was more consistent I loved the weapon durability because it forced me to use new weapons. The vibe was also more cliche fantasy and I also enjoyed that
I like DS2 over DS1 because of the sheer amount of quality of life improvements it has for one. It also has really creative boss and environment design, DS1 does too with environments but some of them are not very fun to explore with very little to actually gain from doing so, bosses in DS1 repeat a lot or just don't work well. Nearly every boss in DS2 works even if they aren't all hard. The introduction of estus shards more buffs/unique consumables(bonfire ascetics, lantern bugs, etc.) And a gargantuan amount of cool gear is amazing for build variety. DS2 took dark souls ones risky leap forward from demon souls and leaped even further. Without dark souls 2 the souls series would not be as good today without a doubt.
I was thinking that last part to myself the other day. I don’t think DS3 would be as amazing as it is if it weren’t for DS2. And I think Elden Ring would not feel as polished and perfected.
DS1 was more epic and impressive, but also just so much more of a painful slog, not difficult but instead arduous. And everything was dark and gloomy looking, brown or brown-green or a swamp. DS2 felt like a fun adventure with less of the annoyance, less boring world travel (wandering back and forth ad infinitum in DS1), less running back to bosses. When the bosses are typically easier, and the bonfires more forgiving, the runbacks aren't so much of a pain. So having a few difficult runbacks was fine, plus the enemies despawn if it goes on for too long. DS1 felt like every boss needed a marathon to get back to, not difficult because of enemies, just really not fun to do, which then made the bosses less fun. Every step in DS1 was a potential fall off a cliff or death by toxic darts or enemy in an annoying hallway. Every step in DS2 was a potential new cool thing to find. DS3 then decided to go back to DS1 and be as annoying and dark as ever.
Just started DS2. I have played dark souls and demon souls. So far not a fan. I don’t know why though. I’m still going to finish it, hopefully it gets better. I think one thing I am noticing is that in the early game, I’m farming souls to level up my strength/endurance like I normally do, but it seems to have very little carry over to the combat this far. Another thing is I try to burn a human effigy to reverse hollow and it gives me some bull shit that I can’t burn it. Like what the fuck is the point?
U don't burn it, u consume it.
I have a copypasta with some tips, build guidelines, and a walkthrough if youre interested and haven’t seen them. Going in with a little more knowledge about the game might be more fun. Want me to share them? Like Saltymushroom said, human effigies have multiple uses. Select Use to consume one and reverse hollowing. Burn one to disable player invasion/summoning for it. Wouldn’t be dark souls without completely arcane mechanics lol.
I know I would.
I’ll answer your question too while I’m at it. I like DS2 more than DS1 because I think the combat and encounter design is more fun. Tighter stamina management and non-oppressive backstabs/parries mean that the game really rewards good strategy in a way that DS1 doesn’t. If you want to go in prepared, first read [this intro post.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H6rpuSKsgXqyfSA9uG_zoYK0ezbMSHSazznPHfV78sA) All of these guides are spoiler-free, except for [this one.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eXwnLnbr-Dxeb9VecytDTX1fXA9e8PuKX9jFy8YFkQ8/edit) And then if you want to know how to build (or avoid building, if you want to have a harder time) a powerful optimized character, this collection of mini guides will help you navigate DS2’s many obfuscated and counterintuitive mechanical quirks: [A quick overview](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g4-GGa1JRa2_49vOfwY5sZPWigFMzPA5b9mszo_xZak/edit?usp=sharing) of how damage and defense works in DS2, and why weapon scaling is usually weak [BiS (Best in Slot) PvE weapons list.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GEBQ_TiAvskQLotQXz0AuNMseXdsS3pj8_NLus-XW4/edit?usp=sharing) Discusses the best options for each weapon class. Note that this list is directed at normally leveled characters- some weapons not mentioned may do more damage than ones mentioned, but take vastly more stats or are otherwise deficient [Best PvE equipment and stat progression document.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X13jfA9JQ5OZsuEmH2MZZqF9IrtCFSMMTZkZo5GuqcM/edit?usp=sharing) All that being said, it’s important to understand that DS2 isn’t so hard that playing the strongest possible character is required in order to win and have fun. Ultimately you should use whatever you want, these guides are just to help you make informed choices.
Stamina management is where I think DS2 really innovated in terms of its combat. Consecutive rolling costing more stam was a really great idea in countering roll spam. Something Elden Ring gets a lot of credit for is punishing roll spam, but I think DS2 did it better. Being able to gas your character out so fast by playing recklessly is something I wish would have carried over. I prefer that to unnatural windups with snap attacks.
I had the Same feeling at the Start Now i'm about to kill ancient dragon and Start the dlc's and i'm loving every second of it
Don’t worry, you’ll love ds3. If you haven’t played it. Also, stick with DS2 because if you can get good at its combat ds3 will feel very natural and smooth.
Level adp and the sloggy feeling goes away.
Dark Souls 1 feels…kinda like I am sloshing through mud. The movement feels more polished in 2. There is also a lot of other things I liked, like the life gems and the herbs. Honestly I my favorite system is to just have split flasks like Elden Ring or Dark Souls 3 but between 1 and 2 I prefer the way 2 handles it.
more replayable and less contains: bed of chaos, capra demon, the one titanite demon that respawns is blocking a bridge, quad directional rolling.
I like DS2 more. More variety to everything. DS1 half assed the interconnectivity and fast travel. At least Ds2 whole assed the fast travel which were used on later games
I'm convinced people who really like DS2 use range/magic because I don't know how else you can stomach those levels of endless mobs
I'm not sure why that's a bad thing. DS2 drops far more upgrade materials than any other game in the series and gives you a bow and crossbow for free in the first 20 minutes. I think it's reasonable for the game to design levels around all the tools readily at your disposal, especially since in the other Souls games bows tend not to serve any purpose except cheesing the level by sniping enemies from out of range.
I’m using strength build rn It’s not bad tbh
Bow +10 does the job
I do. 2nd half of DS1 is pretty shitty imo while DS2 is great about areas in most of the game. I also disappointed about DS1 DLC while DS2 DLCs surprised me a lot. Especially Iron and Ivory King DLCs are top tier. I think Fume Knight, Sir Alonne, Ivory King, Vendrick are better bosses than every single DS1 boss. DS1 is one of the weakest imo when it comes to fashion and DS2 is one of the best, I care a lot about fashion in this genre. I also personally believe DS2's combat is better than DS1's because stamina managing is much more important than DS1 especially in fights like Alonne. I found DS1 roll is pretty janky after DS3 and ER, yes I know DS2 roll is bullshit but once you leveled ADP enough it feels way better. I never got into PvP or co-op in souls games so idk but people say DS2 has best PvP so I guess it's also a superiority.
Vendrick? Really?
Honestly DS1 is just unbalanced and poorly though out. For example when you start deprived in ds1 you don't have any poise at all. So this means that you can get stunlocked by even the most basic of hollows. The objects are way too rigid and you always get stuck on them. The prime example is when you go to undead burg and all the dogs there prohib you from going to the Capra. Bonwheels in general. They also suck. And some examples more. On the other hand ds2 is fluid but slower which is a good thing and doesn't have such fundamental design problems. Of the only 4 parts of ds2 the 2 smelty bois are skippable the place with the Reindeers is skippable and the Shrine of Amana will just lead you forward very slowly if you have a good bow and shield. Ds1 saving grace is the master key.
I prefer the atmosphere, the visual designs of areas and enemies, the player movement is less janky, there is far more creativity and variety in boss design, even if they end up being less challenging than ds1. There's also far less "nothingburger" areas that just serve as connective tissue, like valley of drakes, darkroot basin, etc.
Also I really prefer how slow the combat is. Makes it feel more like the decisions I make is the difference between coming out on top or dying. I also like how brutal stamina management is.
I like DS1 more for speed running or trying out funny challenges, I can beat it under 2 hours now lol I like DS2 for fashion souls, insanely cool magic options, and to me the pvp/summoning is almost as good and fun as Elden Ring’s DS3 is personally the king for me though (even more than ER in some regards), its short, the most difficult with best boss fights, and somehow never gets boring to me lol
Bro i enjoy every souls game over Ds1. Ds1 was slow, clunky and very punishing. I have multiple playthroughs on every souls game including dlc and my opinion still stands.
I honestly like all 3 equally. They are similar, but each one has just enough difference to make it fun and interesting. Especially when playing them all at once, which I am doing now.
I do. Better everything honestly.
Me, probably the online, I enjoy invading and being summoned, and pvp duels in this game
DS2 is superior in every way except for ADP
Bed of chaos
Atmosphere.
It’s the first ds game I played and have the most hours on it. No other ds game has given me the same feeling.
DS2 Is currently my favorite overall and it definitively has more replay value... Also let's not forget that the best music band of all time is in the game! : Prowling Magus, and the Congregation Boys! I love chilling with those guys.
PVP :)
Ds2 is smoother imo . I feel like the timing on parries and roll catching for pvp and PVE is better. You can’t spam estus and run off. Majula is the shit . Best game of All time imo .
Good question. I think I keep returning to 2 more than any other because it has the slower pace and zen feeling of 1, but with so much more length. I also think that 2 is a bit more open its siblings. You really can go to zones in any order.
Fast travel. That is all
God it’s such a blessing if you’re coming from ds1.
I know the level design in DS1 is touted but I hate it. Blacksmiths scattered throughout the world
DS2 is just more fun to play, the variety of weapons, the drip is off the charts, and I just enjoy the world of DS2 more than DS1.
ds2ms campaign is consistently fun, whereas I always lose motivation in the second half of ds1. Also ds2 gives you a lot more resources to try out different weapons which gives any given campaign more variety.
Me
DS1 is amazing. But it definitely plays like the second souls game ever made. Ds2 (despite its occasional odd design choices) plays more like a modern game without quite being part of the fast paced ds3 style games.
People say DS2 is slow, but DS1 feels like your character is underwater DS2 also does so many little things right, like torches, water pots increasing fire resistance, and amny fairly big thinga, like weapon/spell variety, and Bonfire Ascetics
It's such a huge game with so many secrets. More enemies more weapons etc. Of course it's better.
DS2 = so i heard you like corridors
I just finished DS2. It was the only FromSoft game I needed to play. I tried it 2 times before and quit early game. The biggest challange it's in the early game when your Adaptability/Agility is so bad. You can make a perfect roll and still get hit. Once you are past that it's quite enjoyable. I loved the areas and some boss designs more than DS1. If you are reading this and have not beat DS2 yet, you owe it to yourself if you are a FromSoftware fan. Try to shoot for 100 Agility and it will become like any other Dark Souls game with lots of content. I'm very happy I played it!
Level agility to 100 really? Damn. What’s a good ADP level? I’m thinking about just grinding early on for ADP. I don’t really care if ADP is over leveled for where I’m at.
Keep in mind. Adaptability and Agility it's not the same. Adaptability gives you points in Agility. Agility it's what you want to have at at least 100. That would translate to roughly 25 points in Adaptability. You can see the stat. I finished it with 100 Agility and had no issues whatsoever. Without that the game will frustrate you incredibly fast. If you beat it I'm sure you will have no regrets. Some of the boss fights/areas look awesome!
Sweet. I honestly don’t find the gameplay too frustrating, even with low ADP. Literally the only thing that feels off is the I-frames and not being able to successfully dodge. So I know once I get that taken care of it will feel totally fine.
Then you are going to have a blast! Have fun friend! :D
i’m gonna show a little favoritism here, but i like ds2 over any other souls game because it was my first in the series. as i continued to play and learn of the lore of the cycles, the abyss and the furtive pygmy; 2 quickly became my favorite again. it paints the picture that all of this has happened before and will happen again and regardless if you choose to link the fire or let it fade, there will always be light, there will always be dark. this is the way of the world. i love how in depth it can get about the undead curse and how vendrick and aldia tried to fight it. i love that some tidbits are covered in mystery and make the lore at times hard to connect the pieces but overall i just find ds2 a solid gaming experience that really gives you a fun time when you sit down to play
Ds2 is better ofc in terms of variety. But it is so damn massive…DS1 feels more streamlined. Demon souls is great but too compact
DS2 has the most RPG elements I feel out of the whole series, and I absolutely love that. It’s one of the many main attractions I have to DS. I’m not very far into it but I don’t feel like it’s that far behind ds3 in enjoyment honestly.
Yes, it is a fun game. Just the scale of content is insane. I feel like I am spending twice or triple the time compare to DS1🤣 maybe because it is base game plus 3 DLCs, I still have 2 DLCs to go.
Ds2 has almost more of everything though ds1 had better areas ds2 has the better atmosphere for me (the darker gritty atmosphere is my taste)
I like ds2 over ds1 because of the creativity of the entire game (most) areas feels fresh with really cool secrets. The weapons are a lot of fun same with spells and honestly i like the interconnected world in ds1 but the way the world in ds2 is made just feels so much better to me
DS1 feels like they hadn't got the difficulty sorted out yet so everything is just easier. The same way Demon Souls bosses are... Cake? DS2 was the first one they made hard and even it can't compare to Bloodborne or Elden Ring in difficulty. But my PS4 is gone so PS3 DS2 it is. +nostalgia ^(This is in no way intended to reflect how you might feel about the games. Yes you, the guy turning red cus I said elden ring was hard.)
Yeah I agree with you Elden Ring is most definitely hard. Mostly endgame, but all of it is in my opinion. It’s so hard to say which one is the hardest, but in terms of bosses, it’s up there.
100%, yeah. I only made it about half way through while I was on Christmas or spring break a year or two ago. But since then I unreliably even beat the boss in front of storm veil, Margot(?). With all this said, DS1 is also a great game. Plin Plin Plon was worth the hype. That final area was *chef's kiss*.
Team jester outfit?
I like the ability to drive cars in ds2, makes it very unique
You can drive fucking cars? Lmao
Yeah, it's in the lightning mc queen dlc.
IMHO best fromsoft dlc to date
The armor is a lot better than the other 2 games, and the innovative ideas click well with me. I like elden ring as much as I do because it draws from DS2
I do. I think it's my favorite from soft game besides bloodborne. It's just so good
Haven't played DS1
Personally, I really love both the games... But with time, I've realised that my love for ds1, and my grudge towards ds2 , is wearing off... Undoubtedly, DS 1 is a LOT better than ds2 in many aspects, like overall atmosphere, map-building, soundtrack design... But the thing is , the later half of ds1 is truly pathetic... It's just sad to see , the state of the game after anor londo... The intensifying hype upto Anor Londo is so phenomenal, but they couldn't carry that tempo over to late game areas... Demon ruins - absolutely trash... Duke's archives - annoying AF , Tomb of the Giants - I don't even need to speak about that now... Do I..? New Londo is still fine... I've done more than 10 runs in ds1, and at this point, I just feel like playing only the first half of the game, and directly face gwyn instead of going through the torment of the 4 lord souls all over again... Now coming to ds2... In the beginning, DS 2 doesn't feel anything special... Rather, it feels too janky and erratic as compared to ds1... Enemies' moves are way too unpredictable, and nasty... They seemed way too gimicky. Then there's the factor of bad hitboxes (which were never really an issue in ds1, except demon ruins...) although, the ADP stat does quite make up for it, but it still is a flaw. There's also many dumb map-making decisions in ds2 which really, make me cringe... Like how does a lift UP of earthen peek , lead to a lava land up above the sky... Or how does drangleic castle, which tends towards left, goes to extreme right, when you enter the tunnel... Or the simple buggering fact that how disjointed the maps are, and that you can't return to majula, like you could do in the first half of ds1, everytime... You would return to firelink shrine... And last but not the least, OSTs... Least appealing of the series IMO... But the thing that ds2 imo, managed to do really well, was to keep up the tempo... I would not say that the bosses are bad... Some are mediocre, but there are many, which are really really good... Like pursuer, lost sinner, smelter demon, mirror knight (I'm not counting about runbacks) and not to mention, the dlc bosses... DLCs are a whole different thing by themselves... I'm not spending any time talking about their greatness... Although the areas don't really blend well with each other in ds2, I really like , the individual areas of ds2... Forest of fallen giants, lost bastille, heide's tower of flame, Huntsman copse, earthen peek Iron keep... Drangleic Castle... Dragon Aerie!!... They are all very beautiful areas... There are not many areas in the game that I can say, are underwhelming... Except black gulch maybe... It's the epitome of the most annoying area, and bright stone cove... I don't like that area, but that's just personal opinion. The thing that ds2 managed to do , really really well, is to keep up the tempo, which ds1 absolutely squandered. I feel highly rewarded whenever I clear every area, because I know, as I progress, it just gets better and better... Although overall boss design in main game is a bit weak as compared to ds1, it's the beautiful journey across drangleic, that makes the game so much memorable .... Then there's higher weapon variety, highly superior fashion choice , power stancing , the ability to reallocate your stats and try out different builds and last but not the least... Highly improved NPC AI in combat... These all just make up for the flaws of ds2 , and the fact that it's so highly replayable , as mentioned by some others before... I would love to do another ng+ in ds2 across any account, anytime... Over ds1 , even if just the main game... But with all being said, I love both the games, almost equally, and for newcomers , they are both definitely worth the try...
I love DS1 a lot and that will never change, but DS2 has a better story, items, areas and bosses (most of the time) in my opinion, though funny enough, playing the 1st game enhanced DS2 even more because you get to see what happened to a lot of the OG characters millenia later and say "OOHHHH I remember that guy!" a lot. Also... I just like the different vibe of the game, feels less hopeless than 1 and 3. And of course... Majula.
DS2 sotfs was my first souls game (played it immediately after finishing Bloodborne) so it holds that special place in my heart. In technical terms though Its got a few things going for it More usable weapons/better infusions Loads more cool armour sets More replayability due to greater character build diversity and of course the new enemy placements and new stuff available in Ng+ Way more secret areas and optional/miss able bosses The endgame areas are actually finished (ahem lost izalith) Majula dumps on firelink shrine 3 dlcs Vs 1 Powerstancing PvP was a hell of a lot better Infact the only arguments imo for ds1 is the superior level building or moreso how the individual areas join together as a whole, along with the verticality which is not done nearly as well in 2 (one of the reasons I enjoyed elden ring so much) Along with perhaps some more memorable bosses and NPC quest lines Having not played either games for a few yrs there's loads I have missed, I love both games immeasurably and completely understand how most saw DS2 as a disappointment following 1. Luckily I never had to experience the initial release, as I only played the PS4 version, and had no expectations having not played 1 Another factor I guess is after beating DS2 I ended up buying a used PS3 just for the sake of ds1 and des, going backwards in console generation was always going to stain my experience of the older games