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Gaf, why is Dark Souls 2 so bad?

Ferr986

Member
I find fascinating how a game like Dark Souls 2 is considered straight a bad game for some of the Souls fanbase.

Dark Souls 2 has some problems, but the core of it is damn good, and the most important IMO, is as fun to play as Dark 1 and Bloodborne.

Now let's be honest, the game has flaws. You never really feel scared, or immersed. There is no Sen's Fortress. There is no sense of dread. The music could be better. But to me Bloodborne didn't deliver on a lot of things.

So no, DS2 isn't bad. It is still an amazing game. If you want the best of the best then go back and play DS1 and Demon's Souls.

That's Sakuraba being lazy as fuck.

Thanks god DLC reedemed it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztPGThfD_GY

Dark 1 music is more consistent but DLC made Dark 2 have higher highs with Alonne, Ava and Aldia's theme.

Best part is that the DS2 composer returns back for DS3 (DS3 title screen is really similar to Alonne's theme).
 

Valtýr

Member
The world is poorly designed, the feel of movement and combat is floaty and the magnetic lock-on enemy stuff ruins the game.
 

@Wreck

Member
Having played 6 hours of the beta, Dark Souls 3's core mechanics is a mixtape of the best aspects of the other four games, leaning heaviest on Dark Souls 1, with a pace closer to Bloodborne.

If the beta area and boss is indicative of the quality of the full game, it could easily be the best game in the series mechanically and level design wise.



Nah, they still fucked me up in SOTFS. :(

foooh i missed the beta

but alright this sounds like a winner man i cannot wait still going to go pick up ds2 for ps4 though ahahaha
 
It is certainly not a bad game.

But it's the only Souls game I dropped before finishing it (after 45h).

Just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. Mainly due to the level / world design and the enemy placement.
 

Adry9

Member
I loved DS1. Got DS2 day 1 because of the good reviews, played about 20h, didn't finish it, never touched it again. Biggest disappointment of the year and the moment I learned my lesson not to trust the majority of gaming journalists.
 

kewlmyc

Member
It's not a bad game, just not as good as Dark Souls or Bloodborne. What got me was the garbage hit detection. If felt that I was dying due to poor hit detection rather than lack of skill and knowledge of the boss.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Honestly I feel like trying to rank the Soulsborne games is a waste of time for me, I love them equally and unreservedly.

The only thing I'd say is that out of all of them, DS2 was the one that took me longest to get into, but ultimately ate up the most number of hours of playtime.

Great game (particularly the remixed SOTFS version), sadly underrated around these parts.
 

Big_Al

Unconfirmed Member
I really must pick up the SOTFS edition. Never played the DLC and I've heard of nothing but good things about it - great bosses, more consistent design etc. I loved the main game and after reading about some of the development hell it went through can at least appreciate why the world isn't as cohesive as you think it should be. I also feel sorry for poor Yui Tanimura since he gets slagged of due to being a director on it when he was brought in to salvage it as best as he could a good bit into development.
 

Carlius

Banned
lmfao i have rekindled my love for the game recently. its so good and so much fun. yes, ds1 is better overall, that doesnt mean ds2 is bad, not at all. its a very good game, just not th ebest souls game.
 

Logash

Member
It's funny how many people embarrass themselves trying to insult this game
I think it's embarrassing that people can't complain about a this series without someone feeling threatened. What ever happened to "to each his own?" If you are gonna comment on this kind of thread why not give a response with some substance? Like why you think he's wrong...

Anyway op, I'm 20 hours in to DS2 and I definitely don't like it as much as bloodborne. The combat is fine I just don't like the way the world is built. Still enjoying myself though... Oh and the bosses are so easy in this game.
 

Hypron

Member
I miss invincibility frames

Increase ADP and you'll have more of them than in DS1 :)

They exist

Or just type "dark souls 2 hitbox" into youtube. There's people who played Dragons Dogma on PS3 and claimed "there is nothing wrong with this game, it runs fine!" because they just didn't notice how bad the port was. I feel the same thing happened with DS2 and it's garbo hitboxes.

That's a bad example to make your point because it's down to lag, not hitboxes - NPC invaders never hit you from far away like this. In Dark Souls 1 I'd get vacuum backstabbed from the front (which is way worse because of how damaging it was) and hit from far away too (or hit an enemy and see the visual indication I'd have hit him but see no damage being dealt).
 

ZangBa

Member
I really must pick up the SOTFS edition. Never played the DLC and I've heard of nothing but good things about it - great bosses, more consistent design etc. I loved the main game and after reading about some of the development hell it went through can at least appreciate why the world isn't as cohesive as you think it should be. I also feel sorry for poor Yui Tanimura since he gets slagged of due to being a director on it when he was brought in to salvage it as best as he could a good bit into development.


The DLC is great with some if the best bosses and areas in game/series.

Well, except one area with reindeer, that place is complete nonsense and I wouldn't blame anyone for ragequitting there.
 

Eidan

Member
I haven't played Dark Souls II, but one thing I'm frequently struck by is how much uglier it looks than the original Dark Souls. Maybe it's just a lighting thing.
 

Sephzilla

Member
I haven't played Dark Souls II, but one thing I'm frequently struck by is how much uglier it looks than the original Dark Souls. Maybe it's just a lighting thing.

I can't pinpoint it but yeah, something about Dark Souls 2 just looks uglier than the first Dark Souls.
 

silva1991

Member
It might be bad, but at least its better than Dark Souls. Maybe Dark Souls III will be as good as Demon Souls.

What? certainly a rare opinion.

I haven't played Dark Souls II, but one thing I'm frequently struck by is how much uglier it looks than the original Dark Souls. Maybe it's just a lighting thing.

Probably because of the underwhelming and incoherent level design. areas designs are just not convincing
 

squidyj

Member
How could you tell with the sloppy hitboxes and phantom hits everywhere?

DS2 online is the epitome of getting hit by an attack that was nowhere near you. ALL THE TIME.

everything happened when it was supposed to happen. none of this half a second of latency bullshit. You're actually able to respond to what your opponent is doing, in the game.

I've tried to PvP in Dark Souls, i've tried to PvP in Bloodborne, the only time I ever really enjoyed PvP was when I was playing Dark Souls 2 because it gave me the opportunity to play the fucking game instead of playing "what do I think the game will be in a half a second?"
 

spliced

Member
The haters are so ridiculous.

DS2 hater style look at Bloodborne:
Camera is awful, fighting beast bosses is a mix of a screen full or fur, getting trapped in a corner and getting hit from attacks you can't even see. But enjoy it because Amelia's health bar goes on for days and she heals.
Then the rare times when the camera isn't a disaster you snore your way through some of the laziest most pathetic boss designs in the Witches of Hemwick and Celestial Emissary.
Don't worry you can always take a break from the main game and visit the Chalice Dungeons to see the worst level design ever in the SoulsBorne series.
The terrible decisions didn't stop at the CD though, they went and screwed up the multiplayer beyond all belief.
Arcane weapons are almost entirely pointless.
The stupid blood vial system brings back totally pointless farming for no reason whatsoever.
The DLC reused so many assets I felt like I just entered another NG cycle.
Of course good old artificial difficulty rears it's ugly head with the endless mobs of patients in the research hall, the 4 Living failures boss and of course the worst of all being stuck down a well with a double team of the cheapest enemies in the game with their insane tracking.

Bloodborne, what a colossal disaster.
 

Ferr986

Member
How could you tell with the sloppy hitboxes and phantom hits everywhere?

DS2 online is the epitome of getting hit by an attack that was nowhere near you. ALL THE TIME.

i'll rather that than DS1 online being the epitome of being lagbackstabbed.

I like DS1 more but if there's one thing DS2 did truly better is PvP.
 

MayMay

Banned
The haters are so ridiculous.

DS2 hater style look at Bloodborne:
Camera is awful, fighting beast bosses is a mix of a screen full or fur, getting trapped in a corner and getting hit from attacks you can't even see. But enjoy it because Amelia's health bar goes on for days and she heals.
Then the rare times when the camera isn't a disaster you snore your way through some of the laziest most pathetic boss designs in the Witches of Hemwick and Celestial Emissary.
Don't worry you can always take a break from the main game and visit the Chalice Dungeons to see the worst level design ever in the SoulsBorne series.
The terrible decisions didn't stop at the CD though, they went and screwed up the multiplayer beyond all belief.
Arcane weapons are almost entirely pointless.
The stupid blood vial system brings back totally pointless farming for no reason whatsoever.
The DLC reused so many assets I felt like I just entered another NG cycle.
Of course good old artificial difficulty rears it's ugly head with the endless mobs of patients in the research hall, the 4 Living failures boss and of course the worst of all being stuck down a well with a double team of the cheapest enemies in the game with their insane tracking.

Bloodborne, what a colossal disaster.

Because everyone that dislikes DS2 makes up ridiculous shit about the game? Nah, I don't think so :p

I know this is totally a bait post but I'll respond anyways lol -
Camera is shit sometimes, true. Don't lock on, fixed.
Amelias healing is a point of complaint? Really? The game gives you plenty of items to stop the healing, its part of the fight.
Witches of Hemwick and Celestial Emissary? Ill just say Bed of Chaos and Pinwheel, every Souls game had their fair share of gimmicky bosses.
Chalice Dungeons are completely optional.
Arcane weapons aren't pointless at all actually, arcane characters are alot of fun actually.
Ok I'll give you the blood vial thing, farming does suck.
And artificial difficulty? Did you not upgrade your weapons? The ppl in the research hall all died in like 2-3 hits and so did the living failures. You could actually kill the living failures faster than they spawned - like the 4 kings in DS1. No artificial difficulty there at all.
 

w0s

Member
DS and Bloodborne are better games, but I find the gap to be hugely overblown. Hugely.

I am going to start saying this because this is exactly how I feel. Better games, sure, vastly better no. DS2 being complete shit, nope not in my experience.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
There's plenty of instances where aggroing one aggros the whole lot.

Where exactly does that happen? I've played DS2 a lot and I can't think of an area where this is the case. The only instance of linking I can think of is in Heide's tower and that links 3 mobs at most - which is easily manageable using a variety of strategies.

If you are getting swarmed, its most likely because you are approaching the area wrong. Either you are falling into an avoidable ambush or you're simply being careless and/or overaggressive. The trap rooms in Tower Of Flame are a great example of this, basically being environmental puzzles to solves.

Aggro rules are consistent, but DS2 (particularly SOFTS) adds a large number of ways to manage or mitigate it with environmental gimmicks. Fire/Light as a means of suppressing aggro for example.
 

Ferr986

Member
This is also true. See, what the hell is the castle like area off Majula called, name escapes, one with all the knights.

Heide? You can aggro the 3 giants, run back and only one will follow, rest will come back after a while.

Also, you can pull them one by one with bows, knifes... etc.

I don't get how people complain about aggroing one makes everyone aggro when there's tools to prevent that.

The only iffy area with aggros is Iron Keep before the Smelter Demon, because the extended aggro range on SOTFS kind of fucked that area.
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
Oh you're the guy that kept shitposting about how shit Bloodborne is, hello

It's not called shitposting it's called opinion posting.
It tends to happen on gaming forums.

The thing you just did.
That's called shitposting.
 

Easy_D

never left the stone age
I find fascinating how a game like Dark Souls 2 is considered straight a bad game for some of the Souls fanbase.

Dark Souls 2 has some problems, but the core of it is damn good, and the most important IMO, is as fun to play as Dark 1 and Bloodborne.



That's Sakuraba being lazy as fuck.

Thanks god DLC reedemed it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztPGThfD_GY

Dark 1 music is more consistent but DLC made Dark 2 have higher highs with Alonne, Ava and Aldia's theme.

Best part is that the DS2 composer returns back for DS3 (DS3 title screen is really similar to Alonne's theme).

Kitamura is such a good composer. Any word if she made Ludwig the Holy Blade too? It sounds similar enough to Sir Alonne to be her, but at the same time it doesn't.

Edit: Nvm Nobuyoshi Suzuki composed it. He and Kitamura should do the DS3 soundtrack along with Sakuraba, less songs he has to make, the better I think, have him focus on a few outstanding pieces instead.
 

Boss Man

Member
I stood by when people said Dark Souls was better than Demon's Souls.

I was silent when people said Dark Souls was too hard.

I didn't say a word when there were those who thought Bloodborne was not GOTY.

But this, saying that Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series, is not something that I will watch happen!
 

Ferr986

Member
Kitamura is such a good composer. Any word if she made Ludwig the Holy Blade too? It sounds similar enough to Sir Alonne to be her.

Dunno about Holy Blade. I did read she did
Maria's
theme though, but I don't know if exact composers for each song were even revealed.
 

Breads

Banned
It's not bad. It's different. Some people just don't like it for reasons you can find at length. A lot in fact.

The majority does like it though despite what the crazies would lead you to be. There is a reason why it continues to be the most active souls game online.
 

Mman235

Member
I really must pick up the SOTFS edition. Never played the DLC and I've heard of nothing but good things about it - great bosses, more consistent design etc. I loved the main game and after reading about some of the development hell it went through can at least appreciate why the world isn't as cohesive as you think it should be. I also feel sorry for poor Yui Tanimura since he gets slagged of due to being a director on it when he was brought in to salvage it as best as he could a good bit into development.

If you already like DS2 then the DLC is even more of a must play, outside the awful "co-op" levels (which are completely optional and a tiny part anyway) they're probably my favourite content in the series.

This is also true. See, what the hell is the castle like area off Majula called, name escapes, one with all the knights.

If you're talking about the giant knights they ironically have anti-aggro mechanics, as in places like the arena with three of them the sword and shield ones only aggro after you kill the greatsword one as long you don't go out of your way to piss them off. If you mean the Heide Knights them going after you past a certain event is a unique gimmick in that area.
 
Souls games are on the decline since DS1.

DS2 is a like the reanimated corpse of DS1. Bad movement, bad hit boxes, and level design. At least it's a good PC port.

Bloodborne isn't even in the same genre as DS1. The only reason it receives so much praise is because of its exclusivity.

Just hope that DS3 saves us from this hell OP.
 

Eidan

Member
You and me both, bro/sis.


*sigh* You're better than this, Eidan.

Hahaha, I want to give it a shot, but everything I've heard about it turns me off. And it still looks noticeably uglier than the original Dark Souls anytime I see video of them side by side, but perhaps that would be different if I were playing it.
 
I wouldn't say it's a bad game, it just happened to be the follow up to Dark Souls, a game a lot of people consider to be among the best of the last generation. It's the same problem Portal 2 had, Portal 2 is a fantastic game, but it's the sequel to Portal, one of the best games ever (In some people's opinions).
 

Manu

Member
Souls games are on the decline since DS1.

DS2 is a like the reanimated corpse of DS1. Bad movement, bad hit boxes, and level design. At least it's a good PC port.

Bloodborne isn't even in the same genre as DS1. The only reason it receives so much praise is because of its exclusivity.

Just hope that DS3 saves us from this hell OP.

ITT: People stating opinions as facts.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
Souls games are on the decline since DS1.

DS2 is a like the reanimated corpse of DS1. Bad movement, bad hit boxes, and level design. At least it's a good PC port.

Bloodborne isn't even in the same genre as DS1. The only reason it receives so much praise is because of its exclusivity.

Just hope that DS3 saves us from this hell OP.
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