Topic: Demon Souls Remastered. Is it, isn't it?

@render @JechtUltima hey render, I do agree with Jecht about playing the game through blind first, without a guide... but as its your first foray into this type of game (& they are intentionally obtuse to beginners) I would consider maybe watching a 'beginners tips' video. It won't spoil the games surprises etc but might just give you a couple of nuggets of info that could see you through the acclamation period.

@JechtUltima I certainly will do, cheers for the offer. Dying lots is one thing I have read about the game so I'm prepared for doing just that 😁.

@colonelkilgore Perfect, I'll have a look around and see if I can find something to just give me a few tips without giving the game away. I do like a bit of mystery to a game and can't wait to get stuck in 👍.

@render Demons Souls was my first (well it was obviously the first) back on the PS3. While I didn’t watch any guides etc I had borrowed it off a friend, who had already run through some of the fundamentals.

It can (& probably will) feel like a battle of attrition at first but if you stick with it it gets easier as you ‘exercise’ your personal level of focus. I found my attention-span and level (& duration) of focus has improved immeasurably since getting into these games.

@JechtUltima good advice, you really don’t want to turn npc’s against you 😉

@colonelkilgore @JechtUltima All good stuff, thanks both of you. I'm really intrigued now so will have to get started on this as soon as poss 😀

@colonelkilgore @JechtUltima Well I finally started playing DS yesterday. It’s taken me ages to get use to it and I must have died more times than I can remember already but I’m past the first boss at least.

I took your advice and watched a beginners tips video and that helped a lot just understanding the best way to approach combat. My biggest problem with this has been getting my head around the controls as I just keep getting block and parry mixed up. It feels like it’s a little similar to GoW which used the same button for both so that’s not helped as when I parry and miss time it I’m then holding it expecting to block everything after.

I’m enjoying it though and looking forward to playing again. Just need to start understanding what the best options are regarding upgrades.

@render well if you’re enjoying the ‘bedding-in’ period, I’m pretty sure you’ll love it by the time it clicks with you. The R1 & R2 attacks and L1 & L2 defence (unless you have a weapon in your left hand) is part of the reason I loved God of War 2018 so much… it just makes so much sense to me that your primary actions are mapped to bumpers & triggers so that your thumbs never has to leave the sticks during the heat of the action. I still get disappointed when I start a game up and I have to use the face buttons to perform these… even if I get used to it.

In regards to the block/parry situation… from the various conversations I’ve had with other souls players, the player base is spread in to two camps (well three but I wouldn’t suggest the third). Players who parry and players who dodge-roll (and players who just block… turtlers). I myself am a dodge-roller and vary rarely parry unless I make a concerted effort to practice it. To some players it comes naturally though. In my mind the risk/reward ratio never really made sense on the parry play-style but to a lot of players it makes less sense to roll around. It’s just personal preference. Try both and see which feels more natural.

@colonelkilgore Yeah I loved GoW 2018 too specifically because you could use a good combination of ranged and melee attacks to get the job done. It definitely does help using the shoulder buttons and they feel like they were made for the job.

I was pretty much using a combination of all three of those techniques to get through to the first boss. I don't enjoy just holding the shield up all the time though as it definitely takes some skill out of the game but found it useful to work out enemy behaviour. I really liked parrying in GoW but that seemed a little easier in terms of timing and I seem to be really hit and miss with it on DS. I also went with the temple knight, as the video I watched suggested it was a good option for a newbie, and rolling is a bit of a chore. I might still have the option to change that I guess with different equipment and stats etc? One question I have got though is how do you consistently do the sidestep so that you then magically appear behind someone and can use the backstab? I seemed to be able to do it randomly but I couldn't quite work out how I'd managed to do it. I'll definitely carry on experimenting though to see what works best for me.

@render so the method I’ve always used is to ‘lock-on’ and then essentially roll through the enemy so that you get to your feet behind and then hit attack. I necessarily go for back stabs though so there may be a better method.

Whether I've finished Demon's Souls yet or not update: I've still not finished Demon's Souls yet.

@colonelkilgore I will definitely be trying that, it sounds like a good technique.

@johncalmc I am currently in the same boat, although I have only just started playing! 😄

@JechtUltima Cheers, I'll remember that. PvP wise I've not met anyone yet but should be interesting when I do 😀

I had an interesting couple of hours on this last night. After beating the first boss, returning to the nexus and then realising that there's some more pathways opened up to me now in the form of the different archstones, I thought I'd just carry on along the lords path. It took me a few attempts to get all the way along it as I kept getting caught out by the groups of archers but I did manage to go through the fog and WFT!!!

Having got killed twice by that dude I then tried another arch stone and got similarly dispatched by some fat fire spitting guy followed by another effort where I got clubbed to death.

I felt like it was a bit of a fruitless effort because of all that as I don't seem to have unlocked anything other than help an NPC out and seemed to spend an hour and a half doing not a lot else. I also seem to have whittled down my grass collection so I guess I probably need to spend some time farming to find / buy some more before attempting to go to these other areas again, or of course just don't get hit 😂.

@Render lol awesome game. My favorite of the ps5 easily. Heres my hints: go for "that dudes" (tower knights) ankles until they start spitting sparks, watch for him falling, then go ham on his noggin. Try to fight him in the opposite corner of where you begin to best avoid archers. Gain a trophy for defeating him without taking out archers. Def spend some tome farming souls/grass. Enjoy!

@Snottie_Drippen Cheers for the advice. Having managed to not get killed twice on the way I still failed to execute your plan. I did at least manage to hit the dude in the heals twice before somehow getting mauled by his shield attack the first time. The second time I’d tried the hit and run approach on the way in but didn’t manage to make it past the blue guys unscathed. While I was “quickly” taking some grass - BAM - shield attack. I’ll notch that up as a win for the big guy but I’ll be back.

@render His shield smash is a killer and has a lot of range, so back out of there when you see him wind up for it.

You don't have to face him now however, and you can tackle any of the areas in any order you want. You won't be able to proceed after him anyway until certain events have happened. After trying him a few times, I went and did world 2-1. There is a second blacksmith there who can upgrade your weapons ever further, which is is better for improving your damage output than leveling up your character. I fared much better against the Tower Knight after I did that.

@JohnnyShoulder I was starting to think along that line so glad you’ve confirmed it. I like that it’s all open and you can tackle things in whatever order but it almost gives you too many options. Some upgrades would be nice though 😀

@render Not sure if this has already been mentioned, but one of the things you can do if you are really struggling is redo some of the areas you have already done, and than go back to the Nexus to spend some of your Souls. Than you can either level up your character from the Maiden, buy some upgrade materials, repair your weapons and armour or buy new gear from the merchants scattered around the world.

You can complete the game with the starting weapon if you upgrade it fully, but I always experiment a little before settling on one or two weapons. For instance, a blunt weapon is good for the skeletons in one of the areas as they are weak to blunt damage. Plus i found it funny clobbering them with a wooden club with nails lol.

I always have a bow and arrow in Souls game, just so you have something to to thin the herd and that you have to something to combat the enemies that use ranged attacks from afar.

@JohnnyShoulder No one mentioned it but I kind of sussed that out due to using pretty much all my grass and seeing how little souls you get in one level. I’ve replayed the first bit of the castle a few times and then have tried some of the starts of the other levels.

When I had a quick look at the other levels once I’d beaten the first boss I did find the skeletons. They are fast and took a few blows to kill with my spear type weapon so that’s a very good tip thanks, sounds like giving them a clobbering should be good fun 😆.

I did see that they are worth about 300 souls each though which was a load more than most enemies I’ve met, except for the blue eyed guys. I also worked out that you can use the arch stone to just go to the same place and it basically restores your health so I farmed a few of those to do a couple of upgrades.

I’ve not managed to upgrade my weapon much yet though as I think I’m lacking some materials to do it. I’ve got a couple so I might have got them from somewhere. I’ll have a go at making some inroads into world 2 later and try and get better at this game!

@render As well as finding it around the world as loot, the blacksmith in the Nexus sells some of the materials to upgrade your weapons. I think he can get it them to +5, and then any thing further you need to go to the blacksmith in world 2-1.

Also, you see any of the glowing crystal lizards scurrying about, give em a few whacks as they will drop the upgrade materials. Once they see you, they don't hang around mind, so you might have chase after them until they stop to dig underground.