I seem to have resolved the kick problem. Apparently you have to hit the R1 at close to exactly the moment the thumbstick clicks when you move it. I got like six kicks in a row and probably more than half of my attempts were successful.
So I've picked up Dark Souls 3 again, and on my never-ending, intermittent quest to solo and melee every boss, I've added the Abyss Watchers and High Lord Wolnir, as well as taking out one of my most feared enemies, the Sulyvahn's Beast on the Irithyll Bridge.
This game has such stellar art direction, I try to keep finding the words to describe the mood and atmosphere of this game, and it escapes me. It's not at all like the first two games. It's like a mixture of the elegant and the obscene, the sacred and the profane. There are so many religious themes (many of them corrupted) and there is also degradation beyond belief. It's hard not to appreciate how good these boss battles are, even if some of them are gimmicks. There really isn't a single one (outside of maybe the Wolf in Ariandel) that isn't executed with cinematic quality excellence. I marvel at the spell effects and how good the animations and combat feels. I know I've ripped on it, but Dark Souls 3 is surely an excellent game. I just wish it's story came together better.
Because the individual moments can be so striking, creepy and unnerving. Take Rosaria, and her bedchamber filled with empty cribs hanging from the ceiling. But then I try figure out her story, and I get totally flummoxed. She seems trapped in a wing of the Cathedral, guarded by man-grubs who clearly USED to be Clerics of some sort. But then you have to take into account that Sirris of the Sunless Realms (who is clearly a Darkmoon Blade) will refuse to talk to you if you level up in Rosaria's Fingers. So what exactly does Yorshka or Gwyndolin have against this motherly figure who is clearly tied to Gwynevere in some way?? I just don't understand this part.
Another really creepy moment is if you buy every light Miracle from Irina, without corrupting her by giving her the Londor or Deep Tomes. She will then manage to relocate. To the pit in the tower with all the dead Firekeepers laying in a pile. And since Irina is blind, she just sits among them. And becomes a Firekeeper herself (even though her asshole bodyguard Eygon never thought she would). You can even level up with her. But wandering into that dark room and just seeing her sitting there alone among hundreds of corpses is.....unnerving.
The Irithyll Dungeon/Profaned Capital (they really hold up better if you just look at them as one area) has to be the most complex levels in the entire series (except maybe the Forbidden Woods in Bloodborne), and weirdly enough, is the one place that eschews the design choice of having multiple bonfires by making you REALLY have to work to get to the Profaned Capital. I still think this area is better than the Tower of Latria even though it's a direct rip-off, simply because I think the Jailers are better than the Mind-Flayers, though their branding iron attack is total BS since you can't do anything to stop it.
There is so much going on here, I just wish I could make heads or tails of what it all meant. Everything individually is pretty much amazing. I'm just not sure it comes together to actually tell any sort of story.
Sirris doesn't like you after you join Rosaria's Fingers because Sirris is a Darkmoon Blade and the two covenants are opposed. Fingers invade, and the Blades defend those invaded.
Also, the grubs are people who rebirthed too many times (more than five). If you try to respec a sixth time with Rosaria you'll get a message saying you can't do it because it will turn you into a grub.
So I just actually completed the Painted World of Ariamis for the first time (technical alert, the game continues to run like a charm using the specks provided the video earlier in the thread, the only place thus far that doesn't is Sif, with a minor slowdown). First off, I have read many places that this was actually one of the first areas they made for the game, and is essentially a template for how they would design the rest of it. The lore was shoe-horned in later, as Priscilla was meant to originally be a character similar to the Emerald Herald or the Firekeeper in 3.
I like finally finding the contraption at the end, and the Phalanx is a neat nod to Demon's Souls, but I find the level lacking overall for how much praise it gets for a gameplay standpoint. Mostly because the Bonewheel Skeletons in the well are the single MOST bullshit enemies/location combo in the ENTIRE series, and that includes the gank challenge areas of 2. It's absolutely ridiculous.
But the lore is, again, peerless. Now that we have 3 to work with, it's clear because of the Halflilght, Spear of the Church fight that the Painting Guardians are an elite group of soldiers who serve Gwyn's Royal Family. But the question remains as to whether Priscilla is being protected or imprisoned. The Painting Guardians aren't facing toward the painting, but preventing anyone from moving up to it. We know because of Aldritch and item text in Dark Souls 1 that Priscilla has the art of Lifehunt, which is dangerous to the Gods. Indeed, the Painting is also housing the Crow Demons who are followers of Velka (the only ones we know about) and the statue that opens the way to Priscilla is also, clearly, Velka. It seems reasonable to assume that Priscilla (who I have to assume is the progeny of Seethe and Gwynevere) was imprisoned here because she is a danger, and anything to do with Velka is a danger as well. It's reasonable to assume that the Painted World of Ariamis is some kind of benevolent prison plane.
So how does this square with 3?? Both Yorshka and the Painting Girl are, clearly, crossbreeds as well. Priscilla's boss area is absolutely in Ariandel. We can infer that the new paintings are created inside the old ones. But by the time of 3, Ariandel is not a prison, but a haven for the forlorn (perhaps because of the will of who painted it). If Priscilla is the mother of Yorshka and the Painting Girl (and really, who else could it be) how could that possibly have happened?? This really illustrates the problem with the two new members of the Royal family that get introduced in 3. I guess we can excuse Filianore because she has been in the Ringed City since the beginning, but where the hell did Yorshka come from?? How can she be calling Gwyndolin her brother?? Is she the child of Priscilla, Gwyn, Gwynevere, Seethe, any combination of all of them?? The only thing that makes sense about her is that (apparently) Sulyvahn also came from the Painted World, and Irityll and Anor Londo clearly have elements of it when you arrive. But she is also imprisoned in seclusion on a leap-of-faith type tower. She seems to know basically nothing about anything except the Darkmoon Blades and Gwyndolin. She just makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
weird, they're usually pretty on point about all demons being linked to the chaos flame, never realized that (at least somewhat) official sources actually call these guys crow demons
I kind of got the impression that the Painted World of Ariamis was not just a prison for Priscilla, but a haven for others as well. That is, it didn't strike me as a contrast with Ariandel.
I also want to point out that if we're identifying crossbreeds based on their anatomy, that Gwyndolin has some pretty inhuman anatomy going on as well. Admittedly, what we see in Dark Souls could entirely be illusion.
I kind of got the impression that the Painted World of Ariamis was not just a prison for Priscilla, but a haven for others as well. That is, it didn't strike me as a contrast with Ariandel.
I also want to point out that if we're identifying crossbreeds based on their anatomy, that Gwyndolin has some pretty inhuman anatomy going on as well. Admittedly, what we see in Dark Souls could entirely be illusion.
My head cannon (based on Dark Souls 3's item description for Smough) is this: Everything in Anor Londo that is gone after you destroy Gwyndolin's illusion is not real. Based on the item description in 3, Smough was the last to guard the Cathedral. I believe Dark Souls 1 Ornstein is an illusion, and that he did indeed leave. This is where it gets tricky. I believe Gywnevere was once in Heide with the Flame God Flann, and that the real Ornstein did find her there, and that is him in Dark Souls 2. But he also tried to find his mentor, the Nameless King, at one time or another. It makes perfect sense for him to be a dark remnant of himself in 2 considering his armor set is abandoned in Archdragon Peak (the Dragonslayer Armour is a whole other ball of wax). However, always one step ahead of the apocalypse, Gywnevere clearly also ended up in Lothric, mothering that line with Oceiros. In the end, she is the real winner in all this, especially compared to her sister in the Ringed City. She never stuck around long enough for the shit to hit the fan.
The way Dark Souls 3 handles time messes up alot of stuff. I'm fine with the fire being linked so many times that the fabric of reality is falling apart. This was already starting in 1 based on your first conversation with Solaire. But it also goes so far with it that it's possible that nothing means anything.
Well I mean Gwyndolin is often killed by players but in Dark Souls III also by Aldrich. To me that suggests that the Gwyndolin you see and fight is probably an illusion as well.
Also, I tend to discount any theories that link the Dragonslayer Armor to Ornstein. We've seen his armor in three games now. I'm not sure whose armor it's supposed to be because it's obviously not Gough, Artorius, or Ciaran either. So... I guess who it is supposed to be is wide open, but it's hard to find a concrete candidate other than Ornstein. So... I don't know, really.
Well I mean Gwyndolin is often killed by players but in Dark Souls III also by Aldrich. To me that suggests that the Gwyndolin you see and fight is probably an illusion as well.
Also, I tend to discount any theories that link the Dragonslayer Armor to Ornstein. We've seen his armor in three games now. I'm not sure whose armor it's supposed to be because it's obviously not Gough, Artorius, or Ciaran either. So... I guess who it is supposed to be is wide open, but it's hard to find a concrete candidate other than Ornstein. So... I don't know, really.
I don't think canonically that Gwyndolin was killed in Dark Souls, as you could scour the entirety of Lordran and miss the ring hidden in the Catacombs, much less travel back to Gwyn's tomb with it. Same can be said of Priscilla. She may have survived lore-wise until Ariamis was burned and painted over. But I believe Aldrich did physically eat the real Gwyndolin. Assuming the fire was linked in 1, Anor Londo could have continued to exist for ages afterwards (after all, this was Frampt and Gwyndolin's plan).until it ended up molded onto the back of Irityll in Lothric, which is apparently the end of the world (or at least the beginning of the end).
Well I mean Gwyndolin is often killed by players but in Dark Souls III also by Aldrich. To me that suggests that the Gwyndolin you see and fight is probably an illusion as well.
Also, I tend to discount any theories that link the Dragonslayer Armor to Ornstein. We've seen his armor in three games now. I'm not sure whose armor it's supposed to be because it's obviously not Gough, Artorius, or Ciaran either. So... I guess who it is supposed to be is wide open, but it's hard to find a concrete candidate other than Ornstein. So... I don't know, really.
I don't think canonically that Gwyndolin was killed in Dark Souls, as you could scour the entirety of Lordran and miss the ring hidden in the Catacombs, much less travel back to Gwyn's tomb with it. Same can be said of Priscilla. She may have survived lore-wise until Ariamis was burned and painted over. But I believe Aldrich did physically eat the real Gwyndolin. Assuming the fire was linked in 1, Anor Londo could have continued to exist for ages afterwards (after all, this was Frampt and Gwyndolin's plan).until it ended up molded onto the back of Irityll in Lothric, which is apparently the end of the world (or at least the beginning of the end).
Yeah, I don't think that Gwyndolin was canonically killed in Dark Souls, and I agree Aldrich killed and consumed her prior to Dark Souls III, canonically. I mean that is literally what the text you can find says, plus Aldrich's appearance in the boss fight.
I think that the world is warping and churning with the fire fading and what would otherwise be distant lands are becoming compressed due to their relative historical importance and links to lords of cinder. So Anor Londo ends up next to Irithyll possibly because of Gwyn, and then of course Sulyvahn locks Aldrich up there and feeds Gwyndolin to him.
And of course the warping and colliding gets much worse in The Ringed City's Dreg Heap.
If there was any way they could get the Dark Souls trilogy on Switch, I'd immediately re-amp up my search for one (I have never seen a product so unavailable, even four months later). That said, I don't see how they could get Dark Souls 3 to run on it, even at 720p.
@jjstraka34 That would be fun for people who like that kind of stuff. I want to see from do something completely new though. After how brilliant Bloodborne is aren't you excited to see what they will do next??
@jjstraka34 That would be fun for people who like that kind of stuff. I want to see from do something completely new though. After how brilliant Bloodborne is aren't you excited to see what they will do next??
I'm glad there isn't a Bloodborne 2, I know that much. There was no reason to continue that self-contained story. I don't know where they are going next, but my guess is it's not going to be very Souls-like at all. And I've certainly never been much of a fan of Armored Core, though King's Field and Shadow Tower get alot of love in certain quarters.
i had a bit more fun as the old monk, no chance of getting hit with a 3v1. at least it's not a 4v1 like the rest of the game
The problem with Halflight is that, to even become a Spear of the Church, you have to beat Midir, who is one of the hardest bosses in the series. So the person who gets summoned is almost guaranteed to be pretty good. I agree with you, both the Old Monk and Looking-Glass Knight were better.
@SethDavis I take the ganks as an interesting challenge. Often you do get stunlocked to death but when you manage a win? Man that is super sweet.
@jjstraka34 You mean it's too hard? There are lots of options for hosts, including easy mode i.e. summons and also playing offline to fight an easy NPC.
Comments
So it's probably me and not my controller.
This game has such stellar art direction, I try to keep finding the words to describe the mood and atmosphere of this game, and it escapes me. It's not at all like the first two games. It's like a mixture of the elegant and the obscene, the sacred and the profane. There are so many religious themes (many of them corrupted) and there is also degradation beyond belief. It's hard not to appreciate how good these boss battles are, even if some of them are gimmicks. There really isn't a single one (outside of maybe the Wolf in Ariandel) that isn't executed with cinematic quality excellence. I marvel at the spell effects and how good the animations and combat feels. I know I've ripped on it, but Dark Souls 3 is surely an excellent game. I just wish it's story came together better.
Because the individual moments can be so striking, creepy and unnerving. Take Rosaria, and her bedchamber filled with empty cribs hanging from the ceiling. But then I try figure out her story, and I get totally flummoxed. She seems trapped in a wing of the Cathedral, guarded by man-grubs who clearly USED to be Clerics of some sort. But then you have to take into account that Sirris of the Sunless Realms (who is clearly a Darkmoon Blade) will refuse to talk to you if you level up in Rosaria's Fingers. So what exactly does Yorshka or Gwyndolin have against this motherly figure who is clearly tied to Gwynevere in some way?? I just don't understand this part.
Another really creepy moment is if you buy every light Miracle from Irina, without corrupting her by giving her the Londor or Deep Tomes. She will then manage to relocate. To the pit in the tower with all the dead Firekeepers laying in a pile. And since Irina is blind, she just sits among them. And becomes a Firekeeper herself (even though her asshole bodyguard Eygon never thought she would). You can even level up with her. But wandering into that dark room and just seeing her sitting there alone among hundreds of corpses is.....unnerving.
The Irithyll Dungeon/Profaned Capital (they really hold up better if you just look at them as one area) has to be the most complex levels in the entire series (except maybe the Forbidden Woods in Bloodborne), and weirdly enough, is the one place that eschews the design choice of having multiple bonfires by making you REALLY have to work to get to the Profaned Capital. I still think this area is better than the Tower of Latria even though it's a direct rip-off, simply because I think the Jailers are better than the Mind-Flayers, though their branding iron attack is total BS since you can't do anything to stop it.
There is so much going on here, I just wish I could make heads or tails of what it all meant. Everything individually is pretty much amazing. I'm just not sure it comes together to actually tell any sort of story.
Also, the grubs are people who rebirthed too many times (more than five). If you try to respec a sixth time with Rosaria you'll get a message saying you can't do it because it will turn you into a grub.
I like finally finding the contraption at the end, and the Phalanx is a neat nod to Demon's Souls, but I find the level lacking overall for how much praise it gets for a gameplay standpoint. Mostly because the Bonewheel Skeletons in the well are the single MOST bullshit enemies/location combo in the ENTIRE series, and that includes the gank challenge areas of 2. It's absolutely ridiculous.
But the lore is, again, peerless. Now that we have 3 to work with, it's clear because of the Halflilght, Spear of the Church fight that the Painting Guardians are an elite group of soldiers who serve Gwyn's Royal Family. But the question remains as to whether Priscilla is being protected or imprisoned. The Painting Guardians aren't facing toward the painting, but preventing anyone from moving up to it. We know because of Aldritch and item text in Dark Souls 1 that Priscilla has the art of Lifehunt, which is dangerous to the Gods. Indeed, the Painting is also housing the Crow Demons who are followers of Velka (the only ones we know about) and the statue that opens the way to Priscilla is also, clearly, Velka. It seems reasonable to assume that Priscilla (who I have to assume is the progeny of Seethe and Gwynevere) was imprisoned here because she is a danger, and anything to do with Velka is a danger as well. It's reasonable to assume that the Painted World of Ariamis is some kind of benevolent prison plane.
So how does this square with 3?? Both Yorshka and the Painting Girl are, clearly, crossbreeds as well. Priscilla's boss area is absolutely in Ariandel. We can infer that the new paintings are created inside the old ones. But by the time of 3, Ariandel is not a prison, but a haven for the forlorn (perhaps because of the will of who painted it). If Priscilla is the mother of Yorshka and the Painting Girl (and really, who else could it be) how could that possibly have happened?? This really illustrates the problem with the two new members of the Royal family that get introduced in 3. I guess we can excuse Filianore because she has been in the Ringed City since the beginning, but where the hell did Yorshka come from?? How can she be calling Gwyndolin her brother?? Is she the child of Priscilla, Gwyn, Gwynevere, Seethe, any combination of all of them?? The only thing that makes sense about her is that (apparently) Sulyvahn also came from the Painted World, and Irityll and Anor Londo clearly have elements of it when you arrive. But she is also imprisoned in seclusion on a leap-of-faith type tower. She seems to know basically nothing about anything except the Darkmoon Blades and Gwyndolin. She just makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I also want to point out that if we're identifying crossbreeds based on their anatomy, that Gwyndolin has some pretty inhuman anatomy going on as well. Admittedly, what we see in Dark Souls could entirely be illusion.
The way Dark Souls 3 handles time messes up alot of stuff. I'm fine with the fire being linked so many times that the fabric of reality is falling apart. This was already starting in 1 based on your first conversation with Solaire. But it also goes so far with it that it's possible that nothing means anything.
Also, I tend to discount any theories that link the Dragonslayer Armor to Ornstein. We've seen his armor in three games now.
I think that the world is warping and churning with the fire fading and what would otherwise be distant lands are becoming compressed due to their relative historical importance and links to lords of cinder. So Anor Londo ends up next to Irithyll possibly because of Gwyn, and then of course Sulyvahn locks Aldrich up there and feeds Gwyndolin to him.
And of course the warping and colliding gets much worse in The Ringed City's Dreg Heap.
http://www.gamezone.com/news/rumor-from-software-possibly-hiring-motion-designer-for-dark-rpg-3453774
It's art style seems very much inspired by the Souls game and is currently on Kickstarter, with a planned release in 11/2018
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/828401966/blasphemous-dark-and-brutal-2d-non-linear-platform
@jjstraka34 You mean it's too hard? There are lots of options for hosts, including easy mode i.e. summons and also playing offline to fight an easy NPC.
I got a laugh out of this
https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls/comments/743bqe/return_to_lordran_is_tomorrow_full_details/
Let's make new characters and have a blast!
https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls3/comments/76x5h5/worlds_first_sl1_all_content_0_hit_run/?utm_content=title&utm_medium=hot&utm_source=reddit&utm_name=darksouls3