Dark Souls II - Scholar of the First Sin - April 7, 2015

Supplice

CAGiversary!
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Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today proudly announces that the critically acclaimed Dark Souls™ saga marches forward with Dark Souls™ II, currently in development at FromSoftware in Tokyo, Japan. Dark Souls II will continue a legacy of goading its passionate fan base with unrelenting challenge and suffering that are considered a hallmark of the series; while presenting new devilishly devised obstacles for players to overcome. Dark Souls II will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PCs.

Built upon the foundation established by Souls series creator and Dark Souls II Supervisor, Hidetaka Miyazaki with development helmed by FromSoftware Director Tomohiro Shibuya, Dark Souls II will feature a new hero, a new storyline, and an unfamiliar world for players to survive in while delivering its signature brand of unrelenting punishment that players hunger for. Epic battles with gruesome enemies and blood-thirsty bosses await adventurers as they traverse through a devastated world filled with death and despair; only those who are strong willed or cunning can survive this journey to achieve great glory. Players seeking to share their experience will discover a revamped server-based multiplayer mode that will put a distinct Dark Souls II twist on the concept of playing with others.

“Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.”

“This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series,” says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II. “The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey.”

More details surrounding Dark Souls II will become available in the months leading to its release. Begin your Dark Souls II journey at www.DarkSoulsII.com or join the Dark Souls II conversation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DARKSOULS.

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Dark Souls II Collector  Edition
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fuck yeah! Thanks Supplice. I hope this comes out before next Oct, though based on the last two releases that seems like the most likely date.

Honestly, I'm not even sure what changes I would hope for in the next game. I am not one of those who wants it to be easier to summon / play with certain people or anything like that.
 
I so badly want to be madly in love with these games, but over the years I've gone through this pussification gaming wise where I don't have the patience (and probably not the skill set any longer either) to actually go through and beat them.
I have the CE's of both of the 1st two - Demons Souls has me at 13 million deaths and I keep restarting until I can beat that fat boss from the beginning..... (gamer OCD sucks) and Dark Souls sits, unopened and unloved....

I wish I were better
 
Two hand weapon, take off armor so you can fast roll, and only circle around on the side of the Vanguard which holds the weapon. If you try and circle around the other side he can nail you in the back, if you circle close to the side with the weapon, most weapon swings will go over your head.
Or you could save yourself a lot of anguish and just watch the last 3 minutes of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKMZtYdWsMo&t=12m6s
 
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I just hope they're not looking to make these longer and longer, because Dark Souls felt a tad long compared to Demon's Souls. Part of the enjoyment came from replaying the game over and over to see how fast you could clear it and I beat the first game probably 12+ times compared to the 3 times for Dark Souls. I actually skipped the DLC because I felt done with it heh.
 
I really want to get into the games, but I can't. I played Demon's Souls a lot and never made it past 2-1 I think. Dark Souls I just lost interest because I didn't have much time to play it. Maybe if I can get myself away from Mass Effect 3's MP I will play these games again.
 
I stopped playing Dark Souls in Feb 2012 after several play-throughs, including a SL1 play-through. But after 9 months I was able to pick it back up (for the DLC) and start a fresh play-through and it was still fun. Maybe you can give it another shot a few months before the new one comes out Jodou. Of course, there's plenty of summoning and invading in the new areas right now since they're still fresh.
 
Is it me or did Dark Souls looks worse than Demon's Souls. I still do not know if it was me but Dark Souls looked like absolute shit on my TV where Demon's Souls looked fantastic. I enjoyed the 1st one far more than Dark Souls also because as soon as you go through a room with a fire Everything respawns. Will rent this one but if it is open world again (which it probably will be) I am out. However I am happy From Software is getting the recognition they deserve King's Field was a fantastic game.
 
[quote name='bjstucker']Is it me or did Dark Souls looks worse than Demon's Souls. I still do not know if it was me but Dark Souls looked like absolute shit on my TV where Demon's Souls looked fantastic. I enjoyed the 1st one far more than Dark Souls also because as soon as you go through a room with a fire Everything respawns. Will rent this one but if it is open world again (which it probably will be) I am out. However I am happy From Software is getting the recognition they deserve King's Field was a fantastic game.[/QUOTE]

See I personally think the opposite. Demon's Souls to me looked terrible and less detailed and was really clunky. I thought Dark Souls had a ton more detail. Regardless niether game was jaw dropping gorgeous.

Can't wait for Dark Souls 2!
 
[quote name='bjstucker']Is it me or did Dark Souls looks worse than Demon's Souls. I still do not know if it was me but Dark Souls looked like absolute shit on my TV where Demon's Souls looked fantastic. I enjoyed the 1st one far more than Dark Souls also because as soon as you go through a room with a fire Everything respawns. Will rent this one but if it is open world again (which it probably will be) I am out. However I am happy From Software is getting the recognition they deserve King's Field was a fantastic game.[/QUOTE]

Demon's Souls was much darker, whereas Dark Souls has a lot more varied environments. Some look better than others. Graphically they're pretty similar on my TV.

Enemies respawn if you rest at a bonfire, just like if you go back to the Nexus in the first game. If you don't want them to respawn, just don't rest at the bonfire. I like the way all the areas are connected.
 
[quote name='viiral']^ Demon's Souls was clunky? , did we play the same game? :|[/QUOTE]

Sure did! I played Demon's Souls after Dark Souls. The character control and movement was slighty better then old school Resident Evil games.

I stopped playing Demon's about 5 hours into the game. Was pretty easy and not very fun overall.

Wish I would have played it when it came out though. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more then.

When the new year hits and I have some time, I may just pop it back in to give it a go again. Regardless I'm siked for Dark Souls 2. Hope it turns out to be a great game!
 
Hmm, I've gone back and played bits of Demon's Souls after playing Dark Souls and I never noticed that much of a difference. Did you try to play a different character style or something?
 
Don't have a PS3 so i've unfortunately missed out on Demon's Souls but Dark Souls is without a doubt, my favorite game. I play it just about every single day. Really psyched for this . Didn't expect another Souls game until next gen.
 
[quote name='guardian_owl']Hmm, I've gone back and played bits of Demon's Souls after playing Dark Souls and I never noticed that much of a difference. Did you try to play a different character style or something?[/QUOTE]

I'll try it again soon. Also didn't like how every character got the soul arrow ( ? ). Made the game way too easy from what I played.
 
[quote name='pimpinc333']I'll try it again soon. Also didn't like how every character got the soul arrow ( ? ). Made the game way too easy from what I played.[/QUOTE]

I am convinced that you have no idea what you are talking about.
 
[quote name='gettinmoney662']I am convinced that you have no idea what you are talking about.[/QUOTE]

You're right... I've been lieing this whole time... I don't even know who or what a Demon's Soul is :whistle2:(
 
Only one class starts with Soul Arrow in Demon's Souls (Royal). Of course, anyone can potentially learn it, just like in Dark Souls.
 
My favorite part about this announcement is how it will NOT be on WiiU, and the thousands of fans petitioning it. All I can say is, you want to play videogames then buy a real fucking console.

Idiots.
 
The first Dark Souls II details have emerged from EDGE. Subscribers have started to receive their issues, and a ton of information has already been transcribed from the magazine. Read on below for a comprehensive summary of content from EDGE’s article.

- Edge says they were shown a 10 minute playthrough of Dark Souls 2, and it is a huge step forward graphically. It looks on par with Watch Dogs and Star Wars 1313 in terms of “next-gen”-ness, or so they claim.

- Miyazaki is not working on the development of Dark Souls 2. He is not a director or producer, and is merely a “supervisor”.

- Even as a supervisor, he isn’t making any development decisions. He only tried to reinforce the team’s commitment to releasing things on time, because of the bad experience they had with the patches in Dark Souls, and he also recommended the return to server-based gameplay ala Demon’s Souls.

- The new directors, Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura, are indeed the From Software staff who previously directed the Another Century’s Episode series. The decision to have the two directors replace Miyazaki was a company decision made by both From Software and Namco Bandai Games to help move the series forward in a fresh direction.

- Miyazaki is working full time on directing a new game. He will not disclose if it is a new IP or a sequel to something else.

- Darks Souls 2 will be a direct sequel, and have an open world of about the same size, but more dense with content.

- It does not take place on Lordran. The name of the world is the key of the story, they will reveal it at a later date.

- One thing Shibuya wants to enhance is the action in the game. He feels that he can contribute because of his experience working on action games in the past.

- Shibuya says he wants to make things like the Covenant system clearer and more accessible, and he wants to make the story and messaging less subtle.

- He promises there will still be “hidden” elements in the story and world which can be missed.

- Development started in September last year, and was done in parallel with some of the Dark Souls patches and DLC content.

- The game is 25% complete, and the team is substantially larger than Dark Souls. The world creation internal staff for the sequel is nearly double that of the first game.

- The game might not make it for 2013.

-This the article source for the infamous “we want the skyrim audience” quote. To be perfectly clear, even though this was already known, this quote is from the writers of the article and not From Software.

-Huge leap in graphical quality. The game is compared to Watch Dogs and Star Wars 1313. Dynamic lighting and smoother animations all around.

-Hidetake Miyazaki, the director for Dark/Demon’s souls, will not be directing the game and will only be lightly involved in the production. To be perfectly honest it basically seems like his name is there to be there- his involvement is mostly about getting the project started and occasionally checking in on it.

-The unknown nature of the games came from Miyazaki’s interest in western fantasy/mythology and his relative inability to read the English text as a child, leaving him to fill in the blanks.

-Miyazaki was disappointed about having to patch Dark Souls, saying that they pushed the game out without being 100% complete. Dark Souls II will be complete when it launches.

-Server based PVP is back

-The information about the directors for the game is worrying. Information is unclear whether or not Miyazaki willingly stepped down from the director’s chair. Namco calls is a “company decision” and has this disturbing anecdote to share:

“For the IP to evolve and provide a new experience within the Dark Souls world the new wind from directors Shibuya and Tanimura is key to providing players with a brand new Dark Souls experience. In order to maintain expectations and satisfaction and the rewards players experience this was the time to bring in new characteristics and tastes of the directors for the series to continue evolving.”

-Miyazaki is working on a new game he can’t talk about.

-Miyazaki is disappointed he doesn’t have a greater role in Dark Souls II

-The Graphics are shockingly close to the trailer’s quality

-According to Shibuya, one of the co-directors, the player’s ability to parse meaning from subtle hints or clues will determine the difficulty of the game and the challenges that are there to experience.

-The map is roughly the same size, but has more content and more “areas of interest”.

-The notion that Dark Souls needs to evolve was “common”. Edge says not to expect a minor update.

-In designing map areas, the main concept was to create areas that had not been in either game.

-Talks of implementing a system that will let you reveal the clues you’ve learned over the course of the game

-Shibuya talks about “limiting players options for the early portion of the game, making it simpler to understand new concepts. Then, after a certain amount of time has elapsed, they will suddenly experience the true dark souls experience”.

Summary and scans from gamingeverything, source Edge

Scan of enemies/player/item:
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[quote name='Jodou']My favorite part about this announcement is how it will NOT be on WiiU, and the thousands of fans petitioning it. All I can say is, you want to play videogames then buy a real fucking console.

Idiots.[/QUOTE]
Dark Souls was originally not on PC either. That petition worked.
 
Definitely too early to get worried or up in arms about the change in director (and possible change in direction). I really was hoping for Fall of 2013, though. Hope it isn't too much later than that.
 
[quote name='ChibiJosh']Dark Souls was originally not on PC either. That petition worked.[/QUOTE]
And it was an awful port. If they can't even get it right on PC, then god help Wii U. I rest my case.
 
3 recently released interview items by Edge seem to cover much of the same information as in Supplice's summary list from mid-Dec but there are a few new items mentioned such as confirmation that there is a main character (the knight in the trailer). The existence of a mad-scientist like character which appears to have done the same thing as the Old Monk, mix parts from creatures to create new enemies. The inclusion of a level in which the ocean plays a prominent part. Changing weather and time travel (to different eras) will likely play a part in the game.

Miyazaki (outgoing developer of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls) interview
Shibuya (one of the new co-directors of Dark Souls 2) interview
Shibuya comments on/explains Dark Souls 2 concept art
 
Thanks Backlash, I forgot to include that in the OP. I'm glad news and gameplay vids are showing up. We were in a drought for a bit since the announcement. lol
 
Now I want to conquer that rope bridge after watching the video :D. It's akin to the Red Drake on the stone bridge early in DS and I loved fighting that guy. This game looks like it's in capable hands and I don't mind that they're adding more paths for people to get through as long as they're equally challenging for different reasons. Really happy they're finally giving us more weapon slots, as he was swapping from 1H sword, to axe, to greatsword, to bow. The torch system should add some interesting options as well, seeing as you can't shield yourself when it's out.

Who needs a PS4 this holiday when they could have DSII?!
 
Yeah I'm pretty happy with everything they showed - looks like it's definitely going in the right direction. I am assuming that the enemies were nerfed (or character was massively overpowered) for the demo since he was killing things way too easily and absorbing hits that should have killed him. That's pretty common for demos, as I understand.

I do hope they change that bright blue lock-on reticule to something more subtle - it was very distracting, especially in dark areas.
 
[quote name='guardian_owl']Though that torch system really isn't that different than the Tomb of the Giants, it's just a less ornate skull lantern.[/QUOTE]
I think it's clever in a way because you get to choose wether to traverse with or without a shield. (I wonder if that will be the only source of light as opposed to the first DS)
 
[quote name='Backlash']Yeah I'm pretty happy with everything they showed - looks like it's definitely going in the right direction. I am assuming that the enemies were nerfed (or character was massively overpowered) for the demo since he was killing things way too easily and absorbing hits that should have killed him. That's pretty common for demos, as I understand.[/QUOTE]
Look at his HP/Stam bar; he was clearly a max level character and still getting owned haha.
 
Dark Souls II, Namco Bandai and From Software’s anticipated sequel to 2011′s Dark Souls, will launch for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in March 2014, an advert outside the Los Angeles Convention Center—the site of this month’s E3—confirms.


Banner:
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gematsu
 
We were probably just assuming it was going to follow the same release pattern of a September-October release, but maybe they don't want to get lost in the hype for two new consoles shuffle.
 
I really hope Sony has something special in store for us, like a PS4 demo or something.  So stoked for this game.

 
I stumbled onto this yesterday when I was preordering the PS4 from Amazon. I figured some of us might be interested. :) Currently $29.49 atm.
 
Dark Souls: Design Works [Hardcover]
 
"Showcasing the grim and chilling artwork behind the fan-favorite Dark Souls game in a gorgeous hardcover collection, Dark Souls: Design Works features key visuals, concept art, character & monster designs, rough sketches, and an exclusive interview with the game's creators."
 
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I stumbled onto this yesterday when I was preordering the PS4 from Amazon. I figured some of us might be interested. :) Currently $29.49 atm.

Dark Souls: Design Works [Hardcover]

"Showcasing the grim and chilling artwork behind the fan-favorite Dark Souls game in a gorgeous hardcover collection, Dark Souls: Design Works features key visuals, concept art, character & monster designs, rough sketches, and an exclusive interview with the game's creators."


Thanks I wanted this book for awhile its finally translated to English
 
Yeah, I saw that last week on Amazon and was about to pre-order until I saw it's only like 140 pages.  $30 is a bit too steep for me and it wasn't showing up in my quick picks, so I passed.

 
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