Dark Souls 1 starts WAAAAY too hard

[TheUprising]

Maybe its just my equipment, but I started off in Dark Souls 1, but the lag and terrible mouse integration scared me off to Dark Souls 2. I got decently far in DS2 with 2 Great Souls and it definately starts you off easier if you weren't stupid like me and fought the Pursuer.

But I was dissapointed that it wasn't at all a Metroidvania, so I gave DS1 another shot, with increased FPS, wit the magic of FPS Booster (Google Skyrim FPS booster). And Jesus, everything is more playable but its just as hard as I remember, with me hitting for peanuts and with limited healing thanks to no soul gems. I think that's the main thing, the lack of soul gems.

But I kind of liked it, I was actually terrified when I saw a boss and scared of traversing corners. Wheras an ambush in DS2 I just shrugged off and a new boss was just another trophy on the wall. Even death isn't scary because if you get stuck in an area, eventually enemies de-spawn. But, remember, I'm technically a Souls veteran, for new players this level of difficulty early on, along with the lack of saves, is just bad game design. I don't blame the tons of ppl who gave up early.

[Toad]

Technically you're ds2 veteran, not "Souls veteran". The beginning of DS is very easy, even during my 1st playthrough I had no problems in the beginning expect for capra demon fight. I also had some troubles beating gargoyles, but only because I somehow missed the part where Solaire says I can summon him and other players. Obviously I have been dying many times, but bonfires in undeadburg are very close to each other and enemies are weak. So if you listen to dialogues, dont try to explore new londo or catacombs and dont attack tough enemies like vivern or black knights you're gonna be ok.

[Sticky White Stuff]

I don't see any problems here. The game gives you +5 estus flask from the start, and +10 at firelink shrine. You can kindle any bonfire up to +10 and even to +20 after you get the rite of kindling which you can get from the very beginning. Plus you get so many shortcuts between bonfires it's easy to navigate around.

Dark Souls II was a mix between Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. And it turned out to be a weird one. Soul Gems is just Moon Grass in Demon's Souls. You got no Estus there and no bonfires. This makes sense. You get more healing items which heal less, but you are limited to how many you pick up during the game. Management is more important.

Dark Souls I ditched that idea and instead gave you permanent healing items which refill on checkpoints (bonfires), which also makes sense.
Now Dark Souls II has them both, and for what? You already have bonfires, why have primary + secondary healing items when there are so many bonfires around you?

Also, the second part of Dark Souls I is very, VERY easy. Not that any of the Souls games are hard to begin with.

[R3ND4W]

I actually found DS2 harder early on due to the durability change and the "challenge" change.

Early in DS2 before you start upgrading weapons and boosting stats it takes so long to kill something that with the reduced durability of weapons they break super quick so you had to carry multiple's. That and the new "challenge" was that there are multiple enemies charging at you all at once. Throw in the small amount of Estus usage, lack of 100% physical block shields early in the game, and a rolling mechanic that can't be properly utilized till higher level when you dumped points in attunement/adaptability it's hard to go through the early area without taking stupid levels of damage. All that combined with the durability reduction and it's rough at first.

DS1 on the other hand has no durability issues (seriously they gave everything way to much in this one as opposed to to little in the next. Need to find a middle ground). Your iframes from the start for rolling are determined by your equip instead of needing to boost stats. There are multiple enemies but if you are patient, smart, and read the environment you'll figure out how to pull one at a time or bypass all together. Then there are 100% physical block shields found early as well to help keep you alive and healthy if dodging isn't your thing.

Just my opinion of course. I can see how people find DS1 more challenging though. It really depends on your playstyle/patience I think.

[morumska]

lol you are no vet to the souls game. only people who have played from demon's onwards can claim that.

and what do you mean lack of saves? the game auto saves all the time(i do know what you mean =0 )

and i must say the healing gems in ds2 is bs, ds2 should have gone a diffferent way insetead it went way to fan fic'y.

[Yaro97]

It depends if you went through the graveyard first. That is harder than even Heides tower if you are actually trying to fight the skellys and not run past speed runner style. The Burg is pretty easy, DS2 forest wasnt that bad. Taurus Demon is a bit trickier than Last Giant though because the environment and at first rolling doesnt really occur to many. where LG you can sidestep to avoid.

Its in no way bad game design though.

[Fnarr]

Dark Souls can potentially be really hard at the beginning, not so much the mobs, but the bosses. You fight your first boss already in the tutorial, the second one you fight on a narrow bridge (limited maneuverability), the third one is two bosses at once, the fourth one has two dogs and is located in a totally tiny room (again, limited maneuverability), etc. However, the tutorial also teaches you about using the plunging attack on the boss, the bridge where you fight the second boss conveniently lets you execute just such a plunging attack (and just before it you find a powerful buff for your weapon), and if you go human you can summon help for the third boss. The only thing about the beginning of Dark Souls that I think is unnecessarily difficult is fighing Capra in that small room, with two dogs with him, one of which is instantly aggroed when you enter the area, with Capra usually doing a jumping attack immediately. And then when you get rid of the dogs and are only left with Capra, the room is so small that you can't properly strife around him because from certain angles you can't see him as the stupid camera is blocked by that stupid tree in the room. I hate that room.

Other than that, the game's not too hard, you just need to be patient, because you'll necessarily fail, until you get better.

[Jacopo Beanman]

DS2 vanilla is easy. There is no argument. Once you get to the DLCs, thats when it starts to murder people.

[Yaro97]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von gwwtbg:

And then when you get rid of the dogs and are only left with Capra, the room is so small that you can't properly strife around him because from certain angles you can't see him as the stupid camera is blocked by that stupid tree in the room. I hate that room.

I agree wholly with your post. One thing I feel that lower burg and Capra teach you is the importance of dodging. No other area is so explicit with not getting hit until that point. Everything in Upper burg and parish can be blocked, even blocking the gargoyles doesnt have much consequence. Block the Capra Demon and you are just squished. The Dogs, if you are hit you stagger, bleed builds through your shield and the dogs and thiefs both build up. There are several enemies at once in many places, allowing you to practice against horde management, when to block and when to dodge. And the lower burg is pretty much an alleyway, a warning of the fight to come xD

Its definately a hard fight, but is still reflected on by the area interestingly. Maybe im just looking too far into it xD

[TheUprising]

I thought DS1 might have been too easy now, as I was a pyro, so I started again as Deprived, and found that there was a ladder connecting the Dragon area to a bonfire... previously I was walking all the way there with 20 fps killing all the enemies, making my playtime like 8 hours just to get to the Blacksmith Bonfire!

Okay maybe it wasn't designed so bad...

[corvek]

Perhaps you need to practice rolling or something..? No "souls vet" would stop playing Dark Souls I because they thought it was poorly designed or too hard ... The game doesn't hold your hand nearly as much as Dark souls II does, and it's not nearly as linear. And anyone who got into the game at it's easiest form, II, is not a vet.

[JuiceySpice]

You know people( including myself) have beaten this sl 1 right? Its different then darksouls 2 man you have fewer, but stronger enemies, more roll frames, the golden rule of straiff and wait for an attack then attack yourself is not as useful, more diverse enemies making you have to observe their patterns. The game is supposed to scare you at 1st ( I crapped my pants so many times in my 1st playthrough). and what do you mean with lack of saves?

[JuiceySpice]

aslo "souls vet" youve only beaten 1 game unless you played Des

[Big Boom Boom]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von gwwtbg:

Dark Souls can potentially be really hard at the beginning, not so much the mobs, but the bosses. You fight your first boss already in the tutorial, the second one you fight on a narrow bridge (limited maneuverability), the third one is two bosses at once, the fourth one has two dogs and is located in a totally tiny room (again, limited maneuverability), etc.

Not really.

The first one die with a couple of Black firebomb, no need weapon.
The 2nd can be real stupid with climb, drop, hit, run, run back and climb, drop, hit
The 3rd one you can watch Solaire and theotherguyiforgotwhatshisname pwning 2 gargoyles, with you standing around doing nothing. You got loads more of gargoyles in DS II boss fight, and no NPC summon.
The 4th one you can throw poop at him till he die.
Even Manus can be killed without ever seeing him except for his eyes.

At least DS II they patched the problem where you can cheese dragon rider without entering the fight.

[Kyleeon]

I think the game is pretty fair (Except for... That boss...). Most of my deaths on Dark Souls 1 were due to my own mistakes, and the game is surprisingly easy if you make no mistakes at all. It even makes any decently fast enemy not 1HKO you and the tracking isn't perfect. So at the start it will only be hard until you get used to the controls and the rolling mechanic.

EDIT: Deleted the whole Dark Souls 2 rant so I don't sound like a hating douchebag.

[Dashiell]

You want a game with hard start? Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup and most old rogue-likes. You can die after making few steps.