Is it good to begin with the soulslike genre?

[DiSan.91]

Hi everyone! I have never played anything like this before, and I really want to give them a go. Is the first Dark Souls a good game to start with? Not just the combat, or the difficulty of enemies, but also things like chances to save progress, if they have lots of items and magics to get familiar with, etc. If not, any recommendations?

The most similar games I`ve played are things like the new God of War series, Hellblade, or the new Jedi series. And I am not saying they're similar (don't get mad at me), only that these are the ones I have played.

Thanks people!

[Majorita]

Yes, play Dark Souls Remastered.

It's VERY. GOOD.

Don't go in expecting it to blow your particulars off with difficulty... think of it as an adventure game that rewards patience and cleverness, because it frequently does.

I recommend you don't look anything up or ask for any advice beyond that... but...

I will say, if you get to the class selection screen and you don't naturally gravitate to any of them, try Warrior, since it is a VERY solid & balanced beginner pick!

Also, NPCs throughout the game can have very useful advice, you should be able to complete the game just by listening to them without doing any 'googling', however in true oldschool fashion they won't repeat dialogue, so if they explain something to you, maybe consider writing it down on a piece of paper or a notepad document...

Items too sometimes have clues hidden in their description. Not all of them, but if it seems important, it might, so be sure and read those too.

That is all.

[spy]

If you are starting this genre, my suggestions are;

Play Dark Souls in order 1 2 3 including dlcs. Although the mechanics of each game are not similar, their gameplay is the same. It is online. In such online games, you can call for help to your world, and real people can invade your world and cause difficulties for you.

Dark Souls 1 is more raw because it is the first game of the series. For example, weapon variety is low. but in general the weapons in the series are similar. There are fewer bosses. Even though it is shorter, it is so complex that you will get lost in its world. Pvp is average.

Dark Souls 2 is a more cumbersome game. If you like royal fantasy, you should definitely check it out. There are more weapons in the game. It has the highest number of bosses. Sometimes you may say it is unnecessary. The world becomes more branched. Rather than getting lost, you may not be able to find your way. pvpsi is balanced. The reason people don't like it very much is that it is bulky. but this provides a more realistic sword experience. Other games are faster.

Dark Souls 3 is the game with the best graphics in the series. It generally concludes the story. It's a pretty epic game. Pvp is good if you don't mind fast roll.

When you play the three games in order and visit the locations in the game, a big story emerges. To understand this story, I recommend you play all three games in order. Most people read lore for hours to learn. If you don't care about the story, just play the 3rd game. because it has the same gameplay as other games. Games take 30 -70 hours depending on how well you play on average. It's not the type of game to just finish and quit. You'll want to finish more than one. That's why you can see people playing for a thousand hours. If you pvp you can play forever.

You can play Sekiro other than Dark Souls. It may help you play it for the first time and get used to the controls. Parry and deflect are especially important in these types of games depending on your skill. It is a single player game.

EldenRing is a different game that is not a continuation of the Dark Souls series. You can move fast by riding a horse. It is open world. Again, if you play Elden ring first, you won't miss anything from the Dark Souls stories. If you play Dark Souls 1 for the first time, the graphics may seem old. That's why you can play eldering first and get an overview of the souls-like genre. It is an online game.

[Bandy]

Originally posted by Is that a shard you've found?:

If you are starting...
Play Dark Souls in order 1 2 3 ...

^ this, though just wait and you will see the haters of 'Demaster' arrive to post and throw down their, uh, hate! LMAO.

Dark Souls Remaster should have been a better game graphics wise, 'they' really dropped the ball, big time. But still, it is what it is, and yes it is VERY worth playing as your intro to DS series. And it will be difficult, depending on your experience, do not underestimate the mobs.

Good luck Hollow!

[dcy665]

There is one rule when playing Dark Souls

KILL THE DOGS FIRST

You may thank us later

[Gurkhal]

As another, relatively, beginner player of Dark Souls I heartly agree that its worth getting into. Its been a long time since I played something which caught on to me like Dark Souls have done, and I'm only on Dark Souls Remastered and my second real playthrough.

I hope you give it a shot.

[Wild]

Yes I think this the best starting point to get into the franchise, if you have trouble try watching some videos of people going through the area/killing bosses preferably with a build close to yours.

There are a ton of farmable and well hidden hidden weapons in this game, though not everything is at the same power tier.

[DiSan.91]

Wow, thanks everyone for your replies. I think I'll give it a go

[Mr.Gold]

I would say dark souls 1 and 3 are a must play. 2... Well it has been years since I played 2 and it is so different. Currently replaying this one and then will play 3 and then Elden Ring again to get to the new DLC. Faith character this time.

[Madao]

Originally posted by dcy665:

There is one rule when playing Dark Souls

KILL THE DOGS FIRST

You may thank us later

instructions unclear. killed the neighbour's dog

[Radio Star]

If you want ease of accessability and an ease your way in...
Elden Ring first. While it definately is Soulsborne in difficulty, the combat is a lot more fluid, and it lets you play around with various styles.

If you just want to go in, play dark souls in order. Just remember 1 fight mechanics are a bit more clunky than later entries.

[Mr.Gold]

Originally posted by Radio Star:

If you want ease of accessability and an ease your way in...
Elden Ring first. While it definately is Soulsborne in difficulty, the combat is a lot more fluid, and it lets you play around with various styles.

If you just want to go in, play dark souls in order. Just remember 1 fight mechanics are a bit more clunky than later entries.

I feel like in 1 i am more often trying to run behind my enemies rather than rolling or dancing with them. You also have some disapointing bosses like the gaping dragon. That dude is sl easy it is anticlimatic.

[Majorita]

I would recommend playing Dark Souls 1 (aka PTDE/Remastered) first.

I would not recommend playing like, 2, 3, Bloodborne or Elden Ring first.

Also speaking of Gaping Dragon, he is the way he is because of Dark Souls 1's general like, encounter design. Most bosses in Dark Souls 1 are designed around variety more than anything else, sure they drop Demon Firesage and Stray Demon in there too but that's okay. Most bosses including Gaping Dragon aren't really meant to beat your ass, they just present a modest, fair challenge and are there to teach you something. Asylum Demon teaches you to pay attention to messages more than anything and is your first introduction to the structure of the game: clear an area, then end it with a boss. Taurus Demon teaches you to be clever and reinforces the structure. Area, then boss. Capra Demon teaches you how to deal with aggression. Gaping Dragon teaches you that even a really big intimidating boss still dies when you hit him. That's what those are all about.

Very different to the later games. I mean. Even as early as Dark Souls 2. Maybe not necessarily the base game since there's some pretty limp bosses there that are somewhat in-line with DS1 or Demon's Souls and the spirit of it, like Executioner's Chariot... but the DLC bosses and some like Smelter Demon are like entirely more like DS3 or Elden Ring where they exist just to beat you senseless.

It's why I call DS1 an RPG adventure game, it's not verging on a spectacle fighter like Elden Ring, cuz most areas in DS1 aren't really that challenging, most bosses aren't that threatening really, and even though you'll die here and there it rewards patience and persistence, and understanding the game mechanics more than raw execution, and areas and bosses often have a gimmick that serves to add variety to the overall structure of the game which is otherwise pretty simple, i.e. explore a linear dungeon, fight a boss.

[Mr.Gold]

Originally posted by Majorita:

I would recommend playing Dark Souls 1 (aka PTDE/Remastered) first.

I would not recommend playing like, 2, 3, Bloodborne or Elden Ring first.

Also speaking of Gaping Dragon, he is the way he is because of Dark Souls 1's general like, encounter design. Most bosses in Dark Souls 1 are designed around variety more than anything else, sure they drop Demon Firesage and Stray Demon in there too but that's okay. Most bosses including Gaping Dragon aren't really meant to beat your ass, they just present a modest, fair challenge and are there to teach you something. Asylum Demon teaches you to pay attention to messages more than anything and is your first introduction to the structure of the game: clear an area, then end it with a boss. Taurus Demon teaches you to be clever and reinforces the structure. Area, then boss. Capra Demon teaches you how to deal with aggression. Gaping Dragon teaches you that even a really big intimidating boss still dies when you hit him. That's what those are all about.

Very different to the later games. I mean. Even as early as Dark Souls 2. Maybe not necessarily the base game since there's some pretty limp bosses there that are somewhat in-line with DS1 or Demon's Souls and the spirit of it, like Executioner's Chariot... but the DLC bosses and some like Smelter Demon are like entirely more like DS3 or Elden Ring where they exist just to beat you senseless.

It's why I call DS1 an RPG adventure game, it's not verging on a spectacle fighter like Elden Ring, cuz most areas in DS1 aren't really that challenging, most bosses aren't that threatening really, and even though you'll die here and there it rewards patience and persistence, and understanding the game mechanics more than raw execution, and areas and bosses often have a gimmick that serves to add variety to the overall structure of the game which is otherwise pretty simple, i.e. explore a linear dungeon, fight a boss.

Die here and there or to the hydra... Swear to god the terrain there is made to make me mad XD

I honestly think Elden Ring is different enough that you could play it first. The thing is Elden Ring never ends. The game is so big... I mean, you have entire optional maps larger than the whole Dark Souls 1 map.

And it is nice to play DS1 because A, the story is fantastic. It hits those notes of dying hopeless world so well... And itngets darker as you discover more and more. And second it is great to see basically where it started. Sure Demon Souls was first but Dark Souls is better than Demon Souls. Far, far better. Oh and Level design. Elden Ring can't touch DS1 level design. Even places like the first ds like dungeon which isnstellar cannot match that sense of catching a lift and realizing you are back in firelink shrine. The maps fold on themselves so well it is amazing.

[Dionizio]

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[Lecadre]

dark souls 1 is the most difficult of all the main soulslikes (the fromsoftware games) so if you finish that (even with cheats its going to be bothersome still like navigating around, limited travel, not knowing what to do etc) youl have easier difficulty with the rest

i left it for last after finishing dark souls 3 and 2, and it was like on a whole other level of not knowing where to go or what to do, dark souls 3 was a lot more straightforward and linear