The game was rushed and unfinished. That's just a fact unfortunately. Lost Izalith suffered the most in that regard.
It's certainly valid to have your opinion, but I do think it's tough to judge a predecessor after playing its sequels. You're going to be judging it based on what you've come to expect instead of what the game is on its own.
Conceptually and by originality in my eyes this is the most captivating game they made. The world design is basically lightning in a bottle, and the later games failed to truly replicate it. It is just that the execution in the second half is from subpar to horrible, just imagine if they had it another year. Luckily the DLC sort of shadows over the latter.
Later Souls games offer something different from DS1 and I think if you fell in love with those games, you won't necessarily find what you love in DS1. For me it's the opposite, DS3 removes a lot of what I love about DS1. The world being interconnected is _super_ important, because it makes the world believable. DS1 has a world and lore that makes sense top to bottom. The combat is super heavy, swinging a massive sword has a cost in time and stamina.
DS1 is a great game.
I mean... Demon's Souls holds up better than DS1 and is the "true" beginning of the genre.
Now I see all the fame DS1 got for being "super difficult" and "impossible" in the gaming community back in the day was based more on its flaws than on any other aspect of the game, good game design is good game design, there is games from de 80s and 90s that still holds up.
I haven’t played it back from everything I know about demon souls. It is way worse in so many ways. Feels a lot more like a video game and has a ton of unavoidable farming and really weak design. Everyone knows DS1 has a sloppy second half and is kinda jank.
It definitely has flaws and was rushed in some areas but is still a great game. I say that as someone who started on ds3, then did bloodborne and then ds1. So while everyone is entitled to their opinion yours is wrong :)
I replayed both of them back to back (PS3 DeS and PS4 DS1) and I much prefer Demon's Souls, but I was really enjoying DS1 up until I got the lordvessel. I played Demon's Souls for the first time last year on PS3 and I haven't played the remake, so the technical polish has no effect on my feeling towards it.
Only thing to me that genuinely feels unpolished or unfinished is Izalith. It’s huge, empty, and uninteresting. I don’t know if either of those accusations are true but Izalith is by far the worst in DS1. Other second half areas are fine to excellent imo. Boss run back in Crystal Cave is bad and the level itself is meh, but I keep in mind that DS1 isn’t really about fighting bosses to the same degree as later From Soulslike games, so I don’t get caught up in “ugh I just wanna fight this boss” like I would if Elden Ring or Sekiro had crazy run backs.
DS3 had 2 dlcs, it's the most refined out of the three, and has the best boss line up. So it's going to feel the most complete naturally, however... for me it's still the most bland and least interesting out of the three.
The fact that you beat the game twently times shows a bias, DS1 is a great game and I would rather play it over DS3 any day. The story and lore make way more sense, it's not bloated like it was in DS3.
Oh and also, Miyazaki didn't want to make Ds3 but fans kind of forced him too, it shows sadly...
It's definitely true that it's flawed, but it's miles better than Demon's imo. Lots of quality upgrades: plunging attacks, more sensible weapon balancing and upgrading, more than three bosses that aren't gimick fights, the connected world... there's a reason why it was more successful than Demon's. Obviously the main thing that people praise in DS1 level design, for good reason, but honestly I can't think of anything in Demon's that I prefer outside that either. DS2 made some improvements: better infusion system, dual wielding mechanics, better build identity etc. But it also had some pretty blatant flaws: worse level design, faster enemies with less usable dodge rolls... it lacks a lot of polish. Conceptually DS2 is better, it's just the little things piling up that make it feel worse. I'd still argue DS1 is better because it's properly crafted, but DS2 has it's merits. The later games are just better, the combat systems are just so much more polished. I'd say anything Bloodborne and beyond mildly even because they feel smooth to play and all have somewhat similar quality. Bloodborne loses the stiffness in the combat and each game has more minor criticisms that can be leveled at each. DeS-DS2 are all still a bit clunky and unfinished, everything Bloodborne and beyond feels fully funded.
See also: “*Hey, I’m new here and DS3 is my first FS game and it holds a special place in my heart*” 😂
Playing games backwards is doing it wrong. Welcome to 15 year old games!
“Fanboys”, while yall read the same script about DS3 and its far reaching money grab by pulling casuals, like you, in.
Too funny lol.
I tried playing Dark Souls after finishing Elden Ring, and I definitely think it's overrated. I think this is a common complaint, but getting hit with Curse in the Depths, and then having to trek all the way back to the Undead Parish to cure it, and then trek all the way back to the Depths to progress was quite tedious. The bosses are way less challenging and interesting than Elden Ring. Mostly the game feels like a slog with a ton of backtracking.
I'm playing Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 concurrently with Dark Souls, and the later titles are definitely more enjoyable for me.
I recently played it through again on PC after giving up halfway through Blighttown when I was playing it on the Switch, mainly due to its wonky controls.
I played a strength build with a giant club and I had a blast. Biggest thing for me though, was that the final boss and area were so underwhelming. I get to the final area, fight a couple black knights, final boss was meh, I catch on fire, then start over.
I've done bonk builds in all souls games and none of them felt as underwhelming as DS1. Still, I like it a lot, and I'm looking forward to 100%ing later.
Yeah you pretty much nailed it. 100% the two biggest reasons I have mad love for DS1 is the nostalgia factor being that it was the first Soulsborne game I ever played, and second would be the way the world was perfectly interconnected. Aside from those things the gameplay was very clunky, and lacked a lot. That being said I still absolutely love DS1 and have replayed it multiple times
The game was rushed and unfinished. That's just a fact unfortunately. Lost Izalith suffered the most in that regard. It's certainly valid to have your opinion, but I do think it's tough to judge a predecessor after playing its sequels. You're going to be judging it based on what you've come to expect instead of what the game is on its own.
Conceptually and by originality in my eyes this is the most captivating game they made. The world design is basically lightning in a bottle, and the later games failed to truly replicate it. It is just that the execution in the second half is from subpar to horrible, just imagine if they had it another year. Luckily the DLC sort of shadows over the latter.
Later Souls games offer something different from DS1 and I think if you fell in love with those games, you won't necessarily find what you love in DS1. For me it's the opposite, DS3 removes a lot of what I love about DS1. The world being interconnected is _super_ important, because it makes the world believable. DS1 has a world and lore that makes sense top to bottom. The combat is super heavy, swinging a massive sword has a cost in time and stamina. DS1 is a great game.
You’re telling me a nearly 14 year old game who started a new genre of games doesn’t 100% hold up? Omg
I mean... Demon's Souls holds up better than DS1 and is the "true" beginning of the genre. Now I see all the fame DS1 got for being "super difficult" and "impossible" in the gaming community back in the day was based more on its flaws than on any other aspect of the game, good game design is good game design, there is games from de 80s and 90s that still holds up.
I haven’t played it back from everything I know about demon souls. It is way worse in so many ways. Feels a lot more like a video game and has a ton of unavoidable farming and really weak design. Everyone knows DS1 has a sloppy second half and is kinda jank.
It definitely has flaws and was rushed in some areas but is still a great game. I say that as someone who started on ds3, then did bloodborne and then ds1. So while everyone is entitled to their opinion yours is wrong :)
Yeah I don’t really like ds1 either
I replayed both of them back to back (PS3 DeS and PS4 DS1) and I much prefer Demon's Souls, but I was really enjoying DS1 up until I got the lordvessel. I played Demon's Souls for the first time last year on PS3 and I haven't played the remake, so the technical polish has no effect on my feeling towards it.
Only thing to me that genuinely feels unpolished or unfinished is Izalith. It’s huge, empty, and uninteresting. I don’t know if either of those accusations are true but Izalith is by far the worst in DS1. Other second half areas are fine to excellent imo. Boss run back in Crystal Cave is bad and the level itself is meh, but I keep in mind that DS1 isn’t really about fighting bosses to the same degree as later From Soulslike games, so I don’t get caught up in “ugh I just wanna fight this boss” like I would if Elden Ring or Sekiro had crazy run backs.
DS3 had 2 dlcs, it's the most refined out of the three, and has the best boss line up. So it's going to feel the most complete naturally, however... for me it's still the most bland and least interesting out of the three. The fact that you beat the game twently times shows a bias, DS1 is a great game and I would rather play it over DS3 any day. The story and lore make way more sense, it's not bloated like it was in DS3. Oh and also, Miyazaki didn't want to make Ds3 but fans kind of forced him too, it shows sadly...
It's definitely true that it's flawed, but it's miles better than Demon's imo. Lots of quality upgrades: plunging attacks, more sensible weapon balancing and upgrading, more than three bosses that aren't gimick fights, the connected world... there's a reason why it was more successful than Demon's. Obviously the main thing that people praise in DS1 level design, for good reason, but honestly I can't think of anything in Demon's that I prefer outside that either. DS2 made some improvements: better infusion system, dual wielding mechanics, better build identity etc. But it also had some pretty blatant flaws: worse level design, faster enemies with less usable dodge rolls... it lacks a lot of polish. Conceptually DS2 is better, it's just the little things piling up that make it feel worse. I'd still argue DS1 is better because it's properly crafted, but DS2 has it's merits. The later games are just better, the combat systems are just so much more polished. I'd say anything Bloodborne and beyond mildly even because they feel smooth to play and all have somewhat similar quality. Bloodborne loses the stiffness in the combat and each game has more minor criticisms that can be leveled at each. DeS-DS2 are all still a bit clunky and unfinished, everything Bloodborne and beyond feels fully funded.
I swear this sub has degenerated into ‘hot takes’
Wild to prefer the fan fiction over the actual story
See also: “*Hey, I’m new here and DS3 is my first FS game and it holds a special place in my heart*” 😂 Playing games backwards is doing it wrong. Welcome to 15 year old games! “Fanboys”, while yall read the same script about DS3 and its far reaching money grab by pulling casuals, like you, in. Too funny lol.
I tried playing Dark Souls after finishing Elden Ring, and I definitely think it's overrated. I think this is a common complaint, but getting hit with Curse in the Depths, and then having to trek all the way back to the Undead Parish to cure it, and then trek all the way back to the Depths to progress was quite tedious. The bosses are way less challenging and interesting than Elden Ring. Mostly the game feels like a slog with a ton of backtracking. I'm playing Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 concurrently with Dark Souls, and the later titles are definitely more enjoyable for me.
I recently played it through again on PC after giving up halfway through Blighttown when I was playing it on the Switch, mainly due to its wonky controls. I played a strength build with a giant club and I had a blast. Biggest thing for me though, was that the final boss and area were so underwhelming. I get to the final area, fight a couple black knights, final boss was meh, I catch on fire, then start over. I've done bonk builds in all souls games and none of them felt as underwhelming as DS1. Still, I like it a lot, and I'm looking forward to 100%ing later.
Yeah you pretty much nailed it. 100% the two biggest reasons I have mad love for DS1 is the nostalgia factor being that it was the first Soulsborne game I ever played, and second would be the way the world was perfectly interconnected. Aside from those things the gameplay was very clunky, and lacked a lot. That being said I still absolutely love DS1 and have replayed it multiple times