[PS3] Demon's Souls

On those topics, mostly outside sources. I had to wait until Friday to get the game, but I was excited for it all week. I ended up reading some of the references online, as well as reading what other players were doing (via NeoGAF mostly). That's how I decided to pick the Royalty class for example.

I also ordered the Deluxe edition, so I have the 150+ page strategy guide with me to check out. That's actually how I found out about the Crystal Lizards. I was trying to figure out how to get to Blacksmith Ed, who can provide better upgrades to your weapons. While I was reading that, it made a reference to a Crystal Lizard in the area. I had no idea what one of those was, but the guide has an entire section devoted to them. Kind of complicated stuff just for them, so I didn't really bother reading much about them. I was going to pay more attention on my next playthrough maybe.

Some things do come across in the game. I think I knew before hand that the Purple Flame Shield could resist fire, but that information is also available in-game when you look at the shield's stats IIRC.

I wouldn't worry about not knowing all this stuff right away. This game has a lot of moving pieces going on in the background, and I doubt they expected players to know how all of it works. A lot of it is more for players to check out on subsequent playthroughs, which is helpful for obtaining rare weapons, items, spells, etc. I know I'm still completely loss on how the World/Character Tendency stuff works. If you ever have problems though, just check our the GameFAQs, the Wiki link I gave earlier, or even ask here.

edit: Oh yeah, finding the Monumental early on was a pain. Basically, once you clear the first stage, you have to talk to the Monumental. The game doesn't really do a good job of telling you who/what the Monumental is though, so you end up running all around the Nexus, trying to figure out where the Monumental is. I thought it was the large statue, but it turns out that it was one of the child...um...bodies in the upper tier (the Monumental is sitting next to a lit candle, which helps it stand out).

 

I thought about that, but it was enough to just keep casting Soul Arrows at him. Now that I think about it, I might not have attacked him until after I defeated the 1-1 boss. I might have added some points to my Intelligence and Magic attributes, which would have made that easier.

I actually use a similar strategy against some Samurai...thing in 4-1. It is a bit harder to kill him though. I swear I had a protection spell cast as well as my shield up (not Purple Flame Shield, but another pretty good one with 100% damage reduction IIRC). Yet when he attacked me, he managed to take out nearly all my health. I think he got distracted by the ground after that, allowing me to take a quick shot at him which killed him (my soul arrows got most of his health down). No way I would have survived a follow-up hit.

These guys are great for getting Souls (and some items) early on. I'd actually like to fight the "Red Eyes" demon again in melee combat just to see how tough he really is. I already fought the Samurai enemy in a similar fashion (there was another one in 4-1, and he wasn't in a position where I could rely on Soul Arrows to kill him). Really intense fight.

 

I think I played a PS1 King's Field game (KF2?). Don't really remember much, although it seemed interesting. Think it was too much for me at the time.

 

No penalty. Playing online just makes things easier...outside of the Black Phantoms I guess.

The messages (and bloodstains) probably help with the detection of traps more than anything. Though if you keep your health up, shield up, and stay alert, probably not a big deal. There are some good ones in this game BTW..

 

I've probably seen around 2-3 traps per level (being a bit conservative on what is a trap). My favorite was when I encounter a mage-like enemy in a level. We were on the wooden platforms raised in the air. I killed him from afar, then ran towards the bridge that connected the platforms (he dropped some loot). The bridge collapsed, and I fell ~20 feet into darkness. I freaked out because I thought I fell into an ambush, but there actually weren't any enemies around.

 

Ironically, I actually posted a link to the October thread in my opening post. It is also on the 2nd page of the Hangout I think. I didn't mind your post, but if you actually want to post that there, that's where you can find it. I probably should have edited my signature to have the October thread by now as well...

Just realized I missed this in my earlier post.

Yeah, seems like it. Plenty of shortcuts and secret passages/areas to find. This actually reminds me that I did forget to mention how large the levels are. Plenty of areas to check out. They also use the environment pretty well. For example, you'll end up high in a tower, overlooking the bridge where you started the level at. Little things like that seem pretty cool IMO. No maps for any of this, but whether you're farming for souls/items or just constantly dying, you'll probably learn the layout of the level pretty quickly. I know I have.

I think I counted 16 weapon types in the guide (rapier, curved sword, cross bow, fist, hammer, etc.). Seems to be 3-4 subtypes for each group, and then of course you can upgrade them different ways. This isn't counting counting shields, "valuable weapons", catalysts, and talismans (latter two used for magic). Different types of arrows and bolts. And unlike other games, there is actually a difference in how these weapons are used (e.g., a rapier attack is different than a scimitar attack). Haven't really found much equipments sets yet, although I think there are a decent amount. Plenty of rings too, at least enough to make it difficult to choose which two you'll equip. I haven't paid attention to all the different items I have, but it seems like a nice variety.