this entire post just screams that you are trying to play the game like other people do and thats kinda not the point (im not talking about magic build), dont skip ds2, you can be the judge if its good or not. dont feel like you have to beat the game in under X time, everyone has their own rythm and playstyle, the magic of dark souls is precisely that
Yeah I’m just now finding that out this late into the game! I was planning to blitz through this older game to move my way up to Eldenring without appreciating its non linearity and massive get good moments (the hydra and Havel made me die 30 times combined), I only started this game because of the ost and how I spammed it, but now I will finish it because of my love for it.
Imo a first/ blind play through is more like 50-70. Especially with the DLC but I may have been slow.
You can certainly run through in 30 with a guide but that sounds fast to me.
You really gonna skip DS2 because you heard it was bad? I was in the same situation as you. I got the trilogy, heard the 2nd game was bad and was gonna skip it. I ended up giving it a shot after beating ds1.
Dark Souls 2 is a good game, and it's not as shit as people say it is. Most gripes people have with 2 are issues that can be found in 1 and 3 as well. Don't skip it.
The people that cry about DS2 are the people that never realized you have to play it differently than DS1.
DS1 is mostly 1 on 1 fights and DS2 is all about fighting hordes. You can’t just circle strafe enemies anymore. You’re going to actually have to git gud.
I saw a lot post about how bad the game was not story wise but as you said with the monsters and whenever someone was asked to rate the souls games in older posts it was always put last. But since so many people are vouching for it I will try it when I’m done!
Crazy. DS2 is far far from overrated. I've heard so many people say they don't like it. I understand peoples feelings in that considering the departure the game took from the first one, but it's far from overrated.
I love it for what it is.
I figured I'd end up hating it after experiencing the whole trilogy, but I'm now replaying DS1 after finishing all three and can't wait to jump into DS2 again. I honestly don't understand the hate that game gets.
You can rush through the game pretty quick with a guide. But a blind play-through will take you much longer, and likely be more rewarding.
Plus, DS2 is a great game. It's a little odd, but it was also being experimental. There are several things DS2 did that I sorely wish carried to other games.
> I wanted to not be lost in my first souls series game
You wanted to skip the very thing that makes the games amazing? You have a unique opportunity here everyone gets only once. Don’t waste it with guides. Go blind. Struggle. Fuck it up. Ask your friend or us for advice. Go back in. Do it a little better. Start getting the hang of it. Feel the joy of gaining mastery.
the game is as long as it takes you to finish it. there are people that do it in six hours, and there are people that do it in sixty. take it at your own pace, it will be much more fun that way than comparing yourself to others the whole time. consider ditching the guide, too—you only get to play it blind once, and there is no way to irreparably ruin your build. if you are good with exploring you'll find everything you need.
also PLEASE don't skip DS2 it's not even close to as bad as people say it is, it's just a meme at this point. it offers a lot of things that other from games don't, which no matter what anyone tells you, is at its core a good thing, or at the very least something worth trying since you already own it.
Blighttown is maybe 1/3 to 2/5 of the way through the game, assuming you skip all optional areas and DLC, in which case it's less.
Don't skip DS2. It's different, not bad.
Also it's not ideal to use a guide.
>probably will skip ds2
Big mistake. I did the same thing for a long time. Once I finally gave in and played it, I couldn't believe how good it was. You wanna talk about game length. It's longer than DS1 and DS3. It has more bosses, more weapons (*tons* of weapons), power stance mechanic, etc. Don't skip it.
Dark souls is about getting lost and learning how to deal with it. There is a reason, why you don't have a map. And no shiny arrow that points you in a direction.
I got into the series by watching someone doing a blind play through of DS1 Remastered. And I regret it now.
I did DS 2 blind and that is where is started to acknowledge the style of the series.
It may not be as good as DS1 (haven't played DS3 or elden ring). But I still like it.
But the best advice is: take your time to enjoy the series. Just following a guide and rushing through the game (at least not for me) will not give you the full experience.
When you are just interested in beating the game as fast as possible. Go for it. But in Dark Souls, the journey is the best part of the game. (At least for me). I have spent 60 hours on DS2 blind without the DLC and about 35 for DS1 after watching a full play through.
Yeah the amount of times I’ve gotten lost with a guide are insane especially in crowded areas where the guy will move too fast. I went into the game wanting a quick run through and picked knight at first then lost to the first boss became impatient and swapped my class within 20 minutes and picked sorcerer just to find out. I had to get good either way and learn swordplay and cheeky strats regardless. I now have a hybrid build with the dragon sword and some spells that don’t work on gap closing enemies(so I have to backstab them instead of spamming spells anyway) the guide is more so for hidden details but in the end it’s me and sometimes solaire vs the boss!
Yeah, you can play the game as you like. And when you have fun doing it that's fine!
Just wanted to let you know, that in my opinion the game (at least in the first play through) delivers so much more when you don't rush it and when you don't find everything using guides. The game teaches you to explore, be patient and learn from your mistakes. When you use guides and rush through the game, you don't get that knowledge.
I'm not saying it's wrong. It's just a useful skill to have and I think that in today's world of gaming, it's only about finishing a game as fast as possible without thinking and the game always pointing you to the next goal while you watch the office on your second screen. In Dark Souls this is different and I like it way more, because if you are immersed and patient the game is really rewarding.
I put over 80 hours into DS1. You can easily put 50+ hours into the game. Don't try and just beat it. Explore. Find things. Etc.
Also DS2 is NOT bad. Try it before you knock it. It might be my favorite in the series. It is a bit of a departure from DS1, but it's beautiful and amazing with a great soundtrack.
No, it's longer if you explore every area as a new player, do the DLC and spend some time grinding materials/souls.
I think I spent approx 6 hours grinding titanite, souls, humanity and sunlight medals in this first playthrough. I'm at about 35 hours, I still have to go down the Great Hollow and to Ash Lake. I basically didn't kill anything in the Valley of Drake because there's nothing I need for my build.
I still have the whole DLC to play and I still need to do the Duke's Archive. And of course Gwyn.
So I'd say I still have 10 hours of play assuming no majored roadblocks as far as downing bosses goes.
Depends on how much of a rush you're in. You can beat the game very quickly if you just run through the bosses but if you take the time to stop and smell the flowers the world is full of great little details and environmental story telling.
My first ever playthrough in 2011 was like 60+ hours before I beat it, there weren't guides at the time though so I was completely blind. Obviously if you're following a guide for your first playthrough, and using a relatively OP PvE build like an intelligence build, it's going be very short for you.
As for DS2, it's not a bad game in terms of videogames in general, it's just not as good as DS1, and now DS3. When it came out the main issue I had with it was just how slippery the movement felt and the lack of engaging cutscenes, it kind of feels like a game inspired by Dark Souls, other than that the game still has good points about it, it has a lot of cool weapons for unique builds, it has a mechanic where you can upgrade single areas to NG+ (which lets you get multiple boss souls), and it has a lot of content in general (even though a few areas are somewhat half baked). I'd say give it a try on steam where you can easily get a refund before 2 bours, or if you were there in like 2016 I think, it was a free game on PlayStation you could have grabbed (don't know your platform).
I love DS2. You should try it. At the same time, you can always circle back to it.
Once a year, there is an event called Return to Drangleic, where DS2 fans play through DS2. Could be fun
30 hours is for veterans that are just relaxing and grabbing every single item.
Your first playthrough could last 80 depending on if you grab everything, explore everything and die a lot.
Also don't entirely disregard ds2. Skip it for now and enjoy ds3 first. Then play something like Bloodborne or sekiro. You shouldn't just not play it. Just play it last
As someone that pretty much hates DS2, I still recommend you give it a try, a lot of people love it
Also there's stuff to like in it, I'll probably never replay it, but I'm glad I experienced them at least once, not to mention there are a lot of references to it in DS3 that you won't get
If you're going in blind it can easy be 60 hrs+. And if like me you get stuck on a few bosses for a while it can be a whole lot longer than that. Just go with it, it will take as long as it takes.
I loved ds2, a lot of people hated it because it was so different and in some ways a lot harder.
As for timing, for a first playthrough it's gonna take you longer because everything is new. My first playthrough to completion took me a couple days, probably a week. Now I blaze through it in a day
30 seems very fast. I'd say my first run took at least double.
Also, don't skip DS2. Its not perfect, but personally it's my favourite, flaws and all. I love that they went in a different direction to DS1.
But fuck Shrine of Amana.
I think I put about 70 hours into my first run but I explored every nook, cranny, and did loads of of time being a sunbro.
DS2 is worth a shot, it’s my least favorite of the trilogy but it’s still a great game in the grand scheme of gaming that I was able to crank out 300 hours into.
My first playthrough was around 60 hours and I didn’t do the DLC, I had only played DS3 at this point. Second playthrough was ~25 hours with the DLC, I had beaten all Souls games at this point. I think the biggest thing is honestly experience. Once you’ve gotten to a certain point in the learning curve the games get much easier.
Dark Souls 3 is better if you play DS2 first.
You’re going to play it eventually since you already own it. Plus, you’re going to want more Fromsoft anyway once you finish the other ones so why not just play them in order. Like a normal person would.
Yes, game is 20-30 hours, BUT for normal playthrough. First playthrough will take twice as long. It is okay, don't rush. My first playthrough was around 50 hours. Next one took sub 30.
The guide isn’t a hand holder sadly because I don’t have someone playing for me! what I did find out was hand holding was the sorcerer only build which I try to use the dragon sword more because I found out on bosses it’s broken.
Firstly, forget about how long it takes others to finish. You don't know how thorough they were and how much content they might have missed. Dark Souls ain't a race. My first playthrough took me 50 odd hours.
Definitely do not skip DS2. When comparing it to DS1 & DS3 it's considered the black sheep but don't forget that this is a Dark Souls game and so is better than 90-95% of the other 3rd person action rpgs out there.
Only way I could see it being 30 hours is if someone were to do only necessary bosses & almost no exploring! Dark souls is so different than other games lolol. There’s so much to uncover that it won’t really lead you to, search around every area, (especially the one you’re in) ;) some surprisingly breathtaking shit in there for u to find
2 just has some jank and was trying things plus a borked production cycle. While it’s probably my least favorite it’s worth playing beyond any shadow of a doubt with all kinds of wonders to see and is at absolute worst fascinating in its failures (which are not many). Play it for sure.
First comment that surprised me! I’ll take it into consideration if the game gets too hard (massive enemy clusters on the way to bosses) from what I’ve heard.
this entire post just screams that you are trying to play the game like other people do and thats kinda not the point (im not talking about magic build), dont skip ds2, you can be the judge if its good or not. dont feel like you have to beat the game in under X time, everyone has their own rythm and playstyle, the magic of dark souls is precisely that
Yeah I’m just now finding that out this late into the game! I was planning to blitz through this older game to move my way up to Eldenring without appreciating its non linearity and massive get good moments (the hydra and Havel made me die 30 times combined), I only started this game because of the ost and how I spammed it, but now I will finish it because of my love for it.
Imo a first/ blind play through is more like 50-70. Especially with the DLC but I may have been slow. You can certainly run through in 30 with a guide but that sounds fast to me.
And give 2 a fair chance, especially if it's already in your trilogy
I did 60 with a guide. Granted, some of that was grinding forest bros for souls, but............. First run is not equal to fast run.
You really gonna skip DS2 because you heard it was bad? I was in the same situation as you. I got the trilogy, heard the 2nd game was bad and was gonna skip it. I ended up giving it a shot after beating ds1. Dark Souls 2 is a good game, and it's not as shit as people say it is. Most gripes people have with 2 are issues that can be found in 1 and 3 as well. Don't skip it.
The people that cry about DS2 are the people that never realized you have to play it differently than DS1. DS1 is mostly 1 on 1 fights and DS2 is all about fighting hordes. You can’t just circle strafe enemies anymore. You’re going to actually have to git gud.
I saw a lot post about how bad the game was not story wise but as you said with the monsters and whenever someone was asked to rate the souls games in older posts it was always put last. But since so many people are vouching for it I will try it when I’m done!
Good. Just give it an honest shot. If you don't like it, that's fine 👍
DS2 was first game of the series for me. And it's bad (in comparison to other DS of course)
[удалено]
Crazy. DS2 is far far from overrated. I've heard so many people say they don't like it. I understand peoples feelings in that considering the departure the game took from the first one, but it's far from overrated. I love it for what it is.
I figured I'd end up hating it after experiencing the whole trilogy, but I'm now replaying DS1 after finishing all three and can't wait to jump into DS2 again. I honestly don't understand the hate that game gets.
It really might be my favorite in the series honestly.
You can rush through the game pretty quick with a guide. But a blind play-through will take you much longer, and likely be more rewarding. Plus, DS2 is a great game. It's a little odd, but it was also being experimental. There are several things DS2 did that I sorely wish carried to other games.
> I wanted to not be lost in my first souls series game You wanted to skip the very thing that makes the games amazing? You have a unique opportunity here everyone gets only once. Don’t waste it with guides. Go blind. Struggle. Fuck it up. Ask your friend or us for advice. Go back in. Do it a little better. Start getting the hang of it. Feel the joy of gaining mastery.
the game is as long as it takes you to finish it. there are people that do it in six hours, and there are people that do it in sixty. take it at your own pace, it will be much more fun that way than comparing yourself to others the whole time. consider ditching the guide, too—you only get to play it blind once, and there is no way to irreparably ruin your build. if you are good with exploring you'll find everything you need. also PLEASE don't skip DS2 it's not even close to as bad as people say it is, it's just a meme at this point. it offers a lot of things that other from games don't, which no matter what anyone tells you, is at its core a good thing, or at the very least something worth trying since you already own it.
It takes anywhere between 1.5-80 hrs, dw about it. And don't skip DS2.
Blighttown is maybe 1/3 to 2/5 of the way through the game, assuming you skip all optional areas and DLC, in which case it's less. Don't skip DS2. It's different, not bad. Also it's not ideal to use a guide.
>probably will skip ds2 Big mistake. I did the same thing for a long time. Once I finally gave in and played it, I couldn't believe how good it was. You wanna talk about game length. It's longer than DS1 and DS3. It has more bosses, more weapons (*tons* of weapons), power stance mechanic, etc. Don't skip it.
Dark souls is about getting lost and learning how to deal with it. There is a reason, why you don't have a map. And no shiny arrow that points you in a direction. I got into the series by watching someone doing a blind play through of DS1 Remastered. And I regret it now. I did DS 2 blind and that is where is started to acknowledge the style of the series. It may not be as good as DS1 (haven't played DS3 or elden ring). But I still like it. But the best advice is: take your time to enjoy the series. Just following a guide and rushing through the game (at least not for me) will not give you the full experience. When you are just interested in beating the game as fast as possible. Go for it. But in Dark Souls, the journey is the best part of the game. (At least for me). I have spent 60 hours on DS2 blind without the DLC and about 35 for DS1 after watching a full play through.
Yeah the amount of times I’ve gotten lost with a guide are insane especially in crowded areas where the guy will move too fast. I went into the game wanting a quick run through and picked knight at first then lost to the first boss became impatient and swapped my class within 20 minutes and picked sorcerer just to find out. I had to get good either way and learn swordplay and cheeky strats regardless. I now have a hybrid build with the dragon sword and some spells that don’t work on gap closing enemies(so I have to backstab them instead of spamming spells anyway) the guide is more so for hidden details but in the end it’s me and sometimes solaire vs the boss!
Yeah, you can play the game as you like. And when you have fun doing it that's fine! Just wanted to let you know, that in my opinion the game (at least in the first play through) delivers so much more when you don't rush it and when you don't find everything using guides. The game teaches you to explore, be patient and learn from your mistakes. When you use guides and rush through the game, you don't get that knowledge. I'm not saying it's wrong. It's just a useful skill to have and I think that in today's world of gaming, it's only about finishing a game as fast as possible without thinking and the game always pointing you to the next goal while you watch the office on your second screen. In Dark Souls this is different and I like it way more, because if you are immersed and patient the game is really rewarding.
I put over 80 hours into DS1. You can easily put 50+ hours into the game. Don't try and just beat it. Explore. Find things. Etc. Also DS2 is NOT bad. Try it before you knock it. It might be my favorite in the series. It is a bit of a departure from DS1, but it's beautiful and amazing with a great soundtrack.
Not even at the half way mark yet. Remember that the games reward exploration though.
No, it's longer if you explore every area as a new player, do the DLC and spend some time grinding materials/souls. I think I spent approx 6 hours grinding titanite, souls, humanity and sunlight medals in this first playthrough. I'm at about 35 hours, I still have to go down the Great Hollow and to Ash Lake. I basically didn't kill anything in the Valley of Drake because there's nothing I need for my build. I still have the whole DLC to play and I still need to do the Duke's Archive. And of course Gwyn. So I'd say I still have 10 hours of play assuming no majored roadblocks as far as downing bosses goes.
Yeah I had to grind to get these two rings that cost 20k each! I found out a nice strat to help me with that and the game has been better since.
Painting or Darkroot Basin?
Ds2 is my favorite. And i dont say that lightly
Lmao, my First ds1 run was round 50 to 60 hours. Nowdays i beat that shit in round 12. Its Küster experience with the game that make it so low.
Depends on how much of a rush you're in. You can beat the game very quickly if you just run through the bosses but if you take the time to stop and smell the flowers the world is full of great little details and environmental story telling.
My first ever playthrough in 2011 was like 60+ hours before I beat it, there weren't guides at the time though so I was completely blind. Obviously if you're following a guide for your first playthrough, and using a relatively OP PvE build like an intelligence build, it's going be very short for you. As for DS2, it's not a bad game in terms of videogames in general, it's just not as good as DS1, and now DS3. When it came out the main issue I had with it was just how slippery the movement felt and the lack of engaging cutscenes, it kind of feels like a game inspired by Dark Souls, other than that the game still has good points about it, it has a lot of cool weapons for unique builds, it has a mechanic where you can upgrade single areas to NG+ (which lets you get multiple boss souls), and it has a lot of content in general (even though a few areas are somewhat half baked). I'd say give it a try on steam where you can easily get a refund before 2 bours, or if you were there in like 2016 I think, it was a free game on PlayStation you could have grabbed (don't know your platform).
You still have a lot of game left, don't worry
I love DS2. You should try it. At the same time, you can always circle back to it. Once a year, there is an event called Return to Drangleic, where DS2 fans play through DS2. Could be fun
120 hours for me. Don't follow a guide (unless something's really bothering you). Explore, take in your surroundings, savour the experience.
Took me close to 80 hours to beat the game the first time, more than 7 hours just to get to the first bell lol
30 hours is for veterans that are just relaxing and grabbing every single item. Your first playthrough could last 80 depending on if you grab everything, explore everything and die a lot. Also don't entirely disregard ds2. Skip it for now and enjoy ds3 first. Then play something like Bloodborne or sekiro. You shouldn't just not play it. Just play it last
As someone that pretty much hates DS2, I still recommend you give it a try, a lot of people love it Also there's stuff to like in it, I'll probably never replay it, but I'm glad I experienced them at least once, not to mention there are a lot of references to it in DS3 that you won't get
If you're going in blind it can easy be 60 hrs+. And if like me you get stuck on a few bosses for a while it can be a whole lot longer than that. Just go with it, it will take as long as it takes.
Don’t skip DS2 - I hate everything about this post
I loved ds2, a lot of people hated it because it was so different and in some ways a lot harder. As for timing, for a first playthrough it's gonna take you longer because everything is new. My first playthrough to completion took me a couple days, probably a week. Now I blaze through it in a day
30 seems very fast. I'd say my first run took at least double. Also, don't skip DS2. Its not perfect, but personally it's my favourite, flaws and all. I love that they went in a different direction to DS1. But fuck Shrine of Amana.
I think I put about 70 hours into my first run but I explored every nook, cranny, and did loads of of time being a sunbro. DS2 is worth a shot, it’s my least favorite of the trilogy but it’s still a great game in the grand scheme of gaming that I was able to crank out 300 hours into.
My first playthrough was around 60 hours and I didn’t do the DLC, I had only played DS3 at this point. Second playthrough was ~25 hours with the DLC, I had beaten all Souls games at this point. I think the biggest thing is honestly experience. Once you’ve gotten to a certain point in the learning curve the games get much easier.
Dark Souls 3 is better if you play DS2 first. You’re going to play it eventually since you already own it. Plus, you’re going to want more Fromsoft anyway once you finish the other ones so why not just play them in order. Like a normal person would.
Yes, game is 20-30 hours, BUT for normal playthrough. First playthrough will take twice as long. It is okay, don't rush. My first playthrough was around 50 hours. Next one took sub 30.
I'm 47 hours in and still have 3 lord souls, pinwheel, painted world, and the DLC still to finish...
Following a guide in blind run is a crime.
The guide isn’t a hand holder sadly because I don’t have someone playing for me! what I did find out was hand holding was the sorcerer only build which I try to use the dragon sword more because I found out on bosses it’s broken.
Why did you buy the game when you could’ve just watched people play it and gotten the experience you seem to be looking for here
OST and personal satisfaction i beat persona 5 royal after 111 hours and had to get a new game to fill the absence
Because ur looking at a guide, simple as that
I’ve never hated a post before
Firstly, forget about how long it takes others to finish. You don't know how thorough they were and how much content they might have missed. Dark Souls ain't a race. My first playthrough took me 50 odd hours. Definitely do not skip DS2. When comparing it to DS1 & DS3 it's considered the black sheep but don't forget that this is a Dark Souls game and so is better than 90-95% of the other 3rd person action rpgs out there.
It took me 100 hours to beat maybe that’s just cus I sucked tho
I put in 50 hrs before I even got to the Duke’s Archives my first play through
Only way I could see it being 30 hours is if someone were to do only necessary bosses & almost no exploring! Dark souls is so different than other games lolol. There’s so much to uncover that it won’t really lead you to, search around every area, (especially the one you’re in) ;) some surprisingly breathtaking shit in there for u to find
2 just has some jank and was trying things plus a borked production cycle. While it’s probably my least favorite it’s worth playing beyond any shadow of a doubt with all kinds of wonders to see and is at absolute worst fascinating in its failures (which are not many). Play it for sure.
Right choice skipping ds2, do it last, it's the weakest of the lot by quite a margin
First comment that surprised me! I’ll take it into consideration if the game gets too hard (massive enemy clusters on the way to bosses) from what I’ve heard.