From Software 'n such

[Khan]

Who cares? its obvious the franchise is well loved and people lap them up me included and if its making them money and giving us what we need the more the merrier I say!

*currently sl170 in my first play through*

Yet to start bloodborne since I wanted to finish ds2 first but already frothing at the mouth from some of the videos ive seen

[Squire Grooktook]

Besides the aforementioned Blame inspired setting, I'd like to see more games that keep Souls structure (difficulty, punishing checkpoints and resources/progression, etc.) but experiment with different styles of combat. The more freestyle, acrobatic controls of a Platinum title with Souls checkpoints and progression would be a joy.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I'd like to see more games that keep Souls structure (difficulty, punishing checkpoints and resources/progression, etc.) but experiment with different styles of combat. The more freestyle, acrobatic controls of a Platinum title with Souls checkpoints and progression would be a joy.

Different genre, but I couldn't recommend the PS2 Shinobi enough. Strictly speaking, the stages don't take as much time to traverse and are 100% linear, but deaths feel just as punishing.

Is there a character (NPC?) named Nowa Huta somewhere in Souls games or Bloodborne? After Ostrava of Demon's Souls, it would sound becoming to say the least.
Reminds me of Scrapped Princess, where the characters sport names like CZ, Casull, Galil, Dragunov...

[CMoon]

Wow, I go onto Reddit and someone literally answers Captain's questions about this Franchise, specifically focusing on Demon's Souls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rst4PKD ... oP&index=2

[Obiwanshinobi]

Also, those who'd like to sample how else (than it has) Zelda could have evolved into 3D - need to play Blood Will Tell.

[CMoon]

Also, those who'd like to sample how else (than it has) Zelda could have evolved into 3D - need to play Blood Will Tell.

I wanted to mention it in another thread, but I love how you continue to champion some of the underdog titles on the ps2 like Blood Will Tell and Crimson Tears. Despite being as old/older than a lot of you here, I think the PS2 was my favorite console and had a lot of games that bridged the gap from 8bit to 3D, like God Hand.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I'm no "PS2 kid", generation-wise, but it's hard to imagine any other console will ever do this much for me. Entire genres - from arcade racing through shmups to flight sims - found their way to me from there... Then again - I met a guy my age for whom 360 was THE one that clicked with him for life. Perhaps this kind of chemistry occurs once in a lifetime.

[Squire Grooktook]

Yes, PS2 was damn great.

[Obiwanshinobi]

And yet another kind of combat fuelling a demanding TPP action game can be found in Spartan: Total Warrior. Whilst also linear, the array of ways in you can tackle each stage is rich in alternatives. Rather demanding, too.

Any version should be fine; I'm playing it on the Wii using a GameCube controller and it works a treat. It's also one of those that-gen multiplatform games not quite surpassed technically by any platform-exclusive title (known to me) at the time, like Burnout 2, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Black.

[CMoon]

And yet another kind of combat fuelling a demanding TPP action game can be found in Spartan: Total Warrior. Whilst also linear, the array of ways in you can tackle each stage is rich in alternatives. Rather demanding, too.

What is this game? I've never played it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHDc10UlUHM

The narration is either the worst thing ever or complete genius!

[Obiwanshinobi]

German GameCube version is German-only (not enough disc space to store all the other voice data I guess)... better voiced than their stereotypically poor movie dubs at that.
May seem Dynasty Warriors-like, but someone likened it to Halo and I admit the A.I. is more playful than you'd expect of a typical crowd-slasher. Pretty essential if you're into that-gen console TPP action if you ask me.
Apparently the team at Creative Assembly that made it worked on some rugby games before.

[JBC]

Otogi Souls plz

[Immryr]

i just started reading blame and I definitely agree that blame souls could be absolutely incredible.

[awry]

Well, I liked even the one people seem to hate (DS2), so this is good for me. Plus, that Miyazaki guy that souls fans drone on about is involved, and he apparently does no wrong, so be positive.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Who's responsible for the weirder monster designs in Demon's Souls? Also, that font reappearing in From Software games. Stylistic resemblane to Lost Kingdoms is very tangible, but I also recall some enemies in Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song looking this kind of yucky.

I don't quite share this longing for some grand auteur expected to make or break such games in this day and age. When you listen to folks working in dev teams sized largery enough to finish the job in time acceptable for the founders, they never seem to say "and when our hopes were all but lost, Dude A™ had arrived and saved the day". Hardly something they'd have a reason not to say in an interview if it was true.

[Blinge]

Still not over how much of a dumb thread title this is.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I read From Software just shared the sales figures of all Dark Souls games this far and the PC platform reigns supreme (if not in Japan). So it have become the series Monster Hunter wasn't given a chance to be.

[Satan]

I haven't played DS2 yet or Blood Borne. I loved Demon's Souls and had a 35hr save on Dark Souls which I deleted out of sheer frustration and now regret. I'll restart one day. This is a post in this thread.

[Khan]

So after 122hrs I completed my first dark souls 2 playthrough and finished at around Sl211 which ive been told is pretty high for play through number 1 but ive always been the type of guy who enjoyed farming and grinding for gear. Sadly I missed Navlans quests since I didnt know that once you pull that damn lever you cannot do them I also missed getting sunlight spear since its impossible to co-op in the pc version no one seems to be online and even though ive got my summon sign out on tough bosses such as the smelter demon/the rotton/ruin sentinels no one seems to summon me

[Ed Oscuro]

PC platform reigns supreme

HALLELUJAH

Incidentally, the next Dragon's Doges will be on PC also. Maybe this is a trend.

[Lobinden]

Dark Souls 4? I'm already playing Dark Souls 6!

In all seriousness though, I like the Souls series, but I can't help but feel that From Software have become a one trick pony. I would really like to see them do something new, or just reboot metal wolf chaos - a game too 'MURRICAN for American audiences.

[Blinge]

It's a business that has found mainstream success after years of having a tiny niche audience. It wouldn't go any other way. People need to play 3D Dot Game Heroes god damnit.

Lost Kingdoms 3 when?

[Immryr]

3d dot game heroes isn't a from soft game though.

[Blinge]

Aww my bad. It's stuff like inclusion of the Moonlight Sword and a place called From Cave where they talk about developing Armored Core and make Demon Souls references that threw me..

[Weak Boson]

Enjoying messing around with some things in pvp. DS2 is definitely good for this. Not getting many results but it's fun.

Dual weilding red and blue smelter swords!

EDIT: after procuring an imense number of dragon bones my helter skelter smelter swords are cutting through swathes of phantoms. Fully upgraded im getting a gair few 1HKOs and no one gets past three direct hits. The moveset and reach of the swords isnt incredible but you gotta love multicoloured explosions.

[Blinge]

Suggesting this thread be renamed From Soft Love or general from soft thread or suchlike.
People seem to be discussing the company in general, and it'd make a good place to talk about lesser known games like Lost Kingdoms or Ku-On etc

[Ed Oscuro]

I can't help but feel that From Software have become a one trick pony.

Historically From has had long periods of developing quite similar games, only to suddenly move onto a new direction. I'm not worried about this: The named King's Field games were released over 7 years, but that stretches a bit if you count the Shadow Tower games and Eternal Ring. The Souls franchise has been around for 6 years, but its releases have all been high quality and it has seem some very interesting divergence from the usual From aesthetics. At the same time, AC was easily the "other half" of From Software with tons of yearly releases, but From seem to have halted work on that series since 2013 in favor of new directions. That probably has AC diehards writing on the floor, but From don't seem to be putting name recognition above all else. From has kept some core ideas around since its very early days, persisting even through different generations of developers, but at the same time there's radical differences from its old games to newer ones. (It also has to be asked whether anybody actually wants From to radically change the Souls / Bloodborne formula.)

Put another way, in 2003 From released Shadow Tower Abyss. In 2002 Bethesda Softworks released The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

Which company has changed its games more since then?

Next up: Eternal Ring

[evil_ash_xero]

Otogi Souls plz

A more complex Otogi would be great. I like the old ones, but kind of mixing what they have going on in Bloodborne with Otogi would be really awesome.

If they could make a more easy to get into Armored Core, that would be good. They might want to rename it, just so they can attract a new audience.

And as mentioned above, From doesn't really have a huge variety of game genres going on. They have the King's Field/Demon's Souls stuff, the mech stuff, and then the hack n' slash, like Otogi or Ninja Blade. They're not a big studio.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Kuri Kuri Mix and Lost Kingdoms are so unlike anything else it has to count for something.

[JBC]

Otogi Souls plz

A more complex Otogi would be great. I like the old ones, but kind of mixing what they have going on in Bloodborne with Otogi would be really awesome.

My thoughts.