I fucking adore Souls 3. I really do. But three playthroughs in a row I've gotten to Irithyll and quit. Same this time, rinsed it last week over three days, got to there, no desire to go back.

Its definitely burnout. There are games burnout never really happens on, Football Manager, Isaac etc, but that's because they aren't games that demand your immediate, constant attention. Souls does and after about 700 hours in those worlds over the past few years, it feels all too familiar.

I'm hitting NG+ just now and it's fairly just the same with no changes.
At least ds2 had additional enemies added.
The fact I'm running through with a executioner sword +10 with a bleed stone and +5 shield is making this easier than the first run. Already had the white branch so no need to bother with the giant. It's good, but I can see me quitting before the end. Bleed damage is OP.

I was meaning burnout in a personal sense, you lot are just lunatics.

I've never played through any bloodsouls more than once, i'm a heathen!

Aw yeah that was the best Burnout. I played it to death. So good.

Had ds3 been a brand new franchise from an unknown developer it would have been rightly praised to the high heavens.  Feels like people are looking for a reason to bring it down because they haven't had that same thrill they had the first time round.
Objectively it's an outstanding game, the only real complaint to my mind is the FPS issue.

AndCallMeCharlie wrote:

Had ds3 been a brand new franchise from an unknown developer it would have been rightly praised to the high heavens.  Feels like people are looking for a reason to bring it down because they haven't had that same thrill they had the first time round. Objectively it's an outstanding game, the only real complaint to my mind is the FPS issue.

Dark Soldier wrote:

It is an outstanding game but it can only really be measured by the previous games in the franchise. The nostalgia bullshit really drags it right down in my eyes, all the nods and hellos with previous characters/locations etc. The gameplay, world building etc is still astonishing, but it is essentially more of the same and to people who have caned every one in the series, I totally get the disappointment.

Both good points. You are not really disagreeing just saying things from a different perspective. From my perspective yes i played Dks1 first but i only played it through once so i haven't played it as much as many and probably don't even notice the nostalgia nods. Taken on their own both amazing games, Dks1 will always be a bit magic due to my first experience but it had flaws which Dks3 does not and Dks3 graphics + combat way better.

Anyway, DLC etc etc

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-10-27-dark-souls-3-ashes-of-ariandel-review

Childintime wrote:

I have a sickness.

It is a blessing

Playing NG+ in ds3 and Scholar.
Both great fun.

voices wrote:

but those that don't like multi stage bosses will hate it.

Fuck. That's me out.

JonB wrote:

voices wrote:

but those that don't like multi stage bosses will hate it.

Fuck. That's me out.

Lol, I was thinking of you while reading it.

No, I didn't do any of the double health bar bosses solo first time. I've since done Abyss Watchers and the Princes on my own, but haven't been any further than that. Mostly because I find most of the bosses after the first 3 lords really boring and annoying.

One of the things I loved about the bosses in Souls games originally was that single health bar ominously stretching across the bottom of the screen, which represented the task in hand and your progress through it. The first few hits you chip away at it and it's hard to see how you'll ever win, but you gradually get it down to almost nothing and know that the moment it's empty that's the killing blow. Subverting that idea once with S&O was fine. What they did in DS3 (and Bloodborne to an extent) was just chucking more stuff in for the sake of it. The final boss in DS1 is neat, well-matched battle. In DS3 it's a tedious marathon.

I liked it. The last boss was the best thing about the dlc. I would rate it as a decent multi-stage boss too, as each stage had it's difficulties, unlike Nameless King where the first stage was a cake walk that felt like it was just wasting your time.

I could feel myself getting a bit better at it with each failure, which in my opinion is the hallmark of a good boss.

After a long hiatus from gaming have returned to my beloved dark souls (my original save glitched in undead burg ng++). I think its the very best game, just sublime.

The boy (7 - dont judge) was hankering for a go. After only verbal instruction on the controls the little fecker managed the asylum demon on his 2nd attempt. Very proud moment.