☠ Souls Series Symposium ☠

[prfsnl_gmr]

I have the base game. Did the Prepare to Die edition get a physical release in NA?

Also, thanks for the tips, guys.

[isiolia]

I have the base game. Did the Prepare to Die edition get a physical release in NA?

I don't believe so. I think the PC was the only platform to get it here (as the only version available), and even that was only digital. However, you can get it as a UK import for any platform.

That said, it's $19.99 normal price on Steam, and gets included in sales fairly often. So if you'd at all be inclined to play it on PC, chances are you can get it there for $5-10 (Autumn Sale should start tomorrow). It plays best on PC by a good margin, even if you leave FPS capped at 30, since other platforms see big framerate drops in some areas.

Were you doing NG too?

Yep, just doing NG. I've done NG+ once before, and this is skewing a bit towards how that character was set up anyway. I'd just usually use lighter armor and maintain midroll.

Do you mean ludicrous as in easy though? I still forget if it's Demon's or Dark Souls 1 where magic can be really OP, maybe both games.

Yes, and as not-that-hard as this has been, I'm already well past the time it took for that entire run. Higher level too, but that's partly due to cleaning out several vendors for magic instead of spending the souls on leveling.

[Gunstar Green]

I have the base game. Did the Prepare to Die edition get a physical release in NA?

I don't believe so. I think the PC was the only platform to get it here (as the only version available), and even that was only digital. However, you can get it as a UK import for any platform.

There's no release of "Prepare to Die" for 360 at all unfortunately.

[isiolia]

Ah, I probably just see the PC version and think it's that, since it was (originally) Games for Windows Live, which has similar packaging. It's now Steamworks, since GFWL got shut down.

[dunpeal2064]

There's no release of "Prepare to Die" for 360 at all unfortunately.

I thought it had Europe and Asia releases. Been a while since I looked into it, but from what I remember they exist, but are not region compatible with a NTCS-U 360.

[Exhuminator]

I think that playing through Dark Souls is going to be one of my 2018 goals (along with getting through another King’s Field game). Should I download all of the DLC at the outset?

I thought you said you were going to play through Shadow Tower Abyss, as soon as you got your consoles hooked back up? If not, I recommend King's Field III or the OG Shadow Tower.

I have the base game. Did the Prepare to Die edition get a physical release in NA?

As others said, sadly no. But this is the version I'm playing through next year:

[Gunstar Green]

There's no release of "Prepare to Die" for 360 at all unfortunately.

I thought it had Europe and Asia releases. Been a while since I looked into it, but from what I remember they exist, but are not region compatible with a NTCS-U 360.

Huh, looks like you're right. I couldn't find any information on it when I looked for it a few years ago but I've found it a few places online now. But yes it's apparently region coded for some dumb reason.

This seems to be a trend with these games. I think Dark Souls III is the first game where the US finally got the DLC packaged release.

Scratch that, Scholar of the First Sin, duh. But that's a complete overhaul. US still gets shafted frequently with these though.

[isiolia]

Scratch that, Scholar of the First Sin, duh. But that's a complete overhaul. US still gets shafted frequently with these though.

It's a touch more complicated than that. On PS3/360, SoTFS is just a collected version - all versions of DS2 did get some of the additions patched in, but only to a limited degree. Stuff like updated item descriptions or NPCs. Otherwise, if you buy it there, it's the original release with all the DLC.
The PS4/Xbox One version falls more into the HD remake category with remixed content, which was beyond what the 7th gen consoles could manage (lighting engine, more co-op players, 60fps cap, etc).

PC got both, and they remain separate titles on Steam. From what I've seen though, SoTFS is the one that actually seems to go on sale/etc. So buying the original edition and DLC on PC will be relatively pricey, but it's an option.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I think that playing through Dark Souls is going to be one of my 2018 goals (along with getting through another King’s Field game). Should I download all of the DLC at the outset?

I thought you said you were going to play through Shadow Tower Abyss, as soon as you got your consoles hooked back up? If not, I recommend King's Field III or the OG Shadow Tower.

I am still planning on it. Sadly, however, I don’t have my PS2 hooked back up. (Only my HD consoles are hooked up at the moment; so, while I can play PS1 and PS3 games, I can’t play PS2 games.) your post gives me an idea, however. I think the mod you sent me will allow me to play imports, and I have a Japanese copy of the original King’s Field. I typically like playing games in order, and would prefer to play the first game before moving on to King’s Field II and III. I might rig up my PS2 to my TV temporarily to play the original game, and while I have it up there, I might as well play through Shadow Tower Abyss too. . (The games are only 10 to 15 hours each, right?)

[Exhuminator]

I have a Japanese copy of the original King’s Field.

The original KF is excellent, but I played it via an English translation patch. I don't know how playing solely in Japanese could affect your experience. There's a fair amount of text that matters in the game. (Unless you can read Japanese of course.)

I typically like playing games in order, and would prefer to play the first game before moving on to King’s Field II and III.

You're doing the same thing I did then. We both played through KF4 first, said "Oh, I like these!" and went back and to play everything in order. It all worked out fine.

I might rig up my PS2 to my TV temporarily to play the original game, and while I have it up there, I might as well play through Shadow Tower Abyss too. . (The games are only 10 to 15 hours each, right?)

I'll post my HLTB times:

Eternal Ring = 13 hours 30 minutes
King's Field = 13 hours 15 minutes
King's Field II = 16 hours 45 minutes
King's Field III = 25 hours
King's Field III: Pilot Style = 55 minutes
King's Field IV = 33 hours (I really took my time with this one)
Shadow Tower = 14 hours 51 minutes (Hardest game in this list.)
Shadow Tower Abyss = 10 hours 47 minutes (Easiest game in this list.)

Keep in mind, all of my times reflect never using a walkthrough or strategy guide. Most people opt for artificial aid, so you'll see average HLTB times slightly shorter than my own.