Exhuminator wrote:Xeogred, how do you think Dark Souls compares to Demon's Souls?
Apples and oranges!
But really, I'll try to break it down a little for someone who hasn't played them yet:
Demon's is kind of like Megaman. You start off in the Nexus which is the hub world where discovered NPC's end up finding their way, so it populates as you progress through the game. I think you have to go through stage 1-1 to open up the other worlds, there's 5, but after that you're free to pick and choose whatever direction you want to take. I wouldn't even really say there's much of a "natural progression" either, you can definitely do 1's worlds, then go to 2, then 3, etc, but it's easy to jump around, with the exception of the 4th world which has tougher enemies and can be a good place to grind for someone green on Souls (grinding doesn't really seem necessary in these games at all actually).
Demon's has a completely different philosophy on armor/defense stats. Armor is basically... pointless and cosmetic. They went back to this design with Bloodborne, with the costume changes barely changing up your defense. Personally I like this is a lot and it almost makes Demon's feel a little more hardcore, your defense is purely the player skill. Everyone basically agrees, just make sure you can do a fast roll in Demon's and you're good to go. It's easy to get the Black Thief set or something early on and stick with it for the whole ride.
In Dark Souls they introduced poise for both enemies and players. Both Dark Souls games are loaded with hundreds of armor sets, which is great for online and customization/playstyles, but there are unfortunately some fat cheese armors in there that make you pretty much invincible. I'll admit to resorting to such a tactic... twice I think, but yeah. You don't have this option in Demon's.
Dark Souls is essentially what modern Castlevania should have become. It's pretty much the Metroidvania formula to utmost perfection. Completely interlinked into one seamless world, it makes for a different experience than Demon's. It's a far bigger game, but in retrospect, I like that Demon's is a bit simpler in comparison... it's the one I've gone back to several times and got the platinum for on like NG++++ something. Replaying Dark Souls is daunting to even think about, though it's easy to sequence break and get by when you know the world and levels after a playthrough or two, it's still very different in design and far more complex.
There's not really any main hub area in Dark Souls 1. NPC's are pretty sparse and spread out. I like the sense of danger the game gives off throughout the entire world, you just feel completely alone and never really safe. But, there's something I love about how Demon's handled the levels and warp points, they are much longer than many bonfire to bonfire (checkpoints) in Dark Souls 1. So going from point A to point B to get to the boss in Demon's, it gives me awesome NES vibes like I'm conquering some huge level. Dark Souls 1 does have its long stretches at times... but it never really gave me that feeling.
Demon's is pretty easy to be flexible with in character builds, in fact I would even personally recommend spreading stats out and getting a bit of everything, magic (basically essential for NG+'s), etc. My first build was so WTF... but I still managed to beat the game. And my second veteran run after the other games, it was a blast to have so much flexibility and experiment with different things.
Misplaced stats in Dark Souls on the other hand? Game over man, game over. It's the type where it's best to plan a bit ahead, pick a build or something to focus on, and stick with it.
The story/atmosphere and aesthetics are hard to compare because I love things about both. Dark Souls definitely has a darker more threatening edge to it, in ways it seems more serious. But I think Demon's has the more haunting and isolated atmosphere. The Nexus and it's disconnected levels make it all the more weirder.
"Obtuse" is what sums up Demon's for me. The story is very strange, the world is very strange, the music is very different, the design often archaic with unforgettable death traps and hilarious moments you'll never forget, weird game mechanics and some gimmicks that aren't even explained or work well, etc it's obviously rougher around the edges. And it's not like Dark Souls has any hint of AAA flair, but it's quite obviously more refined and I won't deny the many improvements it has over Demon's. But... there's just something I love about Demon's unadulterated charm.
I could write a few more pages if we threw in Dark Souls 2 and Bloodborne here haha (even talking about Dark Souls 1 vs 2). So basically I'd probably rate them like so:
Demon's Souls ~ 11/10
Dark Souls = 10/10 (I will say it's my second favorite)
Dark Souls 2 = 10/10
Bloodborne = 10/10
So gold to gold really. Am I biased because Demon's was my first? Maybe there's some nostalgia, but it's a case of where I just don't care about that nonsense! I love it, and there are some knacks to it that make favor it the most:
- Simplicity, so easy and fun to approach for replays
- Framerate is actually superior to Dark Souls 1
- The most dynamic and memorable assortment of unique bosses
- Coolest/weirdest atmosphere and levels
And yeah, I can be that grump that mumbles it's a shame so many fans skip over on Demon's because it's a PS3 exclusive. It's easily worth owning the console for alone.
