Be Excellent To Each Other

I love that everyone that's playing this is enjoying it as much as when I first played Demon's Souls. It's not for everyone, sure, but there's something about it that's magic.

I kept get Estus flasks recharging yesterday every now and again and I'm sure that happens when someone + rates your messages!

I got one-shot by a guy in plate armour, wielding a sword I can only describe as an incredibly large, erect-if-slightly-bent penis. He beat the living shit out of me.

Fortunately I lured him away from his spawn point, so I rescued the ~5000 souls and 3 humanity I'd lost.

Awesome.

What colour was his armour? Has anyone found the orange armoured dude? He drops an awesome ring. You let him out of jail, but I attacked him. Took ages to kill him. His metal armour clacking against the floor as he rolled around sounded brilliant. In fact, the sound effects generally are great. Every piece of armour makes a different noise when you move. And has anyone else noticed that every single weapon in the game has its own animations and moves? Also also, the enemies visibly go into different stances dependent on what they're planning to do, be it parry, block, defend, go all out attack, etc.

So much stuff! Seriously, I'm blown away by the depth of it. The polish and the little details. The only thing I can really nitpick at is the occasional dodgy camera angle and terrible frame rates from time to time.

Finally killed the fucking Taurus Demon. Hell yeahs. When I died straight after before getting to a bonfire I thought I had to do it all again - but thankfully I hadn't.

Also, you can quit at any point and it will start you there when you reload. Considering my life is hellabusy at the moment, and I barely get a second to think, it's weird this is both my game to relax, and the game I can fit into 10 min chuncks.

Acebest.

Also spoiler for the dragon:

Stop making me want this before it goes sub-£20!

Aye the Drake sword! I'm using it now - it's truly badass! I had to pump some souls into strength, mind. Had to use it two-handed before which is a bit risky. Now I'm swinging it with one hand and brandishing my shield. Awww yeahhhh.

I've found the guy in the tower. I didn't murder him as he said he'd give me a reward later. Still ain't found him yet but then again three humanities and all my pine resin gone I haven't killed those sodding gargoyles.

I've read that he kills an important NPC or something, so it's best to kill him. It'll be interesting to see what happens in your game though! Apparently he's quite similar to a guy from Demons Souls? Did it ring any bells when you saw him?

Actually there was a guy who gradually bumped off your allies in the main hub. I can't remember him looking the same. The guy in orange armour in Demon's Souls was one of the first people you meet and helped you out in various spots. He did turn right at the end though for some reason I can't remember but it was for some righteous reason or other.


Still, now I'll have to kill that guy next time I meet him! I don't want him making a hard game any harder.

Just a normal grey/silver. He was in the tower you climb to get to the Taurus boss, through the locked door on the ground floor. I used my trusty Master Key thing to go through, ignored all of the handy player-written warnings on the floor, and proceeded to get royally fucked. Think I'll wait a bit and fuck him up when I'm stronger; he surely carries or guards something useful.

Haha! Not sure I met him! This game reminds me of the original Prince of Persia a bit. You know before you get the sword? And you run the wrong way into the guard? That bit. But for the entire game.

I didn't play that, but it sounds about right. I got absolutely battered in the graveyard before realising there was a ramp right by the bonfire to take you up to the right zone. And having just started again as a Pyromancer (man they're fun), the guy you talk to actually gives you a whole load of information if you nag him. Well, until he gets fed up and tells you to piss off, anyway.

I'm back to where I was last night now, but I'm too full of cold to carry on. But now I've not lost any souls, and have managed to pick up a healing spell, a bow, and a whole load of arrows, so I'm in much better shape this time around. The combat is clicking, too, now I'm lighter than the Knight I originally picked; now I can circle strafe and roll to my heart's content, then beat the living shit out of people from behind with my giant mace. Awesome.

This is weird. I kept shooting the dragons tail but it didn't drop the sword, but I noticed that he stomped around on the bridge so I shot him one last time and made a run for it up the steps and towards the dragon. I managed to run under his legs and to the other side! The dragon gets a bit pissed but then flys off and there's a respawn point.

It only opens the gate near where the Undead Parish starts after the rats though, but still, I crapped myself for a minute. This giant Claymore sword waits on the bridge though to be picked up.

I haven't managed that! How long did you shoot his tail for? It takes like 50 arrows... I just got killed by the Gargoyles. I wasn't really trying hard enough - they seemed quite easy - I just got taken out by the damn fire breath during a lapse of concentration. Might save it for tomorrow night now.

Had two more goes. It's not easy! I need to take out the first one before fire face turns up to spoil the party. Will continue tomorrow. But what a game, eh? I've already ploughed 15 hours into it since Friday!

Once the dragons gone, it's gone. I'm sure it'll pop up again later in the game but I'm not getting that sword now. I stuck about ten arrows in the tail but got bored after that. I don't think I had fifty anyway!

Has anyone seen this though, as you come down the lift in the Undead Parish before you get to the bottom you can step off onto the ruins. If you walk along you can see an item shining on the roof of a building but I can't see a way across. Anyone else seen that? The lift brings you back to the start point with the skeletons which a little easier and one poke of my big lance and they fall over. I thought I might take a look since I was struggling with the gargoyles but there are some mahoosive skeletons in the graveyard too that slapped the shit outta me and my pokey stick. I think I'll leave that for a little while yet, although you can reach the catacombs if you defeat about 4 skeletons. Not that you want to go down there either yet...

You people are making me want this.

However, seeing as I'm only half way through GeOW3, haven't started Deus Ex yet and Forza 4 is out on Friday, I think my resistance fu is high at the moment.

It's at the top of my LoveFilm rental list now.

Having said that, all the reviews agree this is very hard, bafflingly impenetrable, and has no significant multi player angle. It has "£18 before Christmas" written all over it.

Demon's Souls has held its price very well, out of interest, but that was a PS3 exclusive. I wonder how its selling.

Just did some reading, and it turns out that plated guy who handed my arse to me is Havel and is notoriously An Arse.

You have to do some jumping - I managed it. There's also a crow's nest. You roll up in a ball and the giant crow picks you up and drops you back at the Asylum, which is now overrun with rock hard enemies!

Also, I beat those giant skeletons, got some good items including the binoculars! I walked down to the Catacombs but it was all dark and I bottled it!

I just had a peek at the wikis and they're saying that there's a sorcerer at the shrine at the start locked in a cell. I'll be damned if I've seen it. I'm desperate for some magic to ease me through these gargoyles.

Apparently the Orange Knight kills this sorcerer later on but you can catch up to him and retrieve her (its a woman apparently) soul and bring her back. This is the only way to get that Orange guys armour apparently. I just wait and see what happens then...if I can find her that is.

I don't want his awesome orange armour any way!

this sounds more and more awesome. keep writing.

I got it for under £18 around six months after it came out, and I know it was that price before I bought it.

Zavvi Mega Monday, innit!

I can't kill the Taurus boss, because I'm shit. I know I just need to stop panicking and learn his attacks, though, and I'm sure I will. But for now, I'm just getting my arse handed to me. Woe.

And his reward is some jewel thing. And (and) apparently he'll help you kill the gargoyles (but he wasn't there when I tried. It's triple nectar points all round for letting him out.

Oh and I know why some guy joined my game the other day. If you have humanity before the gargoyles you can summon Orange Knight or that cleric guy to help you out. The AI can play him but somehow higher level players can play as them too. There was something similar in Demon's where a higher level player could 'be' goro. I mean, the boss. I remember it well cause whoever was playing the boss had walked away from his console so he just stood there while I kicked his ass until the player came back and tried to run away after I pushed him into a corner. Brilliant stuff that was - but could easily gone the other way.

I can't see the lack of direct multiplayer (just referring to the docs comments above) as hindering the success of this game. The community and spirit of co-operation in the game more than makes up it. Rate peoples messages if you found them helpful everyone, especially if you see mine!

pooh got the drake sword and managed to kindle my fire. Now to fight the dragon? Or scarper somewhere else...

I wouldn't bother fighting him - I pumped 100s of arrows into him and he barely flinched. Unless you can do what Ian did, he seems unbeatable for the time being.

Quick, check your inventory peeps. Have you got the basement key? You can unlock the door on the bridge just after you fight Taurus but before the dragon. The dragon who "will" now do a lap of the castle walls and flame you if you walk across at the wrong time (but he doesn't settle on the wall again)!

That door leads to the lower parts of the Undead Burg. Exploring now!

That wasn't what I was getting at. I was referring to how an active multiplayer scene stops people trading in games (by, effectively, endlessly generating fresh content) and thus keeps prices higher for longer. I appreciate Dark Souls has this clever semi-MMO aspect, but that's not the same as (say) CoD. Hence I think the price will drop more quickly.

Once you've maxed your character out you can get into high end PVP I suppose. But yeah, there's so much here I doubt people will be trading it in any time soon, if at all. Having said that, it's so damn tough and unforgiving if you're not prepared to put the time in, I imagine many copies have been traded in already.

This is my theory. We'll see soon.

Well whoever is in GAME or wherever next report back as to how many copies.

It was interesting to read that the PS3 version is outselling the 360.

Anyway, I've spent the last hour and a half down in the lower burg. Those thief guys are quick but don't take much damage but still kicked my ass enough times until I got a clear run. And I managed to find that sorcerer and am now the proud owner of a basic Soul Arrow! BOOM. Plus, I've unlocked the short cut under the bridge.

Plus plus (its been eventful) I found that woman in the cage - she's only under the start up shrine?! Did everyone know there's a lift below the start shrine to go somewhere else (and not the bloody grave yard) right under my nose

360 is for casuals only interested in HD-DVD, clearly. ^__^

I'm sure the price will drop quickly on this, but like Mirrors edge theyve done something so unique I want to give them as much mullah as possible.

Xbox game of the year contender this. The claws are deep. If only I wasn't so busy...

Holy shit, this game never stops getting cooler:

http://t.co/GafkFYKO

Beat the gargoyles, by the way. First time!

Also by buying the game now, you can see what happens on Halloween. I suspect shit'll get crazy...

I'm try them tomorrow now I've got my soul arrow. Did you get assistance or lone gun them?

The New Londo Ruins are below the shrine but it looks to be a dead end with some ghosts you can't kill although this merchant in the bridge shortcut was selling something to turn you into a ghost I think. Plus, now I've got the Capri Demon boss to kill who wiped me out in one swoop.

So can I just check that the shrine has only four exits and I've not missed anything else: graveyard, over the bridge to the Burg, up the lift to the church and below the shrine to the ruins. Oh and the bird back to the start (which I haven't tried yet).

Ten hours clocked up and I've no interest in playing anything else!

Yeah that's about all I've found. I tried going down as well but saw ghosts and came back! I killed the gargoyles on my own. I managed to lop a tail off one of them and they drop the 'Gargoyle Tail Axe' which is decent. I too have the Capra Demon to do now - killed the dragon by shooting it with one arrow from the guard tower behind it (the one with a black knight on it). Think I'll leave Capra for tomorrow though...

Ah man, do they do events and stuff? I heard that people who got the game early (broke street date) were constantly attacked by excessively powerful monsters until launch day.

Can't wait to find out what happens to the people on the 'naughty' list!

Really wanna try this now...hnnngggg ....don't want to splurge 36 quid tho...

Bloody game. For some reason, the dragon has started flaming me well before I even get to the skeletons, at full sprint. It wasn't like this earlier. Why?

Skeletons? Do you mean the regular hollow guards? Also, are you running up the middle or to the side of the bridge? Try to stick to the left hand side then dart across to the steps on the right. You can't make it up there without at least taking one round of fire. I certainly never managed it any way. But also, why are you going that way? Haven't you knocked the ladder down to create the shortcut?

Gargoyles: done. All on my lonesome and on the first attempt. Plus a lovely gargoyle helmet for my trouble. Dunno why it was such a pain the arse before but those soul arrows really helped. Plus I'm kicking everyone arse all of a sudden with my +3 long sword! BLAM! Even those black knights are falling to an onslaught of Mr Stabby and a barrage of magic arrows. I suppose I'll move onto the Capri Demon but I've done all I want to for tonight now: killed the gargoyles, unequiped all weapons and ran past the skeletons to nick the binoculars and a sword, and even did the jump to get to the crows nest. Very happy with the nights progress.

Malabelm, if you hold up your shield even if you get flamed you should survive the blast if you don't make it to the steps in one go. I didn't think that if shot up the bridge until you got within spitting distance of the stairs though.