One of these days I'm just gonna dedicate all my gaming time into completing FFXIII-2, Tales of Vesperia and Resonance of Fate. Honest. But til then..*plays Dark Souls*

From what I've seen, it looks to be a decent enough game, one I will pick up later when I'm not so bogged down with games I'm already playing at the minute. But for some to make it out as a terrible game is perhaps taking it too far. Even more so when haters of the series since the early days are now using the negative reviews for RE6 as leverage to defend their opinion by saying 'See?! See?! I told you Resident Evil was always garbage!'

In case you were wondering, Hideki Kamiya doesn't give a fuck about the new DMC.

I submitted a question to the 4PlayerPodcast and it got read out on the latest podcast! It's right at 90 mins if you want to hear. My question was:

Are there any games from this current generation that you would consider to be the best in its genre or could even be considered as one of the best games of all time?

I suggested Bayonetta to sort of get the ball rolling and on what they should think of. Nice enough question right? The other guys seemed to think so too, but I had a hunch Brad would have an issue with it because...he's a dickhead.

And I was right! "Best in it's genre, what does that even mean?" Um...exactly what it says Brad, no more, no less. Don't know why he has to over analyse or be pedantic about everything . He tried to defend himself by going on about how games these days sort of blend genres and that my question avoided PC games. It didn't, but I had hoped they would all understand my question was all encompassing for them to include any game released between the launch of the 360/PS3/Wii to now. Besides, his answers of great PC games this gen were FEAR and Half Life 2 . Both great games, just not released in this current gen. Silly Brad. Other answers like Red Dead Redemption or COD4 were answers I could agree with.

Guess I may as well extend the question out to you guys as well. Are there any recent games you've played this gen that you would consider to be one of the greatest ever games?

I had a hard time with examples for the racing or platform genre. I think FIFA 12 can be seen as one of the best sports games ever. I think this gen has been pretty good about producing some games that will stand the test of time. Portal as another example.

Ubisoft revealed their plans for AC3's DLC and it sounds great. An alternative, 'what if' scenario sounds way more interesting than any of their previous single player DLC.

Other than reading reviews and maybe a few video previews, I'm officially on AC3 media lockdown. I want to go in fresh as possible, because it's reaching that point where there's getting to be too many previews. Dad told me that he would see if 'Santa' could bring it for me. Which is nice, except I have to now wait til Christmas to play it. Gotta avoid all spoilers til then, even in this thread haha

A fan made a battle sequence and filmed it like a proper movie. It's pretty epic, albeit, filled with Dawnguard spoilers if you don't want that.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7dGsF_Og9E[/youtube]

RDR is easily one of this generations best games. Not only is it a lot of fun to play, but it also has, to me at least, the best story in an open world game to date.

^ I can understand where you're coming from, I'm just of the notion that if it's an alterative story, then they can just go crazy with it. Hell, go completely batshit crazy and have Washington be one of the ones who came before, I don't mind. They can make up some notion that the piece of eden corrupts Washington's mind (something it is prone to do after all) and the gives in. Again, don't really mind so long as the actual game part of it is interesting to play.

That trailer was stunning. Shut up and take my money!!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNRw7rC9__Y[/youtube]

Yeah, I can't agree about Bayonetta's aesthetic style either. It all just reeks of a sort of incongruous mish-mash of "trying too hard to be cool" design work all over the place.
DMC's aesthetics usually had a great flow between all of the various designs. They all felt like they belonged in the same world together, which is part of the reason that the series is known for an overall iconic style , not just a single iconic design. With Bayonetta, I just don't see it that way.

Says the guy who's only played the demo. Not being funny, I just think you can't really make a judgement call on it without having played the game surely? I will say there are some grand, epic environments in the game, with some cool design that wouldn't feel out of place in a Devil May Cry game.

Again, I can't stress this enough. Even if you're not a fan of the style, which you're clearly not, at least give the actual game a chance. If you liked Devil May Cry, you can't not like Bayonetta. I just think you're missing out on the chance to play a game which you'll like or may even end up loving, just cause you think the characters proportions aren't 'normal'.

Got my copy today. Haven't played much but I will say this.

You can really fuck someone's day up with the pistol. In one really cool moment a guard ran toward me and out of instinct, I pulled the pistol as he drew close and I pulled the trigger. It kicked hard. The guard dropped dead straight away and above all else, it was loud. I was just standing there above the body afterwards kind of rooted in place because I wasn't expecting that.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN3MOK9xWL0[/youtube]

Good lord....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eqOMI8_txw[/youtube]

Just the idea of browsing IE with my 360 controller makes my body quake in revulsion.

The prequels had a number of problems, hell a lot of problems, but it is true that Lucas often has some great ideas. He needs people to work with who will take those ideas and help him develop them into something that works. Alas he'd become so powerful and/or employed such sycophants that everyone just said "yes George" all the time.

Really, there's no reason to be upset, this is perhaps the best Star Wars news in years. What could happen is if they release the original trilogy as is on Blu-Ray. I was going to suggest Joss Whedon to direct, but I hear he is to be directing Avengers 2 and 3. Anyone will be better at it now they can add their ideas and direction to the Universe, now that Lucas is removed out of the equation.

While I enjoyed AC1, I can definately understand why people wouldn't, especially if they burned through it over a weekend or something. For me, play 2 and Brotherhood. Revelations is a fond farewell to Altair and Ezio but in terms of contributing to the over arching plot, it doesn't really give that much. Revelations is a fun game, just very similiar to Brotherhood that if you come into it so soon after playing Brotherhood, you might feel burned out earlier than you would like.

There's no question of what made me well up with emotion, Grave of the Fireflies

That whole movie is just dark and depressing but specifically, what brought me the most close to tears was when he was placing his sister in the makeshift coffin, putting her belongings in there and then he pauses just for one moment to get one last look at her before he closes the lid.

That is, to this day, the saddest moment I think I have ever seen.

Game Informer scans here

Los Santos is bigger than the worlds of Red Dead Redemption, San Andreas and GTAIV combined

Fuck off! :o

Non, it isn't. It's a well made game that is engaging and interesting to play, giving me greater moments through exploration and execution of playing stealthily, than another scripted 'hit X to win' setpiece. If you're comparing it to other games of it's type then I still think it holds it's own. I'd much rather that developers take their cues from Dishonored than Call of Duty and make more games like this.

Played the Jet Set Radio HD trial and that soundtrack! Still one of the best game soundtracks ever. I mean come on, this song! So, goddamn funky.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mizSUxxuCiY[/youtube]

Completed Mark of the Ninja. That game is one of the best stealth games I've ever played. I should write a review at some point but in short, go play it.

Yeh, I can agree with that. It's easier to do when developers drive the experience with such linearity that you can't even go back the way you came. I don't mind COD esque shooters when they're done well or try something interesting at least, but a game like Dishonored, that gives you this broad environment and lots of interesting tools for you to complete your objective, will always be more enjoyable to me.

Was playing mission 3 a while back in Dishonored, and I was sneaking on a roof wanting to drop down a hatch and into a room below, when I dropped down by accident, landing right in front of the guard. On instinct, just as he pulled out his sword, I drew mine first and struck him on the chin. The force of the impact actually lifted the guard up and through a glass window and he landed ded on the guards patrolling below who I could hear were obviously alerted at that point. It's a moment that I made possible, not some scripted event, and to me that will live longer in the memory than another of this breach and clear a room in slow motion seen in every FPS now.

That vid :roll: So because NT did what Capcom asked them to do they don't like or respect DMC. These are the types of fans i hate.

To be fair, the PR from when this reboot was announced didn't do Ninja Theory any favours when they essentially said 'Old Dante? Pfft, fuck THAT guy, our vision is so much better.'

Very, very excited to see the rave reviews Far Cry 3 has been getting. An expansive, open world shooter set on a tropical island, which you can approach in any way you see fit with XP to earn and sidequests to achieve? Sign me up. I'm glad I skipped out on Black Ops 2 , cause this sounds like a game I would like to play.

Hell you even said it would be a decent game if it was a new IP but because it has the DMC name on it its shit.

I've said the gameplay would be fine if it was from a new IP, but it's not good enough to hold up to the standards that previous DMC games have done. I've also said that even if it was a new IP, I'd still find Dante to be an annoying twat.


I've already talked about my impressions on Forza Horizon , great driving game, loved it, but the music in it is awful. I can forgive one track by The Enemy or Lost Prophets, but two? Fuck off. DJ's are embarrassing too. I got mildly excited before I got the game because I was hoping it would give me the same feelings that I got from Metropolis Street Racer or Project Gotham Racing 2. To explain, each city in those games not only had songs that you wouldn't hear anywhere else, but the music would play music from their native country, with the singers and the DJ's themselves speaking in their native language e.g. the DJ's would speak in Swedish when driving a track in Stockholm. I could never understand what they were saying, but I loved that because it really gave each location a sense of place and atmosphere that made them enjoyable to come back to. If the music can be heard at any point, anywhere, then it just makes the tracks interchangeable and doesn't really make me care. No other game has been able to do that, even PGR4 went with a lame soundtrack that you could play across all the track locations.

So anyway to cut a long story short, to combat the annoying radio stations in Horizon, I downloaded the MSR soundtrack and now have it playing during gameplay instead. It's odd, the MSR soundtrack is all songs made for that game and they are so cheesy and bad, but it just holds so much nostalgia for me that I love it. Also, only realised it now, but a lot of the songs are about sex. Double entendres and innuendo galore :lol: Anyway, how could you not love 'Let's Get It On Tonight', the Will Smith sounding wannabee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwTTYohb-is

The only other racing sountrack that I remember well was the first Gran Turismo , but that's only because even back then I was a fan of Ash and they were all over the soundtrack.

Also, another cool feature in MSR that's never been done elsewhere, real time day/night cycles. It worked off the DC's internal clock to determine if the tracks you were driving in would be in day/night e.g. playing it at 12:00GMT would mean the tracks in London would be in daylight, but driving in Tokyo would be 8:00PM, making the tracks drive at night. Some thought of it as gimmicky and I guess I could see that, but again, I felt it gave each location some atmosphere.

Forza Horizon

As a spinoff to the popular Forza Motorsport racing series, the reception to Horizon was rather...lukewarm, at best. With an emphasis on showcasing, arcade-esque handling and drifting, it came across as a quick cash in by non fans, while something of a travesty for Forza purists. But then Horizon is a spin off, it does not say Forza 5 anywhere in the title and shouldn't be judged as such. Luckily Horizon does enough on it's own merits, as well as retain a lot of the good qualities of a Forza game, to make it worthwhile.

The initial premise of Horizon is that it is an open world racer set in Colorado. Taking place in the 'Horizon Festival' it is essentially an excuse to attract the best cars, best drivers and music artists to attend. All well and good but the game ties something of a story around it. You, the silent, almost Levi-esque looking male model, is a newcomer to the festival and decides to enter the competition. You have an attractive, supportive female manager but I mean, you're only a newcomer, you're not going to get that far right....? Your race rivals certainly don't think you can beat them right...? The no.1 race driver in the world, Darius Flynt is there, but there's no way you could beat him............right? It's generic drivel that never manages to engage your interest unless you are 11 years old, and such fantasies of entering an event like this, winning fame and glory, beating your trash-talking rivals, winning the girls and all the best cars in the world is a constant in your head.

The actual Horizon festival serves a purpose beyond providing a background to the hugely inconsequential 'dudebro' storyline. It's a central hub where you can buy cars, tune them, paint them, join car clubs and collect coloured wristbands whose ascending coloured ranks unlock increasingly difficult racing events which are dotted around the world. These events can range from typical circuit and point to point races, street races where civilian traffic is involved but the payout is much greater or showcase events which can pit you against other vehicles like hot air balloons or a biplane to see who's the fastest. Make no mistake, these events are scattered around and the intent is for you to drive to them, as fast travel spots are fairly limited and they can cost a lot to use. But you won't mind the driving, as it's just that good.

The same physics engine from Forza 4 is mostly intact, but it is still absolutely more forgiving. The world, much like the car models themselves, is gorgeous to look at. Visually, Horizon is up there as one of the best looking racers ever. However, it also adds to the fact that the roads are open and seem built for for speed than technical cornering, which ultimately does create a different driving experience than any of the main Forza games. Not saying it is a bad thing, again, it is a different game altogether. Like many open world games, there's an awful lot to see and do and the tempation is strong. Unlocking events, setting off speed cameras against your friends to see who's the fastest, scouting the land for hidden cars, it's all very satisfying. One of the best features is the rivals mode, basically a way of competing for the best times with those on your friends list or, failing that, against a stranger close to you on the global leaderboard. It's a great way to maintain a rivalry with someone even when not playing directly against them.

The music's awful. There are 3 radio stations (dubstep, electronic and rock) with no real stand out tune among them and a lot of the music just awful unless you're really into something like 'Iron Deer Dream (Chad Valley Remix)'. And seriously, one track by Lost Prophets is bad enough but two? Come on....There's not a lot of it too, so expect a lot of repeats. If I hear The Hives one more fucking time...

Retaining some of the goodness from it's father series, while doing enough to carve out it's own identity, Horizon is a joy to play if you can look past the brash, immaturity that is smothered in it.

8/10

Sidenote: I'd like a sequel that takes the Festival global, different races in different cities, with it's own native speaking DJ's and music acts. Basically I want a direct remake of Metropolis Street Racer/PGR2.

Best Xbox 360 game: Mark of the Ninja
Best PS3 game: Journey
Best Wii game: Xenoblade
Best Wii U game: ZombiU
Best PS Vita game: Persona 4 Golden
Best 3DS/DS game: Kid Icarus Uprising
Best PC game: Far Cry 3

Game of the Year runner up: Mark of the Ninja
Game of the Year: Dishonored

And if I may I'd like to add a category to this list

2012's 2011 GOTY: Dark Souls

And if I could, I would make Dark Souls my game of the year. Every year.

Chaos Witch Quelaag - Dark Souls



Half naked woman, half grotesque fire breathing spider, it's a real juxtaposition of beauty and beast and is really rather unsettling.

Now reached a point in Dark Souls where the bosses I fought earlier are now just regular enemies. But at the same time, I'm so much stronger than before so I feel like a badass just plowing them down.

I figured a topic is due considering that not only is Dark Souls one of the best games in this generation (IMO), but they've also announced a direct sequel, Dark Souls II

Hopelessness, Despair, and Impending Doom Arrives With Dark Souls II

SAN JOSE, Calif. – December 7, 2012 – Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today proudly announces that the critically acclaimed Dark Souls™ saga marches forward with Dark Souls™ II, currently in development at FromSoftware in Tokyo, Japan. Dark Souls II will continue a legacy of goading its passionate fan base with unrelenting challenge and suffering that are considered a hallmark of the series; while presenting new devilishly devised obstacles for players to overcome. Dark Souls II will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PCs.

Built upon the foundation established by Souls series creator and Dark Souls II Supervisor, Hidetaka Miyazaki with development helmed by FromSoftware Director Tomohiro Shibuya, Dark Souls II will feature a new hero, a new storyline, and an unfamiliar world for players to survive in while delivering its signature brand of unrelenting punishment that players hunger for. Epic battles with gruesome enemies and blood-thirsty bosses await adventurers as they traverse through a devastated world filled with death and despair; only those who are strong willed or cunning can survive this journey to achieve great glory. Players seeking to share their experience will discover a revamped server-based multiplayer mode that will put a distinct Dark Souls II twist on the concept of playing with others.

“Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.”

“This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series,” says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II. “The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey.”

More details surrounding Dark Souls II will become available in the months leading to its release. Begin your Dark Souls II journey at http://www.DarkSoulsII.com or join the Dark Souls II conversation on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DARKSOULS or follow us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/Filthierich

Official site: http://www.darksoulsii.com/

I cannot wait. As you all know, I love Dark Souls. It's a game that is uncompromising, dark and bleak with tons of atmosphere. Rarely do you play a game and feel so alone and helpless. But at the same time, for all of it's renowned difficulty (and it is difficult, believe me) it is also never unfair and the game does just enough to help you out along the way. More than that, you want to keep playing. You know that as you explore the world, there'll always be something new to find, and there will always be that feeling of "shit, I've ventured too far, these enemies are way more powerful, I shouldn't be here but....the loot!". You fight, you'll die, but you also learn from your mistakes. And there's never a greater feeling than going back to an area that used to give you so much grief in the early stages and be able to plow right through them with your upgraded gear and stats. The game itself is also really innovative in it's multiplayer and you see games like ZombiU now using the messaging system in it's game too.

If you've ever seen the gameplay and think it might not be for you, I urge you to at least try it. None of this 'mash A to win' crap. If you really want to test yourself, knowing that progression in the game is entirely down to your reactions and skills, this is the game for you.

You know, I'm kind of disappointed in myself that I still haven't played this. As much as I love From Software, as much as I love how bleak and dark (heh) it looks, it's just weird that I still haven't taken the plunge.
Soon, I think. Might want Demon's Souls first.

Definately do. Just know what you're getting into cause you will die a lot XD But it's all a learning curve and part of the fascination is pushing yourself into unknown territory and finding new enemies. You get out of the game from what you're willing to put into it and it can be very rewarding as a result.

Sure, if you ever need Dark Souls related advice you know who to ask! :D

Like I said, you get out of Dark Souls from what you put into it. And this video shows it doesn't have to be as dark and oppressive ad you'd think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76iPvmAclM0

^ Funny you should mention that as I got the latest GamesTM magazine today with a preview on the game. It had this to say at the end:

"What was very clear was they [Capcom] didn't want to make DMC5." Antioniades closes. "They didn't want to make something that looked like the previous four. They wanted a new entry point into the series with a different perspective which is why they came to us."

To me that sex scene neither shocks or offends, even though it looks like it's trying to.

You're past the gargoyles already? Nice! You're making some progress alright! If you're in New Londo Ruins and attacking ghosts then it's the wrong place to be. You can't even so much as touch ghosts with a weapon unless you have a usable item known as a transient curse.

I too was lost after the gargoyles but if you want to know where the best place to go next is:

Head back to the bridge with the dragon on it, back as far as where you find the knight Solaire who loves some jolly co-operation. You'll find a door around there that was once previously locked but you have since found a key for it as you made your way to the gargoyles. That is the logical progression to go next, which leads you to the sewers and eventually Blighttown, where the second bell is.

The Capra demon (the one with dual clubs and two dogs) is among the hardest in the game considering what soul level you would be at when facing him and even just the setup of fighting it and those dogs in such a cramped area, so congratulations to you! Sounds like you've been through a lot already! How many hours have you put in already? Don't worry though, there's still a lot to go through I can assure you. You may find with the setup you have that the lower depths and Blighttown might be a little easier for you. I say easier, but Blighttown is a goddamn nightmare to navigate through on your first try so good luck with that. Also, the framerate in Blighttown is notoriously bad, so don't be alarmed if you experience some slowdown, everyone goes through it. You say you were in Darkroot Garden, did you fight the boss there? The.... Moonlight Butterfly

I feel the same way about having to share each little detail. I think it's down to the fact that because the world feels so oppressive, so bleak and filled with this sense that everything is out to kill you, that it feels like an accomplishment for any bit of progress you do. I'm sure you have had that feeling that discovering a shortcut or reaching a bonfire is as satisfying as defeating a boss.

I have put in 77 hours into it and after the progression I made last night, I am literally a single white wall away from fighting the final boss, and I may just do it (or at least try) tonight. But the thing is I don't want it to end! . I hear the DLC is brilliant but the thing is that you can only access the new areas it gives you after reaching a certain point towards the mid or late game stage and if I beat the game now then it will take a while to get back to. And it might be harder still when playing it in New Game +, which significantly increases the damage that enemies can deal, making a notoriously difficult DLC even harder. But then a part of me is saying that that is exactly what I want. Could be a good excuse to play the game over again! :D

Like you said things look great becuase of the art design and detail, but what impresses me is the scope of the game. Some of the backgrounds give you this huge sense of scale that I've only ever seen in the likes of Ico/Shadow of the Colossus. It's awe inspiring at times.

There is enough 'story' there in the game to make you continue but it definately isn't direct as you have expected from other games. However, that's not to say there isn't any. In fact, other players have also managed to gleam together information on the world through NPC dialogue and item descriptions to piece together the lore of the world and it's inhabitants that actually shows that Dark Souls has this surprisingly incredibly rich, detailed and very interesting setting indeed. I would advise not to read up too much about it or look up Youtube videos as it can spoil elements of the game that would be better if you experienced them through gameplay. I haven't delved too much into it myself, but certainly will do when I beat it, and from what I've read thus far, it's been enough to make me very interested to learn more. While I usually don't like game that hide away important story elements behind hidden text, I find Dark Souls so much damn fun to play that it does enough to keep me playing on.

As far as I know it's a new area, new weapons, new enemies and new bosses. So pretty much all you could want out of DLC for this game.

Some of the cover art options are cool, I like #4. However, those options and the fact that there are a lot of gamers saying they're so much better than the one they picked to be the default one, shows exactly why hardcore gamers are not marketers. Had I not known anything about the game, I wouldn't be able to tell you the first thing about the game just by looking at some of those alternative covers. At least from the default cover they've chosen, you know 'oh ok, so a shooter then'.

^ I went for Smough first cause I felt I could handle him better. I'm a Pyromancer you see, and levelled up my pyromancy flame quite a lot so it took quite a lot of health to just cast fireballs anytime he did his butt stomp attack. Also I had Quelaag's Furysword at that point and it deals extra fire damage which I think Smough is susceptible to. Make sure whatever shield you are using blocks physical attacks completely. It was only going through Anor Londo that I caught on about the importance of using the appropriate gear wherever you are in Dark Souls. Having said that I don't think it does a lot of help in this. Stick with it though, it's notoriously the hardest battle of the game, when you get past it you get a brilliant reward for it too.

But do they need to?

Also if thats what Infinite is, then I don't think its for me. If I look at the box that screams "shooter" I'll likely just pass and buy it for like 10$ if at all.

But then you know what Bioshock Infinite is before you walk into a shop and see it on the shelf. You will know, before even walking into that shop that you want to buy it and you will not give a toss what's on the cover. However, there are people who haven't been following the gaming media, don't know anything about the game, and that is who that particular cover is trying to appeal too. Not saying it's good, because it is a bland cover, but ultimately it shouldn't matter to people like me, just give me a good game.

Yeh make no mistake they would absolutely love to rile people up to the point of physical violence against them as they know to get money legally off it. Best thing to handle them is to negate them completely and just give them no coverage at all.

I wouldn't have had Mass Effect 3 for GOTY consideration at all regardless of what genre you think it falls in. The worst gameplay in the series, which is purely stripped down to this linear corridor shooter fest. The vast majority of the side quests are fetch quests which ultimately aren't very rewarding. Even huge story revelations and characters are hidden away by DLC and with an unsatisfying conclusion (which has been retconned twice, btw) to this epic story that took years in the making. The ending isn't even the worst part of it. The 20+ hrs it took to reach the ending is the biggest disappointment of all. Even if you pull back and look at it without the bias of playing ME 1 & 2, ME3 is just an average action game.

Actually, I guess I didn't notice any of that. :lol:
My whole strategy for beating him was to stay as close as possible; most of the time I'd end up right underneath him, making a series of two-handed swings easy to pull off. I guess I didn't stand far enough away to notice any change of animation, because he was still swinging and jumping around me because of our close proximity.

Oh ok! :lol: I think there's more to it than just the animation as well. Most bosses in that game want to kill you because it's in their nature or for legitmate reasons known to them (Quelaag wants to kill you so she can take your humanity and give it to her sister to heal her), but Sif was protecting Artorias' grave. So you're just marching on in there when all Sif is really doing is still protecting his master even though he passed on many years ago. I kind of got the same vibe from playing Shadow of the Colossus, another atmospheric game that succeeds in making you feel isolated. I guess that's why you might see 'Imminent tears' signs everywhere outside the white wall.

And damn you and your Blighttown! See I didn't have any purple moss to heal with because I hadn't gone through the Darkroot Basin at that point, giving me a lot of grief. Funny how player's experiences can vary with this game.

Another interview on DS2

New Dark Souls 4Gamer Director Interview [full translation] #1


4Gamer:
Miyazaki-san, I was very surprised to hear that you won’t be directly involved in the development of Dark Souls II.

Miyazaki:
That’s correct. Shibuya is working as the director for Dark Souls II. He’s worked on the Another Century’s Episode series--most recently R.

4Gamer:
With that being so, what’s going to happen to you?

Miyazaki:
Saying “what’s going to happen” makes it sound like a big deal (laughs). My official title is still “supervisor.”

4Gamer:
With Dark Souls really being your series—having developed Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls—I think a lot of fans are going to feel uneasy about your separating from it.

Miyazaki:
Hmm, I wonder…

Well, either way, I don’t think anyone needs to feel uneasy in that sense. The director—Shibuya—is far more experienced than me as a developer, and he understands the idea and delicate nuance of Dark Souls, so I think it’s OK to trust him.

4Gamer:
Why did you step away from the development of Dark Souls II in the first place?

Miyazaki:
That decision came from the company.

When it comes to Dark Souls, I have a lot of affection towards it and things to gain from it. Being so attached to the title, it would be a lie if I were to say I’m not a bit sad.

4Gamer:
Of course.

Miyazaki:
However, I don’t look negatively at the decision to change directors. While I hesitate to say this myself, I think that Dark Souls, as a game base, has immense potential, and a change in directors will give it a chance to be released from narrow frame or limitations that I imposed upon it. As someone who created the game base of Dark Souls, I would really like to see what that potential is.

At the same time, I’m also working as director on another project, so there’s that.

4Gamer:
Really? That’s some pretty huge news. Is it OK to put that in article?

Miyazaki:
Well, I don’t mind. It would be weird if I said I wasn't working on anything. With that said, we’re not at the point where I can speak to specifics about the project, and this interview is about Dark Souls II, so let’s leave it at that.

4Gamer:
OK. So, going back to Dark Souls II, you said that your title on the project is “supervisor.” What exactly does this role involve?

Miyazaki:
There are two main parts to the role. The first is deciding the more broad direction for Dark Souls II.

4Gamer:
So, kind of like a producer?

Miyazaki:
It’s a little different. In terms of a producer’s job, it’s more like I did only the first part. Frankly, what I did was make decisions about things that would be easier if I just decided them on my own. Things like making sure our budget is enough, and what our development schedule will be like, including testing. When it comes to things that are a bit closer to players, I decided that we should have our own game servers this time, and that we shouldn't sell individual items or weapons as DLC—stuff like that.

4Gamer:
What’s the other main part to your role?

Miyazaki:
It’s overall supervision, although I don’t like how important that makes me sound.

That involves making sure that I convey things like the core game mechanics that I feel should not be taken out of a sequel to Dark Souls, as well as what we (the development team of the previous title) learned from working on the game, and the many points that we felt could be improved. Also, if I feel things are getting a bit off course, I explain the concept again, and ask the team to consider making adjustments. In reality, there have already been a quite a few cases where I've done such things, and depending on the situation, I may need to re-think the boundaries of “supervisor” role.

4Gamer:
So rather than giving direct instructions, you’re in a more indirect role?

Miyazaki:
I don’t intend to interfere more than necessary. I think, in the end, a game should be created under a director’s coherent vision, and you end up getting better results when that happens. I mentioned core game mechanics earlier, and I think there are many elements that can be fixed, improved, or adjusted in that area. When it comes to the feel of the world, the story, and the artwork, all of that is rather subjective, and comes down to individual sense, so I try to keep my mouth shut as much as possible.

As I said before, Shibuya is a very experienced developer with many projects under his belt, and honestly not a whole lot of supervision is required, nor do I think it’s desired.

4Gamer:
However, is there no worry that, when the creator changes, the direction of the game and core elements might deviate?

Miyazaki:
In general, I understand the concern.

However, when it comes to Dark Souls, so many people in the media and so many of our players have given us very passionate and amazing reviews and impressions, as well as criticism and complaints, and the majority of these are all kind of pointing in the same direction. From a creator’s perspective, this makes Dark souls a very fortunate and rare title, indeed.

All of these things will prove to be valuable assets in ensuring that the direction and core elements of Dark Souls II don’t get off track, and with that in mind, I hope everyone will put their trust in the new director and the development team.

So, with that said, I think it would be good for Shibuya to get a chance to talk directly. I don’t want to inconvenience him and his team any more by just saying whatever comes to my mind (laughs).

----------------------------

4Gamer:
We just spoke with Miyazaki-san about how you came to be the director of Dark Souls II.

Shibuya:
Yes. Thanks for having me here today.

4Gamer:
I heard that you are quite the veteran director within From Software. What have you worked on lately?

Shibuya:
Most recently I led the development of our new graphics engine, and worked on testing out new middleware. Before that I worked as a director on series such as Another Century’s Episode.

4Gamer:
A new graphics engine! Does that mean Dark Souls II will be using it?

Shibuya:
Yes. Separate from Dark Souls II’s development, engine research and development had been ongoing. We knew that, in order to more seriously set our eyes on the global market, we would have to improve our graphics, so the decision to implement a new engine was made.

4Gamer:
The graphics engine from Dark Souls was too old, then?

Shibuya:
That’s not what I meant. We used the same engine for Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, but we decided to change the feel of the graphics [for Dark Souls II], so what’s why we decided to change the engine.

4Gamer:
I see. And since you came from that background, that’s why you were chosen as the director this time?

Shibuya:
With Dark Souls II, we need to face new technical challenges, so in that sense, perhaps I fit the role since I was working on the new graphics engine.

4Gamer:
In any case, with a new engine, is it safe to assume that the graphics will be greatly improved?

Shibuya:
I think the shading and lighting tech will allow us to create a more natural atmosphere, and we have a lot more expressive capabilities when it comes to the characters and monsters.

4Gamer:
Is the development team the same as that of Dark Souls?

Shibuya:
It would be more accurate to call it a “hybrid team.” Of course some of the team members worked on Dark Souls, but we also brought in a lot of highly capable members.

4Gamer:
I’d like to talk more about Dark Souls II. Is there any connection to the original in terms of the feel of the world?

Shibuya:
It’s not a sequel in terms of story, but that doesn’t mean the feel of the world is completely different. The game is set in the same world as the previous title, but the story takes place in a different location and with different humans (players).

4Gamer:
Might we expect to see some characters returning from the previous game?

Shibuya:
I can’t go into details about that, so I’ll leave it up to your imagination for now.

4Gamer:
Can we expect any changes in direction, such as making the game world a more wide open field?

Shibuya:
In regards to the map, we plan on adhering to the style established in Dark Souls (where the world is split up into areas). We aren’t really considering making it more of an open-world style.

4Gamer:
Miyazaki-san said that he’s leaving the overall concept up to you. Can you talk about the overall direction of the game?

Shibuya:
Dark Souls is a title that already has a very large fan base, so first and foremost, I think it’s important to make sure we don’t let those players down. As such, we don’t plan on changing the framework for Dark Souls II. On the contrary, we are focusing on really highlighting the best parts of the previous game and going in that direction. The concept is to give the game a major upgrade while leaving the good parts of Dark Souls as-is.

4Gamer:
Is there anything you are you focusing on in particular.

Shibuya:
It’s really hard for me to put it into words, but one aspect is the visual scene and atmosphere of each location. I really want to give those things more depth. Above all, what I want to do most is to incorporate a lot of “ideas that utilize the player’s attentiveness.”

4Gamer:
What are some examples of that?

Shibuya:
For example, if the player sees blood flowing towards them, they’ll think “what is this blood?” “Where is it coming from?” Situations like that. I want to create more situations that bring about doubt in the player—make them think “why?”—or give them a sense of foreboding death wherever they go. I want to focus on creating really elaborate environments that may look like nothing special at first, but may contain paths for players who are look closely enough.

4Gamer:
In Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls there were situations where you could see some treasure up ahead, but knew that there was something wrong or dangerous. Do you mean to improve how situations like those are staged?

Shibuya:
By using visuals, movement and sound, I hope to create situations and scenes like that.

4Gamer:
Should I interpret that as “increasing the sense of exploration?” I feel like I may be getting it wrong, so I want to ask.

Shibuya:
It’s a little different. When you say “increase the sense of exploration,” some people may interpret that as “oh, so the map got bigger,” or “the map got more complex, then,” but what I’m talking about is more about the elaborate creation of localized or individual environments and scenes.

4Gamer:
Could you give me an example that makes it easy to imagine?

Shibuya:
Let’s see. For example, say there’s a well. An enemy might jump out of it, or if you take a look inside, you might find treasure. When the player finds a well they’ve never seen before, they’ll stop to take a look at the well and think “I wonder which it will be this time.” That’s the kind of situation I’m imagining. By making the player more aware of the well, I want them to use their imagination and think about it. That’s the kind of thing I really want to work on in Dark Souls II.

4Gamer:
Whenever I hear talk about “intentions to make a blockbuster” or “focusing on the global market,” I usually think that developers are going to steer in the direction of something like God of War or Call of Duty and make really bombastic and straightforward productions, but hearing you talk today, it sounds like the areas you’re focusing on are much more subdued, and, if anything, that’s what makes it sound interesting.

Shibuya:
With games today, you’re really able to express anything you want. That can be a good thing, but it can also spoil the fun of making players think for themselves. We want to continue providing that kind of fun (the fun of imagination), so that’s one of the concepts this time around.

4Gamer:
What about the content volume this time around? Is it going to be increased dramatically?

Shibuya:
We don’t plan on increasing the volume by a large amount from the previous title. It will probably increase somewhat, though. The time it takes to complete the game will probably be about the same as that of the previous title. I plan on spending most of our resources on creating more elaborate scenes and situations as I discussed a moment ago.

4Gamer:
The focus is on quality over quantity, then?

Shibuya:
That’s right. I think part of the allure is the “sense of adventure.” I really want to convey the feeling of advancing one step at a time and groping your way forward.

4Gamer:
You spoke about already having a large fan base, but how are you planning to adjust the difficult in Dark Souls II? To be honest, I can’t help but think that the needs of your existing fans and that of new players might be conflicting.

Shibuya:
Just as you say, it’s a difficult proposition. That’s why we plan on making the early parts of the game comparatively less difficult to ease new players in, and then at a certain point, we’ll tell them “this is where the real game begins.”

4Gamer:
So, a “The real Demon’s Souls starts here.” type of thing?

Shibuya:
Exactly. In reality, I’m sure we’ll get quite a few new players with Dark Souls II, but existing players will probably represent the majority, so we need to make sure we satisfy their needs.

4Gamer:
Speaking of which, Miyazaki-san said that you will run dedicated servers to support the online system for the game. Will multiplayer aspects be a focus in Dark Souls II?

Shibuya:
Yes. At the center we have the gameplay of a strong standalone game, and from there we focus our efforts on adding online elements and multiplayer elements that utilize the dedicated servers.

4Gamer:
In terms of online elements, in previous titles you had the blood stain system, the messaging system, and the concept of “loose connections.” Do you plan to change the direction at all for Dark Souls II?

Shibuya:
We plan to retain those concepts and expand upon them, too.

4Gamer:
I see. Allow me to get off topic for a moment. Is there anything you’re into right now outside of games?

Shibuya:
Recently, I’ve really been enjoying the western drama series called The Walking Dead (laughs). There’s a certain indescribable sorrow to it that I really like…

4Gamer:
Yeah, The Walking Dead is great. I think there’s something about zombie stuff that really stimulates a kind of fundamental emotion in humans. I feel that Dark Souls may also have something in common with that.

Shibuya:
I’m not really paying attention to the survival or action aspects of The Walking Dead. I’m more focused on the transition of the characters’ thoughts and feelings, and how scenes are shown when people get taken. At certain intervals, there are these really tense moments woven into the otherwise ordinary story, and seeing them play out, I can’t help but think “this is really well done.”

4Gamer:
How far have you made it into the show?

Shibuya:
I’ve watched up until the end of Season 2. There are so many heartrending scenes. I’m really enjoying it… Anyway, enough about The Walking Dead.

4Gamer:
Sorry. The reason I asked is that I wanted to know a little bit about what kind of things you think are important when creating something. I feel like a creator’s perspective on things is often reflected in what they make.

Shibuya:
To speak on that point, we had “feeling of loneliness” and “despair” as keywords for Dark Souls, and in the sequel I plan to add “sorrow” (note: “setsunai” is the word used in Japanese that can mean “sorrow,” “sadness,” “heartache,” or even “bittersweet,” etc. depending on the context) as one of the keywords.

4Gamer:
I’m having trouble imagining what you mean.

Shibuya:
For example, the kind of sorrow that is conveyed by the subtle scenery, or the sense of sorrow that that wells up after defeating something… That’s the kind of thing I want to include in the game.

4Gamer:
Are you talking about how to create new experiences or stimulate new emotions?

Shibuya:
That’s right. When playing Dark Souls, one of the experiences was to feel that sense of loneliness or despair.
In Dark Souls II, those aspects will definitely be there, too, but if that’s all we had we wouldn’t be able to create new experiences. That’s why when we create Dark Souls II, it’s our job to figure out what kind of new experiences and emotions we can put into the game.

4Gamer:
In that respect, it’s often said that Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls sold well because of the word-of-mouth it received, but the word-of-mouth surrounding those games was really unique and interesting.

Shibuya:
What do you mean by that?

4Gamer:
How can I say this… The word-of-mouth surrounding Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls was all about each player’s personal experience. For example, where the player died, or where they fell into a trap, or where they gave up… It wasn’t about the story, or whether the game was fun or boring. I feel like everyone was talking directly about their experiences with the game.

Shibuya:
I see. I think that’s actually very important.

4Gamer:
With Dark Souls II, you plan to have a lot of “sorrowful” experiences in the game, then?

Shibuya:
Yes. Also, one other concept of Dark Souls II is that of “time.” (note: the word he’s using—“刻toki”—is probably more accurately described as “a specific moment in time.”)

4Gamer:
Oh. What’s an example of that?

Shibuya:
Umm… (while eyeing the PR representative in the room) it looks like I can’t actually talk about that, so let’s just say that “time” is one of the keywords (laughs).

4Gamer:
Dark Souls II has become a title with big expectations from players around the world. Do the two of you feel pressured at all?

Shibuya:
I’m very much aware of how big everyone's expectations are, so I need to make sure I don’t let our players down.

Miyazaki:
I also feel strongly that I want to meet everyone’s expectations.
However, since this is my first time playing the role of supervisor, and since I’m not directly involved in the development, there’s a certain frustration there, but I’ll do my best.

4Gamer:
To change the subject again, I wanted to mention that Dark Souls with Artorias of the Abyss Edition won the PlayStation Awards 2012 User’s Choice Award. Congratulations!

Miyazaki:
Thank you. The timing of the game's release must have been right near the end of the voting period, so I was very surprised. It’s always such an honor to win the User’s Choice Award. I’m very thankful for everyone that voted for us.

4Gamer:
How many units did Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls end up selling?

Miyazaki:
I’m not in the position to comment on the sales of Demon’s Souls, but in regards to Dark Souls, I think it's over 1.5 million units at least. I've never been one to focus on sales, though, so these numbers might be somewhat old.

4Gamer:
Hopefully Dark Souls II can go on to perform even better. To close out this interview, is there anything you’d like to say to our readers?

Miyazaki:
First of all, as the director of Dark Souls and as representative of its development team, I’d really like to express our thanks to everyone once more. I really think Dark Souls is a game that was nurtured by its fans, and that’s a big part of the reason why Dark Souls II is now getting so much attention. Thank you all, and please look forward to Dark Souls II.

Shibuya:
The development team and myself are doing our best creating Dark Souls II, so please look forward to the release of the game.

4Gamer:
Miyazaki-san and Shibuya-san, thank you again for your time today.

Miyazaki &Shibuya:
Thank you.

Merry Christmas guys. Hope you all have a great time.