Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin (Xbox One/PS4/PC)

[iup=3622456]Mafro[/iup] wrote:Traded in the PS3 version a while ago and never got the chance to play the DLC so I'll be all over this.

Wonder if the console versions will be at 60fps.

[iup=3622180]GravelordFleeto[/iup] wrote:5 days after BB? Strange. If they reintroduce the torch stuff I'd be happy, it was so obviously ripped out at the last minute it shouldn't be too hard.

[iup=3622597]elite knight danbo[/iup] wrote:

[iup=3622180]GravelordFleeto[/iup] wrote:5 days after BB? Strange. If they reintroduce the torch stuff I'd be happy, it was so obviously ripped out at the last minute it shouldn't be too hard.

Might be wrong, but the braziers were conspicuously missing in the DLC areas. Meaning that if they reintroduce that stuff (unlikely), it will have gone from "cynically stripped out at the last moment" to "complete afterthought".

[iup=3622200]Brerlappin[/iup] wrote:Remasters, remasters everywhere

Monkey Man wrote:

gamerforever wrote:Probably get it when it is discounted as it's too fresh in the memory and the upgrade is not really a proper upgrade imo - both consoles are capable of superior lighting/ models at a steady 30 fps. The inclusion of all of the DLC is nice though - Will pick it up when there's time and it's less than £25.

Photek wrote:

gamerforever wrote:Probably get it when it is discounted as it's too fresh in the memory and the upgrade is not really a proper upgrade imo - both consoles are capable of superior lighting/ models at a steady 30 fps. The inclusion of all of the DLC is nice though - Will pick it up when there's time and it's less than £25.

Held off for X1 version and glad I did. Day 1.

gamerforever wrote:

Photek wrote:

gamerforever wrote:Probably get it when it is discounted as it's too fresh in the memory and the upgrade is not really a proper upgrade imo - both consoles are capable of superior lighting/ models at a steady 30 fps. The inclusion of all of the DLC is nice though - Will pick it up when there's time and it's less than £25.

Held off for X1 version and glad I did. Day 1.

Did the same for The Last of Us Remastered and it definitely paid off. Enjoy DS2, it is a great game, perhaps lacking a bit of polish it needed on the last gen systems that has hopefully been remedied on the current gen systems. I do hope the prequel gets a remaster as I never completed that!

TBH even a 1080P remake will make a world of difference to the sharpness and will improve the overall game play as a result.

Photek wrote:

gamerforever wrote:

Photek wrote:

gamerforever wrote:Probably get it when it is discounted as it's too fresh in the memory and the upgrade is not really a proper upgrade imo - both consoles are capable of superior lighting/ models at a steady 30 fps. The inclusion of all of the DLC is nice though - Will pick it up when there's time and it's less than £25.

Held off for X1 version and glad I did. Day 1.

Did the same for The Last of Us Remastered and it definitely paid off. Enjoy DS2, it is a great game, perhaps lacking a bit of polish it needed on the last gen systems that has hopefully been remedied on the current gen systems. I do hope the prequel gets a remaster as I never completed that!

TBH even a 1080P remake will make a world of difference to the sharpness and will improve the overall game play as a result.

To be honest a steady and fast frame rate would be better, I still remember Blight Town from DS1 on 360

twitter.com/PlayStation/status/563383490822275072

Of course, Scholar of the First Sin also packs in the visual improvements you'd expect from a new-gen port: The PS4, Xbox One, and DirectX 11 PC versions will all look noticeably better than the original, with the console editions running at a promised 60 frames per second in 1080p.

Other alterations seem to be in place mainly to keep returning players on their toes, like a new NPC Dark Phantom called the Forlorn, who can invade and attack you anywhere online play is possible. If you've built up a sense of security about your surroundings, he can show up anytime to destroy it.

In Dark Souls 2, your ability to join someone's game (whether as friend or foe) was determined by something called "soul memory" — basically a stat tracking how much currency a player had earned and spent throughout their total time in the game. Many players complained about this system, as it was difficult to determine the best soul memory range to ensure that you could find people to play with or against.

From Software isn't dumping soul memory altogether, but Yoshimura says that players will now have ways to control the range of soul memory that the game searches for when connecting to other players. This will also allow friends who want to play co-op together to find each other more easily, a long-standing request from many fans.

"I'm not saying players can directly communicate with their friends, "Yoshimura says. "Indirect communication with other players is the unique aspect of the Dark Souls franchise. We're not going to change that. But we will let players control soul memory to at least let them match more easily."

In addition to different enemies in different locations and enemies from the DLC making their way into the core game's zones, Yoshimura says that enemy AI has been improved across the board. More dense packs of enemies have been placed in some areas, and they'll now track players for much longer, effectively ending the strategy of just running past less bad guys.

Part of mastering a Dark Souls game is understanding the characteristics and locations of your enemies. According to Yoshimura, Scholar of the First Sin wipes the slate clean. "Enemy placement is completely revised in all areas of the game. It's not just several areas, it's all areas," he reiterates. "What makes this unique is that it completely changes the gameplay. For example, there were a lot of fireman looking zombies in the Forest of Fallen Giants, but you will recognize that the number of [these enemies] has increased. Also, their AI is improved. Previously, their AI was not that smart. It was easy for players to escape from zombies without actually fighting them. They're smarter than before. They'll basically chase players all the way down until they get killed, so it's really difficult to escape from them."

Yoshimura explained that beyond new enemy placement and improved AI, there will also be certain types of enemies that appear where you least expect them to. "Right after you start from the bonfire in the Forest of the Fallen Giants, you will see this hippo-looking guy in the River. He wasn't there [before]. Remember the elevator that takes you to the boss arena? There were no enemies there, but this time there are! All of those hardcore Dark Souls fans [probably] remember safe areas, but these are no longer safe. They need to come up with a completely new strategy in order to conquer each area in Scholar of the First Sin."