Dark Souls 2 for PC - Release date April 25th

Finally, upcoming Friday 25th April, PC players get to play Dark Souls 2. I finished Dark Souls 1 about a month ago and absolutely loved the game. So I preordered #2 a week ago and have been waiting forever for the game to come out.

Anyone else excited?


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Dark Souls 2 Wiki:
http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Dark+Souls+2+Wiki#.U1aHFVcWceH

Dark Souls 4K screenshots (I will try downsampling higher res than 1080p this time since DS isnt very demanding)
Dark Souls 2 4K screenshots | PC Gamer

Graphic Tweaking Guide
Dark Souls 2 PC tweak guide | PC Gamer

Durante PC Verdict:
Dark Souls 2 PC port: mod god Durante's verdict | PC Gamer

IGN 12-minute Gameplay
Dark Souls 2 - Gameplay Reveal 12 Minute Demo - YouTube

 

Anyone who hasn't read the two articles on PCGamer listed above really should.

They're both penned by Durante, the original modder who 'fixed' the first PC port of Dark Souls and made it the best version of that game by far. It got me super hyped for this release. Can't wait.

 

DSfix was a must for me when I played Dark Souls PTD edition.
DSfix was made by Durante and made a lot of graphic tweaks available, like getting removing the FPS lock and adding SSAO, AA goodies and such.

I`m happy that the developers seems to have listened and we get ingame settings that is just as good as any other game. PC version of Dark Souls 2 looks much better than the Xbox360/PS3 version for sure. I tried watching some lets play episodes from Xbox and the graphic was way worse than the Dark Souls 1 I played earlier on PC.
So DS2 is absolutely a must for PC in my opinion and I cant wait to finally play these games again (and die a thousand times lol)

 

Cannot wait.... I loved my modded DS1 game. It is everything Diablo should have been and so much more.
(made D3 look like it was made by a couple college students with a shoestring budget)

DS2 looks like it comes out of the box better than even a modded DS1.
and this is the game which put gamer choices and skill back into gaming.

If you can even moderately put up with RPG games or action sword/sorcery games, this is a must-own.

Preordered period.

 

Im a bit surprised because I was actually thinking that the interest for this game was bigger than this.

I agree with you Kernal. Dark Souls is a must for RPG players. Especially since its one of the very few games out there thats actually hard. Sometimes you just wanna smash the laptop when you are raging after dying for the 10th time on the boss

Oh and I love how subtle yet good the story telling is in Dark Souls.

I absolutely recommend playing DS if you haven`t. The dark atmosphere in the game, all the awesome boss fights, the story, the adventuring and exploring, the dying (lots of it lol), the different enemies with different skill levels. Oh lets not forget the invasions. They are funny too. New about Dark Souls 2 is that you now can get invaded while being hollow. Nothing beats the frustration when getting to a new bonfire and you can`t light it because some A-hole just invaded you

Official PC trailer

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I just pre-ordered it finally on steam. Demon's Souls will still always be my favorite, though that's probably more nostalgia than it being truly better.

Giant Bomb did a 1hr PC quick look where the tl;dw; is basically that the PC version is the one to play if you have that choice.

 

Well you made a smart choice. Those who buy it from Steam apparantly get to play it earlier. I pre ordered my from a local store so I have to wait until Friday.

Lucky bliiiiiiip

 

Durante have just released his new software that let you downsample from higher resolutions than 1080p and down to native resolution, very easy. Plus some other visuals.
Could be bugs there since its brand new, but could be worth trying out.
His goal is to allow downsampling to any game. So awesome.

I think I will try it out tomorrow.
Dark Souls 2 modded: Durante's GeDoSaTo enables downsampling, texture modding | PC Gamer


Anyone else purchased the game or plan to?

 

So many people have recommended me this game saying ill love it. I know know what to expect and I really wanted to play the first but I might just get DS2 since its almost here. It looks great.

 

The story between DS1 and DS2 are not related and the developers said DS2 is meant to be a standalone game. So no problems

I would recommend playing DS1 after #2 though since its an awesome game. Got me hooked for sure. I have just picked it up and on my way home now. Then the testing about which resolution to play begins. I doubt I can do 4K

Played 3-4 hours today. Durante`s mod worked great. Downsampling on 1440p with everything maxed out was the most I could do with my 770M SLI. Times like these I wish I had 880M SLI, but oh well.
The graphic was really good anyway. And the gameplay of course. Gonna play all weekend

 

i just got it. graphics are ok ish but to be fair Demon/Dark Souls never have been about its looks.
now the main factor. Whoever at From software designed the mouse and keyboard controls needs sacking and a bullet to the head. they are terrible. Will def be playing with a pad for it. Other than that really pleased

 

Yeah the mouse controls are not stellar. The game is better off with a controller for sure.
But I found some good keys on the keyboard that work for me.

I just wish it had the DSMfix DS1 had which let me remap all the mouse buttons since I have more than the game is capable of using. Very useful, especially for shields.

On another note I joined Way of the Blue today. I hope I get summoned tomorrow by a fellow Blue sentinel who needs help against an invader tomorrow. Smack some justice around

 

i find this game so cheap and frustrating.

 

How so? If it's because you're dying often, the game rewards patience in combat and careful exploration. Since day 1 of when I imported the Asia version of Demon's Souls for PS3 because it was the only way to get an English version for NA, every time I die is been my own fault. Either I got careless and impatient or it was a new enemy that I had not learned the weaknesses and strengths of. Oh, the third way was going into an area that I was just not strong enough for yet.

This game respects players as intelligent beings who can learn and explore a new world and it's dangers and wonders, and I love From Software for it.

 

Ive died a couple of times but not through mistakes just kind of cheap deaths. turn a corner to then get rushed by enemies and you cant do anything. I am gonna try a different class see how i get on with that. Get a shield in the mix of it.
I loved Demon's Souls. Best game i had on ps3, but i just cannot get to grips with this game at the min. I have just finished darksiders 2 so maybe need to adjust a couple of tactics here and there

 

Like hfm explains, Its mostly your fault for dying. Not the game. The game is kinda fair this way. Well, its fair and evil at the same time.
Because you have to be careful and think about your strategies on almost all enemies and bosses to be sucessful. Traps, be it falling boulders or a flock of angry enemies charging against you. Or just a frustrating one hiding in the corner. Challenges are everywhere

Still didnt stop me from dying like 10 times today. All my fault of course. Those giant knights sure know how to swing their sword. And I just love fighting them close to a cliff to be smacked down to. Plus I get too excited with my sword swinging sometimes. Rarely works out ok

 

yeah i understand at times its my fault, but then other times i just proper cheesed off. there was a river with an item at the end of it but further on it looks just like a normal pool. went to far and died as this pool is actually just covering a cliff. ill be honest then i had to come off it then. i prob will keep at it, i just needed somewhere to vent a bit of frustration out (thank you notebook forums). i need better weapons etc

 

Definitely one of the first games I'm putting on my new Alienware 17 when it arrives...

 

The hit boxes are kind of FUBAR in DS2 - DS1 was fair that way but there have been times when I'm clearly out of the hit box yet I get nailed. But w/e - you live/you learn

 

Man I hate this game. Almost threw my notebook out of the window in pure rage.

%#¤"! this game

(Died like 15 times today. If not more)

 

You'll keep coming back. Demon's Souls did that to me. But something kept pulling me back. Then I achieved a hard fought victory over that Red eyed knight and never looked back.

 

I did the same thing and imported DeS well before it's official western release (it had the benefit of already being mostly translated into English for the wider Asian market).

The first Souls' game you experience is always the best to be fair. That sense of mystery and discovery is unparalleled.

I'm finding DkS2 too easy in spots and I'm definitely trucking through it. That being said, it does have it's moments of frustration - namely when they insist on hurling multiple enemies at you in boss fights.

Some hit boxes are wonky, something I rarely experienced with the first two games but that's the exception, not the norm.

 

You and me both. I had to come off it to calm down i was so mad. Wife and kids just looked at me, complete silence lol

 

Well today I finally beat the area I struggled with. Some patience was all I needed. It is very frustrating at times and its hard to play your best when you are dying for the 15th time.
Just keep on trying smokingjam. You`ll eventually make it and the feeling afterwards is just great. The game is very rewarding that way. I had my share of outbursts in agony too lol.

Im in a little better shape now due to some progress I made today. I can hear the enemies scream in terror when I face them now

 

Im still playing Dark Souls 1, waiting for the new Blade 14 to start DS2. I wandered up the stairs by those 3 rats under the dragon on the bridge yesterday and crapped my pants when I saw the knight at the top. Not quite strong enough to take that guy out toe to toe yet.

And that damn dragon. I pumped him full of arrows for 20 minutes before I realized he was healing himself. I got a sword out of it but my sword +5 is just as strong for less weight at this point. I would have liked to have that while I was grinding to kill the bell gargoyles.

Now I'm off to go down that door by the dude that sits on the ledge on the end of the dragon bridge now that I have the key from the gardens boss. loving it!

 

That "little guy" on the top of that circular steps is the famous Dark Knights. I`m not gonna spoil anything but rest assured you will encounter them many times throughout the game. I`m not sure how many times I died during attempt to take him down lol, but it was many. Don`t worry you will find out a tactic that works eventually.

Spoiler

You might get some pretty good drops from some of them...

Did you read about that dragon weapon through wiki btw? I totally disregarded that f-er after he sat there all lurky with the shiny drops on the bridge and didn`t blaze his fire until you were just within reach of those drops. Sneaky
DS1 was an awesome game for sure. You have so much left to play and so much frustration ahead of you. When you start to go downward for a while, to Blighttown, Quelaag domain etc, you will feel the frustration taking over you. My god those areas suck...


So far DS2 is looking to be just as good as DS1 if not better. Glad I bought it. Strange that there are so few on this forum that play these sort of games. Oh well.

 

I'm new to the series but picked up a copy of DS2 and have been playing on and off a bit this past weekend. Fun so far with my 360 pad, but man I'm confused... not sure if I should do some back reading or if things will unfold in time as I wander aimlessly fighting stuff. I can't seem to make out much of a story or what/where I'm suppose to be going. I've died a pile of times and my poor character has turned into a horrible looking green zombie, not sure if that's good or bad.

I'm happy to research this stuff, like what the heck a "hollow" is or what souls do or count for (I've read in forums about people hacking and raiding you and leaving you with a bunch of souls to "lose", no idea what that means), but don't want to interfere with the story if it's best to wait and just play as long as they'll explain things eventually.

Cloudfire that sword is awesome ha! :thumbsup: I'm still rocking a little dagger

 

lol I`m with you man, I was stuck too until I found my way. The thing about Dark Souls series is that the games are very open and nobody is telling you where to go. You can actually just go straight ahead to an area with knights that you were supposed to fight like 30 hours from when you try to beat them. Its not so lineary which is good in my opinion. But it makes the game harder and more rewarding once you figure it out. Especially if you kill some enemies that are way tougher than you and you get rewarded with rings or weapons.

Pro tip: Don`t just talk with NPC one time. Try them a lot. Things might happen. Also a way to learn the Dark Souls lore is by reading the item and weapon description. Even the keys might unfold some of the history. Dark Souls is kinda slow paced where new things will be revealed when its time. So yeah it will unfold as you play.

I wish I could tell you where to go but that would ruin some of the exploring on your part. You will eventually figure it out.
Dont worry about hackers. You might encounter one or two during the entire gameplay, and that will happen on an invasion. Since you are new to the game: People can invade other people. Then you have to fight both the enemies and the invader. If you win, you get a lot of souls from him. Sorta like pvp. As you carry along in the game, you also will encounter choice to join covenants. That let you protect other people who are invaded (you are summoned to help them fight the invader), but also some convenants protect areas (like in that deep hole in the starting area...Wont reveal anything but prepare yourself). Another neat function in Dark Souls is that you are punished if you invade other people too much. If you invade other people, the game will register it and start push invaders toward him. So he get attacked by people frequently

My Broadsword sure is nice yes. Swings like a beast but if I miss Im an easy target lol. Nothing wrong with small weapons like daggers either. They can be pretty good if it suits your playing style

 

Great, thanks Cloudfire. As long as things unfold I'm happy just playing and seeing where it goes... I just wanted to make sure that since I'm starting in what I *think* is the third in the series all the basics weren't already "assumed" to be known by the player. In that case I was going to have to do some wiki reading etc, but don't want to ruin things if that's not needed. Thanks for the explanation and taking care not to spoil. :thumbsup:

Me and my dagger will push forward!

 

It's best not to read the wiki the first time through a ds game. Ruins the thrill of exploration.

 

btw guys how can i use the bow in this game?short bow?i got enough dexterity..with left click i zoom and with double click it fires the arrows in slot 2(for arrows)..How can i fire the arrows from slot one?

 

lol I have the opposite problem. My arrows need to be in slot #1 to work. If I try to fire off arrows in #2 he just do a weird movement and nothing happens

 

Dont you need the arrow you want to fire in slot 1?

After MANY swear words, moaning, getting mad. Defeated the dragonrider and his knights actually got good set of armour and a decent weapon and shield its not that bad at all. the shield i brought for 2000 souls blocks 95.0 phys dmg. helps sooooooooo much.

 

i like this game but the controls are awful.Is there any site with all controls explained for pc?keyboard and mouse is best suited for this game and i dont like controller

 

Try the owners manual. But IMO, the game was designed with the controller in mind and it's best played with a controller.

 

One of my complaints so far is that the map doesn't flow like how it did in DS1.

 

There are a few problems with the game. For starters, it lags when you use the mouse. You can`t just bash the attack buttons because it will lag before the hero attacks again.

You should def try any of the Keyboard/Mouse fixes.
You will benefit greatly by mapping more actions with the mouse buttons the game can`t use. Like using shield and switching to two handed.

I`m using this one, it fix both lag and let you use more than 2 mouse buttons.
[PC Workaround] 5-Button mouse mapping/mouse lag workaround : DarkSouls2

 

Ill be honest i cannot play with mouse and keyboard like i said in an earlier post, the guy who decides the mouse/keyboard buttons needs sacking and shooting.

with a gamepad the game is so much easier i think.
i use motionjoy and my ps3 controller to play

 

this game reminds me on pokemon haha..like you have a fire type and you are desperatly leveling it up to beat the water arena

 

Buy this ing game.

Just ing buy it.

I want more people for glorious co-op.

 

Co-op is indeed fun but I`m gonna finish solo first

But I have to say, after playing almost 40 hours with this game: Its definitely more difficult than Dark Souls 1, which was a hard game in itself.
My god it pisses me off to have to face difficult bosses and areas filled with hard enemies with half HP. Thats right, this %¤&%¤# game punish you each time you die by shaving off little by little of your maximum HP. And I can`t find Human Effigy anywhere.

I felt the rage coming in strong today. Gotta keep strong and keep on pushing I guess

 

I'll coop with people. PM your steam info

 

is level 50 max for strenght??i read on internet that the level cap i 99 but i dont gain nothing if i level from 50 to 51?

 

I'm still playing DS1 until my Blade arrives, never finished it. I killed the dragon in the bottom of the depths with zero issues, but the Stray Demon is kicking my rear end.

So, you can actually choose who you play coop with in DS2? It seems to be random in DS1 and Demon's Souls was as well unless I missed something.

 

No, it still seems totally random in DS2, at least unless I'm missing something ha

Still chugging along, having fun, but getting a bit confused what to do... I swear I can't seem to pick up on any actual story or purpose... seems wander, kill what I see, die, rinse and repeat.

Not a knock necessarily, and enjoying the game, but definitely no direction of what the heck to do best I can tell.

I am, for what it's worth, a first time player of this series.

 

The draw of the game is pretty much just in the exploration and tactics. There's tons of little secrets and oddities to discover. Some of it is like do this and that and you have to do it before you do this and give this thing to this other guy. The way I did Demon's Souls was play through once with minimal hint help and then use a guide the second time. I'm attacking DS1 the same way.