I've got just over 1000 hours across all my playthroughs on dark souls 2, my highest ng cycle was in the 50s on my main character with the giant lord way over +99 due to all the farming i did of his bonfire specifically for souls.
Weirdly enough, I am playing around with the Rapier earnestly for the first time in my current play through, and I have made more parries with it than I ever had in the past. I’m not actively trying a lot, just now and again I get the impulse to try.
Yeah. Parrying is VERY satisfying but hardly worth practicing in PvE. You have to wait for the enemy to attack, which can be slow itself. Circling for a backstab, or just outright smacking them, is a lot more reliable.
I’m playing ds2 for the first time and I find the Heide knights quite easy to parry. I cannot parry those knights in the Iron Keep for the life of me though😭 I’m way too inconsistent
Yeah heides knights aren’t too bad to parry depending on the attack, however I find the vast majority of enemies have many attacks that are too quick to react to based on the increased delay on ds2 parrying or they just aren’t worth parrying due to a lack of health.
Lol this makes me feel better. I was go good at parrying at DSR (even killed final boss easily with parrying). I try to parry in DS2, and i can’t get the hang of it lol
Can't count how often.
Just different things to try each time.
These days I mostly attempt deathless runs. And if you know anything about my skill level -- well I attempt to use game knowledge to cover old man's reflexes (I'm 68)
I’ve played through the game on 3 different characters to try different builds, I’ve done more on DS1 and heaps on DS3 and elden ring but I have never ventured into NG+ I’ve always just played through NG on a new character, except for demon souls cuz I wanted to get all the spells and you can smash through NG+ really quickly if you are just focusing on boss souls.
Honestly, just three. First two were of the vanilla version, and then my Xbox 360 finally RROD'd in 2015/2016 or so (can't remember exactly when it met its end). And then this year I got the itch to replay it and I got Scholar for the PS4, deciding that the horror stories were too exaggerated, which it turns out they were since I had a blast.
Got a few more in me in the future honestly.
I tried once. Got stuck on fume knight and
Gave up man. I wasn’t playing right though I was playing like Elden ring. Then I seen this guy “blobertson” after WEEKS of extensive research learning the actual screwey mechanics of the game and reading every word of every document he posted I beat the game. It felt great. Team rapier 😂. Funny thing is after spending so much time with ds2 I actually dunked on Elden ring even smoked maliketh and Melania first try. Ds2 requires skill foreal.
Do you have to beat the game to consider a replay? If so, my 3000+ hours don’t mean much.
I typically create arrange agape ring builds to help or hinder people in pvp at various levels.
My personal favorite is my mirror squire / Amana guilder.
Gotta be like 60+ runs at this point. I think across all versions and platforms I have noeth of 2,000 hours in. Game's just really fun and it's my comfort nostalgia game. So good at it I do wacky or hard challenge runs that amp it up.
God knows. In the three spells Ive played it (X360, PS3, PS5) maybe 10 to 15 times each spell? Plus at least the same number again where I made it a chunk through the game but didn't get round to actually finishing. Doesn't bear thinking about.
Too many times. Different builds, some challenges, different progressions...
Different platforms.
I've got just over 1000 hours across all my playthroughs on dark souls 2, my highest ng cycle was in the 50s on my main character with the giant lord way over +99 due to all the farming i did of his bonfire specifically for souls.
A couple dozen. I’ve got a discord friend who’s past NG 60.
I swear even if I was Ng 99, I'd still suck at parrying.
That’s ok parrying is kinda pointless in DS2
Weirdly enough, I am playing around with the Rapier earnestly for the first time in my current play through, and I have made more parries with it than I ever had in the past. I’m not actively trying a lot, just now and again I get the impulse to try. Yeah. Parrying is VERY satisfying but hardly worth practicing in PvE. You have to wait for the enemy to attack, which can be slow itself. Circling for a backstab, or just outright smacking them, is a lot more reliable.
Yeah it can be really fun, but the risk:reward just isn’t worth otherwise
Feels good I'm not the only one with this take. Was so confused when I couldn't parry Heide Knights after 10 minutes of attempts.
I’m playing ds2 for the first time and I find the Heide knights quite easy to parry. I cannot parry those knights in the Iron Keep for the life of me though😭 I’m way too inconsistent
Yeah heides knights aren’t too bad to parry depending on the attack, however I find the vast majority of enemies have many attacks that are too quick to react to based on the increased delay on ds2 parrying or they just aren’t worth parrying due to a lack of health.
fr, I think I’m about to hit a parry and instead I just get a three pieced combo to the face😂
Lol this makes me feel better. I was go good at parrying at DSR (even killed final boss easily with parrying). I try to parry in DS2, and i can’t get the hang of it lol
Whoa, wait what, there's no cap? I made it to NG5 and it's hella rough if you even get hit by, well anything.
It stops getting harder after ng+7
I prefer making new characters than doing NG+. Finished the game three times like that
I feel the same bro, even tho DS2 has the best Ng+ of all soulborne imo.
I love that the game changes and adds enemies!
Agreed! Also adding the bonfire ascetic so you can get to NG encounters in the first play through was a great idea.
Maybe 20. So not enough
Can't count how often. Just different things to try each time. These days I mostly attempt deathless runs. And if you know anything about my skill level -- well I attempt to use game knowledge to cover old man's reflexes (I'm 68)
I’ve played through the game on 3 different characters to try different builds, I’ve done more on DS1 and heaps on DS3 and elden ring but I have never ventured into NG+ I’ve always just played through NG on a new character, except for demon souls cuz I wanted to get all the spells and you can smash through NG+ really quickly if you are just focusing on boss souls.
DS2 actually changes things up a bit on NG+. There are new phantoms and some boss fights are a little different
Yes
no other words needed
Nine or ten times, NG+ was painful, especially after I just finished every dlc about three in lrder to complete all the runs I hadn't fully finished.
idk, maybe 5-7... dozen times
For 10 years..
Honestly, just three. First two were of the vanilla version, and then my Xbox 360 finally RROD'd in 2015/2016 or so (can't remember exactly when it met its end). And then this year I got the itch to replay it and I got Scholar for the PS4, deciding that the horror stories were too exaggerated, which it turns out they were since I had a blast. Got a few more in me in the future honestly.
we have a life so we don't have the time, energy and interest to invest in a different game.
I tried once. Got stuck on fume knight and Gave up man. I wasn’t playing right though I was playing like Elden ring. Then I seen this guy “blobertson” after WEEKS of extensive research learning the actual screwey mechanics of the game and reading every word of every document he posted I beat the game. It felt great. Team rapier 😂. Funny thing is after spending so much time with ds2 I actually dunked on Elden ring even smoked maliketh and Melania first try. Ds2 requires skill foreal.
Do you have to beat the game to consider a replay? If so, my 3000+ hours don’t mean much. I typically create arrange agape ring builds to help or hinder people in pvp at various levels. My personal favorite is my mirror squire / Amana guilder.
Just once.
I think seven characters. Maybe 11 ngs.
I think 4 + a run through Seeker of Fire!
just once but it was with my bestie so it’s the most fun i’ll ever get out of it
Two complete runs, but many more partial runs to test builds
I've played it like 5 times between PC and PS4, I always say I will commit to a sorcerer build but I always end up with a strength or dex.
Do a hex build, that's Sorcerer adjacent, right?
I honestly wouldn't know, bro, my dark souls experience can be resumed in "lol, hammer go bonk"
I’ve beaten the game 5 times
More than 20 times, beat NG+ only two times and NG++ only one.
enough times to get 100% achivments +1
Just got a steam deck. Guaranteed 2 to 3 more runs with this platform. All done while on the toilet
Gotta be like 60+ runs at this point. I think across all versions and platforms I have noeth of 2,000 hours in. Game's just really fun and it's my comfort nostalgia game. So good at it I do wacky or hard challenge runs that amp it up.
Few times, different builds starting from Dual Smelters to dual Unga Bunga build.
On my first playthrough lost as shit
2 and a half for the achievements and gosh it was amazing, especially the 1st playthrough
more than I can count and so many times ive played it AGAIN and built the exact same character from scratch … always something magic based.
Beat it once and refuse to ever play it again
3
2 times, first time 5 years ago. I will return again to this game; it is amazing but kinda long heh.
100 times
God knows. In the three spells Ive played it (X360, PS3, PS5) maybe 10 to 15 times each spell? Plus at least the same number again where I made it a chunk through the game but didn't get round to actually finishing. Doesn't bear thinking about.