... Dark souls review?

I've seen them both already, but Samurai shamploo is awesome and eureka 7 is one of only 2 pieces of media to make me cry.

People keep recommending naruto but these same people recommended code geass and gurren laggan, both of which I hate, so I've been hesitant to start.

Naruto is aimed at too young a demographic for me.

I would suggest Wolf's Rain, got me teary eyed a couple times.

I'll look it up.

Age isn't really a thing for me. I can be just as happy, well entertained, watching DBZ, teen titans and old school pokemon as I can Elfen Leid, Cowboy beebop and ghost in the shell.

I shy away from the senseless violence that's more common in anime aimed at 16-25 year olds, because gore isn't funny or cool, its sad. (Yes Elfen Leid was terribly depressing)

I love Elfen Leid, surprisingly so did my wife, though it was sad.

I will admit I enjoy watching DBZ with my 6 year old lol.

If you liked Cowboy Bebop I think it's safe to assume you'll like Wolf's Rain. Same people did it, even Yokko Kanno! Who came through with another incredible sound track.

I came back after sleeping, then waking up and doing yardwork, then showering, and I see this thread is still going. I thought to myself "daaaaaaaaang those guys are still going at it?!" Then I read the most recent posts

We were until 330 in the morning PST.

Reaperfan wrote:I came back after sleeping, then waking up and doing yardwork, then showering, and I see this thread is still going. I thought to myself "daaaaaaaaang those guys are still going at it?!" Then I read the most recent posts

I'm sorry Reaper but I have trouble taking your posts serious with that Signature

This thread is easily one of my favorites.

https://youtu.be/3RGORttEnzA

If you guys are interested, this is a pretty nice video by TB on his views in regards mainly to cut scenes, and storytelling in the gaming industry and how it has changed in his opinion. I do agree with him, though I haven't played Max Payne so I have no opinion on that matter. Frankly I'm sick of cut scenes in general.

I like cutscenes, but only if they are not MGS4 long.

I actually really enjoyed MGS4, but that game was almost like a book in game form. MGS is definitely very much about the characters and story, and it tells the story well enough. It's sort of the only example I can think of where I actually like the long cut scenes. Now some of them do get annoying, there are a lot of unnecessary ones of course. As much as I criticize Skyrim for its story telling, one thing I will say is I'm glad I never really have to sit through a cut scene. There are scripted events but I still have my freedom. MGS4 was more so about seeing how everything turned out rather than the game itself. I probably would have gotten the same joy really if it was just a novel or film rather than a game. But say the main character is going to kill the villain. I would much rather kill them on my terms than watch the main character do some ******** judo and do some overly dramatic cut scene which I had no hand in.

I like cutscenes, as long as they arw short, more beautiful than the game, and do something I cant do in game to make mh characters peraonality flow more.

I hate it when cutscenes are long, are as often as cancer, and have no relevance.

Enchanted Arms ice queen cutscene, I liked that cutscene a lot, even if it was long. Most final fantasy cutscenes, not so much

Its unfair to dismiss all cutscenes I think, some can really help set the tone and add to the game if theyre executed with some style, sensitivity and genuinely add to the moment, but then some are just incredibly corny and predictable, namely the obligatory 'roar towards camera' whenever a boss/monster enters the scene, just before its game-on!! DS is occasionally guilty of this. . gargoyles etc

aaaarrgghhhh indeed!!

Bioshocks were pretty good, they had a suitably sinister tone and added to the narrative, not too many either!

I do like that almost all of Dark's Cut Scenes, outside of the intro, are very short. They just bring something to your attention, or show you travelling in some manner. That's about it, they're simple but they don't really need to be anything big. There are times though where I feel some of them were unnecessary, like O&S. Gwyn I actually am very glad he doesn't have a Cut Scene.

It is not that I hate all cut scenes, rather I just don't like the trend I've been seeing in recent years. Cinematic scenes are where the story is told mainly, and that I do not like. Why should the story be based off of something visual. Even in regards to Show Dow't Tell, I just can't really understand the logic of matching the two together. It sort of goes with the common trend now of Graphics=Good Game, which I am incredibly dissatisfied with.

Wow we sure derailed this topic.

We are talking about how stories are shown in gaming, that's pretty on topic if you ask me.

Tolvo wrote: It sort of goes with the common trend now of Graphics=Good Game, which I am incredibly dissatisfied with.

praise the lord!

I do enjoy it when a game is stylistic though. While it won't effect the story unless it is very visual to me, like Journey is, which features some of the greatest story telling in recent years I've seen, I'm quite a fan of games that try to create their own style visually and in how they tell their story. Pretty much an easy way to kill a game for me is if it is typical. I suppose this makes me some sort of Niche Hipster Gamer, but more so I just don't like the same old same old.

EDIT: Essentially, I like gaming as an Art Form.

The way I see cutscenes is this: If the event is in depth and requires minor details to make sense, go for it. But, if its something like the Penetrator stabbing a Fat official through the fog, why not have that as a seamless event? If I saw him do that outside of a cutscenee I'd be terrified and shocked, think of the Gaping Draogon intro, badass right? Now, what if you entered an empty area, spotted the small head and as you got closer it notices you and rises up? When the DLC comes out and you go to fight arteries, we know he's going to stab some creature, its someones signature lol, but if we first walked into the go to see him come down on a hollow and pull his sword out before attacking us, It would change my reaction immensely. When we see it from a different perspective other than the one we are consistent with, it changes and almost 'breaks' immersion for some cases, or enhances it in others. (Dukes prisons cutscene, Vamos, Light anor londo going dark, Pinwheel.)

Its really touchy imo, like right now Im playing over the different views of the Penetrator stabbing the FO, now I can't decide which would be better. So to sum up, Im torn.

As for the Review, this guy is one of those gamers who needs to be fed information, he isn't out to discover the story and actually Roleplay the character, he wants to hear the story, and have everything explained to him. The story in this game is deep, it isn't as 'in your face' as Skyrim where you have random dragons reminding you to climb the damn mountain (ugh) he could be one of those guys who needs cutscenes too, Oscar reveals a bit of the story, but you don't have to listen to him really, you can just hit him and be on your way. He works for Bethesda so he has a different view on RPGs than the drastically different Dark Souls, so let him miss out, and anyone dumb enough to take his word as a fair and unbiased review.

/end of rant

I loved MGS4 too, however that game was literally an interactive movie. You were playing the action sequences and watching the story. This is okay sometimes, uncharted is another good example of this ducceeding.

However I'm so sick and tired of the torrential down poor of dialogue, reading and cinematics common in Rpgs. I liked Mass Effect but I can't bring myself to go through another game like that, there was just too much telling me how someone feels, how I should feel or what someone did/has done/will do instead of showing me or letting me experience it. Then don't even start me on Skyrim, at least ME's story was good. Skyrim's was dull and told poorly, how many hours must I stand here and watch some Npc I can barely see babble at me while I try and move around constantly to keep their audio from changing to a different surround channel and trying to keep everyone in view. Not to mention the books, I mean a few are okay and I know a lot like them but christ this shouldn't be the only way to learn lore.

In conclusion I love DkS' experience your story style, I don't want the other kinds to go away necessarily, I just hope the industry doesn't continue to be dominated by these "interactive movie" or "choose your adventure book" games. The Dark Souls style is the only story telling style completely unique to gaming and sets it apart as an art form, so I hope more devs follow suit.

Yarxov wrote:The way I see cutscenes is this: If the event is in depth and requires minor details to make sense, go for it. But, if its something like the Penetrator stabbing a Fat official through the fog, why not have that as a seamless event? If I saw him do that outside of a cutscenee I'd be terrified and shocked, think of the Gaping Draogon intro, badass right? Now, what if you entered an empty area, spotted the small head and as you got closer it notices you and rises up? When the DLC comes out and you go to fight arteries, we know he's going to stab some creature, its someones signature lol, but if we first walked into the go to see him come down on a hollow and pull his sword out before attacking us, It would change my reaction immensely. When we see it from a different perspective other than the one we are consistent with, it changes and almost 'breaks' immersion for some cases, or enhances it in others. (Dukes prisons cutscene, Vamos, Light anor londo going dark, Pinwheel.)

Its really touchy imo, like right now Im playing over the different views of the Penetrator stabbing the FO, now I can't decide which would be better. So to sum up, Im torn.

As for the Review, this guy is one of those gamers who needs to be fed information, he isn't out to discover the story and actually Roleplay the character, he wants to hear the story, and have everything explained to him. The story in this game is deep, it isn't as 'in your face' as Skyrim where you have random dragons reminding you to climb the damn mountain (ugh) he could be one of those guys who needs cutscenes too, Oscar reveals a bit of the story, but you don't have to listen to him really, you can just hit him and be on your way. He works for Bethesda so he has a different view on RPGs than the drastically different Dark Souls, so let him miss out, and anyone dumb enough to take his word as a fair and unbiased review.

/end of rant

Someones signature, eh...
Though, I do agree with you/

I agree with tolvo. I love cutscenes that set a mood.
Enchanted arms, which was made by from, had a very interesting cutscene early in the game. While it was decently long, and had some boring parts, it definitely described just how screwed the world was because of your actions, and it did it very well visually.
however, most games are too basic and the cutscenes are very bland. Honestly, something that confused me about gamers nowadays is the begging for the removal of linearity. Some of the best games ive ever experienced were linear, and its because the story was all put together and not set miles and miles away from the starting zone.

I cant fully agree with you yarxov, and heres my example, FEAR.
In FEAR, alma would show up randomly to scare you. Let me tell you how pissed I was that the camera wasnt forced to the position alma was every time she showed up. I hear something that means shes around, and then I search for her. This killed the scare tactic for the game for me, becauase I had yo search for the reason I should be fricken scared. I dont like missing experiences in a game, and when the character is freely in control, that becomes very likely. The gaping dragon, for example, how would you notice that head pop up if your searching the whole room for the boss trigger.
I think maybe a camera que would work, but free control, no, I would probably stop playing most video games if they became like that

So obviously. . . he didn't even get passed the first two bells. . .

Otherwise he would have found the start of the explanation of the story.

I once read a user review about dks and the person said a big negative of the game was that the atmosphere was to "DARK(!) and DREARY"............. ><

^Dark Souls? A dreary atmosphere? You don't say?

@Federally, the books are awesome, but like you said they lose value when they are the only way to learn. Personally my favorite books are Wabbajack (I memorized the rhyme...) Darkest Nights (The real vampires, good ending too) the pick your story one (A pick your story in a pick your story? Gameception!) and the Lusty Argonian Maid was good too. (Kidding, don't read it, just...don't. although it is still better than Twilight)