So, it's been a while since I played any Souls game, so I thought to myself "why not" and decided to do a challenge run for the Scholar of the First Sin, playing in New Game through the Covenant of Champions. So far so good (just got to Vendrick and stole his ring, already done with the first DLC area too), but boy it sure is frustrating at times.

So figured we could also talk a bit about this franchise, it's always brings some nice points to talk about. Here are some proposed premises we could speak of:

· What's your favourite Souls game? What's your least liked/most disliked one? How would you rank them?

· Favourite boss in the franchise?

· Something you'd change from a specific game? An area, specific part of a lore, a dungeon?

· Most frustrating moment for you?

· Would you rather bang Priscilla or the Maiden in Black? How about the Doll?

· What was Miyazaki thinking when designing Dark Souls 3?

· What's your favourite Souls game? What's your least liked/most disliked one? How would you rank them?

I have only played DS2 (SotFS) and Bloodborne. I prefer Bloodborne for it's more aggressive style and more naturally unfolding world. Though DS2 has more build variety which is appreciated. I really loved both

· Favourite boss in the franchise?

Maria. The clock tower setting is cool, I generally think fighting other humans make for the most interesting boss fights in these types of games (tend to be more challening with more similar movesets, feels like a duel) and also the music is pretty good.

· Something you'd change from a specific game? An area, specific part of a lore, a dungeon?

The Gutter in DS2 is awful. I hate when an area being dark is used as one of it's mechanics, it's lame

· Most frustrating moment for you?

I haven't found the games difficulty too bad really. The opening few hours of DS2 where I was getting to grips with the franchise and had to grind levels for a bit was probably the weakest part. But even that was decently enjoyable 

· Would you rather bang Priscilla or the Maiden in Black? How about the Doll?

I'd pick the doll, hopefully Japan is on it

· What was Miyazaki thinking when designing Dark Souls 3?

that's mean

1. Bloodborne > Dark Souls 3 > Dark Souls > Dark souls 2 PS4 edition.
2. Bloodborne Gerhman, Dark Souls 3 nameless king
3.Bloodborne'so armor rating it's all esthetics now instead of an actual meaningful choice.
4. My first five times facing bloodstarved beast and me dying of poisoning because I wasn't fast enough spamming mentals. So I decided to grind a bit and become a stamina/skill build.
5. I would bang the Maiden in Black.
6. I am going to make a game Qwark enjoys and fuck shields.

Well, I mean, dressing your hunter in the perfect attire is also a meaningful choice. Isn't beauty and formality, after all, what distinguish us from mere mindless beasts?

i'm sure he tried his best

But the perfect attire protects my hunter from the damage my enemies do. Sometimes that is fire damage, other times electrical damage and most of the time physical damage. After all I would be foolish to face beings of the old blood without being optimally prepared. Fear the old blood.

True that, I've been too rude to him. I apologize.

What's your favourite Souls game? What's your least liked/most disliked one? How would you rank them?

My order would be Dark Souls on the top, followed by Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3 practically equal, and Dark Souls 2 after that, although I think they are all great games. The first DS is my favourite mostly because of its world and lore. While the later games have the edge in terms of gameplay, they haven't quite reached the same perfect feel and atmosphere as the first did, although they are certainly great as well.

Favourite boss in the franchise?

Too many to choose from. 

Something you'd change from a specific game? An area, specific part of a lore, a dungeon?

Small stuff mostly. Only being able to level up in one place in DS2 and 3 for example. It's not a huge thing, but just feels like a waste of time to have to go back to "base" to level up every single time.

Most frustrating moment for you?

Couple places in the DS2 DLC areas I suppose. The gauntlet to get to the Smelter Demon and the snowfield in Eleum Loyce I ended up giving up on in the end. I got to the bosses, but having to run through such annoying areas to get back to try again just got too frustrating after a while.

What was Miyazaki thinking when designing Dark Souls 3?

Don't know what you really mean by this. So far I've thoroughly enjoyed the game from start to almost the end. I'm currently finishing the second DLC and then I just have the final area left to do.

This is a problematic approach that the Souls team took with Dark Souls after Dark Souls 1, imo. They borrowed heavily from Demon's Souls, which in essence alienated the choices they made in Dark Souls 1's design and at the same time denied Demon's Souls players from a sequel, resulting in the hibridance of both things into Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3.

Heck, Dark Souls 3 has the return of the mana/FP bar and the Luck stat from Demon's Souls.

It's mostly a joke I make because most people held Dark Souls 3 in high regards, but I find Dark Souls 3 to be the weakest game of the franchise. It has plenty of questionable choices that I really didn't like and it's hard to see why Miyazaki would allow them in the first place. I wouldn't say it prevented me from enjoying the game, as I consider Dark Souls 3 to be among the best of games during the year it released, but I don't know. Really wish certain things had been done differently as they ended up being.