Wordle

Aldia's Keep #1

Having gotten the Kings Ring I could recall three doors that required the symbol of the king. I decided to visit them in order and visited the Forest of Fallen Giants first only to find a petrified giant whom I couldn't interact with. Second up was the one at the crossroads in the Shaded Woods which proved more useful as it lead to Aldia's Keep.

Despite finding the lore surrounding Aldia and it's mad lord and his insane experiments I didn't really enjoy the area that much. I think it was down to the hippo men! can't stand the hippo men and this place is full of them. I began by beign petrified by a pack of rabid dogs. Then killed (and sent 60 feet in the air in a weird glitch) by a Mimic. I found Lucatiel at the bonfire in the last throws of hollowing and then met her brother in red phantom form. He has quick attacks but was easy to stun into submission. Then killed again by a lurching dragon skeleton. This place wasn't going well and then comes the hippo man! Still haven't gotten the knack of dueling these guys and relied on arrows to take him down, did the same for the giant basilisk behind him.

I went to investigate a treasure when the mirrors in the hallway smashed and out popped 3 heavily-armoured black phantoms. At least with human foes I know where I stand and gradually chipped away at them with the Large Club until they all fell. Released an NPC too from a cell of sorts only to get nothing out of him.

The inner keep required me to spark up a torch to reveal the many caged monsters within which was ominous but set a nice tone. Found a hidden wall and bonfire in one of the labs which was of much relief. The Aldian wizards didn't put up much of a fight, neither dig the dogs in the corrosive pit where you find your key to escape. Then again with the hippo men, this time bursting through walls and leaving me no room to circle them! and if that wasn't enough Navlaan invades with some mega hexes to blow me into last week. Not a good day at the office.

Armour effectiveness

Armour in this game is feeling very Demon's Souls for me i.e not great. I have 30 VIT, +10 Gyrm Armour and Smelter stuff giving me 1000+ Physical Defence. Never have I had such a high defence in a Souls game but I still take massive damage.

I don't know whether there's a crazy algorithm for calculating damage per defence point and above a certain threshold it becomes redundant?

I'm thinking VIG is more important for soaking up damage or maybe a happy medium between that and VIT. I've been watching ENB's playthrough and he seems to favour VIG (his current build has 40 VIG and 6 VIT) and is surviving more blows than I am at a similar SL (with 16 VIG and 30 VIT).

Undead Crypt

The elevator down from Shrine of Amana leads to this dark, torch-lit area. The early hex-casting witches and hollows don't provide much resistance. I've switched over to the Black Knight Ultra Greatsword which seems to swing slower than the Large Club but I figured the fire damage might be good in an undead area. Following a couple of drops I found an obscured route to a sconce, the burning of which triggers a load of statues to light up. No idea what this does or if it sis even necessary to progress!

Ended up in a room full of crumbling headstones with zombies seemingly spawning when I came within range. Mixed in with these were larger stone tablets that spawned pyro ghosts who packed a punch. At one stage I entered a room with 4 tablets spawning endless pyro ghosts - I was splatted in seconds! Fortunately the tablets don't respawn when destroyed so it was just a matter of attrition. I really enjoyed this dynamic as the ghosts were a real threat but I think having the tablets not respawn was a mistake.

I came to a corridor lined with paintings housing ghosts, felt a bit Castlevania and not in a good way, followed by two hulking knights brandishing two tower shields apiece. Some flame swathes absolutely tore them to shreds. Having unlocked a shortcut back to the bonfire I came across a gauntlet of knights guarding the boss fog. Upon entering pyro ghosts started spawning and it all ended in a mess. Thanks to a helpful soap sign message I found if I killed the zombie ringing the bell the ghosts wouldn't spawn. Then ti was just a matter of drawing out the greatshielded knights one by one.

The boss reminded me of the Penetrator from Demon's Souls in his aggression and pillar chopping attacks. He has quite a bit more HP than the aforementioned though and even with a buffed weapon it was taking a lot of swings. I was getting 3/4 of my dodges no problem but the one I'd miss would see me lose most of my life which meant an estus break and it was becoming a chore. Summoning some Sun Bros (and basically I'm thinking of this as cheating as it makes it so easy summoning help) and he was Tiddles the cat.

Following that I came across the ultra hollowed King Vendrick. He didn't aggro so I swiped his ring and decided to leave him be in hope that it may be the "good ending" path.

Shrine of Amana #2

I actually like Shrine of Amana, yes the heat seekers are annoying but they also add a new dimension to the combat. The mix between long-range sorceresses, melee knights and surprise-attack mermen makes really keeps you on your toes. The hidden paths in the water and the iridescent reflections of the glowing blue flowers make for a unique atmosphere.

The last area is a right aul ambush. I initially took out the hidden sorceresses only to be invaded by an NPC firing hexes and running into a rake of submerged mermen! I eventually figured out the trigger point for the invasion and took out all of the sorceresses and mermen before getting invaded and running to dry ground. The NPC is wiley enough not to charge in but I had such high magic defense that his spells weren't too damaging when I waded in close range.

Soon followed the boss - The Demon of Song. He's impervious except when he emerges from the frog's mouth to attack. First attempt saw me pinned against the wall and slapped to death. He hits hard! Next go I tried pyromancy but he took little damage with his frog suit. Next go I just waited until he did his jumping attack and then got in for 2 hits and backed off again. Patience won out in the end and I got by without a scratch.

Shrine of Amana #1

I'd heard only bad things about this area from my dipping into the boards.ie thread and so was very cautious and tip-toed through the early satges. It's narrow paths through often deep water can make for slow dodging but finding your way without falling into the depths isn't too taxing. The first part is straight-forward enough. The templar knight guys are fine on their own but in numbers can be devastating as they swing through their halberd combos. The added mermen appearing from the water weren't really a bother as you can spot them a mile off. The "Milfitano" NPC encountered in a small hut reveals little in the way of lore.

The next part is a bit of pain. The heatseeker soul-arrows coming from the long distance leaves little room for maneuver. every time I found the sorceress who was casting them there was another on the horizon doing the same. After a few deaths I decided to beef up my magic defense - I equipped the Spell Quartz Ring +2 and returned to McDuff to infuse a Silverblack shield with magic to give it 88% protection after a few upgrades. This made blocking the soul arrows much less deadly but I was still getting unstuck at an area with 2 long range sorceresses and 2 templars to deal with when you get close!

After a few unsuccessful attempts I decided to explore a path off away into the water. Lighting a torch helps see where the underwater paths fall away but unfortunately this attracts the mermen. Guarding the treasures were 2 more sorceresses and its here I got out the bow and played them at their own game. With this strategy I easily dealt with the previous impasse and made it to the next bonfire.

Drangleic Castle #3

The lift that was now activated brought me to a strange room with a caged maiden with a gimp-like creature strapped on as a lock. With the King's Passage Key looted I made it back down. The passage is filled with statues and moodily lit with flashes of lightning. Some of the statues come to life and attack with katanas and karate kicks but go down easily enough.

I found Benhart's summon sign at the end and figured I'd better summon him with a boss fog imminent. The Looking Glass Knight is a fairly standard knight-type boss with a slow sword combo and easily to spot attacks. His attacks track you ridiculously well though which makes for tricky dodging. I blocked most of them and tried to get around the side of him after. His huge shield blocks most horizontal attacks which was a pain.

His surprise move was to set his shield and summon a phantom from within it (allegedly human invaders can be summoned but I only got an NPC). This didn't make it as awkward as I would've thought as the NPC was fairly tame. I did get splatted on my first attempt as the LGK deals a ton of damage if he gets past your shield but I got him easy enough on my second go with Benhart distracting him I could get in attacks from behind. With him dispatched I moved into the Shrine of Amana.

Drangleic Castle #2

Upon revisiting the room with the masks I noticed a door I'd previously missed. This led me up through the battlements and walkways of the towers adjoining the castle as I battled through more of the greatshield knights whilst being peppered by arrows from above. I was invaded by an NPC red phantom who was stupidly easy to defeat.

I eventually came to a room with the queen in it. As a previous room had held a portrait of her which inflicted curse I was wary to say the least but she was quite welcoming and basically told me to kill the king. Following that was a boss fog where I thought I was in for it as there hadn't been a bonfire for a while (by DS2 standards anyway). No need to fear as it was just 2 Dragonriders who didn't seem to have much HP and also telegraphed their slow attacks.

At the following bonfire was the Moonlight Greatsword guy who didn't say much of interest. The castle continued with another golem room which activates a lift and then a long jog back to the bonfire which opens up a shortcut. Nice level design complimented by the eerily serene atmosphere of the castle halls. The mix of mastodons, greatshield knights and archers from the Iron Keep seems a bit odd but gameplay-wise it's a good mix. I picked up the Firestorm pyromancy along the way which I'm looking forward to trying out in my next session.

Drangleic Castle #1

The castle is an imposing sight as you first ascend the lengthy stairway to its entrance. At this stage I'm fairly fearless as I'm kitted out to take and deal large amounts of punishment. The two mastodons who come to life as I went up posed no problem as did the army of Royal Soldiers guarding the entrance. I somehow managed to activate a statue on one side of the entrance and realised I needed to do the same with the one on the opposite side to gain entry. I couldn't for the life of me figure it out.

I had to resort to watching ENB's video which shows that you need to kill an enemy close to the golem so that their soul is absorbed by it and it springs to life. No wonder the soldiers keep respawning, I broke 2 weapons on my first visit smacking them about.

Inside is as palacial as Souls gets. The resident knights were again just fodder despite possessing great shields. Then I came to a real stinker of a room full of statues that awaken and then doors that open to reveal Ruin Sentinels! The whole coming-to-life thing and souls of departed enemies fueling golems seems to be a major theme of the castle.

Past that nasty room was an area with corrosive acid (which only yielded an Elizabeth's Mushroom for venturing into the acid) and a room full of poison-arrow spitting masks. Another path lead to the NPC I found in the Gulch who prattles on about the Dark, apparently I need to meet him one more time before something happens. Following those two dead-ends I returned to the main stairway to find the ghost of the chancellor, who seemed a bit erratic but dished out the lore (which was very welcome). Apparently the king is missing, the queen is a Lady MacBeth manipulating type and the Dark (read Abyss) is hinted at being involved.

Black Gulch #2

I'd been back to Black Gulch a few times since first discovering it (the wonders of bonfire warping). It's not somewhere I stayed for long though as those poison-spitting statues really get my goat. The boss actually isn't too far in but the run to him is a pain (as is he!).

On one of my ventures I brought a torch and discovered 2 things. 1 - the black puddles on the ground can be set on fire and 2 - there's a series of ledges below the main path. The fire in the puddles doesn't really do much to deter the octopus/hand monsters but the ledges are a god send. I met Lucatielle down there in the throws of madness and also a couple of giants. I read a message saying to try poison against them so 3 squirts of Toxic Mist and they were almost dead. They hide a lift which brings you very close to the boss.

The Rotten is a tough one. He has powerful cleaver attacks and a mountain of HP. To make it worse he's surrounded by flaming areas which drain your life. I couldn't get a read on his attacks and he was regularly flattening me. He also didn't seem susceptible to any elemental damage which is my normal fallback for tough enemies. I resorted to calling in a couple of Sun Bros which eventually did the trick and gave me my fourth great soul.

Backtracking (Keys Edition)

I now had some keys that hadn't opened anything yet. I first returned to the Shaded Woods to investigate the two dead ends. One still required the King's seal or something but the other, The Shrine of Winter, now let me through. I was surprised to find it leading me to Drangleic Castle as I only had 3 of the 4 great souls but I decided to leave it (as the temporarily displaced Emerald Herald advised).

After chatting to the guy who wants Pate dead again, I went back to the mist covered forest area as I'd previously just ran through it in abject fear. Nothing like a Lightning Greatsword and +10 Gyrm Armour to help with the aul confidence. The invisible enemies fire crossbows and also have a penchant for back-stabs but the wide arc of the sword cleared em out good. The Chloranthy Ring +1 was the best of the numerous treasures. I found Vengarl's disembodied head (?) who sells his weapons and Gold Pine Resin. Picked up a Claymore from him also.

I revisited the Shaded Ruins and massacred the Giant Basilisk as well as using a Frangrant Branch to get the Lion Mage set (increases casting speed) and another Fragrant Branch (losing count now!).

As I had picked up the Brightstone key off the Duke I revisited spiderland (warping makes all this almost too easy). I found Pate and the other guy in a mortal duel and gathered I had to step in. As Pate seemed like the Patches type I decided to stick it to him. I received a full armour set along with Pates ring and spear. Also another key - for the guys "den" which contained the Engraved Gauntlets. Nice haul!

I knew where to go to use the Duke's key and after incinerating an army of spiders I got the Black Knight Greatsword and a Fire Seed. Unlike previous BK gear I'd gotten I actually had sufficient stats to wield it and what a beauty it is. Great two-handed strong attack that thrusts like a rapier. Poured all of my 10 twinkling titanites into it to get it to +4.

Weapon Infusion

I returned to McDuff in the Lost Bastille with the Dull Ember I'd found in the Iron Keep. This allows him to infuse weapons with the special ore stones to produce Lightning/Magic/Fire etc. weapons. The system is much more straightforward than in the previous games with you just requiring one of the special stones to make a weapon of that type and then it can be reinforced as normal with ordinary titanite. Also having one blacksmith to look after all infusions is way handier.

In DS1 a lot of the special ores you found were useless for your current build as they only reinforced a weapon along one exclusive path. Now there are less special stones (as you only need one to create the weapon) and more universal titanite. This really takes the farming out of weapon building. The fact you can also infuse a weapon at any level (rather than getting it to +5 first) also streamlines the process. Boss weapons can also be infused!

I upgraded my +6 Greatsword to a Lightning Greatsword and got it to +8. I wanted to create a fire weapon from a lighter sword but only the Royal Greatsword fit the bill and it already has a bleed effect which takes away from it's overall stats.

50 hours in

I really seem to be taking my time with this game. Was surprised to see I have 50 hours clocked up. Some areas I've flown through as by their very nature I was probably overpowered for them. I suppose as there is a separate route to each Old One which get progressively more difficult, when you finish one the beginning of the next will seem easier.

Some of the level design has been excellent and some not so. My main gripe would be the lack of an organic progression from one to the next. Harvest Valley to Earthen Peak fits in terms of theme and geography. The next jump to Iron Keep made no sense in either respect. Heide's Tower to No Man's Wharf felt bizarrely juxtaposed.

Certain areas are almost over before they've begun. Maybe its the extra bonfires (or what feel like "extra" bonfires they're so plentiful!) that make it easier to miss alternate routes as you only see a lot of the sections once before hitting a new checkpoint. Great in terms of reducing frustration but not so good for getting a real feel for the environments. Will definitely have to revisit a couple of the areas, the likes of The Gutter felt as if I went down 2 ladders and then it was over!

I miss the old shortcuts too. The ones that gave you early access to an area (e.g. Valley of Drakes) or a quick path back (e.g. Undead Parish elevator). Maybe there are some in there that I haven't come across. (Can't wait to check all of the secret stuff on YouTube once I get to NG+). There are still some well devised shortcuts within levels ala Demon's Souls but the whole warping dynamic has changed the relationship between areas and makes for a less cohesive gameworld imo.

Duke's Dear Freja

I had periodically returned to fight the spider boss in Brightstone Cove a few times without much success. I was getting better though. I found that I was best off getting close and risking being caught be her jumping attack then to keep running in and out.

With the NPC summon things were easier as he was adept at taking out the small spiders leaving me to focus on Freja. My eventual winning strategy was to alternate between getting in her face and hitting her with pyromancies. My +10 Gyrm Armour allowed me to take a big hit without fear of being one-shotted. The attempt on which I killed her saw her almost paralysed for the second half of the fight whilst I weighed in to her rear face as she was distracted by the Ashen Knight I'd summoned.

Upon defeat her soul is left as a light on the ground in a change from the usual auto-aquisition. No idea why. As I was basking in a post-boss relaxed mood the appearance of another enemy was a bit of a shock. The Duke only took one hit however but did drop the Brightstone Key. In my post-post-boss relief I was even more startled by the dual-wielding oaf waiting for me at the bonfire. I cautiously battled to ensure my 50k of souls stayed intact, nerve-wracking stuff! He dropped the excellent Vengarl set which may outperform my Gyrm armour when upgraded.

Iron Keep #2

This area has a proper Souls feel to it - it's tough, progress can be slow and there are plenty of treasures that require some figuring out to get. I again fell for the Mimic! but in the process found a detour up and over the foundry part of the level.

The initial knights had stopped respawning by the time I'd gotten proficient at making it to the end. The last hurdle of turtle knights (or Ironclad Knights to give them their official title) mixed with flame spewing ornaments proving particularly tricky. The orange messages were again invaluable as they helped me locate a ladder to a bonfire right before the boss.

The Old Iron King is a lava minotaur who is a bit like a less dangerous Ceaseless discharge in that he leaves his arms for you to swipe at following his attacks. A few co-op sessions and I had him sussed with only his sweeping palm attack causing any bother. Defeating him gave me my second large soul and opened up another primal bonfire back to Majula.

Iron Keep / Sol Belfry

After a short stint of PVP with the Rat covenant I returned to the Iron Keep. This Bowser's Castle-like area has a knight on every corner. Fortunately the melee ones are a doddle, as despite wielding what looks like a katana they do one attack and then pause for a long time leaving them wide open. I was one-shotting them for fun and racking up the souls to boot.

The archers are more of a pain but it's really the environment which poses the greatest issue with its narrow walkways over lava etc. Not far in I came to a boss, the Smelter Demon. He seems like your average human-type boss with sword. He did an AOE on me whilst I was on the ground (cheap!) which seemed really powerful. Decided to investigate the pathways behind his room before returning.

Up there I came across the bane of my existence - the turtle knights - on narrow walkways too! The following room granted me access to a bonfire via a Pharros device which was a welcome respite. The bonfire area doesn't allow you access back to the Iron Keep but instead sees you climb a ladder to the Belfry Sol. I don't like Belfry Sol from the annoying leprechaun who grants access to the covenant to the seemingly random NPC phantoms that dropped by to the little gnomes with their fire axes.

I got invaded after ringing the bell (does that trigger it?) and was doing quite well until a second invader appeared. A swift death and I decided to join the covenant to prevent further invasions. The area is quite short and saw me dropped back to where I'd left off in the Iron Keep.

More Backtracking

Having come up to the foreboding looking/sounding Iron Keep I decided to retreat temporarily and catch up on some lost treasure. I first went back to the Shaded Ruins to use my Fragrant Branch on another human statue. Unfortunately the ungrateful Lion Tribesman attacked me once awakened and the area he was blocking held no treasure and seems like it was already accessible :(

I then returned to Harvest Valley to take on the pit of sickle-wielding monsters there. This yielded a fair amount of items and a crystal lizard to boot. I also got another Fragrant Branch but the only other statue I've come across is another lion dude in Shaded Ruins who isn't blocking anything so I fail to see the point.

The Fire Seed I got went straight to Rosabeth for a Pyro Glove+4. Not really using my pyromancies too much. Flame Swathe comes in handy when in a pinch but Toxic Mist seems hit and miss. The others aren't really powerful enough to be worth it.

I also took my Gyrm Armour to +10. It has ridiculously high physical defense now (I think my overall is 850!) and I still have a spare slab if needed. Got the Demons Great Hammer by trading with the crows. (Discovered they also take Prism Stones which is good for burrs and homeward bones.) It needs to be two handed but it upgrades with regular titanite so might be worth a try.

Earthen Peak #2

I'll admit that having moaned on boards.ie about the boss I was told that you could drain the poison in the arena. I had a sneaky look on the wiki (first time I've had to resort to this) and found if you burned the windmill it would do this. So logical?!?! Whilst on the wiki I noticed the list of items to be found in Earthen Peak and realised I'd missed most of them! So I went back to the game and started the area from the beginning and sure enough there was a whole section I'd missed as I'd failed to notice a turn down an alternate corridor.

I found Pate again who was just moping about treasure. I found a few jumps and drops that led to treasure as well as new NPC - Gilligan who supplies ladders (and is a source of Aromatic Ooze). The only item of note was probably the Poisonbite ring. With the treasure hunting over I searched for access to the windmill and sure wasn't there a host of messages telling me what to do.

With my torch having set blaze to the sails I was off to to see the slithery one. With the poison gone I could concentrate on her moveset which is varied enough and caught me out a few times. Her lunges track ridiculously well and only leave a small gap after to attack. Her magic bomb leaves her vulnerable but again only for a slight moment. I was able to stagger her with two hits but getting those two hits was the problem. Eventually I got her, more down to a few fortunate dodges than anything else.

Earthen Peak #1

This area with its variety of enemy types, different routes and general nastiness is one of my favourite thus far. It reminded me somewhat of Sen's Fortress with its large central space with its feeling of height and constant whirring noise(of cogs not blades thankfully). It conveys the atmosphere of the poison processing plant that it is and it blends perfectly with the preceding area in terms of tone and continuation of theme (something sadly missing form a lot of the areas in DS2).

It was definitely the first challenge since setting out from Huntsman's Copse. The initial assassin type enemies are nimble but don't prove a challenge but the later combos of warden knights and pyro ladies have a nice balance between armour and ranged attacks which can prove tougher.

I began by meeting Lucatiel for the 3rd time. She seemed on the brink of hollowing so it may be the last. She did give me a Ring of Steel Protection +1 which adds a whopping 50 onto my physical defense. With the Gyrm Armour at +5 I now have 760 defense!

I was tearing through the level until I came across a mimic and was promptly eaten. Fortunately the second bonfire isn't too far from the end which requires you to negotiate a couple of tight squeezes with the fire mages. I used Toxic Mist on them as a ranged approach as fire obviously wasn't going to work. Another tight spot sees you drop down to two knights surrounded by a poisonous lake as they guard the doorway you're trying to enter.

Again another generously-placed bonfire, albeit behind a hidden wall but with all of the orange soapstone signs is there anything really hidden?!, which is right before the this entrance is most welcome. Beyond which is the boss and an absolute stinker she is. The deformed queen takes the shape of a snake with a decapitated Medusa-like head in one hand. It's bad enough that she has powerful magic attacks and lunges with a flurry of spear pokes but the battle takes place in a lake of poison! Aaaagh!

Harvest Valley

Harvest Valley sounds like a lovely place, full of sun-drenched crops and butterflies! Souls serves us up an area where the undead are processed into poison as far as I can tell. Poison is everywhere. You have to get through a ditch filled with toxic ooze just to get to the bonfire! I did meet an attractive young lass mind who appears to be the blacksmiths daughter. She harps on about rare stones but has none to sell nor can she create weapons with them it seems.

The poison fog that dominates a lot of the area isn't as toxic as it is off-putting. I went for a couple of explorations through it with enough time to heal and grab all of the goodies. I met Gavlan the merchant dwarf again but by the time I'd gone back to my item box to get all my junk to sell to him he'd disappeared.

The only enemy who poses any threat were these two-storey high troll things that hurl dark hexes at you. They don't aggro unless you're right in there face though. There are a few hammer wielding muscle men later on but they're so predictable they cause minimal stress.

The boss, The Covetous Demon, is also a cinch. He's just a giant slug-like thing that can barely move. With him dispatched I headed on to Earthen Peak.

Huntsman's Copse #2

Across a large metal bridge I elected to delve into a cave to find some old friends – the resurrecting skeletons. Like before once you find the necromancer they stay dead. The necromancers now have those homing soul spears which are annoying but otherwise I had no bother. I eventually got a key which gave me access to a bonfire at the beginning of the caves so back I went.

Here I met an NPC who told me that Pate was a bad egg and he was basically going to kill him. Fair enough. Back through the cave via a shortcut I'd opened and on to the boss. The Skeleton Lords consist of about 8? slightly tougher skeletons with a couple of mages, bonewheels and some dual wielders amongst them. Handy enough as there are pillars to retreat behind and there only seemed to be 2 guys attacking at any one time. The R2 strong attack on the Large Club has a wide arc and is great for smashing multiple enemies like the weaker skeletons. On to Harvest Valley.

Huntsman’s Copse #1

Whilst back in Majula I remembered I had intended to investigate the light that had appeared over the entrance to the Heide’s tower path. So much to do in this game you often get distracted! Down below I found the miracle-selling woman from before now offering to own up a new path for me. Another new path! That will make a third front I can be pushing on (whilst I work up the stomach to tackle the spider queen and/or Black Gulch).

The tunnel opens up with a hillside path with a ruin at its summit and a wood beyond. The enemies are mainly bandit types who go down in one hit from my trusty Large Club+10. There’s a leap of faith to a hidden path through the other end of the ruin but there aren’t any treasures of note to be found. There is an executioner type who I managed to plunge attack – always fun!

Past the ruin, the wood contains some larger, more lethal dudes with sickles and some poison fog emitting moths but still largely a breeze to negotiate. Similar to the Gutter this area is probably designed to be visited earlier on (not at SL78!). I am enjoying the area though, I like the disorientating effect of the trees and the ambushes are very Souls. With all the enemies dead I found a lever. Onwards!

Straid

I could only think of two human statues I’d encountered and the beastman in the Shaded Ruins didn’t appeal to me so that left they guy in the cell in The Lost Bastille who suspiciously had a bonfire right beside him.

I think I made the right call as Straid trades in Boss Souls! No more upgrading weapons before converting them into boss soul weapons, Straid just shows you each weapon/spell that can be made from the souls you have. Excellent idea in my book, especially for someone playing blind, as there’s no need to reference wikis or the like.

I picked up a hefty club for the Lost Giant’s soul, a small Barbed Club for the Flexile Sentry’s, an ultra greatsword for the Pursuer’s, a magic bow for the Dragonrider’s and Toxic Mist for the Rat Vanguard’s. Most of the weapons require a DEX of 18 but I definitely want to try them out so I’m willing to put 6 levels in (60k in souls at this stage).

The Black Gulch

Following my holiday in the Gutter I was quickly introduced to what a real hostile environment is meant to entail. The bioluminescence in the cave at least allowed me to put my torch away and good thing too as my Drangleic shield was definitely required in my off hand.

The walls are lined with those damn statues and their poison spewing malarkey. I did discover I could smash them but there are so many and they respawn after you die. I tried using some Common Fruits to raise my poison resistance but it didn't make much difference.

There are some tough enemies to combat whilst avoiding the poison, these hand-like floating things who can deliver insta-death if they grab and bite you and some giant eel-like creatures who hit hard. I decided after a few goes of endlessly getting poisoned and burning through my Lifegems and trying to sneak past the eels to give up. I had found another Fragrant Branch of Yore and was eager to investigate the possibilities.

The Gutter

This is now only the second area where a torch has been a necessity (I had nearly 2 hours worth of torches starting The Gutter!) and it definitely changes the dynamic. Unfortunately the enemies aren't particularly challenging between weak hollows and the slow mutant quadrupeds and I didn't really miss my shield as much as I would've thought.

The area see's you descend down endless ladders, some of which drop you to your death, trying to find the correct combination that will see you escape. It never even glimpses the heights of confusion and despair I experienced when getting lost in Blighttown and apart from the poison-spewing statues that are everywhere it doesn't prove to be as hostile as you would expect. Theres even a handy bonfire half-way through which feels totally unnecessary. Maybe if you play it earlier in the game it's more of a challenge?

I made it to the bottom which lead me to a cave entrance. I didn't find a boss, well there was a large insect (similar to the one in DS1 that guards the Power Within spell) but he wouldn't even qualify as a mini-boss.

The Pit / Grave of Saints

I'd given the Pit a try before when I got the Silver Cat ring (reduces fall damage) but still died at the third fall and gave up. Now it may seem like I planned it when you read on but I just happened to give the Pit another go on my return to Majula as I now had the Lion Warrior Cape which also reduces fall damage.

After a couple of attempts I made it to an entrance and into the Grave of Saints. I tip-toed through these catacombs only to find no enemies. There were plenty of bloodstains and warnings but nothing. It was only when I noticed 3 rats waiting in a wall that I realized I was amongst comrades! The Rat covenant was preventing the rats from attacking me! That was handy.

Came to a boss fog and was presented with an army of rats who to my surprise did attack. The Lingering Flame was invaluable again with the rats so bunched up the mines took out several in one go. Following that I again met the Rat King. This is another, and seemingly better, area I could use for reverse invasions and promptly tried it out only to be lag stabbed :( Yes it still exists. In fairness I think I got unlucky that time as the other battles I had were far better than DS1 with much less lag.

Behind the Rat King is another set of perilous drops which, past some exploding zombies, leads to a series of rickety wooden ladders and scaffolding reminiscent of Blighttown. 2 minutes later I was poisoned and in the dark, this is Blighttown! Welcome to The Gutter.

Return of the Rat

Elected to head back to the Doors of Pharros to try out some more lockstones. Unfortunately the third part of the door I'd already wasted most of my lockstones on only returned a spear with a high DEX requirement. Some of the others only set up permanent traps such as giant shurikens and axe-throwing statues. What a waste.

Since last taking on the Royal Rat Authority I'd gotten my Large Club to +10 so I really fancied my chances against Mr Big Rat. I'd also devised a new strategy too, thanks to my 2 new spell slots I was able to equip Lingering Flame and left these like mines in wait for the smaller rats. The big guy is a bit like Sif I suppose in that getting under his belly is the way to go. I could block all of his attacks but his insistence on doing his head lunge at inopportune moments began to scupper my efforts. Said lunge tracks you really well so rolling at 69% equip wasn't really an option. Just legging it at him seemed to work best. Sometimes he would leap away other times he'd hang about letting me get a swipe in whilst under him.

His last ditch attacks was a corrosive ooze which broke some of my armour but I manged to get one last bash in to finish him off. The now unblocked tunnel didn't lead me to a plethora of chests as I'd hoped but instead a rat NPC and a covenant. Immediately I knew this is where the reverse-invasion Gray Spirit phenomenon I'd experienced several times in the caves below had originated. Suffice to say I joined up in search of some PVP shenanigans.

Brightstone Cove Tseldora #2

Following the church there are two paths down through the rock-face cave dwellings with both paths proving tricky to negotiate. Top of the annoyances list are the mage types firing unerring homing soul-spears at you as you find a path down the cliff face. The mutant spider men inherit the same attack power as their spider parasites but back it up with more HP thanks to their fleshy hosts and can be troublesome in numbers. The basilisks barely provide a threat now thanks to my increased petrify protection via the Lost Sinner's gear.

The trek is certainly not without reward though as I picked up a Southern Ritual Band +1 which offers an additional 2 spell slots! Ideal for my build where I don't want to waste levels on Attunement. There's plenty of other loot too as I smashed down furniture and detritus to find hidden doors and secret passageways aplenty.

It took a while to fully clear out the area and establish where to go but eventually I found a gateway of sorts guarded by a red phantom miner (I wasn't invaded so not sure what his story is). Beyond him was another set of vault doors with the spider logo and a building chock-full of arachnids. This was the first part I'd encountered where using the torch was of any help as I made my way down spider web walkways in the dark.

At the base is the inevitable boss fog and the even more predictable giant spider boss! This is a toughie as most of the torso and legs are impervious to damage and its head at either end prevents the usual "attack the rear" strategy. That's saying nothing of its laser death-beam and paralyzing web attacks! Not aided by the fact she is surrounded by a bunch of normal spiders to keep you on your toes. Might need to revisit this one as initial attempts proved fruitless.

Brightstone Cove Tseldora #1

Emerging from the caves of the Doors of Pharros saw me arrive in a surprisingly open area, an encampment of sorts occupied with tents, hollow miners and were-pigs. DS2 has a lot more of these open environments than in previous Souls games. It just feels not-right somehow.

Anyway, progressing along the edge of the mountain brings a deep vista of a quarry full of crystalline peaks and the surrounding huts carved into the rock-face. Some more dregling types with larger than expected HP come at you with curse and bleed damage and can be quite the nuisance.

The path ends with a vault door with a spider emblazoned on it - you know what that means! Inside sees wall like Swiss cheese, full of little holes and then a chamber with a chest in the middle :P The ensuing spider swarm was a handful, they may have low HP but their attacks went through my colossal Gyrm armour (Mega tank stuff I picked up in the Doors of Pharros) with ease.

After a solitary chamber of attacks comes the boss fog and a slightly different boss - the Prowling Magus. This bolt-firing bishop is surrounded by his congregation (who have a separate health bar), two of which are also firing bolts. Get too close to the Magus, having dodged his flock, and you get a nasty Wrath of the Gods to the head. It's a fight that requires patience as you thin down the crowd avoiding the sticking points of the pews (its set in a small church ala False Idol in Demon's Souls) and gradually whittling down the magic wielders.... until they heal! 3 goes and I had it sussed but a very satisfying battle.

Doors of Pharros

I like this area, with its shrine of sorts carved into a cave and the endless Pharros devices hinting at secrets and hidden routes. The enemies are complete pushovers from the giant mastodon men to the heavily armoured dwarves. The speedy rats may cause toxic but they are still far easier than the old zombie dogs of DS1. There was a mimic though who caught me out though so I didn't escape unscathed.

I initially took the lower path which brought me on a tour of all the devices. I also got reverse invaded - I was summoned as a grey phantom with the host and the enemies all ganging up on me. Suffice to say I died. No idea what that was about probably some new covenant.

I managed to get two thirds of a door open but my remaining lockstones were used in the search for treasure. Will need to return for that one. I came upon a bonfire after no time at all with the boss fog right beside it (some of these area are very brief encounters). The boss is a giant rat who rushes and barges and then rushes some more. I was distracted by avoiding its rat babies who can inflict toxic in no time at all in a group. This meant I didn't really get a feel for his attack pattern.

I decided to return and check out the higher path which brought me swiftly to the exit and on to the next area -Brightstone Cove Tseldora. I have unfinished business in the cave between doors and bosses so I shall return.

Patch 1.03

Patch notes from Wiki (see here)

1 Successful Online coop with white / small sigh stone will now revive you back to human
2 Bug where entrance door to Drangleic Castle did not open has been fixed
3 failing to create multiplayer session no longer disables use of online items such as white soap stone
4 starting boss fight with Mirror Knight while summoning coop player no longer fails / cancel summoning process
5 death match error at the undead purgatory has been fixed
6 you will no longer be able to take off Covenant related rings while being summoned
7 bug which dropped items were not be able to picked up again due to the 'inventory is full ' message has been fixed
8 dialog will now pop up when you enter the coffin at the Things Betwixt
9 fixed bug where at certain areas blood stains, illusions and messages were not displayed
10 bug which location of object and item were reset has been fixed
11 display response time at character making has been improved
12 bug where angle of the tattoo chosen at the character making screen did not display correctly has been fixed
13 response time of start menu / bonfire menu has been improved
14 certain items not being available at the shops in NG+ and later has been fixed
15 summoned players no longer fall under the ground at Earthen Peak
16 bug which caused souls to be lost while equipping life protection ring has been fixed
17 bug which caused face icon displayed at the summon sign to be of different player has been fixed
18 Trophy icon for the Guardian of Fort(?) fixed
19 Controller now vibrate when guarding
20 equip menu info on dark magic has been fixed
21 bug which caused player to fall through elevator while using binoculars and casting spell has been fixed

1 - This is a game changer. I'd been randomly reviving when summoned, thought it was a glitch! Has saved me lots of effigies and the feature made 100% is only good news

8 - Ruins the surprise if you ask me.

9 - had noticed some barren areas. Especially noticeable at the moment because of all the activity.

13 - Most welcome, lag can be annoying

21 - Very specific set of requirements that!

Shaded Woods #2

The mist covered path through the trees delivers on its ominous appearance as no sooner are you in than attacks are coming out of nowhere (arrows?). I elected to leg it and somehow stumbled on a path away from the mist. DS2 has a habit of delivering a bonfire just when your praying for one (and often when you're not) and it didn't let me down.

The area that follows is the creepiest and nastiest in the game thus far. Despite it being a bright, well-lit area the constant threat of curse status (and the associated warning noise) and the cackling in the background are enough to keep you unsettled. There are gourds everywhere which increase your curse level if you're near them and the dreadlocked man-beasts also inflict curse status with their attacks. There's also a giant basilisk lurking as if juxtaposed in the middle of the area just to alarm you. Falling through the false-floor trap sees his petrify inflicting babies swarm you and if that wasn't bad enough there's corrosive acid down there which breaks your equipment. Nightmare.

Probing about got me a Dark Scythe (bit weak) and a scorpion-bodied NPC (who says nothing). Fortunately once you find the boss fog you realise you've got an easy sprint from the bonfire straight there. The boss is also scorpion-bodied and is not dissimilar to Quelaag. Initially her Soul Spears, Homing Soulmass and pouncing tail attacks make her seem like a formidable opponent but after a couple of goes I realised I can get right up in her face relatively easily. I did summon a helper but really she's quite a doable boss without one. My new fireballs came in really handy also allowing me to mix it up between ranged and melee. Once defeated I moved through the tunnel she was protecting to the Doors of Pharros.

Pyromania

Decided I need to spice things up a bit and give myself an alternative attack. Pyromancy is the obvious choice as it requires so little stat investment. I did a few runs being summoned for the Lost Sinner and quickly amassed 50k souls (on a side note I noticed having watched the Lost Sinner cutscene a few times that she only seems to come alive when the insect crawls into her eye, is the demon actually the insect?).

I put 5 levels in to Attunement to get me an ATT of 10 and one spell slot. I also picked up the Handcuffs of the Sinner which increase Pyro power. Had to use up some of my saved souls to level up the Pyro Glove as you now need to buy a Fire Seed (8k a pop) as an upgrade material each time you want to level the glove. Rosabeth only has 3 seeds so my glove is now +3. Stuck with the Fireball spell I already had for the moment as Rosabeth didn't have anything more powerful than Fire Orb.

Shaded Woods #1

After beating Lost Sinner I got a Fragrant Branch of Yore which cures petrification. I could only think of two human statues I could use it on, the one blocking the way in Majula and the one in the cells in the Lost Bastille. The former seemed of greater importance and I had literally no other path open to me (that I'm aware of).

The woman you revive is a pyromancy student who'll come in handy later when I feel the need to mix my attack up a bit. Upon opening the gate the's blocking I was immediately besieged by poison-inflicting mutants, so Souls! A quick death and on with the rest of the area which has the pleasant title: Shaded Woods (sounds like a nice spot for a picnic?).

The area is infested with more of the poison mutants who go down fairly easily as long as you don't get surrounded. I soon came to a crossroads, and mercifully a bonfire. One of the 3 ways was shrouded in an ominous white fog so I decided to leave that. One of the other paths leads to a Flexile Sentry mini boss who's protecting a Dragonslayer Crescent Axe and an excellent looking shield. Unfortunately the axe isn't all that powerful but it does do lightning damage.

Following that you arrive in the Shrine of Winter and come to a door which refuses you entry (needs large souls or something). The other path leads to another entrance which also demands a prerequisite for entry (Kings seal). Which just leaves the path through the fog which is littered with bloodstains...

Sinner's Rise

Sinner's Rise turned out to be a fairly short stint in the keep and then down to the sewers. Some new enemies - hulking beasts with swiping claws and a tail slash - they're not too tricky but the knee-high water makes maneuvering difficult. Then on for another horde of exploding inmates who again proved very frustrating.

I was surprised how brief the whole of Sinner's Rise proved to be as there was a boss before I knew it. A very tough boss. Artorias except in the dark! The Lost Sinner rushes you and has, initially, tough to predict follow up attacks. The fact you can't see very well is a massive disadvantage (I actually found Artorias not as hard as he's made out tbh). There were some messages outside saying "use torch above" or the like but I didn't have the key for the gates above.

I was taking huge damage from him (I still have the starting stat in VGR - 7!) so decided to switch to a lighter weapon and pile on the armour. I'd just gotten a Malformed Skull which is a Great Hammer but its range is limited and it doesn't scale. Step up the old reliable - Large Club. Levelled that to +3 and it has S scaling with STR :) Allowed me to wear the full Drangleic set too.

I eventually found a couple of able helpers and then, bar a few moments that left me chugging Estus in haste, we made short work of the aul sinner. Upon defeat I was presented with a Great Soul and a primal bonfire which only warps back to Majula. Looks like one of the big 4 is down so. Some kind of build up to the fight would've been nice, a small hint that there was a really important boss ahead to build the tension. Perhaps there was and I missed it. Felt epic which is the main thing.

The Lost Bastille #3

Surprisingly there's still a fair amount to the Lost Bastille after you defeat the boss. I moved from the servants quarters to more holding areas before on to a final tower. It's an area riddled with false walls (where would you be without Orange Soapstone messages?!) and little secrets. It's also patrolled by gangs of exploding zombie inmates who can send you into panic as they're either sneakily hidden or come in a horde (they remind me of those guys form Serious Sam with the bombs for hands who just scream and leg it at you!). This combination makes for some real Souls moments as you're switching from curious explorer to wary combatant punctuated by a few surprises.

Of note I found the Large Club (my favourite STR weapon from DS1 but which is now lacking its R2 charge attack unfortunately), a ring which eases weapon degradation (handy now that weapons erode away like chalk between bonfires) and a Bonfire Ascetic (which makes the game harder).

There were 3 jumps that needed to made to rescue out-of-reach goodies and I took my armour off for one only to notice my character was wearing a bra! and was now female?! A quick post to boards.ie revealed that this was because I got into the coffin in Things Betwixt!

I eventually ended up in a new area which again seems a straight-forward mix of battlements and keeps (I should really be careful what I wished for as I've been longing for more Boletaria like castles but now it's starting to get repetitive) which is called Sinner's Rise

The Ruin Sentinels

Had to give these boys a good amount of goes. Finished them off as a phantom a few times but this one battle saw me waste about 7 Human Effigies. It's a fight for which you certainly want a ranged attacker in your party, as when you take on two at a time it can be very dangerous to wade in and keeping a distance is preferable. Fortunately the NPC summon is a cleric with some meaty Soul Arrows.

I definitely took these on at too high a level (SL55) as their damage output was nasty at that stage - if caught without my shield (often in the back!) I was getting one-shotted regularly. Dark and Gold pine resins helped with DPS but even then they were sucking up a lot of hits.

Whilst exploring between runs to the boss I found a new wing of the area through a destructible wall. It housed some new enemies - demented inmates who pack an explosive punch and like to lunge right at you. My reward was a few chests, one of which contained the excellent looking Twinblade. A new weapon type really, wielded like a bo-staff Darth Maul style. Shame it requires high DEX (25).

For my sins I equipped the (cheaty) Life Protection ring to save my effigies (the ring keeps you human even when you die but it breaks and can be repaired for 3000 souls). I only repaired it the once before finally beating the the boss. Summoned 2 phantoms with plenty of sorceries and pyromancies and lightning bolts and everything needed to take out the 3 marionette-like knights! I was able to distract the 2nd sentinel while the others took out the third and then it was just a pile on for the last guy.

Backtracking...again!

I revisited the Forest of Fallen Giants to see if I couldn’t best those damned turtle knights that blocked my path. As suspected the Greatsword chewed them up with the R2 attack keeping them at range and killing them in 2 hits. They were hiding a Bastard Sword (oh how I could’ve done with you early game) and some other bits and bobs. Also another bonfire (you can’t budge for tripping over bonfires in DS2!) which I reckon has something to do with warping back for a Covenant as (a) there’s no need to have a bonfire there and (b) there’s another one of those petrified giants there but this one allows you to interact (unlike the other 2) and it just says he is resting in peace. Maybe I need to have a certain item in my possession to join?

Back then to Things Betwixt to drop my new stones in the crows’ nest for which I received 3 different types of ore. Seems random what you get. Whilst there I went and killed the two upright hippo guys and they didn’t go down without a struggle. They were hiding a boat/coffin on the shore. As soon as I saw it I thought “Gravelord Covenant”. It let me get inside and close the lid but alas I didn’t travel anywhere. Maybe I need the equivalent of the Eyes of Death in my possession?

Cathedral of Blue

I decided I’d return to Heides to investigate the Cathedral of Blue I’d skipped earlier. Unfortunately I’d spoilered myself when searching for a pic of Dragonrider so the appearance of Ornstein wasn’t exactly a surprise. His moveset is similar to that in DS1 (he charges you a lot!) but he has a new dark projectile attack which is easily avoided. He did prove slightly more challenging than recent bosses but I still managed him on my first attempt. He drops the Old Leo Ring and in the chests behind him are the Tower Shield and a fairly decent helmet.

The NPC in the same area appears to be the keeper of the Blue Sentinels Covenant but he wouldn’t let me join saying “my transient form” wasn’t to his liking :( I used an effigy to turn human but still no joy. Wouldn’t mind testing out the new PVP so I will definitely be returning to this guy.

Lost Bastille #2

The prison cell area the boat drops you off at is only around the corner from the original part I had explored thus allowing me to check out my explosive+cracked wall =shortcut theory. And what do you know it worked :D It leads to another bonfire and a blacksmith (who’s in need of an ember).

I was feeling fairly confident as my +4 Greatsword wasted the Royal Guards even as they piled in in number. The 3 sentinels were a different prospect though, especially alone. The first guy is hard enough on the small ledge but when the two others enter the fray all bets are off. In one sense I’m glad as it’s the first testing boss in the game. Excluding my rustiness with the Last Giant, I’ve had no bother with the others.

I gave them a few goes as a phantom but struggled every time. I’m gathering they have an elemental weakness as they seem to have high physical defence. After about 5 times entering the boss fog as part of a threesome and getting nowhere I decided to go back to the drawing board.

No-Man's Wharf

Not the usual seaside village experience. This is a dark and dingy spot full of bandit types and gangly black creatures. The going proved quite easy as the human enemies don't really hit all that hard (although after getting the Ring of Binding outside the Cathedral of Blue my HP bar is a lot sturdier). The long-limbed creatures have good reach and cause bleeding quite quickly but are easily rounded and back-stabbed. There was a section on a narrow path and a couple of tight buildings which proved troublesome as they pinned me a few times but I got my rewards for exploring past them as I met a dwarf trader and finally found a STR weapon - the Greatsword!

I should be careful what I wish for though as upon equipping the beast of a weapon (it weighs in at 22) I had to remove the mighty Drangleic armour to make 69.7% equip load. Ultra Greatwords aren't designed for the close quarters of this particularly cramped setting so after a couple of deaths I relented and went back to my club.

Thankfully there are ample shortcuts through the village and I made it to call the ghost ship ashore. The boss battle within, with the Flexile Sentry, was another first-go victory. It's a small environment but keeping your distance isn't a problem and his attack pattern is very pronounced. Following a cut-scene- seeing me sailing away into the moonlit waters- I arrived back at the area I had fled earlier - The Lost Bastille.

Early Impressions

At 13 hours in I'm getting a fair idea of what the new Souls is all about. The first thing that struck me is that they aren't dishing out the plot/lore as much as I'd been led to believe prior to release. The tutorial is more comprehensive and they explain Covenants a bit more (with 2 available from the get-go) but otherwise it's as obtuse as ever. I wasn't against the idea of it being a bit more forthcoming with the scene-setting/narrative but I still like the sense of mystery. From multiple playthoughs of DS1 and tons of lore videos I've learned that paying attention to the NPCs and item descriptions is where it's at but at this stage it's all a bit of a haze as to what's going on.

The new mechanics are also less-than-clear to me but again that's not necessarily a bad thing. Agility and Adaptability seem quite nuanced and obviously to understand the depth of their influence probably requires more than one playthrough. I definitely feel ADP has improved blocking speed and maybe roll speed but to hard to tell as my character is constantly evolving. The armour scaling with VIT is a great idea. Whilst Endurance no longer holds a double benefit of boosting Stamina and Equip load it allows Vitality to play a more important role than just a measure of how much I can carry. Stamina is important enough to be the only benefit of END the way HP is to Vigour. The seeming separation of the the new guard break mechanic from Stamina is something I'm undecided on. It only really happened to me early on before I had good armour/poise so I can't really make a call on that yet.

The uniquely claustrophobic atmosphere of the Souls games which to me is one of it's biggest achievements is certainly present in Dark Souls 2. The areas have been varied so far with the labyrinthine battlements of the Forest of Fallen Giants displaying the best level design but the mood has been spot-on throughout.

Heide's Tower of Flame

Having previously been scared off by the messages on the ground and the ominous-looking giant knight on the path down I decided to revisit the other exit from Majula. There was certainly no need to fret over the knight, he and his many compatriots are slow as hell and go down in a single flurry of blows. Slightly more problematic in groups but after finding the bonfire I eased past to find the Cathedral of Blue. Decided to come back to that and explore the other way as I'd pulled a few levers that seemed to activate something in that direction.

Through a fog gate to another surprisingly early boss fight - Dragonrider. It's not often you beat a boss on the first attempt but this guy is a doddle. He leaves his back wide open and his attacks are easily dodged. Defeated him and went upstairs to find a holy type selling miracles and a bonfire.

Off again through the tower which wasn't particularly noteworthy, some more slow knights and a Knight Set of armour which has decent poise but nothing great. Found an Old Knight Halberd which again has a 20 DEX requirement and scales with DEX! Where my STR weapon!?! Anyway found yet another bonfire (and the NPC I'd met in The Old Bastille) and a route into No-Man's Wharf.

Back-tracking

I decided to take a break from the new area to back-track and root around some of the parts I'd overlooked. I returned to Majula to find an Estus shard hidden in a well and some cleric stuff and the Binoculars on a narrow cliff-face path. I went back to the tutorial and tried to drop the Shiny and Silky stone in the birds nest but ended up discarding it by mistake - doh! (it was late ok) I did trade the Petrified Something for a Petrified Dragon Bone (No better off there!) with the crow though (after finding the Leave command). I also killed the upright hippo monster at the start of the game who gave me a Stone Ring (which reduces enemy poise).

I returned to the battlements behind the Pursuer, where I'd been rudely snatched away before I got to explore, and found the Drangleic Set (see image). Wow, end-game worthy armour. Glad I've been investing in VIT to be able to wear some of it. The Drangleic sword is the first unique weapon I've come across but it requires 20 DEX and scales stronger with DEX also. It doesn't look good enough to pour 8 levels into DEX to wield it even tough I'm seriously craving a good weapon. Still stuck with the Broadsword and the Club which I'm reluctant to waste Titanite on.

I've leveled to SL40 now which seems really high considering I've finished DS1 at SL50 (and could probably do it much lower tbh). I don't feel overpowered though as I've had to spread the stats with STR at 25, VIT at 16 and END and ADP at 9. Endurance losing it's dual purpose really impacts character build, probably for the better if it means more diverse creations are possible.

The Lost Bastille #1

Found a gap behind where the Pursuer was leading to some more battlements. I was investigating a nest there when whoosh - cutscene of me being whisked away by Mr. G. Eagle. No rolling up in ball and waiting here! This brought me to the Lost Bastille which features more ruined battlements but at night as opposed to the sunlight drenched area preceding it.

The new enemies are a welcome break from the Hollows, even the zombie dogs who are a pushover compared to DS1. The Royal Guards are handy enough too except when you're jumped by 4 of them! which happened a couple of times. Made my way through the ruined keep only to stumble upon a boss way earlier than I'd expected. I say boss but there are actually 3 of the lanky sentinels. I finished off one by the skin off my teeth but then I got double-teamed and it was goodnight for me.

Decided to get summoned and try and suss the boss out that way but over several attempts the host only made it to the boss once. The difficulty increase in multiplayer is far more pronounced than previous games with enemy HP and ATK almost doubled I'd say. I got weary of the area although there appears to be a shortcut to do with blowing up a wall with some explosive barrels which looks like I might give a go upon my return.

The Pursuer

After a bit more exploring with the Soldier Key I came across the big knight who'd disappeared on me earlier. Apparently he's called the Pursuer and travels about by giant eagle (as you do). He's an aggro type. Reminds me of the False King the way he floats towards you. Gave him a couple of goes but was doing negligible damage so decided to lay down my summon sign and level up a bit. Noticed in some worlds people have destroyed the wall beside the bonfire, not a very useful shortcut but curious to see how you create it. Put 3 levels into Adaptability which is supposed to make you raise your shield quicker and roll better which are two things I found I was sluggish at. Seems to make a slight difference. Got some more VIT to help wear some more armour too.

On my travels as a white phantom I got a reward item which allows you to heal your host, nice idea!, have a feeling they'll also be a covenant item. Beat The Pursuer several times whilst summoned, once in a gimmicky way by using the ballista to shoot at him. Leveled up my STR to 24 and took him on again. He was easy once you know the ballista trick and feels kind of cheap but I needed to progress.

Let's get tooled up!

Returned to Majula to splash the cash on a Twin Dragon Greatshield and a Club which has A scaling with STR. Also picked up a Pharros key thing (I'd seen a Pharros device somewhere in the castle) and levelled up VIT and END by 1. Things didn't go well for the new kit - the Club swings slower than the Broadsword and the shield just makes me too heavy. A few unlocked doors later and I had a HP regen ring and the Cloranthy Ring :D Also upgraded the Estus Flask (via an Estus Shard).

The rest of the doors led to endless turtle knights (see image) who I'm having trouble with. Can't develop an effective blocking or rolling strategy for them just yet and dealing with two at a time is a nightmare. Think I'll try some multiplayer as a distraction and maybe get a few souls whilst I'm at it.

First Boss!

The shortcut turned out to link the bonfire directly to the elevator for the first boss, more generous bonfire placement! The Last Giant as he's called is a fairly standard Souls' boss - big but slow with ankles just begging to be swiped at. Having cleared the preceding area with ease I was feeling quite cocky and quickly spotting the boss type made me even more imprudent. Souls has a way of knocking you back down to earth though as soon as you get any notions! After using up all my fire arrows, fire bombs, magic bombs (whatever they're called) and ooze I had him twice down to very little health only to die. Down to half-life (due to the Demon's Souls type mechnic where you lose a bit of max HPO every time you die) had me getting almost one-shotted so I decided to use some humanity, err I mean Human Effigy, except I burnt it which didn't reverse the hollowing! Used it and got my 100% back and summoned Pate too, happy days.... until I lost having him down to one hit again! Eventually after a total of about 20 tries I beat him and received 10k souls and a Soldiers key which no doubt unlocks all the locked doors I'd seen on my way there.

Majula theme

The music in Majula reminds me of the soundtrack Mogwai did for Les Revenants - Listen or some of Explosions in the Sky's older stuff - Listen

The Forest of Fallen Giants #2

Ah yes this is what it's all about, endless exploration and inevitable ambushes. Reminding me of Boletaria from Demon's Souls this area. The mini boss from before didn't appear when I went back which is interesting. Noticing a heap more Orange Soapstone messages and bloodstains than in previous games, maybe its just the popularity of DS2 compared to its predecessors? Came across a petrified giant whom I could examine (ala the painting of Ariamis) but mustn't have had the right object to interact with. Got my White Soapstone from Pate (new Solaire?) and have pretty much cleared out the entire area and found a shortcut back to the bonfire now.

Went back a leveled my STR to 21 and DEX to 12 (for the Shortbow). Have a tempting Halberd which requires 14 DEX but don't want to waste points just yet (Hoping a proper STR weapon is around every corner!)

New mechanics

Would recommend checking out this video from VaatiVidya detailing the new mechanics. No spoilers just a few things you'd be better off knowing before starting. Even the fast climb and new dismount on ladders is invaluable, never mind the guard break stuff. Check it out here.