Usurpation of fire be like "do a triple backflip off of the cliff behind the 2 hidden walls 6000 feet above the undead settlement to land on top of a lizard, causing it to drop its car keys in front of yuria so she can make it to the final boss fight in time"
Hey everyone, Editor here. Just wanted to pop in and say a quick message. This video series is easily my biggest undertaking ever as an editor, and it's one I look back on with pride. It also introduced me into the rabbit hole that is the Soul series properly, and an experience I have zero regrets with (bar the unicorns.) They're fantastic games that I'm glad I no longer sleep on. I just wanted to thank everyone for making this series the rousing success that it is. From the viewers sharing their experiences, to Shen's guests and friends adding their own flair. This series was a hefty project with over 100 hours of content to cut down, but worth it whenever I read all the comments enjoying the videos with my goofy edits. And of course a big thank you to Shen for trusting me with such a passionate project and large undertaking. You've changed my life forever and for the better. I'm glad I was able to assist in this series that means so much to you.
The absolute comedic timing of 23:40 1. Accidentally wallops Gael 2. Tries to put away her sword as a sign of goodwill 3. Pulls out a bigger sword instead
I love how the twist of the Ringed City is that Gael turns out to be the final boss after aiding you so much before, so to parallel that John Souls, the one who's been helping you this whole time, invaded you in order to be your own personal Gael, the final thing standing between you and the end of Dark Souls. It's beyond poetic.
And the best part, it was deliberate. Gael was fully aware that the dark souls would corrupt him and as such prepared a plan for it "you", you liberated his lady/master so he knew you could achieved it and as a final act of sanity he gave you an honorable duel so he could see that you won't be corrupted by the power of the dark souls and with you in possession of the dark souls he completed his mission.
@@alejandromolina2802 No he was simply just trying to obtain the blood so he might hand it to the painter. It wasn't some elaborate scheme, he just hollowed so much he lost his mind.
@@ghostboy463"The red-hooded, wandering slave knight Gael sought the blood of the dark soul as pigment for the Painted World. But Gael knew he was no Champion, that the dark soul would likely ruin him and that he had little hope of a safe return" Extract from the ingame description of Gaels' soul.And who did he send to the painted world and later helped to traverse the ringed city only to find him at the end of time?
"Ashen One, hearest thou my voice still?" Will forever be one of the most chilling things I have ever heard in a game, and will always love it dearly. What a beautiful way to end a video, and I'm so glad I was able to see yet another persons experience with such a masterful game. Thank you.
I love that John Souls player trying to make himself into a boss by switching weapons and going into a “Phase 2”. I wish more Dark Souls players were like this, it’d be so cool. Or maybe I’m just running into the “gank squad” crowd all too often
Thing is unless its a quality build it's fookin hard to be effective with two different weapon types within pvp limits. I do however have encountered themes like combat caster or dark sorcerers.
@@proganerxdave6720 Probby had an easier time of it with shen being underlevelled for TRC, honestly. spears around 90 and 120 would give inexperienced players a much rougher time from what i've seen (regen builds, darkmoon blade charge-combo ugs)
I've noticed that when From Software makes the "Phase 2" part of a boss fight, they always do one of three things: 1. One enemy becomes two 2. Two enemies become one 3. MOAR FIRE!
@@mabe4322 and said third phase pull the rug out from you by giving the non-soul reward BEFORE the third phase and also, it's the only boss with a Pure thrid phase, as in, completelly full health bar, small refreshing and boost dispell between phases, and change of element resistance
Shen's speech at the end got me emotional. She's absolutely right: Help get people to enjoy this game without scaring them away about it's difficulty. Ease them into it and make more people want to play this fantastic game series.
Did it for one. Helped that she saw me stream it into discord several times. Along with my swearing at the many, many, _many_ deaths of mine. Some stupid, some BS, all because I keep forgetting something about the game to keep in mind. It's hard, but fair, but you have to try. There is no easy mode, and I want kept that way. The difficulty is all based on how you play, but that means ranging from merely difficult but not too bad to 'Oh God, why did I decide to play this way?'
As someone who probably wouldve quit dark souls 1 if it wasnt for one of my online friends i can 100% agree. I was struggling and did not have much fun with me not knowing what to do or where to go. He basically said "No im joining you and we are playing this together." And so we did. He carried me practically all the way through, but i had so much fun. And some people might say "ThAtS nOt ThE dArK SOulS ExPeRienCE!!" but i dont care. It was how i had fun at first. After that i played the whole game by myself to get the "Dark souls experience" and i loved it. After that we played bloodborne (another game i had tried but dropped since i had the same issues as dark souls 1) and again, i had fun and played it by myself afterward and it's now one of my favorite games of all time. We planned to do dark souls 3 together as well, but then the whole server shutdown happened, and i decided to just it by myself, and after taking all i had learned from ds1 and bloodborne i felt a lot more at home, while still exploring everything by myself and playing a whole new game. The souls series has since become my absolute favorite game franchise of all time, and i absolutely love elden ring. I have started sekiro and ds2 but never really got too far, but im exited to finally play them when i finally get to it. Overall thank you pattie
To be fair she was fairly carried her first few souls. But yeah 3 is the one to start with. It allows you to go brainless spamy tho demon souls is way better
I just love how it’s two parts like a climactic conclusion to a story. The story of Shen’s outlandish, incredible, and incredibly hilarious play throughs of Dark Souls in this case
This is the moment we all dreaded, John Souls journey comes to an end. His name is forever etched into the history of soulsborne games. Farewell my friend.. you'll never be forgotten.
43:22 If people are going to claim dealing with griefers is part of The Real Dark Souls Experience, then summoning allies is legit too. This whole series has been great, for real.
Personally it ruins the experience for me. Again I’m just watching the video and not the stream but basically running away and being the target while two friends beat him to death really doesn’t “fit” this ending since you are fighting well YOURSELF and eventually the Soul of Gywn is the last ditch attempt at stopping you. I could understand maybe one ally but 2?
@@Eon233 I'm not saying people are missing out if they don't use summons, I just don't agree with the mindset a lot of the fanbase seems to have that it's the "wrong" way to play, when it's explicitly encouraged by the game. Sunbros are there for a reason.
@@Eon233 well she does beat him 'legit' after all. And yeah makes sense you feel that way, but not everyone else is such an epic gamer, and i support what Shen says at the end of the game, if these games didn't have a 'HARD DIFFICULT YOU NEED TO SUFFER' stigma around them more people would have the pleasure of experiencing them
@@whatislife1337 that stigma isn’t the reason people don’t play the game. Many just don’t like games such as this where the story is placed in the atmosphere and the items. Also a bunch of vocal minority complain about the difficulty and never gave it a fair shot. I’m not an epic gamer. I still to this day have not beat Orphan of Kos cuz that dude is cracked tf out. Elden Ring looks to be the opener for many who dare not touch it before because of what they are trying to achieve
The fact that Shen accidentally discovered the correct way to slay the Ancient Wyvern is so *funny* because I died like 20 times before I figured it out
That last fight against Gael was absolutely beautiful. It's insane how the consequence of the extreme difficulty of the bosses is that perfectly timed dodges and maneuvers by the player look absolutely badass
The ending of Dark Souls III is so damn poetic After all the struggles to keep the Flame going, after all the suffering done onto the giants,dragons men and pygmies by the gods , all the architecture and history....is just gone in a sea of ash and dust The only thing left is an old man with a broken sword and an unkindled undead, fighting for the fate of the new world
it's almost like saying why are you still here what are you even fighting for ? everything is gone , but i guess it is the slight of hope of a bit of humanity
@@AbyssalAntony more like hope for finally ending it all. Ending the age of fire was supposed to happen ages ago, yet it didn't, and because the flow of time didn't happen as it was supposed to, the Earth started to suffer and turn and writhe and scream. That is why everything in the Ringed City is ash, why everything in the world is ash, the world is ending itself because it's the only way to continue after the suffering the age of fire went through. Of course, until the Ashen One snuffs out the fire.
@@DakkaSolae But yes it finaly ends the suffering , Yet i think i read somewhere that if he snuff out the fire which of course tthe firekeeper does that , i think it only reapet its cycle , by saying little flames dancing so maybe that flame is Gwyn , i think the ursuparition of flame is a bit better i think
There are so many times in the Souls series where we only encounter the bosses after they've degraded. We meet them in a diminished, hobbled state. But probably the best Souls bosses are the ones that start that way, but then show them regain a measure of their greatness. Ludwig. Gundyr. Gael. After beating on them for a while, you get to fight them as the warriors they once were. Not monsters, but men.
@@Bluecho4 The thing with Gael though, is you meet him degraded, and he becomes MORE degraded as the fight progresses. The moment he realizes the sole thing he was searching for is right on his blade, he goes hollow. The reason we know this is because the Hollowslayer Greatsword does bonus damage to hollows, which applies only after phase one. It's such a small touch but it hits the feels so fucking hard.
Gael probably has my favorite OST out of all of the DS3 bosses. I once heard his fight described as two nobodies fighting at the end of the world and I loved it
@@sirthomastheodoreblackwood5590 from a pure musical standpoint, Gwyn’s and Darkeater Midair’s are my favorites(particularly Midirs, for that creepy as violin line in the middle). The guys really went all in with the music and it’s shines.
@@jayofthezenn It’s referring to the fact that the Ashen One and Gael aren’t these big legendary heroes like Artorias. Both of you are just these regular Undead schmucks that only made it to the end of everything through sheer perseverance and willpower.
Leave it to Shen to turn a hilarious and goofy gameplay into a heartfelt love letter to all of the Souls series. Thanks for the good times, and long may the sun shine.
I've gotta admit. I didn't know you could die from fire damage when Friede gets revived in stage 3. I've never seen anyone on no health stand directly next to her body and stay there the whole time. Congrats, you might be the first person to do that.
I love how Gael is Basically you, a no name who by effort and perseverance alone beat every odd , every obstacle, out lasted every god and keeps doing his job even after losing his sanity at the literal end of time
Chained ogre was kinda easy for me but everybody has their stuggle bosses mines was ofcoursr the guardian ape and demon of hatred.died the most on them 2
1:33:19 "If you truly love these games you'd help the person getting into these games" Ironically, that's the entire point of multiplayer. It's not a coop, it's an assistance. When you rest on a bonfire, you see so many souls passing by, the game tells you that you are not alone in this harsh, unforgiving world. "The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined. In a land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance? So, what do you say? Why not help one another on this lonely journey?" "Of course, we are not the only ones engaged in this." -Solaire of Astora I've been wathing you for some time lately and very interested in your soulslike experience. I'm so glad you enjoyed them (and tolerated Dark Souls 2). I can't wait to see you in Elden Ring. Thank you for playing these games. I'll be sure to pass by your streams one time or another. Btw i love your horny bi personality lol!
This is why I always tend to equip the SunBro covenant and make a paladin-style character when I can. Cause sometimes you just want to give some jolly cooperation and lend a hand to someone who needs it. When I finally managed to beat Vordt my first time around (which took a while, as 3 was my first real Souls game) I left my sign outside his fog wall and just hung around the High Wall for a bit in case anyone needed a hand.
I've always loved that part of the Souls games. That even in these hostile places, fighting enemies who show no mercy, overcoming challenges of herculean proportion, there **is** hope. You can overcome every obstacle in your path, not by being some god or deity. But by getting back up each time you fail. Over, and over, and over again, until you succeed. And along the way, you have many chances to help or be helped by others facing those same challenges. Sure, you can be selfish and greedy. Invading others for your own gain. Or, you can work together in jolly cooperation, and overcome these trials together, where on your own you would falter. "A light shines brightest in the dark"
Can I ask why? To me Midir is a slog of stupid high HP and shitty hit-boxes. Like, the NK is hard, but to me it's a rewarding boss fight with great hitboxes, even if his wind attacks can get a bit BS. But Midir's attacks have stupidly high range, you can hardly deal damage and when he hits you, it's like a train. Not to mention he spams his fire breath constantly and his tailswipe feels like it can hit you mid-roll. I'm glad you found a boss fight that you can consider the best in all series, cause I haven't yet, but I don't get why it's Midir.
@@mindsandmirrors5106 I'm not OP, but Midir is also one of my favorite bosses so I'll share my opinion. In your first playthrough, Midir is definitely gonna be one of the hardest bosses you fight, simply because you have no idea what to do against him. He killed me the most in my first playthrough. But if you take the time to understand his patterns, I'm not even exaggerating when I'm saying he's one of the easiest bosses in the game. He has no gimmicks, no animation cancelling, his attacks are *VERY* well telegraphed. So if you beat him once and memorize his attack patterns. Every subsequent playthrough after it, I guarantee you, you'll kill him in less than 3 attempts. The trick with Midir is to NEVER stand under him. Because like you said, he'll spam fire attacks and tail swipes. the safest place in the fight is standing in front of him and only attacking his head. He takes way more damage to the head, and if you hit it enough, when he's around 25% HP, you can stagger him and do a riposte that deals massive damage if not kill him instantly. And he doesn't even have as much HP as you say he does. He literally only has 800 HP more than Gael.
@@EwiwasSmile it's been a hot minute since I fought Midir, so I don't remember much. I just remember him having way too much HP and, as I said, shitty hitboxes. His attacks hit me when they shouldn't and I can remember at least three times when he hit me in the literal middle of a roll. But like I said, it's been a while. Thanks for answering my question.
When it came to Shen’s speech at the end I completely agreed with not gatekeeping a “pure” dark souls experience I’ve played through the games on my own and with friends, and I enjoyed it with my friends so much. It was a journey of us overcoming odds and I loved every second of it I don’t care if it wasn’t the hardcore perfect Dark Souls experience It was my Dark souls experience
Shen that speech at the end brought a tear to my eye. Love this series, one of the best ever made. Can’t wait to see you in Sekiro, and then see ya on the frontlines for Elden Ring.
Shen's final synopsis on the series is a perfect encompassing of my feelings. It's a stellar series that deserves an attempt, an earnest attempt in the understanding that you do not have to focus on the difficulty, to not allow the hype to drag you down, that the feeling is worth it.
Dark Souls III will always be my favorite, not for the hyper-polished combat or beautiful aesthetic, but for the incredible conclusion to the story that manages to stick a landing not found in the previous 2 games. Also, I always give the eyes to the Fire Keeper just so I can hear the music change.
Dark Souls III is incredibly hostile to my playstyle and even though I struggle more than usual due to my insistence on using heavy armor and weapons... It's still my favorite. I have to min/max my vitality to get my favorite looking armors but it's amazing. I did a Havel build where I used the full Havel set and shield/greathammer. I could only fatroll and I could barely run, but it was fun. I felt powerful.
Depends on what story you mean? Ds1 had the best story's for bosses by far but ds2 NPC story's where amazing like my heart stoped when lucatiel drops this line "My name is Lucatiel. I beg of you, remember my name. For I may not myself…" like each game tryed different stuff and never tried to one up the last game instead they tryed to mix it up every time focusing on different types of lore like world building in ds1 and character development in ds2
@@thedarkd6 I suppose I mean that they moved it forward each time without recycling the same problems. In DS1, pretty much everyone told you to link the fire, with only a few seeds of doubt sown to make you question if you were doing the right thing. DS2 had Aldia, which basically created a clear split where some people wanted light and some people wanted dark, without understanding that both led to the same cyclical place. DS3 really nails a conclusion by revealing the option of willingly becoming Hollow, allowing yourself and the world a chance to permanently die, which ultimately ends the cyclical nature by giving things in the world some sense of release. Which endings you pick are ultimately up to you, but each ending in each game feels wholly different.
@@zachloveless1827 And by also creating an entirely new world through the Painter, one made with the Dark Soul itself and therefore not reliant on flame
Its okay Shen, I've literally beaten most of all the souls games with help my first time playing. You beating most of the games on your own and only summoning when you really needed the help is still impressive and valid 👏
I’m so sorry for Shen getting rocked by all the bosses. My ptsd had flared up and I know exactly the feeling in the monotone sighs and groans. Congratulations Shen and goodbye John Souls
Rather fitting, the final boss of the souls games isn't a god, it isn't a dragon, and it isn't a monster. Its a human, an undead just like you, who has been fighting for just as long as you have, and like you, he carries every soul he has taken with him since then. The final boss of Dark Souls is ourselves, and its a fight for everything up to this point, rather fitting that the weapon he carries is a similar design to the broken straight sword from the start of DS1, even his death animation mimics our own. Truly two souls at the end of all things.
I like how most of this also applies to the souls of cinder. SoC is the amalgamation of everyone who came before you. The chosen undead, the bearer of the curse (maybe) gwyn himself. Everyone who ever linked the fire was there. That's why it changes fighting styles (which also mimic actual player fighting styles) in phase 1. It's calling upon the powers of those who came before. A warrior wielding a trusty sword. A sorcerer using magic to achieve victory. A pyromancer with a curved sword (and ninjaflip) from a far away land. And a holy knight, probably a dragonslayer. In phase 2 it calls upon Gwyn himself and uses his power. Gael on the other hand is the personification of the journey, the fate of all undead. He persevered and fought for millennia, to the point where he might be the only one with the knowledge of the way of the white corona miracle. He learned to abuse summon signs (his teleporting). He spent an eternity only getting stronger and learning more, ignoring the shifting ages of fire and dark, following his duty. It's a miracle he resisted hollowing until phase 2 since he's been at it for millennia. He fought through the apocalypse and didn't go hollow until meeting the unkindled who caused it all.
@@danieldancza6171 Imagine a souls game where you actually do all that. You play as gael fighting during the apocalypse, and of course a time-lapse would be needed for a game like that. Your final boss is the unkindled from dark souls 3, a player who has learnt to use magic, a sword and greatshield, and twinblades for dex. They also mimic player playstyles, like you see with those npc's that attack you in ds3, like those 2 guys outside pontiff boss room, except of course much more complex and varied movesets. The final cutscene ends the same way, even if you beat the ashen one. Something goes like the unkindled used a spell to buff themselves right as they die, and they kill you at the end (the default ending). Credits roll and of course ng+ options. Also alternative ending, maybe where you instead kill the unkindled at the cutscene. I just think a game where you experience what gael did would be pretty awesome.
The message near the end was such a beautiful and wonderfully worded love letter to the series and I agree wholeheartedly. I can't wait to hopefully see both veterans and new players exploring elden ring in it's first few days.
52:32-57:20 is like one big trip down memory lane. So happy I curiously got Dark Souls 1 10 years ago, all these games, armors and weapons, bosses, locations, the lore, the music. So excited for more in Dark Souls 4- I mean, Elden Ring!
I like the part where you mentioned that the games are done a great disservice by the perception that their only redeeming quality being how hard they are. The community basically got caught up in the marketing of Namco Bandi ie Prepare to Die Edition, which actually contrasts from what From Software's vision of the game was. From Software never had any intentions of centering the games around its difficulty but once the community got it in their heads, every From Software game was judged based on its difficulty and no other merit from that point foreword.
I disagree that only during the very early days of the franchise once clones started popping up. people started to understand what makes darksouls great. The only people who perpetuate the idea that difficulty is its only selling points are casuals who only know the games from a far.
@@treebush unless your community is made up of casuals, I would disagree. Streamers constantly get harassed about the builds being too easy or spamming things like "too greedy" in the chat when they die to a boss. You can make all the arguements you want, but I can't unsee what I have seen which is a community that praised Bloodborne, not for its art direction or story, but because "people won't be able to turtle behind shields anymore". This isn't a few bad eggs either. The only way the community will improve is if people start taking ownership of these shortcomings and work to change the mindset.
@@Jcannnon thats a completely different topic lol and Those people yes casuals as well you literally just proved my point. Casuals still can play the games doesn't mean they are deticated fans like iron pineapple, ouroboros, vaati, and many others who actually understand the games. Those toxic people only play souls games to make feel like they are better than others and get mad when someone is better than them. These people are the same type that farm karma and likes. Unless you are talking about backseaters who valued " the souls experience" who aren't a fan of cheese tactic that basically spew the ninja meme basically are a whole different story even if they can be toxic.
@@Jcannnon also are you new to twitch or something? Heckling during twitch games is normal and is part of the fun. Maximilian literally came out about a video why he didn't bother playing Elden ring because he enjoys the interaction with the chat which is what alot of streamers do. UBERHAXOR NOVA IS known for cheesing any hard games to pissed off people and his chat and takes pleasure in it as does most of his chat love seeing chat get mad about it. They laugh at him getting Greedy and yet cheer him on when he beats the boss through cheese.
@@treebush most streamers put up with heckling, they don't enjoy it and don't think its "part of the fun". Once again you aren't taking ownership of your communities short comings just making excuses for bad behavior.
Little did Shen know the lore implications that would lie ahead by wearing Artorias' armor to Archdragon Peak. Side note: The End of Fire ending has to be my favorite ending. Usurpation of the flame is good, but I prefer a true end to the Age of Fire.
DS lores is all about cycles, with 1 being the end of the first, 2 being a completelly random one, and third being, depending on the end chosen, either the start of a new cycle after the worst one yet, the corruption of the cycles (so the humanity may be the only one with power over fate), and ending the cycle "in a soft way", so that a better future may one day be reborn, with no memories of the hardship of the past
@@somedudewatchintv5297 Yes. But the idea is that you absorb the first flame, making it yours, and controlling the fate of the world moving forward. The end of fire lets the First Flame die. No power taken, no one but man itself to lead the next age.
@@somedudewatchintv5297 No, The End of Fire leads to the Age of Dark with the possibility of Fire's return. A cyclical ending. A true ending. In Usurpation of the Flame, you essentially become Gwyn, and in essence, create a never ending age of dark, becoming fire's enemy, and basically become the new big bad.
"You know, it feels like Shen got worse over the course of DS3? Which is weird, because it looks like she's playing fine?" *Shen is SL79 by the time of Ringed City* "Ah so she is making it harder on purpose, I see."
I got really confused when someone said the recommended level is 120... That's a lot of grinding. 79 is fine, her damage seemed okay so I don't think her build is too terrible?
@@chaotictuc 120 isn't too hard to reach with knowing quick soul farm routes, but i prefer being less than level 90 to avoid as many metahugging PvP players and tryhards. Yeah, they're present at lower levels too, but not nearly as bad
I'm a super emotional sucker, so your closing speech? Brought tears to my eyes. You presented your thoughts eloquently, and it made me remember all the fantastic times I've had with this series starting all the way back when I was a teenager borrowing my best friend's PS3 to play Demon's Souls shortly after its release. Just like you said, there is so much to this franchise that makes it stand out in the video gaming industry, and the legacy it has created thanks to how amazing and truly special each of these games are. I'm so glad you persevered to the end through every game in the franchise, and I've loved watching your VODs and long form videos for them all. I can't wait for Elden Ring, and to see you play it fresh off release along with everyone else. Playing a Soulsborne game when nobody knows anything at all yet? So engaging and exciting. It's all a mystery, you never know who you are going to meet in online or how far they are. Messages are all brand new, so there is the most potential for mischief or genuinely helpful tips right there at the start. Gosh, I'm getting giddy just thinking about all the little things that make playing a new FromSoft game so great! 😤💜
A cool detail about the final boss is that it's the memory of all those who linked the fire. So that's why it has so many styles, they're the styles of the players though the years. And it all ends with the first who linked the fire, Gwen.
Shen : I love this game so much! Also Shen : _too frustrated to talk during boss and then summon to win the fight anyways_ this is it, you are a true dark souls fan
This was a beautiful series of videos to watch. Your last segment regarding your thoughts as a whole on the franchise has more of an impact, given that you showed your whole run-throughs of the individual games.
As someone who binged all of your Souls stuff, I can honestly say that the amount you've matured and grown as you played through these games is truly inspiring. Good job, Shen!
I think it's so ironic how there were speculations on "what is the dark soul" ever since the first game released. But the answer was always in front of us ever since the first game. The souls of the enemies and bosses is white and radiant. Humanity is the same icon as the other souls but black. Gael just sucked the humanity from every human soul in the world. That's why his soul is the dark soul.
The furtive(?) pygmy was the one who originally held the Dark Soul but he split it to make up humanity. He is basically the forefather to humanity so every human has a part of the Dark Soul which means that Humanity is The Dark Soul. It's so cool really cause you can imagine how strong the furtive pygmy must've been if it¨s split between the player character and Gael in the end and both of them are extremely powerful.
Yo, big respect for Shen going back through and fighting the bosses solo again, they're _very_ hard. I consider myself "good at Souls" and I cheesed the living hell out of Friede. That nun is no joke.
@@sw3654 You can be good at souls generally and still struggle with certain bosses. Friedes fight is partly an endurance test and its the only boss in the game where I feel she's built to go at Bloodborne speed while the player is working at DS speed, and the disconnect is palpable. I know for other people the Dancer has the same issue because her movement is so strange
@@jackbutler6606 You can obviously struggle with certain bosses and be good at the game, i can beat most bosses in one attempt and Friede still kicks my ass from time to time, but if you had to cheese her then youre probably just not good Also, yeah, shes fast, its balanced by her being easy to combo once you get a hit in, and its only in the third phase
Honestly, thanks for this series, Shen. It was a wild ride that pulled myself back into the From Software games as well as convincing some of my friends to try the games out themselves even though they were in past apprehensive. These videos are amazing, having me in stitches from laughter at one point and in emotional tears by the end of it all. This was a wild ride and I hope we can see even more in future
That outro really caught me by surprise, you suddenly sounded very mature and expressed a wonderful depth of thought. Thanks for the great series, it's been a fun ride. Subbed for sure.
I just realized the death montage for soul of cinder, the deaths are almost all synced up with the plins and plons. Only took me two years but that's a cool little detail.
I don't know if more phases or more enemies per fight is worse, honestly. For a long time I would've said more enemies per fight (thanks DS2) but Friede really makes me not like bosses with a third phase
The Artorias' armor set was my favorite set, while my friend liked to use the Ornstein set. He tried to get me to use smough's set, but I hated using slow, heavy, weapons and armor.
You probably already know this, but Oceiros had originally been programed to walk around with his crying baby (Ocelot). And when he crushes Ocelot and goes feral, the baby was supposed to be smushed into his hand and scream in pain during phase two. Also congratulations Shen! Not many people have the strength of will to brave Dark Souls games anymore
I was living in a weird anxiety funk the past couple days so bad I had to take a day off from work. I watched your part 1 for dark souls 3 yesterday and some how my anxiety finally calmed down I was able to take a moment breath and laugh and enjoy a quite mind. Your fun videos with amazingly funny editing always seem to help me out of whatever funk I’m in. I can’t wait to see more of your videos! I wish I could join more streams but sadly I work when your streaming but that’s why I’m so so glad you post highlights here and have your bod channel. Thank you for being a light in the dark shen.
Shen has made me finally after ages of owning dark souls 3 play it and complete it, after seeing their demon souls and dark souls 2 playthroughs. It was amazing watching the progress Shen's made through the series. So glad i found this channel randomly through Hades. (Also has some of the funniest edits I've seen in a while)
No shame on having trouble with Nameless King. He's viewed as the generally hardest non-DLC boss in the game (and is still typically most people's 4th hardest after Elfriede, Gael, and Midir. Sometimes 5th after Demon Prince). However, many people will either curse or laud him for same reason: Camera. Nameless King's most difficult factor is that he is so mobile that it is a struggle to even keep the camera on him. As such, Lock-on is actually not recommended against him. Essentially, he is the boss that really tests to see how good you've gotten with the camera (or how well you cope with not being able to use the camera well). And that messes with people who are used to the camera only really screwing with them in corners. Pair that with a boss who is hyper-aggressive and, well...
Also nameless punish very harshly a "crutch" that many people have playing DS3 and that's panic rolling, due to how many delays and timings he has on his attacks that many people adapted to rolling as soon as possible will get you hit more times than not with endgame levels of damage. Gael has it too with his cloak P.S King of the Storm is also very tricky to hit in the head unless you got a ultra sword, spear or great axe due to how much the head rises from the ground after an attack
Bloodborne has that trend too I've noticed. Keeping lock on often makes a number of bosses many magnitudes more difficult, whereas keeping freecam suddenly makes them far easier. Of note in this is Rom, the Undead Giants in the chalice dungeons, and the One Reborn. I've started going freecam more and more with bosses, and found them significantly easier. Though they still 1 shot my squishy mage self lol
@@alejandromolina2802 Yeah, that too. The player is expected to have learned how to not panic under pressure by the time you are ready to face him. What makes him worse is that his weaknesses are somewhat harder to exploit than most bosses. King of the Storm, like all dragons, is most vulnerable to lightning and resists dark pretty well. Nameless King is the opposite, being most resistant to lightning and most vulnerable to dark. In other words, you would need to bring two weapons (one for both kinds of damage), Human Pine and Golden Pine (and a weapon that can be buffed), miracles and dark sorcery/pyromancy (since the only damaging dark miracles are the gnaws and Lifehunt, which don't really do much damage), or just not bother with weaknesses.
@@alejandromolina2802 I find that you can get a few swings in even with the broadsword, after the dragon jumps behind you and lands. Also it's better to stay under the dragon's neck, because it's easier to avoid the nameless king's spear, and you can go in and attack the dragon's head after he swings his spear. As for the 2nd phase, the thrust attacks are by far the easiest to punish.
I'm really glad Shen got this ending. It's my personal favorite. I know most people shot for the Lord of Hollows ending, and see it as the "True" ending, but the Firekeeper letting the fire fade is just something really touching
there is no true ending, but the lord of hollows one is the best outcome, as things are in ds3 letting the fire fade normally will bring the age of the deep, and linking the flame is just postponing the inevitable again , but to be honest she takes the flame with her so it's possible she is preserving it in a weakened state
wish I got to see her reaction to phase 2 of mydir, I remember I spend months fighting him, so many hours spent either dying or prepping materials, and I finally beat him, and I could not have been happier, one of my favorite bosses.
This comment is so relatable, 2 years ago i platined the game After a 2 months pause cause i coulndt get past a dlc boss, thinking that After hundreds of hours and many characters i would Never finish the dlcs, then something clicked and i straight up went from i think friede or midir in NG to NG +2 doing all the bosses in every run in a week and getting all trophies.
I'm Uber late to your videos, but I just wanted to say, I'm so glad I came across your demon souls run. I found I about a week ago and since then everytime I'm chilling I try to watch some of your videos. Your personality is a shining beacon to all who feel lost. Love your enthusiasm and how much you seem to enjoy this. I sincerely hope your future is filled with nothing but happiness and bright things.
Shens speech at the end hit me hard, Becuase I Dropped souls for all the reasons she listed. No body helped me I was mocked for asking for help. I was told to "get gud" and so i left the game unfinished and never touched any of the games From software made since.
If you ever want to pick them up, and are on Xbox or PC I can try to help as much as I can. People who mock others for summoning are ignoring the fact that the devs put summoning in so that people can get help, and its justified in game with lore. To paraphrase sunbro Solaire, "We're all undead, what's the harm in some jolly cooperation?"
@@NobleLeader6 Unfortunately, multiplayer is gone on PC due to a recently discovered exploit that they're working on fixing and it won't be on until after Elden Ring comes out. Which is a shame.
I’m always a little disappointed whenever someone doesn’t get to witness Gundyr launch them into the air, and kick them while they’re still falling. Coolest move in the entire series.
I am deeply passionate about stories, and helping and cooperating with others on their difficult journeys, both in life and in fiction. To see you go through the entire franchise that started such a wave in so many communities, and then foster that very same mindset is thoroughly inspiring in our modern age that just seems to keep getting darker. Please keep being such a bright spot, you're an inspiration.
I rarely post anywhere and your ending summary on the games is exactly why I love this series and just am sad I don’t have enough time to get into them again. Maybe someday I’ll play them again but you made me realize why I love these games again.
I feel like so many more people could get into these games if there wasn't such a strong "purist" mentality that a large portion of the fans have. Wanting or getting help doesn't taint the experience, if done right (ie. no spoiling) it can strengthen the experience, and in turn might create a new fan; like Shen.
I can attest for that last bit. My first time killing soul of cinder was with a phantom, and they ended up dying with the boss at low health (rip Megumin). My final moments with that boss were a hundred times more intense than if I had just done it alone. The series is dark, but it makes the people shine brighter as a result.
Sorry that you have seen the worst of the Souls community, they are a small minority. For the most part the souls community is one of the most welcoming, the first time I join a DS discord server for tip to speed run the dancer they bombarded me with useful knowledge and valuable cheese and even make a guide on how to optimize from that point forward
It's because of that attitude that made me _never_ play these games online. Through co-op or otherwise. Especially the first one. Encountering so many of those "fans" made my experience miserable, from other players using stupid meme builds, to deliberately bad co-op partners, to incessant invasions, to other shenanigans. I know half the fun of the games is online but I hated every second of it.
These games are something that I have held near and dear to my heart just from all the experiences, journeys, and challenge runs I've had with them on my own and with some of my friends who enjoy it as much as me. The shaking adreline filled thrill of overcoming a boss or tough area after hundreds of failed attempts is nothing short of immense and relieving at the same time. The characters who make these worlds feel lived in while keeping many secrets hidden keeps the game interesting and open to a wide range of interpretations. I'm so thankful these games have such a loving community who keep making and adding great content to them. I've yet to play bloodborne or demon souls as I haven't a playstation 4 or 5. Hopefully I can either get a playstation or playstation adds them to pc in the future like they've been doing with god of war and horizon zero dawn. I am also very excited to play elden ring when that comes out. These videos have been very entertaining to watch and it always makes me happy when someone gives these games a chance. Congrats to Shen for enduring these games! :)
Slave Knight Gael is my favorite fight in any game I've ever played and hearing Shen chastise herself with an audible smile as she did it was the highlight of this series for me. I can't wait to see the Elden Ring videos
Shen having a +5 estus flask while doing the ringed city is honestly more impressive than doing it with a fully upgraded flask cause I don’t think I could do it tbh
I don't know how I came across you, Shenpai, but it was one of the best discoveries for me. I insta subbed on both RUclips and Twitch. Keep on being awesome, you funny great person you.
A touching ending; which rings so beautifully true. But wait… did you beat the game without Infusing that broadsword?? You’re a sick person, I congratulate you.
100% agree with your end speech. I hate the idea that Soulsborne games is lauded just because of their difficulty. My first playthrough of DS3 was with a pair of friends who had already played through the game months beforehand, which made the experience way more enjoyable (and also overlevelled the hell out of me). I hate people who shit on people for using summons or ranged/magic builds because it makes the games "easy". Just let people enjoy the game the way they want. Soulsborne has so much more to offer than just torturous difficulty.
This, this right here. I hate how many people say that doing it solo is the only legit way to beat this game and the only way to experience it. Ds3 was the first 1 I beat and I summoned through most of it. I had so much fun regardless, and actually really enjoy going into boss fights with my squad rolling up. And playing with magic is so much fun too, I always liked how pretty souls magic is.
The feeling of finishing dark souls, a sense of relief and accomplishment, but also the lingering sense of melancholy for leaving this beautiful and immersing world behind. I remember it fondly and even tho i've put many hundreds of hours into this game and finished it countless times, alone or with friends, as their guide or as their companion, it still draws me back in from time to time and thats why it is so great. That is the blessing and the curse, that is Dark Souls.
Your last speech about the Souls games really stuck out to me. I have played every single game countless times. I KNOW how hard it is, because I have spent thousands of hours getting my ass kicked. But whenever I try to get my friends to play, the last thing I mention is the difficulty. I talk about the characters and the atmosphere and the aesthetic and the combat and the mechanics. But I try to mention the difficulty last because I know it will be easier to convince them to play instead of scaring them off.I tell them that the only right way to win the game is by beating the game, because there is no wrong way. You are absolutely right.
John Souls, herald of such quotes as:
“Every soul has its dark.”
Hand it over, that thing, your Dark Souls 3 The Ringed City DLC for the PlayStation 4
And "it's always darkest before the soul"
@@giuseppe7574 "it's always riskiest before the rain"
*According to my plans...Sekiro is next.*
Y'all gonna hate me but I got a Physical Copy of DS3 Deluxe.
For 12.88$
"i cant believe the (firekeeper) ending is hidden behind a secret area"
laughs in Anri
Usurpation of fire be like "do a triple backflip off of the cliff behind the 2 hidden walls 6000 feet above the undead settlement to land on top of a lizard, causing it to drop its car keys in front of yuria so she can make it to the final boss fight in time"
@@LydCal999 You just described DS2's pickaxe drop c':
I remember reading you could marry Anri and got excited because the other endings are so sad and then I saw the "wedding" :/
@@Vilgrim how the world does someone find that pickaxe without having to use a guide
@@Vilgrim THE
GODDAMN
PIG!!!!
Hey everyone, Editor here. Just wanted to pop in and say a quick message.
This video series is easily my biggest undertaking ever as an editor, and it's one I look back on with pride. It also introduced me into the rabbit hole that is the Soul series properly, and an experience I have zero regrets with (bar the unicorns.) They're fantastic games that I'm glad I no longer sleep on.
I just wanted to thank everyone for making this series the rousing success that it is. From the viewers sharing their experiences, to Shen's guests and friends adding their own flair. This series was a hefty project with over 100 hours of content to cut down, but worth it whenever I read all the comments enjoying the videos with my goofy edits.
And of course a big thank you to Shen for trusting me with such a passionate project and large undertaking. You've changed my life forever and for the better. I'm glad I was able to assist in this series that means so much to you.
What a monster project to edit. You can really be proud of this, you did great. 👏
Thank you as well as Shen. These have been wonderful to watch.
You rocked the editing! Great job!
That's awesome! But... what about Sekiro?...
You are a fucking beast at editing
The absolute comedic timing of 23:40
1. Accidentally wallops Gael
2. Tries to put away her sword as a sign of goodwill
3. Pulls out a bigger sword instead
Shen: I'm not that good.
Also Shen: *Proceeds to play DLC underleveled by 40 levels*
*with the broadsword*
@@Delimeatl8i wadaya mean broadsword best weapon in the game
@@pudinnpie COUGH COUGH SELLSWORD WINBLADES
COUGH COUGH +10 Club COUGH COUGH
How would she know?
She hadn't played Dark Souls 3 before.
Now we wait for John Ring
“Every Ring has an Elden”
What about John Shadows?
"Every John Dies Twice" - John after he died twice
Elden John would be far better and fitting ^^
James E. Ring
John Elden ring?
Nah...
*ELDEN JOHN*
I love how the twist of the Ringed City is that Gael turns out to be the final boss after aiding you so much before, so to parallel that John Souls, the one who's been helping you this whole time, invaded you in order to be your own personal Gael, the final thing standing between you and the end of Dark Souls.
It's beyond poetic.
And the best part, it was deliberate. Gael was fully aware that the dark souls would corrupt him and as such prepared a plan for it "you", you liberated his lady/master so he knew you could achieved it and as a final act of sanity he gave you an honorable duel so he could see that you won't be corrupted by the power of the dark souls and with you in possession of the dark souls he completed his mission.
Indeed it is.
@@alejandromolina2802 No he was simply just trying to obtain the blood so he might hand it to the painter. It wasn't some elaborate scheme, he just hollowed so much he lost his mind.
@@ghostboy463"The red-hooded, wandering slave knight Gael sought the blood of the dark soul as pigment for the Painted World. But Gael knew he was no Champion, that the dark soul would likely ruin him and that he had little hope of a safe return" Extract from the ingame description of Gaels' soul.And who did he send to the painted world and later helped to traverse the ringed city only to find him at the end of time?
@@ghostboy463 That is doing DS lore an immense disservice and your lack of knowledge shows, my friend.
The adventure of John Souls, and his companion, John Souls, concludes.
Now begins the saga of John Elden Ring.
John Ring, second in lineage of the Johnstar family
@@thefungus4220 😊 yes
@@fernandozavaletabustos205 John Ring
@@thefungus4220 Yes! Yes! YES!
Shen: Hits Gael
Shen: Oh so sorry, let me put away my weapon:
Also Shen: *Pulls out an even bigger sword* lmao
"Ashen One, hearest thou my voice still?" Will forever be one of the most chilling things I have ever heard in a game, and will always love it dearly. What a beautiful way to end a video, and I'm so glad I was able to see yet another persons experience with such a masterful game. Thank you.
god that's exactly why its my favourite ending in the series
I understand you, but have you played Subnautica? I get goosebumps every time I hear the last words of the game
@@merlin6602 BRO SAME
A voice to the series well spoken.
I love that John Souls player trying to make himself into a boss by switching weapons and going into a “Phase 2”. I wish more Dark Souls players were like this, it’d be so cool. Or maybe I’m just running into the “gank squad” crowd all too often
I wonder how he was the boss so many times.
Thing is unless its a quality build it's fookin hard to be effective with two different weapon types within pvp limits. I do however have encountered themes like combat caster or dark sorcerers.
@@proganerxdave6720 Probby had an easier time of it with shen being underlevelled for TRC, honestly. spears around 90 and 120 would give inexperienced players a much rougher time from what i've seen (regen builds, darkmoon blade charge-combo ugs)
I tend to do that with my Discount Guts build. Cast Power Within, wear the Morne helmet, and use the UGS.
When I did my dragonslayer armour build I’d do a phase 2 by casting iron flesh and two handing the axe
Shen: “Who wants to see DLC?”
Me: *YES*
YES, INDEED
I've noticed that when From Software makes the "Phase 2" part of a boss fight, they always do one of three things:
1. One enemy becomes two
2. Two enemies become one
3. MOAR FIRE!
Or they regain sanity and go sicko mode
Friede becomes two (one of which includes fire) and then goes back to one. She's the ultimate boss.
@@mabe4322 not to mention, phase 3 has *dark* fire, going the extra mile
@@mabe4322 and said third phase pull the rug out from you by giving the non-soul reward BEFORE the third phase
and also, it's the only boss with a Pure thrid phase, as in, completelly full health bar, small refreshing and boost dispell between phases, and change of element resistance
And then there’s Champion Gundyr who just eyes go red and he starts trying
Shen's speech at the end got me emotional. She's absolutely right: Help get people to enjoy this game without scaring them away about it's difficulty. Ease them into it and make more people want to play this fantastic game series.
Did it for one. Helped that she saw me stream it into discord several times. Along with my swearing at the many, many, _many_ deaths of mine. Some stupid, some BS, all because I keep forgetting something about the game to keep in mind. It's hard, but fair, but you have to try. There is no easy mode, and I want kept that way. The difficulty is all based on how you play, but that means ranging from merely difficult but not too bad to 'Oh God, why did I decide to play this way?'
I just threw my friend right into the deep end of the bottomless pool that is the eldensoulsborne series
As someone who probably wouldve quit dark souls 1 if it wasnt for one of my online friends i can 100% agree. I was struggling and did not have much fun with me not knowing what to do or where to go. He basically said "No im joining you and we are playing this together." And so we did. He carried me practically all the way through, but i had so much fun. And some people might say "ThAtS nOt ThE dArK SOulS ExPeRienCE!!" but i dont care. It was how i had fun at first. After that i played the whole game by myself to get the "Dark souls experience" and i loved it. After that we played bloodborne (another game i had tried but dropped since i had the same issues as dark souls 1) and again, i had fun and played it by myself afterward and it's now one of my favorite games of all time. We planned to do dark souls 3 together as well, but then the whole server shutdown happened, and i decided to just it by myself, and after taking all i had learned from ds1 and bloodborne i felt a lot more at home, while still exploring everything by myself and playing a whole new game. The souls series has since become my absolute favorite game franchise of all time, and i absolutely love elden ring. I have started sekiro and ds2 but never really got too far, but im exited to finally play them when i finally get to it.
Overall thank you pattie
To be fair she was fairly carried her first few souls. But yeah 3 is the one to start with. It allows you to go brainless spamy tho demon souls is way better
@@Willzb-xk4ew like a true patches male
Friede's 'Leave us be' after how many times Shen threw herself at that boss started sounding more like 'Fuck off' the more Shen fought her, lol
I just love how it’s two parts like a climactic conclusion to a story. The story of Shen’s outlandish, incredible, and incredibly hilarious play throughs of Dark Souls in this case
The true Endgame of Dark Souls
Fight club was amazing
Especially with her last opponent before Gale being John souls
This is the moment we all dreaded, John Souls journey comes to an end. His name is forever etched into the history of soulsborne games.
Farewell my friend.. you'll never be forgotten.
Don’t worry. We’ll have John Ring, the Elder soon enough.
Its not over yet! Elden Ring next!
Don't worry. Maybe we'll see Elder John in the _Lands between_
@@npswm1314 and he will the screat final boss
May he have a safe journey. And may he never go hollow.
43:22 If people are going to claim dealing with griefers is part of The Real Dark Souls Experience, then summoning allies is legit too. This whole series has been great, for real.
Personally it ruins the experience for me. Again I’m just watching the video and not the stream but basically running away and being the target while two friends beat him to death really doesn’t “fit” this ending since you are fighting well YOURSELF and eventually the Soul of Gywn is the last ditch attempt at stopping you. I could understand maybe one ally but 2?
@@Eon233 I'm not saying people are missing out if they don't use summons, I just don't agree with the mindset a lot of the fanbase seems to have that it's the "wrong" way to play, when it's explicitly encouraged by the game. Sunbros are there for a reason.
@@Eon233 well she does beat him 'legit' after all. And yeah makes sense you feel that way, but not everyone else is such an epic gamer, and i support what Shen says at the end of the game, if these games didn't have a 'HARD DIFFICULT YOU NEED TO SUFFER' stigma around them more people would have the pleasure of experiencing them
@@whatislife1337 that stigma isn’t the reason people don’t play the game. Many just don’t like games such as this where the story is placed in the atmosphere and the items. Also a bunch of vocal minority complain about the difficulty and never gave it a fair shot. I’m not an epic gamer. I still to this day have not beat Orphan of Kos cuz that dude is cracked tf out. Elden Ring looks to be the opener for many who dare not touch it before because of what they are trying to achieve
I do agree on both ends. Also if you are invading it is host rules... That includes mad spirit buddies and darkmoons.
The fact that Shen accidentally discovered the correct way to slay the Ancient Wyvern is so *funny* because I died like 20 times before I figured it out
Not accidentally, chat.
That last fight against Gael was absolutely beautiful. It's insane how the consequence of the extreme difficulty of the bosses is that perfectly timed dodges and maneuvers by the player look absolutely badass
I think you've perfectly encapsulated here why panic rolling and retreating away from a boss gets people killed.
Learn from her mistakes.
Be extremely aggressive all the time.
@@TheActualMrLink Hesitation is defeat.
@@TheActualMrLink That's exactly what I do to just have the most fun. She is doing pretty damn well though considering she's only got 9 estus at +5
The ending of Dark Souls III is so damn poetic
After all the struggles to keep the Flame going, after all the suffering done onto the giants,dragons men and pygmies by the gods , all the architecture and history....is just gone in a sea of ash and dust
The only thing left is an old man with a broken sword and an unkindled undead, fighting for the fate of the new world
Two Nobodies, in the middle of Nowhere, fighting over Nothing
@@bruuze1258 with no one to see it
it's almost like saying why are you still here what are you even fighting for ? everything is gone , but i guess it is the slight of hope of a bit of humanity
@@AbyssalAntony more like hope for finally ending it all.
Ending the age of fire was supposed to happen ages ago, yet it didn't, and because the flow of time didn't happen as it was supposed to, the Earth started to suffer and turn and writhe and scream.
That is why everything in the Ringed City is ash, why everything in the world is ash, the world is ending itself because it's the only way to continue after the suffering the age of fire went through.
Of course, until the Ashen One snuffs out the fire.
@@DakkaSolae But yes it finaly ends the suffering , Yet i think i read somewhere that if he snuff out the fire which of course tthe firekeeper does that , i think it only reapet its cycle , by saying little flames dancing so maybe that flame is Gwyn , i think the ursuparition of flame is a bit better i think
I love how Gundyr's REAL fight has his second phase just be him but more determined
There are so many times in the Souls series where we only encounter the bosses after they've degraded. We meet them in a diminished, hobbled state. But probably the best Souls bosses are the ones that start that way, but then show them regain a measure of their greatness.
Ludwig. Gundyr. Gael. After beating on them for a while, you get to fight them as the warriors they once were. Not monsters, but men.
As Vergil would say, Gundyr got MOTIVATED!
he yel and become Angy Boi
@@Bluecho4 The thing with Gael though, is you meet him degraded, and he becomes MORE degraded as the fight progresses. The moment he realizes the sole thing he was searching for is right on his blade, he goes hollow. The reason we know this is because the Hollowslayer Greatsword does bonus damage to hollows, which applies only after phase one. It's such a small touch but it hits the feels so fucking hard.
The best part is Gundyr LITERALLY puts his foot down and says, "I've had enough of your shit."
Shen being utterly quiet the first time she reaches Gael's second phase. It's so perfect. You kinda just have to sit back and watch it unfold.
Shen’s speech at the end reminds me of Hawkeye Gough’s speech about the dragon wars, how they brought out the best and worst of our emotions…
Shenpai is one of the best people I have ever came across on this platform.
bumping this comment cuz true
Ditto
for real
Correct, not only one of the funniest but also most sincere people I've seen in YT. Instant sub when I saw a first video.
I can agree
Gael probably has my favorite OST out of all of the DS3 bosses. I once heard his fight described as two nobodies fighting at the end of the world and I loved it
@@sirthomastheodoreblackwood5590 from a pure musical standpoint, Gwyn’s and Darkeater Midair’s are my favorites(particularly Midirs, for that creepy as violin line in the middle). The guys really went all in with the music and it’s shines.
to me, gael is the best boss in the franchise. He's just awsome
Yep
2 Nobodies? Is that a Kingdom Hearts reference/joke?
@@jayofthezenn
It’s referring to the fact that the Ashen One and Gael aren’t these big legendary heroes like Artorias. Both of you are just these regular Undead schmucks that only made it to the end of everything through sheer perseverance and willpower.
Leave it to Shen to turn a hilarious and goofy gameplay into a heartfelt love letter to all of the Souls series.
Thanks for the good times, and long may the sun shine.
It’s a genuine delight to see in every series
I've gotta admit.
I didn't know you could die from fire damage when Friede gets revived in stage 3. I've never seen anyone on no health stand directly next to her body and stay there the whole time.
Congrats, you might be the first person to do that.
I love how Gael is Basically you, a no name who by effort and perseverance alone beat every odd , every obstacle, out lasted every god and keeps doing his job even after losing his sanity at the literal end of time
If his name is Gael how is he a no name....js
And so, the legend of John Souls comes to a close.
I look forward to witnessing the life of his cousin John Ring.
And their (hopefully) shared relative, John Shadows
Can’t wait for the sekiro videos and seeing someone else go through the same pain of chained ogre as I did.
Did shenai even stream sekiro?
@@peterheck2429 She hasn't yet, I don't think she's decided on whether to or not.
Chained Ogre is my favorite WWE Superstar
I watched her on Twitch and a mod told me she's not interested in Sekiro . A shame, but I get it.
Chained ogre was kinda easy for me but everybody has their stuggle bosses mines was ofcoursr the guardian ape and demon of hatred.died the most on them 2
1:33:19 "If you truly love these games you'd help the person getting into these games"
Ironically, that's the entire point of multiplayer. It's not a coop, it's an assistance. When you rest on a bonfire, you see so many souls passing by, the game tells you that you are not alone in this harsh, unforgiving world.
"The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined.
In a land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance?
So, what do you say? Why not help one another on this lonely journey?"
"Of course, we are not the only ones engaged in this."
-Solaire of Astora
I've been wathing you for some time lately and very interested in your soulslike experience. I'm so glad you enjoyed them (and tolerated Dark Souls 2). I can't wait to see you in Elden Ring. Thank you for playing these games. I'll be sure to pass by your streams one time or another. Btw i love your horny bi personality lol!
This is why I always tend to equip the SunBro covenant and make a paladin-style character when I can.
Cause sometimes you just want to give some jolly cooperation and lend a hand to someone who needs it.
When I finally managed to beat Vordt my first time around (which took a while, as 3 was my first real Souls game) I left my sign outside his fog wall and just hung around the High Wall for a bit in case anyone needed a hand.
I've always loved that part of the Souls games.
That even in these hostile places, fighting enemies who show no mercy, overcoming challenges of herculean proportion, there **is** hope.
You can overcome every obstacle in your path, not by being some god or deity. But by getting back up each time you fail. Over, and over, and over again, until you succeed. And along the way, you have many chances to help or be helped by others facing those same challenges. Sure, you can be selfish and greedy. Invading others for your own gain. Or, you can work together in jolly cooperation, and overcome these trials together, where on your own you would falter.
"A light shines brightest in the dark"
Dark souls 2 is good
I absolutely love midir. He is my favorite boss in the whole series. I stick around the ringed city just to help people fight him.
but Midir is harder when fight with summons, it gets pretty chaotic.
Can I ask why? To me Midir is a slog of stupid high HP and shitty hit-boxes. Like, the NK is hard, but to me it's a rewarding boss fight with great hitboxes, even if his wind attacks can get a bit BS. But Midir's attacks have stupidly high range, you can hardly deal damage and when he hits you, it's like a train. Not to mention he spams his fire breath constantly and his tailswipe feels like it can hit you mid-roll.
I'm glad you found a boss fight that you can consider the best in all series, cause I haven't yet, but I don't get why it's Midir.
@@mindsandmirrors5106 I'm not OP, but Midir is also one of my favorite bosses so I'll share my opinion. In your first playthrough, Midir is definitely gonna be one of the hardest bosses you fight, simply because you have no idea what to do against him. He killed me the most in my first playthrough.
But if you take the time to understand his patterns, I'm not even exaggerating when I'm saying he's one of the easiest bosses in the game. He has no gimmicks, no animation cancelling, his attacks are *VERY* well telegraphed. So if you beat him once and memorize his attack patterns. Every subsequent playthrough after it, I guarantee you, you'll kill him in less than 3 attempts.
The trick with Midir is to NEVER stand under him. Because like you said, he'll spam fire attacks and tail swipes. the safest place in the fight is standing in front of him and only attacking his head. He takes way more damage to the head, and if you hit it enough, when he's around 25% HP, you can stagger him and do a riposte that deals massive damage if not kill him instantly.
And he doesn't even have as much HP as you say he does. He literally only has 800 HP more than Gael.
@@EwiwasSmile it's been a hot minute since I fought Midir, so I don't remember much. I just remember him having way too much HP and, as I said, shitty hitboxes. His attacks hit me when they shouldn't and I can remember at least three times when he hit me in the literal middle of a roll.
But like I said, it's been a while. Thanks for answering my question.
Man I can run circles around every other boss in the games, but midir fucks my day up every time.
When it came to Shen’s speech at the end I completely agreed with not gatekeeping a “pure” dark souls experience
I’ve played through the games on my own and with friends, and I enjoyed it with my friends so much. It was a journey of us overcoming odds and I loved every second of it
I don’t care if it wasn’t the hardcore perfect Dark Souls experience
It was my Dark souls experience
Shen that speech at the end brought a tear to my eye. Love this series, one of the best ever made. Can’t wait to see you in Sekiro, and then see ya on the frontlines for Elden Ring.
EVERYBODY SAY ROGUE OF LOVE
Dragonball Music .. abbo, new here; keep going
cringe fest
Shen's final synopsis on the series is a perfect encompassing of my feelings. It's a stellar series that deserves an attempt, an earnest attempt in the understanding that you do not have to focus on the difficulty, to not allow the hype to drag you down, that the feeling is worth it.
Dark Souls III will always be my favorite, not for the hyper-polished combat or beautiful aesthetic, but for the incredible conclusion to the story that manages to stick a landing not found in the previous 2 games. Also, I always give the eyes to the Fire Keeper just so I can hear the music change.
Dark Souls III is incredibly hostile to my playstyle and even though I struggle more than usual due to my insistence on using heavy armor and weapons... It's still my favorite. I have to min/max my vitality to get my favorite looking armors but it's amazing. I did a Havel build where I used the full Havel set and shield/greathammer. I could only fatroll and I could barely run, but it was fun. I felt powerful.
Depends on what story you mean? Ds1 had the best story's for bosses by far but ds2 NPC story's where amazing like my heart stoped when lucatiel drops this line "My name is Lucatiel. I beg of you, remember my name. For I may not myself…" like each game tryed different stuff and never tried to one up the last game instead they tryed to mix it up every time focusing on different types of lore like world building in ds1 and character development in ds2
@@thedarkd6 I suppose I mean that they moved it forward each time without recycling the same problems. In DS1, pretty much everyone told you to link the fire, with only a few seeds of doubt sown to make you question if you were doing the right thing. DS2 had Aldia, which basically created a clear split where some people wanted light and some people wanted dark, without understanding that both led to the same cyclical place. DS3 really nails a conclusion by revealing the option of willingly becoming Hollow, allowing yourself and the world a chance to permanently die, which ultimately ends the cyclical nature by giving things in the world some sense of release. Which endings you pick are ultimately up to you, but each ending in each game feels wholly different.
@@zachloveless1827 And by also creating an entirely new world through the Painter, one made with the Dark Soul itself and therefore not reliant on flame
Its okay Shen, I've literally beaten most of all the souls games with help my first time playing. You beating most of the games on your own and only summoning when you really needed the help is still impressive and valid 👏
I’m so sorry for Shen getting rocked by all the bosses. My ptsd had flared up and I know exactly the feeling in the monotone sighs and groans. Congratulations Shen and goodbye John Souls
Rather fitting, the final boss of the souls games isn't a god, it isn't a dragon, and it isn't a monster.
Its a human, an undead just like you, who has been fighting for just as long as you have, and like you, he carries every soul he has taken with him since then.
The final boss of Dark Souls is ourselves, and its a fight for everything up to this point, rather fitting that the weapon he carries is a similar design to the broken straight sword from the start of DS1, even his death animation mimics our own.
Truly two souls at the end of all things.
I like how most of this also applies to the souls of cinder. SoC is the amalgamation of everyone who came before you. The chosen undead, the bearer of the curse (maybe) gwyn himself. Everyone who ever linked the fire was there. That's why it changes fighting styles (which also mimic actual player fighting styles) in phase 1.
It's calling upon the powers of those who came before. A warrior wielding a trusty sword. A sorcerer using magic to achieve victory. A pyromancer with a curved sword (and ninjaflip) from a far away land. And a holy knight, probably a dragonslayer. In phase 2 it calls upon Gwyn himself and uses his power.
Gael on the other hand is the personification of the journey, the fate of all undead. He persevered and fought for millennia, to the point where he might be the only one with the knowledge of the way of the white corona miracle. He learned to abuse summon signs (his teleporting). He spent an eternity only getting stronger and learning more, ignoring the shifting ages of fire and dark, following his duty. It's a miracle he resisted hollowing until phase 2 since he's been at it for millennia. He fought through the apocalypse and didn't go hollow until meeting the unkindled who caused it all.
The real final boss was the friends we made along the way
This would be a hit on Reddit
You know what they say about Miyazaki Games.
Fighting Symbolic Old Men to Sad Music for every final boss.
@@danieldancza6171 Imagine a souls game where you actually do all that. You play as gael fighting during the apocalypse, and of course a time-lapse would be needed for a game like that. Your final boss is the unkindled from dark souls 3, a player who has learnt to use magic, a sword and greatshield, and twinblades for dex. They also mimic player playstyles, like you see with those npc's that attack you in ds3, like those 2 guys outside pontiff boss room, except of course much more complex and varied movesets. The final cutscene ends the same way, even if you beat the ashen one. Something goes like the unkindled used a spell to buff themselves right as they die, and they kill you at the end (the default ending). Credits roll and of course ng+ options. Also alternative ending, maybe where you instead kill the unkindled at the cutscene. I just think a game where you experience what gael did would be pretty awesome.
The fact that she did her dark Souls playthrough of the Ring City with her estus flask only being at +5 is I think the most impressive thing she did
She seemed a little underpowered in general for the endgame. That HP bar… definitely impressive!
And only nine of them too, plus at such a low soul level. It is very impressive.
The message near the end was such a beautiful and wonderfully worded love letter to the series and I agree wholeheartedly. I can't wait to hopefully see both veterans and new players exploring elden ring in it's first few days.
"...The first days of Elden Ring, when it comes out, is...going to be truly special."
It was. And it has been. Thanks for this Shen!
52:32-57:20 is like one big trip down memory lane. So happy I curiously got Dark Souls 1 10 years ago, all these games, armors and weapons, bosses, locations, the lore, the music.
So excited for more in Dark Souls 4- I mean, Elden Ring!
I like the part where you mentioned that the games are done a great disservice by the perception that their only redeeming quality being how hard they are. The community basically got caught up in the marketing of Namco Bandi ie Prepare to Die Edition, which actually contrasts from what From Software's vision of the game was. From Software never had any intentions of centering the games around its difficulty but once the community got it in their heads, every From Software game was judged based on its difficulty and no other merit from that point foreword.
I disagree that only during the very early days of the franchise once clones started popping up. people started to understand what makes darksouls great. The only people who perpetuate the idea that difficulty is its only selling points are casuals who only know the games from a far.
@@treebush unless your community is made up of casuals, I would disagree. Streamers constantly get harassed about the builds being too easy or spamming things like "too greedy" in the chat when they die to a boss. You can make all the arguements you want, but I can't unsee what I have seen which is a community that praised Bloodborne, not for its art direction or story, but because "people won't be able to turtle behind shields anymore". This isn't a few bad eggs either. The only way the community will improve is if people start taking ownership of these shortcomings and work to change the mindset.
@@Jcannnon thats a completely different topic lol and Those people yes casuals as well you literally just proved my point. Casuals still can play the games doesn't mean they are deticated fans like iron pineapple, ouroboros, vaati, and many others who actually understand the games. Those toxic people only play souls games to make feel like they are better than others and get mad when someone is better than them. These people are the same type that farm karma and likes. Unless you are talking about backseaters who valued " the souls experience" who aren't a fan of cheese tactic that basically spew the ninja meme basically are a whole different story even if they can be toxic.
@@Jcannnon also are you new to twitch or something? Heckling during twitch games is normal and is part of the fun. Maximilian literally came out about a video why he didn't bother playing Elden ring because he enjoys the interaction with the chat which is what alot of streamers do. UBERHAXOR NOVA IS known for cheesing any hard games to pissed off people and his chat and takes pleasure in it as does most of his chat love seeing chat get mad about it. They laugh at him getting Greedy and yet cheer him on when he beats the boss through cheese.
@@treebush most streamers put up with heckling, they don't enjoy it and don't think its "part of the fun". Once again you aren't taking ownership of your communities short comings just making excuses for bad behavior.
Little did Shen know the lore implications that would lie ahead by wearing Artorias' armor to Archdragon Peak.
Side note: The End of Fire ending has to be my favorite ending. Usurpation of the flame is good, but I prefer a true end to the Age of Fire.
DS lores is all about cycles, with 1 being the end of the first, 2 being a completelly random one, and third being, depending on the end chosen, either the start of a new cycle after the worst one yet, the corruption of the cycles (so the humanity may be the only one with power over fate), and ending the cycle "in a soft way", so that a better future may one day be reborn, with no memories of the hardship of the past
Isn't usurpation of flame still an age of dark except lead by you?
@@somedudewatchintv5297 Yes. But the idea is that you absorb the first flame, making it yours, and controlling the fate of the world moving forward. The end of fire lets the First Flame die. No power taken, no one but man itself to lead the next age.
@@ashraven_stark6383 but you yourself would just be the first of those humans right? Is the age of dark canceled as soon as someone gains power?
@@somedudewatchintv5297 No, The End of Fire leads to the Age of Dark with the possibility of Fire's return. A cyclical ending. A true ending. In Usurpation of the Flame, you essentially become Gwyn, and in essence, create a never ending age of dark, becoming fire's enemy, and basically become the new big bad.
"You know, it feels like Shen got worse over the course of DS3? Which is weird, because it looks like she's playing fine?"
*Shen is SL79 by the time of Ringed City*
"Ah so she is making it harder on purpose, I see."
Is that weird I'm only at like 83 or something and stuck at the end of the first dlc friede hard.
To be honest I didn’t know that I ran through there at 88
As a conquerer of Ringed City at soul level 80, it is indeed a kick in the pants
I got really confused when someone said the recommended level is 120... That's a lot of grinding.
79 is fine, her damage seemed okay so I don't think her build is too terrible?
@@chaotictuc 120 isn't too hard to reach with knowing quick soul farm routes, but i prefer being less than level 90 to avoid as many metahugging PvP players and tryhards. Yeah, they're present at lower levels too, but not nearly as bad
I'm a super emotional sucker, so your closing speech? Brought tears to my eyes. You presented your thoughts eloquently, and it made me remember all the fantastic times I've had with this series starting all the way back when I was a teenager borrowing my best friend's PS3 to play Demon's Souls shortly after its release. Just like you said, there is so much to this franchise that makes it stand out in the video gaming industry, and the legacy it has created thanks to how amazing and truly special each of these games are.
I'm so glad you persevered to the end through every game in the franchise, and I've loved watching your VODs and long form videos for them all. I can't wait for Elden Ring, and to see you play it fresh off release along with everyone else. Playing a Soulsborne game when nobody knows anything at all yet? So engaging and exciting. It's all a mystery, you never know who you are going to meet in online or how far they are. Messages are all brand new, so there is the most potential for mischief or genuinely helpful tips right there at the start. Gosh, I'm getting giddy just thinking about all the little things that make playing a new FromSoft game so great! 😤💜
A cool detail about the final boss is that it's the memory of all those who linked the fire. So that's why it has so many styles, they're the styles of the players though the years. And it all ends with the first who linked the fire, Gwen.
Shen : I love this game so much!
Also Shen : _too frustrated to talk during boss and then summon to win the fight anyways_
this is it, you are a true dark souls fan
This was a beautiful series of videos to watch. Your last segment regarding your thoughts as a whole on the franchise has more of an impact, given that you showed your whole run-throughs of the individual games.
Same
I've just realised Shen's playing the DS3 end game with a god damned uninfused Broadsword. Same vibes as when I beat DS1 with a +5 Raw Halberd.
Raw is decent for NG in DS1 at least, especially if you're just building up health
As someone who binged all of your Souls stuff, I can honestly say that the amount you've matured and grown as you played through these games is truly inspiring. Good job, Shen!
that final speech is just, wouw, thank you so much for your great series on this great series.
I think it's so ironic how there were speculations on "what is the dark soul" ever since the first game released. But the answer was always in front of us ever since the first game.
The souls of the enemies and bosses is white and radiant. Humanity is the same icon as the other souls but black. Gael just sucked the humanity from every human soul in the world. That's why his soul is the dark soul.
The furtive(?) pygmy was the one who originally held the Dark Soul but he split it to make up humanity. He is basically the forefather to humanity so every human has a part of the Dark Soul which means that Humanity is The Dark Soul. It's so cool really cause you can imagine how strong the furtive pygmy must've been if it¨s split between the player character and Gael in the end and both of them are extremely powerful.
@@questionsayer true. The gods were terrified of the pigmy because, no matter what they did, they never managed to actually kill him.
@@rumplstiltztinkerstein The guy probably went death and retry on those gods until they got done with it.
Yo, big respect for Shen going back through and fighting the bosses solo again, they're _very_ hard. I consider myself "good at Souls" and I cheesed the living hell out of Friede. That nun is no joke.
You could say she’s having “nun” of that A-shen one
@@halyoalex8942 👏👏👏
Youre not that good if you had to cheese her then
@@sw3654 You can be good at souls generally and still struggle with certain bosses. Friedes fight is partly an endurance test and its the only boss in the game where I feel she's built to go at Bloodborne speed while the player is working at DS speed, and the disconnect is palpable. I know for other people the Dancer has the same issue because her movement is so strange
@@jackbutler6606 You can obviously struggle with certain bosses and be good at the game, i can beat most bosses in one attempt and Friede still kicks my ass from time to time, but if you had to cheese her then youre probably just not good
Also, yeah, shes fast, its balanced by her being easy to combo once you get a hit in, and its only in the third phase
Honestly, thanks for this series, Shen. It was a wild ride that pulled myself back into the From Software games as well as convincing some of my friends to try the games out themselves even though they were in past apprehensive. These videos are amazing, having me in stitches from laughter at one point and in emotional tears by the end of it all. This was a wild ride and I hope we can see even more in future
That outro really caught me by surprise, you suddenly sounded very mature and expressed a wonderful depth of thought. Thanks for the great series, it's been a fun ride. Subbed for sure.
I just realized the death montage for soul of cinder, the deaths are almost all synced up with the plins and plons. Only took me two years but that's a cool little detail.
Watching Shen use a broadsword in late game: I cry
Watching Shen get to Archdragon Peak knowing full well what's coming: I laugh maniacally
I mean, the broadsword is not bad. It is a straight sword after all.
What's wrong with the broadsword? Like almost every weapon, after fully upgraded you can bring it anywhere and it'll peform well.
Gotta say, Shen's right. We need more Soulsporn of Big Armored Himbos.
Darksouls 3 bosses in a nutshell: "BUT THERE'S MORE!"
I don't know if more phases or more enemies per fight is worse, honestly. For a long time I would've said more enemies per fight (thanks DS2) but Friede really makes me not like bosses with a third phase
Friede will forever be my favorite fight because of how many times she gets up... Her being an ashen one and all.
@@BiffManly Gael and Frieda are probably one of my favorite fights in all of souls including orphan Maria Ludwig and gherman
Billy Mays never died, he was just reincarnated as all the Dark Souls 3 bosses
1:32:00 That speech you gave there is absolutely fantastic. Can't wait to see you play Elden Ring. You earned a sub from me.
The Artorias' armor set was my favorite set, while my friend liked to use the Ornstein set. He tried to get me to use smough's set, but I hated using slow, heavy, weapons and armor.
ah, yes "Nameless Death King montage"
Hard to name four words that fit better together
Demon Prince Death Montage is quite fitting
sorry, was too busy bopping to... lightning battle(? its a kid icarus song, i forgor what)
You probably already know this, but Oceiros had originally been programed to walk around with his crying baby (Ocelot). And when he crushes Ocelot and goes feral, the baby was supposed to be smushed into his hand and scream in pain during phase two.
Also congratulations Shen! Not many people have the strength of will to brave Dark Souls games anymore
I was living in a weird anxiety funk the past couple days so bad I had to take a day off from work. I watched your part 1 for dark souls 3 yesterday and some how my anxiety finally calmed down I was able to take a moment breath and laugh and enjoy a quite mind. Your fun videos with amazingly funny editing always seem to help me out of whatever funk I’m in. I can’t wait to see more of your videos! I wish I could join more streams but sadly I work when your streaming but that’s why I’m so so glad you post highlights here and have your bod channel. Thank you for being a light in the dark shen.
Nameless King to this day is still my favourite boss, the lord, the drip, the fight. Love it all.
Imma say it first
I love that the soul of cinder death momtage is synced with the music
Shen has made me finally after ages of owning dark souls 3 play it and complete it, after seeing their demon souls and dark souls 2 playthroughs. It was amazing watching the progress Shen's made through the series. So glad i found this channel randomly through Hades. (Also has some of the funniest edits I've seen in a while)
I have to admit..after watching her play, I kind of want to play to. My friends are waiting for elden ring and I'm actually thinking of joining them
Friend: hey what kind of content does that shenpai streamer you told me about make?
Me: uhhhhh, its complicated
No shame on having trouble with Nameless King. He's viewed as the generally hardest non-DLC boss in the game (and is still typically most people's 4th hardest after Elfriede, Gael, and Midir. Sometimes 5th after Demon Prince). However, many people will either curse or laud him for same reason: Camera. Nameless King's most difficult factor is that he is so mobile that it is a struggle to even keep the camera on him. As such, Lock-on is actually not recommended against him. Essentially, he is the boss that really tests to see how good you've gotten with the camera (or how well you cope with not being able to use the camera well). And that messes with people who are used to the camera only really screwing with them in corners. Pair that with a boss who is hyper-aggressive and, well...
Also nameless punish very harshly a "crutch" that many people have playing DS3 and that's panic rolling, due to how many delays and timings he has on his attacks that many people adapted to rolling as soon as possible will get you hit more times than not with endgame levels of damage. Gael has it too with his cloak
P.S King of the Storm is also very tricky to hit in the head unless you got a ultra sword, spear or great axe due to how much the head rises from the ground after an attack
Bloodborne has that trend too I've noticed. Keeping lock on often makes a number of bosses many magnitudes more difficult, whereas keeping freecam suddenly makes them far easier. Of note in this is Rom, the Undead Giants in the chalice dungeons, and the One Reborn. I've started going freecam more and more with bosses, and found them significantly easier. Though they still 1 shot my squishy mage self lol
@@alejandromolina2802 Yeah, that too. The player is expected to have learned how to not panic under pressure by the time you are ready to face him. What makes him worse is that his weaknesses are somewhat harder to exploit than most bosses. King of the Storm, like all dragons, is most vulnerable to lightning and resists dark pretty well. Nameless King is the opposite, being most resistant to lightning and most vulnerable to dark. In other words, you would need to bring two weapons (one for both kinds of damage), Human Pine and Golden Pine (and a weapon that can be buffed), miracles and dark sorcery/pyromancy (since the only damaging dark miracles are the gnaws and Lifehunt, which don't really do much damage), or just not bother with weaknesses.
@@alejandromolina2802 I find that you can get a few swings in even with the broadsword, after the dragon jumps behind you and lands. Also it's better to stay under the dragon's neck, because it's easier to avoid the nameless king's spear, and you can go in and attack the dragon's head after he swings his spear. As for the 2nd phase, the thrust attacks are by far the easiest to punish.
1:21:51 how have I never noticed before that the first thing Shen did when she saw Gael was punch him in the face 😆
The namesless death king montage was my favorite part. (18:58)
12:37 "Seeing Artorias' armor i'm...really horny"
Also very, very relatable
I'm really glad Shen got this ending. It's my personal favorite. I know most people shot for the Lord of Hollows ending, and see it as the "True" ending, but the Firekeeper letting the fire fade is just something really touching
there is no true ending, but the lord of hollows one is the best outcome, as things are in ds3 letting the fire fade normally will bring the age of the deep, and linking the flame is just postponing the inevitable again , but to be honest she takes the flame with her so it's possible she is preserving it in a weakened state
@@Sercroc or maybe you helping the lady painting a new world while letting this one fall into eternal rest is the best outcome :)
definitely my favourite ending too!
@@zeyadgabr8682 that's not an ending, just another painting, the world outside is still going
The dark ending is considered canon. I don't know where you got this whole "people consider lord of hollows the true ending" thing.
I dont even like the souls games but watching you play them is delightful
That is a fact my friend
wish I got to see her reaction to phase 2 of mydir, I remember I spend months fighting him, so many hours spent either dying or prepping materials, and I finally beat him, and I could not have been happier, one of my favorite bosses.
This comment is so relatable, 2 years ago i platined the game After a 2 months pause cause i coulndt get past a dlc boss, thinking that After hundreds of hours and many characters i would Never finish the dlcs, then something clicked and i straight up went from i think friede or midir in NG to NG +2 doing all the bosses in every run in a week and getting all trophies.
I'm Uber late to your videos, but I just wanted to say, I'm so glad I came across your demon souls run. I found I about a week ago and since then everytime I'm chilling I try to watch some of your videos. Your personality is a shining beacon to all who feel lost. Love your enthusiasm and how much you seem to enjoy this. I sincerely hope your future is filled with nothing but happiness and bright things.
I feel so bad for watching you stand on top of Friede and dying because of her going to phase 3 just... Wow
Shens speech at the end hit me hard, Becuase I Dropped souls for all the reasons she listed.
No body helped me
I was mocked for asking for help.
I was told to "get gud"
and so i left the game unfinished and never touched any of the games From software made since.
If you ever want to pick them up, and are on Xbox or PC I can try to help as much as I can. People who mock others for summoning are ignoring the fact that the devs put summoning in so that people can get help, and its justified in game with lore. To paraphrase sunbro Solaire, "We're all undead, what's the harm in some jolly cooperation?"
@@NobleLeader6 Unfortunately, multiplayer is gone on PC due to a recently discovered exploit that they're working on fixing and it won't be on until after Elden Ring comes out. Which is a shame.
The Bloodborne community is very welcoming, people help others with bosses and tough areas like the well in the Fishing Hamlet
Your journey through the Souls series has been amazing! Can't wait for OOOHH ELDEN RING!!!!
OOOOOOOooOoOoOOoOoOOHHHHHHH I doubt you could even imagine it
I’m always a little disappointed whenever someone doesn’t get to witness Gundyr launch them into the air, and kick them while they’re still falling. Coolest move in the entire series.
I am deeply passionate about stories, and helping and cooperating with others on their difficult journeys, both in life and in fiction. To see you go through the entire franchise that started such a wave in so many communities, and then foster that very same mindset is thoroughly inspiring in our modern age that just seems to keep getting darker. Please keep being such a bright spot, you're an inspiration.
Damn, could you imagine how easy this would be if Shen actually spent her souls? She would be top tier
I rarely post anywhere and your ending summary on the games is exactly why I love this series and just am sad I don’t have enough time to get into them again. Maybe someday I’ll play them again but you made me realize why I love these games again.
I feel like so many more people could get into these games if there wasn't such a strong "purist" mentality that a large portion of the fans have.
Wanting or getting help doesn't taint the experience, if done right (ie. no spoiling) it can strengthen the experience, and in turn might create a new fan; like Shen.
I can attest for that last bit. My first time killing soul of cinder was with a phantom, and they ended up dying with the boss at low health (rip Megumin). My final moments with that boss were a hundred times more intense than if I had just done it alone. The series is dark, but it makes the people shine brighter as a result.
Sorry that you have seen the worst of the Souls community, they are a small minority. For the most part the souls community is one of the most welcoming, the first time I join a DS discord server for tip to speed run the dancer they bombarded me with useful knowledge and valuable cheese and even make a guide on how to optimize from that point forward
It's because of that attitude that made me _never_ play these games online. Through co-op or otherwise. Especially the first one.
Encountering so many of those "fans" made my experience miserable, from other players using stupid meme builds, to deliberately bad co-op partners, to incessant invasions, to other shenanigans. I know half the fun of the games is online but I hated every second of it.
These games are something that I have held near and dear to my heart just from all the experiences, journeys, and challenge runs I've had with them on my own and with some of my friends who enjoy it as much as me.
The shaking adreline filled thrill of overcoming a boss or tough area after hundreds of failed attempts is nothing short of immense and relieving at the same time. The characters who make these worlds feel lived in while keeping many secrets hidden keeps the game interesting and open to a wide range of interpretations.
I'm so thankful these games have such a loving community who keep making and adding great content to them.
I've yet to play bloodborne or demon souls as I haven't a playstation 4 or 5. Hopefully I can either get a playstation or playstation adds them to pc in the future like they've been doing with god of war and horizon zero dawn. I am also very excited to play elden ring when that comes out.
These videos have been very entertaining to watch and it always makes me happy when someone gives these games a chance. Congrats to Shen for enduring these games! :)
Emulate the original demons souls if you haven't by now. It's running pretty good not as pretty but it's the original and so damn unique
after seeing this i now crave again for the pain that this game gives me, i love this
Slave Knight Gael is my favorite fight in any game I've ever played and hearing Shen chastise herself with an audible smile as she did it was the highlight of this series for me. I can't wait to see the Elden Ring videos
Shen having a +5 estus flask while doing the ringed city is honestly more impressive than doing it with a fully upgraded flask cause I don’t think I could do it tbh
I don't know how I came across you, Shenpai, but it was one of the best discoveries for me. I insta subbed on both RUclips and Twitch. Keep on being awesome, you funny great person you.
Yes, I'm simpin'.
Really love your Dark Souls content c: Also holy crap I can't even imagine editing all of this you did such a good job!
Oh and p.s. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL ELDEN RING ELDEN RING HYYYYYYYYYYYYPE
1:01:07 so many emotions jam-packed into one single scream
A touching ending; which rings so beautifully true.
But wait… did you beat the game without Infusing that broadsword?? You’re a sick person, I congratulate you.
100% agree with your end speech. I hate the idea that Soulsborne games is lauded just because of their difficulty. My first playthrough of DS3 was with a pair of friends who had already played through the game months beforehand, which made the experience way more enjoyable (and also overlevelled the hell out of me). I hate people who shit on people for using summons or ranged/magic builds because it makes the games "easy". Just let people enjoy the game the way they want. Soulsborne has so much more to offer than just torturous difficulty.
This, this right here. I hate how many people say that doing it solo is the only legit way to beat this game and the only way to experience it. Ds3 was the first 1 I beat and I summoned through most of it. I had so much fun regardless, and actually really enjoy going into boss fights with my squad rolling up. And playing with magic is so much fun too, I always liked how pretty souls magic is.
Summing suck how I suppose to invade gangs alone and troll others noobs
Can’t wait for Elden ring
The feeling of finishing dark souls, a sense of relief and accomplishment, but also the lingering sense of melancholy for leaving this beautiful and immersing world behind. I remember it fondly and even tho i've put many hundreds of hours into this game and finished it countless times, alone or with friends, as their guide or as their companion, it still draws me back in from time to time and thats why it is so great. That is the blessing and the curse, that is Dark Souls.
Your last speech about the Souls games really stuck out to me. I have played every single game countless times. I KNOW how hard it is, because I have spent thousands of hours getting my ass kicked. But whenever I try to get my friends to play, the last thing I mention is the difficulty. I talk about the characters and the atmosphere and the aesthetic and the combat and the mechanics. But I try to mention the difficulty last because I know it will be easier to convince them to play instead of scaring them off.I tell them that the only right way to win the game is by beating the game, because there is no wrong way. You are absolutely right.