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this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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Soulslike - Discussion, News, Memes
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This is a community for discussion, news, and memes pertaining to the video game sub-genre "soulslike".
Given Lemmy's size, the definition of soulslike may be treated relatively loosely. While games like the numerous FromSoft titles, the recent Star Wars Jedi games, Lies of P, Nioh and similar games should be the focus, games that incorporate soulslike elements - like Hollow Knight and Blasphemous, for example - may also be discussed here.
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[BB] This enemy is so difficult!
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[DS1] Anyone struggling with the gargoyles?
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I actually did a pure caster build last time I played through elden ring. When I reached the DLC, I was so sick of spamming the same few high efficiency spells I finally used a weapon. There's not very many high efficiency spells to choose from in any of the games, honestly.
Magic in every single souls game drops off in the late-game. Especially in Elden Ring, magic doesn't deal enough damage to justify standing still, casting, and managing your FP bar when every boss is charging straight at you.
The only one of these games where you can magic 'til the end without suffering is Dark Souls 2. Therefore, DS2 is the best souls game. I rest my case.
I did a run of DS2 with a staff in one hand and a sword in the other. Felt like Gandalf. Good time. Highly recommend.
The only one of these games where you can magic 'til the end without suffering is ~~Dark~~ Peak Souls 2. Therefore, ~~DS2~~ PS2 is ~~the best souls game~~ peak. I rest my case.
ftfy
Specced almost exclusovely into magic and attunement in my (first) DS2 playthrough. Then found a battle axe and thought 'no way'. Upgraded it with fire damage and it was immediately more powerful than all the spells
My Dark caster build was by far the most obscenely powerful DS2 character I ever made and I bet I beat that game a dozen times.
At release, a Faith build could complete the whole game with a couple copies of Lightning Spear but that got nerfed into unusability. Dark Orb and Resonant Soul have no such weaknesses.
I will never forget the patch that nerfed lightning spears. One day I woke up, opened Reddit, and read "reduced lightning spear amount from 11 to 3". I did a triple take but it was real, they suddenly destroyed my build mid-playthrough.
I escaped that nerf in my first playthrough for playing a fully offline copy of the game in the 360. On my second playthrough (first time with dlcs) on my pc, I felt very disappointed when the massively powerful lighting spell I was hyped to get had been reduced to nothing.
What about Dark souls 2 TWO, rise of the Ringed Elder?
It didn't fall off, it just got boring. Magic is perfectly viable through all the games. Therefore, DS2 is shit.
Viable as in you can win with it I guess? Late-game you do worse damage than just using a regular sword and it's way harder to get a hit in. That's why magic runs usually boil down to 'just use a melee weapon with magic scaling'
Mages bother me because they have to worry about FP. I’m more of a bonk guy because you only have to worry about bonk.
What if FP replenished like stamina but at a slower rate maybe. It would get rid of the need of needing potions, and you would get people to try casting more. Maybe add some sort of restriction like cooldowns so the range isn't abused all too much
FP regenerates in some of the games, with the right equipment. But it's kind of too slow to rely on.
There are other systems that could make it interesting. Like, maybe casting spells builds up "heat", and if it gets too high something bad happens.
Gotta have a backup plan for when the spells run out.
And you gotta have a way of saving your spells for when you really need them...
You also need a plan for when you have plenty of spells and you're on the final boss but it's just kinda hard ya know, like not hard enough I couldn't do it if I wanted to, but I have already done it with a sword a million times so it's just like a little easier.