Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin

Halsdoll’s Progress Report Card (Video Game & Book Backlogs)

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Well, I finally got Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin out of my system. I beat it. It was fun exploring each stage and now I’m all shackled up and become one with the dark. I feel so accomplished–not really because I enjoyed the fairy-tale world atmosphere to part with it. It’s been a great companion for so long. On the bright side, I can start jumping into new games without feeling as if I have forgotten to do something important.

I beat DS2
I finally sit on a throne. It’s not all that comfortable….apparently.
I beat Ds2!!
Hurray!! I am the queen of darkness!

I’m also proud to say I finished Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix. I felt as if I ran a Harry Potter Marathon. Two more books to go until I finish the main series. I tell myself I need a bit of a break from the series to process everything I read but found myself starting on the 6th book after just taking one day from reading. Surely, I will write down my thoughts in the upcoming future on the Order of Phoenix. So expect that. Just in case, new folks happen to land on my blog and who is also Harry Potter fan (hi, hello nice to meet you!), please check out my previous Harry Potter posts:

As for video game backlogs, I really am trying to give Sakura Wars a chance even though typically I am not into dating games. I am now on Chapter 3. Checking Howlongtobeat.com website helped me prioritize what games I want to tackle first even though I did say I tried not to make a list. And yet, with Elden Ring lurking around the corner (I’m writing this on the 24th, it comes out on the 25th), I feel as if a chunk of my time for games will be focused on Elden Ring. This means I will drop Sakura Wars for the time being. Yes, if there is such thing as game-hopping like bar-hopping, (not much of a drinker or a socializer unless it’s about video games) I’m trying to find my new favorite drink (I mean game) because I am going to need a lot of booze to escape from current events which it doesn’t seem to get any better by the day.

Playing Sakura Wars
Photoshoot with the girls from Sakura Wars
Playing Sakura Wars
I told you he is like a rooster….

Well, that is it for this weekly post. So important that I had to share when there are far more serious things out there. I know, but this blog helps me stay sane. Until next time. See you!

P.S.

I know I spend a lot of time with games and speed is not my biggest strength. Why do some games grade me on my performance? Ah…..I play to escape. Making adjustments to my report on Sakura Wars made me feel better. 

Playing Sakura Wars

Halsdoll Gaming Rant: Dark Souls II Photo Shoots

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There are hundreds of games. So many games and so many options sort of paralyzed me from picking a game and finishing it thoroughly. I look at the pile of games and thought, there’s no way to beat all these games in a year, and setting a goal to beat them is not my thing despite the fact I feel tempted to sit down and make a list right now to put things into perspective by creating some sort of checklist to help ease the feeling that I have a lot on my plate. Whom am I kidding? The thought of it always excites me. But following it through is a different story.

I do like to make list for mundane stuff. Checking off the to-do list helps me get over unpleasant tasks…but games?

Sometimes that enthusiasm wears out and I just rather play something that I’m used to or not play at all. I’m no cheerleader for all video games…no way…

Halsdoll playing in dark souls 2
Where are you going, Halsdoll?

So, I went back to my PS3 and played Dragon Age Origin, which I never finished and I was like wow…so laggy, but the cutscenes and the music is great. I am digging it. Then I revert to my pile of games and saw that maybe I should play Sakura Wars and then I got annoyed with the main character for having to flirt with girls. The concept of a rooster surrounded by several romantic prospects is a new territory for me to explore. It’s a curiosity more than anything which is why I picked up the game. And yet in my mind, I kept thinking…let’s go back to DARK SOULS 2??!! Dominating the world is more appealing than idle pointless chit-chat. But oh, there’s more to Sakura Wars…why don’t I give it a shot? I guess when I feel like flirting with girls but I don’t know when the time will come around because as much as girls are cool, I’m pretty darn straight. All I just want to do is take photo shoots.

Halsdoll playing dark souls 2
Halsdoll playing Dark Souls 2
Halsdoll playing Dark Souls 2
Halsdoll playing in Dark Souls 2

I had fun gathering the pictures for this blog post. They were taken from Crown of the Ivory King DLC. I managed to defeat two bosses out of three. One more to go in the cold blizzard… I think I ran out of patience. Dark Souls II is a great game, but the DS II: Scholar of First Sin edition, might not be so much. The game was intended for people who play for difficulty’s sake. It’s not that cool. For the most part, I got what I want from the DLCs. It’s all about adventure, shiny objects, pretty cool weapons, armor, and exploration. I can platinum the game, but for now, I decided to move on to Skyrim.

Check out my other posts for Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin:

I will try not to write so much about this game. Other games deserve some attention too. And that is it for video game updates. Until next time, bye~

Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First Sin Rant: Crown of the Sunken King (Part II)

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The boss fight in this DLC is shit. I said it and I’m not polite about it. In fact, the DLC is not mage friendly. I had to reallocate my stats to equip the right weapon to defeat Elana the Squalid Queen. Finally beat her after pulling a few hair strands from my head (don’t worry it will grow back. I hope!).

What was my tactic? Well, I farmed at Lair of the Imperfect bonfire for Petrified Dragon Bone to upgrade the Drakeblood Greatsword to +5. The beasts down there drop about 1700 souls. However, equipping Covetous Silver Serpent Ring will yield more souls. I used the extra souls to level up STR (strength) and DEX (dexterity). Summoned 2 NPCs for the boss fight. One died in the name of being a tank. Equipped gear with high dark magic defense. Regardless, no easy battle, and we did it! I mean me and my imaginary friends. But I sure feel like a noob in this area.

Was Squalid a fair fight? Can't Say
We did it!

My character is currently level 157. Yes, way too high (haven’t beat the game yet). Got side tracked tinkering things around. Then I realized I’m not making progress. I learned it’s not so much about strategy or timing at this level. The enemies just have high defense. There is a mob of them purposely gaining up on you and mind you better have high resistance to poison. This DLC is purposely hard for hard sake and I don’t really like it.

Trying to get to the Cave of the Dead Bosses Fight
Trying to get down to the boss fight

If you have played Dark Souls II on PS3 and did not purchase the DLC, I would just leave it as it is when the credits start rolling unless you are into the lore and playing for difficulty’s sake. I like to make progress and not get stalled and mainly play this game for artistic exploration. You know like opening an adventure book and reading it except my imagination is limited so I need real visuals to appreciate the fantasy. Dark Souls franchise hit the spot for me. Sadly, I am going to put this game aside even though I have two more DLCs to clear. But then…the ice levels are always my favorite in video games. I can’t just move on. Just look how cool it is. My inner child is beckoning me to come to play with her. So, I just can’t say GOODBYE!!!

Dark Souls II Rant: Crown of the Sunken King (DLC)

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Where to start..so difficult. How many times have I died? Am I making progress? Yes. 3 weeks later! I finally reached 2 out of 3 boss fights within this DLC but have not beaten any of them. The stage design is what got me so addicted to Dark Souls franchise in the first place which came out 10 years ago (Sep. 22, 2011, and I am writing this post on the 23rd)! Wow just look at how time flies. Or maybe I’m just a big fan of nameless heroes/heroines who eventually come up on top through trial and error because the mysterious nobody always makes an interesting story: Let’s see how long I’m benevolent and fit to rule until I turn Hollow. The curse of want and wanting is pretty strong. Although I must say, it’s not the throne I’m after. I simply just like obtaining those hard-to-reach items.

I jump, I slip, I die for a useless torch…com’on! As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat.

Just trying to conquer DSII
Zoom in to see little me…

It’s a fair sadistic game, or is it? Blame the tagline Prepare to Die which attracted people to the game. No not me. I picked up the franchisebecause I love FromSoftware games!!! I told myself after beating Dark Souls back in 2011, I don’t want to invest any more of my time with the franchise. And then on Dark Soul II release day, I bought it in a flash. I simply couldn’t resist. Quality games matter and I know I wouldn’t be disappointed. The game was manageable and quiet to my liking as expected (yes I said quiet and not quite but I was, in fact, thinking both when I wrote the sentence. Dark Souls II ps3 version is quite melancholically quiet). Dark souls II Scholar of the First Sin, on the other hand, is an uphill battle on purpose. Not so cool, I think. But marketing sure brings in the doe. The DLC that comes with this version is difficult and the time invested in it might not be worth it. I spent enough time in it to want to set it aside, but I probably will be back to my abusive lover. I always come back. There are other games waiting in line to be played but not many are seamlessly fun in terms of stage design and boss fights which is why I stick around with this franchise and once you give your soul to the game there is no turning back (I sound so evil). I thought of reallocating my stats to be a pure muscle head (a.k.a. strength built) because the enemies in this stage have a high magic defense. Maybe a whack in the face with a hammer as big as my character will do. I have been relying a bit on backstabbing with the mace and have gotten pretty good at it, naturally. I mean so typical of a girl to play mage…actually, nope I just thought it was cool to play mage since I rarely play a mage in RPGs. Then again, it’s rare since the closes MMORPG games I’ve played were WKC (White Knight Chronicles) and DCUO (DC Universe Online). I played them briefly when I learned that socializing is just not my cup of tea unless we are dealing with serious business such as slaying the beast!

Thought it was cool to look sexy wearing high heels while exploring…maybe not

So far, this stage has been a painful exploration and now I must defeat Elana the Squalid Queen, who is prettily enchanting with her sparkly golden helpers. Can’t say it’s a fair fight from whose end? Well, you see player has the option to summon two NPCs but at the expense of the boss’s defense increases. I could just summon one NPC and it does some damage but regardless the boss fight is not easy. Two against one is never easy because I’m still pathetically weak. Maybe it’s time to take off the high heel shoes and wear combat boots instead (No…it has a high dark defense which is what I’m up against). Midway, I find myself dodging and rolling from getting attacked, and then, in the end, I grew tired and die.

I died
I died again in DSII
I died again

Let’s just put this aside for now. Yakuza 0 deserves some attention. I feel like a beat em game at the moment. Maybe I just need a punching bag game that will allow me to win for a change. Then again, I just can’t focus on other games unless I beat this one! Oh, the woe of being cursed by a video game!

Ranting about Dark Souls II Videoclip & Blog Updates

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I should have been writing, but I got distracted by this game and did video editing for fun. I plan to platinum this game since I did it for Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. The shiny platinum might look pretty amazing and it gives me something to look forward to during this upcoming fall–cooler weather means more gaming time. However, partly the main reason why I have not been writing is due to moving. I have been busy packing, a   getting ready for the big move, which means less time to write or schedule posts in advance.

There are a few worthy shows I watched these past few days and are the process of writing. One of them in particular is A Taxi Driver (2017), a historical Korean drama. Out of all the streaming sites, Prime Video is winning because they know me pretty well enough to recommend films I like.

In the meantime, for my weekly post, I put this amateur treasure guide together for fun as I have been obsessed with treasure hunting more than obtaining the object itself in Dark Souls II. It’s quite addictive as I mentioned briefly in one of my souls’ posts. I am sure I have a lot to extract from this game and have much to say about it once I complete it entirely.

I will resume normalcy once I get things situated. Most likely late September or early October.

P.S.

I have successfully moved out of the city as of Aug. 31st. Wrote this post a while ago. Now need time to adjust to a new environment.

Dark Souls II Rant: Rings and the Test of Patience

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The title to this post sounds as if I’m a nagging, impatient girlfriend who is expecting a ring on her finger but her boyfriend is too busy playing games. Well, I’m not talking about the relationship between two human beings. I’m talking about my relationship with Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin, the game I keep going back to unwind. It’s the perfect melancholic companion who’s a bit difficult to get through but very rewarding once you explore all its treacherous paths, including the hidden rooms behind the walls. They are the best because we know treasures lie ahead! As choppy as it feels compared to the first, it’s definitely not seamlessly integrated as Dark Souls in terms of the stage design, but the ambiance atmosphere is strangely therapeutic and I sort of prefer it over the first. It does wonder to the senses with its fairytale-like atmosphere. After all, don’t we girls just love fairytales?

I’m beginning to sound like an undead to call the soul’s universe an alluringly safe place to unwind. No wonder people called us DARK SOULS lovers machoistic. At the moment, I am currently hunting down and testing out rings because I want to be with my abusive lover (Dark Souls II) forever. No, I’m just being sarcastic. So far, Ring of Life Protection is my favorite because I like to remain in human form.

You can equip 4 rings, but would it have made more sense with 5. Weren’t we all born with 5 fingers?

Let me get you some backstory as to why I keep going back to my abusive lover, Dark Souls II. Not too long ago I defeated Dragon Quest XI, which is a big accomplishment for me considering that it takes me ages to play games I purchased on a whim. As I was working on clearing my backlog, I went back to Silver Case but got annoyed fast with its dark theme. Unlike Souls games, it’s hopelessly depressing with no warmth in sight. Plus, too much swearing doesn’t make characters appear tough; they just seem stupid. There was also a hint of misogyny which ruined the entire experience for me.

Halsdoll Playin
If I am going to be a piece of dead meat then I’m going to go to do it in the Souls universe not in Silver Case (thanks Nairdalex for the photo edit).

Now I have been playing Dark Souls II without caring too much about beating it in a timely matter so I can move on to the next game on my list. Despite what people say, it’s the perfect game for me to unwind. I like the quietness. Music in a video game is unnecessary. Listening to my character’s footsteps echoing in the hallway and the sound of crashing and clinking of my weapons sounds more relaxing, oddly. I can hear the wind so I think I feel the wind touching my skin. I hear the waves splashing onto the shore and that makes me feel calm. I just like exploring its universe in the comfort of my home.

Currently, as I am writing this post, I am at Huntsman’s Copse, preparing for a boss fight against the Executioner’s Chariot. Even though it’s optional, I still want to clear the area just for the sake of it. I walked the same path over and over multiple times by now and it feels less dangerous.

Annoying sadists crossing my path to the Executioner's Chariot
Annoying sadists preventing me from defeating its boss, the Executioner’s Chariot

I am progressively becoming better each time I enter the boss fight because of familiarity. I learned where to spot the annoying Necromancer black mages that keep spawning skeletons. Keep calm and focus and with a little luck, I won’t feel so overwhelmed by a mob of skeletons. Once I clear them away, the boss is not difficult at all. It is just the environment and the circumstance that is making it difficult. And that is what keeps me coming back to Dark Souls II. It’s hard but achievable.

P.S

I beat the Executioner Chariot! Persistence and patience on top of learning where enemies spawn and timing helped me defeat this optional boss! Now I can boast, I did it!

Dark Souls: What the Bonfire Says about Humanity

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Dark Souls sounds pretty dark, so dark that my non-gaming friend asked me why I play such a satanic game. Her question made me probe about my obsession with it. So, I googled Dark Souls content on the internet. What was the result that stood out to me the most? The word masochist. In fact, I didn’t know that word exist. Dark Souls players are masochists. According to Google dictionary, a masochist is

a person who derives sexual gratification from their own pain or humiliation.” the roles of masochist and mistress (in general use) are a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful or tedious.”

Feeling self-conscious about myself, I begin to ponder my true nature as a human being. So, I start to reflect on what Dark Souls really mean.

From Dark Souls prologue, we know that fire gives life, but “from the dark they came and found the souls within the flame.” Whatever this darkness is, it causes something to ignite within the life form–which drives living things to action and eventually to madness. So to prevent going Hollow (cold), players have to reach the bonfire. The game design is very addictive. So, addictive that I couldn’t play any other games for a long while. I was possessed by the satanic game!

If you look at the bonfire closely, it is not just a mere bonfire. A sword thrusts into the flames of the human ash. This implies the continuous cycle of life and death. A place for the souls to resurrect. Once a player dies, they come back alive at the bonfire. Think bonfire as a home–where you rest and prepare yourself for tomorrow’s battle.

All undeads, including you as the player, are naturally attracted to the flames because that is where you came to exist. Going without flame for too long, you will die and eventually lose your humanity. The result is Hollow. I like to think of Hollows as corrupted politicians. I think every politician started out with good intentions, but the more power he/she has, the more abuse he/she can do without having remorse.

So time, again and again, you’d hear the phrase: “May the Flames Guide Thee” in the game. It is a reminder to the undead to cling to the warmth within them. By doing so, the bonfires are not just checkpoints to meet the final destination. The bonfires play a significant role in the story because they are “corporeal manifestation” of each Fire keepers’ soul, the protector of life. She attends to the bonfire, protecting the flame from dying so that the player does not “gradually loses his humanity until his wits degrade completely (Lucatiel’s quote from Dark Souls II).”

So this brought me to the question: Am I a masochist for liking Dark Souls? The answer is no, but I can be corruptible–in fact, everyone can. The Souls series is like a video game bible. It preaches its story through gaming mechanics. That’s why players eventually turn into ugly skeletons. I remember when I created my character, I want it to look beautiful, but then I quit caring about my appearance when I kept turning ugly! I then turn all of my attention to reaching the next bonfire at all costs. I was literally in fact, on my way to turning Hollow (mad).

You might think it’s all dark, but the ability to grasp that one can lose sight of what it truly means to live means that there is also a lot of warmth in this game. It wants to teach us how to think. That’s why I enjoyed this game a lot.

DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin

Civilizations rise then fall and fire begins it all. We are built with an understanding and respect for the needs of every human beings. That is humanity. I think this is the reason why the Greek god Zeus, protector of guests, favors hosts that provide good hospitality. To be human is to offer warmth. Without warmth, the flame, we are dead both physically and mentally.  And according to an item description in Dark Souls, “the soul is the source of life and whether Undead or even Hollow, one continues to seek them.” What are we without the soul? We cease to exit. So yes, the game is about dark souls. We kill others for their humanity until there is no point of return. We kill others to survive. No wonder my friend called it a satanic game.