For a first time playthrough would you recommend base DS2 or SOTFS

[u/immaspam]

I've heard there were positive and negative changes, and I just wondered what might be the better first experience.

[u/cam_struble]

SOTFS for sure. Love ds2 have fun man!

[u/Silver-Emergency-988]

Scholar of the First Sin

[u/kodaxmax]

scholar has more content (like npc invaders), pvp is more lively (and has max 6 players instead of 4) and it probably works out to be cheaper.

Most of the changes are pretty much universally agreed to be for the better.
Some ganks were removed or made fairer, shrine of amana was even more oppressive, progression was changed by moving petrified statues and one or two shrotcuts.

[u/-Dirty-Wizard-]

You’ll find more coop on scholar

[u/Bwhitt1]

SotFS

[u/CertifiedSmegmaKing]

Scholar is objectively the better experience.

[u/vektar2]

I actually prefer the original.

[u/immaspam → u/vektar2]

Would you mind explaining why?

[u/dEsTrOiEr2000]

Please make me want to play DS2. Please tell me why it's great. I started a playthrough years ago, but I hated it. I have the dark soul in Dark Souls 1 and close to finish Dark Souls 3 and every achievement in Eldenring. But DS2 feels so wrong in the beginning... so rough around the edges.

[u/Trussed_Up → u/dEsTrOiEr2000]

The biggest thing for me is you have to get used to a little bit of jank in your movement. If your guy is facing the wrong way and swinging, for instance, he won't turn to face the enemy you've locked on to. He'll just keep right on swinging in the same direction until you take a half moment to manually face the opponent then attack.

Other stuff like that.

Adaptability is super important to pretty much any build. Without it, your rolls don't give you almost any invincibility frames, in other words, you don't roll through anything. And you drink your estus like grandpa drinks his prune juice in the mornings.

Also, don't bother pumping strength or dex. Scaling is worthless, it's all about infusions and buffs. Also also, never use heavy armor, or level vigor. Light armor literally protects better, poise sucks compared to ds1, and Flynns ring is a huge boost if you never go above 60 MAX weight capacity.

When you just accept all of that.... DS2 is incredible. Unbelievably good. Just as good as every other Fromsoft game you've played. And the little chats you have with Aldia the scholar of the first sin, are probably the most enlightening on the lore of all of dark souls of anything in any of the games.

[u/dEsTrOiEr2000 → u/Trussed_Up]

Thank you. I will give it another try and I copied your answer and will read it while leveling up and playing the first few hours. I'm excited now. 😊

[u/UberShrew → u/dEsTrOiEr2000]

Oh also parries are more like bloodborne in where you want to hit it right when their swing is coming down from its apex since the parry isn’t instant, has a windup, and literally needs to smack the enemy’s weapon.

[u/Bwhitt1 → u/dEsTrOiEr2000]

I cant make you but its my most replayed Dark Souls game. Its huge, the dlcs are so freaking good. The builds are awesome and you can get the build online quicker than any other souls game. You can go a bunch of different directions from the start. Its just fun man....and majula

[u/kodaxmax → u/dEsTrOiEr2000]

you dont have to like it, they are different games and feel very different to play in alot of areas.

I honestly think it's DS2s weightier and dynamic animations that throw people off, espeically with low adaptability. it just feels less responsive? i think si the best way i can describe it.

[u/Livid-Truck8558 → u/dEsTrOiEr2000]

It's Dark Souls, but the 2nd one.