Topic: Dark Souls III

OK so it seems I've reached the point where I'm supposed to be battling Vordt next... but there are so many tough enemies to beat along the way (several Lothric Knights, Winged Knight, etc) that by the time I get to the church I'm in no fit state to start a boss fight. I reached this point late last night so had no choice but to go back to the bonfire on top of the tower and save (the one before the Puss of man).

Is there any way I can reach another bonfire that is closer to Vordt... at least with the first boss the bonfire was right before him and there were only a couple of enemies to dispatch before meeting him. This is going to be a tortuous boss fight if I have to go through all those pre-battles first every time I die... and these battles are going to consume most of my Estus too

@stylon: Did you unlock the elevator shortcut up the stairs from Vordt and the lady in the church? I think it takes you back to the first bonfire. If you don't want to fight those enemies along the way every time, don't. Most people just run and roll through the crowds of enemies until they beat the boss. That's what I do if there's a problem section leading up to a boss door. No shame in that! After you beat the boss, you can level up with the souls you get and come back and slaughter those once-imposing enemies if that makes you feel better.

Another hint is to beat the Katana guy in the cemetery (to the left of the shrine). If you are embered when you reach the fight, you can summon him and he will help out. Also use the gold pine resin to put lightning on your weapon as he is weak against it...But like Dave says, just run and roll to get there.

@stylon: try to hide in Vordts butt, it's gross but he can't get you there, just move with his butt when he moves
He has one heck of a butt by the way, it's so toned and tight

@DRL: Elevator shortcut? Nope, I've definitely not done that... I'm following both the official Prima guide and one on the Plygon site and neither mentioned about that so shows how useful they are

That sounds like exactly what I need to give me quick access to the fight so that will be my mission to find and unlock it now. I do remember going right when I first reached the wall of lothric and it was a dead end - but there was a locked gate so I'm hoping it's that...

@Red620Ti My guide recommended to skip that fight (and every crystal monster fight too) as it would be too hard... I'll deffo go back and fight him now though as I'm sure I'll need his assistance! How do I summon him? Also is that a one time deal or will he still be there to help me every time I die?

@A_BabyRed_Yoshi - attack from behind! Duly noted

@stylon: I never bother with any of the guides, just watch a bit of YouTube. Have got absolutely nowhere with this game so far, got as far as the Level upper and that's it. Circumstances I suppose, can't stand any more tension.

@sorethumbed: Normally I'm the same but I've never played anything like this before where the odds are so stacked against you... need all the help I can get. Not a massive fan of youtube clips - I find them frustrating - would rather read a written guide with screenshots that are easy to keep referring back to. I get a bit annoyed watching YouTube walkthroughs as I keep having to pause and unpause them, rewind them or (my pet hate) wake my tablet up because it's gone to sleep while I've been playing etc... #1stWorldProblems

@sorethumbed @stylon I've yet to use a guide for this one but for the other two I had my phone by my side all the way! Like Stylon, I much prefer the written guides for exactly the same reasons, although I should set my phone to not lock itself when I'm playing so the guide doesn't keep disappearing.

@stylon: I have the Prima Collector's Edition Guide. The shortcut is detailed in mine. It's #20 in the High Wall of Lothric chapter.

You know the courtyard with the large, lumbering Winged Knight who circles a fountain? When you get to the archway leading out of that area and to the road that leads to Vordt and the church, turn right and you will find stairs. Follow those stairs upward and you'll eventually come to a lift. Ride it up, unlock the door, and you will now have a quicker way of reaching the boss. (If you need to ride the lift but it's on the opposite level, pull the lever.)

@DRL: Dammit. I've been on those stairs! Never realised how close to salvation I was... I turned back as it was getting late and I was low on health...

I've got the Prima e-guide... Will double check if it's there... I thought it went straight from clearing the courtyard, going to the church and then onward to the boss fight. .. Maybe it's the way it's been converted to electronic form...

@stylon @DRL I've just had a look on Amazon and the reviews for the Prima guide are harsh. Is it as poor as the customers are saying? I would think about getting a guide if it's a good one.

@stylon: I hold my hands up to being dozy - it is there... "One particular side path goes up instead of down. You should explore this area first because it unlocks a major shortcut through this region. Proceed to (20) to learn more." but its a tiny paragraph of text in between two large illustrations and I totally missed it .

No idea what proceed to 20 means though... there are no page numbers in the e-guide and no hyperlink to click

@crippyd: I've got the electronic version... kind of wishing I'd got the printed version now as I'm struggling a bit with the way this is laid out. I know printed guides often contain multiple box-outs and images and stuff spread out across a double-page spread... the e-guide just has continuous scrolling paragraphs of text with inline images (like a website) and it seems it has spoiled the 'flow' of the walkthrough somewhat.

@stylon Is it any good though, aside from the paper/electronic differences? I would buy a physical copy not electronic. It's getting slated for things like not having an index and separate sections for bosses, weapons, armour etc.

@crippyd: There is a separate section for weapons, armour and shields and it goes into detail about each one along with stats and skills they grant you etc. Can't find a separate boss section although it does go into some detail about tactics to use for each boss within the walkthrough. There is also a bestiary that described every type of enemy you will face.

Can't comment about the index...

I saw those reviews too - not sure how true they are... seemed like a bunch of like minded people with an axe to grind had gone on there to bitch about it being created by a different publisher to the previous 2?

@crippyd It's a fine strategy guide on its own, but compared to the Bloodborne guide, it's seriously lacking. The absence of an index is baffling, especially considering there are so many items, weapons, people, locations, and terms associated with this world. The Bloodborne guides also featured a few pages dedicated to lore notes, which is the primary reason I purchased them. The Dark Souls III guide, however, has no lore roundup. It's not a big deal if you're just looking for help navigating the world and finding all important items, but it is disappointing if you're trying to connect the dots and make sense of the far-reaching plot. There's still so much I don't quite understand, especially when it comes to ties to the original Dark Souls.

I almost got the guide, but the painful and low reviews compared to the DS1 + 2 guide made me not. Like @DRL said, I wish I could learn about this game's fantastic lore, but idk how to do it

@DRL @stylon thanks for the replies chaps! It is £12 paperback on Amazon so I may just jump in. I also agree with both your points re the axe to grind and the lack of index/lore. I also would like to know more about the story and wish it was a little easier to get it from the game.

@stylon: Vicious but fair is normally my favourite way to describe Souls games. It definitely fitted One, two not so much, not so sure about this one. In the first, if you died, it was your fault, period, you made a mistake. In the second, they did pull some cheap shots. In this, not so sure yet as I haven't played enough of it. Hard and fair is ok. Hard and cheap, not OK. I will see. What I normally do is just play and if I get stuck on a boss, look at YouTube to get an idea of his move set WHEN YOURE NOT dodging or trying to avoid being killed. With regards to doors, I always clear every area (if I can) then check everywhere for doors/ladders/stuff. Slow and steady. Once I'm sure I've done everything I can, go back and rest and do it again but only go where I HAVE to go. Usually works for me.

Just beat Yhorm, and no spoilers, but the bit after is a little terrifying!