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DArtagnan
Guest
You are looking at the specific mechanics and comparing them for equality.
I was looking at the 'general' gameplay and feel of both.
No, I'm looking at everything about the games - and I don't think they share general gameplay and feel at all.
In both, levels are connected in a very clever way that promotes progression and exploration;
Promotes progression? I don't understand that.
That said, I didn't find exploration very interesting in Demon's Souls or Dark Souls. You can't find audio logs and stuff like magazines or little gamepads. You don't find "scenes" where you get to piece together what must have happened. You don't scavenge lockers or hack vending machines. You don't circumvent security systems or hack turrets.
All you find in that way are weird glowing letters with a sentence once in a while. You can find objects and weapons, though - but that's not as interesting to me as logs or scenes of slaughter, etc.
in both you have the freedom to and choice to customise your character and achieve objectives in one way or another (that also applies to Dark Souls as you can choose not to fight some enemies unless you are grinding, except for boss fights which are important for progression).
Customize your character and avoid a few fights? You mean like 95% of all RPGs?
I'm sorry, but that's not at all enough for me for games to feel the same.
Again, in Dark Souls you need your "souls" or XP to progress - and for those you have to fight or find potions.
In SS2 - you want to avoid fights and enemies only respawn upon re-entering places, and you don't lose progress or XP upon death.
The lore and hints/guides are included in both but in different formats. The atmosphere and the constant danger that you can lose your life, not knowing whats around the corner, and respwn points are also pesent in both (but in SS2 you can save anywhere as well, but that is just technology/age specific matter that I am sure the designers thought to include once they saw the difficulty curve of SS2 without it).
It's true they both share an element of constant danger - but I don't think that's enough to make them into the same general game.
Quick save is an inherent part of the System Shock paradigm - and it has nothing to do with "technology/age". It was in the first game and it's even in Bioshock.
It makes the game completely different - as does not losing progress when you die.
The general feel is the same to me - it is simply a matter of a personal view.
That's fair enough. I can't decide what games feel like to other people.
All I can say is that I think the games are MUCH more different than they are similar. I would never have thought to compare them if it wasn't for you.
But that's A-OK with me