Get your first taste of Dark Souls on PS4 with the upcoming network test running from 6pm to midnight Pacific May 11 and 12. Download the client today to secure your spot.
Hello PlayStation Nation!
Let’s start the month of May off with a bang by announcing the dates and times of this month’s Dark Souls: Remastered network test! Starting today, May 1st, through May 8th, players will be able to download the Dark Souls: Remastered network test client from the PlayStation Store to secure their spot in the network test. The actual test will run May 11th and May 12th in the Americas from 6:00pm PDT through 12:00am PDT. The test will take players through the Undead Parish area where they will be able to check out the new updated resolution (1080p for PS4 and 4K on PS4 Pro), the 60fps framerate, as well as the new six-player multiplayer for the series’ PVP and co-op gameplay.
On the topic of multiplayer, there’s a good chance a few people here may be coming into the Dark Souls series for the first time. For those of you coming in for the first time, or anyone who has played before but wants a few quick multiplayer tips, we have asked long-time Dark Souls community streamer, Peeve Peeverson, for a few of his tips on getting started with Dark Souls PVP multiplayer. You can catch Peeve on Twitter at @Peeverson for more information about his Dark Souls PVP and PVE streams when Dark Souls: Remastered releases on May 25th!
1. Lloyd’s Talismans are your best friend
Lloyd’s Talisman is an item used in PvP that prevents the use of Estus, keeping your opponent from healing for a few moments. This can give you the opportunity you need to finish them off. Practice throwing talismans while not locked-on to your opponent, allowing you more control over your throws; otherwise they’re easily dodged by strafing. Considering that in the Remaster all players can heal with Estus (unlike in the original), Lloyd’s Talismans are now more important than ever.
2. Protect your back
Backstabs are at the core of PvP. Some players will focus specifically on repeatedly backstabbing their opponent, so it’s best to understand what exactly is happening on both ends of a backstab.
If a player is continuously trying to run around your side while locked-on, then they’re likely attempting a backstab. Consider abruptly changing your direction of movement to quickly position yourself behind them to land a backstab before they do. However, if both backstabs land at the same time, the damage cancels out. Alternatively, a swift kick can knock your opponent away and open them up for a counter-attack from a fast weapon, such as a katana.
After being knocked to the ground, some players will attempt to backstab you right as you recover from standing up. To counter this, remove your lock-on to your opponent and allow your character to stand up on its own before moving. This will cause your character to do a natural rotation to face the opposing player, likely resulting in the player missing their backstab attempt entirely.
3. Parry earlier than you’d expect
While you can be a god of parrying NPCs in Dark Souls, you’ll quickly find that those parries aren’t landing as reliably in PvP. This is because you need to parry players through anticipation of their attacks, as opposed to relying on pure reaction.
When facing another player, parry a split-second earlier than you would if you were fighting an NPC with the same weapon type. With enough practice you can learn the PvP parry windows of all weapons in the game, and parry them reliably in online encounters.
Consider blocking with a shield to set up a parry against a player who attacks you relentlessly. Block the first attack, and parry the following one you are anticipating from them. This works especially well against greatsword users, while being a less reliable tactic against players with faster weapons.
4. Don’t take the game too serious, and have fun!
Obviously, this should apply to the game as a whole, but it can be easy to get riled up against other players. Use death to learn from your failures and become better.
It also helps to have realistic expectations of online encounters based on the role you’re playing in the game. As an invading player, you must accept that you are ultimately the intruder in the other player’s game. Don’t expect what you may deem a fair fight. The host player may be struggling to get through the area and summoned other players for assistance. They likely don’t intend to stop what they’re doing to take turns dueling you. If you want duels, then either stay in the Battle of Stoicism arena, or arrange a private fight club with other players using the Red Sign Soapstone.
As a host, don’t expect invaders to play fair, especially if you have summons. Invading is part of the risk vs reward system built into the series. You can reverse hollowing and summon players for help, but you run the risk of being invaded. Those invaders are likely to use every advantage at their disposal to win, especially the environment.
One of the most important things to understand is that the game doesn’t revolve around you nor your choice of playstyle. Go with the flow and appreciate the experience as a whole instead of focusing purely on the outcome. Play with this in mind and you will come to enjoy all of your encounters in Dark Souls PvP – win or lose.
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