The worst thing the internet ever did to me way back when was selling me on the idea of Dark Souls as this SUPER HARD GAMER series for GAMERS! GIT GUD and PREPARE TO DIE! When in reality it’s this really offbeat and interesting interpretation of an RPG where even though it’s entirely skill-based, and it can be pretty hard, there’s still more than enough to form personal attachments with outside of the gameplay itself. It’s very light on narrative but fosters mechanical storytelling through its nonlinearity and some of its wonkier mechanics. Getting cursed in Depths and having to climb my way out, having my weapon nearly break halfway through a bossfight and having to swap around on the fly; two emergent situations that aren’t really all that significant, but were memorable enough to hold onto and help my playthroughs feel ‘mine’. Working towards the Dragonslayer Spear only to realise I just transformed my only good weapon into something I’m 10(!!) levels away from being able to use would probably come off as cheap in any other game, but I found myself eager to work around this sudden frustrating wrench in my build when the whole game builds itself around putting you in uncomfortable situations and telling you to deal with it.
It’s a vibes game to me, really. It’s hard for me to imagine there’s many of that GIT GUD crowd still grinding out DS1 when games like DS3, Sekiro and Elden Ring exist because it just doesn’t offer the same mechanical depth or extreme upper limit of challenge compared to them, and it only gets easier when you realise you can deal with most of the enemies in the game by circle strafing and backstabbing where possible. But that’s not the point, right? It’s more than just a set of challenges, it’s a world to be explored and overcome. Combat encounters aren’t just enemies to be killed and walked past; they’re part of the world they live in, to transform threatening environments into dangerous ones and communicate the hostility of the world. “Easy” sections lighter on combat allow themselves to exist in order to punctuate the danger for feelings of peace, introspection, foreboding; Kiln of the First Flame, Lost Izalith, the empty space in Anor Londo. Challenge is part of the aesthetic, but it’s not *the* aesthetic.
Something I noticed even when I was playing DS3 as my first Souls game, and have only grown more vindicated on as I’ve gone back, is that the slow combat is much better to emphasise the games’ stellar visual design than the faster-paced lean the newer games have taken. Taking DS3 as the example, most combat encounters with anything too much harder than basic Hollows take a lot of focus to the point where it’s hard to take in anything that’s around me until they’re done, and in bossfights I’m spending too much focus on the attack cues to focus on really anything else. Not that DS1 doesn’t take focus, but there’s enough downtime *during* combat to take in everything else; to focus in on bossfights, there’s only one fight in DS3 - Gael - who I’ve been able to appreciate for anything except for the kinetic feel, whereas one of my favourites in DS1, being Gaping Dragon, I love for practically everything *but* the gameplay.
It’s probably not that surprising from this to hear that I have more of a strained relationship with From’s later titles, but this game really hits such a good blend of atmospheric exploration and slow and simple yet punishing combat that I just can’t get enough of, even when it’s not putting its best foot forwards. Anyway I can’t wait for King’s Field to beat my ass
It’s a vibes game to me, really. It’s hard for me to imagine there’s many of that GIT GUD crowd still grinding out DS1 when games like DS3, Sekiro and Elden Ring exist because it just doesn’t offer the same mechanical depth or extreme upper limit of challenge compared to them, and it only gets easier when you realise you can deal with most of the enemies in the game by circle strafing and backstabbing where possible. But that’s not the point, right? It’s more than just a set of challenges, it’s a world to be explored and overcome. Combat encounters aren’t just enemies to be killed and walked past; they’re part of the world they live in, to transform threatening environments into dangerous ones and communicate the hostility of the world. “Easy” sections lighter on combat allow themselves to exist in order to punctuate the danger for feelings of peace, introspection, foreboding; Kiln of the First Flame, Lost Izalith, the empty space in Anor Londo. Challenge is part of the aesthetic, but it’s not *the* aesthetic.
Something I noticed even when I was playing DS3 as my first Souls game, and have only grown more vindicated on as I’ve gone back, is that the slow combat is much better to emphasise the games’ stellar visual design than the faster-paced lean the newer games have taken. Taking DS3 as the example, most combat encounters with anything too much harder than basic Hollows take a lot of focus to the point where it’s hard to take in anything that’s around me until they’re done, and in bossfights I’m spending too much focus on the attack cues to focus on really anything else. Not that DS1 doesn’t take focus, but there’s enough downtime *during* combat to take in everything else; to focus in on bossfights, there’s only one fight in DS3 - Gael - who I’ve been able to appreciate for anything except for the kinetic feel, whereas one of my favourites in DS1, being Gaping Dragon, I love for practically everything *but* the gameplay.
It’s probably not that surprising from this to hear that I have more of a strained relationship with From’s later titles, but this game really hits such a good blend of atmospheric exploration and slow and simple yet punishing combat that I just can’t get enough of, even when it’s not putting its best foot forwards. Anyway I can’t wait for King’s Field to beat my ass
Absolutely loved this game, the first game in the trilogy. Its such an atmospheric game, loved every second of it, except maybe Bed of Chaos, that "boss" really sucks:))
The soundtrack is full of bangers, even the character creation theme hits like crazy, my favorite track is the Ornstein & Smough one, also my favorite boss fight from this game.
Yes, the game feels a bit rushed in the second half of the game but the DLC really saves it, it was very good, the DLC boss fights were top notch. The graphics were kind of outdated, but it still had some awesome locations that looked beautiful (Anor Londo, Ash Lake)
Also, loved the story and the lore.
The soundtrack is full of bangers, even the character creation theme hits like crazy, my favorite track is the Ornstein & Smough one, also my favorite boss fight from this game.
Yes, the game feels a bit rushed in the second half of the game but the DLC really saves it, it was very good, the DLC boss fights were top notch. The graphics were kind of outdated, but it still had some awesome locations that looked beautiful (Anor Londo, Ash Lake)
Also, loved the story and the lore.
This is my introduction to the FromSoftware franchise.
I've wanted to play this series for so long, but I always felt left out due to the difficulty of those games. I've actually tried getting into it 2 times in the Past, but got my ass kicked both times, and gave up out of frustration.
The first time was when I tried the same game over a year ago, and the second time was when I tried Elden Ring at its release. This time, I wanted to give it a serious shot, asked for advices on Discord, Reddit, etc... and I was definitely more prepared to take on this adventure.
I liked how connected all the areas were. I was often surprised to find an elevator or a gate that would lead me directly to a previously explored area. Since you're so focused on trying to survive every enemy encounter, you don't immediatly notice that you eventually always loop back to another region that you've already traversed.
The world has a lot of verticality, which is very enjoyable and offers a lot of surprises during the exploration. I needed to be very observant cause there were a lot of paths & treasures that were viciously well hidden.
The lack of map & teleporters for a good part of the game obliged me to have good spatial awareness and memorization. It was somewhat difficult to remember all the different pathways & shortcuts connecting each location, but it gave a nice feeling of accomplishment when I eventually got used to it and managed to navigate from place to place without much issue. This eventually goes away once you unlock warping tho, but I didn't mind!
The World is full of ominous & otherworldly locations that really left a mark on me. Whether it's exploring Anor Londo for the first time; discovering Ash Lake deep under the earth of Lordran; meeting the Daughter of Chaos in Quelaag Domain; or entering Kiln of the First Flame to defeat Gwyn... The atmosphere surrounding those places is always top-notch, and the lack of music works surprisingly well. I liked the contrast with the epic themes you hear during most Boss fights.
For the first few hours, I only had the Longsword, until I found the Claymore and kept it till the end of my adventure, making sure to upgrade it regularly.
Once I found Havel Armor, I also kept it till the end, but I often switched with a lighter armor such as Gold-Hemmed for many of the Boss fights. Fast rolls are so useful.
I feel like the game doesn't encourage you to try out different weapons/game styles. If you went with a melee build and want to try a pyromancer or mage build midway through the game, you just can't, since you can't reset your caracteristics.
Even simply wanting to change your sword can also be discouraging, because you need to upgrade it all the way to +15 again, which is long & costly.
Beating Bosses was the most rewarding part of the game. My favorites are of course Smough & Ornstein with how challenging they were, and considering what happens after you beat them.
Nito was SO memorable to me. Not necessarily gameplay-wise, but he was by far the most intimidating Boss in the game. His aura, his theme, the fact that you traversed an area that is completely pitch-black to reach him... I was so frightened when the cutscene started!
Chaos Witch Quelaag and Sif are also some of my favorites because of their importance in the lore of Dark Souls.
I also want to point out that I didn't kill Priscilla. I mean, who would even attack her upon seeing her for the first time?
She is so nice with you and just politely asks you to leave her alone. I hope you didn't kill her!
Talking about Smough & Ornstein, I loved the part in Anor Londo. Defeating them felt so fulfilling. And your reward for defeating them is an encounter with Gwynevere, and the ability to warp between bonfires. The music in the princess chamber sounds so triumphant. This was really a high point in my adventure, probably the best part of the game.
Some areas were a bit tedious, and on the really stressful side. Blight Town comes to mind. No bonfire between the top and the very bottom of the area where the swamp is located, and the blowdart snipers are a pain in the ass. But in retrospect, the area isn't THAT terrible.
By far the worst area was Tomb of the Giants. You can't see shit, you have to switch between your lantern and your shield regularly, and the enemies make you fall off the ledge quite easyly, since like I said, you can't see anything. It simply wasn't fun.
I enjoyed the online features. The messages from other players giving advices along the way (or just being trolls), and the fact that I could regularly see their ghosts fighting or resting at the bonfire. It added a nice touch to the game, and made me feel less lonely. I really felt like we were helping each other and doing this adventure together.
While the music is absent most of the time, there are still a few ones that were really memorable to me: Daughters of Chaos; Great Grey Wolf Sif; Ornstein & Smough; Gwynevere Princess of Sunlight.
Duke's archives & Crystal Caves were my favorite regions. I prefer brighter & more colorful areas, and this place looked amazing. The reflections of light on the tiles in the archives were so nice to look at. Plus the area was easy to go through, including the Boss Seath. So yeah, best part of the game purely in terms of exploration.
New Londo was also one of the best places. I enjoy the atmosphere with the spooky ghosts, and the Abyss realm where you fight the Four Kings was very haunting.
The ending felt really abrupt. When I was fighting Gwyn, I didn't even realise it was the final boss fight, and I was surprised to see the credits roll.
I was disappointed to miss out on the DLC content. Finishing the game automatically started a new NG+ file, and I couldn't go back.
Since I missed on it but didn't want to replay the game, I watched a playthrough of Artorias of the Abyss on YouTube. Maybe I'll play it myself one day, but I had enough of Dark Souls 1 for now!
After I finished the game, I watched several videos of VaatiVidya to learn more about the lore of Dark Souls 1. Despite paying attention while I was playing, there were still many story details & subplots that I didn't understand during my adventure.
Especially to learn more about the fate of some important characters, such as the Witch of Izalith & her 7 daughters, Nito, Gwyn, Siegmeyer, or even Solaire.
DLC aside, I also missed some other content like Gwyndolin Boss fight and Solaire side quest, nor did I try to attack Gwynevere in Anor Londo (I watched what it does on YouTube tho)
The replay value for this game must be great. You can do another playthrough by adding some challenge to your adventure: trying a less conventional build, not upgrading your weapon & armor, taking a different path at the beginning... There would be tons of ways to make your adventure different!
As I said at the beginning, it was really hard to get into this franchise, but I'm glad I finally managed to break this glass ceiling. There are a lot of FromSoftware games, so I'm really excited for the future! My next step is gonna be Dark Souls 2.
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on November 25th & finished on December 11th 2023]
Playtime: 50 hours
I got the "To Link the Fire" ending. I didn't do the DLC unfortunately... The game doesn't tell you how to access it, and I don't want to replay a big chunk of the game in NG+ just to do it. Maybe next time!
I've wanted to play this series for so long, but I always felt left out due to the difficulty of those games. I've actually tried getting into it 2 times in the Past, but got my ass kicked both times, and gave up out of frustration.
The first time was when I tried the same game over a year ago, and the second time was when I tried Elden Ring at its release. This time, I wanted to give it a serious shot, asked for advices on Discord, Reddit, etc... and I was definitely more prepared to take on this adventure.
I liked how connected all the areas were. I was often surprised to find an elevator or a gate that would lead me directly to a previously explored area. Since you're so focused on trying to survive every enemy encounter, you don't immediatly notice that you eventually always loop back to another region that you've already traversed.
The world has a lot of verticality, which is very enjoyable and offers a lot of surprises during the exploration. I needed to be very observant cause there were a lot of paths & treasures that were viciously well hidden.
The lack of map & teleporters for a good part of the game obliged me to have good spatial awareness and memorization. It was somewhat difficult to remember all the different pathways & shortcuts connecting each location, but it gave a nice feeling of accomplishment when I eventually got used to it and managed to navigate from place to place without much issue. This eventually goes away once you unlock warping tho, but I didn't mind!
The World is full of ominous & otherworldly locations that really left a mark on me. Whether it's exploring Anor Londo for the first time; discovering Ash Lake deep under the earth of Lordran; meeting the Daughter of Chaos in Quelaag Domain; or entering Kiln of the First Flame to defeat Gwyn... The atmosphere surrounding those places is always top-notch, and the lack of music works surprisingly well. I liked the contrast with the epic themes you hear during most Boss fights.
For the first few hours, I only had the Longsword, until I found the Claymore and kept it till the end of my adventure, making sure to upgrade it regularly.
Once I found Havel Armor, I also kept it till the end, but I often switched with a lighter armor such as Gold-Hemmed for many of the Boss fights. Fast rolls are so useful.
I feel like the game doesn't encourage you to try out different weapons/game styles. If you went with a melee build and want to try a pyromancer or mage build midway through the game, you just can't, since you can't reset your caracteristics.
Even simply wanting to change your sword can also be discouraging, because you need to upgrade it all the way to +15 again, which is long & costly.
Beating Bosses was the most rewarding part of the game. My favorites are of course Smough & Ornstein with how challenging they were, and considering what happens after you beat them.
Nito was SO memorable to me. Not necessarily gameplay-wise, but he was by far the most intimidating Boss in the game. His aura, his theme, the fact that you traversed an area that is completely pitch-black to reach him... I was so frightened when the cutscene started!
Chaos Witch Quelaag and Sif are also some of my favorites because of their importance in the lore of Dark Souls.
I also want to point out that I didn't kill Priscilla. I mean, who would even attack her upon seeing her for the first time?
She is so nice with you and just politely asks you to leave her alone. I hope you didn't kill her!
Talking about Smough & Ornstein, I loved the part in Anor Londo. Defeating them felt so fulfilling. And your reward for defeating them is an encounter with Gwynevere, and the ability to warp between bonfires. The music in the princess chamber sounds so triumphant. This was really a high point in my adventure, probably the best part of the game.
Some areas were a bit tedious, and on the really stressful side. Blight Town comes to mind. No bonfire between the top and the very bottom of the area where the swamp is located, and the blowdart snipers are a pain in the ass. But in retrospect, the area isn't THAT terrible.
By far the worst area was Tomb of the Giants. You can't see shit, you have to switch between your lantern and your shield regularly, and the enemies make you fall off the ledge quite easyly, since like I said, you can't see anything. It simply wasn't fun.
I enjoyed the online features. The messages from other players giving advices along the way (or just being trolls), and the fact that I could regularly see their ghosts fighting or resting at the bonfire. It added a nice touch to the game, and made me feel less lonely. I really felt like we were helping each other and doing this adventure together.
While the music is absent most of the time, there are still a few ones that were really memorable to me: Daughters of Chaos; Great Grey Wolf Sif; Ornstein & Smough; Gwynevere Princess of Sunlight.
Duke's archives & Crystal Caves were my favorite regions. I prefer brighter & more colorful areas, and this place looked amazing. The reflections of light on the tiles in the archives were so nice to look at. Plus the area was easy to go through, including the Boss Seath. So yeah, best part of the game purely in terms of exploration.
New Londo was also one of the best places. I enjoy the atmosphere with the spooky ghosts, and the Abyss realm where you fight the Four Kings was very haunting.
The ending felt really abrupt. When I was fighting Gwyn, I didn't even realise it was the final boss fight, and I was surprised to see the credits roll.
I was disappointed to miss out on the DLC content. Finishing the game automatically started a new NG+ file, and I couldn't go back.
Since I missed on it but didn't want to replay the game, I watched a playthrough of Artorias of the Abyss on YouTube. Maybe I'll play it myself one day, but I had enough of Dark Souls 1 for now!
After I finished the game, I watched several videos of VaatiVidya to learn more about the lore of Dark Souls 1. Despite paying attention while I was playing, there were still many story details & subplots that I didn't understand during my adventure.
Especially to learn more about the fate of some important characters, such as the Witch of Izalith & her 7 daughters, Nito, Gwyn, Siegmeyer, or even Solaire.
DLC aside, I also missed some other content like Gwyndolin Boss fight and Solaire side quest, nor did I try to attack Gwynevere in Anor Londo (I watched what it does on YouTube tho)
The replay value for this game must be great. You can do another playthrough by adding some challenge to your adventure: trying a less conventional build, not upgrading your weapon & armor, taking a different path at the beginning... There would be tons of ways to make your adventure different!
As I said at the beginning, it was really hard to get into this franchise, but I'm glad I finally managed to break this glass ceiling. There are a lot of FromSoftware games, so I'm really excited for the future! My next step is gonna be Dark Souls 2.
----------Playtime & Completion----------
[Started on November 25th & finished on December 11th 2023]
Playtime: 50 hours
I got the "To Link the Fire" ending. I didn't do the DLC unfortunately... The game doesn't tell you how to access it, and I don't want to replay a big chunk of the game in NG+ just to do it. Maybe next time!
O melhor de Dark Souls 1 está no quão difícil é não falar sobre Dark Souls 1.
Esqueça Lost Izalith Miyazaki; stand proud, you are a genius
Esqueça Lost Izalith Miyazaki; stand proud, you are a genius
9/10.
Um tanto superestimado.
Um tanto genial
Ainda assim uma gloriosa reflexão vos aguarda a aqueles que finalizarem tal jornada, a compreendendo-a.
Percebo como esse jogo além de muito bom, amplifica em lore e temática e ost tbm tudo em dark souls 3.
Realmente devo muito a dark souls 1 pela magnitude que pude experiência nele e nos seus sucessores., certamente um diamante.
Um tanto superestimado.
Um tanto genial
Ainda assim uma gloriosa reflexão vos aguarda a aqueles que finalizarem tal jornada, a compreendendo-a.
Percebo como esse jogo além de muito bom, amplifica em lore e temática e ost tbm tudo em dark souls 3.
Realmente devo muito a dark souls 1 pela magnitude que pude experiência nele e nos seus sucessores., certamente um diamante.
This should be the requirement for niggas who wants to join the army.
Sometimes the side chick ain't even a chick, it's Grass Crest Shield🛡↑↑↑
This game is fright with souls that died,
So, try as you might to run and hide,
For suicide would leave the more satisfied,
Than to stride down in hollow plight,
To big, Blight Town tonight.
So, try as you might to run and hide,
For suicide would leave the more satisfied,
Than to stride down in hollow plight,
To big, Blight Town tonight.
Dark Souls, esse aí é bastante especial pra mim sendo o primeiro Dark Souls que eu joguei. Agora na minha opinião mesmo com sua gameplay velha ele é uns dos melhores jogos de todos os tempos, e sempre vai ficar no meu top 5 jogos favoritos.
Totes feel seepy whenever I play this now, lol. Guess I'll come back...once more some day? I really liked what all I played of Dark Souls. I liked this game a lot more on the second playthrough, too! My first time around I rushed through on a strength-dex combo build that was awful to play as, but this time around I went full-dex and used my half-remembered first playthrough to inform my second playthrough. I loved a lot of it! Can't really follow the story again, as I suspected, but damn! What a lovely set of incredible aesthetics. I got up to the end of the DLC after constructing most of the final Boss Souls this time around, and it took nearly a hundred hours. Compare that to my 60 hour playthrough all the way through to the end of the game, and yeah, I think I really took my time and enjoyed it more this time. Dusk of Oolacile my beloved.
A definição perfeita para esse jogo é OBRA DE ARTE. Um puta jogo foda que com certeza não é para iniciantes mas ao mesmo é para alguém que quer começar nos jogos souls-like. Dark souls é um jogo que te dá muita liberdade e eu amo isso nos jogos, por essa liberdade também é muito fácil se perder e eu odeio estar perdido nos jogos, a maneira que é proposta para você saber por onde tem que ir é tu indo se fodendo por onde anda até descobrir se deu certo ou não, o jogo te dá sinais mas se tu não pegar esses sinais tu fica morrendo e perdido (o que aconteceu comigo).
O que me incomodou não foi muita coisa, os chefes do jogo não são tão difíceis o que quebrou um pouco a minha expectativa é que em alguns eu pensei que seria uma luta foda mas era só achar um lugar e dar um hit de dano e pronto matou, outra coisa que incomodou, era o caminho MUITO longe que você tinha que fazer para chegar nos chefes, eu preferiria que o chefe que eu iria enfrentar fosse um puta de um apelão que não tivesse um caminho tão longo e lotado de inimigo inútil no meio, onde era perto da bom fire mas compensava a dificuldade no inimigo mas mesmo com isso o jogo fica foda do mesmo jeito.
Quando eu descobri a história do jogo (eu pesquisei) ficou muito foda de se jogar, as batalhas com os chefes elas te dão muitos sentimentos onde alguns é uma trilha sonora foda e outros é uma musica melancólica que te faz ficar calmo. Então dark souls é um jogo bem marcante com diversas possibilidades de você fazer diversos outros caminhos, realmente é um jogo que merece a fama e os elogios que tem.
O que me incomodou não foi muita coisa, os chefes do jogo não são tão difíceis o que quebrou um pouco a minha expectativa é que em alguns eu pensei que seria uma luta foda mas era só achar um lugar e dar um hit de dano e pronto matou, outra coisa que incomodou, era o caminho MUITO longe que você tinha que fazer para chegar nos chefes, eu preferiria que o chefe que eu iria enfrentar fosse um puta de um apelão que não tivesse um caminho tão longo e lotado de inimigo inútil no meio, onde era perto da bom fire mas compensava a dificuldade no inimigo mas mesmo com isso o jogo fica foda do mesmo jeito.
Quando eu descobri a história do jogo (eu pesquisei) ficou muito foda de se jogar, as batalhas com os chefes elas te dão muitos sentimentos onde alguns é uma trilha sonora foda e outros é uma musica melancólica que te faz ficar calmo. Então dark souls é um jogo bem marcante com diversas possibilidades de você fazer diversos outros caminhos, realmente é um jogo que merece a fama e os elogios que tem.
After many years I gave this game another try. With the experience from the other from software games, I finally managed to beat the game. Got stuck at Ornstein and Smough last time and yet again I got stuck here again. This time I decided to use the game feature to summon another player, it as a 1 v 2 battle after all...
Overal a great experience and had a lot of fun exploring the area's and discovering which boss was awaiting my arrival.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
I went for a strength build and it worked out pretty good. Not all fights feel fair, but I guess that's part of the experience. Most bosses were a fun challenge and the regular enemies were spread out nicely.
Choosing your own path felt natural, which added to the experience of how you progress in the game.
++ Music;
It completely matches the vibe the game tries to convey. It's not music to listen casually to, but it adds to the whole experience while playing the game.
+- Graphics;
For a remaster it could have gotten a bit more polish. Overal the visuals are still nice and every area is unique in it's own way.
+ Story/Characters;
The worldbuilding is perfect. Every area is connected and close to eachother but yet it feels like they're all their own thing with own stories. I have to admit that I didn't follow the story, but the story was mostly told by it's visuals.
Recommend?
Yes, but maybe not as your first dark souls game. I'd recommend starting first with Dark souls 3 (or 2), because I feel like those are easier to pick up.
Overal a great experience and had a lot of fun exploring the area's and discovering which boss was awaiting my arrival.
My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+ Gameplay;
I went for a strength build and it worked out pretty good. Not all fights feel fair, but I guess that's part of the experience. Most bosses were a fun challenge and the regular enemies were spread out nicely.
Choosing your own path felt natural, which added to the experience of how you progress in the game.
++ Music;
It completely matches the vibe the game tries to convey. It's not music to listen casually to, but it adds to the whole experience while playing the game.
+- Graphics;
For a remaster it could have gotten a bit more polish. Overal the visuals are still nice and every area is unique in it's own way.
+ Story/Characters;
The worldbuilding is perfect. Every area is connected and close to eachother but yet it feels like they're all their own thing with own stories. I have to admit that I didn't follow the story, but the story was mostly told by it's visuals.
Recommend?
Yes, but maybe not as your first dark souls game. I'd recommend starting first with Dark souls 3 (or 2), because I feel like those are easier to pick up.
Dark Souls, for me, was the true beginning of the Souls series. Although it's not my favorite, it's a magical game that tells the story in a unique way. The game's map is also an exemplary model—everything interconnects in a natural and gradual manner. Miyazaki is a genius in the gaming industry; the guy knows how to tell a story and make it deep and incredible.
I've always felt rather intimidated by Dark Souls. I was nervous about my abilities as an unfamiliar player due to the game's difficulty reputation. My time playing, however, turned out to be an engrossing adventure that disproved my assumptions.
The extensive mythology concealed within Dark Souls' expansive realm is one of games most interesting features. I discovered tidbits of an engrossing story as I immersed myself further into the game, navigating its complex locations, and conversing with enigmatic NPCs. Throughout the globe, the game deftly scatters tidbits of mythology, luring players to piece everything together to understand the world's origins and past. The already intense gameplay experience is enhanced by this subtle storytelling technique by adding a new level of curiosity.
In terms of gaming locales, Anor Londo is a genuine gem. An unparalleled immersive experience is produced by its breathtaking architecture and ethereal atmosphere. The city's plethora of (mostly) 1v1 battling possibilities with adversaries intensifies the sense of challenge and fulfillment. This area is a true test of skills learned throughout the first half of the game, and it forced me to ensure I knew how to parry and dodge like an expert. Anor Londo's precisely planned layout encourages exploration and provides stunning panoramas that make an impact.
Among the countless intense battles, the one that stood out the most (obviously) was Gwyn, the final boss. The boss theme that accompanied it turned out to be a stunning orchestral composition that both brought the fight's intensity to a new level and gave me a sense of serenity after my adventure with moving piano notes. I was astounded by the game's attention to detail and the positive effects it had on my experience as the evocative composition complemented the pivotal fight flawlessly.
Without a doubt, Dark Souls cements its place as one of the most important turning points in gaming history. It raises the bar for immersive gaming experiences with its significant influence on worldbuilding and environmental narrative. Additionally, the game is raised to the status of a real masterpiece by the mesmerizing musical soundtrack, which was painstakingly created with amazing attention to detail. This score deepens the emotional impact and ambiance of each scene. I'm glad I finally put aside my fears and gave this game a fair shot, as should any gamer. Don't let this one scare you away!
The extensive mythology concealed within Dark Souls' expansive realm is one of games most interesting features. I discovered tidbits of an engrossing story as I immersed myself further into the game, navigating its complex locations, and conversing with enigmatic NPCs. Throughout the globe, the game deftly scatters tidbits of mythology, luring players to piece everything together to understand the world's origins and past. The already intense gameplay experience is enhanced by this subtle storytelling technique by adding a new level of curiosity.
In terms of gaming locales, Anor Londo is a genuine gem. An unparalleled immersive experience is produced by its breathtaking architecture and ethereal atmosphere. The city's plethora of (mostly) 1v1 battling possibilities with adversaries intensifies the sense of challenge and fulfillment. This area is a true test of skills learned throughout the first half of the game, and it forced me to ensure I knew how to parry and dodge like an expert. Anor Londo's precisely planned layout encourages exploration and provides stunning panoramas that make an impact.
Among the countless intense battles, the one that stood out the most (obviously) was Gwyn, the final boss. The boss theme that accompanied it turned out to be a stunning orchestral composition that both brought the fight's intensity to a new level and gave me a sense of serenity after my adventure with moving piano notes. I was astounded by the game's attention to detail and the positive effects it had on my experience as the evocative composition complemented the pivotal fight flawlessly.
Without a doubt, Dark Souls cements its place as one of the most important turning points in gaming history. It raises the bar for immersive gaming experiences with its significant influence on worldbuilding and environmental narrative. Additionally, the game is raised to the status of a real masterpiece by the mesmerizing musical soundtrack, which was painstakingly created with amazing attention to detail. This score deepens the emotional impact and ambiance of each scene. I'm glad I finally put aside my fears and gave this game a fair shot, as should any gamer. Don't let this one scare you away!
Second time around with DS1 after a pretty limited Switch run at launch and what an absolute treat.
The loop of methodically exploring a new area the first time around to memorizing enemy placement and eventually unlocking a shortcut is never boring.
The different areas of the game are beautiful and full of little secrets along the way. I enjoyed seeing different characters out in the world and slowly learning more about the lore.
It is certainly a difficult game with a few bosses that spiked above the rest. However aside from a few frustrating moments, I loved the game from front to back.
Clocked in at 39 hours.
The loop of methodically exploring a new area the first time around to memorizing enemy placement and eventually unlocking a shortcut is never boring.
The different areas of the game are beautiful and full of little secrets along the way. I enjoyed seeing different characters out in the world and slowly learning more about the lore.
It is certainly a difficult game with a few bosses that spiked above the rest. However aside from a few frustrating moments, I loved the game from front to back.
Clocked in at 39 hours.
𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯!
A obra responsável por ressignificar todos os conceitos que tornam um jogo "ser difícil", servindo como base de comparação pra qualquer jogo que se propõe a ter um nível de complexidade acima do padrão.
"O Dark Souls dos jogos de luta".
"O Dark Souls dos jogos de plataforma".
"O Dark Souls dos jogos de corrida".
Os exemplos são muitos.
O fato é que Dark Souls é uma das franquias mais importantes e imponentes da história dos videogames, e seu primeiro jogo é considerado por muitos um dos maiores de todos os tempos. Não é de se espantar.
Dark Souls é estupidamente fantástico em tudo que se propõe. A forma com a qual o universo é convincente, vivo e rico é impressionante até para os dias de hoje. Nunca presenciei um level design tão genial e conectado como o de Dark Souls.
Apesar do sofrimento passado principalmente em áreas como a Cidade das Moléstias e a Fortaleza Sen, ou em bosses que nem deveriam ter passado pela equipe de desenvolvimento como o Berço do Caos, nada se compara ao prazer e sentimento de satisfação após cada desafio vencido.
A morte como aprendizado e fortalecimento, é disso que se trata.
São muitas camadas a se explorar quando se trata desse universo, e quanto mais fundo se mergulha no contexto da história de cada lugar ou personagem, cada história que os cenários contam por si só, cada choque de realidade que nos lembra de que estamos nos aventurando por um mundo sem heróis, onde a corrupção é o preço de suas ambições, maior a recompensa. Tudo torna a experiência completamente inesquecível.
Dark Souls é, indiscutivelmente, gigante.
O "vazio", tanto citado durante o jogo, agora se espalha a mim mesmo, visto a certeza de que não jogarei algo equivalente por muito tempo.
A obra responsável por ressignificar todos os conceitos que tornam um jogo "ser difícil", servindo como base de comparação pra qualquer jogo que se propõe a ter um nível de complexidade acima do padrão.
"O Dark Souls dos jogos de luta".
"O Dark Souls dos jogos de plataforma".
"O Dark Souls dos jogos de corrida".
Os exemplos são muitos.
O fato é que Dark Souls é uma das franquias mais importantes e imponentes da história dos videogames, e seu primeiro jogo é considerado por muitos um dos maiores de todos os tempos. Não é de se espantar.
Dark Souls é estupidamente fantástico em tudo que se propõe. A forma com a qual o universo é convincente, vivo e rico é impressionante até para os dias de hoje. Nunca presenciei um level design tão genial e conectado como o de Dark Souls.
Apesar do sofrimento passado principalmente em áreas como a Cidade das Moléstias e a Fortaleza Sen, ou em bosses que nem deveriam ter passado pela equipe de desenvolvimento como o Berço do Caos, nada se compara ao prazer e sentimento de satisfação após cada desafio vencido.
A morte como aprendizado e fortalecimento, é disso que se trata.
São muitas camadas a se explorar quando se trata desse universo, e quanto mais fundo se mergulha no contexto da história de cada lugar ou personagem, cada história que os cenários contam por si só, cada choque de realidade que nos lembra de que estamos nos aventurando por um mundo sem heróis, onde a corrupção é o preço de suas ambições, maior a recompensa. Tudo torna a experiência completamente inesquecível.
Dark Souls é, indiscutivelmente, gigante.
O "vazio", tanto citado durante o jogo, agora se espalha a mim mesmo, visto a certeza de que não jogarei algo equivalente por muito tempo.
achei os movimentos lentos e sofri um pouco com isso, mas foi interessante a evolução dos gráficos e a melhora das texturas que esse remaster trouxe, gostei muito do design de todas as áreas. o jogo é bom e vale a pena dar uma chance
I sold Kingseeker Frampt an estus flask I laced with fent and he has stopped waking up when I hit him
During rough periods in my life I always find myself coming back to play through the opening hours of this game; there's just something cathartic about the first few hours of Dark Souls 1 in how it reminds me that facing adversity is not hopeless. So despite the notoriously unfinished back "half" of the game, I find it difficult to not love the game. FromSoft's action RPGs are at their best when they allow you to form meaningful personal narratives within their worlds, not through dialogue trees or arbitrary event flags, but through the unconscious tapestry of synapses forming from both the strife and triumph you experience within their titles -- and the first Dark Souls, in my mind, is undoubtedly the best at providing a canvas for those memorable experiences to be made (at least during its strongest moments).
I don't say that last bit to devalue anybody who does find meaning during their time within Lost Izalith or the Tomb of Giants, I guess I just feel like I'm playing some weird ass experimental PS2 game during those points. Which don't get me wrong, that's cool as hell in its own way, it just feels wholly disconnected from the grandiose adventure I experienced for the first 50% of the game. And really, I can't blame FromSoft for really taking those big ass swings post-Demon's Souls. That game already hit like 15 homeruns within its more confined scope, so I can see the situation they were in and how confident they must have felt to attempt to actualize a version of that game with a fully connected 3D map and even cooler setpieces.
Likewise, it's easy to see why they kinda hard pivoted away from that when moving into Dark Souls II, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls III, with each of those game having their own set of priorities separate from the unachievable ambitions of the first Dark Souls. It really wasn't until Elden Ring that they were able to attempt a more actualized take on a similar large scope 3D map concept thanks to what appears to be an increased budget and elongated dev cycle, though that obviously came with its own set of pretty severe sacrifices that I'll talk about in its own review.
Either way, regardless of its technical and structural hiccups and its failing to perhaps really achieve what it set out to do, it's undeniably a special game that I think about a lot and will probably keep returning to -- even if my playthroughs do seem to mysteriously taper off shortly after completing Anor Londo. Also I just gotta say, Blighttown is a really cool fucking level and anybody who tells a new player to pick the Master Key as their starting gift is depriving them of an extremely important and formative experience.
I don't say that last bit to devalue anybody who does find meaning during their time within Lost Izalith or the Tomb of Giants, I guess I just feel like I'm playing some weird ass experimental PS2 game during those points. Which don't get me wrong, that's cool as hell in its own way, it just feels wholly disconnected from the grandiose adventure I experienced for the first 50% of the game. And really, I can't blame FromSoft for really taking those big ass swings post-Demon's Souls. That game already hit like 15 homeruns within its more confined scope, so I can see the situation they were in and how confident they must have felt to attempt to actualize a version of that game with a fully connected 3D map and even cooler setpieces.
Likewise, it's easy to see why they kinda hard pivoted away from that when moving into Dark Souls II, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls III, with each of those game having their own set of priorities separate from the unachievable ambitions of the first Dark Souls. It really wasn't until Elden Ring that they were able to attempt a more actualized take on a similar large scope 3D map concept thanks to what appears to be an increased budget and elongated dev cycle, though that obviously came with its own set of pretty severe sacrifices that I'll talk about in its own review.
Either way, regardless of its technical and structural hiccups and its failing to perhaps really achieve what it set out to do, it's undeniably a special game that I think about a lot and will probably keep returning to -- even if my playthroughs do seem to mysteriously taper off shortly after completing Anor Londo. Also I just gotta say, Blighttown is a really cool fucking level and anybody who tells a new player to pick the Master Key as their starting gift is depriving them of an extremely important and formative experience.
A game surrounded by a cult, called a legend, professed like a religion. A game that has gathered around it people who hate it, but also people who love it. Considered the peak of location design and repeatedly mentioned when discussing RPGs. Dark Souls took the definition of the genre even higher, spread the brand and caused a veritable "boom" in this type of game. It is considered a legend or even already a classic for good reason. Dark Souls should be known, it should be played at least once. But why all this phenomenon and is it really that good?
A long time ago, the world was not fully formed. It was shrouded in mist, and the only landscape were Archtrees and Everlasting Dragons. Eventually fire appeared, and with fire came heat and cold, life and death, and light and darkness. Then four lords appeared - Nito, the First of the Dead, the Witch of Izalith, the Daughter of Chaos, Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight and his loyal knights, and the furtive pygmy, so easily forgotten... The lords defeated the dragons, which gave rise to the Age of Fire, which was prosperity and a good time for the Lords. Eventually, however, the Age of Fire will end, and only darkness will remain in the world... This is how we are introduced to the history of the world, or rather its description. Our protagonist, the Chosen Undead, travels through the lands of Lordran at the end of their existence. We meet the Lords, but they are already on the brink of death. The world is collapsing, falling into darkness, and our task, as the Chosen One, is to prolong the Age of Fire by linking ourselves to the fire. In the meantime, however, it turns out that people have not been treated very well in this world, and the Age of Darkness does not necessarily mean bad times - quite the opposite. Are we just soulless messengers of the gods who want to use us to extend their prosperity? Are the heroes we meet along the way really that pure? That's something you already have to discover for yourself.
The plot is amazing - dark, complicated, multithreaded and not obvious. The world is very original and it is difficult to find another universe as enigmatic. The story clearly shows inspiration from Arthurian legends or ancient Norse poems, and more inquisitive players will find references to Tolkien's classic works in this game. However, despite these inspirations, the world is unique. It does not give the feeling of derivativeness - on the contrary, for me, as a die-hard fantasy fan, Dark Souls is a real gem in modern fantasy creation, because, contrary to appearances, the story is very down-to-earth and real. The setting of the imaginary world is actually an illusion to give us comfort in what we experience.
The next point will be the narrative, which is hated by as many people as it is loved by. But from the beginning - the game is carried out in a non-obvious way, the characters speak in riddles and metaphors - they do not give us a complete picture of the world. Many facts have to be guessed or inferred from the outstanding environmental narrative, which, if we are observant enough, explains a great many theoretically contradictory things. It is also crucial to read descriptions of items, which often present more information than dialogues with side characters, who are also not often eager to talk. Unfortunately, the average player won't get much information out of this game, on the contrary - he or she will probably know nothing, and even if he or she is eager to learn this secret knowledge, he or she may get tired of the fact that the plot is a scattered puzzle. Fortunately, to the rescue comes YouTube and Reddit, where fans share their thoughts, theories and facts from the world of the game. In a way, the game forces us, as the Dark Souls community, to share what we've noticed in the game world and connect all the dots together. Personally, I think this is a phenomenal trick, but I am well aware that not everyone will like it.
The most recognizable element of Dark Souls is probably the gameplay, which today is already considered iconic and whose elements can be found in many, really many different productions, such as 2018's God of War or The Witcher 3. The fundamentals are simple - attack, strong attack, block and the famous rolls. The strength of the attack depends on the base damage of the weapon, its scaling and the level of upgrade, which we can successively increase as the story progresses. The tools of murder are divided into the larger and slower ones, which are related to our character's strength statistic, and the smaller and faster ones, which are centered around characters created with the dexterity statistic in mind, or weapons that are something in between and benefit equally from both stats. In addition, there are also spells and various wands, but I'll admit frankly that I've never been interested in such gameplay, so I'll refrain from describing the game with this style of combat. Melee weapons are really interestingly designed, they have their own particular playstyle, to which you either have to get used to, or you have to search for that perfect weapon to no avail. The choice is huge - from halberds to huge swords leaning against our character's shoulder. It is also interesting to note that there are, for example, swords that are made to play under a hybrid of strength and intelligence, or magic, and a great example of such a weapon is Moonlight Greatsword. I am of the opinion that the combat system is phenomenal and there is something for everyone here.
As for the famous rolls, the matter is quite clear - depending on the equipment overload you have, you move and perform rolls slower or faster and increase the number of "invincibility frames", that is, the time during which you are invulnerable while rolling. This way, with a loadout of 25%, the character is very fast and agile and hard to damage, but at the same time you give up heavy armor and higher resistances. Alternatively, you can take the complete opposite approach and bet on full heavy armor, while giving up agile dodging, but having enough "poise" that increases our balance and resistances. The game leaves the choice to us, the players. I find this system phenomenal, because it forces you to think strategically and allows you to experiment a little with parts of your equipment so that you can fit within the limit of the so-called fast roll, putting on the heaviest armor possible and pushing your equipment limit to the maximum. Great stuff!
Worthy of praise are the bosses, which are still very impressive to this day. Fights such as Ornstein & Smough, Artorias, Manus and Kalameet will remain in my mind for a very long time. Adding to the atmosphere is the amazing music composed by Motoi Sakuraba and Yuji Takenouchi, which is serious, mostly atmospheric and extremely operatic. It adds such "uniqueness" to the boss encounters, making them more special.
The most important aspect of Dark Souls, however, is the game and location design, which is unique compared to other games in the series. Until about halfway through the game, the player does not have the ability to teleport between different bonfires, which forced the developers to cleverly and very intelligently connect all locations in the game to the main hub, the Firelink Shrine. This leads to some truly surprising moments, during which it turns out that we weren't that far from our resting place after all, and everything actually happens side by side. This is unique insofar as no future From Software game has repeated as much attachment to the connection of locations as the original Dark Souls. My fondest memory of the first blind playthrough of this game is that it is very impressive and frankly surprising.
Unfortunately, it is not without its downsides - the most important point is the clearly unfinished "Lost Izalith" location, which is derivative, annoying and repetitive, and the boss of this location itself is simply mediocre and probably the most ridiculously designed boss in the entire trilogy. The visuals of the remaster are also NOT worthy of praise. The studio from Poland didn't make an effort when remastering this game and the only thing they really changed was to slightly improve the lighting, add keyboard key mapping, increase the number of players in PvP and increase the resolution. Dark Souls begs all the more for a thorough rework on the scale of Demon's Souls, but, unfortunately, the remaster was done on the line of least resistance.
Nevertheless, I consider this game to be perfection. How much fun it gives, how intelligently thought out it is, and how well it is remembered is amazing to me. It is enough to overcome the unfounded fear of the mythical difficulty level of this production. It really isn't that bad, you just have to enter this world, this universe and get into the gameplay to fall in love with it all. Dark Souls taught me to overcome in theory impossible things in real life. It is a game that has had a real impact on my life, and I thank it for that. Dark Souls not only entertains, but also teaches.
Praise the Sun! \[T]/
A long time ago, the world was not fully formed. It was shrouded in mist, and the only landscape were Archtrees and Everlasting Dragons. Eventually fire appeared, and with fire came heat and cold, life and death, and light and darkness. Then four lords appeared - Nito, the First of the Dead, the Witch of Izalith, the Daughter of Chaos, Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight and his loyal knights, and the furtive pygmy, so easily forgotten... The lords defeated the dragons, which gave rise to the Age of Fire, which was prosperity and a good time for the Lords. Eventually, however, the Age of Fire will end, and only darkness will remain in the world... This is how we are introduced to the history of the world, or rather its description. Our protagonist, the Chosen Undead, travels through the lands of Lordran at the end of their existence. We meet the Lords, but they are already on the brink of death. The world is collapsing, falling into darkness, and our task, as the Chosen One, is to prolong the Age of Fire by linking ourselves to the fire. In the meantime, however, it turns out that people have not been treated very well in this world, and the Age of Darkness does not necessarily mean bad times - quite the opposite. Are we just soulless messengers of the gods who want to use us to extend their prosperity? Are the heroes we meet along the way really that pure? That's something you already have to discover for yourself.
The plot is amazing - dark, complicated, multithreaded and not obvious. The world is very original and it is difficult to find another universe as enigmatic. The story clearly shows inspiration from Arthurian legends or ancient Norse poems, and more inquisitive players will find references to Tolkien's classic works in this game. However, despite these inspirations, the world is unique. It does not give the feeling of derivativeness - on the contrary, for me, as a die-hard fantasy fan, Dark Souls is a real gem in modern fantasy creation, because, contrary to appearances, the story is very down-to-earth and real. The setting of the imaginary world is actually an illusion to give us comfort in what we experience.
The next point will be the narrative, which is hated by as many people as it is loved by. But from the beginning - the game is carried out in a non-obvious way, the characters speak in riddles and metaphors - they do not give us a complete picture of the world. Many facts have to be guessed or inferred from the outstanding environmental narrative, which, if we are observant enough, explains a great many theoretically contradictory things. It is also crucial to read descriptions of items, which often present more information than dialogues with side characters, who are also not often eager to talk. Unfortunately, the average player won't get much information out of this game, on the contrary - he or she will probably know nothing, and even if he or she is eager to learn this secret knowledge, he or she may get tired of the fact that the plot is a scattered puzzle. Fortunately, to the rescue comes YouTube and Reddit, where fans share their thoughts, theories and facts from the world of the game. In a way, the game forces us, as the Dark Souls community, to share what we've noticed in the game world and connect all the dots together. Personally, I think this is a phenomenal trick, but I am well aware that not everyone will like it.
The most recognizable element of Dark Souls is probably the gameplay, which today is already considered iconic and whose elements can be found in many, really many different productions, such as 2018's God of War or The Witcher 3. The fundamentals are simple - attack, strong attack, block and the famous rolls. The strength of the attack depends on the base damage of the weapon, its scaling and the level of upgrade, which we can successively increase as the story progresses. The tools of murder are divided into the larger and slower ones, which are related to our character's strength statistic, and the smaller and faster ones, which are centered around characters created with the dexterity statistic in mind, or weapons that are something in between and benefit equally from both stats. In addition, there are also spells and various wands, but I'll admit frankly that I've never been interested in such gameplay, so I'll refrain from describing the game with this style of combat. Melee weapons are really interestingly designed, they have their own particular playstyle, to which you either have to get used to, or you have to search for that perfect weapon to no avail. The choice is huge - from halberds to huge swords leaning against our character's shoulder. It is also interesting to note that there are, for example, swords that are made to play under a hybrid of strength and intelligence, or magic, and a great example of such a weapon is Moonlight Greatsword. I am of the opinion that the combat system is phenomenal and there is something for everyone here.
As for the famous rolls, the matter is quite clear - depending on the equipment overload you have, you move and perform rolls slower or faster and increase the number of "invincibility frames", that is, the time during which you are invulnerable while rolling. This way, with a loadout of 25%, the character is very fast and agile and hard to damage, but at the same time you give up heavy armor and higher resistances. Alternatively, you can take the complete opposite approach and bet on full heavy armor, while giving up agile dodging, but having enough "poise" that increases our balance and resistances. The game leaves the choice to us, the players. I find this system phenomenal, because it forces you to think strategically and allows you to experiment a little with parts of your equipment so that you can fit within the limit of the so-called fast roll, putting on the heaviest armor possible and pushing your equipment limit to the maximum. Great stuff!
Worthy of praise are the bosses, which are still very impressive to this day. Fights such as Ornstein & Smough, Artorias, Manus and Kalameet will remain in my mind for a very long time. Adding to the atmosphere is the amazing music composed by Motoi Sakuraba and Yuji Takenouchi, which is serious, mostly atmospheric and extremely operatic. It adds such "uniqueness" to the boss encounters, making them more special.
The most important aspect of Dark Souls, however, is the game and location design, which is unique compared to other games in the series. Until about halfway through the game, the player does not have the ability to teleport between different bonfires, which forced the developers to cleverly and very intelligently connect all locations in the game to the main hub, the Firelink Shrine. This leads to some truly surprising moments, during which it turns out that we weren't that far from our resting place after all, and everything actually happens side by side. This is unique insofar as no future From Software game has repeated as much attachment to the connection of locations as the original Dark Souls. My fondest memory of the first blind playthrough of this game is that it is very impressive and frankly surprising.
Unfortunately, it is not without its downsides - the most important point is the clearly unfinished "Lost Izalith" location, which is derivative, annoying and repetitive, and the boss of this location itself is simply mediocre and probably the most ridiculously designed boss in the entire trilogy. The visuals of the remaster are also NOT worthy of praise. The studio from Poland didn't make an effort when remastering this game and the only thing they really changed was to slightly improve the lighting, add keyboard key mapping, increase the number of players in PvP and increase the resolution. Dark Souls begs all the more for a thorough rework on the scale of Demon's Souls, but, unfortunately, the remaster was done on the line of least resistance.
Nevertheless, I consider this game to be perfection. How much fun it gives, how intelligently thought out it is, and how well it is remembered is amazing to me. It is enough to overcome the unfounded fear of the mythical difficulty level of this production. It really isn't that bad, you just have to enter this world, this universe and get into the gameplay to fall in love with it all. Dark Souls taught me to overcome in theory impossible things in real life. It is a game that has had a real impact on my life, and I thank it for that. Dark Souls not only entertains, but also teaches.
Praise the Sun! \[T]/
(This review is specifically for co-op in ds1r)
The only time i have ever managed to play online in a dark souls game before obtaining a steamdeck was on the switch version of ds1. Needless to say, i went in with a pretty poor opinion of it since the switch's middling internet connection did little for pvp, as every interaction was basically someone teleporting behind you and ending you with a backstab. I actually believe some of the weird, aggressive pvpheads played the switch version purposely for this reason, because the experience i had there was a hundred times worst than just playing it normally on steam.
I had a shockingly fun time playing co-op with hilda here. It was pretty seamless and we were able to do most things together, even if i would sometimes rather not look at hilda's new, hit character "Smelly Elmo". I dont think i ever got too mad at an invader, and they werent doing weird shit like running away and wasting our time. No one had a bad name or anything either, and i even had a pretty high rate of winning pvp encounters. It might of also been to my advantage that no one wanted to get near Smelly but i will take what i can get.
As i grow older i am starting to become disillusioned with fromsoft's work in general, though. Every idea Miyazaki has just seems to be taken from either Beserk or Ghibli and its kind of deflating to look at something and go "oh..ash lake is just the toxic forest from nausicaa". There is also quite a bit that is genuinely unfair in terms of the design, youll likely run into a lot of little things that add up over the course of the game. Like for me, i chose the lifehunt scythe as my main weapon... no matter how much you level up, your character moves like they can barely hold it. They use the scythe like a pickaxe....its very strange. Its also supposed to do massive bleed damage to enemies as well as build up your own meter as a tradeoff, but 90% of bosses are immune to bleed and players have such high resistance that it just doesnt matter. It also makes dps battles like the four kings borderline impossible as every three hits you take damage.
I also chose to do a miracle build, specifically wanting to use gywndolins spell. I spent a long time grinding ears to get it, only to find out that my weird pickaxe is just simply too special to be buffed with spells. Ok then, i wanted to use bountiful sunlight to help hilda during pvp. I put 36 points into faith- which nothing else even comes close to requiring by the way- only to find out yet again that you cant actually use it unless youre in gywnevere's covenant? Despite the game giving it to you like a normal spell, and never stating as such? Shit like that just deflates your excitement for the game and makes it feel clunky
Doesnt help that the remaster just sucks. They added nothing and fixed nothing, not even being able to warp to any bonfire or having an extra slot for essential/summoning rings. Ds1 ng+ is also horrible, for some reason. The damage enemies do to you is insane. Those stupid little crystal bow idiots were taking out 80% of my level 140 ass somehow. It makes playing with others absurd as one of you is likely to die from some stupid shit like that, and the game sends the summoned all the way back to the bonfire as if they died in their game so thats another time waster there.
I spent a long time complaining about the game and not talking about co-op but i think thats all i have to say. I would like to thank smelly elmo for taking a break eating wood chips to play with me. It was fun attempting to cut off kalameet's tail for 3 hours. Miyazaki is a bit of a hack.
The only time i have ever managed to play online in a dark souls game before obtaining a steamdeck was on the switch version of ds1. Needless to say, i went in with a pretty poor opinion of it since the switch's middling internet connection did little for pvp, as every interaction was basically someone teleporting behind you and ending you with a backstab. I actually believe some of the weird, aggressive pvpheads played the switch version purposely for this reason, because the experience i had there was a hundred times worst than just playing it normally on steam.
I had a shockingly fun time playing co-op with hilda here. It was pretty seamless and we were able to do most things together, even if i would sometimes rather not look at hilda's new, hit character "Smelly Elmo". I dont think i ever got too mad at an invader, and they werent doing weird shit like running away and wasting our time. No one had a bad name or anything either, and i even had a pretty high rate of winning pvp encounters. It might of also been to my advantage that no one wanted to get near Smelly but i will take what i can get.
As i grow older i am starting to become disillusioned with fromsoft's work in general, though. Every idea Miyazaki has just seems to be taken from either Beserk or Ghibli and its kind of deflating to look at something and go "oh..ash lake is just the toxic forest from nausicaa". There is also quite a bit that is genuinely unfair in terms of the design, youll likely run into a lot of little things that add up over the course of the game. Like for me, i chose the lifehunt scythe as my main weapon... no matter how much you level up, your character moves like they can barely hold it. They use the scythe like a pickaxe....its very strange. Its also supposed to do massive bleed damage to enemies as well as build up your own meter as a tradeoff, but 90% of bosses are immune to bleed and players have such high resistance that it just doesnt matter. It also makes dps battles like the four kings borderline impossible as every three hits you take damage.
I also chose to do a miracle build, specifically wanting to use gywndolins spell. I spent a long time grinding ears to get it, only to find out that my weird pickaxe is just simply too special to be buffed with spells. Ok then, i wanted to use bountiful sunlight to help hilda during pvp. I put 36 points into faith- which nothing else even comes close to requiring by the way- only to find out yet again that you cant actually use it unless youre in gywnevere's covenant? Despite the game giving it to you like a normal spell, and never stating as such? Shit like that just deflates your excitement for the game and makes it feel clunky
Doesnt help that the remaster just sucks. They added nothing and fixed nothing, not even being able to warp to any bonfire or having an extra slot for essential/summoning rings. Ds1 ng+ is also horrible, for some reason. The damage enemies do to you is insane. Those stupid little crystal bow idiots were taking out 80% of my level 140 ass somehow. It makes playing with others absurd as one of you is likely to die from some stupid shit like that, and the game sends the summoned all the way back to the bonfire as if they died in their game so thats another time waster there.
I spent a long time complaining about the game and not talking about co-op but i think thats all i have to say. I would like to thank smelly elmo for taking a break eating wood chips to play with me. It was fun attempting to cut off kalameet's tail for 3 hours. Miyazaki is a bit of a hack.
Dark Souls is something unique. Despite playing it way later than most people, I still fell in love with this game. The Old Game Charm really benefits this game, it really feels like you are playing something experimental that is still executed really well. It is no surprise it gave birth to a new "genre". I can excuse most of the flaws in this game only because it is really that special.
I was hosting a party for all the video games I've played and this one came in with it's guitar, shouted around, and then vomited all over the living room floor right in front of Bugsnax and Viva Piñata.
I was no stranger to facing challenges in a video game, but for the longest time I just didn't get into this series for whatever reason and it started to feel like a weird skin tag that needed to finally be taken care of. So, I started with this one, and I'm glad that I did. Everything in this game felt like pure torture, from getting my ass split wide open from the same boss for hours to just simply walking from point A to point B.
Everything feels like it's in slow motion and it just grates me to my core. I could not stand having to get through a country of enemies between areas and I just do not care for your counter-opinion, xXPuzzYSlayurXx, there is nothing that will convince me otherwise. Some bosses are completely fine, others are just straight up ass? But most of them are a worthy challenge. I will say even despite feeling like my legs were being torn off slowly, it was quite the dopamine hit to finally defeat a boss on your own. You know, until you instantly lose your 40,000+ souls from a random skeleton immediately after.
I do think part of what turned me off from these games initially is that most of the plot and backstory is hidden in menus and item descriptions. It's quite literally just "Read the Wiki" the series. I am illiterate, please stop doing this.
I am not put off by this series after playing this game. It was not my favorite thing ever, but I do think just from my playstyle alone. I will probably enjoy the later entries more than this one. It's just fine for me, and I felt good beating it.
I was no stranger to facing challenges in a video game, but for the longest time I just didn't get into this series for whatever reason and it started to feel like a weird skin tag that needed to finally be taken care of. So, I started with this one, and I'm glad that I did. Everything in this game felt like pure torture, from getting my ass split wide open from the same boss for hours to just simply walking from point A to point B.
Everything feels like it's in slow motion and it just grates me to my core. I could not stand having to get through a country of enemies between areas and I just do not care for your counter-opinion, xXPuzzYSlayurXx, there is nothing that will convince me otherwise. Some bosses are completely fine, others are just straight up ass? But most of them are a worthy challenge. I will say even despite feeling like my legs were being torn off slowly, it was quite the dopamine hit to finally defeat a boss on your own. You know, until you instantly lose your 40,000+ souls from a random skeleton immediately after.
I do think part of what turned me off from these games initially is that most of the plot and backstory is hidden in menus and item descriptions. It's quite literally just "Read the Wiki" the series. I am illiterate, please stop doing this.
I am not put off by this series after playing this game. It was not my favorite thing ever, but I do think just from my playstyle alone. I will probably enjoy the later entries more than this one. It's just fine for me, and I felt good beating it.
i shoulda never smoked that shit, now i'm in anor londo
for a game that's centered around suffering, despair, and defeat, it sure as hell makes you feel that. this game is just sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, only to fall all the way back down once you reach the top.
the entire game is a gauntlet. i hope ornstein and smough get strapped to a missile that's aimed directly for sen's fortress. i hope the four kings get four bullets put in each of their heads. i did not ask for a side of fucking tinnitus with my video game so tell me why the fuck kalameet is screaming in my headphones. blighttown can just fuck off. why the fuck do i need 4000 souls to buy an item to attack some ghosts please fucking explain fromsoft. CAN SOMEBODY TURN THE LIGHTS ON IN THE TOMB OF THE GIANTS I CANNOT SEE A FUCKING THING.
the absolute torture of having to backtrack your steps across multiple parts of the map for the first ~50% of the game is already enough to make you want to give up, but ironically this is actually the better half of the game. this isn't even accounting for the tediousness of running for minutes back to a boss encounter after you inevitably fail time after time. i shit you not i could probably run from the 2nd anor londo bonfire to the ornstein/smough fight with my eyes closed due to pure muscle memory.
this game is so unforgiving in so many different ways. if you get hit and knocked down, just take your hands off the controller/keyboard because you are fucked buddy. trying to find an opening in the chaos of some of these boss fights just to get a single heal off feels like just as much of an insurmountable task as the boss itself. i could take a shit and even wipe before i am finally able to move again after using an estus flask in this game.
some boss fights you could do on your first try, but others are genuinely some of the most unfair experiences i've encountered in any video game in my entire life. this is where you say "git gud" and i tell you to go fuck yourself. some of these fights are artificially difficult through either being programmed like shit (you know exactly what i'm talking about) or having attacks that have probably 5 frames between when it starts and when it hits you for 70% of your hp.
the second half of the game kind of just felt like it was scraps they tossed in. they must have made lost izalith barred off xanax 48 hours before the production date or something cause that area was so pointless and the boss was the dumbest gimmick fight i’ve ever fucking seen.
i'm too stubborn to give up, but that doesn't mean i didn't want to at multiple points throughout my playthrough. the game makes me hate myself even more, but despite the absolute fucking anguish that is experiencing this game, i hate that i still appreciate it; i appreciate it's existence for the sole reason that it led to some of my favorite games, even if this isn't one of them.
for a game that's centered around suffering, despair, and defeat, it sure as hell makes you feel that. this game is just sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, only to fall all the way back down once you reach the top.
the entire game is a gauntlet. i hope ornstein and smough get strapped to a missile that's aimed directly for sen's fortress. i hope the four kings get four bullets put in each of their heads. i did not ask for a side of fucking tinnitus with my video game so tell me why the fuck kalameet is screaming in my headphones. blighttown can just fuck off. why the fuck do i need 4000 souls to buy an item to attack some ghosts please fucking explain fromsoft. CAN SOMEBODY TURN THE LIGHTS ON IN THE TOMB OF THE GIANTS I CANNOT SEE A FUCKING THING.
the absolute torture of having to backtrack your steps across multiple parts of the map for the first ~50% of the game is already enough to make you want to give up, but ironically this is actually the better half of the game. this isn't even accounting for the tediousness of running for minutes back to a boss encounter after you inevitably fail time after time. i shit you not i could probably run from the 2nd anor londo bonfire to the ornstein/smough fight with my eyes closed due to pure muscle memory.
this game is so unforgiving in so many different ways. if you get hit and knocked down, just take your hands off the controller/keyboard because you are fucked buddy. trying to find an opening in the chaos of some of these boss fights just to get a single heal off feels like just as much of an insurmountable task as the boss itself. i could take a shit and even wipe before i am finally able to move again after using an estus flask in this game.
some boss fights you could do on your first try, but others are genuinely some of the most unfair experiences i've encountered in any video game in my entire life. this is where you say "git gud" and i tell you to go fuck yourself. some of these fights are artificially difficult through either being programmed like shit (you know exactly what i'm talking about) or having attacks that have probably 5 frames between when it starts and when it hits you for 70% of your hp.
the second half of the game kind of just felt like it was scraps they tossed in. they must have made lost izalith barred off xanax 48 hours before the production date or something cause that area was so pointless and the boss was the dumbest gimmick fight i’ve ever fucking seen.
i'm too stubborn to give up, but that doesn't mean i didn't want to at multiple points throughout my playthrough. the game makes me hate myself even more, but despite the absolute fucking anguish that is experiencing this game, i hate that i still appreciate it; i appreciate it's existence for the sole reason that it led to some of my favorite games, even if this isn't one of them.
first half of the game is a 15/10 and the second half of the game is a 5/10. idk it dark souls. important game that changed how I looked at games.
Probably one of the most consistently great video games I've ever played and I'm glad to say I finally completed it.
Now time to go back to playing Tears Of The Kingdom.
Now time to go back to playing Tears Of The Kingdom.
Started with Elden Ring, going back and playing through all the Souls games minus Demon's Souls/Bloodborne because I don't have a Playstation, surely it'll come to PC soon right? My only frame of reference so far for Soulslikes is Elden Ring so if you don't like me comparing the two then stop reading.
I find it rather interesting that a lot of the DNA in Elden Ring can be found here in the original (sans Demon's Souls) in that there are a lot of diverging paths and exploration is on some level free-form. I was expecting a mostly linear experience but found it was actually pretty open-ended which was really neat, and stumbling randomly across new areas when I was just expecting a dead-end with some item was fantastic. The whole "if you're stuck somewhere go some place else" idea is present here as well, although the lack of fast travel until O&S ended up being really annoying for backtracking.
I was expecting to be more annoyed by the massive walks of shame but I got pretty used to them quickly. There are some that are more egregious than others, but the game teaches you to be patient and slow when exploring, so taking time to go back to the boss room wasn't as frustrating (unless I had to go through annoying enemies to get there.) The walks in this game make the run back to Placidusax look like child's play, since while it's pretty long with that fight, you can at least run past a lot of the enemies whereas in this game you often are pretty much forced to fight them unless you want to get stabbed in the back.
PvP is just as bad as Elden Ring, tried it out for a bit, and got teleport backstabbed by a gravekeeper UGS that one-shot me three times in a row before I gave up on trying to guess where he was on his screen due to latency. Speaking of, it's really neat and interesting to me that there are so many different PvP factions that often have unique mechanics. Makes me wonder what it was like in the hayday at peak activity. Kinda rare to get invaded in my playthroughs.
Damage scaling was a nice surprise but it took me one bricked build to realize that vigor is a stat you basically don't have to invest in for half the game. I got stuck on Moonlight on my first playthrough because my ZDPS dex build was failing to 6-round him and it was getting annoying. Read a thread that said you should be 3-rounding him and that re-speccing isn't in the game and got the hint. On my second I basically didn't even level Vigor at all for like half the game.
This game does Dual Bosses right which is a shame since Elden Ring seems to have deeply forgotten this methodology of design. O&S might be one of my favorite bosses now and it's comical to compare it to the foreskin duo in ER. That being said, while boss design in some respects is better, some are just kind of... bad? Capra Demon stands out to me since he's really aggressive and in a tiny room with two dogs that also rush you down, so there's basically nowhere to run and heal. Sure, you can just adapt by playing aggressive and using shield instead of trying to heal off all damage, but I can't help but feel like this fight would be more fun if you had A LITTLE more space between the enemies before they were on you and the arena were maybe... twice as large. with another arena that size placed horizontally? I don't know.
idk how to finish this off, I'll just say Claymore is my baby (love the rolling two-handed R1) and it's insane how they only have one ring slot in the game since one of them is permanently taken up by Ring of Favor and Protection. Moving on to Dark Souls 2 next, surely it can't be that bad right?
I find it rather interesting that a lot of the DNA in Elden Ring can be found here in the original (sans Demon's Souls) in that there are a lot of diverging paths and exploration is on some level free-form. I was expecting a mostly linear experience but found it was actually pretty open-ended which was really neat, and stumbling randomly across new areas when I was just expecting a dead-end with some item was fantastic. The whole "if you're stuck somewhere go some place else" idea is present here as well, although the lack of fast travel until O&S ended up being really annoying for backtracking.
I was expecting to be more annoyed by the massive walks of shame but I got pretty used to them quickly. There are some that are more egregious than others, but the game teaches you to be patient and slow when exploring, so taking time to go back to the boss room wasn't as frustrating (unless I had to go through annoying enemies to get there.) The walks in this game make the run back to Placidusax look like child's play, since while it's pretty long with that fight, you can at least run past a lot of the enemies whereas in this game you often are pretty much forced to fight them unless you want to get stabbed in the back.
PvP is just as bad as Elden Ring, tried it out for a bit, and got teleport backstabbed by a gravekeeper UGS that one-shot me three times in a row before I gave up on trying to guess where he was on his screen due to latency. Speaking of, it's really neat and interesting to me that there are so many different PvP factions that often have unique mechanics. Makes me wonder what it was like in the hayday at peak activity. Kinda rare to get invaded in my playthroughs.
Damage scaling was a nice surprise but it took me one bricked build to realize that vigor is a stat you basically don't have to invest in for half the game. I got stuck on Moonlight on my first playthrough because my ZDPS dex build was failing to 6-round him and it was getting annoying. Read a thread that said you should be 3-rounding him and that re-speccing isn't in the game and got the hint. On my second I basically didn't even level Vigor at all for like half the game.
This game does Dual Bosses right which is a shame since Elden Ring seems to have deeply forgotten this methodology of design. O&S might be one of my favorite bosses now and it's comical to compare it to the foreskin duo in ER. That being said, while boss design in some respects is better, some are just kind of... bad? Capra Demon stands out to me since he's really aggressive and in a tiny room with two dogs that also rush you down, so there's basically nowhere to run and heal. Sure, you can just adapt by playing aggressive and using shield instead of trying to heal off all damage, but I can't help but feel like this fight would be more fun if you had A LITTLE more space between the enemies before they were on you and the arena were maybe... twice as large. with another arena that size placed horizontally? I don't know.
idk how to finish this off, I'll just say Claymore is my baby (love the rolling two-handed R1) and it's insane how they only have one ring slot in the game since one of them is permanently taken up by Ring of Favor and Protection. Moving on to Dark Souls 2 next, surely it can't be that bad right?
If you will allow me to count the Demon's Souls remake, I have finally beaten every post-Demon's Souls From Software "one of these"! (Demon's Souls, DS1, DS2, DS3, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring, and I kinda count Armored Core VI because of its boss fights).
This is the fourth or fifth time I've attempted to beat this specific game. I don't know why this is the one I've struggled with most -- even more than DeS or the latter Dark Souls games. Heck, I beat Sekiro twice last year, which some would call the hardest "one of these" games.
Having beaten it now, I think the reasons I've had a harder time with DS1 are:
-Its trademark From obtuseness is arguably more obtuse here than DeS or any game that came after
-Getting where you need to go can take a long time since some bonfires are full 90 second sprints
-I often play heavier builds across the board, but even by that standard this just feels slower to me than the rest of them. Might be same thing as the second point.
These aren't strictly bad things -- I think a lot of the games I mentioned above are either a 7/10 or a 10/10 for you based on what you like about these games/want from them. For me, I've realized by this point that the faster, high-intensity From action game -- Bloodborne, Sekiro (my favorite), Elden Ring (I count it), and ACVI (my GOTY right now I believe) -- is what I click with most. That, plus it being a 10+ year old game that shows its age, meant that I had a good time and could appreciate it for what it was but it didn't click with me as much as it probably did for others.
Some of that is unmistakably my own fault. I didn't summon but this is the cheesiest Soulslike playthrough I've ever had. Glitched out two bosses, looked up strategies for half of the late game bosses, looked up upgrade material locations. I know it's not the purist way of doing things, but I had attempted this game too many times and just wanted to see it through. I'm married and almost 30, dammit! I have a lawn to mow. I can't do the 60 hour grindfest on every single one of these.
And to be clear, I had a fun time. It was nice having experience with Souls pattern bosses so fights like Ornstein and Smough weren't that tough for me. The world design is still awesome, sharpened to a fine point. Great visuals and sound (ran great on Steam Deck too!). Sick bosses. I've also played half of this game on three different occasions so the run only took me 18 hours.
This is the fourth or fifth time I've attempted to beat this specific game. I don't know why this is the one I've struggled with most -- even more than DeS or the latter Dark Souls games. Heck, I beat Sekiro twice last year, which some would call the hardest "one of these" games.
Having beaten it now, I think the reasons I've had a harder time with DS1 are:
-Its trademark From obtuseness is arguably more obtuse here than DeS or any game that came after
-Getting where you need to go can take a long time since some bonfires are full 90 second sprints
-I often play heavier builds across the board, but even by that standard this just feels slower to me than the rest of them. Might be same thing as the second point.
These aren't strictly bad things -- I think a lot of the games I mentioned above are either a 7/10 or a 10/10 for you based on what you like about these games/want from them. For me, I've realized by this point that the faster, high-intensity From action game -- Bloodborne, Sekiro (my favorite), Elden Ring (I count it), and ACVI (my GOTY right now I believe) -- is what I click with most. That, plus it being a 10+ year old game that shows its age, meant that I had a good time and could appreciate it for what it was but it didn't click with me as much as it probably did for others.
Some of that is unmistakably my own fault. I didn't summon but this is the cheesiest Soulslike playthrough I've ever had. Glitched out two bosses, looked up strategies for half of the late game bosses, looked up upgrade material locations. I know it's not the purist way of doing things, but I had attempted this game too many times and just wanted to see it through. I'm married and almost 30, dammit! I have a lawn to mow. I can't do the 60 hour grindfest on every single one of these.
And to be clear, I had a fun time. It was nice having experience with Souls pattern bosses so fights like Ornstein and Smough weren't that tough for me. The world design is still awesome, sharpened to a fine point. Great visuals and sound (ran great on Steam Deck too!). Sick bosses. I've also played half of this game on three different occasions so the run only took me 18 hours.
Dark Souls is Dark Souls, and Dark Souls is the hardest and bestest game ever made.
Well, so I hear. You see, the thing about DS1 is it is far messier and more purely enjoyable than the online circlejerk may lead you to assume. It’s by no means easy, but I think the original Dark Souls is a fun and fair challenge that still feels legitimately revolutionary when placed in the context of its initial 2011 release, and not some bone-destroying grindfest where you’ll need every ounce of your being to succeed. It’s also not a perfect object. I’ll spend plenty of time on why its so great, but cracks begin to show all over the game, especially in its back leg. Ultimately, it’s the best kind of flawed game, one that pushes the boundaries of its style and budget to such extremes that the stretch marks are still visible in the final product.
Let’s start with the difficulty. Difficulty is such a, well, difficult thing to manage as a game designer, and to the credit of Miyazaki and his team, they do manage to strike a strong balance. Most of DS1’s bosses pose a decent challenge that’ll force a handful of attempts, but every attempt feels like an active learning experience towards your victory. Exploration is never free and maintains this incredible sense of tension in which every fight against even the most lowly of foes could lead to your end. I think this gives the ‘runbacks’ (as the kids call the between boss attempt traversals from a bonfire to a fog-gate) this excellent sense of mastery, as you gain total dominion over the environment to the point that you’ve turned it into a kind of obstacle course. Speaking of the environments, especially in the front half of the game, they are just a joy to traverse. Even (especially) Blightown. Trust me we’ll get to it.
But at the end of the day, despite the reputation, it's never unnecessarily tough. Even the most infamous of fights (especially the two separate times you fight a 2v1) aren't realistically going to take more than a half hour of your life. My theory on where this gets its ‘prepare to die’ name, is in its first few hours. Most people hit a hard brick wall early on (from my preliminary research this is most often Bell Gargoyles, though for me it was actually the Taurus Demon, rat bastard), where the skill floor of the game rapidly rises, and your ability is simply forced to match it. Of course, this is just a matter of this series’ trial-by-fire approach to preparing its players for later challenges, but I truly stand by the idea that DS1 spikes too high and too fast. Far too many players who absolutely would not find this game to be unmanageable will get turned off by the early difficulty spike and may never return. I’m only so sure of this because it happened to me multiple times! I’m stubborn and I wanted to like it, so I came back, but achievement data shows many do not. This is a damn shame only because once this thing properly gets into its extended second act, it sings.
One part of this is the much-praised interconnectivity. I’m well aware of how much I’m preaching to the choir when I say it but how can I brush past the fact that every moment the game loops back on itself both surprised and amazed me? Every conspicuous elevator ride into Firelink Shrine music beginning into “holy shit I’m back here again how the fuck” is one of the best moments you’ll ever get in a game. The level design is some of the best ever in immersing the player into a fantasy world because it allows it to feel so lived in.
You know what, I’ll even extend that to two of the most maligned sections of this game. Blightown and Sen’s Fortress are delightfully evil masterclasses of traversal, in which my favourite dickhead in the entire world Hidetaka Miyazaki forces the player to 3D platform in tight obstacle-heavy and projectile-ridden areas, with a character that can only jump insofar as they can perform a jump roll while sprinting. These sections are a total blast and have some expertly placed bonfires (though Sen’s is slightly hidden) to make the experience far more doable than it may immediately appear. I will concede that these sections were very close to too much (e.g. if the Poison Dart guys did notable knockback and/or respawned we might be having some issues [though the most twisted part of me kind of wished they did respawn]), but the needle is just barely thread. Allow yourself a little bit of patience, don’t get hit by the slowly moving and easily dodgeable axes more than a few times and you’ll find these sections far more fun than many do. To be honest, the only actively weak sections are all post-lordvessel, but we’ll get to that.
Even at its weakest, this game looks stunning. I played the remaster and while I did notice the overbearing bloom that many have discussed, I thoroughly enjoyed the almost smudgy look of the whole thing. The environments are gorgeous (especially the forests MY GOD) and you find yourself sinking even deeper into this world with how of a piece the art direction and enemy design is. I adore that you can essentially always travel to a place if you can see it. It never quite sunk into me before, but this is a seriously amazing aesthetic achievement.
And the bosses! Perhaps the most famous element of this series. Unsurprisingly, the first leg of bossfights is really fun. Once you get past your first proper roadblock, you’ll find yourself cutting these guys like butter. Surprisingly enough, the bosses in DS1 are rarely intensely tough but are always welcome challenges that fit to theme and cap off their areas superbly. There's also this incredible sensation that the game is stacking the deck in your favour with the boss arenas. So much of the geometry is useful! You can position them above you to sneak a heal or position them around a pillar to avoid attacks or plunge that fucking Capra demon to hell off a staircase or watch that dickhead Taurus Demon jump off the ledge like the idiot he is and so much more. It's incredible how effectively the game maintains the illusion of 'unfairness' despite this, and I love how you end up with these light-bulb moments where (e.g.) the O&S fight suddenly feels like a 2v7 when you notice how powerful your pillar friends are. It's a real magic trick. But when I said always welcome, I meant mostly, and even then I only meant the first half. There are some serious issues to put a pin in for later regarding some of these guys, and DS1 does have a surprising amount of actively weak fights, but on the whole it’s certainly a positive. How could I possibly pretend to dislike the boss fights in a game where you get to fight Ornstein and Smough? Come on.
Before I get to my quibbles, I’d like to quibble instead about Gamers. That’s right, you guys. Ornstein and Smough is an awesome fight, no doubt about it, and certainly one of the more challenging in the game, but by no means the backbreaking time waster I thought it would be based on the decade-plus of YouTube comments I’d seen. It was not the first boss I felt this way about. Same with the Bell Gargoyles, and same again with the Capra Demon (though I must clarify I'm not insinuating this fight isn't complete dogshit), and then I started to spot a pattern. Do other people stay locked on all the time? This is something that’s haunted me throughout my entire playthrough, and a legitimate issue with the way this game teaches its players. That’s right, this was a quibble the whole time, I got you! The lock-on feature is useful, undoubtedly. I found the most mileage out of it against airborne enemies (the bug thingies in Blightown, The Bell Gargoyles’ first phase) just because I couldn’t quite spin the camera around fast enough to keep up, but that was it for me. My problem with lock-on is that it massively disincentivises players from learning proper camera management and how to aim their swings consistently IF (and only if) you get into the habit of always using it. This is no big deal until you get to these bossfights with multiple targets that you simply have to deal with (unlike say Nito, whose skeletons will just get epically owned by him) but when you do, you will be at a massive disadvantage. Not because you can’t simply press the button to stop locking on, but because when you do, you’ll be ill-equipped to utilise the radically changed abilities of your character. For me, locking on basically never happens, and I much prefer to contort my right hand to be able to always move the camera and sprint in all directions. I found myself much more mobile (and my view of enemies much more dynamic) than I think many players do. So that’s my one piece of advice for you, lock-on sure, but do so sparingly, or you’ll set yourself up for failure with the multi-character bosses. To attempt to wrangle this rant into a point, I don’t think the game tries at all to teach players early on not to lock on all the time, and it allows the players to fall into bad habits with it too easily.
While I’m complaining, we simply must address the elephant in the code. Post O&S, this game properly nosedives, not to say it becomes unfun to play, or that it’s lazy or anything like that, but the bossfights become noticeably weaker, asset reuse becomes palpable and that delectable interconnectivity vanishes completely. Also, you have to play through Tomb of The Giants now. Not cool guys.
I think these problems are best demonstrated by the best of the Lord Soul fights, the Four Kings. These fellas reside in an area known simply as ‘The Abyss.’ Getting there requires exploration through a very cool and distinct area. The runback is an obstacle course in the truest sense, and the titular Abyss is seriously intelligent design. Its void leaves you entirely without depth perception, meaning you can’t ever quite nail down how large or far away the boss is until you're suddenly getting skewered by it. Very cool stuff. Additionally, this boss encourages a rush-down heavy playstyle that is very distinct from most of the duck-and-weave gameplay that I was used to (shields are for cowards after all, two-hand all day, dodge under everything etc.), and I enjoyed a challenge that forced me to push up against the generally slow pace of gameplay. What you may not notice, amidst so much awesome stuff, is that this boss is the same asset copy-pasted a bunch of times in a featureless void. It’s an incredibly creative example of it, but it’s still blatant scrambling from a development team fresh out of time and money. That’s not so bad, but when you get to the Crystal Caves or especially Lost Izalith, you noticeably feel the game suffer a little. These sections are pretty pathetic, feeling underrealized while containing a boss that just doesn’t stack up to the rest of the game. Seath is such a pushover it’s not even funny, and the Bed of Chaos is less a boss fight and more a low-tier Mario Maker troll level. It’ll kill you once or twice, but it certainly is not earned.
Then there’s Gwyn. A mad king in a desolate dying world. It seems only spiritually right that his fight would be both one of the harder ones and just that little bit too easy. Any sense of an epic conclusion is long gone by the time you enter the gate. Then the music starts. That melancholic piano is still ringing in your ears when the final cutscene plays, and it leaves the game on such a wonderfully bitter note that it reverberates back through the final few hours. It’s yet another artistic justification for lacking resources, but they pull it off in spades. I said it before, but even when stretched too thin, this game achieves so so much.
Dark Souls remains as weird, inconsistent and idiosyncratic as the day it was released, and I sincerely hope that people aren’t dismissing it out of hand for later projects. This is an excellent starting point for getting into the FromSoft canon, and my only real problem with it is that it tries quite hard to disguise that fact. Play it, love it, hate it, complain that it isn’t as fast-paced as Elden Ring, do whatever you like, but recognise that it has earned its place among the universally recognised best of the medium. Right behind Angry Birds Epic.
Well, so I hear. You see, the thing about DS1 is it is far messier and more purely enjoyable than the online circlejerk may lead you to assume. It’s by no means easy, but I think the original Dark Souls is a fun and fair challenge that still feels legitimately revolutionary when placed in the context of its initial 2011 release, and not some bone-destroying grindfest where you’ll need every ounce of your being to succeed. It’s also not a perfect object. I’ll spend plenty of time on why its so great, but cracks begin to show all over the game, especially in its back leg. Ultimately, it’s the best kind of flawed game, one that pushes the boundaries of its style and budget to such extremes that the stretch marks are still visible in the final product.
Let’s start with the difficulty. Difficulty is such a, well, difficult thing to manage as a game designer, and to the credit of Miyazaki and his team, they do manage to strike a strong balance. Most of DS1’s bosses pose a decent challenge that’ll force a handful of attempts, but every attempt feels like an active learning experience towards your victory. Exploration is never free and maintains this incredible sense of tension in which every fight against even the most lowly of foes could lead to your end. I think this gives the ‘runbacks’ (as the kids call the between boss attempt traversals from a bonfire to a fog-gate) this excellent sense of mastery, as you gain total dominion over the environment to the point that you’ve turned it into a kind of obstacle course. Speaking of the environments, especially in the front half of the game, they are just a joy to traverse. Even (especially) Blightown. Trust me we’ll get to it.
But at the end of the day, despite the reputation, it's never unnecessarily tough. Even the most infamous of fights (especially the two separate times you fight a 2v1) aren't realistically going to take more than a half hour of your life. My theory on where this gets its ‘prepare to die’ name, is in its first few hours. Most people hit a hard brick wall early on (from my preliminary research this is most often Bell Gargoyles, though for me it was actually the Taurus Demon, rat bastard), where the skill floor of the game rapidly rises, and your ability is simply forced to match it. Of course, this is just a matter of this series’ trial-by-fire approach to preparing its players for later challenges, but I truly stand by the idea that DS1 spikes too high and too fast. Far too many players who absolutely would not find this game to be unmanageable will get turned off by the early difficulty spike and may never return. I’m only so sure of this because it happened to me multiple times! I’m stubborn and I wanted to like it, so I came back, but achievement data shows many do not. This is a damn shame only because once this thing properly gets into its extended second act, it sings.
One part of this is the much-praised interconnectivity. I’m well aware of how much I’m preaching to the choir when I say it but how can I brush past the fact that every moment the game loops back on itself both surprised and amazed me? Every conspicuous elevator ride into Firelink Shrine music beginning into “holy shit I’m back here again how the fuck” is one of the best moments you’ll ever get in a game. The level design is some of the best ever in immersing the player into a fantasy world because it allows it to feel so lived in.
You know what, I’ll even extend that to two of the most maligned sections of this game. Blightown and Sen’s Fortress are delightfully evil masterclasses of traversal, in which my favourite dickhead in the entire world Hidetaka Miyazaki forces the player to 3D platform in tight obstacle-heavy and projectile-ridden areas, with a character that can only jump insofar as they can perform a jump roll while sprinting. These sections are a total blast and have some expertly placed bonfires (though Sen’s is slightly hidden) to make the experience far more doable than it may immediately appear. I will concede that these sections were very close to too much (e.g. if the Poison Dart guys did notable knockback and/or respawned we might be having some issues [though the most twisted part of me kind of wished they did respawn]), but the needle is just barely thread. Allow yourself a little bit of patience, don’t get hit by the slowly moving and easily dodgeable axes more than a few times and you’ll find these sections far more fun than many do. To be honest, the only actively weak sections are all post-lordvessel, but we’ll get to that.
Even at its weakest, this game looks stunning. I played the remaster and while I did notice the overbearing bloom that many have discussed, I thoroughly enjoyed the almost smudgy look of the whole thing. The environments are gorgeous (especially the forests MY GOD) and you find yourself sinking even deeper into this world with how of a piece the art direction and enemy design is. I adore that you can essentially always travel to a place if you can see it. It never quite sunk into me before, but this is a seriously amazing aesthetic achievement.
And the bosses! Perhaps the most famous element of this series. Unsurprisingly, the first leg of bossfights is really fun. Once you get past your first proper roadblock, you’ll find yourself cutting these guys like butter. Surprisingly enough, the bosses in DS1 are rarely intensely tough but are always welcome challenges that fit to theme and cap off their areas superbly. There's also this incredible sensation that the game is stacking the deck in your favour with the boss arenas. So much of the geometry is useful! You can position them above you to sneak a heal or position them around a pillar to avoid attacks or plunge that fucking Capra demon to hell off a staircase or watch that dickhead Taurus Demon jump off the ledge like the idiot he is and so much more. It's incredible how effectively the game maintains the illusion of 'unfairness' despite this, and I love how you end up with these light-bulb moments where (e.g.) the O&S fight suddenly feels like a 2v7 when you notice how powerful your pillar friends are. It's a real magic trick. But when I said always welcome, I meant mostly, and even then I only meant the first half. There are some serious issues to put a pin in for later regarding some of these guys, and DS1 does have a surprising amount of actively weak fights, but on the whole it’s certainly a positive. How could I possibly pretend to dislike the boss fights in a game where you get to fight Ornstein and Smough? Come on.
Before I get to my quibbles, I’d like to quibble instead about Gamers. That’s right, you guys. Ornstein and Smough is an awesome fight, no doubt about it, and certainly one of the more challenging in the game, but by no means the backbreaking time waster I thought it would be based on the decade-plus of YouTube comments I’d seen. It was not the first boss I felt this way about. Same with the Bell Gargoyles, and same again with the Capra Demon (though I must clarify I'm not insinuating this fight isn't complete dogshit), and then I started to spot a pattern. Do other people stay locked on all the time? This is something that’s haunted me throughout my entire playthrough, and a legitimate issue with the way this game teaches its players. That’s right, this was a quibble the whole time, I got you! The lock-on feature is useful, undoubtedly. I found the most mileage out of it against airborne enemies (the bug thingies in Blightown, The Bell Gargoyles’ first phase) just because I couldn’t quite spin the camera around fast enough to keep up, but that was it for me. My problem with lock-on is that it massively disincentivises players from learning proper camera management and how to aim their swings consistently IF (and only if) you get into the habit of always using it. This is no big deal until you get to these bossfights with multiple targets that you simply have to deal with (unlike say Nito, whose skeletons will just get epically owned by him) but when you do, you will be at a massive disadvantage. Not because you can’t simply press the button to stop locking on, but because when you do, you’ll be ill-equipped to utilise the radically changed abilities of your character. For me, locking on basically never happens, and I much prefer to contort my right hand to be able to always move the camera and sprint in all directions. I found myself much more mobile (and my view of enemies much more dynamic) than I think many players do. So that’s my one piece of advice for you, lock-on sure, but do so sparingly, or you’ll set yourself up for failure with the multi-character bosses. To attempt to wrangle this rant into a point, I don’t think the game tries at all to teach players early on not to lock on all the time, and it allows the players to fall into bad habits with it too easily.
While I’m complaining, we simply must address the elephant in the code. Post O&S, this game properly nosedives, not to say it becomes unfun to play, or that it’s lazy or anything like that, but the bossfights become noticeably weaker, asset reuse becomes palpable and that delectable interconnectivity vanishes completely. Also, you have to play through Tomb of The Giants now. Not cool guys.
I think these problems are best demonstrated by the best of the Lord Soul fights, the Four Kings. These fellas reside in an area known simply as ‘The Abyss.’ Getting there requires exploration through a very cool and distinct area. The runback is an obstacle course in the truest sense, and the titular Abyss is seriously intelligent design. Its void leaves you entirely without depth perception, meaning you can’t ever quite nail down how large or far away the boss is until you're suddenly getting skewered by it. Very cool stuff. Additionally, this boss encourages a rush-down heavy playstyle that is very distinct from most of the duck-and-weave gameplay that I was used to (shields are for cowards after all, two-hand all day, dodge under everything etc.), and I enjoyed a challenge that forced me to push up against the generally slow pace of gameplay. What you may not notice, amidst so much awesome stuff, is that this boss is the same asset copy-pasted a bunch of times in a featureless void. It’s an incredibly creative example of it, but it’s still blatant scrambling from a development team fresh out of time and money. That’s not so bad, but when you get to the Crystal Caves or especially Lost Izalith, you noticeably feel the game suffer a little. These sections are pretty pathetic, feeling underrealized while containing a boss that just doesn’t stack up to the rest of the game. Seath is such a pushover it’s not even funny, and the Bed of Chaos is less a boss fight and more a low-tier Mario Maker troll level. It’ll kill you once or twice, but it certainly is not earned.
Then there’s Gwyn. A mad king in a desolate dying world. It seems only spiritually right that his fight would be both one of the harder ones and just that little bit too easy. Any sense of an epic conclusion is long gone by the time you enter the gate. Then the music starts. That melancholic piano is still ringing in your ears when the final cutscene plays, and it leaves the game on such a wonderfully bitter note that it reverberates back through the final few hours. It’s yet another artistic justification for lacking resources, but they pull it off in spades. I said it before, but even when stretched too thin, this game achieves so so much.
Dark Souls remains as weird, inconsistent and idiosyncratic as the day it was released, and I sincerely hope that people aren’t dismissing it out of hand for later projects. This is an excellent starting point for getting into the FromSoft canon, and my only real problem with it is that it tries quite hard to disguise that fact. Play it, love it, hate it, complain that it isn’t as fast-paced as Elden Ring, do whatever you like, but recognise that it has earned its place among the universally recognised best of the medium. Right behind Angry Birds Epic.
Ultimo jogo que pude jogar da trilogia Dark Souls, confesso que algumas mecanicas que foram modificadas nos jogos seguintes me frustravam nesse game, mas não deixa de ser uma obra de arte com boss fights épicas e exploração muito recompensadora. PRAISE THE SUN