i think i can finally accept this as the definitive version of dark souls, particularly when fixed up with the original armor textures (which were horribly flattened in this one, for reasons i cannot fathom), a reshade profile which adjusts the lighting and contrast to be a bit closer to that of the original game (gotta have that heavy chiaroscuro and golden glow), and a mod which augments and meshes with the game's own online functionality to cycle through each location for possible invasions whether within the limitations of your own soul and weapon levels or infinitely upward. i haven't waited more than a minute or two to invade with this mod, and for me this is an absolute godsend since i am far more interested in 'organic' invasions, world pvp style, than i am in sweaty arena duels at the oolacile township bonfire.

i hadn't actually played this game at all since moving back home to michigan (from portland, oregon) at the end of 2019, and... well, "it feels like going home again" isn't what i want to say: it's more like a refreshing reminder that i haven't lost everything, though sometimes it feels that way. i don't think of too many video games as being mine, made for me, but this is one of them.

Reviewed on Mar 30, 2023


73 Comments


least you were listening to the good shit 😎

I've been thinking about using Mista Thug Isolation's cover, as in the original as my avi for this site for a good while cause I fuckin love how gaudy the Pen & Pixel throwback is

1 year ago

the original and the newest cover are better fits for that album, but the art on the 2014 reissue is so metal/hardcore i love it haha. same for third side of tape, which imo is one of the greatest recordings ever released...! (his black metal releases are shockingly good, too.)
been a bit since I've listened to TSOT (or even Second Side) but I do remember thinking it was pretty damn good

this reminds me I've yet to actually listen to his black metal or even noise outings which I still can't believe since he's one of my favorite producers ever... like I wish I could make beats this good!!!

1 year ago

dude's kind of a genius
SOMBODY here makes beats & took the link out of their profile but i’m somewhat of a hypeman & can’t help myself
u might like this
https://snatcher.bandcamp.com/album/dressmakers
oh this sounds real good

I only ever listened to a few tracks of Pulse Demon (someone did a troll move on me saying it was a lot like Liquid Swords... really funny in hindsight) and thought it was pretty boring but this has a fair bit more going on

1 year ago

this is the place for whatever you like. more than happy to have comments about music we like coming in. and it's been a while, but i've absolutely done my share of delving into noise. fully agreed; that's one of the best merzbow releases.

i wonder if my pulse demon t-shirt still fits...

1 year ago

yeah pulse demon, while having sick cover art with a design that makes people (when they see it on the shirt i have) invariably go ARE YOU TRYNA HYPNOTIZE ME OR WHAT, is on the harsh noise side of things i find less enjoyable than the "soft noise" of his albums like, say, animal magnetism

bandcamp beats now queued...!

1 year ago

alsooo speaking of merzbow if there's one band i feel brings everyone together it's boris

(i also have their "false demon" shirt from when i saw them play all of pink for its anniversary)
I'm like, really specific about the type of noise that I can find engaging probably due to some genre mixes thrown in, but yea Pulse Demon was a bit of a 'filter' regardless. Great cover though!

I'll try listening to Doors Open and Hybrid Noisebloom at some point, these samplings were a lot cooler than I thought they'd be

also this bandcamp link sounds very peculiar and interesting 🤔
I got Borispilled last year when listening to Feedbacker, Akuma No Uta, and Flood (latter of which quickly cementing as one of my favorite things ever now) back to back in that order which was a good decision, still need to keep the train going in some fashion

1 year ago

yeah i'm listening to future perfect and this is cool as hell, you should not be embarrassed

1 year ago

dunno how intentional it is, but i hear a bit of early skinny puppy here and i am on board for that

1 year ago

you may have been able to tell by my lastfm that i also happen to like coil just a lil bit

i will be plenty stoked if this dark souls post continues to host the official unofficial we love music thread
yea I was thinking there was some Coil and Gristles in there somewhere

NIN is obvs but I'm still blinded on Skinny Puppy and Ministry so I can't comment, but I know how big they are to fans of the genre so it wouldn't surprise me

anyway, I think this sounds pretty neat man :)
i thinkkkk Grotto off of Future Perfect specifically is the song i immediately thought of for you zn0 OOPS fake fan linking wrong album but eh

1 year ago

Interrupting to say I also like your music curs, I wish I knew more about music so I could praise it higher

I'm a sad little dyke I listen to like billy idol and Brittney spears and that's it but it's fun to you guys so passionate about music, it's real cool

1 year ago

looking at about 12 years of scrobbles... there's a ton of stuff that isn't represented here because i also listen to tapes and vinyl and don't always use openscrobbler, but it's fairly representative (minus a few things; swans used to be one of my favorite bands, but i guess i deleted those scrobbles in disgust after some things about michael gira came to light)

https://tapmusic.net/collage.php?user=astralguts&type=overall&size=10x10

1 year ago

i could stand to listen to more britney
when i wanna hear that kinda sound i tend to reach for lady gaga (fame monster ep or born this way)
we love brit & bill!!

i make monthly playlists as like a vibe check/thing i can say i’ve done & so i’ll link my march spotify playlist here rip march
I'll have to redig some stuff but wasn't the Gira allegations a case of miscommunication or somethin? Granted it's been years (this is actually the first time I'm remembering of it) but yea it's... pretty tragic anyway. I don't really want Swans to become another band like Cream or Brand New where I have to push away their music because their frontliners are deplorable asses...

1 year ago

i don't wanna dredge up all the gira stuff in these comments, but even if it was a misunderstanding, his handling of the situation was gross and infuriating. seeing the angels of light when i lived in sf and later flying to nyc to see swans (after their reunion) twice with my then-gf are some of my best memories, and it all just makes me so sad, it sucks

1 year ago

despite being gay I don't really listen to lady gaga much... don't tell the others, they'll tar and feather me....

This is reminding me that I used to listen to david bowie and queen like for hours every day when I was a teenager. Cool Cat still makes me feel a certain kind of way,,
that's totally fair zn0, most I'll say in regards to this is that at least Gira didn't outright deny it and was like "yea something happened and I potentially fucked up, sorry", which unfortunately is still a better step than other famous figures have done...

@moschidae Don't worry I don't think Gaga fans will get you for that since you listen(ed) to Bowie and Queen 👍
We are all problematic music free listeners, which is also why we totally haven't listened to one Burzum or Euronymous album in any way shape or form. Ya know, it's too much!

1 year ago

I don't listen to bowie anymore cause it's kind of weird now since he looks like every lesbian I've ever met. Also he was a little strange... I still love queen tho <3

For some reason I've always been under the impression that I could beat the shit out of morrissey. I've heard his songs a few times and he sounds so punchable... I don't know what that means but I Would win.

1 year ago

no idea what you guys are talking about!!!!!

1 year ago

the smiths are good as hell but yeah that guy oof

1 year ago

IM going to bed now I'm sorry for derailing your beautiful music post a little with my stripper music D: I talk too much