Dark Souls Thoughts

"Prepare to Die"

That is the games tag line. You might think that just a line but in this case it is a way of life (or death as it were). Dark Souls is a tough game and you are going to die... a lot.

It's been a few months since I got the game but I have just recently started to actually play it the last few days. I had been waiting for a lul in gaming to really put some time into it (plus Kenny recently got it and spurred me into finally playing myself). It is one of those games that really needs to be sat down and played and does not lend itself to pick up and play here and there. I had started a game long ago but decided to ditch that guy and start over fresh to get a feel for the game again.

It's a hard game. Not because the enemies are hard to kill but due to a combination of several factors (some enemies are definitely hard to kill btw). It's an old school action RPG and everything about the game try's to make things just a little more difficult than they need to be. There is no map, no markers, no waypoints and no pause button. The controls can be a little tough, camera is a little wonky at times and the menu system is chunky and hard to use on the fly. Enemies, while tough, are usually manageable. Especially one at a time. Large groups and stronger enemies are almost certain death upon first encounter.

But the kicker is that the only way to buy things, level up your character or even upgrade weapons is with the use of 'souls' that you collect by killing the bad guys roaming about. The problem lies with the fact that when you die (and you will) you lose all the souls you are carrying. Back to Zero. You have a one time opportunity to get back to where you died and collect all the souls you dropped when you died. If you can't get back to where you were or you die again before getting back, all souls are lost permanently. This becomes problematic at times and can cost you hours or progress and lvl-ups.

Oh and did I mention that every enemy respawns every time you die or rest at a bonfire? Yep they do, with the exception of bosses and mini bosses. Once defeated bosses remain gone but every other bad guy will come back every time you rest or die. So getting back to where you died in order to collect the souls lost can sometimes be near impossible. This makes for a lot of trial and error and slow progress until you start to figure everything out.

Once you have an area figured out it is usually easy enough to get through that area. Places in the beginning of the game that had me playing for hours to pass I can now walk through no problem. It's all about learning what kind of enemies are in that area and the best way to fight that particular type of enemy. New enemy types are to be feared upon first encounter. If it is the first time you have seem a particular type of enemy, use caution. Each enemy has a different set of attacks and special abilities. Until you know what they are and how to beat them, you are probable going to die.

You are going to die.

...a lot. Some areas of the map are going to kill you so many times you will lose track. It took me almost 2-days of gaming to beat a set of bosses I was working on. I would spawn, fight my way to the boss, fight the boss, die and repeat. I had to kill 10-12 bad guys every time I died in order to get back to the boss. I did this so many times I can't even remember. But the sweet taste of victory was one of the best feeling I have had in a long time of gaming. This is where the game really starts to come together. The defeats are crushing but the sense of accomplishment is glorious.

It's a lovely game set in an interesting and deep world. It's very easy to get lost in the game and before you know it the night is over and it's time for bed. It's very rewarding to those willing to keep pushing and go deeper (not unlike Sticky's mom - had to make sure you are still reading lol) into the game. Currently I am hooked and can't wait to get home and play some more.

Anyone else playing or played this? Thoughts?

played this game multiple times..amazing game. i've beat the DLC and playing with friends makes the game even more fun.

Yep. Great game. I made some more progress last night after I got done tuning in Forza. I beat 2 more bosses and some good progress on making my bad ass Katana. All in all it was a good night. Can't wait to play some more.

Killed this last night...

I saw the Palmer brothers on this non-stop when it came out. It's been pretty tempting but I don't have time for it in my schedule. Once things slow down in RL it's on the top of my 'pick up used' list.

Seems interesting enough... thanks for the recap.
A strong "maybe" on my list of what now.

I love challenging games, however I don't have a whole lot of free time like I used to. And I'd rather not waste the time I have by playing, dying, and losing my progress, and having to do the same sh1t over the next day.

Xpert2010 wrote:I love challenging games, however I don't have a whole lot of free time like I used to. And I'd rather not waste the time I have by playing, dying, and losing my progress, and having to do the same sh1t over the next day.

You dishonor your family!

...but seriously, it is an amazingly fun game. It is better and less frustrating playing through with someone. You can't use Party Chat and play at the same time (not with full online features anyway) but you can Private Chat with 1 other person. Lately I have been playing and chatting with Kenny (who is also playing separately). It's very helpful to bounce off ideas and what works etc... We have yet to actually hook up and play co-op but probably will at some point.

Yeah I'm playing it right now on my PC I would get it on the Xbox but it was like $5 on steam during Christmas sales