Dark Souls (2011)

Dark Souls 1 is a "Ritter in einer Burg"-simulator, and that's great because I always wanted to be a knight and I loved fortresses when I was a child.

People praise the great feeling of beating bosses after many tries but I cannot see how that is something unique to this game, as you'll experience that in many other games in the same way.

So playing games I always wonder, theoretically, why exactly are they good, when they are? What makes them feel good?

The first and foremost outstanding point of Dark Souls 1 and the other FromSoftware-Games is, to me at least, it's visual beauty. We all know Elden Ring looks dashing, but damn, have you had a proper look at, say, even just the Undead Burg in DS1? It's more subtle, but man does this Burg look great. So dark, gritty, medieval-realistic but also fearful and horrific. Darkroot garden with its glowing flowers, the gargoyles at the Belltower, the fairy tale-esque archways in the Parish, the pictoresque snow mountainside at the asylum and all the other iconic areas with their unique lightning and colour palettes create a beautiful high fantasy world that is nothing short of a proper artistic achievement.

Dark Souls is not really an innovative game, the whole soulslike-formula isn't. As a matter of fact, it is rather a step backwards, and quite conservative as that I dare say: the backtrack punishment is bringing back 90s platformers "difficulty" at the beginning of the 2010s when that wasn't a thing anymore. That's fine, but it's not moving forward, at all.

So here's the thing, Dark Souls isn't really that "difficult" by the way, as many say, it is rather punishing, which is not the same. The required skillfullness of its gameplay is higher than average, but not crazy like other games.

To perform the hit-and-dodge-dance with your boss requires perserverance and patience, redoing enemies after resting requires discipline and willingness, none of it skill in particular. It's not a sort of complex dance you have to perform when, say, playing Celeste or Super Meat Boy (which I, needless to say, suck at as well, of course).

But that is actually fine. I hate the death punishment and my frustration is immense and spoils everything, but in DS1, somehow it was fine. The bonfires are well placed, and also, the stakes it gives you combine well with its fearsome ambiance and grim atmosphere. It's a horror game. I am afraid to die, because the stakes are high. The punishing gameplay here fits the atmosphere and idea of the game.

Brings me to the second outstanding point of the game, but unfortunately people told me this is unique to DS1: The map design. I have never enjoyed a map so much and felt so pleased about just finding my way around. Finding a shortcut in Dark Souls actually feels like finding a secret passage in an old fortress. The immense satisfaction of suddenly to your own big suprise appearing in some of the adjacent ruins of firelight shrine after a long and hard day of fighting with the abyssimal creatures of Lordan, the serenity of the music ringing the bells of shelter and safety, that's the serotonin kick that is almost bliss, and do not forget: that it does by mere map design. What beautiful game design that is.

Dark Souls is not innovative, but all its mechanics and game design decisions make up a perfectly balanced experience. It's crafted extremely well, nothing more and nothing less, and that's absolutely fine.

Many of the things I dislike about modern RPGs, Dark Souls does right: -- The map is compact and every corner feels meaingful. -- Progress is rewarded in the form of visually remarkable milestones (new weapons , spells or slots) as opposed to just being merely a gradual number increase -- There's no meaningless wall of text of badly written dialogue, -- Everything is viable, bros on reddit will tell you: play the weapon you like, wear the armor that looks cool, all items are so balanced that there is rarely ever an objectively better choice, -- Enemies don't scale with your level but are integrated obstacles in the structure of the map that are pleasing to overcome easily once you backtrack and then come back when you're stronger -- There is not only a tactical but also cunning challenge in mastering the combat system, but sort of both. It's very balanced, again.

What can I say of course I was annoyed but I increasingly became Zen and didn't care about those lost souls anymore. That's the moral of the story? Whatever. What a magnificent, beautiful classic of a game. I am now entering Blighttown, will probably drop the game and furiously rewrite the whole thing because I will hate it. Wish me good luck. I hope this game will absorb my dark souls and leave me a bit brighter on the inside.

Decided to give the Souls games a try. Hopefully I enjoy them so then I have a new genre to explore.

Fought the Taurus demon. About eight attempts. On the final attempt he knocked me off the side of the map. I put my head down and laughed and looked up again wanting for "YOU DIED" only to see "VICTORY ACHIEVED". HE must have fallen after me but died first?

Will have to check the stream to see what I missed.

What can I even say here? There is so much about this game that I wish I could have many more first experiences. A trial in patience and frustration, of course, but a brilliant and beautiful game that earned its title as “genre-defining.”

I originally played Dark Souls on a PC with a controller in college when it was released and, while I enjoyed the game I could not get myself past the Bell Gargoyles and I gave up. Many years later I picked up a box set of the Dark Souls Trilogy to try again because I had fallen in love with Elden Ring. I died many a time at the beginning of this game, leveling up my character, surpassing expectations as well as where I left off back in 2012. I had fallen in love with a game that was so frustrating, but the most rewarding game I have ever played in my life. This game will remain in my top 3 games of all time for possibly the rest of my life.

Why, you ask? What is so utterly fantastic about a game that is designed for you to fail? I would answer that by saying everything about this game is designed for you to LEARN and ADAPT, not to fail. You grow with your character. You find unexpected loot hanging from corpses that can change your playthrough from death after death, to win after win. The world and lore just sucks you in to the point where you’re confused but amazed. The intricacies of the world-building by FromSoftware is top notch. Every single location you visit in this game is somehow connected, whether it is by an elevator, a locked gate, or even a hidden path. Exploration is rewarded handsomely. So is facing your fears to beat the next boss and walk away with an amazing present (as well as souls to allow you to level up and take on the next boss). Even right down to the orchestra playing during the most crucial moments in this dark dark dark fantasy game, which fits perfectly in every scenario. THIS GAME IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER MASTERPIECE.

PLEASE…..if you think you will hate this game for whatever reason. You’re not good at video games, you think it might be too hard, you only play open world RPGs, or whatever the case may be, TRY THIS. You will not be let down. I really hope anyone on the fence about diving into the masterpieces FromSoftware has developed (especially this game) will get over that hump and purchase Dark Souls. You may not become as hooked and in love as I am, but I have a feeling there will come a time in your playthrough where you surpass your expectations, scream at the TV in joy, and struggle to put down the mouse or controller. This game is the real deal. Thank you for reading my review of Dark Souls by FromSoftware.

Finally played DS1! I already knew basically everything about the game, after watching like 4 let's plays since the game was released (ha!). I still used a guide here and there.

I have to say that, at least for most of my playtime, I didn't really enjoy the game... It's one of those titles that I have a better time watching someone play, that actually playing it myself.

Right now I have zero motivation to play any other FromSoftware game, but who knows. Maybe I'll give DS2 a go someday.

Completed in 28 hours in-game time, PC.

In preparation for Elden Ring I am playing through all Soulsborne games (excluding Demon's Souls because I am hopeful the remaster will be released on PC).

Dark Souls has garnered a reputation for being difficult and for good reason. What makes the game memorable for me is the design, world building and lore rather than the challenge. It's an immersive game unlike any other I have had the pleasure to experience. A key feature that makes the game work is how it is tough but fair.

The combat is simple at face value, but becomes deep from little touches such as the endurance meter, slow attack animations (compared to most action games) and high damage. It cannot be understated just how profound the endurance meter is. While not the first use in an action fantasy game (Blade of Darkness used one back in 2001), having endurance tied to all actions and have it regenerate slower while you have a raised shield creates a plethora of tactical decisions you need to make while in the heat of battle. Combos may be basic, you just tap the button multiple times, but the depth is from the system as a whole and how it impacts your traversal through the game world. It's all tightly balanced. Both you and the enemies are subjected to the same set of rules (mostly) and while your attacks leave you open, likewise so do the enemies creating a high octane dance of death that remains riveting from the start of the game until the very end. There is some rule breaking, such as enemies being able to spam spells without a limit, but there's always a break time in an enemies attack animation simulating your own limitations from the endurance meter. While not the best combat, it does more than most games with a minimalist approach.

Character customization radically changes how combat plays out further adding depth. Each build is viable, though magic and pyromancy will make the game objectively easier. This creates incentive to replay the game and makes subsequent playthroughs arguably more enjoyable since you're taking your expertise gained from your trial by fire into a new character build. It's satisfying conquering your Waterloo on a second playthrough. Ornstein and Smough was oppressively intimidating the first time I faced them but on new playthroughs it's rare for me to die. As you learn the world, you can also forge new paths that were too daunting from your lack of understanding previously. For example, you can start with the Master Key (arguably the best starting gift since it opens up the world significantly at the start of the game) and immediately head for Quelagg if you so choose. This has the added benefit of allowing you to skip the Depths entirely. The game is filled to the brim with these kind of secrets encouraging the players to dig deep into the game world and learn to exploit it.

The Estus and Bonfire systems are my favorite checkpoint mechanic in any game. It's carefully balanced and mostly fair. It's the best change from Demon's Souls. There are cases later in the game where bonfire placement feels more inconsistent and sometimes redundant. Perhaps this was due to less time to polish the later content of the game as deadlines approached. Also not all boss runs are consistent in difficulty. Some bosses have short runs (Fire Sage) while others significantly longer (such as Four Kings or Bed of Chaos).

I also love that death is incorporated into the lore and story of the game. I always appreciate when a game goes the extra mile to explain this and make it ludonarrative. Each Soulsborne game does this in some way and I appreciate the variety. They always figure out a new justification based on the new setting.

The depth in game design is overwhelming for all new players. It never holds your hand and feeds you to the wolves to figure things out and forge your own path. Early game direction is driven by dynamic gatekeepers. These take the forms of powerful skeletons that are meant to force you to find another way, or a locked gate. That said, if you take the time to talk to NPCs they will give you guidance and valuable information. The crest fallen warrior tells you exactly what to do to progress past the first third of the game.

I'm always impressed how the game manages to steer you in the right direction while strongly encouraging you to explore off the beaten path. This is done through level design. It's usually clear which way is forward. There are large structures in the distance that you almost always end up traveling to. They act as guiding beacons. The peak of level design is all areas around the Firelink shrine. The Undead burg, Parish, Blight Town, Catacombs and New Londo all connect to this central bonfire through various short cuts. It's both satisfying and brilliant when you uncover the next short cut looping back. Unfortunately later areas in the game feel less polished and do not loop back on themselves like the early third of the game. I still like most of the end game zones, but they have a different feel for them. Each has a gimmick that shakes up gameplay, such as darkness or lava. It's no surprise that a warp function is added to compensate for the change in design. It was a smart move to wait until the halfway point to introduce it. Forcing a player to walk to each location helps them learn the game world.

I cannot praise the world design enough. By the end of my first playthrough I was able to draw the entire world map from memory. Every location is internally and externally consistent. Thought went into how each zone connects with each other creating a sense of a living and breathing world that you inhabit.

It's also courageous the amount of secrets hidden away in the game. Some of these secrets are large areas with some of the best content in the game, such as the painted world or the DLC (excluding the Great Hallow). Miyasaki designed the game to encourage a community to discuss it and uncover the deeper systems of the game. This is included within the game world in the form of signs that players can leave to either guide or troll other players. He clearly had an expectation that this discussion would continue outside the game world. The game constantly encourages you to cooperate with other players and it's made reasonably simple. At the very least almost every boss has a NPC you can summon for aide. The original release of the game did suck with summoning friends. Sometimes I had to wait as long as an hour to see my friends sign. The remaster fixed this issue. Making summoning a two-edged sword was another great decision to add tension in your attempt to relieve tension (summoning aide for a boss fight). Even on my most recent playthrough my heart started to pound and my blood boiled when I was invaded.

Another stroke of genius is how you interact with the NPCs of the game world. They have their own motivations and objectives. They move about the game world on their own and you will periodically encounter them. This creates a sense that they are real and not a contrivance for plot or gameplay. The way to progress their quests are intentionally obtuse to further encourage community discussion. Chances are most of the discoveries on how to progress these quest lines were done by accident and then progressively spread through the community.

I'm also a fan of the storytelling. You can completely ignore it and still be able to progress through the game, or you can collaborate with an active community of lore hunters such as Vaatividya (he has made some great content) to understand more about the world of Dark Souls. It will require a ton of effort for you to scrape the surface of the story. The storytelling is conveyed primarily through environmental features and item descriptions. A clear amount of thought went into what types of monsters would inhabit a given area which further breathes life into the world. It's something that isn't common in games and something I always love to see.

There are some other great details, such as the inclusion of Andrei near the Gargoyles and Sen's Fortress. Upgrading weapons is far more impactful than leveling up. When you reach the bonfire above him, his pounding of his hammer is the loudest ambient sound you can hear. It draws you to him, encouraging you to employ his services. Upgrading a weapon to +5 will make the Gargoyles significantly easier. Before you enter Sen's fortress you will have gotten the next big ember (assuming you explored thoroughly) and collected materials to upgrade your weapon to +10 which will make Sen's Fortress and Anor Lando significantly easier. It's these details and thought that help make the game fair as long as you're willing to engage with the game on its terms.

I love this game and it's probably the game I have beaten the most. It still holds up even as later games in the series have made refinements. I still think it's the best of the Soulsborne though Bloodborne is my favorite (we'll see if that is still true on my replay).

Post-Note: I did some co-op with a friend during my playthrough and we discovered that when a mimic or those giant worms in the Demon Ruins grab both of you at the same time you take no damage. It was kind of funny.

Olin aina pitänyt itseäni huonona pelaajana ja karttanut Souls-like pelejä kaukaa. Puolipakotettuna päädyin kokeilemaan Dark Soulsin Switch-versiota ja hämmennyin siitä, ettei se ollutkaan niin mahdoton.

Olin yhtäkkiä koukussa tähän täysin uudenlaiseen pelimaailmaan ja koko genreen. Muutamaan bossiin jumituin pitkäksikin aikaa, mutta nämä bossit jäivät myös itselleni parhaiten mieleen (erityisesti Gargoylet ja Ornstein & Smough). Maailman tutkiminen, sopiva rytmitys, haaste ja pelituntuma heittivät pelin yhtäkkiä korkealle mun top 10-listalle. Tämä peli myös muutti mun käsitystä haastavista peleistä ja pelien vaikeustasosta, joten tämän pelin vaikutus on tavallistakin suurempi.

Harvinaislaatuinen tapaus "en ikinä koske"-pelistä top 10 peliksi.

5/5 Erinomainen

It's hard to tackle the topic of the Dark Souls games without discussing difficulty. Also, people have analyzed this game to death so I don't really have some hot take on it. I'm not the biggest fan of very difficult games, which is why I avoided the series for a few years. When I finally tried it a few years ago and after going through the learning curve, I became I huge Souls fan. More than the challenge itself, the genius from this game is how it curbs the difficulty in a way that is second to none in terms of satisfaction. It's not good because it's hard, it's good because how it takes you on a ride from frustration to victory. That's why so many clones try and fail to nail this approach. It's not about old school bulljive of being hard for the sake of hard by thowing a ton of enemies or dying in one hit. The game forces you to play it on its terms and once you do, you begin to understand it a bit more until it just clicks. Also, like any good RPG, it gives the player some freedom in being able to grind your way into a smoother time without really being cheap. This doesn't mean it doesn't have it doesn't have some parts where the phrase "tough but fair" doesn't quite apply anymore and some mechanics have been refined in later titles, but this one just has a charm to it that's hard to describe.

The map's interconnectivity, the variety of playstyles/builds, the epic boss fights... Again, there's plenty of hour-long reviews on Youtube; a few paragraphs won't do it justice. It's an immersive, unforgettable gaming experience.

So this may be a kind of biased review of Dark Souls seeing as how I played Bloodborne first. The technical issues of the game are what got to me the most about this game. I don't mind a game being hard and working against you, but it does get a bit frustrating when it is because the game is just not functional enough for you to overcome certain obstacles without 5 or more attempts. The game became really at certain points because of this as well such as when I can shoot some of the harder enemies to death with arrows ( though it did take 5 +mins to do sometimes haha). A lot of kinks in controls and AI that of course in From Software's later games they have improved.

I do like the tension that you feel in every boss fight and just the sheer fact that you may not be fast enough to dodge out of the way of certain attacks in time. These things made the game a challenge in an enjoyable way it required me to really think out attacks and how I would handle my encounters which is still not heavily done in other recent action titles.

The colors and textures just felt mushed together everywhere I went, but the enemy designs are amazing in all the DS games as well as Bloodborne. I also find it interesting how From takes a very unique path in storytelling. It is very minimalistic yet it gives you so much if you seek it out.

Gameplay: 3.5 /5 Story: 3.5/5 Presentation: 3 /5 Difficulty: 4 / 5

Basis:

Story= plot progression, intrigue, characters, world

Gameplay= Mechanics, gameplay options (freedom), repetition, goals, difficulty

Presentation= graphics, animation, environment/character design, Art direction, Script, music