I know Vinny was a huge fan of the first game and is on a (temporary?) hiatus from Dark Souls, but I think he should really get back into it. Not only is it a great game, but I'd really like to see it get some real Game of the Year consideration from the Bomb Squad. That means he and all the others need to give it a fair shake. Brad and Patrick have been pretty good about giving it a chance, but Jeff, and especially Ryan, need to drop the attitude and play the game before dismissing it outright. I personally never thought I'd be a fan of the series (and I really probably shouldn't be, considering the gross number of souls I just lost), but I think this game can be enjoyed by anybody if they approach it with the right mindset.

What do you guys think?

Vinny will go back to it when he feels like it. And I don't think Jeff or Ryan would be interested in the game even if they were forced to play it, so no. I think the guys should play the games they want to play. Also, they don't all need to play a game for it to have a chance to be game of the year. Red Dead Redemption came really close last year, and Jeff didn't play much of that game.

@MooseyMcMan said:

Vinny will go back to it when he feels like it. And I don't think Jeff or Ryan would be interested in the game even if they were forced to play it, so no. I think the guys should play the games they want to play. Also, they don't all need to play a game for it to have a chance to be game of the year. Red Dead Redemption came really close last year, and Jeff didn't play much of that game.

Well said. Don't force a game down their (or anyone else's) throat just because you dig it. I loved Dark Souls, but I can fully understand why it's not for everyone.

So the opinions of Jeff and Ryan are the only ones that matter?

Just ignore Rorie, Vinny, Kessler, Brad and Patrick because they don't count.

They covered the hell out of that game dude.

@Dany: Whoa, dude. That's not what I said at all. I'm just tired of their shit-slinging. Heard on yesterday's Bombcast:

Ryan: So, Vinny, are you still playing Dark Souls?

Vinny: No, I'm on a hiatus.

Ryan: Good.

It's just unnecessary, especially when Dark Souls is such a good game.

@Dany: Whoa, dude. That's not what I said at all. I'm just tired of their shit-slinging. Heard on yesterday's Bombcast:

Ryan: So, Vinny, are you still playing Dark Souls?

Vinny: No, I'm on a hiatus.

Ryan: Good.

It's just unnecessary, especially when Dark Souls is such a good game.

@Jrinswand: Who cares? Why does it matter? I don't care what Ryan has to say about Dark Souls at all as he's the only one who of the crew who hasn't even touched it but he still feels the need to talk as if he knows all about it on their discussions about Dark Souls. It shouldn't bother you.

jeff and ryan hate everything

don't worry about it

If ive learned anything about vinny over the last 3 or 4 years. its that he will play a game when he wants to. I wouldnt be surprised if he picked it up next year sometime... I mean he only started playing the darkness this year or something.

No.

They've covered that game more than enough.

The threads about how certain games aren't given the type of coverage that some people want and almost as annoying as the Endurance Run threads.

GotY isn't actually an award. The producers, artists, coders, etc. don't get a statue or cheque or anything. All it signifies is that in the opinion of these few guys, the best game that came out. Its no more significant than if me and three other posters picked a game. I don't know why people get so worked up over this

Game of the Year consideration? The bomb squad has much, MUCH better picks than this glitch fest, poorly made game. Everything I've read and seen of skyrim easily wins it over in the rpg category, without even playing it. I've played and watched enough games/movies with people in full suit of armor on, and none of the characters run THAT slow like in dark souls. Then the demons themselves can easily run across the map. I mean, I played a good 12 hours into the game, and I just don't see it. I feel like people who have praised the game, have not enjoyed theirselves with a with perfected difficult game or even an enjoyable one. Ninja gaiden *xbox/ps3* was difficult, but extremely fair even on the hardest difficulties. Everything relied upon skill.

I was relieved that this past bombcast was the only one in the past few months that vinny didn't discuss dark souls.

Vinny, Jeff, Patrick and Brad have all tried the game, to varying degrees. Others loosely affiliated with Giant Bomb, notably Rorie--and I believe Will and Dave--have done so, too. Of those, more than half of them have had positive things to say about the game. They've covered it exhaustively on the site, the Bombcast, an hour-plus Quick Look and Rorie's gargantuan write-up.
 
GB has done its due diligence regarding Dark Souls. So what more do you want? If you just want them all to love Dark Souls unequivocally, when its clearly a game unsuited to all palates, then sorry, it's not gonna happen.
 
The only one who hasn't given it a "chance" is Ryan. And when someone talks authoritatively about a game they've never played, you should be ignoring them anyway.

Vinny played it a ton and I'm pretty sure it was sarcasm when Ryan said good. Chill out dude.

Vinny really likes the game, but its a huge time commitment, especially when they have so many other games to play for GOTY consideration.

By the way Vinny stopped after he got the lordvessel and was told to go get the lord souls, which is a good place to take a break as it is the beginning of the last act of the game.

@MildMolasses: I'm not talking about coverage. I know that the game has been covered. I've been following it pretty much everywhere they've been putting it out. I'm talking about them playing it. They should play it 1.) because I think they'd actually like it if they'd sit down and spend some time with it and 2.) because it is a great game.

Also, I'm interested in seeing it in the GOTY nominations because I actually care about these guys opinions. I wouldn't have been following this website for the past 3 years if I didn't. Their opinions hold a wee bit more weight than that of the average Joe. I just know how vocal Ryan is in his opinions whenever he's on the mic. I'd hate to see him shoot down the opinions of others, as he has when talking about Dark Souls/Demon's Souls in the past.

Look, guys, it's not that I really have anything invested in this. I just think it's a damn shame.

I've actually been very surprised by how much coverage they've given to the game considering how little attention was paid on the sited to Demon's Souls.  The quick look was lengthy, lots of discussion on the podcast and stuff with kessler and rorie.  I'll admit Ryan and Jeff's "fuckt this game" attitude sometimes gets to me, but they've explained on the podcast enough about the aspects of the game that they don't like so I understand where they are coming from.  Naturally most of what they say wrecks the game for them are things that make me love the game so I don't agree with their interpretations, but I at least feel like they have an informed opinion.  It's just one that's different than my own, but that is ok with me.
 
I actually thought the way the game was handled on the site was very professional.  Rather than portray the distaste of a few of the top men at the site as being the collective opinion of the site, we had Matt and Kessler do an excellent commentary on the game as well as Matt's excellent writeup on the game.  It was pretty much Ryan/Jeff/whoever admitting "I don't understand this game, I never will, let's get someone who actually knows what he's talking about to cover it". 

A rule to live by in video games: care about what people that have actually played the game thinks about it.  Don't care about what people that have never played it thinks about it.  Patrick approached Dark Souls with a "fuck this game" attitude as heard on the E3 cast.  He has since changed it to a "I'm enjoying it" attitude two weeks ago on the Bombcast.  That's pretty much all you need to know.

The best part about Giantbomb is all the members do their own top 10 list. I'm sure Dark Souls will be very high on Vinny's list. Also, with all the awards they have I'm sure Dark Souls will get recognition somewhere. If you still feel like that's not enough, go to a different site. IGN praises Dark Souls and Gamespot gave Demon's Souls GOTY when it came out so I'm sure Dark Souls will be ranked pretty high there. Its a good game its just not for everyone. I can definitely see how Ryan's comments about the game can be annoying, but its just not his type of game so you gotta except that. And while Jeff doesn't like it, he at least acknowledges multiple times during various Bombcasts that he sees why people think its a good game. I feel like everyone has a game or two every year that they don't like that everyone else thinks is GOTY worthy, its no big deal.

I think Dark souls is one of the best games I've played this year. Its not as buggy as one of the commenters here suggest, but it is slow paced and methodical. Definitely not for everybody.

I do think it will probably be considered in the nominations but it will then be pushed aside by more approachable games.

I'm totally cool with that. It's still going on my list =)

Just play the game and don't worry about what others think about it....its not for everyone

How about we don't tell the staff how to spend their free time?

Dark Souls is not a very hard game.

I repeat, Dark Souls is not a very hard game. It is just a game that requires a little thought and patience. A real "hard" game would be the first Ninja Gaiden on the original XBOX.

Ryan just likes being an asshole and thinks his whole "why do people like Dark Souls?" thing is cute.

Dark Souls is a very specific game made for a very specific player. I'm tired of people crying that others don't see what they see in it. I'm glad you have had a great time with the game and have found something to feel strongly about, but it is unnecessary to think that others don't enjoy it as much as you because they haven't "given it a chance."

It was GB's coverage that made me decide to go ahead and take the plunge, so they must have done a pretty good job in their coverage. 

Why are people not allowed to not play a game they are not interested in? I am sure there are some good games this year that you did not play because you didnt think the game looked interesting or whatever. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if they havent played the game. That is especially true for games that you dont have to play to know what they are about, which is what Dark Souls is. Dark Souls is a grueling experience that requires a lot of dedication, patience, and willingness to put up with a lot of grinding. Not everyone is into that experience, which is certainly true for Jeff and Ryan, and people shouldnt have to play the game to know that they dont want that experience.

Actually sent in a question to the bombcast about this, but I guess they didn't feel like discussing it. Basically I asked if they think the game gets ignored by a lot of people because of it's hardcore image, as I personally find there's so much other great stuff about this game that just makes it a good game and if people didn't have the "this is a hard game" mind-set they might've actually given it a chance and liked it. When it comes to Jeff and Ryan though I just don't think it's their style of game. Dark Souls is an RPG-ass RPG. It's not like modern (bioware-style) RPGs that could almost be described as action-adventures with conversations. You just won't like Dark Souls unless you really enjoy core RPG mechanics.

I liked the Demon's Souls/Dark Souls cult better before they went on their "THIS IS THE GREATEST GAME EVER AND EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY IT BECAUSE OMG." You know, back when they had sense.

YEAH WE SHOULD FORCE THEM TO PLAY IT AND THEY WILL LIKE IT BECAUSE I LIKE IT AND IT'S THE BEST GAME EVER AND JEFF IS A DICK UNLESS HE LIKES IT

Something is finally getting old.

@Jrinswand said:

@Dany: Whoa, dude. That's not what I said at all. I'm just tired of their shit-slinging. Heard on yesterday's Bombcast:

Ryan: So, Vinny, are you still playing Dark Souls?

Vinny: No, I'm on a hiatus.

Ryan: Good.

It's just unnecessary, especially when Dark Souls is such a good game.

You clearly miss the point of giantbomb.

Wow, Giant Bomb has to have one of the most defensive communities I've ever seen. Then again, I don't go anywhere else. No IGN, no GameSpot, no Joystiq, no Kotaku. I start a simple thread about a game I enjoy enthusiastically and you guys act as if I'm dictatorially forcing people to spend their free time in certain ways. I just figured the GB crew (but mostly Ryan, who tends to make definitive remarks about things with which he is not familiar) could use a bit more of a well-rounded approach to the game. I guess I'll just stick to Bombcasts, Quick Looks, and TNTs.

Wasn't there significant time devoted to Dark Souls discussion on the last few podcasts? How much needs to be done before it's been "covered"?

@thechronodarkness said:

Game of the Year consideration? The bomb squad has much, MUCH better picks than this glitch fest, poorly made game. Everything I've read and seen of skyrim easily wins it over in the rpg category, without even playing it. I've played and watched enough games/movies with people in full suit of armor on, and none of the characters run THAT slow like in dark souls. Then the demons themselves can easily run across the map. I mean, I played a good 12 hours into the game, and I just don't see it. I feel like people who have praised the game, have not enjoyed theirselves with a with perfected difficult game or even an enjoyable one. Ninja gaiden *xbox/ps3* was difficult, but extremely fair even on the hardest difficulties. Everything relied upon skill.

I was relieved that this past bombcast was the only one in the past few months that vinny didn't discuss dark souls.

Do you think maybe you should limit your nominations to something that has actually been released? And your first argument against Dark Souls is that it's a glitchfest? Bethesda has a great track record of releasing overly polished games that are bug free so there's no reason at all to think that Skyrim will be infested. Did you not play Oblivion or Fallout? Your skill analogy also makes little sense. How is Dark Souls not skill based? It's the same as any other difficult game including Ninja Gaiden. You put in the time to learn what to do and when to do it and you're fine.

I've said it before but Dark Souls is a niche game. It is fantastic at what it does but it's not going to appeal to everybody. I'm pretty sure that they know what Dark Souls is all about and they're not interested. NBA 2k12, NHL 12 and FIFA 12 are all great this year should I start creating threads about how some dudes on a website should pay more attention to those games so they can win the magical all-important game of the year award? I know they're great games and that's good enough for me.

I really worry about people sometimes. What enjoyment do you get out of listening to the bombcast if you don't understand the humor at all. I don't really feel like explaining their jokes but when Ryan says Good it does not translate into I hate that fucking game and everyone who plays it.

I liked the Demon's Souls/Dark Souls cult better before they went on their "THIS IS THE GREATEST GAME EVER AND EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY IT BECAUSE OMG." You know, back when they had sense.

@Jrinswand said:

@MildMolasses: I'm not talking about coverage. I know that the game has been covered. I've been following it pretty much everywhere they've been putting it out. I'm talking about them playing it. They should play it 1.) because I think they'd actually like it if they'd sit down and spend some time with it and 2.) because it is a great game.

Also, I'm interested in seeing it in the GOTY nominations because I actually care about these guys opinions. I wouldn't have been following this website for the past 3 years if I didn't. Their opinions hold a wee bit more weight than that of the average Joe. I just know how vocal Ryan is in his opinions whenever he's on the mic. I'd hate to see him shoot down the opinions of others, as he has when talking about Dark Souls/Demon's Souls in the past.

Look, guys, it's not that I really have anything invested in this. I just think it's a damn shame.

Look the controversy and divisiveness of the game is from a creative perspective. The reason why Jeff and Ryan hate the game is the same reason why everyone on this thread love the game. Asking them to sit down and play it again until they like it is pointless. If the design of the game doesn't click with someone its hard to make it click on repeated playthroughs and that is more true here. GOTY is the most subjective debate. Just because your favorite game doesn't make the list doesn't make it a bad game. If you love the game and played it then you deserve to be happy. you don't need someone else's approval to validate that

They seem to not want to give any rpg's a second chance once they stop playing them.  Only Vinny seems to finish them.   Hell i'd like for them all to finish the Witcher 2 but that's not going to happen.

I quit Dark Souls as well. I'm going to go back, I just don't know when. I'm 90% on Dead Island, BloodRayne: Betrayal keeps calling me back, Uncharted 3 just arrived today, and Vampire the Masquerade:Bloodlines is fun as hell despite it's age.

I beat Batman AC, otherwise that would be on my plate as well.

@Jrinswand: I think you are over thinking, Not in a good way.

It's not for them. Pretty much anyone but Vinny on the staff moves on to a different game at the first sign of frustration

@Jrinswand said:

I know Vinny was a huge fan of the first game and is on a (temporary?) hiatus from Dark Souls, but I think he should really get back into it. Not only is it a great game, but I'd really like to see it get some real Game of the Year consideration from the Bomb Squad. That means he and all the others need to give it a fair shake. Brad and Patrick have been pretty good about giving it a chance, but Jeff, and especially Ryan, need to drop the attitude and play the game before dismissing it outright. I personally never thought I'd be a fan of the series (and I really probably shouldn't be, considering the gross number of souls I just lost), but I think this game can be enjoyed by anybody if they approach it with the right mindset.

What do you guys think?

With the deluge of games coming out, Dark Souls is probably not the best thing in the world to be playing right now. If I were introduced to Demon's Souls with a 15 minute slaughterfest and a "What do you think?" I'd probably have the same reaction that Ryan had at TGS, which I think amounted to your game is fucked up beyond all hope. I can see where that may have burned him on the series for life.

@thechronodarkness said:

Game of the Year consideration? The bomb squad has much, MUCH better picks than this glitch fest, poorly made game. Everything I've read and seen of skyrim easily wins it over in the rpg category, without even playing it. I've played and watched enough games/movies with people in full suit of armor on, and none of the characters run THAT slow like in dark souls. Then the demons themselves can easily run across the map. I mean, I played a good 12 hours into the game, and I just don't see it. I feel like people who have praised the game, have not enjoyed theirselves with a with perfected difficult game or even an enjoyable one. Ninja gaiden *xbox/ps3* was difficult, but extremely fair even on the hardest difficulties. Everything relied upon skill.

I was relieved that this past bombcast was the only one in the past few months that vinny didn't discuss dark souls.

wtf are you blabbering about. Dark souls has very very few glitches and the game is entirely fair. Lets see you wear 100+pounds of armor as a shriveled human and still be able to run around like some crazy acrobatic. The game is awesome and deserves praise for what it is good at, and that is the difficulty it brings, the combat being something that is not used in many games such as having to USE a shield for once instead of it just being there as something to look cool or that you have to fight things 100 times bigger then you and ALOT stronger then you and finding a way to defeat it. I praise the game and i have over 160hours into it and i enjoyed every bit of it even when i died 10 times to the same thing and had to run 10 minutes through an area killing things and losing souls constantly just to get to the next bonfire.. I dont think they need to cover it anymore as they have put multiple articles up over the past few weeks to bring in new bits of info they found in the game but to trash talk the game that you have yet to even play and then saying a game that is not even out is in every way better? How one sided can you be? Skyrim is an rpg and so is Dark souls but they are entirely different kinds of RPG's and to say one is better then the other without even siting any facts about why is just making yourself look like a total dumbass. And to bring up ninja gaiden as your example of a difficult game is not really working as that seems to be the ONLY game anyone ever brings up as a difficult game.. Was that really the only game that has come out in the last 10 years that has brought any kind of difficulty / learning curve that can rival a souls game? Bring up some different kind of arguments instead of just copying what others have said.

More coverage would be nice but i dont think we need anymore as the game has been covered alot. Any more and its just something to fill up the days coverage while they get to new stuff. Also to shut a game down without trying and putting some effort into it is not a good way to bring up arguments.

@Jrinswand:

I don't want to speak for either person but I don't think Jeff or Ryan are dismissing it outright. They've been exposed to it quite a bit. I think they know the game well enough to know that it is a game that wasn't designed for them.

There is no time left, I'd rather they focus there attention on upcoming games.

I just wanted to say, in the wake of this thread and the Welcome Back Tricaster Party Part 2, fucking LOOOOOL.

There are easier games they could be sleeping through.

During the Tricaster party I was surprised by how much Ryan was getting into it.

Nobody can complain about this anymore, as people have pointed out. Every one of the crew has now played it.

That's why I don't give a shit about the reviews of any of the GB crew ; they're totally unpro, never on time, and only reviews the major game that you already read hundred of other reviews about.