WARNING: BIG POST
I wrote a blog a long while ago explaining why I love it. Can't remember what I wrote exactly but I'm pretty sure my opinions haven't changed since. However, I will mention that the most crucial thing about playing Dark Souls (and Demons' Souls) is to understand why it is, the way it is. Yes, the combat is slow and clunky, yes, you can easily get yourself killed, yes, the odds are stacked firmly against you but rarely does it feel unfair. It may not look like it at first but the game treats you with respect and wants you to get better. You may be slow to swing a sword but your enemies can move just as slow and are thus are working your level as well even if it doesn't look like it.
There's no difficulty slider or easy mode when you start. Everyone starts off on the same world and challenge and the only way to progress is to play with their rules and if you understand and respect those rules, it's immensely satisfying. Despite the challenge it's managed to breed a group of people who play the game in such eccentric manners like the Onebro challenge (finishing the game at only level 1), a shield only run or even a cosplay run. Of course there's always people who want something harder so they create these bizarre, self imposed challenges that are still completely viable given with enough practice, observation and willpower. Games rarely have this "culture" of sorts surrounding it.
Game design aside it's also managed to create a fascinating sense of immersion and aesthetics that we rarely see in other games. It's a low fantasy game and it feels especially so with it's heavy armour covered in a dull sheen of forged metal to the point you could almost feel the weight of it as your character lugs about the place so whenever the fantastical elements come to light it feels even more profound. Everything feels like it makes sense because it's justified in some way or another whether through text or environmental details. It's incredibly video gamey but very rarely does it remind you that it's a video game.
On a side note the first black knight you meet in the Undead Burg is one of my favourite enemies in the game, him specifically. The first time we see him the visual language immediately tells us that this is something dangerous and we've never fought anything like him up to this point and more importantly, his silhouette is shaped just so to tell us what we need to know, he's bigger and tougher given his size and the intimidating black armour he dons. But at the same time there's an item near him and he has his back to you. The game acknowledges his threat but at the same time wants to tease you, to bring you out of your comfort zone and thus learn something about the it's world and inner workings. If you do die to him you're given a second chance with your bloodstain and hopefully you would've learned why you died. That one knight is just one of the many examples of how the game teaches you in a manner that's understandable on a subconscious level. Dark Souls may like to smack you with a hammer you every now and again but like a sword it's slowly tempering you, making you tougher and more hardy to better you as a player.
I could write much more paragraphs regarding the world/level design, the sound, the characters, the art style, it's innovative and anecdotal multi player elements, the story (and it's projection) but I'm rambling. I've clocked over 700+ hours into Dark Souls. It has it's share of faults no doubt (of which I can give you five at the top of my head right now) but the things the games wants to do it achieves phenomenally well and thus you can probably guess why I think it's one of the most interesting games I've ever played if not my personal favourite. Every now and again I sometimes read about someone else's experience with the game or we're discussing some lore or other tiny details we've overlooked. Whatever the case it's like fine wine, the more you play and spend time with it, the more you begin to appreciate and understand why it's designed thusly. It's reliance on playground knowledge is something we rarely do today thanks to this age of internet and game wikis and that's something I really miss about games. Not only playing them but discussing about them.
I don't know the staff at From Software but I could definitely feel the passion and identity that they've carved into this game and that really gives it, I dare say, a soul of it's own.
(Erm. Must excuse the ponciness of my post. I really get worked up for this game.)
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