For years I never touched Dark Souls thinking it was too hard or that I wouldn't like it. I watched some lets play videos here with with Vinny Caravella and friends, enjoying the spectacle but never considered diving in myself.

But this spring the sun of Lordran finally shone upon my face!… before throwing me into the darkness. Skeletons, poison, mushrooms, oh my.

As I had seen some videos of the game beforehand I stepped into Dark Souls with a bit of an edge, but it was never like having watched an entire playthrough, only bits and pieces from here and there.

I didn't know all of what humanity did, where to find the best items, how to beat all the bosses (or who they even were). What I did know however was the mantra of close to every Souls-player I've talked to, "have patience, don't rush". I took this to heart, something that might explain why I haven't found the game to be as hard as people have claimed.

I beat the Gargoyles on my third try, Moonlight Butterfly, Gaping Dragon and Queelag on my first, and the Iron Golem on my second. For those interested I'm currently rocking the Black Iron Set and swinging the Black Knight Ultra Greatsword. I tend to switch to the Gold Hemmed Black Set when I need to be light on my feet. I've also invested heavily in pyromancy, which is great for crowd management and just plain fun to use.

Last night I beat Ornstein and Smough, the toughest boss(es) I've faced so far. I think I got them on my fifth try where I summoned Solaire. It was the first time I ever used a summon, quite fun actually.

Ornstein is apparently very weak to fire, something I found very pleasing as I'm a 15+ pyromancer that loves to scorch his enemies… praise the fair lady!

After 30 hours I finally got the power to warp between bonfire, and it really feels like a milestone. I love to explore every nook and cranny of a game (looking at you Skyrim), and this game is just chock full of it. I'm currently working my way down the hollow tree from Blighttown and let me just say… fuck mushrooms.

The feeling of accomplishment that Dark Souls provides when you finally beat that boss or conquer an area, the deep and hidden lore of Lordran and the absolutely stunning design and construction are but a few of the reasons I love this game. It's truly a unique and rewarding experience.