Guys, I have a problem. Not many games have hooked me to the point of obsession where I will think about playing them whenever I'm not at home. Mass Effect did it to me a few years ago, Skyrim more recently, and now Dark Souls. I'll be honest, I was interested in it when it came out, but I was scared off by it's reputation as a difficult game. I mean, why should I spend money on a game that I'm not sure about, especially one as niche and demanding as this? For me, I have to be absolutely sure that I will like a game before buying a game, and that has its advantages and disadvantages. On one side, I play the best stuff that are sure to be enjoyable to me. On the other, I probably contribute to the "sequel-itis" that have made this generation a little bland at times, while limiting the genres I'm willing to try and possibly enjoy. To be fair, there are some genres that I know I will never "get" like fighting and RTS games.

But that all fell apart when I saw Dark Souls for $20. I couldn't not find out for myself. 10 hours in and many-a-late nights, I have no regrets. I know that whatever I have to say about it has already been said, and I'm sure people have moved on since, but eff it. First blog and all.

It's bizarre that this game makes people willing refer to online guides to learn more about the systems and tips on making it easier. I feel like this would be a deal breaker if it was any other game. In fact, I think that because it's Japanese developed, it's more of a "yeah, of course they would make a slightly messed up game" attitude. It's a little ridiculous, but I spent too much time doing "prep" in anticipating the best way to dive in. Pyromancers seemed to be the most recommended, but why make things easier on myself? I chose to make a Bandit because fuck everything in this game. I want to kill things faster while capable of wearing better armor. Apparently the classes are just starting points, so it didn't matter. Plus, I didn't want to waste points on spell slots or anything at the expense of vitality, strength or endurance.

So far, I found this game demands patience and punishes in order to teach. It's the same idea of a child putting his hand on a stove and immediately learning to never do that again. Each monster you fight is almost like a puzzle that you learn to kill it while not getting murdered. But I still think there are still some cheapness in there. For example, I had just gotten to the Depths before fighting the Gaping Dragon, and I fell into that goddamn hole. Anyone who has played this knows the one, the one with the fucking cartoon lizards that curse you and kill you instantly. Not a fan of insta-death.

Some quick stuff now. I'm still a bit confused on the use and purpose of humanity though. I've used them to reverse hollow once and got invaded by someone who I'm pretty sure was way above my level since I barely scratched him and he had some item that stopped my Estus Flasks. I lost, but I love the idea of dueling someone in this game and will definitely be sure to try some PVP out later on.

Full disclosure, I'm watching some videos to find some cool equipment, but I am avoiding watching anything other than that. Especially the boss fights...at least until I get frustrated. But so far, I'm really enjoying the depth in this game and the different possibilities in building a character. I'm sticking to a melee strength focused character while still trying to be relatively quick. Soul Level is 38 and strength, vitality and endurance are all in 20's. I'm rocking a knight armor set +2, Drake Sword, Fang Boar Helm, and Dragon Crest Shield. Havel's Ring and the Ring of Favor and Protection But if anyone reads this, feel free to give me some tips.