Game of the Decade (2010-2020)
You know how people were still playing Starcraft until Starcraft II came out? And how people were still playing Diablo II until III came out? Yeah, Dark Souls is another one of those games.
I bought Dark Souls upon release with little to no background or expectations.
I played it for two weeks, gave up. I liked the mechanics, had a decent support group around and we were all feeling our way around in the darkness, but eventually I gave up. Got really into Skyrim (I now laugh that I thought that this game was good) and the Dark Souls case sitting on my TV stand gathered dust.
One year after my initial purchase, 10 months after I had all but given up on Dark Souls I got a funny itch. The only way to scratch it was to pop in the Dark Souls disc. I created a new character and for some odd reason felt confident. Thousands of deaths, millions of souls, and 500+ hours later I can say without a doubt that this is the game of the decade.
- Dark Souls has an amazing, deep, organic story. Every character you meet, every environment you encounter has a story to tell (if you're looking for it). This is to say nothing of the atmospheric worlds and the thoughtful, interconnected level design.
- The combat has one of the most fair, balanced systems out there (excluding online PvP lag-induced back stabs). The more armor you put on, the slower you move. The bigger your weapon, the slower it is -- though it will certainly deal some amazing damage if you do connect. Each weapon has a different move-set and dramatically changes the way you approach a fight.
- You must be careful. Despite the fact that Dark Souls could probably pass as a 3D fighting game, you cannot survive through the use of button-mashing. A trio of unarmored undead is just as likely to kill you as a giant, gaping dragon. Your patience is rewarded, your hastiness is punished. There is no cheating in Dark Souls. Cheesing some bosses is necessary for the beginners out there -- hell, sometimes the game encourages you to do so.
I could go on. But instead of wasting your time reading my lazy, unedited book-report review, go buy this game.
And don't give up.
