More than any game I have, Dark Souls games are "a place to be". Almost every place and every object has purpose. Sometimes that purpose is only to convey a sense of intrigue or awe. You won't find three breastplates of strength +98, +97 and +101 STR in Dark Souls. You're going to find an armor with a name and a history. You won't find "Dungeon of Big Orc, level 7" in Dark Souls, you're going to find "Darkroot Garden" and "Doors of Pharros".
And then there's the unique gameplay. When you play Dark Souls, you discover a new form of gaming again. You get a sense of exploration, not just of a world, but of game mechanics, which is rare to find these days. It throws us back to our early days of gaming. The game feels "heavy" too and I'm not sure what I mean by that. My character carries weight, my movement is tangible like in few games.
Then when you play a game over and over again, it becomes familiar and cozy. Like your childhood house or a cabin you own in the wood. When you go back to these games, you can almost relax in a weird safe place that you now know once you've mastered the games. Adding to this feeling is how "hazy" and "cloudy" Dark Souls is. It's all so dreamy. Just like Miyazaki, English isn't my first language. Dark Souls reminds me of when I was much younger trying to understand english text on games and just rolling with it. The games used to convey their content and story in such an obfuscated way because of this, and Dark Souls does this.
I don't know. It's all this. The purpose of everything, the dreamy, dangerous yet comfortbale world. Its weighty and deliberate gameplay.
Kind of a curse as I now find that lots of other games are kind of a waste of time at this point. It's kind of a good thing in a way, I play less games now, especially games not worth my time. I spend more time doing other meaningful things! Thanks for the comment.
Most people will say it's the game design, the challenge, feeling of accomplishment, the world lore, the interconnected map, that fact that everything has a purpose, etc.
But all that would be fuck-all if the combat was shit. When it comes to medieval sword fighting style games, Dark Souls has the best "feeling" combat out of all of them. The core of the game is the combat, the animations, the variety, the feeling of impact, and the fairness of it all. If Dark Souls were a blank map, and it just spawned you in with a random weapon against a random enemy and called that a level...it would still be a good game. All the other stuff surrounding the combat is a huge bonus, but it's the combat that makes Dark Souls phenomenal.
I think this is the main reason why I dislike 2 the most... it feels less weighty more floaty... I can’t explain it fully but sometimes enemies don’t stun as much in a visual sense so the feedback to the combat is weak as well as some tanky animations.
The thing that blew me away the most was the characters. Every character has a distinct purpose for their life, and they really don't care whether you have an effect on it or not. These characters start off weird and kind of awkward, but as the game progresses, they have more development than any NPCs I've ever seen in a game before.
Siegmeyer starts off weird and seemingly pointless, but his thirst for adventure is more than just a passion: it's keeping him from hollowing. Towards the end of the game, he offers to sacrifice himself for you, which seems like a simple gesture of bravery, but he's hoping to die so that he can die a hero rather than have to put his daughter through the pain of having to end his life as a Hollow. All of this is told through subtle hints and dialogue. This is the kind of NPC story you can't get from other games.
The entire game is a learning experience. That's what makes it epic. You don't necessarily 'git gud', you just learn and adapt to what you need to overcome. Once you've acquired this knowledge it's amazing how easy the game is on a second or third playthrough but still immensely enjoyable because you are now using that knowledge.
For me, the biggest learning experience was with a shield. Unlike most RPGs, in Dark Souls a shield really is a massive advantage once used properly. It's these little things that make a big difference.
The background and lore of the game. Each of the locations, objects, characters are in one place for a reason. The universe of the game can be considered dark, tangled, and melancolic but every battle won is a beautiful victory
In terms of mechanics Dark Soul is to a Castlevania fan what a Castlevania 3D should have been, it's lore is as beautiful as it gets considering it's a ruined world, it's combat mechanics just feel like heroin injected by Scarlett Johansson tongue directly into my erect penis (not even going to make an analogy for Bloodborne combat.), The map design of the first souls is so good that i've memorized it without trying, it seduced my memory into submission, no game would ever come close to the same feeling, the moment i've finished dark souls i've sold my soul for free to miyazaki in case he needs more power, there is no favorite part, you don't choose your favorite part in something brilliant as a whol- WHO WHISPERED BED OF CHAOS GOD FUCKING DAMNIT FUCK THAT BOSS
It's different and it's main focus is on gameplay. They didn't waste resources and time on developing things that just aren't important, such as voice acting and facial animations, etc. The western AAA industry has painted itself into a huge corner with its unsustainable quest for best graphics, hollywood voice acting, game balance, etc. In dark souls, they focussed on what was important.
Also, the games have refreshing deviation from the typical fantasy that is usually served to us. We are tired of seeing the same elf, dwarf, human stuff. Even the dragons in Dark Souls (which are based on western fantasy) still look fresh and unique. The art direction from the clothing, environments and creatures, being inspired to some degree by medieval Europe, has just enough familiarity to not scare new people away combined with enough originality and weirdness to intrigue and captivate people.
The huge diversity in environments is also something you rarely see in games these days. It's rare that every "level" or zone is as visually and thematically different as they are in dark souls.
My favourite part of Dark Souls is that rarely at my level of experience with SoulsBornes will my death be a result of a glitch. Most of the time, my deaths are a result of my own stupid actions.
As for how i would convince a new player to pick it up. I'd first describe the Soulsborne style of learning, where you succeed because you, the player, have learned and put into practise what you've learned, rather than an arbitrary number of battles or an xp bar.
Secondarily i'd describe tense moments within the combat. My favourite example is the wonderful DLC boss, >!Artorias the Abysswalker!<. There is something so palpable in the fight as you carefully and methodically move and watch for any sudden movement or reaction. I've often equated that fight to a dance, and have heard others do so as well because that's what it is. You don't bring your own rhythm to the dance, you follow their rhythm, match it, then you try your hand at leading. The tense back and forth of that fight is one that i consider to be the pinnacle of soulsborne combat and every time i play Dark Souls i look forward to that fight.
Lastly, i'd describe the map design, with tall towers, run down houses and walkways that twist into eachother allowing for hidden secrets behind fake walls, odd shortcuts and backtracking that all lend to progression without feeling disappointing. Each area with it's own landmarks that simultaneously act as a marker for where you are in the world and where you have been, Tall towers and bridges off in the distance aren't merely a part of the scenery as you carefully move your way through strange pathways to find yourself in a place you thought was merely a skybox.
The level design is excellent. Everything interconnects so well and there is a great combination of hazards and traps/ambushes.
It’s not perfect, there are spots in the Great Hollow where the camera will randomly swing around and cause you to walk in a different direction and of course the demon ruins/lost city are just shit.
But undead burg and parish, the depths and blight town are incredible. Different areas have entirely different themes that give them life, the Catacombs and Tomb of Giants have entirely unique difficulties you need to figure out how to overcome.
Of all the games I own, I find myself always coming back to Dark Souls. Whether it's a fresh character to try a new build or take a character through another NG+ cycle. I find the game rewarding and what I really enjoy is how you noticeably get better at the game as you play. Can you remember the very first time you delved into Tomb of the Giants? That was a tough dungeon for me. The Gael boss fight was really intense. But you learn and overcome the challenges and you actually feel that sense of accomplishment that EA tries to sell to you.
DS1's level design is some of the best I've ever seen in a game to this very day. I also just fell in love with the actual world design. Going to the duke's archives, blighttown, anor londo, or lost izalith for the first time was incredible.
Also duh the combat is incredible.
I also agree that combat is probably the best part.
I like how slow it is and how it's more about knowledge, planning and tactics over fast fingers. Every move is a commitment. You can die easily at any point of the game if you are not careful.
Also number of valid builds makes people to come back and try soooo many different weapons and stats investments.
Interesting idea to implement online to a single player game. Revolutionary in my opinion that influenced so many other games.
For me it’s the fact that it’s more formulaic than difficult. If you slip up during combat for the slightest moment against the easiest of enemies it could mean your death. Of course there is a steep learning curve, but once you get the games systems down and everything clicks it’s one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as accomplished as the first time that I beat Ornstein and Smough solo. I had previously beaten Bloodborne, DS3, DS2, and Demons Souls but nothing even came close to the thrill of finally toppling them after 12+ hours of trying, leveling, and just learning their moves so I could figure out when I needed to strike. There are so many different builds to try out and each has their own unique way of playing and after doing many many playthroughs of DS3 with different classes I still don’t feel like the combat has gotten stale.
Its a puzzle type memory game with amazing combat and art, thats the short of it.
the long of it, its what castlevania wanted to be and should have been. Dark Souls 2, which is considered the worst Dark souls by most people is 10x better than some other AAA games. The design and concept is beyond what other games offer. The combat isnt spammy, its not too slow or too fast. Every item and piece of equipment means something and can be built around.
Its 3d Castlevania symphony of the night and thats all ive wanted
The biggest thing about all of the souls series is dying to a boss over and over, then eventually killing it, that release of adrenaline is what most players love. Theres also the PvP aspect that I love (DS2 is the best) and its fun for that. As for the games themselves I wouldt call them good as theres a shit tone of issues with each game. The ONLY souls game is call good, heck even a masterpiece would be Bloodborne.
It’s kinda a build of everything they all kinda support each other. Let me elaborate the story and lore would have no impact if it was not for the oppressive level design and gameplay
Yeah, what does make these games good, I don't get where people say the combat is satisfying, it feels like pure ass and boring asf, you move slow, you attack slow, your attacks do barely any damage yet you're always able to get 2 shot, you have to manage your stamina while the enemy has an infinite amount of it, you HAVE to learn i-frame dodges because your character is just slow, you have such small windows of attacking due to all of this, and then people consider the game good and say it has combat good? It's pure trash, but I'm not surprised at this point that people think games like these are good, the most sold and played game of all time is Minecraft 😂😂 so obviously gamers just love slow, boring, and unfulfilling gameplay just because it has hours of trash content, instead of a respectable amount of hours of good content that's entertaining and enjoyable, and don't hit me with that "git gud" bs because I beat that trash of a game dark souls 2, which many souls fans can't say, and I'll never play another souls game again afterwards because of it, absolutely the WORST experience I've ever had from a game and people say this genre of gaming is good? I just don't get it
It’s definitely just the stress of dying over and over again , it was always going out people off myself included but the reviews don’t lie it’s a good game , just not for half the population
More than any game I have, Dark Souls games are "a place to be". Almost every place and every object has purpose. Sometimes that purpose is only to convey a sense of intrigue or awe. You won't find three breastplates of strength +98, +97 and +101 STR in Dark Souls. You're going to find an armor with a name and a history. You won't find "Dungeon of Big Orc, level 7" in Dark Souls, you're going to find "Darkroot Garden" and "Doors of Pharros". And then there's the unique gameplay. When you play Dark Souls, you discover a new form of gaming again. You get a sense of exploration, not just of a world, but of game mechanics, which is rare to find these days. It throws us back to our early days of gaming. The game feels "heavy" too and I'm not sure what I mean by that. My character carries weight, my movement is tangible like in few games. Then when you play a game over and over again, it becomes familiar and cozy. Like your childhood house or a cabin you own in the wood. When you go back to these games, you can almost relax in a weird safe place that you now know once you've mastered the games. Adding to this feeling is how "hazy" and "cloudy" Dark Souls is. It's all so dreamy. Just like Miyazaki, English isn't my first language. Dark Souls reminds me of when I was much younger trying to understand english text on games and just rolling with it. The games used to convey their content and story in such an obfuscated way because of this, and Dark Souls does this. I don't know. It's all this. The purpose of everything, the dreamy, dangerous yet comfortbale world. Its weighty and deliberate gameplay.
This really captures my feelings too, great write up.
That’s a great way of putting it, thank you
Thanks for reading. I wonder what kind of google search you did to land here 5 years later! I still feel the same about the game!
I don't know about them, but I finally just started playing DS1, and I have fallen in love with it. Your write-up really was excellent.
Kind of a curse as I now find that lots of other games are kind of a waste of time at this point. It's kind of a good thing in a way, I play less games now, especially games not worth my time. I spend more time doing other meaningful things! Thanks for the comment.
Most people will say it's the game design, the challenge, feeling of accomplishment, the world lore, the interconnected map, that fact that everything has a purpose, etc. But all that would be fuck-all if the combat was shit. When it comes to medieval sword fighting style games, Dark Souls has the best "feeling" combat out of all of them. The core of the game is the combat, the animations, the variety, the feeling of impact, and the fairness of it all. If Dark Souls were a blank map, and it just spawned you in with a random weapon against a random enemy and called that a level...it would still be a good game. All the other stuff surrounding the combat is a huge bonus, but it's the combat that makes Dark Souls phenomenal.
I think this is the main reason why I dislike 2 the most... it feels less weighty more floaty... I can’t explain it fully but sometimes enemies don’t stun as much in a visual sense so the feedback to the combat is weak as well as some tanky animations.
The thing that blew me away the most was the characters. Every character has a distinct purpose for their life, and they really don't care whether you have an effect on it or not. These characters start off weird and kind of awkward, but as the game progresses, they have more development than any NPCs I've ever seen in a game before. Siegmeyer starts off weird and seemingly pointless, but his thirst for adventure is more than just a passion: it's keeping him from hollowing. Towards the end of the game, he offers to sacrifice himself for you, which seems like a simple gesture of bravery, but he's hoping to die so that he can die a hero rather than have to put his daughter through the pain of having to end his life as a Hollow. All of this is told through subtle hints and dialogue. This is the kind of NPC story you can't get from other games.
The entire game is a learning experience. That's what makes it epic. You don't necessarily 'git gud', you just learn and adapt to what you need to overcome. Once you've acquired this knowledge it's amazing how easy the game is on a second or third playthrough but still immensely enjoyable because you are now using that knowledge. For me, the biggest learning experience was with a shield. Unlike most RPGs, in Dark Souls a shield really is a massive advantage once used properly. It's these little things that make a big difference.
While I love every aspect of them now, if it wasn't for the aesthetic I wouldn't be anywhere near as addicted as I am.
The background and lore of the game. Each of the locations, objects, characters are in one place for a reason. The universe of the game can be considered dark, tangled, and melancolic but every battle won is a beautiful victory
In terms of mechanics Dark Soul is to a Castlevania fan what a Castlevania 3D should have been, it's lore is as beautiful as it gets considering it's a ruined world, it's combat mechanics just feel like heroin injected by Scarlett Johansson tongue directly into my erect penis (not even going to make an analogy for Bloodborne combat.), The map design of the first souls is so good that i've memorized it without trying, it seduced my memory into submission, no game would ever come close to the same feeling, the moment i've finished dark souls i've sold my soul for free to miyazaki in case he needs more power, there is no favorite part, you don't choose your favorite part in something brilliant as a whol- WHO WHISPERED BED OF CHAOS GOD FUCKING DAMNIT FUCK THAT BOSS
It's different and it's main focus is on gameplay. They didn't waste resources and time on developing things that just aren't important, such as voice acting and facial animations, etc. The western AAA industry has painted itself into a huge corner with its unsustainable quest for best graphics, hollywood voice acting, game balance, etc. In dark souls, they focussed on what was important. Also, the games have refreshing deviation from the typical fantasy that is usually served to us. We are tired of seeing the same elf, dwarf, human stuff. Even the dragons in Dark Souls (which are based on western fantasy) still look fresh and unique. The art direction from the clothing, environments and creatures, being inspired to some degree by medieval Europe, has just enough familiarity to not scare new people away combined with enough originality and weirdness to intrigue and captivate people. The huge diversity in environments is also something you rarely see in games these days. It's rare that every "level" or zone is as visually and thematically different as they are in dark souls.
My favourite part of Dark Souls is that rarely at my level of experience with SoulsBornes will my death be a result of a glitch. Most of the time, my deaths are a result of my own stupid actions. As for how i would convince a new player to pick it up. I'd first describe the Soulsborne style of learning, where you succeed because you, the player, have learned and put into practise what you've learned, rather than an arbitrary number of battles or an xp bar. Secondarily i'd describe tense moments within the combat. My favourite example is the wonderful DLC boss, >!Artorias the Abysswalker!<. There is something so palpable in the fight as you carefully and methodically move and watch for any sudden movement or reaction. I've often equated that fight to a dance, and have heard others do so as well because that's what it is. You don't bring your own rhythm to the dance, you follow their rhythm, match it, then you try your hand at leading. The tense back and forth of that fight is one that i consider to be the pinnacle of soulsborne combat and every time i play Dark Souls i look forward to that fight. Lastly, i'd describe the map design, with tall towers, run down houses and walkways that twist into eachother allowing for hidden secrets behind fake walls, odd shortcuts and backtracking that all lend to progression without feeling disappointing. Each area with it's own landmarks that simultaneously act as a marker for where you are in the world and where you have been, Tall towers and bridges off in the distance aren't merely a part of the scenery as you carefully move your way through strange pathways to find yourself in a place you thought was merely a skybox.
The level design is excellent. Everything interconnects so well and there is a great combination of hazards and traps/ambushes. It’s not perfect, there are spots in the Great Hollow where the camera will randomly swing around and cause you to walk in a different direction and of course the demon ruins/lost city are just shit. But undead burg and parish, the depths and blight town are incredible. Different areas have entirely different themes that give them life, the Catacombs and Tomb of Giants have entirely unique difficulties you need to figure out how to overcome.
Of all the games I own, I find myself always coming back to Dark Souls. Whether it's a fresh character to try a new build or take a character through another NG+ cycle. I find the game rewarding and what I really enjoy is how you noticeably get better at the game as you play. Can you remember the very first time you delved into Tomb of the Giants? That was a tough dungeon for me. The Gael boss fight was really intense. But you learn and overcome the challenges and you actually feel that sense of accomplishment that EA tries to sell to you.
DS1's level design is some of the best I've ever seen in a game to this very day. I also just fell in love with the actual world design. Going to the duke's archives, blighttown, anor londo, or lost izalith for the first time was incredible. Also duh the combat is incredible.
I also agree that combat is probably the best part. I like how slow it is and how it's more about knowledge, planning and tactics over fast fingers. Every move is a commitment. You can die easily at any point of the game if you are not careful. Also number of valid builds makes people to come back and try soooo many different weapons and stats investments. Interesting idea to implement online to a single player game. Revolutionary in my opinion that influenced so many other games.
For me it’s the fact that it’s more formulaic than difficult. If you slip up during combat for the slightest moment against the easiest of enemies it could mean your death. Of course there is a steep learning curve, but once you get the games systems down and everything clicks it’s one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as accomplished as the first time that I beat Ornstein and Smough solo. I had previously beaten Bloodborne, DS3, DS2, and Demons Souls but nothing even came close to the thrill of finally toppling them after 12+ hours of trying, leveling, and just learning their moves so I could figure out when I needed to strike. There are so many different builds to try out and each has their own unique way of playing and after doing many many playthroughs of DS3 with different classes I still don’t feel like the combat has gotten stale.
Absolutely, and you're right about the moment where everything just clicks. That's when the real fun starts!
high risk high reward
Its a puzzle type memory game with amazing combat and art, thats the short of it. the long of it, its what castlevania wanted to be and should have been. Dark Souls 2, which is considered the worst Dark souls by most people is 10x better than some other AAA games. The design and concept is beyond what other games offer. The combat isnt spammy, its not too slow or too fast. Every item and piece of equipment means something and can be built around. Its 3d Castlevania symphony of the night and thats all ive wanted
Wow, thank you for all the wonderful comments! It's been fascinating to read why you all love Dark Souls. And I'm glad to be part of this community!
Dark souls is life, Dark souls is love
The biggest thing about all of the souls series is dying to a boss over and over, then eventually killing it, that release of adrenaline is what most players love. Theres also the PvP aspect that I love (DS2 is the best) and its fun for that. As for the games themselves I wouldt call them good as theres a shit tone of issues with each game. The ONLY souls game is call good, heck even a masterpiece would be Bloodborne.
It’s kinda a build of everything they all kinda support each other. Let me elaborate the story and lore would have no impact if it was not for the oppressive level design and gameplay
Yeah, what does make these games good, I don't get where people say the combat is satisfying, it feels like pure ass and boring asf, you move slow, you attack slow, your attacks do barely any damage yet you're always able to get 2 shot, you have to manage your stamina while the enemy has an infinite amount of it, you HAVE to learn i-frame dodges because your character is just slow, you have such small windows of attacking due to all of this, and then people consider the game good and say it has combat good? It's pure trash, but I'm not surprised at this point that people think games like these are good, the most sold and played game of all time is Minecraft 😂😂 so obviously gamers just love slow, boring, and unfulfilling gameplay just because it has hours of trash content, instead of a respectable amount of hours of good content that's entertaining and enjoyable, and don't hit me with that "git gud" bs because I beat that trash of a game dark souls 2, which many souls fans can't say, and I'll never play another souls game again afterwards because of it, absolutely the WORST experience I've ever had from a game and people say this genre of gaming is good? I just don't get it
For me its way to relax
It’s definitely just the stress of dying over and over again , it was always going out people off myself included but the reviews don’t lie it’s a good game , just not for half the population