izigame.me

In the childhood games we played, we used to imagine that the earth was made of lava for whatever reason and we took extreme care in every step we took as if our survival relied on it. Dark Souls is pretty much that, only this time the lava is very real!
As someone whose least favourite thing in life is to be deprived of joy and peace of mind, it wouldn't be too difficult to understand my past prejudice against souls-like games. Whilst I enjoy a good dose of action and a bit of buzz every now and then, I've always thought that souls-like games tend to drag the sh!t out of things and miss the appropriate ratio, a view that is yet to be disproven. Although there may be more than one reason behind this opinion, I find it more appropriate and modest to do some introspection by looking for the blame both in my own intolerance and in the exaggerated ruthlessness of the developers. However, like the lure of young love that for sure is not healthy for you, it's a genre that has always been in the corner of my eye for many years. I have embarked on this gruelling and cancerous journey by slaying goths in Bloodborne, and this dreadful franchise had to come next.
As you can infer from my cynical demeanor, this review will be aimed more at fellow pleasure-seeker gamers such as myself who want to try this game out. As for the masochists, you can keep on farming and emotionally abuse whoever uses a summon in a boss fight. Also please take a shower. Incompetent noobies such as myself, welcome. This is a safe space.
Starting off, let's discuss why this genre is such a pain in the ass and the poster child for psychotic breakdowns. As you may all be aware, it inherits all its charisma and repulsiveness from its relentless combat mechanics. Swarms of almost hysterical creatures waiting around every corner to pounce on you, hordes of abominations that fight in absurdly dynamic and frenzied ways that God himself did most certainly not intended... and in the midst of all this chaos, some of the most brutal and punishing gameplay mechanics you've ever seen. Particularly the first few hours are intolerably challenging to your patience as a player. Or a human being, really. Analysing the inner workings of the game and trying to figure out the most suitable approach to play is quite an exhausting process, as there is a persistent world in the background that never stops moving and never stops demanding you to do the same.
However, the first stage of settling the dispute with this game is definitely a surrender. Recognising that the fundamental root cause of this long cold war inbetween has made this process a lot easier for many including myself. And that misjudgment was my utter refusal to accept that, in fact, I had to lose in order to survive. I suggest a similar acknowledgement on your part, otherwise there is no way to have any pleasure in this game. You will lose, you will die and yes, your hours of efforts may be gone with a single, tiny, silly mistake. Entertaining, right?
Easily one of the most liberating yet challenging features of Dark Souls is that almost no battle has a single definitive answer. The distinction and skill gaps between classes, the weapon you favour, a mismatched armour can be rendered worthless in the blink of an eye. Consequently, knowledge is a pretty major factor in what kind of a sh!tstorm your playthrough may or may not turn out to be and deciding what stance you want to pursue involves a number of challenging steps. Dissecting and observing the attack patterns of your enemies with almost an academic curiosity is one of them.
Frequent repetition and memorisation is required when playing this game. I'd even go far to say take notes for whatever, maybe specific locations you might want to go back to eventually. The world is quite large and naturally, it is quite easy to get lost while trying to get back to your revival site. With featuring an interconnected map though it somewhat balances the lack of fast travel in the game's warm-up process and the hostility of its terribly massive map. Whatever you do, play wisely. If you must die, (which, bet) try to die in a more practical location. This game is very stubborn and quite firm about not being your ally.
Above all, enjoy it. You'll require to have a monk's graceful resignation and acceptance. Might as well watch a few motivational speeches and soul-searching videos while the game is downloading. Happy gaming!