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Dark Souls

Gryphos

Auror
Man, I just played Dark Souls again, and remembered that it's one of my favourite games of all time, for a variety of reasons.

First off, I love the combat system. The simple idea of giving individual weapons set movesets adds a huge amount of variety into play. In other games like Skyrim, every weapon falls into a category, that category having its own (rather unimaginative) moveset. This, I feel, linearises(?) the progression, as there will almost always be a linear hierarchy of weapons' strengths compared to others. But in Dark Souls one greatsword, as well as having different stats from another greatsword, can have a completely different moveset, meaning that no weapon completely overshadows another, as if it has better stats, the player might prefer the moveset of the other. Excellent design.

The game design in general is really good. The bonfire checkpoint system leads to risk-reward gameplay as the player has to choose between resting at a bonfire and getting their supplies back, but having all the enemies respawn; or carrying on with reduced supplies. The boss fights are also unique and imaginative (though I still chuckle whenever I fight 'Ceaseless Discharge' [yes, that is actually the name of a boss]).

But what I absolutely love more than anything about Dark Souls is the story and lore. A lot of people who play through the game may not realise there even is a story, but there certainly is. The thing Dark Souls does differently is that it keeps the story... I wouldn't say hidden, but... it doesn't tell you it like most other games do. In the game you're given some brief backstory at the start of the game and then dropped into a post-apocalyptic kingdom, and you're then left to work out on your own what the hell went on. You do this in several ways. Item descriptions, for example, reveal most of the world's lore, and if you really pay attention to the NPCs rather cryptic dialogue you might be able to piece some more of it together. Dark Souls is a game that tells a story in a way only a game can, through atmosphere and self-fueled investigation. Sure you can just kill the big, stone armour-wearing knight in the tower and be on your way, but you can also ask yourself "Hold on, why was this guy locked in here?" at which point you read his ring's item description and learn some intriguing lore. And I do love the lore, which spawned such great and fascinating characters like Gwyn, Artorias the Abysswalker and Seath the Scaleless. The story more than anything is a testament to games' ability to tell intriguing stories in a unique and amazing way.

So how many people here have played Dark Souls? If you have, how familiar are you with the lore?
 
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I love dark souls I bought it over the summer but I haven't gotten to play it much due to school and the holidays I'm so busy. But I love how the art is amazing! it's so unique and the storyline is so much different than the usual games I play. So far I've rung one bell and I am still dead although I have gotten to the blacksmith and the forest and I have been revived back to humanity but I died soon after so :( but I'll get more if I ever defeat the giants in the church and the jerk with the lighting in the ruins
 

Fyle

Inkling
Yes, we agree on this Gryphos.

Dark Souls to me is a classic. Awesome game.

I recommend this highly to anyone who likes the ARGP or adventure game genre.

Its just hard enough to be enjoyable, not frustrating.
 

jbmarkes

New Member
Kindred spirits,

Dark Souls is really the last bastion of real gaming left. Smartphone games today seem to be creeping into the console/PC market, going the route of "congratulation, you repeated an action X number of times... here's a cookie." We could use more challenge in our games.

Hello, Dark Souls. The play-style really echoes the despair in the storyline. I still remember the first time I died on the way back to my souls... I lost like 60k souls and didn't play for two weeks. You crawl off and lick your wounds until your curiosity outweighs your losses.

And the storyline is there for you to find, if you are looking for it. But if it's not your thing, you can ignore it and just fight your way through. Much better approach than info-dumping you with cutscenes every five steps.

Dark Souls II was just more of what was offered in Dark Souls the First, and somehow that's a good thing. I do hope they keep churning out games like this without messing up a good thing.

So to my fellow sunbros... (you are sunbros, right?) I salute you and Praise the Sun!
 
I have to say I enjoyed the solitary air the game had. Haven't felt a real atmosphere in a game since Shadow of the Colossus that impacted me enough to recognize. It is those subtle hints of the underlying story that kept me play, guessing what purpose every boss had. Not sure if your character has a true purpose or it is ours of the choosing, but it all worked so very well. I would like to point out that despite it doing so well on its own, credit must be given to King's Field and Demon's Souls first; they birthed such a transition of storytelling and challenging gameplay.
 

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