Even a decade later, "Dark Souls" can still be recommended as a solid action RPG with fascinating art direction and remarkable level design. I was planning to play it on Switch to make my train rides more tolerable, but I literally couldn't take my hands off it.
Exploration is what motivated me the most: figuring out how all areas are interconnected and playing around with the loot you find at each corner really makes you feel like you are allowed to approach the game the way you like. While "Demon's Souls" had six separate areas with their own linear progression, "Dark Souls" lets us enjoy free-roaming across a continuous map made of different biomes. Even though you are technically allowed to get anywhere, keys dropped by bosses are needed to open most locations, probably as a way to make sure you won't get into the most dangerous areas too early. I wish fast travel could be unlocked earlier, though. The only way to figure out the best way to go without a walkthrough is to travel across the map multiple times and assess the difficulty of each area, so fast travel would have definitely smoothened the process.
It would be impossible to objectively assess the game's overall difficulty, as everyone's hardest Souls game is always their first. It just takes some time to learn how to play and, especially, how to spend your experience points. Still, "Dark Souls" felt like one of the easiest in the series - I could tank the hell out of most enemies with the possible exception of the DLC bosses. For the most part, it's dodge, double hit, back off, repeat. The game requires trial and error and careful risk assessment, but most areas were relatively smooth to clear. Just make sure to buy curse healing items before getting into The Depths and farm poison healing items before Blighttown. Those debuffs nearly caused me a nervous breakdown.
The only thing that actually felt unfair is how enemies manage to hit you through walls and doors while you can't. The combat and gameplay are almost the same as "Demons Souls" (clumsiness included), with "humanity" acting as a more accessible debuff than the "soul" form, and the possibility to refill your healing flasks at checkpoints so that you won't need to farm for herbs and potions.
The setting and lore are incredibly fascinating, but there is not much plot going on as you play. The ending, in particular, felt a little too underwhelming after all the time spent on the game. The NPC quests are also way too hard to understand unless you search for tips on the internet.
The user interface is, as always, too cryptic. It's true that most people (including myself) wouldn't even bother reading tutorials even if they were available, but figuring out the meaning of each stat and symbol can really help overcome most challenges. Of course, it's never been a huge issue as lots of guides and resources are available online, but what if the Souls series stayed a niche sensation?
The Switch port was alright, even though I only played in handheld mode. The framerate is not rock solid, but it hardly ruined my experience.
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realistically this has too many flaws to be considered the best game ever, but so does bloodborne. honestly the one fromsoft game i'd submit to "best game ever" is elden ring no cap
The best game it isnt, but one of the best? Certainly is, but that applies most soulslike fromsoft games. It is insane how greatly fromsoft can make very high quality games. But i wouldnt object if anyone find DS the greatest, i love it.
yesterday i posted here about how the map design is unintuitive and wonky and i just wanted to make a second post saying that the design is actually really smart but it gives you no indication of where to go or what to do. i just have a really really bad sense of direction in this game.
I'm enjoying this (playing DS(R) for the first time, Elden Ring being my first and only 'Souls' game I have played), but really, some deliberate choices from the devs are terrible for many players' experience.
For instance, the use of the Fire Keeper Soul to upgrade your flasks, NOTHING in the item description tells you that you need to bring it to the lady in the cell and NOT consume it near a bonfire. I wasted the first one you get by doing the latter, thinking it was the right method. By the time I got that first FKS, I had forgotten about that line of dialogue vaguely telling you how to use one. At least, make it so that you can't consume it (without telling you how to properly do it). Another thing: the bonfires are often way too far from the bosses. Getting to the couple of Gargoyles is annoying with all the nonsense you have to go through EVERY time, When you die as often to said bosses, having to do all that beforehand just feels like a waste of your time. I know it's by design, to force you to play mindfully and patiently when facing the bosses, but the whole process of getting to the bosses itself is tedious.
Could have been a GOAT contender, but it cannot be for me because of things like these.
even worse when you get a fire keeper soul identical to any other that's actually essential for a questline, and you end up upgrading your flask with it and not being able to use the firelink bonfire for the rest of the game.
In my first playthrough i didnt consume it because in previous soulslike fromsoft games i learned that by consuming key items (on bloodborne), so when i started ds1 i knew that it is better to just consume flasks, then items to heal curse after. The rest i did go by intuition.
The boss run backs are mostly fine, the only awful one was BoC, but at the end i also dont like bosses being far from save shrines, it is great that this ended.
The bonfire placement is actually one of the best and most intelligent parts of this game, the runbacks aren't even bad unless you're just a really inpatient person.
but its still so much fun. its great. all that tedium adds a lot to the experience, and its an amazing journey
For instance, the use of the Fire Keeper Soul to upgrade your flasks, NOTHING in the item description tells you that you need to bring it to the lady in the cell and NOT consume it near a bonfire. I wasted the first one you get by doing the latter, thinking it was the right method. By the time I got that first FKS, I had forgotten about that line of dialogue vaguely telling you how to use one. At least, make it so that you can't consume it (without telling you how to properly do it).
Another thing: the bonfires are often way too far from the bosses. Getting to the couple of Gargoyles is annoying with all the nonsense you have to go through EVERY time, When you die as often to said bosses, having to do all that beforehand just feels like a waste of your time. I know it's by design, to force you to play mindfully and patiently when facing the bosses, but the whole process of getting to the bosses itself is tedious.
Could have been a GOAT contender, but it cannot be for me because of things like these.
The boss run backs are mostly fine, the only awful one was BoC, but at the end i also dont like bosses being far from save shrines, it is great that this ended.