Green Room Review| Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition

 

Image Credit: IGN.com

Dark Souls is one of those few games that has a legendary name that even none gamers and gamers alike revere. Many reviews of this title exist some stating it cured their depression, others that it taught them never to give up or give in no matter the odds, and to others its a game they see an insurmountable mountain to climb. To me it was an interesting puzzle to adapt to as my first souls game I beat was Bloodborne and being able to trace the game design backwards from there to Dark Souls was fun seeing where the team decided to speed up and even seeing Manus as precursor to the cleric beast with a similar but more Dark Souls speed move set. This game provided some of the highest highs and deepest lows of my gaming career. Let's dive into this review!

(Reviewed on Xbox Series X backwards compatibility on a 4k TV)

Gameplay

Dark Souls is a refined version of its predecessor Demon's Souls the gameplay is that of an action rpg where you are given a choice of classes each with different strengths and weaknesses I played as a Dexterity focused class focusing on curved blades with quick attacks that can stack up and cause bleeding to an enemy. Each weapon feels unique to wield and making your character to match the required stats to wield weapons is some of the fun where as researching weapons and seeing what stats scale with them to maximize your damage is where it gets truly addicting. The main loop is to explore a new area learning it's layout and fighting through enemies to the next bonfire to save and level up or repair your equipment. The main hiccup of that loop is when you die you are sent back to the last bonfire you rested at and must fight back to your body or all the souls (currency/XP) you earned will be lost if you do not make it back before dying with enemies who respawn after leaving a bonfire or player death. This is where the majority of new players are turned away as it can sometimes be a brutal learning curve with some areas having hidden enemies with poison darts, a tough boss between you and the next bonfire, or a enemy that is stronger than most others. This game aside from its addicting and brutal gameplay loop is known for its boss fights so many of these boss fights are a spectacle and proof of excellent fight design. Learning the attack patterns of a boss and punishing them with a flurry of blows and seeing their health bar drain is rush that few games have replicated. Aside from some clunk mostly in movement the gameplay is very fun, challenging and rewarding.

Story

Dark Soul's story is very straight forward with you the player being the "Chosen" undead who must rekindle the First Flame as the age of fire is coming to an end. With that being said the story does have a very linear flow to it as the game is more a metroidvania in 3D than an expansive open world like Skyrim or the much later successor Elden Ring. While it is fairly linear it has one of the most connected worlds in any game with shortcuts leading you to places that you barely glanced at and even having awesome hidden areas to progress some characters quests along to their destined conclusion. While the story is very easy to understand from speaking to the NPCs around the world whom you will assist and sometimes fight, the lore of the world is hidden deeper for those who wish to understand more of this world. Many lore points are hidden within the descriptions of items leading to more questions answered by the environment and other items. Progressing the NPC's stories felt very satisfying but at times the games leaves you unsure of if you'll see them again till a random encounter or the the accidental removal of a hidden wall reveals their next plot point and what you must do to progress it. The world is draped with an atmosphere of dread and sometimes these NPCs can be the only light you see in this darkening mad world and they can give you reason to rekindle the flame. I do recommend playing mostly blind on your first playthrough to truly experience the game.

Audio

From the cozy crackling of the bonfire, the shuffling of armored footsteps, to the giant thudding heard when around large enemies the soundscapes this game produces to the player can light the imagination creating dread of what lies ahead. Where the audio truly excels is the music most of the time there is no music but when you are in a safe zone or boss fight the music can help make it feel like a true fight for the fate of the world and mankind. The audio really makes each boss stand out as they can elicit emotions especially in fights where the lore makes you feel the tragedy of a character (looking at you Sif). The game also uses audio to provide tactile feedback with visceral sounding slashes, indications of status effects releasing adrenaline, or a blade hitting a dense rock showing that the enemy is barely affected by your attack. The audio truly captivates and can make the player feel either epic or give them the adjustments they need. Spells having very distinctive sounds and some weapons also identifiable from the noises they make. 

Summary

Overall Dark Souls is truly a masterclass of game design that truly shows the from software team took criticism from Demon's Souls and created a genre defining game. Dark Souls while at times clunky when compared to its successors truly created something special that many developers have been trying to emulate in the years since even by some of the games from the studio. This game and its journey will stay with you long after the credits roll and that truly illustrates why this title became a cultural phenomena since release. Everything from players telling you to "Git Gud" or the universal "Praise the Sun!" Dark Souls has become one of the cultural events that defined gaming. From the amazing music, to the well crafted atmosphere, and addicting gameplay this game truly earned a perfect 5/5 from me.

Thank You, for reading and don't you dare go hollow dear reader!