Dark Souls

🎮 Steam ⏳ 225 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Punishing Exploration Philosophy #

The very first Dark Souls entry is often remembered as a punishing yet rewarding action RPG that reshaped the way difficulty and exploration are handled in modern games. Set in the bleak and mysterious land of Lordran, the game offers you little guidance, pushing them to learn through trial, error, and careful observation. This style of exploration is not for everybody, though if you are willing to learn how to handle it, and how unique it is, then you are in for a great experience on this regard.

Interconnected World Design #

Its interconnected level design is one of its greatest strengths, with cleverly hidden shortcuts, looping paths, and secret areas that reward curiosity and persistence. This is truly one of it’s biggest standouts, the entire world is interconnected, it feels more realistic, but it also has the drawback of having a lot of empty space between locations. The atmosphere is thick with a sense of decay and melancholy, supported by cryptic lore that invites you to piece together the story from item descriptions and environmental details.

Deliberate Brutal Combat #

Combat is slow, precise, and unforgiving, demanding patience, timing, and mastery over every encounter, and since this was one of the first “Soulslike” implementations, it feels very dated and clunky for today’s standards. Boss battles stand out as monumental challenges, often feeling overwhelming at first but immensely satisfying once conquered, and while some of them had some tricks to make the fight easier (similar to some Demon’s Souls bosses) the vast majority of them are purely skill-based.

Asynchronous Online World #

The online features, such as player messages, co-op summoning, and PvP invasions, further enhance the experience by making Lordran feel alive and unpredictable. Particularly I didn’t cared much for the online experience, so I turned that off because I really hated when somebody invaded my game and I had to fight them, though I admit that this is a very unique implementation for this kind of experience.

Flawed PC Port #

The PC port, however, was widely criticized upon release for poor optimization, locked resolution, and awkward controls without mods like DSFix, which became almost essential for a smooth experience. And even though all of this was improved on new re-releases of this title, I’m talking about the OG release here, so if you, for some reason, are still playing this, I still recommend using these old methods to “fix” the majority of the port problems.

Genre-Defining Legacy #

Even so, the core gameplay was so compelling that many overlooked the technical shortcomings. Despite its rough edges, the game’s influence is undeniable, it popularized the “Soulslike” formula and inspired countless successors, and made me a big fan of this genre, to the point that I don’t see myself playing any action RPG nowadays if it isn’t a Soulslike one, the old mouse-based ones such as Diablo are no longer appealing to me. For those willing to endure its steep learning curve and initial frustrations, Dark Souls delivers a uniquely immersive and unforgettable journey, and I also highly recommend playing the DLCs and secret areas.