''It's Still Shitposting Even If You Are Being Ironic''
I heard this phrase many, many years ago in a YouTube video, and it would take me another many years to find out originated in 4chan. It's honestly a bit hard to admit it since I despise that foul site with every fiber of my being, but I think about that phrase a lot, I mean, not referring to shitposting itself, but what it implies as a whole. This dumb phrase from a dumb forum and the context I found it in taught me how if you are criticizing or calling out something, if in that process you do the exact same thing as the one you are poking fun of, you lose both meaning and credibility, a fault innate in mot of the parodies without substance, but this can affect also even the best of works.
Dark Souls III, if it's about one thing, it's about cycles; the same thing forced to repeat over and over until it's just ashes, but even like that it's forced to burn. The kingdom of Lothric has fallen victim of this cycle, it's clearly implied that this new kingdom stands were once there was a place called Lordran, where the events of the first game took place, and the monarchy that crowns the land has maintained its power over this single idea: Keep. The fire. Alive.
It's probably the most, for a lack of a better term, sad story in the franchise. There was a lot, and I mean A LOT of tragedy in past games, but in here, the desperation is truly palpable. Never in another game have things gone south this bad, and it's almost scary how the end seems inevitable... but this feeling doesn't take long until it begins to dissipate. Dark Souls III is based around the idea of how this cycle has damaged the world beyond repair, and it kinda puts us in the role of the villains, we are tasked with doing this labor, continuing this cycle, one that's now being rejected by the monarchy that imposed it, it's a perfect spin on the first games story, yet, I can't shake this feeling that in other areas this whole incredible idea kneels tho thing it's criticizing.
Past areas and enemies, instead of being treated as this forgotten thing as they were in DS2, are vividly remembered and even celebrated, the Abyss Watchers and Oceiros for example, while incredibly characters in its own, end up being just big fans of pas bosses, which could work in this context, but I think it defeats the purpose od the initial narrative. Cycles are a thing that have consumed this world and as it was already was seen in DS2, is practically impossible to escape from, but when names from past games are directly mentioned by almost everybody and in a ton of items, it doesn't seem anymore like the is invisible yet omnipresent and it has lost all of its meaning, it feels like it HAS meaning, like there are things to be remembered, which I think defeats a lot of the strength the original message had. It feels wrong to called it ''fanservice'' 'cause it just isn't, it just feels like it fails in the delivery of its marvelous story in some places, and it ignores a surprising amount of things that its younger brother, as flawed as it is, did very, very right.
Maybe a lot of these things sound like ramblings but you gotta understand that I love this game: It's beautiful, it's very well designed, it has the best action in the series, its encounters and boss fights are jaw dropping; it does a lot of minor mistakes, but otherwise is incredible in its presentation and gameplay. But Dark Souls was never entirely about those things, for some people it may be and I do respect it, but not for me.
It's in this last battle when the games message finally hits its hardest, even more than in the fight against Prince Lothric and Lorian, the Soul of Cinder feels like the culmination of everyhting the game tried to be and teach, a battle against everyone responsible in continuing this cycle of pain: a final dance against the players and Gwyn, and as the music sets in the second phase, it was one of the times I didn't feel the game was calling back or celebrating a past thing, it truly end this moment, and it's saddening the rest of the game didn't.
It's true conclusion wouldn't come after almost a year later, and I'll talk about in the future, believe me, but Dark Souls III, as it was given to us, is the definition of a shattered masterpiece... yet at the same time, that feels so right for this world and these games... makes you wonder if that was the point... maybe not, but, the hell do I may know?
I heard this phrase many, many years ago in a YouTube video, and it would take me another many years to find out originated in 4chan. It's honestly a bit hard to admit it since I despise that foul site with every fiber of my being, but I think about that phrase a lot, I mean, not referring to shitposting itself, but what it implies as a whole. This dumb phrase from a dumb forum and the context I found it in taught me how if you are criticizing or calling out something, if in that process you do the exact same thing as the one you are poking fun of, you lose both meaning and credibility, a fault innate in mot of the parodies without substance, but this can affect also even the best of works.
Dark Souls III, if it's about one thing, it's about cycles; the same thing forced to repeat over and over until it's just ashes, but even like that it's forced to burn. The kingdom of Lothric has fallen victim of this cycle, it's clearly implied that this new kingdom stands were once there was a place called Lordran, where the events of the first game took place, and the monarchy that crowns the land has maintained its power over this single idea: Keep. The fire. Alive.
It's probably the most, for a lack of a better term, sad story in the franchise. There was a lot, and I mean A LOT of tragedy in past games, but in here, the desperation is truly palpable. Never in another game have things gone south this bad, and it's almost scary how the end seems inevitable... but this feeling doesn't take long until it begins to dissipate. Dark Souls III is based around the idea of how this cycle has damaged the world beyond repair, and it kinda puts us in the role of the villains, we are tasked with doing this labor, continuing this cycle, one that's now being rejected by the monarchy that imposed it, it's a perfect spin on the first games story, yet, I can't shake this feeling that in other areas this whole incredible idea kneels tho thing it's criticizing.
Past areas and enemies, instead of being treated as this forgotten thing as they were in DS2, are vividly remembered and even celebrated, the Abyss Watchers and Oceiros for example, while incredibly characters in its own, end up being just big fans of pas bosses, which could work in this context, but I think it defeats the purpose od the initial narrative. Cycles are a thing that have consumed this world and as it was already was seen in DS2, is practically impossible to escape from, but when names from past games are directly mentioned by almost everybody and in a ton of items, it doesn't seem anymore like the is invisible yet omnipresent and it has lost all of its meaning, it feels like it HAS meaning, like there are things to be remembered, which I think defeats a lot of the strength the original message had. It feels wrong to called it ''fanservice'' 'cause it just isn't, it just feels like it fails in the delivery of its marvelous story in some places, and it ignores a surprising amount of things that its younger brother, as flawed as it is, did very, very right.
Maybe a lot of these things sound like ramblings but you gotta understand that I love this game: It's beautiful, it's very well designed, it has the best action in the series, its encounters and boss fights are jaw dropping; it does a lot of minor mistakes, but otherwise is incredible in its presentation and gameplay. But Dark Souls was never entirely about those things, for some people it may be and I do respect it, but not for me.
It's in this last battle when the games message finally hits its hardest, even more than in the fight against Prince Lothric and Lorian, the Soul of Cinder feels like the culmination of everyhting the game tried to be and teach, a battle against everyone responsible in continuing this cycle of pain: a final dance against the players and Gwyn, and as the music sets in the second phase, it was one of the times I didn't feel the game was calling back or celebrating a past thing, it truly end this moment, and it's saddening the rest of the game didn't.
It's true conclusion wouldn't come after almost a year later, and I'll talk about in the future, believe me, but Dark Souls III, as it was given to us, is the definition of a shattered masterpiece... yet at the same time, that feels so right for this world and these games... makes you wonder if that was the point... maybe not, but, the hell do I may know?