Never before or after have I had such a memorable video game experience as the first playthrough of this game. I came in after playing a bit of Bloodborne and loving Dark Souls 3 so much I beat it thrice. And in my first impressions, I was frustrated here. I didn't like the clunkier rolling and lock on mechanics, the slower flow of combat, or the tighter spaces I was forced into fighting enemies in.
But as I progressed, I found more and more I was enraptured with Lordran. It felt so effortless how it all tied itself together, and it was just as effortless for me to find my way around it. After years of scouring maps in Metroid, here I was just mindlessly connecting completely opposite locations. And it all felt so vast, like there was so much revealed every time I passed a challenging part, or even gave up and wandered elsewhere.
This game has an atmosphere unlike any other. For all the games From has made about worlds in decay and disrepair, never before have I felt so immersed in the feelings of one. Everything is so far gone that at times it feels hopeless, yet other times the natural beauty of the world shines even stronger in the serenity of society itself nearly ceasing to function. When you first find your way into a man-made place, it can hit so many different emotions. Some are just as beautiful as the world untouched, while others can horrify in how such a place ever felt just to create.
The gameplay here is a completely different beast to From's later games in this style, so I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea. Combat is measured, generally slower but usually more thoughtful as well. You have to consider your build's strengths and weaknesses in relation to your surroundings many times in finding new places. And of builds, you can specialize in just about any playstyle and find success in this game, unlike games like Bloodborne and DS3 that either restrict or weaken many approaches in favor of faster combat.
I will never forget my first time getting cursed and spending hours making hell runs trying to return myself to normal. Or my amazement at learning I went through all of Blighttown without ever seeing half of the areas I could explore at that time. There were multiple times I felt I had a good grasp on the type of locations I'd be seeing just for the rug to be pulled by the game showing me some new area I never would have imagined I would see. And I have never felt accomplishment quite like beating Smough and Ornstein for the first time.
This game is legendary for the legends you live playing it. They're experiences you can share with friends who have played and will be shocked by the many turns your journey took, and you can then show this game to others who will in turn shock you in how they play and experience it. I have journeyed through this masterpiece over 10 times now and I suspect I won't stop coming back ever.
But as I progressed, I found more and more I was enraptured with Lordran. It felt so effortless how it all tied itself together, and it was just as effortless for me to find my way around it. After years of scouring maps in Metroid, here I was just mindlessly connecting completely opposite locations. And it all felt so vast, like there was so much revealed every time I passed a challenging part, or even gave up and wandered elsewhere.
This game has an atmosphere unlike any other. For all the games From has made about worlds in decay and disrepair, never before have I felt so immersed in the feelings of one. Everything is so far gone that at times it feels hopeless, yet other times the natural beauty of the world shines even stronger in the serenity of society itself nearly ceasing to function. When you first find your way into a man-made place, it can hit so many different emotions. Some are just as beautiful as the world untouched, while others can horrify in how such a place ever felt just to create.
The gameplay here is a completely different beast to From's later games in this style, so I understand it's not everyone's cup of tea. Combat is measured, generally slower but usually more thoughtful as well. You have to consider your build's strengths and weaknesses in relation to your surroundings many times in finding new places. And of builds, you can specialize in just about any playstyle and find success in this game, unlike games like Bloodborne and DS3 that either restrict or weaken many approaches in favor of faster combat.
I will never forget my first time getting cursed and spending hours making hell runs trying to return myself to normal. Or my amazement at learning I went through all of Blighttown without ever seeing half of the areas I could explore at that time. There were multiple times I felt I had a good grasp on the type of locations I'd be seeing just for the rug to be pulled by the game showing me some new area I never would have imagined I would see. And I have never felt accomplishment quite like beating Smough and Ornstein for the first time.
This game is legendary for the legends you live playing it. They're experiences you can share with friends who have played and will be shocked by the many turns your journey took, and you can then show this game to others who will in turn shock you in how they play and experience it. I have journeyed through this masterpiece over 10 times now and I suspect I won't stop coming back ever.