The game that started it all. Honestly, I always felt a bit shitty being in games media without having rolled credits on this. It's the forebearer of a massive shift in video games, reintroducing an old-school approach to design and challenge that's permeated everything from the indie landscape to the triple-A scene in the decade since its release. I don't think there's ever really been a game that managed to launch out of such a specific niche and become so popular, especially not in my lifetime anyway.
I remember reading about Dark Souls in the Official Xbox Magazine before it came out and my mushy, dumb-ass kid brain was thinking, wow, sounds fucking dreadful. A game where you lose all experience when you die, get crushed by brutal enemies and have to navigate massive chunks of a labyrinthian open world with very few checkpoints? Who's playing that? Well, 12-year-old Callum, it turns out everyone.
And, even now, it's easy to see why it was such a cultural shift. Dark Souls, in spite of it not ageing too gracefully, is a masterpiece. Ever since I played and fell in love with these games, its become so clear to me that Miyazaki and his team at FromSoft are geniuses, both in terms of their aptitude for delivering excellent gameplay and crafting a ridiculously compelling world. From the moment you enter Dark Souls' Lordran to the second you leave it, this is a bleak, punishing adventure that doesn't have to tell you a conventional story because you straight up feel it. Sure, talking to the few remaining humans you meet while navigating dingey sewers and crumbling castles gives you a good sense that this is a world distinctly on life support, but what makes Miyazaki's vision get under your skin is how often the gameplay communicates that without saying a word.
Twisted, nightmarish monsters fill formerly-human settlements, ripping you to shreds on sight. Corrupted knights patrol heavenly castles, sniping you off buildings with heavy-duty bows. Once heralded gods wait for you behind fog gates, most afflicted with harrowing body-horror-heavy forms. It's a game that instils real terror in you, as you slowly peek around corners searching for that next bonfire, full-well knowing something is likely waiting for you on the other side. And that's really what it boils down to with Dark Souls. It leaves such an impact because it's a game that isn't afraid to let go of your hand to create an involving, immersive, intimidating and ultimately unforgettable experience.
You can talk about the fact that FromSoft clearly hadn't found the perfect line between bullshit and challenge this early into crafting the genre, meaning there are infuriating run-ups to bosses, an infinitely frustrating third act (fuck the Tomb of the Giants and Demon Ruins) and whatever the hell the Bed of Chaos boss fight was. You could talk about the endless amount of jank and the obsession with unresponsive platforming. And I mean, you would be remiss without mentioning that Miyazaki's absolute infatuation with stinky poison swamp levels is utterly bizarre.
But none of the flaws matter in the face of Dark Souls being a work of art that frequently speaks to you without having to say a word. I love this game. I love its tense combat, its Beserk-meets-LOTR visual style, its spectacle-heavy boss fights and the way it uses its punishing nature to make success feel genuinely rewarding and defeat feel like a learning experience. But above all else, I love Dark Souls because it focuses on the inherent strengths of video games as a whole. It has limited cutscenes and little dialogue, but it's a fascinating tale told entirely through environments, character design, tone and challenge. It's proud of being a video game, and as such, it uses the medium's strengths to create a work of art that couldn't be portrayed any other way.
I remember reading about Dark Souls in the Official Xbox Magazine before it came out and my mushy, dumb-ass kid brain was thinking, wow, sounds fucking dreadful. A game where you lose all experience when you die, get crushed by brutal enemies and have to navigate massive chunks of a labyrinthian open world with very few checkpoints? Who's playing that? Well, 12-year-old Callum, it turns out everyone.
And, even now, it's easy to see why it was such a cultural shift. Dark Souls, in spite of it not ageing too gracefully, is a masterpiece. Ever since I played and fell in love with these games, its become so clear to me that Miyazaki and his team at FromSoft are geniuses, both in terms of their aptitude for delivering excellent gameplay and crafting a ridiculously compelling world. From the moment you enter Dark Souls' Lordran to the second you leave it, this is a bleak, punishing adventure that doesn't have to tell you a conventional story because you straight up feel it. Sure, talking to the few remaining humans you meet while navigating dingey sewers and crumbling castles gives you a good sense that this is a world distinctly on life support, but what makes Miyazaki's vision get under your skin is how often the gameplay communicates that without saying a word.
Twisted, nightmarish monsters fill formerly-human settlements, ripping you to shreds on sight. Corrupted knights patrol heavenly castles, sniping you off buildings with heavy-duty bows. Once heralded gods wait for you behind fog gates, most afflicted with harrowing body-horror-heavy forms. It's a game that instils real terror in you, as you slowly peek around corners searching for that next bonfire, full-well knowing something is likely waiting for you on the other side. And that's really what it boils down to with Dark Souls. It leaves such an impact because it's a game that isn't afraid to let go of your hand to create an involving, immersive, intimidating and ultimately unforgettable experience.
You can talk about the fact that FromSoft clearly hadn't found the perfect line between bullshit and challenge this early into crafting the genre, meaning there are infuriating run-ups to bosses, an infinitely frustrating third act (fuck the Tomb of the Giants and Demon Ruins) and whatever the hell the Bed of Chaos boss fight was. You could talk about the endless amount of jank and the obsession with unresponsive platforming. And I mean, you would be remiss without mentioning that Miyazaki's absolute infatuation with stinky poison swamp levels is utterly bizarre.
But none of the flaws matter in the face of Dark Souls being a work of art that frequently speaks to you without having to say a word. I love this game. I love its tense combat, its Beserk-meets-LOTR visual style, its spectacle-heavy boss fights and the way it uses its punishing nature to make success feel genuinely rewarding and defeat feel like a learning experience. But above all else, I love Dark Souls because it focuses on the inherent strengths of video games as a whole. It has limited cutscenes and little dialogue, but it's a fascinating tale told entirely through environments, character design, tone and challenge. It's proud of being a video game, and as such, it uses the medium's strengths to create a work of art that couldn't be portrayed any other way.