So where do I begin?
89 hours of the game, I started over a month ago, doesn't seem like much, but it was only until about 14 days ago where I put in 75% of my hours.
The beginning of my first run I felt alienated, the game was extremely tough obviously and I couldn't play for long bursts at a time, but then, about 2 weeks ago I found the rhythm, I found bliss and love and... PRAISE THE SUN
This game is a masterclass, so much so that I finished this game on the 21st for the first time, instantly made a new character, got until Christmas day where I got to Ornstein and Smough, figured out I made a shockingly bad build and made a new character the same day much better built and then 3 days later I completed the game, doing far more than I did in my first run
Have I got good yet?
to be perfectly candid, had the game not faltered when searching for the four lord souls this would be my highest thought game of 9.75, but due to that long stretch I can't give it that... so let's talk about this game and why It was so close to perfection.
Gameplay
Tough, but not impossible, when people say souls games are just too difficult to actually play, they're wrong and I thought the same as them until this game. This game, gives players everything without telling them anything, did I use some guides playing? yes I did because it certainly is a difficult to understand game but even without sparsely used guides this game gives players all the tools they need, from this point it's on us.
This game absolutely nails it's gameplay, A youtuber I watched (forgot the name now sorry) said " Dark Souls is either the slowest action game or the fastest strategy game ever" and he is absolutely correct, this game requires strategic thinking, each boss is like a puzzle, but if you are too quick and guns blazing or too slow to react and process you will fail, and this is what the game is learning, through each death you're learning the patterns and the mechanics and losing supplies, and that is why it's so infuriating especially dying on your way back to collect your souls and humanity, but on the opposite side, when you do beat the bosses and do these small celebrations they're so rewarding. When I beat Artorias for the second time after 10's of deaths, I screamed, it took so long and it was so amazing of a feeling, this is the intrinsic reward gained to you playing the game.
Al of this is warranted because of its incredible gameplay system, from the countless builds and strategies, from using a strength Zweihander build like my first or a faith build like my second, Using summons both NPC and Co-Op (which I can't recommend on a first playthrough as it absolutely ruined the Ornstein fight on my first playthrough). Each gameplay system flows off another so incredibly well the game is recommendable for its gameplay alone.
Story/Lore
Marvellous, if you read descriptions of items gathered, I can't even summarise here it's just amazingly done, watch lore retrospectives on YouTube!
World Design
1/2 of this game is the best level design I've ever seen, Anor Londo was absolutely angelic at first glance, or each of the interconnected shortcuts back To firelink shrine the home and safe spot of the game, the level design was so well thought up and a true masterpiece, hell the DLC's world was just as amazing as this and kept being a consistent banger.
The Other 1/2 was absolutely the worst level design I've ever seen, FromSoft were running out of budget and close to deadline and it ruined the last half of the game with shoddy, lazy level design, Tomb of Giants and Bed of Chaos especially, It is such a shame this let it down so heavily.
Bosses
Challenging, fair, fun, rewarding
Check, Check, Check, Check
For the most part the Bosses here are sublime (apart from you bed of chaos, four Kings and Capra) and should be heralded, and Apparently it only gets better from here, truly the most fun I had with this game was fighting Knight Artorias and Ornstein and Smough despite how many times I died!
With ALLLLL of this said...
where does this game land?
9/10
it is fantastic, but the failures of the last half would've took it below a 9 had it not been for how amazing the DLC is. The fact I have had 2 playthroughs in such quick succession when I NEVER do this is testament enough, absolute banger.
I have DS2 and 3 ordered and already own Bloodborne and ER but never got very far, going to get Sekiro too, FromSoft I can't wait!
89 hours of the game, I started over a month ago, doesn't seem like much, but it was only until about 14 days ago where I put in 75% of my hours.
The beginning of my first run I felt alienated, the game was extremely tough obviously and I couldn't play for long bursts at a time, but then, about 2 weeks ago I found the rhythm, I found bliss and love and... PRAISE THE SUN
This game is a masterclass, so much so that I finished this game on the 21st for the first time, instantly made a new character, got until Christmas day where I got to Ornstein and Smough, figured out I made a shockingly bad build and made a new character the same day much better built and then 3 days later I completed the game, doing far more than I did in my first run
Have I got good yet?
to be perfectly candid, had the game not faltered when searching for the four lord souls this would be my highest thought game of 9.75, but due to that long stretch I can't give it that... so let's talk about this game and why It was so close to perfection.
Gameplay
Tough, but not impossible, when people say souls games are just too difficult to actually play, they're wrong and I thought the same as them until this game. This game, gives players everything without telling them anything, did I use some guides playing? yes I did because it certainly is a difficult to understand game but even without sparsely used guides this game gives players all the tools they need, from this point it's on us.
This game absolutely nails it's gameplay, A youtuber I watched (forgot the name now sorry) said " Dark Souls is either the slowest action game or the fastest strategy game ever" and he is absolutely correct, this game requires strategic thinking, each boss is like a puzzle, but if you are too quick and guns blazing or too slow to react and process you will fail, and this is what the game is learning, through each death you're learning the patterns and the mechanics and losing supplies, and that is why it's so infuriating especially dying on your way back to collect your souls and humanity, but on the opposite side, when you do beat the bosses and do these small celebrations they're so rewarding. When I beat Artorias for the second time after 10's of deaths, I screamed, it took so long and it was so amazing of a feeling, this is the intrinsic reward gained to you playing the game.
Al of this is warranted because of its incredible gameplay system, from the countless builds and strategies, from using a strength Zweihander build like my first or a faith build like my second, Using summons both NPC and Co-Op (which I can't recommend on a first playthrough as it absolutely ruined the Ornstein fight on my first playthrough). Each gameplay system flows off another so incredibly well the game is recommendable for its gameplay alone.
Story/Lore
Marvellous, if you read descriptions of items gathered, I can't even summarise here it's just amazingly done, watch lore retrospectives on YouTube!
World Design
1/2 of this game is the best level design I've ever seen, Anor Londo was absolutely angelic at first glance, or each of the interconnected shortcuts back To firelink shrine the home and safe spot of the game, the level design was so well thought up and a true masterpiece, hell the DLC's world was just as amazing as this and kept being a consistent banger.
The Other 1/2 was absolutely the worst level design I've ever seen, FromSoft were running out of budget and close to deadline and it ruined the last half of the game with shoddy, lazy level design, Tomb of Giants and Bed of Chaos especially, It is such a shame this let it down so heavily.
Bosses
Challenging, fair, fun, rewarding
Check, Check, Check, Check
For the most part the Bosses here are sublime (apart from you bed of chaos, four Kings and Capra) and should be heralded, and Apparently it only gets better from here, truly the most fun I had with this game was fighting Knight Artorias and Ornstein and Smough despite how many times I died!
With ALLLLL of this said...
where does this game land?
9/10
it is fantastic, but the failures of the last half would've took it below a 9 had it not been for how amazing the DLC is. The fact I have had 2 playthroughs in such quick succession when I NEVER do this is testament enough, absolute banger.
I have DS2 and 3 ordered and already own Bloodborne and ER but never got very far, going to get Sekiro too, FromSoft I can't wait!