Dark Souls Review - Kingphilo
I knew this as soon as I looked at the back cover before I bought it. I also knew it because when I created my class, chose my gift and was thrown into the bleak and terrifying world of Lordran, everything was trying to kill me. Right off the bat you are served with a Boss Fight and your only option (and advice left on the floor) is to bolt for safety. I didn't mind running away at all because I was terrified by that Boss. I did not expect it to suddenly show up in front of me, filled with killing intent and I certainly did not expect to defeat it. So I ran to safety.
This feeling of terror and survival is key to Dark Souls and helps you move forward in the game, making you want to explore more of the grim but beautiful world.
The combat in Dark Souls is very precise and unpredictable. You have to master parrying, counter-attacks and other techniques if you want to be handy with swords and axes. You will faces numerous enemies of different varieties in this game. You do not know what new creature may be waiting around the corner, ready to kill you in some new creative way. You will have to learn enemy attack patterns, learn when to use different attacks (magic or close-combat) and eventually you will learn how to survive in Dark Souls. And it's a good feeling.
There are other players on your journey with you through Lordran. You see them when you save and recover at a Bonfire, huddled around it with the other adventurers. You see them through their Bloodstains, where you see their last moments and how they met their untimely demise. You also get to summon characters (both NPC and Player Characters) to aid you in the breathtaking and well-thought out Boss fights. You also get to take on other players in one-on-one combat during the equally exciting Invasions where other players can forcibly enter another person's world and give them a taste of death. The online aspect of Dark Souls is unique as it is very founded to the key aspect of Dark Souls - survival. You can either help other players out or kill them. Covenants also add a new twist to the game and serve as factions. This sense of community is pretty impressive in a game where at most times you feel eerily alone (and vulnerable).
In Conclusion, I think it is fair to say that Dark Souls is an amazing experience in gaming, and should be tried by anyone who loves fantasy RPGs. The difficulty is punishing, but the feeling of conquering of Lordran's evil Boss' is one of the best I've had in gaming for a while. After 60 Hours and counting, I am still addicted to Dark Souls' enchanting world and can't wait to see what new challenge it will throw me next.