I'm sure we've all heard by now that Dark Souls is a great game. It has great gameplay, good story, and memorable level design. But an often criticized feature is how stingy it is in regards to player tutorials. A brief level in the beginning, and then a big fat boss. But just recently, I realized that the tutorial lasts for much longer - in fact, it lasts the entire first half of the game! That may sound crazy, but of the nine bosses you face before you reach the Lordvessel (Sif counts as lategame), every one of them teaches you a vital gameplay element. Here's how:
Starting off, we have the Asylum Demon, of course, who demonstrates how boss fights work. Next, however, comes the Taurus Demon, who you cannot simply sneak around and shiv up the arse. The best method to beat him is to climb the ladder and face him in a circular arena, or spam a plunge attack, or use firebombs. This is to show that in order to beat some bosses, you'll have to use the terrain to your advantage. After you beat him, you'll probably feel unstoppable - on top of the world, even. Then comes the next boss, the brutal Hellkite Dragon. No matter what angle you approach it from, you end up dead. But when all hope is lost, you find a staircase leading down, allowing you to avoid it. This will teach you humility, and that there are some creatures you simply cannot kill without exploiting. As a bonus, you may also discover that some bosses' tails can be cut off, an invaluable lesson. Get past, and your next foe is the Gargoyles, demonstrating that bosses do not always fight alone. Here you will learn of crowd control, multitasking, and if all else fails, co-op.
Once the first bell is rung, your path changes drastically, and you will soon run into the Capra Demon, a boss who cheats by attacking with two dogs and an unblockable smash attack. What can you take away from this? One word: evasion. Rather than just tanking every attack with your mighty shield, you will have to roll, run and dodge to avoid this boss, which forces you to develop entirely new skills. Thank him for this; you'll need them. Head into the Depths, and you'll find the Gaping Dragon. Admittedly, his lesson won't be useful for some time, but the acid attack he unleashes should, if nothing else, let you know about the mechanics of corrosion and weapon damage. Head deeper and you'll find Quelaag, the first boss to use an AOE explosion. Most people will be caught completely off guard, and will learn to watch out for similar attacks in the future.
Now that both bells have been rung, you may think your lessons are over, but you still have three teachers ahead of you. But what could you possibly learn from the boilerplate Iron Golem? Well, by now many players will possess a false dichotomy in their minds; enemies can be stunned, bosses cannot. But attack his feet enough, and the golem will be staggered and eventually fall over. Without learning this subtle trick, many doors would be closed to you. Finally, we reach Ornstein and fatass, a duo that will show you no mercy. They will be the incentive that finally persuades you to try co-op, and you will be richly rewarded for it. Also, if you have gone out of your way to find the Moonlight Butterfly, she will teach you how to fight ranged battles, and then your lessons will be complete. As a bonus, you also will learn the three basic forces - fire, magic, and lightning - along the way. Now you have everything you need to defeat the four Great Ones, and almost none of it came from tutorials. You feel like you learned it on your own, and that, my friend, is the sign of a truly great tutorial.
Does anyone disagree? If so, I'd love to hear your opinion.
Starting off, we have the Asylum Demon, of course, who demonstrates how boss fights work. Next, however, comes the Taurus Demon, who you cannot simply sneak around and shiv up the arse. The best method to beat him is to climb the ladder and face him in a circular arena, or spam a plunge attack, or use firebombs. This is to show that in order to beat some bosses, you'll have to use the terrain to your advantage. After you beat him, you'll probably feel unstoppable - on top of the world, even. Then comes the next boss, the brutal Hellkite Dragon. No matter what angle you approach it from, you end up dead. But when all hope is lost, you find a staircase leading down, allowing you to avoid it. This will teach you humility, and that there are some creatures you simply cannot kill without exploiting. As a bonus, you may also discover that some bosses' tails can be cut off, an invaluable lesson. Get past, and your next foe is the Gargoyles, demonstrating that bosses do not always fight alone. Here you will learn of crowd control, multitasking, and if all else fails, co-op.
Once the first bell is rung, your path changes drastically, and you will soon run into the Capra Demon, a boss who cheats by attacking with two dogs and an unblockable smash attack. What can you take away from this? One word: evasion. Rather than just tanking every attack with your mighty shield, you will have to roll, run and dodge to avoid this boss, which forces you to develop entirely new skills. Thank him for this; you'll need them. Head into the Depths, and you'll find the Gaping Dragon. Admittedly, his lesson won't be useful for some time, but the acid attack he unleashes should, if nothing else, let you know about the mechanics of corrosion and weapon damage. Head deeper and you'll find Quelaag, the first boss to use an AOE explosion. Most people will be caught completely off guard, and will learn to watch out for similar attacks in the future.
Now that both bells have been rung, you may think your lessons are over, but you still have three teachers ahead of you. But what could you possibly learn from the boilerplate Iron Golem? Well, by now many players will possess a false dichotomy in their minds; enemies can be stunned, bosses cannot. But attack his feet enough, and the golem will be staggered and eventually fall over. Without learning this subtle trick, many doors would be closed to you. Finally, we reach Ornstein and fatass, a duo that will show you no mercy. They will be the incentive that finally persuades you to try co-op, and you will be richly rewarded for it. Also, if you have gone out of your way to find the Moonlight Butterfly, she will teach you how to fight ranged battles, and then your lessons will be complete. As a bonus, you also will learn the three basic forces - fire, magic, and lightning - along the way. Now you have everything you need to defeat the four Great Ones, and almost none of it came from tutorials. You feel like you learned it on your own, and that, my friend, is the sign of a truly great tutorial.
Does anyone disagree? If so, I'd love to hear your opinion.
It lets you know right off the bat that this isn't going to be some pushover game.
