I disagree with just about every point. I respect your opinion providing you respect mine. And I assume you want to hear mine seeming as you are on a forum. Although seeming as you don't seem prepared for an intelligent debate and immediately assume those who like the game are all of a certain type:
M-E-D The Poet said:
I know you first posters are going to be
A part of me is thinking that this is trolling seeming as so many people like Dark Souls and it's pretty easy to see why. Although if you're serious may I first point out that a large number of people have returned the game for the points you have risen. That, however, does not mean it is a bad game.
M-E-D The Poet said:
Compare Dark Souls to Skyrim
There's your first mistake. Why are you comparing them? They shouldn't be compared. They are 2 extremely different games. I would find it stupid / boring and unoriginal if Dark Souls mimicked Skyrim.
M-E-D The Poet said:
I feel it does not qualify as an RPG
By definition you are playing the role of a lost soul (at first) and therefore you are meant to feel confused and lost.
M-E-D The Poet said:
there is no ACTUAL difficulty to the game , it's a suicide trial or a lesson on how to tuck and roll either way there is nothing in the game that's actually difficult, there's just the impossibility of doing something and doing it so many times it suddenly becomes possible.
Isn't that what all difficult games do? Games considered as extremely difficult (such as that Mario clone, can't remember the name) is just extreme trial and error and doing it over and over until you get it right. Tell me a game that you consider difficult that doesn't include trial and error. Every game has trial and error. In-fact that's the whole point for many games.
M-E-D The Poet said:
I feel it's a bit bland it's mostly gray and empty with little to show for it.
Partly belonging with story but I find having conversations that go anywhere is a bit difficult for this game.
Again, that's the point. You are supposed to feel depressed, alone, and confused. Any conversations are supposed to be utterly insane.
M-E-D The Poet said:
See if you're giving me combat then It's supposed to be useful and I'm supposed to be enjoying fighting, instead I'm looking for cheap cop out ways to kill something that if it sniffs me it kills me.
Again, part of the point. It's different. Not necessarily original. Go play Fable if you want Fable-like combat.
M-E-D The Poet said:
Yes I eventually ventured further but there was no feeling of achievement there was just plain nothing, I'm stuck in a dreary world with dreary people gone mad , no real story and everything being covered with a fine layer of gray.
Then you are not really a gamer. All games have trial and error. In all games it's possible to fail at a boss fight. In this game that possibility is increased. Since the dawn of video games, gamers have had immense satisfaction for beating a boss because they studied their moves, they put in the hard work to level up and get the gear, and then they took the boss down through their 'hard work'. If you didn't get any satisfaction then not only should you not be playing games like this, you probably shouldn't be playing games at all seeming as most of them have bosses or challenges which require everything you've been taught up until this point.
M-E-D The Poet said:
I have yet to learn how you can enjoy this game being nothing but a challenge nut (Even though as I said there is no real challenge you're just doing something a hundred/thousand times till it actually works and then you move on to the next part where you're doing the exact same)
That's pretty much the definition of "challenge" when it comes to games. And it's not like it's random luck and that if you do it over and over again you will get it right. There is definitely skill involved. If you really think it's that easy of a game then suggest a much harder one (that doesn't involve the aforementioned hundred/thousand times crap). I'm sure we would love to hear it. And of course it should be an RPG. To suggest a Puzzle game or an RTS would defeat the purpose. I could argue Warcraft is difficult from a certain point of view. Just understanding all of the lingo is a challenge unto itself. But guess what? Bosses. Much easier ones. But still, you need to do pretty much the same trial and error situation again to beat them. How about Zork? A text-based RPG. Oh what do you know, you have to fight a dragon or something! Oh darn we got killed the first time. Oh well... trial and error it is. We can beat it this time! Do you understand where I'm going with this?
M-E-D The Poet said:
If someone can elaborate for me how this is such a great game without going "OMG BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S SUCH A CHALLENGE"
I am willing to listen to a sound view.
But nobody can deny there isn't much of a story, gameplay element or motivation in this game rather then "I don't want to die oh wait I can't die let's try this again till I can get past it alive for once "
At the end of the day, what you and I both say is OPINION and not fact. Maybe this game is just not for you? Accept it. Move on. But don't put your dick in a hornets nest. There are plenty of people who love the game. Let sleeping dogs lie.
I don't consider you having a sound view on the matter because you are not in touch with what games are all about. And yes I can deny your points about story, gameplay, and motivation. For me there was plenty and it had me hooked from the very beginning with its minimalist approach to story, its strategic gameplay, and its satisfaction for beating each boss and simply surviving for as long as possible.
If you had raised legitimate points, such as the flimsy rag-doll physics, monsters hitting you through walls, pyromancy making the game laughably easy, the list goes on. There are certainly things I don't like about the game. It is by no means perfect. But all of the things you have complained about, I consider as strengths and so do many others.