Is Dark Souls really that good?

[FlambeNobunaga]

Now, let me get this out of the way first. As the title of this topic may suggest, I am not saying that Dark souls isn't a good game. It's a solid game, that much is certain. If it weren't, it wouldn't have gotten the almost universal praise it did when it came out.

What I want to know is if I would enjoy it.

I have a very interesting relationship with video games in that I thuroughly enjoy them, but almost unanimously, I suck at them. My K/D in pretty much any multiplayer shooter is almost always less than 0.3. it is physically impossible for me not to crash every at least once very minute in any game with driving in it. I found Skyrim to be frustrating to play beyond the lowest difficulty setting. I found the second half of Portal and Portal 2 to be unplayable because my pea-sized brain couldn't figure out any of the puzzles there. Mario kart and SSX are the only games in which I'm any good, for some reason.

It's very clear that I suck at video games and I have a very hard time learning the ins and outs of a game's mechanics. Dark souls is scrotum-twistingly difficult and REQUIRES you to learn the ins and outs of it's mechanics, otherwise it will leave you as little more than a red smear on the sidewalk.

Should I give it a try, or will I just find it so unfair and difficult that I won't gain any enjoyment out of it?

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

Generally, yes. It's worth trying it no matter what imo. The price is very low now, and it's a fantastic game. Sure it's niche and it is difficult, but it's not unfair. Perhaps at a few points i still, after untold playthroughs, still curse at the screen but generally, if you fuck up you have no one to blame but yourself. There is a whole lot of trial and error for most players, but playing slowly and paying attention can alleviate much of that. The more careful you are, the less bullshit will surprise you.

I'd say that the game generally isn't so much twitch based as it is about observation. Learn patterns/placements, dodge attacks and deal damage. That's pretty much what you do in terms of what's so "difficult". Then you have a ton of cool locations to explore, a shit ton of gear to try out and an upgrade and leveling system that lets you experiment a fair bit and still do ok (i mean, the game is beatable at soul level one so even if you don't do a perfect build you'll still be ok for a regular playthrough)

I think it's just the kind of game that you have to try out, really. It's niche and difficult, but in the end it's fair and rewarding when you make progress. Definitely give it a go imo. I mean, you can get it for like 10 bucks, nothing to lose

 

[Fat Hippo]

Ehh, depends on how frustration resistant you are, I suppose. If you accept that you'll be dying a lot, and sometimes unexpectedly, it could be a rewarding experience. And if you don't...I'd just leave it.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Its okay i'm on my first playthough of it now. I'm okay at it but its really unforgiving. If you step by step follow a guide it makes it a lot more bearable. I hated it the first time I tried it now that i've actually sat down and really focused its a bit more enjoyable.

1. get a walkthrough (gamesrader has a good easy one to follow) 2. get a class you like, I'm some knight/pyromancy hybrid thing. 3. find a weapon who's moveset you like ( i use stabby kind so I can hide behind block then counter) 4. get a shield with 100% physical block, knight starts with one. Then through the early parts you take no damage. 5. master key starting gift 6. theres a few good weapons and things available within like 5 minutes of firelink shrine there a few videos showing how to get them. 7. read up on the more hidden stats like equip load and poise.

If you do those things your really kind of set through a lot of the early game. I'm at sens fortress and only died on the blightown boss

That said with no walkthrough your in a world of hurt, even with one its still tough forget to block black night pounds you into the ground, capra demon gets you stuck in a corner and your raped, random falls can be frustrating.

Get it cheap and its no big loss if you hate it.


I wish they allowed co-op (outside the pita way of doing it now) I would enjoy it more sometimes with another person so I don't have to worship thewalkthrough every ten min. it has performance issues out the ass on consoles blightown no joke gets into single digits, framerate drops are so common in anor londo and through firelink if you go to fast. Which is odd cause the game kinda looks like ass lol.

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

If you play your first time after a guide you might as well not even bother getting it imo. Some general tips on how to build a character, what certain stats do and so forth...well, that's one thing. That just helps you understand the basics of the game but some bullcrap guide that just points out all the good gear, cheese strategies and so forth, fuck that noise. Talk about ruining a fantastic experience.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Having seen a bit of the PC version, the impression I get is that it's quite good and more "fair" than initially reported on, as long as you have an idea of where to get loot and how to deal with enemy attack patterns.

A bit like Monster Hunter, only with far less mindless material grind and more Soul/EXP grind (if you want).

 

[Legion]

Dark Souls is one of those games that you can spend a while being godawful at, but then at some point things will "click" and you can properly get into it.

A year ago I bought it, tried it for a few hours and gave up because it was so unbelievably frustrating. I got it again a few weeks ago and am very much enjoying it now I have gotten the hang of it. It requires a lot of patience and you have to learn to take things slowly, especially after dying. It's easy to get impatient from dying and try rushing back to the point you were ate but you need to learn not to.

You have to learn to accept you will die a lot, I think that is key. I am fairly competitive so hated dying. It was only when I accepted that it's going to happen that I managed to take a deep breathe and retry rather than rage quit.

The game isn't perfect though, and although I like it a lot now, they do hold back on far too much information in regards to certain things. I've had to resort to using a guide at times, purely because some features have no explanation at all (Covenants for example), but I'd only recommend it when absolutely necessary, or else it just isn't as fun.

It's pretty cheap now, so I'd personally recommend giving it a chance, or if a friend has it then perhaps borrow it. If you really are uncertain perhaps just get the base game, but the "Prepare to Die Edition" is also pretty cheap and includes DLC and other features.

Seeing as I am just past the beginners stage, I am in a pretty good position to give some basic advice if you decide to get it. So feel free to ask, as it's all pretty fresh in my mind.

 

[Weaver]

I appreciate the honesty in this post

To be frank, I really think you'll get frustrated with Dark Souls and stop playing it based on your description. However, if you can pick it up cheap (or borrow it from a friend) it's probably still worth a try just to be sure!

It' a great game IMO. It has a kind of difficult to describe atmosphere. The game begs to be explored, but exploring it is inherently very dangerous.

That said, Dark Souls doesn't really have any puzzles like portal, and combat is incredibly slow and deliberate (you might say "tactical") so it really doesn't rely on twitch skills like an FPS. However, if you make a mistake or rush combat, you'll probably die.

In a way though, Dark Souls is different than a lot of games because you're supposed to die. You'll die a lot and it's totally okay. That's how the game is. If you accept that it's much more enjoyable.

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

Dark Souls is one of those games that you can spend a while being godawful at, but then at some point things will "click" and you can properly get into it.

A year ago I bought it, tried it for a few hours and gave up because it was so unbelievably frustrating. I got it again a few weeks ago and am very much enjoying it now I have gotten the hang of it. It requires a lot of patience and you have to learn to take things slowly, especially after dying. It's easy to get impatient from dying and try rushing back to the point you were ate but you need to learn not to.

You have to learn to accept you will die a lot, I think that is key. I am fairly competitive so hated dying. It was only when I accepted that it's going to happen that I managed to take a deep breathe and retry rather than rage quit.

The game isn't perfect though, and although I like it a lot now, they do hold back on far too much information in regards to certain things. I've had to resort to using a guide at times, purely because some features have no explanation at all (Covenants for example), but I'd only recommend it when absolutely necessary, or else it just isn't as fun.

It's pretty cheap now, so I'd personally recommend giving it a chance, or if a friend has it then perhaps borrow it. If you really are uncertain perhaps just get the base game, but the "Prepare to Die Edition" is also pretty cheap and includes DLC and other features.

Seeing as I am just past the beginners stage, I am in a pretty good position to give some basic advice if you decide to get it. So feel free to ask, as it's all pretty fresh in my mind.

I can very much relate to your experience, as that was pretty much the exact experience i had with Demon's Souls. First time playing i spent maybe 3 hours just bashing my head against the 1-1 stage, and after that i just declared the game bollocks and gave up. Returned to it a few months later and tried again and after i while i just "got it", and the previous bullshit transformed in to entertaining challenge. But yeah, a bit of patience and just accepting that you will make mistakes, you will stumble in to unknown territory and you will die (a lot) will certainly help the experience.

 

[MysticSlayer]

It's very clear that I suck at video games and I have a very hard time learning the ins and outs of a game's mechanics. Dark souls is scrotum-twistingly difficult and REQUIRES you to learn the ins and outs of it's mechanics, otherwise it will leave you as little more than a red smear on the sidewalk.

Personally, I think Dark Souls is incredible simple in its mechanics. It's strength is that it takes these simple mechanics and and turns them into a surprisingly deep and difficult experience. Then again, I tend to find most games simple to pick up, so maybe I'm not that trustworthy on the matter.

Anyways, if you've already accepted the fact that you're going to die a lot, that will certainly take out a lot of the frustration. If you don't like dying a lot, then maybe the game isn't for you because dying is just a major part of the game, but at the same time, I don't think anyone likes dying a lot, yet Dark Souls manages to be fun even while dying. To me, the biggest turn-off of the game is how slowly you move through it. If you don't mind investing a lot of time to make comparatively little progress, then go for it. If you don't feel like investing that kind of time, then maybe you should think about giving it a pass.

 

[FlambeNobunaga]

OP here. I just got back from Gamestop and I'm popping it in right now. I think dying is going to be common for me, as it has been for everyone else, because the box literally says "Prepare to die" on the back of it. I skimmed through a guide and I have a pretty rough idea of how I'll build my character. I also heard that the "Uchigatana" is the best weapon in the game. Where can I find that?

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

OP here. I just got back from Gamestop and I'm popping it in right now. I think dying is going to be common for me, as it has been for everyone else, because the box literally says "Prepare to die" on the back of it. I skimmed through a guide and I have a pretty rough idea of how I'll build my character. I also heard that the "Uchigatana" is the best weapon in the game. Where can I find that?

There is no such thing as "the best weapon in the game". The Uchi is a good Dex weapon, but the Balder Side Sword or Falchion are also good options, not to mention the Great Scythe. It all comes down to what move set you prefer. What makes the Uchi good is that you can grab it very early, without any tricks, and it will be good for the entire game.

Really, don't just go for "the best", explore and experiment to find something that YOU like.

 

[Weaver]

OP here. I just got back from Gamestop and I'm popping it in right now. I think dying is going to be common for me, as it has been for everyone else, because the box literally says "Prepare to die" on the back of it. I skimmed through a guide and I have a pretty rough idea of how I'll build my character. I also heard that the "Uchigatana" is the best weapon in the game. Where can I find that?

There is no such thing as "the best weapon in the game". The Uchi is a good Dex weapon, but the Balder Side Sword or Falchion are also good options, not to mention the Great Scythe. It all comes down to what move set you prefer. What makes the Uchi good is that you can grab it very early, without any tricks, and it will be good for the entire game.

Really, don't just go for "the best", explore and experiment to find something that YOU like.

This is very true; Playstyle is really important! The only way you know what you'll like is by trying out different weapons.

Similarly, there is no best armor. I will say there are some that are outclassed by others; but armor like weapons is situational. If I'm fighting a fire monster, fire defense is more important than physical defense. If I'm fighting a monster with long reach, I might switch to a spear or bow. If I'm fighting something nimble I might switch to a Uchi.

There is just too much preference. I love the Balder Side Sword. I think it scales great for Dex builds and has a good moveset; but if you simply hate how it feels it's just not the sword for you and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Just take your time, experiment and give a bunch of stuff a try to see what feels right

OP here. I just got back from Gamestop and I'm popping it in right now. I think dying is going to be common for me, as it has been for everyone else, because the box literally says "Prepare to die" on the back of it. I skimmed through a guide and I have a pretty rough idea of how I'll build my character. I also heard that the "Uchigatana" is the best weapon in the game. Where can I find that?

Good luck! Lots of people on this board I'm sure will be willing to give you tips

 

[StriderShinryu]

Is DS really that good? Absolutely, but it's very much not necessarily for everyone. It's difficult and requires a certain level of dedication, but it's not unfair in it's difficulty at all unless you refuse to actually play the game the way it's meant to be played.

 

[Qvar]

Is it good? Absolutely. One of the best games I've ever played. There are just a handful of things that could be improved in that game. It's pretty much as good as a game can get.

Will you get pissed off, if you really are as bad with video-games as you say? Definitely. I don't think you're going to last long.

 

[PrimitiveJudge]

Finally a DS topic worth dealing with.

OT. Dark Souls fights YOU in style. I does not matter how badass you are. You have to fight each "titled' based area on the enemy pattern. If your style of fight does not conquer, then find something that does... this game makes you EVOLVE.

 

[lapan]

Dark Souls isn't as hard as its reputation makes you believe. All you have to learn is to play patiently and to always approach a new situation with your shield up. Talk a lot to the npc near the bonfire after the tutorial, he tells you where to go up until half of the game. I wouldn't recommend the masterkey on a first playthrough as it can lead you into some areas earlier than intended.

There are also many different ways to play the game. Someone new to the series probably has the easiest time with a more tanky aproach (watch the weight of your armor if you want to be able to roll too) and pyromancy.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Dark Souls is one of my favourite games last gen, definitely in my top five.

It's difficult compared to most modern titles, but what it also is, is fair.

If you died, it wasn't because the game bullshitted you (with the exception of maybe the lag in Blighttown, but even then, I didn't have too many problems with it). You died because you were reckless, or weren't quick enough, or weren't paying attention to your surroundings. It's one of the most atmospheric games I've ever played, and is very subtle with the way it tells its story.

I really enjoy the series, and I can't wait for Dark Souls 2.