Dark Souls is about how death is not the end and being dead is the only way to make in through the demon infested dungeons of this game. Your character in Dark Souls begins the game without a soul, but, as you move through the game, you build up your soul energy. You will die countless times on your trap-filled quests in order to convalesce the items in which the rulers draw their power, the King's Crowns. There is also the possibility to use the online feature to visit the worlds of other players where you can learn from their mistakes so the same fate won't befall you. You can also use the Beacon Fires to leave tips and warnings for other players on their journey.
At the start menu, you select your character, and this is where I chose a female sorceress for mine. Your character starts out in a dungeon where the dead are housed until the end of the world. Once you find the dungeon key to escape, you then have to journey through the Northern Asylum of the Undead. As you make your way through the game, you finish off other undead creatures by inhaling their souls into you. Right off the bat, Dark Soulsreminds me of my RPG days of playing games like Dungeon Siege and Baldur’s Gate. Only minutes into the game, you come across a very large dragon and prepare for battle, and this is why reading the messages around the dungeon is so important. As I died many times, I decided I would finally read all these so called scrawlings on the dreary walls. Instead of trying to defeat the dragon, you’re supposed to merely avoid it for now and continue your journey. I have been playing first-person shooters for so long that it made it rather difficult to memorize all the buttons and commands for battles, thus reminding me why I do not play as many RPGs as I use to.
I found myself bored only mere minutes into the game from continuously knocking down the undead, consuming their essence and trying to find doors that weren’t locked. Also, I have not missed the pity stories of other characters you come across and how they talk in riddles. I mean come on just spit it out. Doesn’t it suck bad enough I am an undead sorceress without a soul but having to solve these ridiculous riddles as well to continue my journey. Alas, what the hell is my quest to begin with?
As you go about, you find blood stains, that once touched, show you the reenactments of what happened in the area. This was a really cool detail to add into the game. There are also many gruesome effects in the battle mechanics, and there are tons of blood and gore for you horror fans. One minor detail I’d like to point out is how a skeleton, that is nothing but bones, can splatter blood all over the place is beyond me. You will find that you will die a lot in this game, and, once you do, you have to battle the same enemies over and over again which got old really fast. Also, certain corridors will lead you right back to the beginning to the large dragon that you started out against, and thus there is 90% likelihood that you will die. So yes, here we go again having to beat all the same enemies once more. You also have to find a catalyst before you can even attempt to use your black magic spells. And, if you think healing at bonfires to regain health is a good idea, be forewarned that this also revives all of the enemies you have killed so far. This game was terrible in my opinion and not fun at all. It may be because my tastes in particular games and genres has changed over time, but, for the most part, I think it was poorly executed, and the storyline will bore you to tears.
Release Date 10/3/2011
Publisher Namco
Platform Xbox 360
Genre RPG
Number of Players 1
Online Players 4
Online Enabled Yes
Publisher Namco
Platform Xbox 360
Genre RPG
Number of Players 1
Online Players 4
Online Enabled Yes
Review by Mistress Barbie