I will be honest, I consider myself an experienced player. Before I got Dark Souls, I was sure that since I’ve had my ‘sweet’ time with Demon’s Souls and as I know what to expect from the latter, I’d beat the game quite easily with very few deaths. And then the naive illusion shattered. I’ve died. Then I died again and again. Before I realised it, the number of deaths reached second digit, and it didn’t stop there. That’s when I got bitchslapped by reality – There are games that will spit on your experience with the particular genre, it’s the unique design that keeps surprising you. Reflexes and patience alone won’t save you, as the game requieres much improvisation and swift tactic-making, in which case it requieres you to stay focused and it’s not that easy considering the panic attack that you are about to go through.
If you wonder whether you should buy it or not – I can only tell you that it’s a long, emotional journey. The game wants to (and will) troll you, so you have to ask yourself – Are you the kind of person who won’t give up and show the game that you can overcome it? If so, persistance and patience is your best weapon in this dark RPG world. Don’t misunderstand though, I did (and still do) enjoy the game, be it because of complex ways you can build your character or simply because I can see that I’m getting better at it. Just remember, the game gives you a choice: You take the red pill and play it for sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, or the blue pill and you play to win, in which case you might aswell use exploits and watch walkthrough videos to complete it and dominate the PvP.
Mae ni Susume! 