It’s
not often, or hardly ever that I will post anything about a game. I
have enjoyed playing Dark
Souls
so much that I felt compelled share my excitable thoughts on this
punishingly difficult yet awesome game. You will both weep tears joy
and frustration... but to me, it was all worth it.
If
tearing your hair out with old school gaming frustration is your
thing, then Dark
Souls
is a must. To me these games embody an unconventional and unique
style that bucks the trend with many of the modern triple AAA titles.
Dark Souls melds both the old and new, it's a challenge for old
school gamers who grew up playing PC games and the likes of Golden
Axe on the Sega Megadrive. Dark
Souls
harks back to days where you need to be precious about your health
and conserve all those extra lives. Fortunately, Dark
Souls
has adopted the ability to save your game (though you will have to
live with your choices on that play-through). Upon the players feeble
and often unremarkable death you will be transported back to your
last checkpoint - which happens to be a bonfire (more on these
later).
This
post is about some play tips, opinions and my general knowledge of
Dark
Souls
these are my own views and feelings on the game and I by no means
claim to being a gaming guru! No, no, Just a commoner with strong
like of the Dark
Souls.
"I
have played Dark Souls, and now I am a hollow…"
Introduction
– DS1 First Impressions
When
I first played this savage game I was taken back by how difficult and
unforgiving it was. It will not hold your hand or tell you where to
go aside from the initial message prompts that appear on the ground
of the Undead Asylum – after this its down to you to find your way,
the path of least resistance is possibly my best advice I can give.
Frailty
of the main player
Your player’s stamina is that of an elderly,
overweight chain smoker with barely enough gusto to swing a sword and
lift a shield. Your the vitality is short, a few decent hits will
send you straight back to the bonfire and the warm glow of that
bonfire will be your only comfort. Prepare to die an unfair, brutal
and gloomy death... over and over again.
Is
Dark Souls for Me?
Do
you like RPG’s, fantasy settings, pinch of horror and sword play?
Then you will probably like Dark Souls! Be warned, as I mentioned in
the opening paragraph, these games won't mollycoddle you. Dark Souls
is fun, old school, and difficult, once your learn the rules of the
game and how to best play with your character, you'll be very much
into the challenge.
Prepare
yourself - How to play
Dark souls isn’t a conventional hack and slash. Running into
the enemy button bashing will get your player killed. Learn to
evade, block and stay away from weapons – timing is key, especially
for Melee characters. You will also need tenacity to play the game as
you will probably die many times through trial and error
Warrior
Technique
“Running
in, sword at the ready” One thing I
would advise if you have just started to play is to build stamina.
Other attributes such as attack and defend rely on your stamina
levels and without stamina you character will struggle with melee
combat, let alone running away. You may come across bits of equipment
that will boost stamina recovery, but it will be short in the
beginning. You can be as strong as you like, but your strength will
be useless without the heart, lung and legs to help wield your
weapon, you'll tire or be too sluggish.
Know
Thy Enemies
– Playing Your Foes
1)
Understand your enemies
I
would advise learning how your opponents move. A well timed attack
or counter is by far more productive than going in swinging your
weapon, basic enemies can actually hurt the player in Dark Souls so
remember to keep your guard up and proceed with caution. Dark Souls
doesn’t reward you for sloppy sword play; defend, evade, attack
cast a spell how ever you wish to play. An air of caution is advised
at first when meeting new enemies, be prepared.
2 ) Enemies
with basic or crude weapons.
Some
of your early encounters will be with lightly armed enemies with
broken sword hilts and light blades, treat these as your training
enemies. Learn how they move and time your attacks. These guys are
also good practice for parries and back stabs. It's also worth noting
that some enemies will also broadcast their moves whilst running
towards your or raising their weapons.
3 ) Enemies
with shields and spears
I have to admit, I personally love how the Dark Souls team have
captured the way the enemies hold their shield and spear, it can be
tricky to out manoeuvre these guys, but as will all enemies in this
game, there is often a way. Try to circle the spearmen and they will
try to circle you also, attack with a weapon and they will deflect
it. You might be lucky and be able to sneak in a crafty arrow at the
start but guess what they will do after that initial attack! Enemies
with shields and spears are at their most vulnerable when they
attack. Bait
them into trying to attack you, let them swing and lower their guard
and go in for the kill. If you are very quick you might sneak in
back-stab.
4 ) Enemies
with projectiles
These
opponents can be a pain as they will try to pick you off from a
distance using crossbows, longbows and bombs. Sometimes if you get
caught out you might find a bomber raining explosives down on you
from and elevated position whilst you try to tackle a Melee opponent
on the ground. In other words you will be to pre-occupied with the
melee attacker to do anything about the bombardiers or crossbowmen
(remember to look before running in) . The best way to deal with
ranged enemies is to keep your wits about you and use cover. Look at
your surroundings before diving in, keep your shield up – cover!
You can either try to pick them off from a distance or attempt the
gain ground and get up close personal. Often, if you get up close and
personal they are easier to take down... most of the time. 5
) Enemies in heavy, fancy or stylish armour
If
you come across an enemy early on with that is armoured from head to
foot, be prepared for a nasty fight. Don't assume because they are
clad in armour that they are clumsy or slow and if an enemy is clumsy
or slow, they are generally very powerful. My first ever fight with
one of the Dark Souls knights involved me throwing a small knife
which basically bounced off their back, he chased me down and
murdered me. As with some grounding of truth, hammer based weapons
are effective against these enemies, blades less so. Learn how they
move, wait and then sneak in some attacks. Make them commit and then
unleash! Be warned, certain knighted opponents are devilishly hard.
6 ) Invaders
/ Phantoms
These
enemies will move a lot like the player, they will guard, roll, and
parry to get the better of you and ruin your gameplay! You will groan
when you see the words 'You've been invaded' “No! You are not
taking my precious souls, they are like money! AND I NEED IT!” and
from that thought they will take you souls, and spend it on something
nice like a nice new level up or a sword for example. The computer AI
will just absorb souls and feel nothing for ruining your last 25
minutes of intense game play. There is no straight way of beating
these, hit hard – hit'em fast, keep your guard up.
7)
Bosses
If
you see a grey mist… prepare yourself for the horrors that lay
beyond. The grey mists will block a passage or an arena and once you
step in, it may not be easy for you to get out. You will come across
items called ‘Homeward Bones’ don’t be afraid to use these. In
one or two (many more probably) boss fights I have found the bosses
to be too harsh and catch my player off guard. The Homeward bone will
transport you back to your last bonfire, leaving your pride behind in
the boss arena.
- Oh,
homeward bones can be tricky to use in some boss areas, as the enemy
may not give you the chance. You might be too per-occupied with being
smashed into a bloody stain – good bye soul collection. The
bosses vary from colossal fanged monsters to disfigured knights. I
wont ruin too much here fearless adventurer. For the dreaded grey
mist is something for your beat – make sure you are prepared,
levelled and well equipped. Now go forth and prove your worth!
8
Sneaky
Enemies
I
wont spoil too much here... watch your back.
Thank
you for reading. I have attached some Amazon Links for you get your undead claws onto this game.
