Few gaming brands are mentioned in the industry as often as the fantasy RPG Dark Souls. The series celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, and although five years have passed since the release of the third and final episode, the constant disputes between gamers, journalists and game developers have not subsided. At this year’s Golden Joystick Awards, players even named it the best game of all time.
The best game? Depending on who you ask
Of course, such ratings and votes must always be taken with a certain oversight. The game received the most votes, but this does not mean that other people’s opinions are not valid. There were fewer of them on the team. However, Dark Souls is an interesting case. Despite the multiplayer aspect, the core is basically a solo experience with only one DLC released a year after its release. Most importantly, however, Dark Souls is in every sense contrary to the idea of a mainstream game. Therefore, his continued popularity is at least remarkable. Moreover, this is not the case when the title belongs to the laurels due to his role as the founder of the genre, which was subsequently improved and cultivated by his followers. The exclusivity of Demon’s Souls can be attributed to such virtues.
In addition, there is the fact that there is no consensus in the debate about which title from the From Software portfolio is the best. However, the outcome of any poll or survey on this subject will mostly always depend on what aspect of From Software games the rating author or voting community prefers. In any case, from the wide variation in similar voting results, we can conclude that From Software has been made for a very long time and their games stand out for various reasons.
The difference in views also applies to the authors themselves. Hidetaka Miyazaki, head of the VG247 server, said:
,,Of course, Dark Souls 2 was created and managed by other people at From Software according to their preferences. In the area of world design and other elements, I prefer to go back to something that is structurally similar to the first Dark Souls and Bloodborne, where the world is a bit more interconnected.. “
There are several reasons why Dark Souls 1 is such a concept. First, unlike Demon’s Souls, it was the first multi-platform game in the Souls genre. Second, his praise was so strong and specific that far fewer people ignored it this time around. He eclipsed his predecessor, perhaps in every way. Soul games have become a real concept, and many players have felt it. And thirdly, despite the preferences of each of us, the first Dark Souls still boasts the aura of a masterpiece that, in a sense, improved the concept of souls. And this despite the fact that it is not ideal today and at the time of release it was no longer ideal. However, in English for such a creation there is a rather successful phrase “insufficient masterpiece”.
Hardcore RPG in the days of Skyrim
There are periods in the gaming industry when the gaming drought lasts uncomfortably long. For example, the first half of this year has been particularly brutal in this regard. At other times, clouds fall on the player. At times like these, game editors logically praise every successful game, but then you gradually lose sight of what really stands out. The old proverbial wording that XY’s title represents “one of the best in the genre” often also means “one of the many good games of this type that somehow stands out mainly because it doesn’t break anything and just works like that.” “. as it should.”
And then there are the rare moments when groundbreaking playable atomic bombs come out shortly after each other, for which the title of any Game of the Year seems ridiculously useless. The problem is that at the time of the release of such works, few people realize their future significance. The last quarter of 2011 is exactly the blessed period we are talking about.
With a difference of a month, Dark Souls first came out (October 7 in Europe, September 22 in Japan), and then the heavyweight in the form of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (November 11). Over the next decade, both games formed communities of die-hard fans, and their design influenced the entire industry for years to come.
Both Skyrim and Dark Souls belong to the RPG genre, although they are only united by medieval fantasy with dragons and the implementation of some form of character development. However, who would have thought that these two champions would fight in 2011 in an equal duel would be wrong. In early November, Namco Bandai sent out 1.5 million copies to stores worldwide. At Bethesda, that was 7 million Skyrim in one week. In addition, the company announced the sale of 3.5 million copies in the first 48 hours. So many for sale.
What about the ratings of critics and players? The fight for the GOTY title between Dark Souls and Skyrim did take place on some servers, but the overall result clearly spoke of who got the most attention. According to tracking website Gameawards.net, Skyrim won 229 polls for the best game of the year in 2011. Dark Souls collected five.
Dark Souls goes against the idea of a mainstream game in every way.
It is not difficult to eliminate this apparent contradiction. Skyrim was already a much more accessible game based on a proven brand that justified its already large audience with an unparalleled take on the open world in which the fantasy-loving player lived like cotton candy. After all, a month ago I melted over the venerable legacy of this great game. It is worth noting that not only Skyrim won the polls. For example, Portal 2, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Battlefield 3, Deus Ex: Human Revolution or The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (review of this year’s remaster) were successful.
Yes, it bites!
That’s why Joystick survey results and brand strength DARK SOULS interesting from today’s point of view and should be taken into account by all those who feel offended by the announcement of the Game Awards or any awards anywhere and by anyone. Compared to games like Skyrim, Batman, or Uncharted, Dark Souls was a much less accessible game, and at the traditional end of the year, many people were still wondering if it was worth getting mad about this oddity. Understanding and appreciating its qualities took much longer, and the community around the game grew much more slowly than in the case of Skyrim.
However, it must be admitted that the technical condition of the original version was also problematic. While the game was already visually extremely impressive at the time, the experience was spoiled by the vicious framerate that was every hero’s biggest fear, especially in the rotting area of Fel City.
The technical issues culminated a year later with the release of the PC version, which modders had to update upon release. Some people believe that the infamous release of Dark Souls on PC played a significant role in making Japanese developers more responsible for making PC ports today. Despite the initial embarrassment, until the release of the remaster in 2018, the patched PC version was the best way to play the classic.
The evil frame rate was the hero’s biggest fear, especially in the rotting fel city.
Today this is no longer the case. With the release of the Dark Souls remaster, the frame rate and console problems disappeared (in addition to Xbox One and PS4, the game also came out on Switch, although it only runs at 30 fps there). Not for nothing that in 2018, many veterans admitted with a sigh that they envy everyone who first experiences the game in its current form at reliable 60 fps and with improved graphics. And this is true today.
I’ve been through this myself this year, and it’s clear to me: Dark Souls is still an absolute gem that overwhelms its flaws with a titanic personality.
Star map design
There are several reasons why Dark Souls has aged like wine, but the essence of its charm lies in the fantastically thought-out design of the game world. It is no coincidence that Miyazaki himself considers map design to be the most important part of the game and loves to create it most of all.
However, Dark Souls’ level design and the intricate weaving of the local world wouldn’t work so well if the player didn’t have to constantly be on the lookout for surrounding enemies. This, in turn, depends on their variability and the balance of how players can surprise and trap players. Equally important is the lore, which encourages exploration and understanding of the context in the game. And the occasional fantasy lore snippets wouldn’t be as top-notch on their own, but the From Sotware team excelled in their subtle dosing and placement in the world to get it right.
One of the best aspects of the game is the insane amount of easter eggs and secrets, most of which the player is guaranteed to miss the first time if played without instructions. This can, on the one hand, encourage further passes, experimentation and careful play, but at the same time gives the game a special depth. There are things in Dark Souls that you probably won’t see or hear. Because the plot of the game excites the imagination, you will be hurt, but at the same time, you will appreciate the game for it. What do you actually find in it? you will find and no one will serve it to you on a golden tray (um, unless you play with the instructions).
And it’s an unmistakable sign that the game is doing something pretty damn good in terms of cryptically told story. Also rarely spoken about are his dark moral undertones, which catch the eye when you least expect them. And I’m not talking about everything related to its ingenious online system, the diversity of the local arsenal, fantastic music, perfect NPCs and a number of breathtaking moments.
Live and let die
Dark Souls certainly has its flaws. Although this sounds heresy, I personally never had a craving to stumble upon arenas with bosses, and for example Demon’s Souls, where this element was removed in some cases, taken to the extreme in others, only confirmed to me that games with souls will do without it .
On the contrary, I do not mind the possibility of re-leveling the character and especially your own weapons, when you will flood the enemies much more than would be appropriate in a complex game. Is my character a bomber that can defeat the final boss with a few hits? After all, I deserved it after those sufferings! Similarly, I look at the fact that some bosses can be defeated in an unworthy cheap way. Let them go, bitches.
The dark moral undertones of this story, which strike when you least expect them, are rarely spoken about.
Many in connection with pumping then point to the imbalance of some builds, with which the soul of the game has long had a problem. I think From Software were aware of this fact and first tried to remedy the situation, first with less success in Bloodborn, and then especially in Sekir, where they did it so well that a number of veterans using all sorts of soul reset systems suddenly hit hard.
There can be no dispute about the exclusive position of Dark Souls. In hindsight, the game stood out in 2011 and its fan base continues to grow, thanks in large part to a great remaster. It’s not a game for everyone, and it’s perfectly normal that, logically, a lot of people don’t like it at all, but even today, it belongs in the first league of the best games you can play.
The term YOU DIED has come to symbolize its complexity, but it obscures the central philosophy that runs through its entire design: not every game needs an exit arrow, annotations, and dragon-sized signs to make sure you don’t miss anything. His greatest merit remains that he reminded game developers and players that the path of least resistance is not always the right one and that learning can be one of the main pillars of gaming entertainment.
Source :Indian TV
