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Dark Souls ensnares the people that play it unlike any game that’s come out in the past few years. The massive open world has thousands of secrets crawling just beneath the skin, begging adventurers to unlock them. Crumbling structures hold treasures that can be obtained by those brave enough to defeat the viscous monsters that stand guard over them. Fellow adventurers help you overcome impossible odds or add to your misery by invading your world in an attempt to take your life.
Every NPC you meet in the game has their own agenda and will try to steer the player down the path that serves their own purposes. The only clues given about Dark Souls’ rich lore are written in the description of items you find scattered throughout the world. Even then nothing in the game is spelled out, forcing the player to determine for himself what is good and what is evil.
Despite these overwhelmingly unique qualities the thing that is most often discussed when talking about the Souls series is its crushing difficulty. Many people who don’t play the game say that those who enjoy it, love playing because of the sense of achievement you get when you overcome a particular boss or situation, but for me this has never been what defines Dark Souls.
The point that the game is hard cannot be argued, it can be very difficult to progress. As you explore From Software’s masterfully created world you will die often. But, when you die in Dark Souls, you aren’t failing, you’re learning. Death isn’t a penalty, it’s a necessary mechanic that teaches you how to approach a situation. That Black Knight has a particular attack pattern you weren’t ready for. The next time you fight him, you’re prepared for that upward swing, so you back away before he connects and manage to slay him on your next encounter.
Dark Souls has a special way of speaking to its players and just like veterans of the Legend of Zelda can look at a crack in the wall, knowing they’re supposed to place a bomb there, Souls players can see the potential dangers lurking behind every corner and know how to avoid them. If you talk to any hardcore Souls player they’ll tell you, the game isn’t hard, you just have to get used to it.
The reason Dark Souls had me, and thousands of others like me, returning time and time again to log hundreds of hours is because once you become accustomed to the world’s uniquely dark atmosphere it ignites a sense of danger and adventure that can’t be matched by any other game.