So, I got gifted Dark Souls 1 and tried it out, because the rest of the internet loves it to the point of cult status...

So, I got gifted Dark Souls 1 and tried it out, because the rest of the internet loves it to the point of cult status. I've never seen any sort of actual talk about any flaws the game has, discussions always boil down to "Well, it's not for everybody". Threads I've read call Dark Souls 1 specifically a masterpiece. So I figured "Wow, this must be something special".

(Playing on 360, online not enabled, just for reference).

Please believe me I'm not trolling when I say I literally cannot fathom how this C+ game at best has this amount of praise heaped upon it. It's not a bad game, it just doesn't do most things well, and when people talk about it, it seems like they're talking about a wholly different game. It is absolutely not a masterpiece.

So the level design, especially the first part, is excellent. Some of the best in gaming, I'll give it that. I also like the core idea of the gameplay, the whole "regular enemies are always a threat if not treated with caution, you can lose everything if you're not careful" etc. There's a good game here somewhere in these ideas.

However the combat is some of the most boring I've ever experienced, the graphics are merely fair, the framerate in some huge areas is straight up embarrassing, most of the monster design is generic, and probably the most damning is that it's not hard. At all. I was expecting this white knuckle challenge from how people talk this game up, but the only "hard" part about the game is how it's terrified of a fair fight. Any time I was able to have a fight not on a tiny ledge, without ranged enemies I couldn't reach shooting me in the back, against one boss or a couple of normal opponents, I was in no danger. Most dangerous areas can be breezed through by walking, not running, having your shield up, and just assuming an enemy is behind any and all blind corners.

I had to force myself to finish it. Just... why?

>not playing it on Playstation
opinion discarded

You just don't get it.

I'm sorry you couldn't appreciate the game.

Great blog user.

I mean, I'm sure the 360 version isn't the best version, but I got it for free. I didn't have a choice.

>Playing multiplats on PS3

The bosses are the only good part of the game.
Also you're losing LOTS of the charm by not using online.
Messages can be both funny or helpfull.
Getting invaded can lead to some great moments.
Playing jolly co op can make great memories etc.

What... should I appreciate about it? I'm genuinely asking.

All the bosses are easy as fuck. Probably shouldn't have played Bloodborne first, then Dark1.

Don't need online messages for help, and the funny messages are few and far in between.

anybody can fix dsfix for me? it doesnt work anymore since nvidia newest drivers bricked it

>he fell for the masterpiece meme

I heard you out, but these are your critisims:

Boring combat (extremely vague, you didn't elaborate at all)
Graphics are fair (this has no bearing on the actual game)
Framerate is embarassing (Again, vague; this problem can also be remedied by playing on PC)
Monster design is generic (This is meaningless with elaboration. You can call anything generic. It doesn't make it a criticism. I could say The Sistine Chapel is generic, that doesn't make my argument insightful; in fact, there is no argument)
Not hard enough (You were a bit more specific on this one so I'll give it to you)

Work on your argument if you want a civil discussion. Well, actually, try a different website if you actually want a civil discussion because they are nonexistent on Sup Forums.

It's shit, Sup Forums just loves it because it's slightly more difficult than the average game

That must be it. I assumed it was the online part that brings it all together, I can see that. But... that's not what people praise about it.

I'll be honest, I had fun with Ornstien and Smough, the actual boss fight. It took some tactical thinking. I enjoyed Gwyndolin too.

When you read a book, you appreciate the writing. You can't appreciate a novel if you can't read.

When you see a movie, you appreciate the acting and the visuals. You can't appreciate a film if you can't see.

When you listen to music, you appreciate the rhythm and sound. You can't appreciate a song if you're deaf.

Video games aren't any different. It's easy to appreciate something as phenomenal as the Dark Souls series, but if you aren't looking then you won't see it. I don't think you're physically incapable of appreciating it, but you're willingly holding yourself back.

Maybe you'll experience life a bit more, and then decide to give the game another try. You'll boot up the game, and during your second playthrough you'll realize something that has been staring you in the face for all of those years; he was right.

>Playing on 360, online not enabled
>messages are few and far in between
Well?

You haven't named a game that does these things better, though...

Sounds like a lot of your complains are about the general ascetics. What looks good to some, might be bland for others. It's a subjective sort of criticism, which you're entitled to have

That's a different person I'm guessing.

>online not enabled
there's your problem

Monster Hunter.
Any of them.
Same combat concept. Same 'muh difficulty' and same co-op experience.

Want me to keep naming games? Dark Souls is the 'hard game' for facebook casuals.

I'm not even the OP, but i feel like you just said a bunch of nothing, and completely avoided answering his question.

They never do

It's a good game with a lot of interesting, outstanding elements but sure as fuck isn't a flawless masterpiece. The level design is also incredibly overrated. It's only amazing if you compare it to modern AAA trash, and that's because developers have completely forgotten how to make good levels.

>360
>offline

You fucked up

I got it , played it for 5 minutes and found the combat and graphics absolutely shit and haven't touched it since

He'd make a good politician.

The game is sort of a quest...
In the sense that you won't know what you will find, the game tries it's best to surprise the player with twists that no other game dares to try like two bosses at once.

It also helps having someone that already beat it to talk about with, I had a co-worker who would tell me all these crazy secrets snd I just blew him off as "that kid" then I found out the secrets were actually real.
>great hollow

You're proving my point. You're doing the exact thing that he did. When you play a game without the intention of analyzing and understanding why it's a good game, or why it's a bad game, you're not going to get it.

You probably read over my post, saw a few things that you disagreed with, and then wrote your post. You're not even trying to write a response, you're trying to act superior by discrediting it without any coherent thought.

>I literally cannot fathom how this C+ game at best has this amount of praise heaped upon it. It's not a bad game

It's mostly for the same reasons that Vanilla WoW or Morrowind has so many diehard fans.
>babbies first stat-based game that isn't pokemon
>rough, sometimes broken combat that later becomes a "badge of honor" to normies who can't pass the learning curve
>slightly more skill required than average games, makes people feel hardcore

Think of it this way: people won't have this reaction to Zelda or Skyrim or Diablo 3. Because those games are very easy to get into, the combat is simple, and there's not much depth.

>tldr; normie barriers make gamers feel like grizzled veterans

This.

Games are great, the narrative is cool, and the vague storytelling is pretty unique for vidya. Atmosphere and level design is cool.

But my god, this game is the epitome of sensationalism. It's a fad to treat these games like they're the holy grail of action semi RPG games right now.

MonHun has absolutely god awful structure and levels, it's a fucking MMO-tier grindfest. It's a shame because the actual combat is fun, it's just ruined by being in bad games.

I played some of dark souls, I just got to Anor Londo, and so far its okay, the bosses are the most enjoyable part, to fight them though you have to fight the little easy monsters about 20 times and retrack everywhere though. Whether its because your exploring, grinding, finding a certain item, or just dying by fucking up, the back tracking is tedious and bogs down the fun of the game.

I havent finished it, so Im not trashing the game, but just putting out my opinion so far.

I played DeS, DaS, DSII, SOTFS, DS3 and Bloodborne.

I hated them all except for DS3 and Bloodborne.

The combat is clunky as fuck on the earlier games. Thank god they sped up DS3 a bit.

Monster hunter.
Don't get me wrong I love a good silver rathalos solo fight but the game's "difficulty" is all behind hours of grinding that isn't optional if you want a fair fight.

>didn't play long enough to leave the tutorial

You don't explain why the combat is boring, you say the monster design is generic (catch all terms do NOT explain why it's bad faggot) and of course the game is easy if you take your fucking time, that's the entire point you retard. Jesus fuck, your complaints are about as empty Lost Izalith and the Kiln were.

>videogames
fucking moron

tell me what's good about online
i don't need fucking hints and messages to tell me to watch out for shit, i don't play like a moron

pvp was retarded the one time someone invaded me in ariamis

the fucker spent about 15 minutes trying to bait me into mobs and ultimately got backstabbed and died after backing off and healing several rounds

I got to some castle type thing with a load of skeletons or something

Okay, fair enough, I'll elaborate.

The combat boils down to this, for every enemy except for 2 bosses: Circle around back, using your shield to block any heavily telegraphed horizontal attacks, then stab them in the ass. If it's a boss, watch out for AOE's.

That's it. Literally every enemy. It's almost entirely an anal-wound-based game. I was stunned at the lack of variety.

Framerate takes a plunge in several areas, but it REALLY hurts in Blighttown, where it actually affected my gameplay. Any time there's two enemies on the screen and a particle effect (like a blood spray) it drops.

Monster design is just... standard fantasy nonsense. Giant armor. Giant rats. Undead dude with spear. Slime blob. Scary demon dogs. Again, some bosses are cool, but most of the time it's just generic.

It's not that it's not hard enough, because I actually don't like hard games. I just quickly realized all the "hardness" was just it being cheap and taking advantage of impatience.

I'm really not. I read his question, and the OP seems pretty genuine, polite, and open to hearing what he's not getting.

You vaguely told him he doesn't understand "it". He seems to genuinely be curious as to what you mean, and you kinda skirted around his question and didn't really provide anything of substance, just more vague philosophical sentences.

I'm not acting superior, nor do I think i'm superior. I'm just stating what I inferred from your exchange with him.

>So the level design, especially the first part, is excellent. Some of the best in gaming, I'll give it that. I also like the core idea of the gameplay

sounds like you can fathom why this "C+" game is popular

Not OP, but Dark1 bosses are fucking lackluster. Every boss is a joke and can be dealt with by circle strafing or a well timed dodge. The only enjoyable boss fight was Pikachu and Snorlax, and I'm like 2/3 through the game. Haven't gotten to Oolacile yet so unless the bosses start not being shit, I'd say the bosses aren't all that.

Novelty and getting invaded on your first playthrough. Otherwise the online elements suck. The messages are pretty much a built-in walkthrough, the shades make the world feel much less lonely and undermine the atmosphere, and friendly summons completely break the game.

Skeletons or zombie looking dudes
Because you were either still in the tutorial or 20 feet away from the end of it

It adds to the charm of the world in my opinion.
Sort of like you know there are other warriors going through the same suffering you're going through and some humans either decide to help or harm each other.
It's just... Perfect.

>I forced myself to finish it

Fuck off. You didn't like a game fucking woop de doo better go make a thread on Sup Forums and post the same drivel everyone does when they play Dark Souls and don't like it.

Kill yourself my man the world would be better off

Well yeah like I said I got bored so I quit

They aren't the holy grail, but they are a diamond in the rough. The reason they are praised so much is because Dark Souls as a series returns to a lot of old design choices that just aren't in games these days.

If there were more sem-rpg action games it wouldn't be as overrated as it is, not that it is a bad series (The difficulty being the most overstated thing as it's difficulty is learned difficulty).

It's one of the only series in recent years that have let you actually have control over your stats and progression, and had gameplay where mistakes legitimately punished you, things that were standards in older RPG's but have recently been thrown out the window.

The reason I like Dark Souls is because it FEELS like an RPG, you can build your own character, use weapons and armor that you like, design and control the way you play the game itself, accompanied with a decent art style that is consistent.

This will get me pilloried, but I will take Arkham combat (counter markers turned off) any day of the week over this combat. You do cool looking stuff, you have a lot of moves, and you have to focus in order to not get hit. Probably sacrilege, but that's how I feel.

I never mentioned the bosses, the combat is about being methodical with either your blocks or rolls and stamina conservation when fighting mobs and exploring. Also the bosses for the DLC are probably the harder of the whole bunch, since Artorias, Manus, and Kalameet are really fucking relentless, especially if you're doing a SL1 run.

>combo spam and counter spam
>lot more moves
>focus
Oh god you are casual, play an actual character action game to see why Dark Souls combat is perfectly fine for how it works.

I like online because the bloodstains are fun to watch and getting messages that hint at illusory walls or ambushes are cool to me

>I have ADHD
Ok, good to know.

Except it's still around, it's always around. The only people who think it's not are AAA shit eaters who do not play anything outside of what gaming review sites feed them. Fucking Risen came out the same years as Demon's Souls yet you faggots completely overlooked it despite it being far, far closer to that old school ARPG design you supposedly love.

I guess so? Seems a bit of a tiny thing to masturbate over though. Even though it is good!

> I was expecting this white knuckle challenge from how people talk this game up, but the only "hard" part about the game is how it's terrified of a fair fight.

Troll post. The game's combat is probably the most "fair" I've ever seen in a game; it's not From's fault you have shitty situational awareness.

Got shot in the back of the head by an archer in a tower? That's your fault, not the game's.

Also why are you playing offline, pussy? Half the game's appeal is in its pvp.

>2016
>Playing ANY of the Dank Shills games.

Fair enough, I can't disagree with that. Majority of my post was referencing normies praising it as a must play game cuz lol itz so hard bro!.

but you're right, in a time of games not letting go of your hand, it does everything a lot of people miss.

>game that is universally acclaimed
>one dude gives it a C+

Welp, I guess it is a C+ game after all.

You're using subjective rationale to objectively judge a subjective opinion.

"You aren't seeing the game the right way, therefore your opinion is objectively wrong"

You're so far off base that it's impossible to argue against the ideas you're putting forth.

Demon's Souls got popular after the "It's soul-crushingly hard." Since even Sony started advertising it on their dashboard shit. Though Dark is the one that started the "PREPARE TO DIE" shitfest that now makes everyone go around saying Souls games are hard.

The game is alright, nothing fantastic. The bosses are rather boring and don't take a lot other than waiting for them to attack and strafing around them. Pvp can be hit and miss, especially since the online connections are ass. But there's a lot of variety in character builds and weapons which I like. It's not bad for the $5 I paid for it desu.

>Risen
>good

Who spams counter? The right way to play those games is to not be hit and have an unbroken combo. You can't just hit Y.

...Sure, Dark Souls combat works, but it's boring and simplistic?

You don't have a lot of moves, though. The combat boils down to two buttons with the occasional special attack. The only choice you have really is which directional button to press when attacking. But since the attacks are so low commitment, pressing the wrong direction does not matter. Failure also doesn't matter, it only takes away a tiny bit of your health and death means that you'll respawn in the same room again. Dark Souls has high commitment where most moves you do matter, the choice between different attack types are actual choices because some enemies can catch you mid-swing if you use a heavy attack, and punishment is relatively severe.

When you first play a game, you develop strong opinions about the different aspects of the game. It's a natural reaction, but it's something that people have to be aware of before they actually play the game. Otherwise, they'll finish the game with the same half-baked opinions like OP.

For example, when somebody plays a game and they miss essential story components, they might feel that the game doesn't make sense. That's fair, but it doesn't make it a bad game. It's because they missed essential plot points, and they won't get it until they play the game again. Why couldn't that apply to other aspects of the game, like combat and level design? Isn't it possible that they just didn't get it during their first playthrough? Maybe they just need to look at it at another perspective, and perhaps they'll understand it then.

I can go on for hours about why Dark Souls is one of the best video games of all time, and why I feel it's importance to art transcends over the barrier between art forms, but it's going to be lost on him because of his preconceived opinions about the game.

It's like religion, and why the conversion efforts of the Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses are a lost cause. When a Mormon comes to you and tries to convert you, you have preconceived opinions about their beliefs and the structure of their church. Therefore, you either ignore their attempts or try to discredit their opinions. It's the same idea, with different parties involved.

It's a worse version of Gothic, so of course it's fucking good. The first half of the game is absolutely incredible

>all the "hardness" was just it being cheap and taking advantage of impatience.
To be honest this is actually how I feel about Super Meat Boy (another legendary "hard" game).

Boring the player with monotony and tedium until they lose focus and make a mistake != difficulty.

I absolutely adore the game, it's one of the best games I've ever played. I think it's a master piece.

It wasn't good enough to be in my top 5 favorites though.

I don't understand how souls combat is "boring and simplisitc" when you can jump off a roof, crush somebody with a hammer you've set on fire and proceed to cartwheel away, play pvp, humans are always more fun and unpredictable than AI.

>hold stick in direction of enemy
>mash square while Batman does flippy Tekken shit that you don't control
>occasionally hit triangle
I'm 95% sure I'm being baited but holy fuck

Then you mash the attack command, so much depth there you vapid piece of shit. I enjoy the Arkham games but holy fuck the combat is not deep at all.

this is so obvious these fucking idiots wont be able to resist taking the b8

The fuck? Are you saying Super Meat Boy levels aren't mechanically demanding while being really long or something?

The way you describe the combat says a lot about how you didn't delve into the variety of the game, and instead chose the easiest path to completing PVE content. This is why people have told you to turn on online, as PvP forces you to not rely on those tactics because of players themselves countering them, which usually leads to players trying more tactics/gameplay styles

The framerate was literally the worst on 360, I understand that this is a legitimate complaint, but everyone complained about it. To say fans will tell you that it wasn't a big deal is facetious, everyone hated sludging through blighttown

That is the point of the design of the game, fallen medeival fantasy, the same could be said of games like the Witcher that are generic high fantasy, these are design choices and the complaints you are making are more subjective. If you say its "generic because theme" it makes no sense, a lot of the designs in dark souls are very unique, but yes it's going to be Knights/Rats/Beasts/etc, that doesn't make it generic, that's what a theme is.

The game ISN'T really "hard" it's unforgiving, it makes you play with your guard up, it makes you take encounters seriously. It boils down to the game not being "safe" anywhere which leads to the overall themes and plays into the world/story

...

>So the level design, especially the first part, is excellent. Some of the best in gaming

>best in gaming

>C+ game

Even if the rest of the game were merely serviceable, this is an unfair grade given your analysis (or lackthereof really). You're a hipster, and that's ok, but you need to own it instead of trying to be cool. Hipsters are faggots, and you're a faggot. Dark Souls is top tier even according to you.

This post scream excuses for why you suck and it's really sad.

The game is really easy all those "unfair" things you just bitched about were your own fault.

And the enemie designs are great, get past the first level.

I'm not buying Xbox Live for one game. And yes, that's "fair", it's just stupid. Because it's a one trick pony, and its lustre wore off before I rang my first bell. It's fair, it's just not fun.

dark souls is bad. really bad. not news. only autistic and elitist cucks claim to enjoy it.

Fair enough, user. I don't disagree. That's all I wanted.

Funny enough I had this same experience with DS1. It was a mixture of insecurity at being shit, and preconceived notions of the difficulty that I read. Everything felt "cheap" and "lame". Now it's one of my favorite series.

So you got past the tutorial level, the first level, and the demo level and now youre an expert and this game isn't fair to you and the combat isnt flashy enough for you

That's cool

There are somethings that are impossible to articulate, or too difficult to express. Maybe the explanation to existence is so far above our heads that it's impossible to explain? Don't you agree that there are questions in the universe that are unanswered, and perhaps will remain unanswered? Maybe the reason why Dark Souls unites so many people, across all barriers, is because there is something to it that is inexpressible? Something that we can't, and probably won't, be able to express efficiently?

You find this sentiment in a lot of religious threads. If you aren't religious now, then maybe it's something that will happen to you later in life. It's impossible to prove that God exists, but yet the majority of the world believes in Him. There's something in all of us, something similar to the feeling that Dark Souls ignites, that causes this belief.

>I just quickly realized all the "hardness" was just it being cheap and taking advantage of impatience.

>being cheap
>taking advantage of impatience

Pick one. There is nothing wrong with a game taking advantage of impatience. I wish more games did it. Dark Souls isn't even a hard series, especially after the first game. There is basically no way you can fail as long as you aren't an idiot. You can always level up, and upgrade equipment. Nothing is hard enough to completely wall you forever, and it's not supposed to be. It's good game design, through and through.

My first time was dark souls 1, I kinda regretted buying it at first especially since Tarus demon kept killing me. Afterward it felt good that I won, and was really starting to enjoy myself once I got to quelag

...

>choice between different attack types are actual choices

...but 95% of combat is blocking attacks until you stab them in the ass. I'm not even being reductionist generalizing. I guess you can build a shieldless backflipper, but why?

>Risen
>Good combat
user, I liked Risen, but c'mon. DaS combat blows it out of the water.

People like Dark Souls because it's FUN and GOOD

It's only hard if you are stupid. It's a challenge, but the difficulty was hyped up a shitload.

Also,
>playing offline
>playing on a console
You fucked up, faggot.

Dark souls 1 was great when it came out but aged like milk.

BB>DS2>DS1>DS3>RT3>XSEET2

>BB
>Better than ds2
Pleb.

>but 95% of combat is blocking attacks until you stab them in the ass.

>he keeps his shield up constantly

>what is parrying
>what is rolling
>what is not being a backstab shitter
>pretending that all weapons work the same way


I realize you're trolling, but put some more effort into it. You should go play games that hold your hand more

This is why bloodborne is the best souls game, no pussyfooting with shields or dodging backwards, if you want to dodge you have to get up in an enemy's face and stare danger right in its hairy or tentically face.

>The way you describe the combat says a lot about how you didn't delve into the variety of the game, and instead chose the easiest path to completing PVE content.

I guess any game can have incredible combat variation if you throw all effective shit you can use in the trash.

...You should probably read what I actually wrote.

What?
Side-stepping in BB is just as ez as rolling through i-frames in souls.
Faster != harder

...I beat the game. Defeated every boss (not Priscilla, because she wasn't hostile). I didn't quit because I was frustrated. I "got gud" if you will.

dodging to an enemy's side > dodging away from the enemy, this is indisputable.