Dark Souls -- Will I Like It?

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:28 pm

I'm finding myself particularly annoyed by the New Londo Ruins. Probably more so than anywhere except the bottom of Blighttown...and it's a close second. Minor spoiler....

Spoiler:

In the mean time, I killed some folks and gathered enough souls to buy large titanite shards, to "up" an Axe to +10, all so I could make a Golem Axe. I'm glad I did. I like the Golem Axe. Quite a bit.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:28 pm

Oh Dark Souls, I could never stay mad at you. Just when I thought I had reached my breaking point last night, I made some progress and drained the water. Good times. Running out of hours in the evening, I soon after used a homeward bone and returned to firelink with enough souls to get to level 74. Tonight I go back in to find a boss.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 12:19 am

Argh Seath. I know what to do, but the smallest mistake kills me.

ezmate · Post by **ezmate** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 2:40 pm

Finally reached Anor Londo last night - it's really beautiful!

So far, though Sen's Fortress & Blighttown are my favorites - I like the tension created by the "high flying" aspects of those levels.

Can anyone tell me what percentage of the game I'm through?

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:46 pm

ezmate wrote:Can anyone tell me what percentage of the game I'm through?

Impossible to say without more information. Dark Souls isn't a very linear game. Even the parts that seem linear aren't. Did you know that you can (probably) skip The Depths and Lower Undead Burg completely, for example?

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:25 pm

Can anyone tell me what percentage of the game I'm through?

I'll go out on a limb and say half-ish.

But as TiLT said, that really depends on what optional (or semi-optional) areas you've done so far. Ash Lake? New Londo Ruins? Sif? Ceaseless Discharge?

ezmate · Post by **ezmate** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:33 am

I haven't done too much of the optional stuff - I beat Sif, I think I played through all of the lower Undead Berg and the Depths. I've explored The Great Hollow some, but decided to only go back once I had had some curse stones (I'm ready now!).

Sadly, I've already put 72 hours into the game & I'm only half way done?!

Of course, I've been relatively strict about looking at spoilers. I also only read about areas after I finish them, making my progress very slow...but somehow satisfying! Without help, some bosses have taken me a while to figure out - Sif took me the longest (I have a ninja-type build that I had to alter) and I practically rage-quit with those damned archers last night (Anor Londo) - leading me to look into how to get past them.

Good to know that this game will last me quite a while...it's, by far, the best game I've played in years.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 3:36 pm

ezmate wrote:Without help, some bosses have taken me a while to figure out - Sif took me the longest

Sif was a pain until I figured out that I could successfully block every single one of his attacks. I think I got him in four tries, which means he doesn't make my bosses-I-really-hate list.

and I practically rage-quit with those damned archers last night (Anor Londo) - leading me to look into how to get past them.

I did rage-quit them. They were brutal. And I had to look for help on getting past them too. I summoned someone to help me, but he fell off the ledge on the way up. So finally I watched a youtube video and then, a few deaths later, got through that part. Needless to say, after that I was creeping along at an unbelievably slow pace until I found a bonfire.

Speaking of rage, New Londo Ruins (which I won't spoil by going into specifics) crushed my will for awhile. I finally won the boss fight last night after more than 20 tries and it certainly goes onto my bosses-I-really-hate list.

Now I'm onto Duke's Archives (I hope that's the next level in progression...not really sure at this point) and it's yet another unique section. This game does such a good job of making every section feel like none of the previous ones. Duke's is already one of my favorites, which is neat considering it's sort of off to the side so it seems like it's going to be a one-off or direct extension of Anor Londo.

I also think it's interesting that souls no longer have the same significance to me. I no longer mind losing 5K or even 10K souls. I mean, I hate dying, but things like humanity and fire keeper souls are far more important. If I ever need souls, Sen's, Anor Londo and the Painted World are great diversions. I took a trip through those levels to get some souls and buy some shards, so I could upgrade my armor and weapons to win the New Londo Ruins fight. Now that my lightning halberd is +5 it is truly bad-ass.

Good to know that this game will last me quite a while...it's, by far, the best game I've played in years.

I'm around 95 hours into the game and only one significant level ahead of you (New Londo Ruins), though I've done all the optional levels (at least, I think I have. The Great Hollow, etc. ) It feels like I have quite a ways to go, so I think 120 hours isn't out of the realm of possibility.

One final thing I realized is the significance of of the Elite Knight from the opening level (the Asylum). I'm playing with my first character so until last night I hadn't re-played the opening part (but I did when I was just messing about, trying to avoid the New Londo boss fight). That knight is pretty much our hero - he's the one who drops the key to free me from the cell; he's the one leaving hints on the ground; he's the one who gives me the estus flasks. That guy is awesome...and then he went hollow. Poor chap. I'm wearing his armor in his honor.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 2:14 pm

the patch is reportedly OUT. Everyone go get it and let's talk about Dark Souls again.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Tue Nov 22, 2011 4:36 pm

Yay! And I have off until next Monday! I'll have to drag myself from Skyrim for a bit to check this out.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 2:37 am

I got Seath tonight. For whatever reason, that boss fight was fairly easy for me (3 tries). I suppose my style of play is conducive to beating him because I was able to get close, on his side, and destroy him with only a few two-handed attacks. That was a nice change of pace after the New Londo Ruins nightmare.

As far as the patch goes, the new aiming mechanic is going to take some getting used to. My initial impression is that its change is not for the better.

Next up: The Catacombs

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 2:44 am

Grabbed the patch, but I'm not feeling like playing right now. I'm stuck in the painted world currently which means I can't really check out if they fixed the multiplayer properly. Maybe I'll give it a shot tomorrow, but it's such a huge change of pace from Skyrim it's not even funny.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:36 pm

Pre-patch, the Painted World was great for multiplayer. It was where I got invaded for the one and only time. It was also where I helped once and helped several people. There are a few humanities lying around and the undead rats near the first building drop humanity occasionally.

Roman · Post by **Roman** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:50 am

Beat the game last night finally!! Took about 50 tries to get past Lord Gwyn and I tried multiple load outs etc.
I found that my load out with my Elite armour and havel's ring and dark wood grain ring (ninja flip) with my +5 Crystal Halberd did the trick.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 1:01 pm

Patch is indeed helping multiplayer quite a bit. Not perfect right now (I'd wager due to Skyrim picking up a lot of the same player base) but it's pretty great.

And there is *nothing* like an all-Sunbro team. It's hilariously awesome. Three people, dedicated to teamwork, throwing lightning spears. This may well be the highlight of the game for me, as it really shows off what three people working in coordination can accomplish. I think it says something that I have never been killed by an invading player when part of a sunbro team.

Those idiot players who don't know to heal their teammates, on the other hand...

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 4:02 pm

At this point I highly recommend joining the Darkmoon Covenant if you'd like some PvP. Plenty of non-assholes actually are fighting legitimately in Anor Londo, and some of the fights are truly a blast.

Now, just so you know, a LOT of the time when you invade you will lose. You will either be heavily outnumbered, or sometimes a person just will be far too powerful. But so far I've had roughly a 30% win ratio, and those fights that I do win are so worth it.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:34 am

Cool, I may try that, either before I wrap up this game or after I go NG+. I'm glad the multiplayer is working better for you now.

I completed the Tomb of Giants (damn, I have never been happier to see a bonfire than in that place. What a crazy level) and defeated the boss

Spoiler:

Which means, for the first time since I started this game, over 110 game-hours ago, I have but one new direction to go (Demon Ruins). I'm getting a little sad knowing the journey is coming to an end. I wonder if I'm down to my last 50 or so deaths.

Oh, but prior to trying out that area, I figured I'd kindle some bonfires, seeing as how I was already human and had stockpiled a fair number of humanity (13-14 or so). I ended up kindling (to the "15" mark) five major bonfires, in case I choose to go through this again at NG+. Specifically, the main bonfire in the Undead Burg; the first bonfire in Anor Londo; the third bonfire in Anor Londo; the Darkroot Garden bonfire; the one in Queelaag's lair (which yes, I should not have bothered with. I should have done the one at the start of Demon Ruins, or the one at the bottom of Blighttown, but I got kindle-crazy).

One final thought for the night. As I was messing around in the Undead Burg, trying two-handed versus one-handed+shield versus dual weapons, I thought about how well they made the differences in these styles, along with the importance of encumbrance. I remembered back to a game like Baldur's Gate, where the difference between two-handed and sword+shield was a number. Minsk either hit with this much damage or that much damage; he either had this type of armor class or that type of armor class. A number. And while I realize I'm comparing apples to oranges (and I'm not knocking BG), I think it's neat that the entire feel of Dark Souls changes based on fighting style. It's not a number, it's everything.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 1:33 am

Well, 121 hours and 94 soul levels later,

I Defeated.

Hell of a game. One of the best I've ever played. Thank you all so much for convincing me to give it a try. I hope others read this thread and do the same.

Octavious · Post by **Octavious** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 1:39 am

Inverarity wrote:Well, 121 hours and 94 soul levels later,

I Defeated.

Hell of a game. One of the best I've ever played. Thank you all so much for convincing me to give it a try. I hope others read this thread and do the same.

Nice! I'll het back to the game at some point, but it hasn't grabbed me as badly as the first one did. No clue why as i think this is the better od the two. Think I just need to be in a certain mood or something...

ezmate · Post by **ezmate** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:00 am

Inverarity wrote:Well, 121 hours and 94 soul levels later,

I Defeated.

Hell of a game. One of the best I've ever played. Thank you all so much for convincing me to give it a try. I hope others read this thread and do the same.

Congrats!

Are you gonna play again? I'm already thinking of playing again (I still have 30-40 hours left), but this time, using my brains to build my character (there are a lot of stats that I should never have built up).

Buatha · Post by **Buatha** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 11:24 am

On a side note, even though all the help you need is here, the hard-bound strategy guide for Dark Souls is beautiful. I bought it on a whim since I am currently enjoying Demon Souls (and hate the tiny print of the tiny guide that came with it).

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 12:12 pm

ezmate wrote: Congrats!

Are you gonna play again? I'm already thinking of playing again (I still have 30-40 hours left), but this time, using my brains to build my character (there are a lot of stats that I should never have built up).

I was planning on taking a break, knowing full well I will play this game again (probably multiple times).

Then the game automatically takes you into NG+ when it ends. So I poked around for a couple of minutes....90 minutes later I had rung the first bell. Again.

I think I may need an intervention to stop playing.

ezmate · Post by **ezmate** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:47 am

135 hours and 89 soul levels later, I finished the game!

This is definitely one of the best games I've played in years! I absolutely loved Senn's Fortress, Blighttown, and even New Londo Ruins - they required so much caution & the build-up of tension was awesome! I was able to solo most of the bosses in the 2nd half of the game, with the exception of Gwyn...that dude was a BADASS!

Thanks hive-mind for the great recommendation!

So, how does Demon Souls compare? I tried playing some Call of Duty tonight & it really bores me...

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 12:07 pm

99 hours and 94 Soul Levels, I'm past the finish line as well! Finished it at 3:30pm on the last day of 2011, at that.

I am sad to say that my holy SunBro, Shepard Book, turned evil in the end. It was an accident, but I forgot to light the final bonfire and thus got the "evil" ending. Creepy. I started a NG+ and was immediately impressed when I got 2 coop partners for the Taurus demon (triple drop attack? Oh yes!) and I also got invaded in the same area. All-in-all, it was super exciting.

My final rating is that Dark Souls is in fact better than Demon's Souls. The invasion and coop mechanics are now better, and it is just fantastic to become truly "good" at an area and help others through it. Same goes for the receiving end, when somebody assists you with a fight you just couldn't do on your own. In particular, I'm thinking of the Four Kings fight where some guy named "S-ABYSS" just destroyed the Four Kings in about 30 seconds, while I had been losing to them at least half a dozen times prior. On the other hand, I got really good at Duke's Archives and Crystal Caves. I think I walked no less than two dozen people through that area and helped them win.

For me, this is quite possibly my own Game of the Year. I can't think of anything else I enjoyed more.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 8:21 pm

Congratulations to both of you! It is most certainly my own Game of the Year, and probably my favorite game of all time.

I too wonder whether I should go back and play Demon Souls. In order to do so I'd need to buy a PS3, which would be an extreme measure just to try a prequel, but part of me thinks it's worth it.

Particularly since there aren't any plans for a Dark Souls sequel.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:46 pm

Inverarity wrote:Thank you all so much for convincing me to give it a try. I hope others read this thread and do the same.

Reporting for duty. Never played the original and I'm going to fire Dark Souls up tomorrow for the first time. Reading this thread is a very odd experience because in one post you'll have someone head-over-heels in love with the game and then two posts later they'll be out of their minds insane over something that happened. Then a few days later, back to love. It's almost reads like some of you are trapped in an abusive relationship Dark Souls.

I saw Jag's tip on the general wiki and apparently I should be prepared to die...a lot. But is there any other basic (or I guess specific) pieces of information you'd give to a total n00b? I'm definitely intrigued by the slow-methodical style of game play, but I'm completely afraid I'll get frustrated too quickly and quit long before the game has a chance to grow on me.

e1123 · Post by **e1123** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:57 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Inverarity wrote:Thank you all so much for convincing me to give it a try. I hope others read this thread and do the same.
Reporting for duty. Never played the original and I'm going to fire Dark Souls up tomorrow for the first time. Reading this thread is a very odd experience because in one post you'll have someone head-over-heels in love with the game and then two posts later they'll be out of their minds insane over something that happened. Then a few days later, back to love. It's almost reads like some of you are trapped in an abusive relationship Dark Souls.

I saw Jag's tip on the general wiki and apparently I should be prepared to die...a lot. But is there any other basic (or I guess specific) pieces of information you'd give to a total n00b? I'm definitely intrigued by the slow-methodical style of game play, but I'm completely afraid I'll get frustrated too quickly and quit long before the game has a chance to grow on me.

Once you have the ability, summon and be summoned. Being summoned, especially for a boss fight, is a great way to get souls. Having others around can really make some areas trivial if you're having trouble.

Covenant72 · Post by **Covenant72** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 10:39 am

Have your shield up near all the time. Blocking/dodging is vital in this game.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:05 am

Smoove_B wrote:Reporting for duty .... but I'm completely afraid I'll get frustrated too quickly and quit long before the game has a chance to grow on me.

You'll get frustrated. No doubt. To an extreme level. Just look at my posts.

But realize that dying IS the game. It's not an unfortunate result like when you die in so many other games, it's the only way you learn, the only way you can possibly succeed. You cannot win this game, in fact you cannot enjoy this game, if you do not die. A lot.

With that in mind, use a wiki if you need to (there are very few spoilers as the written word just doesn't do the game justice), ask questions in this thread if you want to, and prepare to play what I now consider (in retrospect) the best game ever made.

Oh, and two specific tips that will help get you started. I'll spoiler them just in case, but they don't have story spoilers. Just a little nudge to help you get going

Spoiler:

ezmate · Post by **ezmate** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:18 pm

Wow! I can't wait to hear how things go for you.

I actually found it really helpful to read this DarkSouls Wiki after I completed each boss. It helped me understand how other people approached an area and the bosses.

That wiki is also good at showing the upgrade paths for weapons - which seemed fairly complicated, as it took me a while to really understand the different weapons & what they were good for.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:28 pm

Inverarity wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:Reporting for duty .... but I'm completely afraid I'll get frustrated too quickly and quit long before the game has a chance to grow on me.
You'll get frustrated. No doubt. To an extreme level. Just look at my posts. But realize that dying IS the game. It's not an unfortunate result like when you die in so many other games, it's the only way you learn, the only way you can possibly succeed. You cannot win this game, in fact you cannot enjoy this game, if you do not die. A lot.

With that in mind, use a wiki if you need to (there are very few spoilers as the written word just doesn't do the game justice), ask questions in this thread if you want to, and prepare to play what I now consider (in retrospect) the best game ever made.

Oh, and two specific tips that will help get you started. I'll spoiler them just in case, but they don't have story spoilers. Just a little nudge to help you get going
Spoiler:
When you build your character, don't take the master key. It gets you into places too soon. Without the key you progress through the game the way the developers intended. Trust me, you'll never lack for multiple paths without the key.

And, when you reach your very first bonfire, go past the well and head up. Any other direction is bad news (though worth exploring for a few minutes first)

Spoiler:

Anyway, I have two recommendations for anybody.

1) The game is *intended* to be coop (of sorts). Find areas where you can summon people or get summoned, and mimic people until you figure out who knows the area totally. I can say that I've become very good at Duke's Archives, so I consider myself a guide for the area.

2) If you can't get coop (certain areas just aren't good for it), never feel bad about watching a youtube walkthrough. It will not really spoil the area for you, consider it more of a warning video about how not to fail. Trust me, the game is still 90+ hours of challenge even with this.

Here's a list of places in the game, along with coop notes.

Northern Undead Asylum - No coop
Firelink Shrine - No coop
Undead Burg - No coop
Undead Parish - Extremely rare coop, except right outside the top of the elevators within the Church.
Depths - Coop near the bonfire just past the ceiling slimes.
Blighttown - Coop at the bottom bonfire.
Quelaag's Domain - Rare coop, due to boss fight being a gimmick fight.
The Great Hollow - Unknown
Ash Lake - Unknown
Sen's Fortress - Great coop right at the entrance.
Anor Londo - Coop near the first gargoyle, second spot at the base of the stairs of the chapel. Third spot near the bonfire right after the son-of-a-bitch archers.
Painted World of Ariamis - Wonderful coop right at the bonfire.
Darkroot Garden - Some coop, usually on the way to the Moonlight Butterfly
Darkroot Basin - Coop and invasion-ville. Be careful here.
New Londo Ruins - Limited coop, but sometimes you can get high level people near the hollow but harmless guys.
The Duke's Archives - Fantastic coop, my personal favorite. Coop spot is at the base of the archives near the wall you have to open.
Crystal Cave - Continued coop from Duke's Archives.
Demon Ruins - Coop near the bonfire after Ceaseless Discharge is killed.
Lost Izalith - Coop near bonfire that's in the middle of the lava lake. Coop a lot here until you get the boss down, it's a tricky gimmick fight!
The Catacombs - Limited coop, due to exploration being the primary thing here and the boss being boring and fairly easy by DaS standards.
Tomb of Giants - Coop near both bonfires, but you gotta get to them first!
Kiln of the first flame - Lots of PvP coop opportunities. Area is very small overall though.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:13 pm

ChrisGrenard wrote:
Spoiler:
I have yet to play *without* the Master Key. Hell, I haven't actually found my way between the Depths and Blighttown. All I know is that I had to explore part of it with a character who had already beaten Seath the Scaleless and I still had trouble with the area.

Spoiler:

The game is *intended* to be coop (of sorts). Find areas where you can summon people or get summoned, and mimic people until you figure out who knows the area totally. I can say that I've become very good at Duke's Archives, so I consider myself a guide for the area.

Agreed, especially with a couple of bosses (Anor Londo for sure). Though in my NG+ game, I have managed to get to the final few sections (currently at Duke's) without summoning anyone. I've helped a bunch of folks in their games when I wanted a change of pace, but I wanted to complete the entire thing solo. Needless to say, Anor Londo was a bitch.

Boudreaux · Post by **Boudreaux** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 5:22 pm

Just picked this up a couple of weeks ago, along with the superb Dark Souls strategy guide. I'm working my way through the Undead Burg, as a Pyromancer somewhere around level 15-20. So far I've managed to handle everything thrown at me except that $#%& Black Knight about halfway through. I've tried sorcery, black firebombs, a hand axe, thrusting sword, I've upgraded to better physical defense armor, and I don't think I've knocked off more than half his health before he kills me.

Still, the game is entertaining enough that I'm not bored or frustrated yet. I kind of like that the game is so challenging, and the reward of mastering something is just moving on in the game.

I'm curious at what character level the game starts to feel like you're becoming more powerful. After leveling up a dozen times now, I don't feel any more powerful or capable than I did at the start of the game.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:58 am

I don't think it's a level, I think it's an ability. I "got good" around the end of Anor Londo. Granted, I screwed up a lot after Anor Londo, but it was because I messed up, not because I just sucked at the game. You'll reach a point with your skills that you know how to play and it's just a matter of playing properly. At that point, it doesn't matter whether you're level 1 or level 50, it just matters that you know how to play. For example, I can beat a black knight with a level one character now; when I first started it didn't matter what level I was at, I couldn't beat him. You level up, your character's level is beside the point.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:35 am

Boudreaux wrote:Just picked this up a couple of weeks ago, along with the superb Dark Souls strategy guide. I'm working my way through the Undead Burg, as a Pyromancer somewhere around level 15-20. So far I've managed to handle everything thrown at me except that $#%& Black Knight about halfway through. I've tried sorcery, black firebombs, a hand axe, thrusting sword, I've upgraded to better physical defense armor, and I don't think I've knocked off more than half his health before he kills me.

Don't assume you'll be able to kill everything on your first go through an area. Most of them are designed so that you'll take multiple trips there as you grow in power. The Black Knight you're talking about is just a bonus, and while he guards a reasonably powerful item you don't have to deal with him if you don't want to. If you're going to attack everything you come across, you're going to have one hell of a wake-up call in the large tower close to the Black Knight.

Boudreaux · Post by **Boudreaux** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 10:57 am

TiLT wrote:If you're going to attack everything you come across, you're going to have one hell of a wake-up call in the large tower close to the Black Knight.

Yeah, that's just my play style. EVERYTHING MUST DIE.

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:08 am

Boudreaux wrote:
TiLT wrote:If you're going to attack everything you come across, you're going to have one hell of a wake-up call in the large tower close to the Black Knight.
Yeah, that's just my play style. EVERYTHING MUST DIE.

Have fun with Havel the Rock then.

Inverarity · Post by **Inverarity** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:21 pm

TiLT wrote:
Boudreaux wrote:
TiLT wrote:If you're going to attack everything you come across, you're going to have one hell of a wake-up call in the large tower close to the Black Knight.
Yeah, that's just my play style. EVERYTHING MUST DIE.
Have fun with Havel the Rock then.

And Hellkite.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:28 pm

Inverarity wrote:
TiLT wrote:
Boudreaux wrote:
TiLT wrote:If you're going to attack everything you come across, you're going to have one hell of a wake-up call in the large tower close to the Black Knight.
Yeah, that's just my play style. EVERYTHING MUST DIE.
Have fun with Havel the Rock then.
And Hellkite.

Don't forget the two infested guys just before Quellag.

Spoiler:

hitbyambulance · Post by **hitbyambulance** » Tue Apr 09, 2024 4:19 pm

hanging out at my brother's house for a week, i brought my new (to me) copy of Dark Souls for Xbox 360 over and have been playing it nearly every night on their XBone. (it is SUPER ANNOYING how the system makes me log in with my account and password for the XBone, then _again_ when starting up the Xbox 360 game.) (and i do have this game on Steam, both the original port and the remastered one) the game is feeling more than a bit creaky these days - how has it been 13 years already since its release? - the graphics are pretty ugly, although that's mostly a design choice - and it is surprisingly linear, but the combat keeps me coming back. just made it to the Taurus Demon and i have an idea on how to kill it, but the gap between 'idea' and 'execution' in this game can be more of a chasm. gonna have to practice some. my nephew took over my character a bit and antagonized the first bonfire keeper guy to the point where he would keep attacking on every single spawn - i eventually accidentally fell off the world and he took a dive with me and never came back :< thought for sure i'd have to start over again.

i think i would more enjoy the 'feeling' of later entries in this series in terms of physics and combat and inject some more open-worldness into the proceedings (Eldenring, while on my wishlist, looks TOO bright). the hitboxes seem a bit sloppy/forgiving and that's an area where combat feel could be improved.