This makes every conquest and discovery an actual achievement and the larger battles particularly satisfying. You are informed by the nature of your various fates and you begin to notice details, mastering the intricate movement and fighting controls as you persevere. As your character dies, you the playergrow stronger and smarter. Herein lies the most sublime appeal of Dark Souls. Multiple inventory slots per hand allow for quick changes between different weapon loadouts. When you die-and you will die, often-the first impulse is to blame yourself for missing what was in retrospect an obvious clue, such as scorched stone, a blood splatter or strange noises. Traps have visible cues and there are always means to avoid them. Enemies don’t spawn behind you they telegraph their attacks and follow recognizable routines. The engine doesn’t cheat or fudge physics to give the house an edge. Yet despite this, the game never takes advantage of the player. Every area you explore is packed full of ingenious ways to both actively and passively kill you. The world is one giant deathtrap for your lost, wandering soul. Nowhere is this more obvious than combat. You’ll need multiple playthroughs for true fluency without peeking at a hint book.ĭark Souls is not a game for the impatient. Some basics are explained, but careful observation and parsing of the scant information you receive is required to follow all that’s going on. Unlike most RPGs however, Dark Souls works its narrative charms in a very subtle fashion. It’s a story framework vaguely reminiscent of Planescape: Torment, and that’s high praise indeed. Not many who play will make it to salvation. Your quest begins when you escape the cell of your prison. As one of the undead, you are imprisoned with countless cursed others who await the world’s end, exiled in a bleak northern wasteland. You begin with a wisp of story and the heavy burden of your fate. Fortunately, no one explained this to Namco Bandai, who have ported their murderously difficult action RPG Dark Souls ($40, buy-only), to the PC after hordes of gamers clamored for a chance on the chopping block. Somewhere along the line, the gaming industry decided theme-park-style comfort and ease were better than challenging players, and the games they made started to play themselves. Not sure which way to go? Look for the glowing green arrow flashing over your head, leading you to glory. Don’t understand what’s happening? No sweat, NPCs will explain it all to you in minute detail. Can’t shoot straight? Don’t worry, there’s auto-aim in the options menu.
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