Dark Souls is an infamous title amidst the gaming community. Renown for a ridiculous difficulty curve, this game puts off even the most hardcore of gamers. Those brave enough to persevere however, have found an incredibly engaging, deep and immersive experience that can deservedly be called one of the best modern role-play games of not only 2011, but this generation of gaming.
The beauty of Dark Souls and its predecessor Demon’s Souls is they brought fantastic new innovations to the RPG genre. Even though both games were single player, when you were connected online, fellow journeymen surrounded you in unique and interesting ways. As you explored vast and wonderful worlds, fellow players’ ghosts would run by or you would come by a blood mark on the floor warning you of upcoming danger or portraying the final seconds of another characters’ life. This fantastic element of comradery made Dark Souls one of the most engaging experiences of 2011 – exploiting a dark and void world yet at the same time giving players a glimmer of hope in the form of knowing that other players were following the same path to hell as you.
However, and this is a big however – the game is just so bloody difficult. I mean seriously, it’s not actually funny how difficult it is. Although the game is never cheap, it’s definitely borderline because sometimes certain bosses really don’t need to be THAT hard. The entire game is built upon a soul system; you kill enemies and take their souls, which you then use to level up. The catch is, if you die, you drop all your souls in that particular spot, which you then have to get back to without dying to collect those lost souls. If you die again, they vanish for good, cancelling out all the hard work you’ve done – it is literally soul destroying. Not to mention if you drop your souls at the feet of a boss, then what are you supposed to do? This is a classic example of a game that needs a director’s cut with an ‘Easy’ option attached to it. 
I feel many gamers are missing out on an absolutely incredible game (that’s as good, if not at times better than Skyrim – yeah I said it) and normally I would not accept the excuse “oh it’s too difficult,” but in this instance, it’s warranted. If you have patience of steel then this could be the best game you’ve ever played, but it’s truly not for the weak hearted. Favourite things about Dark Souls:
Fantastic sense of comradery using genius interaction mechanics.
Brilliant swordplay, every movement feels and looks incredible.
Glorious environments and beautifully designed enemies grace the game the whole way through.
Your effort and perseverance is rewarded with one of the best games you’ll ever play.
Most annoying things about Dark Souls:
It’s seriously too difficult.
Magic system has changed for the worse since Demon’s Souls.
So frustrating to see every single enemy respawn when you heal at a bonfire.
Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I award 7th place to a much more up-beat and spirited role-play adventure.
As always check out my Twitter @ss4Igor
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