Gave up on Dark Souls after my third attempt

[Runa216]

Souls games are weird as hell. I played Demon's Souls and thought it was fine but nothing special and avoided the franchise until Bloodborne came out. The first time I beat Bloodborne it was really just a case of me 'not letting the game beat me', and by the end I genuinely didn't like it. I thought it was unfair, obtuse, unclear, and just a mess that gave me more frustration than it was worth.

but then I started NG+ after convincing my friend to play it and watching him struggle with Central Yharnam. I remembered where things were and what to do and where to go. I remembered tactics. I kinda disliked - maybe even hated - the game upon first completion but on subsequent playthroughs I quickly came to love it and now consider it among my favourite games of all time. In fact, of my top ten games of all time, it is the only one NOT on the Super Nintendo. It might actually go down as my single favourite game of all time if things persist. Once it gets the same nostalgia factor as those SNES games, it might be my favourite.

Same thing happened with Dark souls. First time through I actually kinda hated it. sure, it had some bosses and areas that I loved, but for every Ornstein and Smough there was a Bed of Chaos. for every anor Londo, there was Lost Izalith. Once I played the remaster on Ps4/Switch, something changed and I went from hating it to loving it. It's obtuse, the controls are not that great, it's insanely difficult and seemingly unfair most of the time, but the community aspect of it and the self-imposed desire to 'conquer' it results in some of the most satisfying senses of euphoria I've ever gotten in gaming. What starts as a game you struggle against and combat becomes a game that I love playing. Once you 'get' it and it clicks, it often becomes a favourite. I definitely understand both halves of the spectrum, given its nature as a game you have to learn to love, not something you just pick up and enjoy. This isn't Spider-Man PS4 or God of War, it's not an easy to pick up and play game, it's a game you gotta work at for the combat AND story.

In my experience, people either hate it, don't get it, and think it's overrated or they love it and rank them among their favourites. I'm in the latter camp but I 100% understand why so many people feel the opposite. I don't tend to get bitchy with people who dislike Souls because I understand that it's not for everyone. I feel no need to be condescending about 'git gud' or 'you just don't get it', because it's so deliberately obtuse and challenging in many ways.

I recommend playing Bloodborne or Dark Souls III. Both of those games have stunningly similar level and world design to dark Souls, but both of them have far more refined control and gameplay options as well as much better bosses and (in my opinion) a better world. If you got as far as the Crystal Caves in Dark souls, then you have the tenacity to power through Dark Souls III or Bloodborne. and if you get that euphoric, hard-won sensation of accomplishment, it's all worth it.