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  • Hey, what's up guys - I'm Dave Klein, and welcome to a new series of mine.

  • A breakdown retrospective of various games.

  • As people know me for the Souls series, I thought this would be a good place to start,

  • but I do intend to cover more games outside of Souls, as Game Design is a passion of mine.

  • Also, I'd love to know your thoughts on this type of video when it wraps, as I'm

  • new to this.

  • So, that said, here's a critical analysis of Dark Souls - both its pros and cons.

  • What makes the game work, and perhaps, would could have been improved.

  • There will be spoilers, as I'd like to talk about the overall game in depth, so you have

  • been warned.

  • Dark Souls starts the game simple enough, with a character creator.

  • Which, I think for repeat play throughs, and experienced players is a great place to start

  • - but can be kind of intimidating for someone new to a franchise.

  • While players returning from Demon's Souls will know what kind of character they want

  • to play - being immediately thrown a number of stats without ever having played a game

  • is a rough place to start.

  • To be honest, on my first play through, I pulled up a guide as I already felt like I

  • could be screwing up at this point.

  • I've never been a huge fan of presenting new players immediately with stat choices

  • to choose before they've even had a chance to play the game for this reason.

  • If you've never played a game before, you don't know what build you're going to

  • like, you don't know what works and doesn't work for that particular game, and it's

  • a lot to handle right from the get-go, before you have any investment in the game at hand.

  • I'm definitely a fan of RPGs, and love the ability to customize your stats, but my main

  • point is this can be intimidating, especially for a game that has the reputation of Dark

  • Souls, whether deserved or not, of being challenging.

  • One possible solution is to have a tutorial portion of the game where the player at least

  • learns base mechanics before they get to choose their stats - and in this case, that would

  • happen when the player arrives at Firelink Shrine.

  • However, that's really just a different choice, as it creates its own problems.

  • The character creator, at that point, would pull you out of the game - and possibly ruin

  • your sense of immersion as you should already have an idea of who your character is if you're

  • doing role playing.

  • I don't think there's necessarily a solution to this problem, but do want to point out

  • my own frustrations with it, as I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with

  • this.

  • From here, we get what I think is one of Dark Souls strongest aspects over Demon's Souls,

  • Dark Souls 2, and Bloodborneand even to an extent - Dark Souls 3, which is its intro

  • cinematic.

  • There's a strong pull to take cinematics completely out of video games, as they take

  • you of the game, and at that point you're watching something happen as opposed to playing.

  • But, I think they can have their place, and this is the perfect example of that.

  • In the intro cinematic we find out about the creation of the world, and are given a little

  • backstory to the overall game, which will become essential to its story.

  • But the main point I want to focus on here, is what the cinematic highlights.

  • We're shown horrifying looking Ancient Dragons, and then 4 amazingly powerful lords fighting

  • off these Ancient Dragons and starting the entire world as we'll come to know it - Gwyn,

  • The Witch of Izalith, Nito, and Seath.

  • The cinematic makes them look incredibly powerful, and they absolutely stand out as they're

  • shown fighting off the ancient dragons.

  • What this creates is an automatic understanding of who some of the major bosses you'll end

  • up fighting are.

  • You don't know it yet, but as you progress further into the game, and realize you're

  • about to have to fight Nitoor Seathor the Witch of Izalithor finally Gwyn

  • - living legends who we witnessed creating the world and destroying the ancient dragons

  • - the tone is set for you.

  • These are characters we know, we might revere or fear, and know are insanely powerful.

  • They created the world you stand on, and you're about to have to go fight them.

  • And that's both intimidating and exciting.

  • In Demon's Souls, we're told the overall lore of the world, and given some minor backstory

  • about warriors who've disappeared - which works just fine but doesn't have the same

  • effect.

  • In Dark Souls 2 we get some cutscene about some weird world under the waterwhich,

  • despite all of my lore videos on the game, I still don't really understand.

  • It doesn't do anything for you other than make the world seem mystical and strange.

  • Bloodborne, sets the tone of you being in a creepy world where you seem to have just

  • screwed yourself - but not much beyond that.

  • And finally, Dark Souls 3 replicates what Dark Souls 1 did - giving us beings that we're

  • going to have to fight, and names that we'll know.

  • But, it's not as effective, as these are simply beings who became Lords and had sacrificed

  • themselves to extend the Age of Fire at some point in time.

  • That's not nearly as important or wild as the beings who created the entire world and

  • mythology you exist within.

  • And I know I'm harping on this intro for a while, but I think it's just that good,

  • and that well worth praising.

  • Finally, with the intro cinematic out of the way, we find ourselves in prison, and a character

  • helps break us out - Oscar of Astora.

  • It's worth mentioning this, as it's something I've heard other creators talk about before

  • in mentioning what makes you like an NPC.

  • We immediately like Oscar, and he's more important to us than most NPCs in other games

  • simply by the virtue of its he who gives us the key that gets us out of prison.

  • Characters who help you, or do things for you, are the ones who you'll tend to end

  • up liking.

  • If characters get in your way, such as Lautrecwe end up hating them - regardless of how

  • virtuous they may end up being.

  • Let's further look at Oscar

  • Oscar later on gives us Estus Flasks, which finally allows your character to heal themselves,

  • with refillable vials.

  • Once again, he endears himself to the players by being useful - and he tells you to leave

  • before he goes hollowas he doesn't want to hurt you.

  • When we find him hollow and attacking you later, he's once again endeared himself

  • through his actions of helping you.

  • Butwhen you really think about it.

  • Oscar is also the one who tells you about the Undead journey, which within the lore

  • is a trap created by Gwyndolin, Frampt, or Gwynto get an undead to unwittingly sacrifice

  • themselves to link the flame.

  • It's all a giant lie.

  • But, what makes you, the player, so susceptible to this is that it's one of the game's

  • most likable characters who unwittingly tells you this lie - and sets you on your journey.

  • It's fascinating when you think about the psychology of itand I think other games

  • should look at this as an example of how to properly lie to players.

  • Another game that did this really well was the original Bioshock.

  • It's similar in making you trust someone who keeps on doing things that would seem

  • to help you, when that character has their own ulterior motive.

  • It's great writing - and whether Fromsoftware did it on purpose or not, which given the

  • other characters we find, I assume they did - I applaud them for this.

  • Sohere we are at the Undead Asylum, and what happens to be the tutorial area of Dark

  • Souls 1.

  • I think this, along with Demon's Souls were the best tutorial areas of the Souls games,

  • but before I get into that, I do have a criticism for it.

  • Anyone who's played Dark Souls for an extensive amount of time - especially if you've played

  • Bloodborne, will know that the optimal way to play the game is usually in rolling to

  • dodge enemy attacks.

  • However, the tutorial heavily emphasizes playing the game sword and board style.

  • It definitely teaches you how to roll - but what I mean is this:

  • You're pretty much immediately given your shield, and told how to use it.

  • After this, one of your first scenarios is being ambushed by a mob, along with an archer.

  • The best way to handle this situation is with your shield, so you block all of these attacks,

  • and then strike at your first opportunity.

  • I do think that's great for teaching how to use the shield effectively.

  • But

  • I also feel like you're given the shield too early, or don't have enough enemies

  • to train withand by that

  • I mean even a single real enemy - to train with without a shield.

  • Especially when you're light, and before you're mid-rolling or fat-rolling - it's

  • the perfect opportunity to present a situation where all you have is a sword, and the best

  • way to avoid getting hit is through rolling.

  • Outside of that, I think the Undead Asylum is by far the best tutorial in any of the

  • Souls games, and here's why:

  • Simply put - the Asylum Demon is the perfect first boss.

  • When he first jumps down, it's shocking, especially if you've never played a Souls

  • game, and terrifying.

  • If you try attacking him, you'll probably die.

  • And, it quickly sets the mood for Dark souls in multiple ways.

  • For one - the game is going to be challenging.

  • And for two, if you stop panicking and explore around the room, you'll find an escape,

  • and get away from the boss.

  • You've now been rewarded for thinking and properly assessing the environment, which

  • is a huge deal in this game, which constantly pounds that into you: Be cautious, check the

  • environment for clues, and utilize it properly.

  • Not only that, but when we come to the boss better equipped, you're given a new mechanic

  • - that being the drop attack.

  • This takes out roughly half of the Asylum Demon's health, and presents with an optionally

  • easier boss fight.

  • Now, fully equipped and with healing items, knowing the mechanics of the game, you should

  • be able to take out the Asylum Demon after a few triesif not your first.

  • He is difficult for new playersbut not overly difficult - and this drop attack is

  • a great way for new players to feel like they have a real chance to defeat him.

  • Not only that - but because of how intimidating and challenging the Asylum Demon was when

  • we first met him, it's extremely rewarding when the player defeats him.

  • Right from the get-go, the tutorial has established what the game is about: overcoming challenging

  • situations, and a great sense of reward for doing so.

  • Demon's Souls attempts this by having an intimidating boss - but allows you to lose,

  • thereby potentially never gaining that sense of reward.

  • Meanwhile, both Dark Souls 2 and Bloodborne omit having a boss, which I think was a mistake

  • on the part of Dark Souls 2, where-as Bloodborne I'm more forgiving as it has totally different

  • feel as a game.

  • I think Dark Souls 3 actually handled this the worst with Iudex Gundyr.

  • He's overly difficult for new players, and certain builds, such as the thief build, are

  • at a huge disadvantage against him.

  • While he sets the tone for: “These games are about overcoming challenge”, I think

  • it's at the point of potentially being too discouraging.

  • Finally, another great thing about the Asylum Demon and the tutorial area is it has a now

  • well-known easter egg that rewards observant players.

  • The Asylum Demon can be seen at the top of the Undead Asylum if the player truly pays

  • attention.

  • Meanwhile, we find Oscar bashed in throughs he ceiling of the Undead Asylum, about to

  • die.

  • And - if we piece this together - it was the Asylum Demon who did this to him.

  • The story is there, and you're rewarded for paying attentionbut it's never thrown

  • in your face.

  • Anyways, I think that's all I have to say about the Undead Asylum.

  • To be honest, the area's a little boring to me, but it does make for a great tutorial

  • area.

  • So, let's hitch a ride with a crow, and head into Firelink Shrine.

  • ————

  • Ahhhh, Firelink Shrine.

  • Thanks in part to the sound design of the game, which opt to almost never play music

  • unless you're fighting a boss, this truly feels like a relaxing hub and safe spot.

  • This element of sound design is actually something I'm a little torn on.

  • On one hand, some of my favorite video game music comes from environmental music.

  • For example: Playing through From Software's first video game series, King's Field, there's

  • constantly this creepy music that plays in the background - and it really helped set

  • the mood of the game.

  • Meanwhile, a game like Skyrim has peaceful tracks playing the background which helps

  • make the game feel relaxing while you're exploring.

  • Dark Souls instead opts to only have environmental sounds ringing throughout, which heavy music

  • playing during bosses to indicate a heightened sense of danger - which I'll touch on more

  • when I get to the Taurus Demon.

  • And while I sometimes do miss the music, it also makes it so every track is far more effective.

  • Because Firelink Shrine is one of the only places in the game with music, it really does

  • feel like something separate, important, and peaceful.

  • Meanwhile, if you eventually find Ash Lake, the track that plays there immediately creates

  • a sense of awe and importance - as no-where else in the game does this.

  • I think - to my point - it's an interesting design choice, and I think one Dark Souls

  • pulls off effectively.

  • Another great thing about Firelink Shrine is that there are multiple branches here,

  • with the game not holding your hand or telling you where to go.

  • It's refreshing for a game to trust its player to figure out what's too difficult

  • for them.

  • And while I'm sure there are some players who have frustratedly quit out of the game

  • at this point, this is the type of choice that makes Dark Souls stand out to players

  • who do end up enjoying it so much.

  • From Firelink Shrine, you can head into the Catacombs, Undead Burg, or New Londo - which

  • actually has even more branches - but, let's first look at a new player's perspective.

  • If you go into the Graveyard, the skeletons are genuinely hard and will probably kill

  • you immediately.

  • One thing I hate in games is when they block off a path telling you: “You shouldn't

  • go here yet”.

  • It's such an obvious marker and pulls away from immersion.

  • But - this tells a player all they need to know.

  • If you died to the skeletons right away, you should probably be thinking: “I'm not

  • ready for this yet”, or at leas try to avoid it and look at other areas.

  • If you want to keep on attempting the Graveyard - fair enough man - but at least you're

  • given the choice.

  • Option #2 is New Londo.

  • To be honest, I didn't even notice the entrance to New Londo my first time playing the game

  • until multiple trips back to Firelink Shrine, which I think is one good point to why it's

  • for later in the gameit's harder to find.

  • That said, everyone's different, so if you do end up here first - once again, there's

  • a lot that will show you not to come here.

  • For one - unless you know to utilize a Transient Curse, you can't hurt the ghosts - and that

  • definitely feels too advanced for a first section of a game.

  • So again, you should figure out right away this isn't the first place to go.

  • And finally, our third option is Undead Burg.

  • Which is really the section designed for a first-time player, and the first area you

  • should go to.

  • BUT.

  • The great thing about all of this, is that it drastically boosts the replayability of

  • this game.

  • When you know what you're doing, it's fun to jump into the Catacombs and see if

  • you can defeat Pinwheel at a low level - or even pick up different equipment there.

  • If you grab the Master Key, all of Undead Burg is entirely optional, and you can head

  • into New Londo, out to Blight Town or the Darkroot Garden.

  • And this non-linear interconnected world design is part of what makes Dark Souls so charming

  • - and it's, unfortunately, the only game in the series that has as open of a design

  • in this sense.

  • At this point of the game, everything cleverly wraps back to Firelink Shrine - and as far

  • away as you get, there's typically multiple ways to get back - but more on that a little

  • later.

  • So, all of that said, let's talk about Undead Burg.

  • ————

  • If I'm being honest, this is one of my least favorite areas of the game.

  • Visually, it's just not as interesting as the other sections, with the enemies also

  • being kind of bland here compared to other sections of the game.

  • And look - that's totally fair as it's the first area of the game - and the game

  • SHOULD build up to something more interesting - but, I think my issue comes from everything

  • that adds up with the section.

  • To say some positives first: The level design is really well done.

  • Undead Burg has a lot of clever side paths that feel like secrets when you find them,

  • offer some extra goodies, and then smartly wrap you right back onto the main path.

  • There are also areas that are teased to you, where you'll see an item in the distance,

  • wonder how to find it, and then if you search can find a path that will make you feel rewarded

  • when you do find it.

  • There's also a clever shortcut/drop, which seems impossible to do if you're new - but

  • when you discover it is possible, that in itself is massively rewarding.

  • But, as far as the enemies are placed, this area has a decent amount of mobs - which can

  • be incredibly intimidating for new players.

  • There's a section you have to run past with firebombs being tossed down at you, where

  • you're basically forced to run into a mob scenario.

  • Unless you know about the Black Knight shortcutwhich has a Black Knight guarding the path

  • - this is one of the harder areas to run through and avoid enemies - which is good and bad.

  • On one hand, it forces the player to learn that running past enemies isn't an option

  • - and force them to learn to be slow and methodical, and learn how to play the game.

  • It teaches you to be observant and take your time.

  • On the other hand - as players are still learning the mechanics of the game at this point, it

  • can be incredibly frustrating if it feels like you aren't making any progress.

  • And while you'll probably be returning to the bonfire to level-up frequently - at least

  • I know I was on my first play through, as this was my first Souls game - I think being

  • stuck in an area that seems a little more bland, without much option of any other section

  • of the game to try without a far steeper difficulty curve, could be problematic.

  • And look, there's no way for me to really know, as looking at Achievement rates in Dark

  • Souls is always a steady drop-off, as it is with any game, it's my guess that this area

  • may be highly discouraging to new players.

  • Of course - I'm sure many of you in the comments will tell me about how easy this

  • section was for you, but it's my opinion that this area, including Undead Parish, could

  • be the most discouraging part of the game for someone new.

  • But, okay, let's talk about some more positives:

  • If you get the Master Key, you can head down to Havel's chamber, and out into the Darkroot

  • Basin.

  • The Darkroot Basin is visually interesting, has the Hydra which is horrifying but super

  • cool, and if you explore you can get the Grass Root Shield, which is a really good shield,

  • at least in my opinion.

  • And, while this experience won't be the same for everyone: It was here that I realized

  • part of what helped me get through the game and enjoy it.

  • While it felt super punishing to die because Dark Souls gets rid of all of your currency,

  • with the chance to pick it up again - I realized that I could explore areas and just say: “Fuck

  • it!” about my currency, and just try to find useful items, which I would keep.

  • Exploring in hard areas could actually be rewarding, and as long as you weren't thinking

  • about leveling up, dying was actually beneficial.

  • It's a different way to play other Action RPGs, where you die and lose everything.

  • Weirdly enough, it actually makes exploring potentially easier to do.

  • So, with that, let's talk about the death mechanics of the game:

  • ————

  • When both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls came out, this was actually a pretty big talking

  • point, and one of the reasons these games were considered so challenging.

  • When you die, you lose all of your Souls, which act as both your currency and your experience

  • points.

  • That's normal enoughbut there's no true saving in Dark Souls.

  • In most games, when you die, while that's punishing enough, you return to your save

  • point with all of the experience point and currency you had prior to saving.

  • However - as Souls doesn't have this, you'll lose everything.

  • The game does counteract this, though, in a couple ways.

  • For one, you have the chance to collect all of your Souls againunless you die a 2nd

  • time, at which point they're all lost.

  • For twothis currency is really the only thing you lose, and I think that's a really

  • important point.

  • Every item you collect while exploring, even if you die, you'll still keep.

  • You also never lose levels from dying - at least in Dark Souls - so a dynamic is created.

  • On one hand, exploring is encouraged because you can find new and incredibly useful items.

  • On the other handyou'll always have to pay attention to how much health you have,

  • how many estus flasks for healing, and how many souls you have.

  • There's a risk/reward for exploring, and if you have a lot of souls, you may decide

  • to just cash them in before you explore, and not have to worry about.

  • Or, you can take the risk.

  • Once you're used to it

  • I actually find this mechanic in a lot of ways less punishing than normal Action RPGs,

  • where you lose everything when you die.

  • And it's been incorporated into a lot of games sinceso it definitely has inspired

  • a lot of modern game design - despite the initial criticism it received.

  • ————

  • Okay, so Undead Burg is fully explored, you've gotten used to the basic mechanics of the

  • game, so you thinkand you come upon your first real boss:

  • (Show footage of Taurus Demon, but without the music, like I have in my remastered recording)

  • Look, it's a bigger, scarier enemy!

  • But, it's not too bad, right?

  • Wait a sec

  • (Show footage of Taurus Demon again, but now with the music).

  • Oh my God!

  • That thing is horrifying now!

  • And this is really the power of Dark Souls' sound design.

  • By the combination of a bigger, badder enemy showing up, and the music, the fight immediately

  • feels far more daunting.

  • Obviously if you're new to the game, being trapped on a small bridge with this thing

  • is going to be frightening anyways.

  • But, by not playing any music, and suddenly blasting it when the boss appears, you've

  • drastically heightened that sense of tension.

  • So, I don't have too much to say about the Taurus Demon outside of that I think it's

  • a good “2nd bossif that's the order you choose.

  • It's big and intimidating like the Asylum Demon, so you'll feel rewarded when you

  • defeat it.

  • It's a little quicker and more challenging, though, with a bigger health pool.

  • But, if you're clever, you have the option to plunge attack it, which really hammers

  • in how important it is to explore the environment.

  • Archers who shoot down at you indicate there might be another area you can go, and you're

  • rewarded for exploring this by finding a way to significantly decrease the Taurus Demon's

  • health in an easy way.

  • It calls back what you learned from the first fight against the Asylum demon, but implements

  • it in a more challenging fashion.

  • So, I think it's a perfectly implemented boss fightwhen it works.

  • (Show a glitch kill).

  • (Add a source at the bottom for whatever YouTube channel's footage I use)

  • ————

  • Onwards and across to the Undead Parishwhere we get one of my least favorite things

  • in the game - the Hellkite Drake.

  • On one hand, I do like how intimidating it is, and I think it was a fun design choice

  • to have the Hellkite Drake show up almost immediately after the Taurus Demon, without

  • a bonfire or anyway to feel safe or as rewarded for what you just did.

  • But

  • I think this is one of the areas that properly fails to warn the player there's a trap

  • and they will get injured.

  • If you look at the ground, there's burn marks before you walk onto the bridge where

  • the Hellkite Drake is.

  • Butthere's really nothing to indicate to you that you should walk on it, then turn

  • tail and run away from it.

  • There are tells that are really well done in this game, but this particular one bothers

  • me.

  • Fortunately, if you have full health, when the Hellkite Drake breaths fire on you, it

  • probably won't kill you.

  • But

  • I would have preferred if the Hellkite Drake cut across the bridge, and lit fire directly

  • in front of you indicating: Hey, this area is going to be problematic - with a better

  • tell.

  • Or, alternatively, if the Hellkite Drake swooped up from under the bridge, shot fire directly

  • at the bridge in front of you, with the fire coming towards you.

  • That way, you could at least have a moment to react and possibly run back to safety,

  • before the Hellkite Drake then perches on wall across from you.

  • Even getting through the bridge feels kinda poorly handled at this point.

  • You can go underneath to find a path, where you're punished because you can't reach

  • the bonfire - but at the very least, you can still progress without figuring out how to

  • cross through the Hellkite Drake.

  • So, on the positive end, that option was handled well with you losing out on a bonfire - which

  • is a major reward - in return for safety.

  • To get the Hellkite Drake to react in a way that you can run past it to said bonfire,

  • and get your reward, you have to wait in one of the safe zones until the Hellkite Drake

  • reacts, seemingly gets annoyed, and flies into get you.

  • I do like this reaction by the Hellkite Drakebut there's nothing inherent to tell you

  • to just wait in the safe zone until the Hellkite Drake gets bored and comes to attack you.

  • Running out onto the bridge resets the amount of time you have to wait, which makes it especially

  • difficult to figure out what to do in order to cause this animation.

  • Something notable in this area is the ladder you can kick down to reach your previous bonfire

  • at Undead Burg.

  • Not only is it a great checkpoint, but more importantlyit's clever.

  • After feeling panicked that you beat a boss, you have a lot of souls, and debating if you

  • should carry on or not - if you get through the first attack by the Hellkite Drake, you

  • get what's essentially a double reward.

  • A ladder that creates a shortcut back to your previous bonfire.

  • It's so cleverly designed where even if you feel like you're traveling away - you

  • end up looping right back to this bonfire, and now have easier access to the Undead Merchant

  • or Firelink Shrine if need-be.

  • Whichleads nicely into my thoughts about the Undead Cathedral.

  • ————

  • The Undead Cathedral contains what I consider to be one of the most critical shortcuts in

  • Dark Souls, and what's quite possibly a game-changing moment.

  • After traveling even further along the path past the Hellkite Drake, and making it to

  • the end of the Undead Cathedral, you'll find an elevator which leads directly back

  • down to Firelink Shrine.

  • This creates multiple major moments.

  • First - It shows just how interconnected the world design of Dark Souls is.

  • While Undead Burg has an interconnected level design, with various paths that cleverly loop

  • back onto themselves - this is a major moment that should show just how well the entire

  • world of Dark Souls does this.

  • Secondly - It's incredibly rewarding.

  • At this point in the game, you've traveled pretty far away from Firelink Shrine, which

  • is essentially a hub and the one place the feels like a peaceful respite from all of

  • the Hell going on outside of it.

  • You've defeated a boss, and traveled even further, to a point where a 2nd boss is looming.

  • But, after all of that, you've unlocked a quick and easy way to travel back home to

  • Firelink Shrine.

  • Another thing I haven't mentioned is kindling bonfires - which I think is a bit too obtuse

  • and confusing.

  • But - point is, bonfires typically start with 5 estus flask recoveries for your character,

  • which also acts as a limit for how far you'll want to explore, as once you're out, it's

  • a good idea to head back to the bonfire, recover these, and try again.

  • While you can level up a bonfire to allow for up to 20… by its obtuse nature, I have

  • a feeling not all players will have figured this out by this point.

  • BUT, Firelink Shrine's bonfire starts with 10 estus flask recoveries.

  • So, for players who haven't quite figured out this mechanic, the bonfire is made even

  • more rewarding to be able to return to.

  • This leads me to talking about bonfire warpingand an important point I really wanted to

  • touch on in this video:

  • ————

  • With the release of Dark Souls: Remastered, I've seen a number of complaints about changes

  • that weren't madeone of them being about Bonfire Warping.

  • [SOT - Jim Sterling complaining about how there should be Bonfire Warping in DS: Remastered]

  • Sorry Jim, I do enjoy your videos, I just want to illustrate this point.

  • The problem with bonfire warping, and why it was such a smart decision in Dark Souls

  • 1 to not allow players to do this immediately, is it completely negates the interconnected

  • World Design of Dark Souls 1.

  • You see, when you can warp at the start of the game from any bonfire to another bonfire,

  • it lowers the tension of exploring.

  • Part of what makes the game get more intense as you progress further into the game, is

  • that you're slowly exploring further and further away from the safety of Firelink Shrine.

  • At the same time, because you can't warp - that's what makes the shortcut in the

  • Undead Cathedral to Firelink Shrine feel so incredibly rewarding.

  • If you could warp from any bonfire, this wouldn't matter, and there'd be no reason for this

  • shortcut to exist.

  • When you find the bonfire in the Undead Parish - which is next to the Undead Cathedral, you

  • would be able to just warp back to Firelink Shrine from there.

  • Which - yes, is convenient - but again, completely negates any reason for this shortcut to exist.

  • And at that point, the interconnected world design doesn't matter as much.

  • Not only that, but the game is designed around the idea that you can't warp.

  • If you decide to travel into the Catacombs before you have access to warping and The

  • Lord Vesselyou'll find a fairly difficult path down to the bottom, based on your level

  • and how good you are at the game.

  • But, again, playing off the notion that there's tension to exploring as you can't warp

  • once you hit the bottom of the catacombs, you'll have to somehow make your way back

  • up, which in many places can be even more difficult than traveling down.

  • You've now put yourself in a predicament that you have to get out of.

  • And that's something you'll always question anytime you pick up a new bonfire in Dark

  • Souls during a first playthrough: How far away am I from Firelink Shrine?

  • And how hard is it going to be to get back?

  • It creates an entirely different feel of playing through the game, than if you can just warp

  • out - because at that point none of it matters, because you can easily escape to safety.

  • Even looking at Blighttown, the area was also designed with the idea that players will be

  • looping out of it.

  • Most first time players will travel to Blighttown via the Depths, and the escape out of Blighttown

  • is it's own challenge, again, purposefully designed that way.

  • I mean, hell, the game even put Lautrec in Firelink Shrine, who'll take out the bonfire

  • once you reach Blighttown

  • Let's consider what happens when you can't warp:

  • You have a tense trip traveling up the mills of Blighttown, and passing through a cave

  • of trolls.

  • When you finally reach Firelink Shrine, the bonfire doesn't exist, and that's horrifying

  • as this is the safety hub you've been trying to reach.

  • But suddenly, you remember that you created a shortcut to the Undead Parish, and because

  • you're a smart player, you can safely travel to that, making the shortcut you opened way

  • back at the beginning of the game even more important.

  • None of this would exist if you could warp in Dark Souls right off the bat.

  • It wouldn't matter.

  • You finish Blighttown andokay: Just warp back up to wherever you want to go next.

  • It's a completely different game feel, and part of why it's my opinion that it was

  • such a good decision not to allow for warping.

  • So, what would happen if you could warp right off the bat?

  • The answer isthe design of the game would have to change to accommodate for this idea

  • which is exactly what we see in Dark Souls 3, and to a lesser extent Dark Souls 2.

  • Both Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 allow for warping right off the bat, so let's talk

  • about both.

  • In Dark Souls 2, you have Majula as the main HUB, acting like Fire Link shrine, and then

  • 4 branching paths that go in completely opposite directions, and never connect.

  • And while it's not as satisfying than as if the world connectedthe truth is - you

  • don't really NEED it to.

  • The individual level design isn't as strong, which is more of what people noticed, but

  • againthe world connecting doesn't matter.

  • You can travel to the far end of any branch, and warp there whenever you want, there's

  • no reason it needs to connect.

  • In a lot of ways, it's really more similar to Demon's Souls in that regard - the world

  • connecting to the HUB is just a nice, but unnecessary touch.

  • Meanwhile, while Dark Souls 3 contains certain areas of the world that connectfor the

  • most part, you have distinct paths that go in separate directions, then dead-end - because

  • again, making the world interconnect isn't as important.

  • However, Dark Souls 3 does a better job of accommodating for this design choice within

  • the level design, and the way they need to in order for it to work with warping bonfires.

  • So, let me show you what I mean:

  • The Cathedral of the Deep contains a minor Firelink Shrine in some ways.

  • You'll find one bonfire in the entire area, but next to it are 2 incredibly obvious locked

  • shortcuts.

  • So, in order to create more tension, you spend a certain amount of time traveling away from

  • this bonfire, and then the game eventually wraps back to that singular bonfire opening

  • 1 shortcut.

  • You then use that shortcut to repeat the same process of looping around to open shortcut

  • number 2.

  • This is how the game functions in order to create a similar feeling.

  • There's no reason to include a wrap-back to the overall world or HUB at any point,

  • as you can just warp there.

  • So - they have to create this feeling in individual levelswhich isn't as effective.

  • But compared to Dark Souls 1…

  • Dark Souls 3 is designed around this concept.

  • Dark Souls 1 isn't.

  • Simply adding warping completely negates the overall design of Dark Souls 1.

  • Bloodborne is a little better in this regardas while you can warp immediately in the game,

  • you're forced to warp back to the HUD before you can then warp to another area.

  • This is so inconvenientespecially with the loading times of Bloodbornethat it

  • disincentives warping just enough to make Yharnam mostly connecting a rewarding touch.

  • I know I've been harping on this for a while, but I really want to hammer in how important

  • of a choice not allowing warping off the bat in Dark Souls 1 is, and how much it changes

  • the game, as well as how much the game is designed around this concept.

  • Similar to not having a mini-map, or objective markers, this is one of those touches that

  • makes Dark Souls unique and stand out.

  • It's part of the reason many people enjoyed the game.

  • And while you could argue: “Warping is optional”, you could say the same thing about a mini-map

  • or objective markers.

  • The point is, not being given the option to use these things are what creates tension

  • and adds both challenge and reward to the game.

  • If you know that you can just warp at any point, even if you choose not to, it completely

  • destroys that feeling - as any predicament you get yourself into, such as getting stuck

  • at the bottom of the Tomb of Giantswhich happened to me - the easy option is there,

  • and it's no-longer a daunting prospect to get out.

  • The shortcut to Firelink Shrine is nice, but it's no longer important.

  • How much you hate Lautrec for killing the Firekeeper at Firelink Shrine doesn't matter,

  • because you'd be able to warp to any bonfire regardless.

  • While yes - it certainly is convenient to be able to warp at any point in Dark Souls

  • 1, that's not what the game is about.

  • The point of the game is to establish obstacles and challenges for the player to overcome,

  • and then reward them for doing so, and not being able to warp ties directly into that.

  • ————

  • But, I'll stop harping on this point.

  • Your first truly required boss, as Taurus Demon is actually skippable, are the Bell

  • Gargoyles.

  • This is another great boss fight that perfectly works off what the game is about.

  • For players who haven't played Demon's Souls, the fact that a second Bell Gargoyle

  • comes halfway through the fight is a daunting surprise.

  • But, while it adds another layer of challenge to the fight, you actually have a pretty large

  • space to try and escape from - with this fight being a balance of patience and choosing when

  • to be aggressive.

  • The fight feels nicely balanced, and is definitely something new players can overcome - which

  • you want at this point in a game.

  • Moving forward, you find the Darkroot Garden and Darkroot Basin which is a nice change

  • of scenery that should help add a new layer of intrigue to players.

  • I also love the inclusion of the Hydra at this point in the game, because if further

  • helps distinguish Dark Souls from other action games.

  • Leading up to Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, most action games would actively encourage

  • you and reward you for fighting crazy and horrifying enemies.

  • So-much so, that nothing really ends up feeling daunting or intimidating.

  • In God of War, Devil May Cry, or Bayonetta - which I acknowledge are completely different

  • types of action games - if you see something like the Hydra, your instinct would be to

  • run up and attack it.

  • However, at this point in Dark Souls your instincts should be the exact opposite, that

  • giant monster in the distance could very easily kill you, and further more, the question of

  • 'how' you're going to get past that thing is a real question.

  • And that's part of what I find so endearing about Dark Souls - You actually feel helpless

  • at times, and unprepared for various situations - which makes overcoming them all that much

  • more rewarding.

  • Another thing I think is important about the Darkroot Basin is - if you don't have the

  • master key - this is where the game truly opens up.

  • Even for new players with the master key, this is probably where you'll feel like

  • you suddenly have options.

  • You can head to the Moonlight Butterfly and take down that boss, you can try and take

  • on the Hydra, you can go into the Valley of Drakes, and thereby Blighttown, or you can

  • fight the Bell Gargoyles or Capra Demondepending on your progress at this point.

  • You can even head into the Darkroot Garden, either by saving up for the Crest of Artorias

  • or by going around it, and find Sif.

  • This non-linear element works to the games favor in plethora of ways.

  • For new players, it's nice to feel like you have options, especially if the game is

  • overly challenging.

  • If you're struggling too much with one area, you can tackle another, level-up, better equip

  • yourself, and return to an area you were struggling with later.

  • Even if they're all challenging, at least you're open to choose which challenge you

  • want to tackle.

  • For returning players, this gives you several routes you can tackle, and allows for completely

  • different types of play throughs.

  • It's the same thing as what makes the Mega Man games so replayable.

  • Part of the fun of those games is that you can pick the boss and level in any order you

  • like - which was revolutionary for the time of the games release, as it was the first

  • game to do so.

  • In this way, returning to play those games is always fun, as you're not stuck to a

  • linear route.

  • While not every game is necessarily serviced by this choice (with Octopath Traveler being

  • a prime example I'd like to talk about at some point), when done well it massively boosts

  • how repayable a game is.

  • ————

  • Despite how much I love the forest, as it turns out, you're actually supposed to head

  • back to the Hellkite Drake to get into Lower Undead Burg with a key you should've picked

  • up around this point if you were paying attention and properly exploring.

  • I do think this is a little obtuse to find.

  • From personal experience, I completely forgot about the door the key opens, despite looking

  • at the key's description - and I've also watched friends stream the game who also had

  • no idea where to go at this point.

  • I'm sure it's nit-picky, and other people had no trouble finding it, but I think it's

  • worth pointing out.

  • Either way - for a game that's heavy on exploration, I don't think it's a big

  • deal.

  • Capra Demon is notable, as it's the first boss with extra enemies in boss arena.

  • It's also by far the most aggressive boss so far, with the demon and dogs immediately

  • running at you right when you enter the fog-gate.

  • Like most people I've seen talk about this - I'm not a fan of extra enemies in boss

  • arenas.

  • While I don't mind a boss who doubles-up, like the Man-eater or Bell-Gargoyles, those

  • feel properly balanced.

  • This, on the other hand, is just kinda annoying and can feel unfair.

  • Especially with the dogs, who are already pretty hard to hit in the first place.

  • On a positive note, I like what Fromsoftware was going for with the boss beings super aggressive.

  • It's a great way to keep players on their feet, and change things up at a point where

  • you might be starting to get comfortable.

  • But

  • I think a hyper-aggressive boss would have done the trick without resorting to the dog

  • gimmick.

  • ————

  • With Capra finished, we reach The Depthsand the Basilisks.

  • The Basilisks who are capable of cursing youwhich I would call by far the largest

  • punishment in the game - as it reduces you to half-health until you find a Purging Stone

  • to take care of it.

  • This is one of the punishments in the game I feel is a little too harsh.

  • Both Dark Souls 2 and 3 back-tracked on the effects of this with the curse of Dark Souls

  • 2 dropping you hollow leveland Dark Souls 3 it just kills you with no lasting effect.

  • I do like that curse has a different kind of penalty than other effects, which makes

  • it unique - and I actually think Dark Souls 3 and 2's penalties are too tame.

  • That said, I think a penalty of 1 quarter of your health gone after being cursed would

  • have been much more manageable, and still a decent penalty.

  • You do die from getting cursed, and the lasting effect would still be harsh, but at least

  • you'd feel like you could still carry-on to a degree.

  • With half of your health gone, it's truly crippling, and I think that's far too harsh

  • this early-on in the game.

  • You do open up the Female Undead Merchant just before this point who sells purging stones

  • but I'm not sure how many people will realize this, as you'll have no idea just how bad

  • the 'curse' status is until you get knocked down by it.

  • So - it's not something you'll be looking out for.

  • Also, you could pretty easily think to go to the first Undead Merchant to find an item

  • to cure your status - only to find he doesn't carry it, which would feel defeating.

  • Outside of that

  • I don't have too much to say about the Depths other than the Gaping Dragon is an awesome

  • boss.

  • ————

  • With Gaping Dragon down, we enter Blighttown.

  • An area that honestly gets a bad reppartially because of the garbage frame rate at the bottom.

  • Leading down to the bottom is a fun area of narrow bridges and platforms constructed together

  • to make a maze-like path.

  • Butreaching the bottom of Blighttown, we get to what I truly dislike about the area

  • - which is a poison swamp.

  • There was an area like this in Demon's Souls, and also similar in the future installments

  • of the game.

  • Looking at the game as a whole, and from the perspective of a large world, it's an interesting

  • area and fits in nicelyBut

  • I've never been a fan of these poison locations.

  • When it's a swamp, like in Dark Souls 1, it's something you're forced to trudge

  • through slowly, which just makes it annoying more than anything else.

  • While you can get the Rusted Iron Ring to counter-act this, even being forced to switch

  • it on is a hindrance.

  • Being slowly poisoned isn't too challengingagain, it's more of just kind of annoying.

  • The design of Dark Souls is overwhelmingly setup to give players various challenges,

  • with the point being a sense of reward and accomplishment for overcoming the set of challenges.

  • For my part - these types of areas fail at that, as getting past them never feels rewarding

  • outside of: “Thank God I'm done with that shit.”.

  • The boss of the area on the other hand, Quelaag, is a lot of fun with a mix of attacks that

  • change up what we've seen before, making for an interesting battle.

  • Apparently she's overwhelmingly easy in co-op, but I like tackling these games solo,

  • so it's not something I can comment on too strongly.

  • ————

  • With Quelaag's defeat, we both unleash a new NPC and open up Sen's Fortress.

  • While I'd go into Frampt, he's really more important from a lore stand-point, and

  • I've already covered that so heavily in other videos, I'd say to go watch one of

  • those if you 'd like to see that.

  • He does give you your next goal in the game, which, as our cutscene has indicated - is

  • to travel to Sen's Fortress and into Anor Londo, the city of the Gods.

  • Sen's Fortress really tests if you've been paying attention to what Dark Souls has

  • been trying to teach you the most of the game…. which is to pay attention to your surroundings.

  • It's also a nice nod to previous FromSoftware gamesin that we've actually seen similar

  • trap-filled dungeons in the King's Field series - and in particular, King's Field

  • 2's Passage of Death.

  • While this area can be Hell to go through, I absolutely love it for the challenges it

  • presents.

  • Almost every trap here is fair, and the game has already made it abundantly clear to you

  • that you should take your time in new areas and not rush through.

  • If you do so, you'll be able to notice the various switches and traps.

  • The first trap we find is a switch that activates arrows that will shoot out at you.

  • You're given plenty of time to avoid these, and even have Lizard-Men who will rush at

  • you, and possibly get in the way of the trap, getting injured themselves, giving you yet

  • another means of learning the trap and understand what the area will be about without it feeling

  • unfair.

  • Another trap in the area is an elevator that leads to spikes on a ceiling that will kill

  • you.

  • Unlike the Hellkite Drake bridge, this is far better indicated.

  • For one - you're already in an area filled with traps, and you know that you need to

  • pay attention to this stuff.

  • Secondly - this elevator has blood all over it, indicating something's wrong.

  • While you may not know exactly what - it's a good clue-in to it.

  • In fact, the only trap in this area that I find to be unfair is the Mimic Chest.

  • While I actually love these things, and think they're fun - and overall when you know

  • of their existence, do think they're fair - as they move around slightly and if you

  • have a keen eye, you can spot themthe first time we find one, there's really no

  • indication that something will be wrong.

  • Yes - you can spot it, but it's so subtle, I doubt most players would ever notice.

  • You're also so used to chests acting in one way, I think you need a slightly better

  • indicator that there's going to be something wrong for it to feel fair.

  • Of course - the fact that the first chest is in Sen's Fortress is a great start, as

  • that is the perfect placement for this chest.

  • That said, I don't personally mind thisgotchamoment, which is really what

  • it feels like - but coming from the stand-point of how fair it feels, it doesn't match most

  • of Dark Souls design.

  • ————————

  • Finishing Sen's Fortress, we reach Anor Londo.

  • I think Anor Londo is a bit of a mixed bag.

  • The area is giant and grandiose, which definitely gives it the impression of an important place,

  • and is fitting both for the lore, and the build up to this point.

  • Howeverthe outer portion also feels kind of empty.

  • Now - I do understand the lore perspective of this, and there's nothing wrong with

  • breaking up the pacing with a wide open space like this.

  • But, it mainly sticks out when you're trying to traverse from one point to another after

  • you already know the layout and have completed it's various challenges.

  • On a positive note, I love that getting into the chapel requires you to run across the

  • top of a buttress.

  • It almost feels unintentional - and while it definitely is - the act of finding it and

  • realizing this will be a way to get to your next destination actually feels like you're

  • sneaking into somewhere you're not supposed to go.

  • The rafter segment that follows can be a bit of a pain, but it's not so bad that it feels

  • unfair.

  • I also love that - by running through the rafters - not only does it cement the grandiose

  • scale of the area - as this is where Lords resided - but it also feel like a new kind

  • of challenge.

  • Howeverwe do find the Anor Londo archery club herewhichis a bit ridiculous.

  • When you know how to play the game, you'll know various ways to get through this challenge.

  • If you're good at dodge rolling and parryingit's really not all that bad.

  • If you're not - HOLY HELL, MAN.

  • And, I think this is one of the examples in the game of an area that goes too far towards

  • unfair.

  • Especially as it decides to toss not onebut two archers at you.

  • I think it's an interesting challenge.

  • Butmy God man

  • I wouldn't fault anyone for being pissed about this.

  • While the outside is a little hit or missand I'm not just talking about the archers.

  • - I think the inside of Anor Londo really shines.

  • Going through the Cathedral is a bit of a maze, and the Silver Knights really help train

  • players at parrying if it's not something they've worked on yet.

  • Also, the fact you can skip half of this makes me happyas these exploits are always fun

  • and can make you feel clever.

  • Of course, what's really one of the most interesting parts of the whole section is

  • Ornstein and Smough - who are perhaps the biggest test of the entire game.

  • From a lore perspective, they're meant to test if an undead is worthy enough to see

  • Gwynevere.

  • And you can bet your ass I'm gonna try to be that person.

  • BUT - It also ties in with the gameplay, as this boss fight is a culmination and true

  • test of your skills.

  • It'll ask you to properly manage fighting two enemies at once, and understand that sometimes,

  • being patient is a better strategy than trying to rush-in - which is something the game has

  • been teaching the entire time.

  • Ornstein and Smough behave differently, with one being quick and agile, while the other

  • is slow and powerful.

  • They test two different skills, and they work perfectly in tandem.

  • Killing one will make the other stronger, suddenly giving you a challenging 1 on 1 boss

  • fight - yet again, testing how well you can pick up on the enemy's tells and react.

  • Interestingly, this also gives them more replayability, as if you come back on a New Game + run, or

  • a separate game, it's fun to test your skills against the boss you didn't fight the first

  • time.

  • It also gives new players a choice, so if you're struggling with oneyou can choose

  • the other.

  • I think Ornstein and Smough is the most challenging boss in Vanilla Dark Souls, and this is the

  • perfect placement for this battle.

  • At this point, players should already be dedicated and have a strong understanding of the game.

  • It's immensely rewarding to defeat the pair of them, and doing so opens up multiple previously

  • locked-off paths for you, which is a massive reward in its own right.

  • ————————

  • At this point, you reach the final portion of the game, andwhere the game has it's

  • biggest issues.

  • You're presented with 4 paths you have to travel in order to get the various Lord Souls

  • to finish the game.

  • In theme with the game so far, the order in which you do this is completely up to you.

  • However, structurally, this is where the game feels different and loses some of its charm.

  • What I'm mainly referring to is the game loses its interconnectivity.

  • Part of the charm of the game, up to this point, was discovering how parts the world

  • connected to each other, discovering new shortcuts, and discovering new paths.

  • Now, the world of Dark Souls has grown to a grandiose size, with 3 distinct far away-branches

  • - that being the Duke's Archives, the Giant's Tomb, and Izalithwith New Londo still

  • being relatively in the middle of things.

  • To make up for this, you're now given the ability to warp, which does add a level of

  • convenience, and a sense of accomplishment - as it's something you unlockedbut

  • also feels necessary.

  • So, I'm going to present an alternative concept, that could potentially solve this

  • issue.

  • That said - it does have its own issues, which I'll also bring up.

  • One way to solve this problem, is within Anor Londo itself.

  • If - say - when you reach Anor Londo, there's now 2 branching paths on top of the Duke's

  • Archives, you could now create an entirely new area of interconnected paths and locations

  • around the city itself.

  • From a purely gameplay perspective, this could give players a continuing sense of discovery

  • as they work there way around the city.

  • Then - the bonfire at the Princess' Chamber could warp back to Firelink Shrine, or the

  • Undead Parish (given Lautrec's involvement).

  • Now, without warping, you can explore beyond the Princess' Chamber, and feel even further

  • from your HUB of Firelink Shrine, and what's essentially home, creating a greater sense

  • of danger as you stray further and further away, as you know that Princess' Chamber

  • bonfire is the only way to get back to your HUB.

  • This now heightens the sense of danger at the final portion of the game, which the game

  • has been ramping up to, and continues the design of Dark Souls you've known up to

  • this point, but with an even greater sense of fear for being 'far from home'.

  • On the flip-side, this concept does break the overall world design.

  • It is interesting from a lore and world perspective to see these opposite ends of the world the

  • various Gods and Lords of the world have made their homes.

  • I'm not claiming my concept is better than what the solution FromSoftware found was - especially

  • as the overall world design and lore of the game, even if you don't know the lore, is

  • part of what makes the game so interesting to play.

  • My first time playing the game, without knowing any lore, something about each area felt important

  • - and like it truly mattered as it all fit in to the world you were traversing - so that

  • is an important aspect to keep in mind.

  • It's really meant as food for thought, and a way to try to critically think about gameplay

  • design, and how you can continue to build and heighten the initial design around the

  • game.

  • ———————

  • So, let's talk about these branches:

  • While I briefly mentioned the Catacombs before, this area leads directly into the Tomb of

  • Giants and Nito.

  • The Catacombs is actually one of my favorite areas of the game, because it so strongly

  • utilizes vertical game design.

  • There are several branches for traveling down the Catacombs, and several shortcuts you can

  • find as well if you're creative enough.

  • And I think that was the fun for me - it was in carving my own path downwards.

  • Another thing about it, that I actually find to be great - is that the path back up is,

  • in some ways, more challenging than the path down.

  • My first time going through the Catacombs was before I activated the Lordvessel, and

  • the realization that I had to make my way back up after trapping myself at the bottom

  • was pretty significant.

  • Of course, this all depends on when you choose to go into the Catacombs, but I like that

  • this is a possibility.

  • If you're a new player, you actually get a really great reward in doing so

  • The Great Scythe!

  • The best weapon in the game!

  • Okay, I do love The Great Scythe, but really - you get the Rite of Kindling, which

  • for any new player is a major find, as it'll allow you to upgrade your bonfires so you

  • can get 20 Estus Flask uses instead of 10.

  • However - returning players and skilled players can entirely avoid this until they need to

  • traverse to the Catacombs later in the game which just adds to the brilliance of the design.

  • From software was smart enough to reward players for taking the challenge early on.

  • Pinwheel on the other hand

  • Alright - here's the thing with Pinwheel.

  • He's a joke of a boss because he's so easy when you need to traverse the Catacombs,

  • but he's also designed so you can fight him early in the game.

  • In some of my runs, I travel into the Catacombs first, just for the Hell of it, and to get

  • some quick Souls, and he's actually pretty challenging.

  • I do like his design, but he probably should have had more defense or health, to make him

  • at least slightly more challenging for when players will typically tackle him.

  • The Tomb of Giants, on the other hand

  • I'm not so fond of.

  • To its credit, it does mix things up, which I like.

  • The challenge of not being able to see what's in front of you, unless you specifically hold

  • up a light source instead of a way to defend yourself - that's a great dynamic to add

  • in.

  • I'm willing to say I might just be bad at fighting thembut I hate the Skeleton Dogs.

  • There's also the issue of getting the Large Divine Emberwhich is stuck in a Tomb with

  • a ridiculous amount of aggressive giant skeletons.

  • While I usually enjoy these types of traps - they should either be utilized for areas

  • where there's nothing importantor have a better way to tackle and get out of the

  • challenge.

  • As it stands, unless you're a range build, going for the Large Divine Ember is basically

  • a suicide mission.

  • Which - you can do as you'll still have it after you die, it's just not great design.

  • The area's pathing does have some nice twists and turns to it, if you follow it properly

  • at least during the front end.

  • But, overall, it mostly feels like a straight line.

  • I get that might sound like a hypocritical critique, considering I just praised the Catacombs.

  • But - with the Catacombs, the area does have a lot of interesting design choices and twists

  • to it if you follow the normal path down, where-as the shortcuts - which are the reward

  • for exploring and taking risks - turn it into a straight path.

  • The Tomb of Giants really is just… a straight line if you turn on the lights.

  • Which, leads me to my suggestion for the area.

  • The gimmick itself is interesting and cool, but it's really the overall bathing that

  • make the area feel more flawed.

  • I think if the area had been more of a maze, maybe even more-so than any other area of

  • the game, it would have heightened on the design choice of being unable to see in front

  • of you.

  • The area does do it for a little bit, when you're going through the cavernsbut

  • it could have really built upon this idea.

  • Nito as a boss if fine.

  • I know some people hate the boss, as he's pretty easy, minus skeletons who won't die

  • unless you have the proper weapon equipped, making him a bit of a gimmick boss.

  • For my part, I don't actually mind these gimmick style bosses as long as they're

  • done with restraint.

  • So-long as the overall gameplay is still in-line with the rest of the game, I think it can

  • help add a bit of variety.

  • And for new players who aren't so skilledit can actually be a bit of a relief in a

  • way - which I'll talk about more when we get to The Witch of Izalith.

  • I do, however, think there are some other ways Nito could have been made into a more

  • interesting boss fight, but still included a gimmick.

  • For my suggestion with Nito - as we see him rotting away branches during the intro, it

  • could have been interesting if you fight him in an arena where he can rot away certain

  • paths you're on, so you have to toggle handling him or the environment.

  • Similarly, as he's the Lord of Death, and seems to have some control over skeletons

  • - the arena could have been built with various bones the wall that he could summon to attack

  • the player, making the arena hazardous - but still something a player could spot and react

  • to if paying attention.

  • Either way, these are just gimmicks I think would have been more interesting, as I haven't

  • really seen them in a Souls game yet period, and you'd still be fighting as you normally

  • do, but with an environmental hazard.

  • Needing a divine weapon to take out the skeleton guards isfine - as you've already had

  • a chance to learn this is a thing throughout the Catacombsbut it's also the only

  • time you ever need to change weapons for a boss fight, which sticks out.

  • ——————

  • The next path we'll take is The Duke's Archives and Seath.

  • We're presented a number of obstacles that make this area unique.

  • In the Duke's Archives, you're more-or-less required to die and taken to a prison where

  • you're cut off from warping.

  • I meanlook - there's a way around this utilizing the elevators, but I'm sure that's

  • unintentional.

  • Luckily, unlike Dark Souls 2's Shrine of Winters shortcut, it was at least never patched

  • out.

  • These glitches and unintentional shortcuts are, in my opinion, a part of the charm of

  • games.

  • They add another layer to exploration, so I'm actually pretty disappointed when this

  • sort of thing is patched out.

  • While it's a little disappointing you're required to die in the game, unless using

  • the unintentional shortcut, I do think from an overall stand-point this was an interesting

  • element, especially for first time players, which too often gets forgotten when fans of

  • Dark Souls discuss the design.

  • After Anor Londo, and especially if the Duke's Archives is one of the later areas players

  • choose to explore, this is the point when new players should start to be feeling more

  • confident and powerful.

  • Not only that, but you can warp around, which takes away some tension.

  • So, the game has to find different ways to continue to challenge the player.

  • And, rather than just upping the difficulty and health of enemies, which gets monotonous

  • after a while, trapping you in a dungeon and taking away the ability to warp to safety

  • is one such way to present a new challenge.

  • And, while I honestly find the area to overall be kinda tedious when replaying, I do think

  • this was a good choice by Fromsoftware, and I'm glad they went through with this concept.

  • It also brings up another thing I want to talk about before jumping into the Crystal

  • Cave and Seath

  • ———————

  • While I complained about the linear branches in this latter portion of the game, it is

  • worth noting a major challenge the developers had to face.

  • When playing through the first portion, it's pretty clear there's a specific path that

  • you're meant to play through.

  • While you can go in any order you like, which I already praised enough earlier, the game

  • is still able to properly ramp up the difficulty and various challenges the player faces, due

  • to the clear order you're intended to progress.

  • After finishing Anor Londo, the player is suddenly given 4 branches they can tackle

  • in any order they want - which presents a number of design questions with both pros

  • and cons.

  • Do you make the enemies in certain branches more challenging than others, so there's

  • a clear order the player should tackle these?

  • The pro of this is players will most likely play in this order, and never get to OP.

  • Butthat somewhat takes away the non-linear factor of presenting 4 branches.

  • So, if you really want players to be able to go to any of these branches with no particular

  • advantage to each, you have to make the enemies relatively similar in difficulty.

  • However - in an RPG where you level up, like Dark Souls, the branches will slowly grow

  • easier and easier, with the final branch players choose being the easiest.

  • This is leading up to the climax of the game, so this is pretty problematicunless the

  • point of the game is a power fantasy, which Dark Souls isn't.

  • So - Dark Souls solution to this was the various gimmicks I've discussed so far.

  • The Tomb of the Giants is dark, so the challenge is in the environment.

  • The Duke's Archives locks you in a prison and away from warping, then has a Harry Potter

  • staircase puzzle.

  • It's final segment, The Crystal Cave, uses another environmental challenge with invisible

  • paths.

  • Izalith has you treading on lava which drains your health, and New Londo haswell

  • New Londo uses narrow paths and ghosts whom you need transient curses to fight.

  • The challenge of these areas aren't really the enemiesexcept for the skeleton dogs,

  • fuck those.

  • But, really in the environment, and that was Dark Souls solution to this issue.

  • And, while certain areas were more successful than others at attaining this, I do think

  • it's an admirable solution, and the correct one for this specific game.

  • —————————

  • So, back to the Crystal Cave!

  • This is the second portion of the Duke's Archives, with the conceit being there's

  • invisible paths you'll need Prism Stones or can use the snow flakes to spot.

  • To be honest, I don't think this area was handled well.

  • I do like the concept of it, as it's an interesting quandary.

  • Butthe prism stones aren't good enough to be useful.

  • Since you drop them right in front of you, and the ledge to a path could be anywhere,

  • they're totally unhelpful, and you need a giant number of them if you're actually

  • going to try using them to find paths.

  • The snowflakes are fine, but they're fairly slow, so you'll end up standing and waiting

  • a bunch, until you eventually memorize the paths.

  • And

  • I think the solution here is pretty simple, which is really what makes it a shame.

  • If the prism stones had a glow to them, and highlighted a larger area, suddenly they'd

  • actually be useful.

  • Additionally, the snowflakes could be more plentiful and fall a little faster, maybe

  • even with a little more of a glow to them when they land on the path.

  • That way, the path would be at least a little more obviousand with that, more invisible

  • paths could be added.

  • As it stands, there's hardly any invisible paths, and thank God for that, as they're

  • so annoying the first time playing the game.

  • So, I think a solution where the paths can be spotted at least more easily, but not fully

  • given away to players, would have allowed for far more invisible paths in this section,

  • and potentially are much more interesting area.

  • As it stands now, it's really just a raceway to Seath, and becomes pretty forgettable once

  • you know the linear path to get to him.

  • As far as the Seath fight goes

  • I actually like this boss fight.

  • He's different from other bosses we've seen before, and fighting him doesn't involve

  • any strange gimmicks to make him more challenging.

  • He's also a reference back to FromSoftware's very first game series, King's Field

  • which is an absolutely amazing series of games, and I appreciate the reference.

  • Seath also has a tail drop, the Moonlight Sword, which is yet another King's Field

  • reference - as The Moonlight Sword is highly important to the King's Field series, and

  • has become somewhat of a mascot to Fromsoftware making a cameo in multiple games of there's.

  • So, good job.

  • Sneaking in references like that without be obvert about it is always a nice touch.

  • —————————

  • Next up, let's head to New Londo and the Darkroot Garden.

  • While New Londo can be confusing at first, as the enemies are ghosts you can't seem

  • to hit - right at the start of the area you'll find some Transient Curses.

  • And - so long as you're paying attention to what things do, checking the description

  • of them will reveal using them is how you can attack a ghost.

  • So, we have another interesting change of pace with how to approach an area - with this

  • area letting you only attack enemies while a limited-time buff is taking place.

  • That - or you're cursed with half of your health.

  • I think that's another element of Dark Souls that makes it so strong I don't see people

  • talk about too much, though.

  • The game could have settled with making enemies stronger and relying on it's primary gameplay

  • mechanics, but the game constantly tests you in different ways, while still revolving around

  • these mechanics - which is great overall design.

  • It constantly says: Okay, you can understand these mechanics and can perform them well

  • enoughbut what if now you're on a narrow bridge?

  • What if now you're surrounded?

  • What if now you have to pay attention to a buff and can't use some of your other buffs?

  • The overall design of New Londo is also really cool, with the eventual reveal that you've

  • only been able to see half of it, and there's a full area underneath you.

  • There's also major lore implications to all of this which

  • well, I've talked about enough in my other videos.

  • Another cool this about this area, is you can drain the water at the very beginning

  • of the game, and if you manage to beat the Four Kings early on, you actually discover

  • a MAJOR secret with huge lore implications, and a new covenant - that being Kaathe.

  • If you're playing the game straight, and not murdering every NPC you come across, this

  • is the point you'll be required to return to the Darkroot Garden to deal with Sif.

  • It's nice that, similar to New Londo, we're returning to an area we've probably explored

  • before - and an area you can similarly conquer before you need to.

  • Sif himself stands out as another exemplary boss battle in Dark Souls - both because of

  • how sad it is fighting him when he's injuredand even-more so if he recognizes you due

  • to the DLC - as well as because the battle is different than other fights in this game

  • and stands out creatively.

  • Which is something Dark Souls 1, as well as Demon's Souls and Bloodborne, did so well.

  • Many of the boss battles stand out as new experiences, and many feel completely different

  • than the other fights in the series.

  • Of course

  • Dark Souls does reuse the Asylum Demon 3 times - but for the most part it does a great job,

  • with Sif being yet another prime example.

  • New Londo's big bad - the Four Kings - is another good example as well - as this fight

  • tests not just how well you can do against the boss, but also how quickly you can defeat

  • them, as the longer you take the more Kings you'll have to deal with at the same time.

  • ———————————

  • Finallywe come to the Demon's Ruins and Izalith.

  • The visual aesthetic of the area is fantastic, with it truly feeling like a civilization.

  • The Demon's Ruins seem like an ancient hellish land that feels lived in, with Izalith being

  • based off of Angkor Wat, which works beautifully.

  • Ceaseless Discharge is another unique and interesting boss, with him being a slow and

  • heavy hitting tank.

  • The Centipede Demon also stands out as a different and unique boss, and I absolutely adore the

  • fact that you can actually see the Centipede Demon clinging to the wall if you're observant

  • prior to fighting it.

  • The optional Izalith shortcut via the Chaos covenant is a cool touch, and a nice way to

  • reward players for joining and exploring the covenant system.

  • Butthat's sadly about where the pros of the area endas I'm sure everyone

  • is aware.

  • The Demon's Ruins are almost entirely filled with Taurus and Capra demons, with little

  • variety.

  • And while I don't personally mind the reappropriation of former bosses as normal enemies, especially

  • in the way it adds to the overall lore of the game, I do think a little more variety

  • would have helped - and I think adding just 1 more animal-based demon would have been

  • enough.

  • Either that, or at least re-working the design of the area a little bit.

  • The top portion where the lava drains from could have been similar, but had more weaving

  • lava puddles players could choose to either run through or try to avoid - and the Taurus

  • and Capra Demons placed a little more interestingly within this maze of puddles, and that alone

  • would have been an easy change without dramatically changing the area.

  • I find the ruins themselves aesthetically interesting, but they're short lived, and

  • it's a shame there isn't at least a little more travel through them.

  • While the Asylum Demon and the Stray Demon work well in that they're both bosses found

  • in the same area, with one being upon an optional revisit of the Undead Asylum - The Demon Firesage

  • is stretching the re-use of this boss a little too far, in my opinion.

  • But, while the Demon's Ruins could have used a little upgrade, Izalith is probably

  • the most in need of a sprucing up, which is unfortunate as the overall concept is an interesting

  • one.

  • You're forced to use up a ring slot in order to equip the Orange Charred Ring and traverse

  • over lava that's constantly draining your health while you're on it - but you can

  • also find various branches where you're safe from this health drain.

  • It's disappointing, as this is a good concept, and all that really needed to be done was

  • to play around with the layout of the elements in the bottom portion of Izalith, as well

  • as enemy placement, - maybe add some narrow corridors you have to travel through where

  • you can't easily avoid enemies, and it could have been truly interesting area to traverse.

  • As it stands, it's a simple run through where you easily avoid the various dragon

  • butt demons and stone dragons.

  • The Chaos Eaters are completely under-utilized, which I don't completely understand why.

  • And the boss of the area

  • The Bed of Chaos….

  • In general, it seems like people hate these types of objective bosses in the Souls series,

  • with the Dragon God of Demon's Souls being another example of a despised boss.

  • For my part - I actually don't mind as it changes things up, and on my first play through

  • of the game, it was actually kind of a reliefbecause I wasn't very good at the game back

  • then.

  • But - before I get all of the hate - on subsequent play throughs Bed of Chaos has quickly become

  • my least favorite boss, as it just feels like it's partially luck and just praying I don't

  • get pushed into a pit.

  • The main reason I bring up that I didn't hate this boss at first, is that I think that

  • - so long as it's only one boss, having an objective based puzzle boss isn't inherently

  • a bad thing, it just has to be done well and be fair.

  • I think the real problem with the Bed of Chaos isn't the overall concept of the boss

  • it's that it often feels unfair, and it's so easy to get insta-killed, with certain

  • builds also being at a heavier disadvantage - that's the true issue with the boss.

  • Something I think is fairly well known at this point thanks to people digging through

  • Dark Souls files and finding cut content and animations is the Bed of Chaos actually has

  • other created animations, and Hidetaka Miyazaki has stated they tried to do something else

  • with the Bed of Chaos for the boss fight, but ran out of time and were unsatisfied with

  • how it came out.

  • So - if you were unhappy with the Bed of Chaos, so was the Fromsoftware team, by the sounds

  • of it.

  • ——————————————

  • With all of the necessary Lord Souls, we can head into the Kiln of the First Flame and

  • fight Gwyn.

  • But, before getting into that, let's talk a little bit about the hidden areas and bosses

  • of Dark Souls.

  • For me, one of the things that truly elevates Dark Souls into being one of my favorite games

  • is how unflinchingly unafraid it is to have a multitude of major locations and bosses

  • that are super easy to miss and genuinely rewarding to find.

  • While many modern games will hold players hands and guide them to every area, including

  • ones considered secret, as companies don't want to waste time, money, and resources on

  • locations players may never discover, these sorts of secrets make the overall experience

  • more enjoyable, even if you never find the secrets.

  • The reason being that exploring actually means something.

  • Ash Lake, which is aesthetically my favorite location of the game, is found behind not

  • 1… but 2 illusory walls.

  • For actually trying to find these illusory walls, or being online and using the message

  • system, players will find not just important and powerful items, but entire unique locations

  • and set pieces!

  • Similarly, properly exploring Fire Link Shrine will reward players not just with additional

  • items, but the ability to travel back to the Undead Asylum where there's an optional

  • boss, a ring to help traverse over water, and access to yet another major hidden area

  • - The Painted World of Ariamis - which includes yet another optional boss, major lore implications,

  • and is an entirely unique and well thought-out area of its own.

  • Even players who pay attention to the lore and item descriptions will be rewarded, as

  • a hidden item will reveal Gwynevere is a fake.

  • Players who take a leap of faith and attack her will discover a massive secret of Anor

  • Londo revealed.

  • And both through this and another hidden lore method, players can find yet another hidden

  • optional boss, Gwyndolin, who has possibly the largest lore implications of anything,

  • as he's essentially taken over as a shadow ruler of Anor Londo.

  • It's these kinds of things that make the world feel lived in and a place worth exploring.

  • While open world games often get knocked for being wide-open empty spaces

  • Dark Souls is crammed with items, lore, and unique hand-crafted assets all throughout.

  • You can feel the love and care that was put into every area, and the uncompromising vision

  • behind it.

  • ————————————————

  • Another thing I want to talk briefly about before wrapping up is the DLCwhich comes

  • with the remastered addition.

  • Oolacile fits in perfectly with the world of Dark Souls, and also contains some if its

  • best bossesall of whom feel entirely unique - with Artorias being my favorite boss of

  • the entire game, and series.

  • While big dudes in armor became a little overplayed in Dark Souls 2, what made Artorias so unique

  • was that Dark Souls 1 rarely contained these kinds of bosses.

  • He's also significant to the lore, and if players have been paying attention, a living

  • legend that you're discovering and fighting against.

  • It's similar to fighting the various lords after watching the intro cinematicby the

  • time you discover Artorias, if you've been paying attention to the game's lore, he

  • should be super built up in your mind, and a bit of a shock when you first discover that

  • this is going to be a boss fight.

  • The Sanctuary Guardian, Manus, and Kalameet are also incredibly unique bosses, with none

  • of them being like anything we've seen before in the game - and Manus being a worthy 'new'

  • final boss, as he's hyper aggressive, and definitely one of the hardest, if not THE

  • hardest boss in the game.

  • Kalameet also stands out as the first actual dragon you get to fight, so you'll get yet

  • another taste of just how powerful the beings who were obliterating the dragons in the intro

  • cutscene were.

  • The Artorias of the Abyss DLC is the perfect addition to Dark Souls, and I'm glad new

  • players discovering Dark Souls through the remastered games will get to experience it

  • as part of the full package.

  • ————————————————

  • So, with everything wrapped up, it's finally time to head into the Kiln of the First Flame

  • and face off against Gwyn.

  • I know many people find him too simpleespecially if you know how to parry properly,

  • with parrying being the easier method for defeating him.

  • That said, maybe I'm just bad at fighting Gwyn in particular, or never have enough poise,

  • but I find that he punishes you incredibly hard for screwing up a parry, and unless you

  • know how to cheese him - by circling around while parrying - he changes up his moves often

  • enough to still be more difficult to read, and his hyper aggression and speed make it

  • hardat least for me, to always land a successful parry and I frequently die due

  • to this.

  • If you're not parrying him, his speed makes him pretty formidable, with it hard to find

  • a window of opportunity both to attack him and to heal.

  • On a negative side to Gwyn, fighting him highly favors very specific playstyles, and where-as

  • Dark Souls has been a game that allows for a wide variety of play styles up until this

  • point, it is disappointing for the final boss to not be as accommodating to this as the

  • final test.

  • On a positive note - Gwyn's theme that plays during the battle is a perfect representation

  • of both him and the game as a whole.

  • I love that as opposed to the heavy dissonant songs that had played previously for many

  • of the boss fights, Gwyn's is one that's tragic and sad, which stands out in a good

  • way.

  • —————————————————

  • I haven't talked too much about the multiplayer, as I tend to be more a single-player gamer

  • when it comes to these games, as I enjoy the experience and solitude of exploring these

  • tragic worlds alone.

  • So, I can't comment too much on the ins and outs of how well or poorly the mechanics

  • work in a PvP setting.

  • I do think that Dark Souls is a great example of how to do an always-online multiplayer

  • game right - which is a carry over from Demon's Souls.

  • Invasions are an interesting mechanic that will keep players on their toes, and can make

  • already tense situations even more intense or possibly far more rewarding if players

  • manage to defeat the invaders.

  • Invading other players' worlds is also a fun mechanic, as it can be fun both to fuck

  • with someone and to test your skills.

  • Similarly, struggling players summoning other unknown players for help against difficult

  • bosses is a great organic way to adjust the difficulty of the game, and can feel super

  • rewarding to help a random player out during a point where they're struggling.

  • I love that the game works seamlessly both if you're online or offline, and it doesn't

  • affect if you're allowed to play the game.

  • It's just an additional element if you're online, but the base game is still completely

  • available and a full experience without it.

  • The ghosts, blood stains, and messaging system are a cool way to make players feel connected

  • even while you're having a solo experience, and I'm fairly certain Demon's Souls was

  • one of the first games to have a multiplayer in this style.

  • Both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls utilize a multiplayer that doesn't feel like a separate

  • mode, but is perfectly integrated into its core gameplay, and that's what makes it

  • stand out.

  • —————————————————|

  • So, with that, I think that wraps up my major thoughts about Dark Souls and the overall

  • design of the game I wanted to cover.

  • I realize this video is similar in style to Matthew Matosis and some other big YouTubers,

  • but I still thought it would be fun to put my own thoughts out there about a game I love,

  • and game design in general - which is a topic I'm passionate about.

  • I hope this was an enjoyable listen, and while the editing of the video wasn't as high-quality

  • as a lot of my content, as I wrote this video to be listened to, with the visuals to help

  • aide the audio, I hope you still enjoyed!

  • A huge thank you to everyone who supports me on Patreon.

  • Thank you - as always - for being patient in-between my uploads, as I know it can take

  • me a while to create and finish new videos.

  • In particular this month - thank you to Aslesh, Invidentia, Jason Buck, Ryan Draugn, Paul

  • Copeland, and Favian Garcia.

  • If you enjoyed this video, I have a similar video on Mario Odyssey.

  • Thanks for watching the entire video, and I'll see ya next time.

  • Peace!

Hey, what's up guys - I'm Dave Klein, and welcome to a new series of mine.

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黑暗之魂設計--回顧展 (Dark Souls Design - Retrospective)

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    Shi Hao Huang 發佈於 2021 年 01 月 14 日
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