Onomatopoeia

Dark Souls is an outstanding game that I will long remember. The combat system is uniquely designed with lots of variation and options available to the player. It needs to be said that the aforementioned variation and options are all functionally useful in the game and not just fluff. The game world, though somewhat dark by design, is attractive graphically with a surprising continuity between different zones. Each zone challenges the player in unique ways. Some weapons/Armor/Spells work well in some zones tbut not in others. The fun is in figuring this out. The overall presentation is wonderfully imagined and beautifully expressed by talented artists. While the game does have a story, it will remain ambiguous to the player unless he engages the few NPCs at various locations. Despite this, the game is so enjoyable that it hardly even matters. There are stated objectives to accomplish even if the reasons are not always clear. The game does have a reputation for being difficult, but this seems to be at least somewhat overstated. It does take some diligence to navigate tricky terrains while also executing offensive and defensive maneuvers, but it can be done by most who are willing to try. It is possible to summon other players (or NPCs) to assist with boss battles. That said, a player feels a tremendous sense of accomplishment after successfully completing objectives. The game features guilds, each offering unique equipment, magics, or privileged access to (spoilers) - goodies, let's say. Some guilds offer offer direct help to players such as localized heals or souls. Souls are the game's currency for both leveling a character's attributes as well as for the purchase of items. Complete control of character design right down to individual attribute points makes this a true RPG experience. The game also features the capability to summon other players as well as be summoned yourself. This can be for cooperative efforts or PVP. Even if the player chooses to remain a solo adventurer, he can still read advice left by other players as well as dispense it. This game has replay value. There are so many hidden items/treasures/magics/paths/NPC decisions/etc/etc that it is not possible to experience it all in a single play through. There is enough room in character building to have a significantly different experience when compared to a previous play through. This game is definitely worth the money for what it gives you in return. This game earns a rare 10/10 from me.

I just want to say at the outset that I respect Capcom as a company and their decades of experience in the game industry. That said, here's my review: The TLDR version: Score: (21/50), a 4.0 ranking Decent graphics. Small world. Dull story. Unique elements for genre, but fall short of potential. Companions are extremely limited and annoying, actually very annoying. Small pool of unique monsters. Bosses enjoyable except final battle, which I couldn't wait to just be over. Liberal use of 2 second cut scenes followed by dull dialogue and followed up by another 2 second cut scene. Literally. Graphics/Art: I found the landscapes attractive, especially the grassy areas where vegetation moves with the wind. With a more critical eye, however, there was no variation in the movement rate. Perhaps I'm asking for too much. The lighting effects were well done. Dark areas were pretty with a lantern in hand. The external walls of various Castle-like buildings were awesome for me. 7/10 Map: At the beginning of the game, the map shows only areas that have been explored. This makes it feel like there are vast areas to explore but that's not the case. The map is a good deal smaller than other open RPG games released in the past couple of years. The requisite dungeons were pretty cool, even though multiple plot elements kept sending me back to them. There were probably lots of mini-caves etc. that I missed but I was so bored by everything else in the game that I didn't bother. 4/10 Enemies: Limited number of enemies, always spawn in the same place, in the same numbers, and defeating them requires no planning or strategy beyond anticipating that they are there (again). The bosses were modeled well and had good animations. When a boss stuns you, you may be stunned at the very instant you find your feet again. Double stun. Not fun. 3/10 Pawns: A fresh idea for the genre. The problem is that the idea wasn't developed enough to impress beyond its initial introduction. The Pawns were annoying. Always. There is absolutely no reason for a pawn to remind the player (let alone all three simultaneously) that "the INN should serve as a hub for our adventure" before the final battle of the game and "you cannot only rest here but you can manage inventory and skills as well." 5/10 Story: I was bored. I just didn't care about any of the characters including my own. This was the weakest element of the game. The voice acting was not bad, but I just didn't care. The main character has his/her own heart ripped out by a dragon at the beginning of the game. This would seem to serve as an anxiety provoking and emotional event to drive the player onward, yet it doesn't resonate anything of the sort during the game. People greet you, indifferently, as The Arisen, rather than something like "I can't believe that you still live even after the Dragon took your heart. Bless your soul for saving us during these hard times. What can I do to help?" 2/10