Dark Souls: You can't kill something that's dead...can you?

Hey there. Haven't been updating this blog in a LOOOONG time so I guess I'll get back to it. I recenntly purchased an Xbox 360 game titled "Dark Souls" two days ago and I can confidently say that I made a good choice. This game is a mix of action RPG with good old-school Dungeons and Dragons elements such as Warriors, Mages, Undead and the like. However, it comes with a very large catch that makes it no ordinary hack-and-slash RPG. Let's get started.

The game starts out innocently enough, with a character customization menu that allows you to decide how your character will look like, from the gender to the hairstyle and all that jazz. Pretty standard stuff for an RPG. Next you get to decide your character class and you have 10 to choose from, but before we go into them, I'll explain each of the Stats that are in this game:

Vitality:
The higher this is, the more health you have. Also boosts overall defense and resistances by a teeny bit.

Attunement:
Determines the number of Spell Slots you have (VERY important for the magic class) and overall item drop rate from killed enemies.

Endurance:
Increases maximum Stamina, increases Equip Burden (will elaborate later) and Bleed Resistance. The most useful Stat for all classes.

Strength:
Increases damage done by melee weapons. Essential for melee classes, no shit. Certain weapons also have a Strength Requirement to be wielded properly.

Dexterity:
Increases damage done by advanced weapons such as spears and bows. Equally as important for some melee classes as Strength. Certain weapons also have a Dexterity Requirement to be wielded properly.

Resistance:
Increases overall Defence and Poison Resistance. The most useless Stat in the game (IMO).

Intelligence:
Increases Spell power and Curse Resistance. Essential for mages, no shit Sherlock.

Faith:
Increases Miracle power and Magic Defence. Semi-important for pure mage classes.


Now, let's start with the Character Classes.


1. Warrior
Armed with a Longsword, Steel Shield and Leather armor. Overall, a balanced melee class with more or less equalized Stats. Good for beginners. Will be able to wield most weapons early in the game. Will require more investment into Intel and Faith to use magic earlier.

2. Knight
The game's Tank, armed with a Broadsword, Tower Shield and Plate Armor. High vitality and heavy armor at the start of the game makes the Knight very hard to kill. Perfect for beginners as can now afford to make more mistakes=get hit more often and not die. Pretty high Faith Stat allows the Knight to use useful Miracles such as Heal at the start.

3. Wanderer
A melee class that focuses on swift combos and evasion, armed with a Scimitar, Light Shield and Light Armor. Modest health and damage, but high Dexterity coupled with the Scimitar's fast attacks allow the Wanderer to take out most enemies before they can counter. Higher than average Intel gives players the option of learning spells to assist.

4. Thief
The "stealth" class of the game, armed with a Bandit's Knife, Target Shield and Thief's Garments. Backstabs and ripostes (counter-attacks) are the bread and butter fighting tools for the Thief. Fast movement allows the thief to circle enemies quickly for a critical hit, and makes for fast rolling and sprinting. Also starts out with a Master Key that unlocks most of the locked doors throughout the game without having to find the correct key first. An advanced character class for more experienced players.

5. Bandit
The heaviest melee attacker in the game, armed with a Battle Axe, Spider Shield and Brigand Armor. Has the highest starting Endurance and Strength of all the classes, and high Vitality. An all-out melee fighter that specializes in Axes, Clubs and the like. However, starting Dexterity, Intel and Faith means that the Bandit will need some time to be able to wield other more dainty weapons like Spears and Bows, or use magic/miracles. Most effective when equipped with Light to Medium Weight armor as it allows for quick movement with devastating attacks.

6. Hunter
A very versatile fighter, armed with a Bow and Arrows, Short Sword, Large Shield and Light Armor. The Hunter has balanced Stats, but leads with Dexterity. You could say that the Hunter is the counterpart to the Warrior, but has lesser health, damage but faster attack speed. Usually the Hunter annoys enemies in a group with arrows and draw them away before finishing them with a melee weapon. Reasonable Intel and Faith can also open up paths to learn magic to accompany his bow and arrows. For intermediate players.

7. Sorcerer
The basic Mage class, armed with a Dagger, Small Shield, Catalyst and Sorcerer Robes. The best class to use if players intend to rely solely on Magic to win fights. Able to cast Soul Arrow from the start of the game, with 30 uses making it a very useful all-round spell to dispatch and snipe enemies with. However, like all games, the Sorcerer has very low health and defence, and will fall before enemies that get too close or in an ambush. The only tactic is to flee to a distance and use more spells. High starting Intel and Faith allow the Sorcerer to branch out into any magic type he/she chooses.

8. Pyromancer
The "combat mage" of the game, armed with a Hand Axe, Small Shield, Pyromancy Flame Glove and Pyromancer Robes. This class strikes a good balance between melee combat and offensive magic, relying mostly on fire spells provided at the start of the game and switching to melee combat when things get too close for comfort. Is able to branch out to learn Sorcery like the Sorcery, but requires a bit more investment into Intel. Although able to use melee well, low starting armor and health still makes ranged magic the better alternative. Suited for both beginners and experienced players.

9. Priest
The Healer of the game, armed with a mace, Kite Shield, Canvas Talisman and Monk Garments. This class is valuable because of only one thing: Healing through magic that the Priest can conduct from the start of the game. This allows the Priest to progress further than other Classes without the need of constantly returning to Bonfires for healing and Estus flask replenishment (elaborate later). Also possesses reasonable Strength that can be further invested into to make a "Paladin" class character. Also good for beginning players.

10. The Deprived
The true "hardcore" character class of the game, armed with...surprise, surprise, absolutely no armor at the start of the game, and only a miserable club and Plank Shield for protection. No armor means that getting hit at the start of the game equals death, hence this class is only for the most expert of players. All Stats of the Deprived are at the same number, making him/her have no specialities whatsoever and is up to the player to determine the play style of this character class. Beginners should never take this class. Like, never.


Just FYI, I chose the Bandit when I started the game. Yes, I have a thing for brute force characters, is that so bad? Don't judge me, dammit.

 

The Bandit: Violence always solves everything.

The game's controls are simple: Left Thumbstick to move, Right Thumbstick to move camera and Click to Lock-on, LB to block, RT to Parry, RB to Light Attack, RT to Heavy Attack, A to interact and navigate menus, B backstep/roll/jump and hold to Run, X to use item, Y to change combat stance, START to access menu, and D-pad to change active weapons and items. No Tekken/Devil May Cry Combo shit nonsense. If you see an enemy, bash it to death with RB and RT. If it attacks, block it with LB and LT. Well, that's what I thought at first. But I'll get back to that later, now comes to game's backstory.

The land is ruled by demons and the Undead. After the slaying of the Dragons at the start of the Fire Wars, where Gwyn the Lord of Sunlight, Nito of the Dead, Chaos Witch Quelaag and Seeth the Scaleless used the gift of Fire to wipe out Dragons from the Earth, the Undead slowly grew in power with the absence of the Dragons and slowly consumed the World. Soon, most of the humans were corrupted into Hollows, soulless beings that spiralled slowly into madness and devoid of Humanity, but certain few (like the player character) were branded with the Darksign, a ring on their bodies that return them from death's embrace, forever to wander the Earth until their Humanity is restored. You are one of the Signed, but your mind is not yet lost, and you one day wish to rediscover the secret of the Fire and save the world from darkness once more.

Ahem, now back to the game. The entire game is played in 3rd person mode, much like Oblivion, and features a world that is highly interactive and context sensitive. Pillars shatter when enemies attack them, hazards such as rolling iron balls and flaming barrels test your reflexes, enemies think for themselves and try to flank or ambush you when you least expect it. Actually, this game IS Oblivion. On crack. Combined with Monster Hunter. Yeah. Sweet. I must say, the overall presentation of the game is superb; colour and amount of light in different areas bring out the fear and trepidation of players from place to place, the sounds of the environments and footsteps are crisp and detailed, the graphics are superbly detailed right down to the last blade of grass, and area transitioning is seamless and requires no loading whatsoever. The game maintains a smooth frame rate, even in boss battles. So 10 points for presentation.

Left Knight: "That gateway looks inviting!" Right Knight: ".....dancing.....lights....oooooo...."

The Combat system in Dark Souls is pretty similar to Monster Hunter (don't mind the incessant MH references. It's a bad habit). One simple rule: Don't get hit. EVER. Keep your shield up, your wits sharp and your feet springy (in case you need to flee, which might not be as easy as in Pokemon or FF-the enemies chase you to the ends of the Earth). During Combat, you have to take note of the green bar underneath the red bar of your HUD (red=health. Keep it full as humanely possible.) which represents your Stamina. Stamina is used for actions such as swinging a weapon, sprinting, guarding and evading. Like MH (DAMN!) Stamina can drain rather quickly if a player just rushes the enemy without proper conservation of Stamina. Key to defeating enemies is good Riposte (if your Parry timing is good) or wait until they start recovering after an attack to smite them like the hand of God. Finding that you run out Stamina when you need to block a heavy attack or when your enemy is almost finished can easily put you in a bad situation, in other words cause your death, pal.

Holy Smiting of Eternal Smiting in progress.

Alas, all that combat but no place to rest your weary feet. Fear not, there are always Bonfires to be lit in your perilous journey. Bonfires sort of act as your place of rest and restoration, think of it as a...Pokemon Centre. Just that instead of reviving your friendly ball-contraption-residing creatures, it revives EVERY COMMON ENEMY THAT YOU HAVE SLAIN! That's right, every, single, one. So if you desperately need to heal because you have depleted your Estus Flasks, then see the warm, welcoming sight of a Bonfire, think twice before you go there, 'cause it means you gotta fight your way out again and risk death. After purchasing the right upgrades, you can repair and even reinforce your weapons and armor at any Bonfire, eliminating the need to struggle your way to the nearest blacksmith for any of these tasks. When you are killed, you respawn at the last Bonfire you rested at, but it comes with a heavy (but not irreversible) price...