It is already a meme in itself to compare a difficult game with Dark Souls, but those of us who love the From Software saga know that this comparison is wrong. A Souls is characterized by many more elements that differentiate it from the rest, such as the total absence of a map, losing experience when dying or the enemies that we have previously killed when resting at a bonfire are reset.
We have a good way to explain it to a layman in the matter on the Viva La Dirt League channel, which I discovered a few days ago. A YouTube channel that makes parodies of all kinds and that recently has dedicated a whole series to Dark Souls, on the occasion of the recent remake of Demon’s Souls on PlayStation 5.
The typical person who never played Dark Souls …
The first video perfectly captures the essence of the average player who enters a Dark Souls for the first time, doubting that it is so difficult. He skips the tutorials and runs (literally) against the first enemy he sees … but he can’t attack properly because he’s tired. And of course, he ends up dying.
Then pay a little attention to the stamina meter and some of the tutorial messages, but still trust. And dies again. But when he believes he has mastered the parry technique afterwards and charges his first enemy, another comes by surprise and ends up killing the player from behind. Hence the famous phrase “Welcome to Dark Souls” that Link had to suffer in his own flesh.
The strange and haunting attitude of some NPCs
In this second video, the only one that seems lazy to me of the seven, Viva La Dirt League makes fun of the appearance of some Dark Souls NPCs, specifically when they first arrive at the Town of the Undead. Yes, he knows how to capture, in any case, the little help that this class of characters provide compared to other RPGs, where they give us everything chewed up. And of course, the “protagonist” thanks him for nothing.
Here it was necessary, above all, to refer to those NPCs that we think are hostile and that we kill without wanting to, to discover later that they really die.
Farming experience to be stronger
Here we have another classic in Dark Souls when we run into an enemy much stronger than us that can kill us with one or two hits without blinking. The logic of any other role-playing game would lead us to farm experience and improve our equipment so that the combat is more balanced …
Obviously, the reality is different. We barely made a difference and, as seen in the video, the player bites the dust again by being trusting. For fool.
The “innocent” messages from other players
Trolling in Dark Souls is the bread and butter. For many people who want to help us with their messages, there will also be another high percentage of bastards who want to see the world burn by giving advice that is deadly traps.
It does not matter that we come across several good messages, there will always be one that tells us to jump off a cliff to unlock a shortcut or get a special treasure. And of course, it is a lie. But the one in the video trust too much.
The art of shooting in Dark Souls, especially in PvP
Closely linked to the topic of cheating messages is the possibility of invading other players , where the taunt reaches more epic heights. However, this video focuses on a specific facet of them: the art of shooting all the time.
But of course, it is not the same to ride without watching the weight of the equipment than to have light equipment to roll faster and use less the resistance bar. The player, as expected, ends up dying with another attack from behind.
The anxiety of losing all souls
We have all died in Dark Souls, especially to a tough enemy. And right after, it’s time to go back there to recover our souls. The problem is when that enemy resists and the nervousness arrives for not touching that blood stain to recover our souls, because with each reappearance the amount will be greater taking into account all the enemies that we kill along the way.
Unfortunately for the player, after killing that enemy, he returns to being trusting, he does not take the souls to celebrate the victory and another enemy appears by surprise, carrying him from behind. It seems incredible that I have not learned …
When to go to the worst areas in Dark Souls
Finally, this last video represents all those areas where “the real Dark Souls begins here”, with states altered by poison, plague … or also by poor lighting or the fact of moving more slowly through its terrain.
In the end he chooses to stay wisely, resigned, in front of the bonfire, of course.