MovieChat Forums > Dark Souls (2011) Discussion > You call it patience, I call it masochis...

You call it patience, I call it masochism.

posted 9 years ago by rammo123
2 replies | jump to latest

I picked up DS1 to see what all the fuss was about. I appreciated the difficulty at first, it was nice that even the most basic of enemies can catch you out. It certainly never felt "cheap". But the punishment for dying certainly did! Having to repeat a long sequence over and over felt like overkill, a punishment far disproportionate to the meagre crime of sucking. Especially when the core game mechanics are based on grinding trial-and-error iterations. There's really no technique beyond: try something, die, trying something else, die, repeat.

In the end, the sections leading up to a boss become so rote that you're just going through the motions. You're not learning anything, you're not getting challenged, you're not being engaged. You're just passively doing something to get back to have another crack at the boss. You know what that sounds like to me? An unskippable cutscene. You know, that thing that is universally hated in gaming, but the similar principle here is praised no end!

I know you're probably thinking "fine, these games are obviously not for you". But I hate feeling like some second-rate gamer because I don't have a massive boner for From Software.

[–] scotaron 9 years ago

I find what you said to be reasonable. I personally LOVE Dark Souls, I think it is far better than the second one, far better than most games out there now.

It is a bit tedious to progress, sometimes having to try, die and repeat multiple times (I rage quit the game for an entire year before trying again), but once you understand that failure with result in such an unpleasant punishment, you really start to improve your skills (as well as your patience).

I've been playing it for quite a while now so I am experienced and I die a lot less than most, but with a bit of practice and a lot of patience, anybody can prevent dying constantly in this game, it is figuring out how that is the fun of it.

"Aussie Aussie Aussie..."

[–] BarneyRubbleNLittleChina 9 years ago

"Having to repeat a long sequence over and over felt like overkill"

Which is why you don't do that, and instead learn how to run past most minor enemies.

"Especially when the core game mechanics are based on grinding trial-and-error iterations."

Not true. The game does not tell you how to beat it, yes, but once you have revealed all the secrets you can rely on methods that work, and look incredibly awesome doing it. After all, the world record to beat this game is just over 45 minutes. 45 MINUTES!

"There's really no technique beyond: try something, die, trying something else, die, repeat."

Absolutely false.

"In the end, the sections leading up to a boss become so rote that you're just going through the motions."

You learned nothing.

"You're not learning anything, you're not getting challenged, you're not being engaged."

Got backstabbed by an invader, didn't ya?

"But I hate feeling like some second-rate gamer because I don't have a massive boner for From Software."

git gud