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In October of 2011, Dark Soul was unleashed on the world; mercilessly smearing players
on the walls for the PS3 and Xbox. Surprisingly, PC gamers saw this masochistic nightmare and
wanted in on the punishment. Well, now we’ve got it… but be careful what you ask for
and Prepare to Die. Dark Souls is a game of walls, not the literal
physical kind you can touch, but the metaphorical kind that kick your ***. These walls are obstacles
that block your path forward. And, behind the wall you can hear something; something
that compels you to the other side, creating a compulsion to knock this barrier down. You
can try to climb over, you can run head-first and slam into it, you can get friends to help,
or you can even combine all of these methods, but each failed attempt to conquer the challenge
adds a brick. Yes, this ***’s built out of your repeated deaths, but with each
death you learn structural weaknesses and, eventually, with perseverance the wall comes
crashing down. What was compelling you from the other side? Satisfaction-all your victory
is belong to us-holy crap triumph… That’s what’s on the other side. Dark Souls is
a game of immense satisfaction for those with the patience to overcome its extremely challenging
obstacles. But, as you tower over the rubble that was once a barrier standing in your way,
elated; reveling in the moment of your victory, you soon realize there’s another wall blocking
your path right around the corner. These challenges, however difficult, are almost
always entirely fair, because the combat in Dark Souls is extremely tight, weighted and
precise, while also being fairly straightforward. Meaning, when you get hit or die, it’s usually
your own fault. Gameplay demands constant attention and in a game that stresses such
precision; I found the keyboard and mouse to be a touch unwieldy and opted to use an
Xbox controller for Windows, because, really, anything from a gigantic Minotaur to a little
pawn can be your downfall if you drop your guard in the treacherous environments of Lordran.
A land which could be the single most impactful change from Dark Souls’ 2009 predecessor,
the PS3 exclusive, Demon’s Souls. While Demon’s Souls did have brilliant level design,
Dark Souls takes it a step further by creating a seamless, interconnected world that’s
just as foreboding and terrifying as it is meticulously crafted. So any amount of new
environments are welcome and the PC has a 6 hour landmass that wasn’t in the console
versions. The lore of Lordran itself is phenomenal;
it’s conveyed through a mystery that can only be solved with item text and brief dialogue,
almost like you’re an archeologist planted in a civilization forgotten by time. So any
weight given to the story is actually a byproduct of the lore and without spoiling anything,
I’ll say the additional content rips you back in time to the land of Oolicile, where
it then tightens some lore loopholes and creates a brilliant piece of narrative by placing
you directly into that rich history. The Prepare to Die Edition also has a handful
of new bosses added to the already obscene amount of fantastic boss encounters, like
a particularly superb battle with the Knight Artorias himself. With added bosses come new
souls to create gear and spells, which lead to a vast number of character builds. Another
addition is an arena with 1 on 1, 2 on 2, or 4 person free-for-all. The structured pvp
system doesn’t largely add or detract to the game; it’s simply there for fun and
bragging rights. So, if you’re a bit masochistic and prepared
to die, then don’t hesitate for a second to try out this masterpiece no matter the
platform. Whether it be Xbox, PC or PS3, it’s time to crumble some monstrous walls and bathe
in the satisfaction of victory that’s found in Dark Souls.