- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Location
- New York, USA
A little late to the party, and no, this is not a recommendation for a system-killing game, but I wonder if you like truly difficult games? Games with super solid controls, where the only person to blame for a loss is you? I'm talking about a game that is loved and hated equally, by both people who love and hate it. A game that instills the type of anger that Metroid did every time you landed in the lava, stuck under one of those stupid bricks, totally helpless and you had to wait for your energy tanks to run out. A game that gives you the sense of accomplishment that today's games just can't deliver, except for those very rare instances.
I'm talking about Dark Souls, $20 on Steam.
Now, yes, this is an Xbox360 port. A terrible one. If you have a 360 or PS3, and you are interested, absolutely pick it up for the console. If not, you will absolutely need a 360 controller, at the very least. The updates have removed GFWL (thank god), and replaced it with the Steam community stuff. After the updates, it plays at any resolution that I can run, but it's not very demanding at all (I ran it on my 960T/550Ti system @ 1080p without an issue).
Don't let any of that turn you off. Dark Souls is easily my most favorite game of the decade, and I started playing it when it was still locked at 720p/30Hz and I had to use 3rd party software to get my 360 controller to work. The updates have taken care of every issue I just stated.
If you let anything at all turn you off about DS, let it be the difficulty. This game is hard! If (when, definitely when) you die, you have 1 chance to get your Souls (experience points) and Humanity (buffs stats like drops, some others). If you die again before you can pick them up, they are gone forever. This is particularly frustrating when you get into the higher levels, and you have to save up 300k or more souls for the next one.
And that's just the first difficulty! Then there's the arching undead, that can seem to hit you from anywhere, and the shield-wielders that are super hard to even get a hit on at first. There's the first boss fight with the Asylum Demon, who can kill you in 2 hits with his massive hammer. There're Black Knights who will only attack you if you get near them, but seem to come from nowhere. And this is still only scratching the surface.
But, the first time you get to the bridge in Undead Burg, and you start running across only to be barbequed by a massive Drake... if you've made it that far... You will instantly understand why this is such a great game. The sense of challenge you will feel is unlike any I've ever felt in an RPG.
It's not for everyone, though. If you have a video game rental store nearby, and a console, maybe see if they have it to try before buying it. On the other hand, though, it's only $20, and I've seen it much cheaper (sales that brought it down to $7 sometimes, not including used for consoles). Give it a shot, but Prepare to Die...
I'm talking about Dark Souls, $20 on Steam.
Now, yes, this is an Xbox360 port. A terrible one. If you have a 360 or PS3, and you are interested, absolutely pick it up for the console. If not, you will absolutely need a 360 controller, at the very least. The updates have removed GFWL (thank god), and replaced it with the Steam community stuff. After the updates, it plays at any resolution that I can run, but it's not very demanding at all (I ran it on my 960T/550Ti system @ 1080p without an issue).
Don't let any of that turn you off. Dark Souls is easily my most favorite game of the decade, and I started playing it when it was still locked at 720p/30Hz and I had to use 3rd party software to get my 360 controller to work. The updates have taken care of every issue I just stated.
If you let anything at all turn you off about DS, let it be the difficulty. This game is hard! If (when, definitely when) you die, you have 1 chance to get your Souls (experience points) and Humanity (buffs stats like drops, some others). If you die again before you can pick them up, they are gone forever. This is particularly frustrating when you get into the higher levels, and you have to save up 300k or more souls for the next one.
And that's just the first difficulty! Then there's the arching undead, that can seem to hit you from anywhere, and the shield-wielders that are super hard to even get a hit on at first. There's the first boss fight with the Asylum Demon, who can kill you in 2 hits with his massive hammer. There're Black Knights who will only attack you if you get near them, but seem to come from nowhere. And this is still only scratching the surface.
But, the first time you get to the bridge in Undead Burg, and you start running across only to be barbequed by a massive Drake... if you've made it that far... You will instantly understand why this is such a great game. The sense of challenge you will feel is unlike any I've ever felt in an RPG.
It's not for everyone, though. If you have a video game rental store nearby, and a console, maybe see if they have it to try before buying it. On the other hand, though, it's only $20, and I've seen it much cheaper (sales that brought it down to $7 sometimes, not including used for consoles). Give it a shot, but Prepare to Die...
