Impressions of the first part of the Dark Souls series. Is it still a good game or an outdated product?
A few days ago I made a post in which I talked about a game like Dark Souls 2 (Dark Souls). There I talked about why the second part of this series is different from the others. Comparing it with the rest, it seemed to me that the first part (and the third, in principle as well) also deserves a separate post. And today I would like to fully talk about the first part of Dark Souls. Why, even after 11 years, do I consider it the best game not only in the series, but also in the genre? What makes it stand out from the rest and why should you at least try it?
World of games
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the first Dark is, of course, its level design. This game does not have an open world. Instead, it consists of many interconnected, mostly cramped locations. But what is its uniqueness, you ask? It is that when creating the world of the first Dark Souls, Hidetaka Miyazaki surpassed himself. The locations here are not only connected to each other, but also complement each other.
You can play this game the way the developers intended it. Simply fighting opponents, defeating bosses, and moving forward, generally speaking, in a straight line. But you can also enter a later location from the beginning of the game, using the back door. A simple example. In my first game, I kept going. To get to the first main boss (Gargoyle), he needed to go through the Undead City, the Wyvern Bridge, the Undead District, and the Church. Now knowing everything and choosing a lockpick as a starting gift, I skipped the Bridge and the District. Not even the City until the end had to pass. The second major boss (Quileg) was even easier to hit. Having the same skeleton key, you can literally go down from the Fire Temple (central hub location), spending a couple of minutes on it. Thus bypassing the Lower City of Unzheti, the Sewers, and almost all of Plague City.
This game has no map or compass. No designations. And I will say even more, she does not need them. Now everyone praises the open worlds of Elden Ring or the latest Zelda. They’re certainly good, but the complex, small, and perfectly constructed game world of the first Dark Souls can easily outclass any open world, no matter how interesting. Hidden paths, secret passages, shortcuts (which must be opened first), illusory walls, and the incredible connection of locations to each other. Exploring this is incredibly interesting. In general, when I was a kid, I loved open worlds in games. I have always been fascinated by the ability to go anywhere and explore anything. But now open worlds are a trite mechanic, which rather shows the incredible laziness of the developers. Especially after games like Dark Souls.
intelligible plot
The plot in the games of this series is a very conditional thing. Everyone knows that there is no plot in Dark Souls, there is only lore. In general, this is true. The entire plot in all parts is one big quest. Especially in the third one, they tell you from the beginning: “go and bring the four lords from the ashes”. There are various side quests that complement the story and allow you to choose other endings. But the story quest itself doesn’t change from this. In the second part, there are more components of the story quest, but everything is also known there from the beginning, you just need to go and do it.
In the first part, the tradition still prevails over the plot, however, the plot itself is more complete. Here you have a more or less coherent beginning, a nice plot twist in the middle, and a slight fork at the end (if you choose Kaas, not Frampt). The DLC is also well done. In the main game, we were told more than once about the greatest hero of the past, who stopped the darkness. But in the end, after going through the history of downloadable content, we are the ones who turn out to be this hero.
oppressive atmosphere
In general, the heavy atmosphere is the calling card of all parts of the series. Even more likely than all the games that Hidetaki Miyazaki. These dark and dying worlds enter your mind and make you shudder. Especially in the first Dark Souls, this looks better. At least that’s what happened to me with the first part. To create such an atmosphere, the game does not even need to have modern graphics, because visually it seems that this game was released not even in 2011, but in 2005. On the contrary, such a visual only emphasizes this atmosphere, along with cool music and authentic sounds. . Perhaps the first part had such an effect on me because it was the first part that I got through completely. Although I started to know the series from the second Dark. However, it is the balance of all these elements, from the story and level design to the outdated music and visuals, that sets the atmosphere of the first installment apart from the rest. Although I repeat that 2 and 3 Darks are also very atmospheric.
game mechanics
Another of the characteristics of the first DC is its game mechanics. You can talk a lot about the plot, the images and the music, but the game is, above all, gameplay. Comparing the first Dark Souls to the rest, I’d like to point out that it has a couple of unique mechanics. For example, the mechanics of cutting tails. Here, many opponents (mostly bosses, but not only) can be cut or shot. As a reward for this, you get a unique weapon. I could, of course, be wrong, but in other parts of the series, and other games from the studio in general, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
But the basic elements of the game, in my opinion, are the ones that are best done. In a post about the second Dark, I already said that despite the fact that many consider this series to be very difficult, this is not entirely true. There I said that these are the most honest games, where the player and his opponents are more or less equal. There are some nuances, but in general it is. And the early Dark Souls best characterize this. Here it is much more realistic for you to download the game. If you’re a mage (which is fine), you can put together a build that kills bosses in a couple of charges. Sometimes even one. If you’re playing as a heavily armored warrior, armor and stability (resistance to stuns) are much more important here than elsewhere.
Of course, you can say that this just makes the game easier, while in other parts (especially in the third part) you will have to overcome the game somehow with your skill. And, in general, this is so (although the second one is very easy even without such a balance), but only partially. While the first Dark is easier in this regard than the third, it’s still not a piece of cake. In any case, the games in this series will be extremely difficult for beginners. And it is the first game that gives its player the maximum opportunities to pass by himself.
conclusion
At the beginning, I said that I consider the first part to be the best not only in the series, but in general in the genre. One way or another, I got acquainted with many SoulsLike games and reviewed all three parts of the Dark Souls series. And nowhere else have I seen a game so good in all (or almost all) of its aspects. The main feature of the first Dark would call it balance in everything. Even compared to other parts. For example, this game has its own special rhythm. It is not as fast as the third nor as slow as the second. Literally the golden mean. If you have never played the games in this series, then you should start with the first one. This is truly a unique experience. And if you played, then you know what I’m talking about.
Of course, the first DS has its problems. are enough. First of all, these are, of course, problems with the camera and target capture. It’s kind of crooked Japanese, if you know what I mean. And until 2018 (then a remaster came out), it was generally impossible to play it on a PC without a fan solution. However, of all the studio’s games, only Sekiro, in my personal opinion, could compare to the first Dark Souls. But don’t get over them. And it is not clear if Master Miyazaki’s next projects will be able to approach this level.
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