Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Grows on you"

I'm not a big fan of fighting-type games, but I love the Bleach manga, so I figured I'd try one of the games. And oh boy, am I glad I did. Dark Souls is a great game, even for battling newbies like myself. However, I could see possible gamers being offput by the lackluster story mode; while it does encompass a wide range of activities, not just classic battling, the story part is disjointed and difficult to understand, and frankly, not that interesting. The real fun starts after you've played through story mode, when you go into arcade mode and survival. With three levels of difficulty and team battles as an option, there's no end to the different ways you can play. Throughout the game you unlock extras, as well as having the opportunity to purchase more in the Urahara shop. While the items tend to get a little expensive towards the end of the game, it's not a huge hindrance as they aren't essential to gameplay. However, there's one feature that I felt really missed the mark, at least for me; Spirit Cards. These cards are displayed, four at a time on the lower screen, and can be tapped to activate their powers, such as a forced jump for all enemies or a power boost for you. While a nice idea in theory, in the middle of a fight with both hands on the controls, it can be a real hindrance to have to tap items or attacks on the touch screen. While some of the touch screen attacks can be activated by button patterns, they're really hard and I've never managed to get them correct. I have found, however, that the game is perfectly satisfying without the use of the cards, and that small issue shouldn't be enough to discourage you from purchasing the game.