The most incredibly immersive and terrifyingly beautiful game I have ever had the pleasure to experience!
The first day I played the game I was playing through the Undead Burg area, after finally figuring out where I should go first, when I came across my first black knight. He stood there, an ominous figure and just beyond him I could see an item. I knew I had to have it but I also had to exert caution so I approached timidly, on the edge of my seat, attempting to get the pre-emptive strike but he turned just as I got near... **** I was terrified as the towering figure swivelled around without a sound and flattened me out with a killer blow...
"You died", that horribly simplistic message pointing out the absolute obvious, and mocking you for it. I died and I died, many a time post the black knight tragedy and threw my controller down in disgust and frustration believing I would not play it again.
However the next day something miraculous happened, I could not stop thinking about Lordran's dark and broody atmosphere, the precise and reactive combat, even the "you died" screen. I wanted to explore again, I wanted to experience the lonely feeling and the melancholy sound of my footsteps on the desolate land. I put that disc back into my machine and I played. I played for a good eight hours in that single day. Each time I reached a new boss a heightened sense of fear would be instilled on me, but I would take up the challenge and the more times a died the better I got at recognising the pre attack actions of the screen filling behemoths.
I began to revel in the boss fights, if only because of the sheer, individual magnificence of each boss; the terrifying beauty of the moonlight butterfly, the brutality of the Taurus demon, the epic rooftop battle with the bell gargoyles, and the many sub bosses along the way, and all this within eight or so hours! I completed the game in just over a week, but what a week it was, and as soon as those credits stopped rolling I couldn't resist playing the first hour of new game plus on the same day. The only flaws it is possible to find are the minor frame rate issues, but the fact that the Lordran is completely interconnected, without loading screens, that the combat is so ridiculously perfect and that the world is so beautiful is the only reason these issues stand out. I didn't give this game a 10/10 because it is completely technically flawless, I gave it the score because in terms of atmosphere, fun, emotion, controls, world design and everything else that REALLY matters in game, it is, in my opinion perfection!
All of this having been said I haven't even begun talking about the remarkable approach to multi player.
You can leave messages for people on-line to warn them of traps or enemies or to hinder them. This means your morale choices actually matter! You will also see other players traversing their parallel world as pale ghosts. This is a nice touch, and gives you hope, in a world which is large in a sense of gaming, but where there are only around 30 noticeable NPC's! This is not a complaint however as one of my favourite things about Dark Souls is that it simply throws you into a world, without a map or much NPC aid and tells you to get on with it.
There is also the ability to use a consumable, in game item to invade another players world. This can be great fun as PVP goes, as one on one duels are intense and unpredictable. This also means you can get invaded at any time, as long as you are on-line and human. This can be a terrifying experience, but also enthralling.
Dark Souls is a must have! It will break you, but it is a feast for the senses which will have you crawling (literally) back for more.
It is the most terrifyingly beautiful, sprawling, magnificently in-****ing-credible game, and with no loading screens, towering, intense boss battles, and the most spine tingling sound track (especially when battling Lord Gwyn during the games finale!) of any game, there is no question about it, everyone must own this game! So please heed my review, buy the game and lose yourself in it's many lands and secrets!
There is NOTHING like it.