You know Gamespot, I don't approve of the spin on this article: "The Dark Souls games are known to be notoriously challenging, but that doesn't stop people from beating them very quickly."
I can read between the lines, in that what is being said here does not mean that one affects the other, which is correct. But the way it's written is clearly intended to mislead the populace for a "wow factor" by suggesting that people are able to power through a difficult game in ridiculous amounts of time. The difficulty of a game is only as valid as the way it is being played. If you glitch and skip opponents, combat difficulty is irrelevant since there is no combat. So the game is inherently, "not difficult". Speed runs are difficult for a plethora of other reasons, such as map generation RNG (where applicable), luck, finding a good path, player skill in controls, focus, and so on.
I would be more appreciative of an article like this if it actually showed or explained at least a tiny bit of what a speed run of a game is about, and that it's not a true way of playing the game but rather uses various levels of 'fair' or 'unfair' exploitation to achieve these goals, and that there are in fact a number of different ways to complete a speed run. (any%, all bosses, no DLC, glitches allowed, exploits not allowed, etc). Furthermore to this, that speed running a game is actually an involved process, a difficult one that takes no short amount of talent; and should be appreciated for its own merits. Very little with which has to do with the game in question or it's difficulty when played "normally". The same merits are applicable to any game that is speed run.
In the case of this article, you didn't even specify what kind of speed run it was. Was it any%, what rules were being adhered to? Did they clear all bosses? Were glitches or exploits used? etc. The current speed run record (as of my comment) is 1:40:32 with ALL bosses completed by "Qttsix". This also qualifies as an any% run as well. Some enterprising individual might find a way to skip significant portions of the games and bosses and complete an any% run in a much shorter period. The games actual difficulty is irrelevant since the game isn't being played in it's "intended" way.
This is, in a way, and art of its own and does not represent the difficulty or content of the game. But you already know this, and all you're after (it would appear) is the storm of discussion and drama in the comments with people who don't understand speed runs "oh this game is short and crap, no content", and people who do understand counter commenting.
*claps* Keep it up! Loving your articles more and more guys. ...what a missed opportunity to bring speed running some deserved attention as its own thing, instead of this bizarre confusion of whether you're complimenting the runner, mocking them, saying good or bad things about game itself?
@berserker66666: Yeah I think it's ridiculous that they spin the articles like this. The challenge in a speedrun is not game difficulty. Game difficulty has ALMOST nothing to do with it. Giving people the wrong impression who don't realise that speed runs are a whole art on their own.
@Rambolike: Actually I'd say the opposite, clearly this individual is enterprising, capable and has the intelligence and ability to devise a path for a successful speedrun. These skills would translate as well. Why assume the worst straight away? Of course!! Salt and jealousy. Don't worry, you can still try to beat it. Just don't follow the same path ;)
@dylan35: Originally I left a mocking post... but decided to change it. Powers of the internet! A speed run is not played the way the game is intended. It doesn't represent the content of the game either.
It's a rather special way of completing a game through exploits, and significantly careful planning. No one on the planet will sit through a first, blind play through of the game and complete it in anything less than 30-40 hours, if they even completely just rushed.
These is so much content in this game, that if you take the time to complete it would take you SIGNIFICANTLY longer. Dark Souls 1 took me 130 hours to platinum. That's "slow", but I didn't dilly-dally. I'm quite an experienced Souls player, but I did it blind and by myself.
Bloodborne also, took quite some time. etc etc.
Speed runs are NOT representative of game content, length or quality.
You can finish Ocarina of time in 20 minutes and Oblivion in like.. 50 minutes. If you skip all the bosses and maps. Doesn't make the game short.
Enjoy the game mate, don't miss out because of a misunderstanding a speed run.
You can check Souls speed run records here: http://speedsouls.com/Main_Page
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