Anticipating Dark Souls

Dark Souls…say it in a hushed tone and in a dramatic manner! For that’s what *I* have been doing lately, in anticipation of this successor to Demon’s Souls. Yep, the one that is one of the hardest games in the gaming market currently.

So, Dark Souls. Made harder, complex, puzzling, bewildering than Demon’s and yet considerably more beautiful too. The game mechanics are nearly identical to Demon’s Souls and it has a souped-up multiplayer component. Not that I particularly care for the latter.

I saw the gameplay vids and was impressed with the ultra sharp textures of this game. I mean, the game’s grittiness, harshness and brutality is literally dripping from the environments…it is worn out, it is brown/gray/faded green and is inviting and punishing at the same time. It is truly incomparable.

So with all this virtual hyperventilation about visual and feeling, I wonder will I be actually able to PLAY this damned thing?! Or will I just retire in frustration and tedium after trying to kill a particularly hard enemy/boss for the umpteenth time? And how on earth will I possibly kill those TWO huge belfry Gargoyle bosses?! OMG!! One of them even spits fire constantly!!! In case of Demon’s Souls, I took extensive help from Wiki and other resources, but with Dark Souls…I am in…well, Dark!

So I imagine exploring dark haunted forests, grand rustic castles, mystic cathedrals and occasional loooong pathways and winding staircases..and the bonfire in the middle of nowhere…where at last, I will be totally free from harm and danger..

And my hero looks at the flying embers as he feels the warmth of the burning flames. He has just cleared one huge section teeming with murderous demons, ghosts and other abominations, complete with scale-defying boss.. and another section lies just some distance ahead! But at *this* moment in time, he is at peace, resting, relaxing. Watching the shadows as they dance on the nearby walls…and he also feels the gusts of wind on his face and senses the movement of leaves from the nearby bushes. He closes his eyes for a while, praying to the Goddess for giving him strength and courage…for his unwavering and resolute faith is the only light in this dark and foreboding world. He opens his eyes after a pause and sees some apparitions of other warriors. They are the brave souls who are fighting the same demons and dark souls like him, but in another parallel dimension. But he can see them…running, going past the bonfire, some resting just like him, others only looking and wandering. And I, just as my hero, feel a strange connection with all those strangers, even thought I can’t see their faces or communicate with them. But we are all together, bonded through a common cause and yet we each are all so alone in our quest in these dark and desolate lands.    

Dark Souls Blu-ray Disc will be in my PS3 system sometimes next week!

20 Hours with Demon's Souls

Termed as one of the hardest games in the world, Demon’s Souls for PS3 was nonetheless an anticipated purchase for me...mainly due to the almost unanimously glowing reviews it received across the gaming media. It even got Gamespot’s Game of the Year 2009 award.

So why is it considered so damn hard? It doesn’t have any check-points or quick saves. If you die at any point, you have to replay a given level right from the beginning. When you die, you lose ‘souls’ collected from the slain enemies. After you re-spawn, so do all the enemies you had previous killed and you need to go back to the location where you died and collect your souls. But…if you die in between, all your souls are forever lost!! Apart from this, the enemies are ultra tough, locations dark n foreboding and when you are online, other players can invade your world and crush you like a fly! If any of this isn’t enough to drive away a casual player, then the fact that it costs close to Rs 3500 will surely do the trick!! 

Yes, in India it got released only as a ‘Black Phantom Edition’, and thus commands the exuberant price. It essentially is a Collector’s Edition containing an artbook, soundtrack and a strategy guide. Incidentally, this marks my first ever Collector’s Edition purchase of any game!

After logging in about 20 hours in Demon’s Souls, here is what I think:

Even if you keep on dying, the game is strangely addictive. It punishes you for the slightest mistake of yours but it is almost always FAIR. You die because *you* didn’t pay enough attention to your enemies or environment. Your over-confidence too is promptly crushed every now and then by a well placed ambush. And that makes you *want* to replay the level again to prove your worth and teach those baddies a lesson or two! While you can learn the enemy patterns and strike at the opportune moment, the first encounter with a strong enemy is almost always guaranteed to send you back at the level-start with zero souls.

The bosses fall into an altogether different league, as you learn their vulnerabilities and attack patterns only with trial n error, which only means repeated unfortunate deaths. And indeed, to even *reach* to that end level boss the second time, you need to kill all the enemy horde standing in between one more time! Fortunately, in many levels, there are shortcuts which you can unlock to make your re-travel quick n speedy.

Currently I am playing a level called Stonefang Tunnels. And atmosphere wise, it reminds me so much of Thief. I simply LOVED the ‘Down in the Bonehoard’ level from Thief 1 and Stonefang Tunnels, with its maze-like caverns, flickering torchlights, lava, killing heights, fire elementals and the constant feeling of decay n dread feels almost like a homage to Thief’s atmosphere. Then there are these ‘miners’ who can as well be called as Zombies to complete the similarities with Thief.

Even though I *have* taken help from various online guides and have read some forum threads, I haven’t yet got a good hang of the leveling system. The mechanics of world tendencies and characters tendencies, which stats affect what and which are most essential to upgrade..I am confused to various degrees on each of these. But admittedly, I have completed only 30% or so of the game and I just wish to keep on playing n learning things at my own pace. This game gives me a feeling of accomplishment, keeps me engaged from start to end, extending my sleep timings way past 2.30 am!!  

Tonight I plan on killing that Flamelurker and Dragon God! :)