Two hundred and eighty hours in and this game still amazes me.

The tight and realistic swordplay mechanics, the deep upgrade system, and the challenging and imaginative enemies you face create a unique and engrossing experience.

Art direction and a subtly underplayed, yet deep story and lore are outstanding here. Whilst the graphics here may not be technically that impressive or up to date, its dark beauty is artistically outstanding to a level of detail you rarely see.

The challenge in facing a seemingly undefeatable enemy that mercilessly knocks you down over and over again and then suddenly beating your opponent only to be greeted with a simple "victory achieved" text is incomparable. This might seem cruel or sadistic, why play a sadistic game which punishes you? Well simply put Dark Souls is not a cheap experience; everything is earned in this experience. Yes some parts of the game are deliberately set up to troll and frustrate you, but I never felt like anything was unfair and I always felt a desire to overcome any obstacle the game threw at me. When I did overcome these difficulties the game was a better experience for the effort I put in.

The multiplayer (co-op versus bosses and player versus player) is also wonderful here. The way it is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the single player campaign and the lore of different covenants is inventive and unique. Invading a sinner's world as a spirit of vengeance is an intense experience. Personal and intense meetings are the order of the day here, yet you won't find the typical vulgar multiplayer quandary which populates the average modern videogame. The deliberate lack of microphone support and the limited text communication between players makes for dignified encounters. You can troll as a dark spirit and try to impede players if you want to, but punishments exist and this forces players to face the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately some hackers and ganger up types do exist, but it's certainly not a game breaking issue.

I could say so much about why I love this game. I haven't even touched upon the faith and magic mechanics, or the colourful npcs, with their non sequiturs and their often funny or touching, yet completely optional subplots. The music is also beautiful here and intelligently underplayed to create a greater sense of atmosphere. There's just so much to be said about what makes this game such a masterpiece, I just can't recommend it enough.

Few games give you so much in return for your money, your time and your effort.

This game is a true work of art.

Two hundred and eighty hours in and this game still amazes me. The tight and realistic swordplay mechanics, the deep upgrade system, and the challenging and imaginative enemies you face create a unique and engrossing experience. Art direction and a subtly underplayed, yet deep story and lore are outstanding here. Whilst the graphics here may not be technically that impressive or up to date, its dark beauty is artistically outstanding to a level of detail you rarely see. The challenge in facing a seemingly undefeatable enemy that mercilessly knocks you down over and over again and then suddenly beating your opponent only to be greeted with a simple "victory achieved" text is incomparable. This might seem cruel or sadistic, why play a sadistic game which punishes you? Well simply put Dark Souls is not a cheap experience; everything is earned in this experience. Yes some parts of the game are deliberately set up to troll and frustrate you, but I never felt like anything was unfair and I always felt a desire to overcome any obstacle the game threw at me. When I did overcome these difficulties the game was a better experience for the effort I put in. The multiplayer (co-op versus bosses and player versus player) is also wonderful here. The way it is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the single player campaign and the lore of different covenants is inventive and unique. Invading a sinner's world as a spirit of vengeance is an intense experience. Personal and intense meetings are the order of the day here, yet you won't find the typical vulgar multiplayer quandary which populates the average modern videogame. The deliberate lack of microphone support and the limited text communication between players makes for dignified encounters. You can troll as a dark spirit and try to impede players if you want to, but punishments exist and this forces players to face the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately some hackers and ganger up types do exist, but it's certainly not a game breaking issue. I could say so much about why I love this game. I haven't even touched upon the faith and magic mechanics, or the colourful npcs, with their non sequiturs and their often funny or touching, yet completely optional subplots. The music is also beautiful here and intelligently underplayed to create a greater sense of atmosphere. There's just so much to be said about what makes this game such a masterpiece, I just can't recommend it enough. Few games give you so much in return for your money, your time and your effort. This game is a true work of art.