Getting into Dark Souls, as well as the other games by FromSoftware may seem intimidating due to how difficult they are compared to other games on the market, but if you look past the steep learning curve, then you have yourself a masterpiece of a game. Dark Souls acts as the beginning of not only FromSoftware's flagship franchise, but also birthing the Soulslike genre, which is characterized by an emphasis on environmental storytelling, mastering combat mechanics through each boss, and expected player death that ties into the story. The biggest strength of Dark Souls is the level design, which is easily one of the best ever put in a game. Each area has a unique identity of its own but somehow smoothly connects with one another. There are multiple routes that lead to different areas, most specifically Firelink Shrine, which is basically the main hub of the game. The linearity of the level design also greatly benefits the player as there is a loose, but clear enough path on how the player should progress throughout the game, which removes the need for quest markers and waypoints. Without the quest markers and the clear objectives, it allows you (the player) to fully adventure through the world of Lordran. As for the story and narrative, there's very little exposition and dialogue that is spoonfed to the player. Cutscenes are very sparse and are usually reserved for boss fights and key points of progress. It's up to the player to pick up the pieces throughout their playthrough to further uncover the lore and overarching narrative, much like the real world where you learn by picking up bits and pieces of information from different sources like people or books. If you are up for a challenge, then I 100% recommend picking up this game.

Getting into Dark Souls, as well as the other games by FromSoftware may seem intimidating due to how difficult they are compared to other games on the market, but if you look past the steep learning curve, then you have yourself a masterpiece of a game. Dark Souls acts as the beginning of not only FromSoftware's flagship franchise, but also birthing the Soulslike genre, which is characterized by an emphasis on environmental storytelling, mastering combat mechanics through each boss, and expected player death that ties into the story. The biggest strength of Dark Souls is the level design, which is easily one of the best ever put in a game. Each area has a unique identity of its own but somehow smoothly connects with one another. There are multiple routes that lead to different areas, most specifically Firelink Shrine, which is basically the main hub of the game. The linearity of the level design also greatly benefits the player as there is a loose, but clear enough path on how the player should progress throughout the game, which removes the need for quest markers and waypoints. Without the quest markers and the clear objectives, it allows you (the player) to fully adventure through the world of Lordran. As for the story and narrative, there's very little exposition and dialogue that is spoonfed to the player. Cutscenes are very sparse and are usually reserved for boss fights and key points of progress. It's up to the player to pick up the pieces throughout their playthrough to further uncover the lore and overarching narrative, much like the real world where you learn by picking up bits and pieces of information from different sources like people or books. If you are up for a challenge, then I 100% recommend picking up this game.