What an amazing journey. I was always intimidated by these games and thought they would never be for me - but I'm so glad I gave it a shot. And I'm glad that I started with the original Dark Souls because this game is going to stick strongly in my memory for a long time to come.

If you're on the fence about playing the original Dark Souls, whether it's because you've heard it's really difficult or because it's starting to show its age (it's almost 15 years old now), I'm here to offer you some peace of mind. First of all, the game plays really well! The controls feel solid and don't take long to get used to. As for the difficulty, yes, it is challenging - but in all the ways you WANT a game to challenge you. Let me explain.

Dark Souls requires a lot from the player. It requires patience, constant awareness - for you to learn and improve and continue improving. When you launch the game, you don't just play Dark Souls. You sit your butt down in your seat and you keep your eyes locked onto your screen with the knowledge that you must fully commit to every action you take while you're playing Dark Souls. And when it clicks, oh boy does it click. And that's what makes even the most minor things feel like great accomplishments - because it all takes genuine effort from the player. That's what you sign up for when you play Dark Souls and that's what makes this game so satisfying to play.

If you want to be challenged and you're okay with dying in your video game (and you will, a lot), then you're in for a masterpiece. Dark Souls strikes the perfect balance of creating a rich, handcrafted experience while offering a near unparalleled amount of freedom to the player in how they choose to tackle their journey. It has some of the best level design in a video game to date. The world you explore feels weathered and lived in, and with an atmosphere so strong you feel it throughout the entire experience. The excellent boss design always keeps you on your toes, and the creature designs are some of the best the dark fantasy genre has to offer. Just play the game already!

Don't be afraid to look things up if you get stuck. And I recommend watching a video that explains how some of the more hardcore RPG systems work as not everything is explained very well. Otherwise, go in as blind as possible.

Good luck!

What an amazing journey. I was always intimidated by these games and thought they would never be for me - but I'm so glad I gave it a shot. And I'm glad that I started with the original Dark Souls because this game is going to stick strongly in my memory for a long time to come. If you're on the fence about playing the original Dark Souls, whether it's because you've heard it's really difficult or because it's starting to show its age (it's almost 15 years old now), I'm here to offer you some peace of mind. First of all, the game plays really well! The controls feel solid and don't take long to get used to. As for the difficulty, yes, it is challenging - but in all the ways you WANT a game to challenge you. Let me explain. Dark Souls requires a lot from the player. It requires patience, constant awareness - for you to learn and improve and continue improving. When you launch the game, you don't just play Dark Souls. You sit your butt down in your seat and you keep your eyes locked onto your screen with the knowledge that you must fully commit to every action you take while you're playing Dark Souls. And when it clicks, oh boy does it click. And that's what makes even the most minor things feel like great accomplishments - because it all takes genuine effort from the player. That's what you sign up for when you play Dark Souls and that's what makes this game so satisfying to play. If you want to be challenged and you're okay with dying in your video game (and you will, a lot), then you're in for a masterpiece. Dark Souls strikes the perfect balance of creating a rich, handcrafted experience while offering a near unparalleled amount of freedom to the player in how they choose to tackle their journey. It has some of the best level design in a video game to date. The world you explore feels weathered and lived in, and with an atmosphere so strong you feel it throughout the entire experience. The excellent boss design always keeps you on your toes, and the creature designs are some of the best the dark fantasy genre has to offer. Just play the game already! Don't be afraid to look things up if you get stuck. And I recommend watching a video that explains how some of the more hardcore RPG systems work as not everything is explained very well. Otherwise, go in as blind as possible. Good luck!