Just this April the latest and assumedly final installment of the series gamers loves to pull their hair out over came out. If you don't know what I'm talking about, and I don't know why would unless you inexplicably didn't read the title of this blog and somehow missed the giant picture that's sitting above this copy, I'm talking about Dark Souls. Darks Souls III has recently been released, and yes, that means it's time once again to grab your favorite weapon, put on your big boy gamer pants, stalk out into an exotic, mysterious, and ultimately deadly world, and then probably get killed the instant your car leaves the driveway.
As perhaps as a way to ease and soothe your pain, maybe if it's been a while since you've taken on a Souls world, or you're picking up a game for the first time to see what the fuss is about, I've made a quick list with some handy tips and strategies to keep in mind while playing. This list is not going to tell you where to go, how to defeat certain bosses, or what to do to get that sword you've been hearing about but is more of a big-picture strategy guide as to how to approach the game mentally. It is of my opinion that Dark Souls is not that hard of a game (not saying you're not going to die) once you have a little experience with it, but only if you bring the right perspective (and no I'm not just talking about saying que sera sera, each and every time you hopelessly die). Follow these few simple guidelines, and I promise you will cut down on the controller crushing, tv smashing, and other manic tendencies this series tends to bring out in us.
As perhaps as a way to ease and soothe your pain, maybe if it's been a while since you've taken on a Souls world, or you're picking up a game for the first time to see what the fuss is about, I've made a quick list with some handy tips and strategies to keep in mind while playing. This list is not going to tell you where to go, how to defeat certain bosses, or what to do to get that sword you've been hearing about but is more of a big-picture strategy guide as to how to approach the game mentally. It is of my opinion that Dark Souls is not that hard of a game (not saying you're not going to die) once you have a little experience with it, but only if you bring the right perspective (and no I'm not just talking about saying que sera sera, each and every time you hopelessly die). Follow these few simple guidelines, and I promise you will cut down on the controller crushing, tv smashing, and other manic tendencies this series tends to bring out in us.
5) Don't kill the NPCs; just don't it.
I know they're just standing there, their soft vulnerable back calling out to you, 'Hey it's Dark Souls, you know you're supposed to kill everything that moves. Plus I'm a cool looking NPC, I'm probably worth a LOT of souls'. Your curiosity joins in the conversation, edging you on, "Don't you want to find out what will happen if you attack them? What if they turn into a really cool monster, and it's one of the best optional boss fights in the game, and you missed it because you were too scared to find out what would happen?"
Now you are meant to explore in Dark Souls, and to some extent I suppose that might include killing possibly harmless looking NPCs. Unfortunately, once you do so, you can never take it back, and that character is lost to your world forever. Did they maybe do something extremely important or would've given you something extremely valuable? You'll never know. The thing to really consider here is the downside is usually much bigger than the upside. I've gotten very little joy from killing the few NPCs that I've backstabbed, and the rewards I've gotten have never been enough that I regretted the possibility that they might've offered me something much bigger had they stuck around. They never give many souls, and most of the time it's a boring fight. So don't do it because you'll never know when that person who at the moment looks so incredibly vulnerable might have just the thing you need to defeat that boss that you've been struggling with for the last ten hours of play.
I know they're just standing there, their soft vulnerable back calling out to you, 'Hey it's Dark Souls, you know you're supposed to kill everything that moves. Plus I'm a cool looking NPC, I'm probably worth a LOT of souls'. Your curiosity joins in the conversation, edging you on, "Don't you want to find out what will happen if you attack them? What if they turn into a really cool monster, and it's one of the best optional boss fights in the game, and you missed it because you were too scared to find out what would happen?"
Now you are meant to explore in Dark Souls, and to some extent I suppose that might include killing possibly harmless looking NPCs. Unfortunately, once you do so, you can never take it back, and that character is lost to your world forever. Did they maybe do something extremely important or would've given you something extremely valuable? You'll never know. The thing to really consider here is the downside is usually much bigger than the upside. I've gotten very little joy from killing the few NPCs that I've backstabbed, and the rewards I've gotten have never been enough that I regretted the possibility that they might've offered me something much bigger had they stuck around. They never give many souls, and most of the time it's a boring fight. So don't do it because you'll never know when that person who at the moment looks so incredibly vulnerable might have just the thing you need to defeat that boss that you've been struggling with for the last ten hours of play.
4) Be sure you use your items to good effect.
I'll make a confession; I'm a slight video-game item hoarder. Not on an obscene level, but I never really use anything unless I'm absolutely convinced I need to. I usually stock-pile at least 20-50 potions before venturing out for the first dungeon in any Final Fantasy game.
In Darks Souls, this technique is not feasible. Due to the difficulty level, you need to be consistently using your items to give you a hand whenever needed. The Dark Soul series' throw a lot of items at you of various usability so find out what each item does and how well it works, and when the situation calls for it use it. Fighting a dragon? Add some lightning to your weapon. If you're in a graveyard battling some undead, use firebombs. Consistently use your items to good effect to turn challenging areas into doable ones. Be sure not to give your items away for free like on easy enemies or when fighting a boss for the first time (accept it, you're going to die no matter what), but only when it could be the difference between victory and defeat.
On a similar note, make sure you have multiple options to use in any given battle. Equip some knives, have a bow or some sorcery, stalk up on a couple weapon enhancers. Don't rely on one strategy or one weapon or shield to get the job done. This way you'll be sure to be ready no matter what the next boss brings.
I'll make a confession; I'm a slight video-game item hoarder. Not on an obscene level, but I never really use anything unless I'm absolutely convinced I need to. I usually stock-pile at least 20-50 potions before venturing out for the first dungeon in any Final Fantasy game.
In Darks Souls, this technique is not feasible. Due to the difficulty level, you need to be consistently using your items to give you a hand whenever needed. The Dark Soul series' throw a lot of items at you of various usability so find out what each item does and how well it works, and when the situation calls for it use it. Fighting a dragon? Add some lightning to your weapon. If you're in a graveyard battling some undead, use firebombs. Consistently use your items to good effect to turn challenging areas into doable ones. Be sure not to give your items away for free like on easy enemies or when fighting a boss for the first time (accept it, you're going to die no matter what), but only when it could be the difference between victory and defeat.
On a similar note, make sure you have multiple options to use in any given battle. Equip some knives, have a bow or some sorcery, stalk up on a couple weapon enhancers. Don't rely on one strategy or one weapon or shield to get the job done. This way you'll be sure to be ready no matter what the next boss brings.
3) Always mind your surroundings.
In the 1977 classic A New Hope, Ben Kenobi gives his young student Luke Skywalker a very valuable piece of advice when dealing with an opponent or obstacle. He tells him "Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them." This should be the mantra of any Dark Souls player.
Dark Souls makes a living out of convincing its player that something is happening while in actuality the exact opposite is the case. Learn to pick up the clues that allow you to tell the difference. If anything is out of place, don't trust it. If an area looks innocent, don't take it for granted. Quickly run in and out of rooms in case something is waiting for you behind the door. Take advantage of your third person camera to peek around pillars and doorways. Keep an eye out for snipers like mages or crossbowman who can turn even melee battles into bloody arenas. Look out for environmental traps, and be sure to be extra careful around ledges and canyons.
Take it slow, and for God sakes, hold onto your souls!! I guarantee it, if you have to ask yourself, "Should I go back and level up or should I press on to new territory?" 90% of the time, the correct answer is to cash in your souls. If lost souls were US dollars, Dark Souls players would have enough to pay off the national debt; do not become a statistic! Do the smart thing and stay alive, and you'll do that by quickly recognizing where danger might come from and compensating for it.
In the 1977 classic A New Hope, Ben Kenobi gives his young student Luke Skywalker a very valuable piece of advice when dealing with an opponent or obstacle. He tells him "Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them." This should be the mantra of any Dark Souls player.
Dark Souls makes a living out of convincing its player that something is happening while in actuality the exact opposite is the case. Learn to pick up the clues that allow you to tell the difference. If anything is out of place, don't trust it. If an area looks innocent, don't take it for granted. Quickly run in and out of rooms in case something is waiting for you behind the door. Take advantage of your third person camera to peek around pillars and doorways. Keep an eye out for snipers like mages or crossbowman who can turn even melee battles into bloody arenas. Look out for environmental traps, and be sure to be extra careful around ledges and canyons.
Take it slow, and for God sakes, hold onto your souls!! I guarantee it, if you have to ask yourself, "Should I go back and level up or should I press on to new territory?" 90% of the time, the correct answer is to cash in your souls. If lost souls were US dollars, Dark Souls players would have enough to pay off the national debt; do not become a statistic! Do the smart thing and stay alive, and you'll do that by quickly recognizing where danger might come from and compensating for it.
2) If at first you don't succeed.....Go somewhere else.
Some of time Dark Souls is a linear game, but more often than not it branches out with multiple paths, secret locations and optional bosses. In order to play the game well, I believe it is essential to keep as many of these pathways open and available to you as possible. Dark Souls is a challenging game, and it is normal to expect that sometime during your play-through you will become stuck and have nowhere to go except into the brick wall that is that terrifying boss you've died to 15 times already.
If you can't get past an area, don't continue to hopelessly use up your resources; just go somewhere else! Get a change of scenery, meet some new npcs, get some new weapons or spells. Use new areas to broaden your horizons.
Be on the lookout for different roads and doorways. Explore! You have no idea how many times I thought I had explored an area thoroughly, even after the boss was defeated, only to find something new that I had, for whatever reason, not noticed before. If you can't get into an area, maybe you need a branch of yore or a key, make sure not to forget about it. Once you've defeated the area's boss, see if they give you an item that can help. Bottom line, keep your options open by exploring and being curious. Don't be narrow-minded or stubborn in your approach to the game.
Some of time Dark Souls is a linear game, but more often than not it branches out with multiple paths, secret locations and optional bosses. In order to play the game well, I believe it is essential to keep as many of these pathways open and available to you as possible. Dark Souls is a challenging game, and it is normal to expect that sometime during your play-through you will become stuck and have nowhere to go except into the brick wall that is that terrifying boss you've died to 15 times already.
If you can't get past an area, don't continue to hopelessly use up your resources; just go somewhere else! Get a change of scenery, meet some new npcs, get some new weapons or spells. Use new areas to broaden your horizons.
Be on the lookout for different roads and doorways. Explore! You have no idea how many times I thought I had explored an area thoroughly, even after the boss was defeated, only to find something new that I had, for whatever reason, not noticed before. If you can't get into an area, maybe you need a branch of yore or a key, make sure not to forget about it. Once you've defeated the area's boss, see if they give you an item that can help. Bottom line, keep your options open by exploring and being curious. Don't be narrow-minded or stubborn in your approach to the game.
1) Be Patient.
I mean this in a couple of ways. First in your gameplay; when fighting a tough enemy or a boss be sure to be neither too greedy or too much of a coward. Most of the time, you'll want to strafe your opponent from a medium distance, wait for a mistake, then go in for a few hits before rolling away, carefully maintaining your stamina. Just because you see an opening, doesn't mean you should go in all guns blazing using all your stamina up to get in as many hits as possible. Take it slow, keep your head, and don't go in for the kill unless you know you can down your enemy. I have seen many a hero (some of the time, myself) go all in because the boss had just a tad of health only to be slain on the doorstep of victory.
Secondly, you should be patient mentally. Dark Souls is not a game you can move quickly through, so don't try. Take your time through the world and its different locations, know them well, look at each one as a learning experience and a place to harvest souls as opposed to an annoying level to get through and move on from. Don't feel pressured to beat a level or boss in one sitting; if you need one, take a break! If you're feeling frustrated, grab a snack, let your mind and fingers ruminate, then come back.
One night, I had a great Dark Souls experience. I took down two bosses both on the first try, and I was ecstatic. I couldn't wait to play the next day. In the end, though, I changed my mind and watched a movie instead. Why? Because I didn't want to burn out, to lose focus. Take your time playing through these games because you'll want them to feel fresh and exciting, and playing too much too fast will prevent that from happening. As hard as it might be for some people to do, enjoy your Dark Souls experience!
Those are my top five pieces of advice for new Dark Souls players. How did I do? Did you take my advice? How did it work out? For experienced veterans, what is your Dark Souls mantra? What would you say to beginners to help them out? Leave your comments below and see you next time!