STACK Mar #137

56 / 99

W hile I was watching a 'Part Of
The Game I Am Not Allowed
To Write About', it dawned
on me that the best part of the Souls
series, perhaps gaming proper, was
criminally underrated. There’s fun,
there’s thought-provoking, there’s
challenging, and then there’s reward.
Sweet, raw, unfiltered reward.
Without having so much as a
finger on a controller, just watching
[Undisclosed Section] made my heart
pump harder. My head was light from
the adrenaline as I watched blow
after blow, dodges, failed attacks,
lost health, and then ultimately
(and somewhat inevitably) death.
Something inside me screamed to let
me have a go, to pit myself against
the implacable AI monster until I
came out on top.
That was the reward I craved
– to beat something
that would destroy me over and over
again unless I perfected myself.
And it will force you to perfect
yourself. Just like the Souls and
Bloodborne before it, there is no
mercy, there is no safety, there is only
trial, error and death.
However, the PS4 is the moonshine
poured onto an already raging bonfire,
as the game seems larger than ever.
Crisper than ever. Smoother than
ever. The clarity of the mountains and
castles in the background is not only
gorgeous to behold, it awakens the
wanderer inside you to explore and
investigate.
So I did…and I got lost. Over, and
over, and over again, I would find a
new nook and cranny and enemy
and item till I wasn’t sure where I
had been and where I had to go.
It’s a testament to FromSoftware’s
world-building, as every location felt
like a natural progression. Things
existed where they seemed they
should. Objects from centuries past,
visit GAMES FEATURE
56 MARCH 2016
GAMES
Mark Ankucic goes hands on with From Software's upcoming Dark Souls III. KILLING ME SOFTLY
trees, moss and grass covering their
shattered remains let you into a little
history without ever being so crass as
to actually state something outright.
Combat seems a little faster than
it has in previous generations. It’s
nowhere near as quick as Bloodborne,
but the enemy’s swings and blows
do come at you with more haste,
and flurried attacks are carried
out in a rabid rage, making similar
attacks in the past look apathetic
by comparison. Monster and boss
designs are, as usual, breathtaking.
Everything is misshapen and
deranged. From the lowliest ghoul to
the highest dragon, every creature
with the intent to kill you looks like it
was dragged forcibly from every circle
of Hell.
I thought I was done with
FromSoftware’s masochistic series
when I’d put down my controller after
Bloodborne. They’re like a second job,
or a secret Canadian family. Draining,
terrifying, research and resource
intensive, it’s a game that demands
the best of you and from the best
possible gamer that you can be.
Like every prior game of its ilk, it’s
not for everyone. And not everyone
is going to beat it. But, again, just like
its forebears, everyone who does
beat it will know that are a cut above
the rest, have honed themselves into
a gaming weapon, and will reap the
benefits and glory that await.
To the victor, the reward. And by
god, do I love reward.
Just like the Souls
and Bloodborne
before it, there is no
mercy, there is only
trial, error and death
Killer Facts
About
Dark Souls
About
FromSoftware
FromSoftware is a
studio founded in
November 1986 and
comprised of over
200 people. Originally
established for the
"development of
business application
software", the
company went on
to release some of
the most critically
acclaimed and
notoriously difficult
titles in gaming
history, beginning
with Demon's Souls
for the PS3 back
in 2009. Merging
with Bandai Namco
games, the company
have developed
blockbusters like the
Dark Souls series and
Bloodborne.
• Dark Souls went
through many name
changes; initially Dark
Ring, it was then
changed to Dark Race,
and finally settled
(thankfully) on Dark
Souls.
• When it released,
42 Dark Souls II
players died per
second – 21 times the
real-world rate.