STACK #137 Mar 2016

GAMES FEATURE

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Mark Ankucic goes hands on with From Software's upcoming Dark Souls III . KILLING ME SOFTLY

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. Just like the Souls and Bloodborne before it, there is no mercy, there is only trial, error and death 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,

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.

Killer Facts About Dark Souls • 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. 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.

GAMES

MARCH 2016

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