LONG BLOG
What From Software Does Well
Welcome Home Good Hunter
So I've really become a HUGE fangirl of From Software's work. The very first game I ever played by them was Bloodborne, and it's obviously become a huge hit. The truth of the matter is....I HATED IT the first time I played it. Like many before me, I buckled under the pressure of how 'hard' the game was, and I practically just gave up. I was still entranced by the lore of the game though...the atmosphere, the artwork, and just the dark nature of it. My curiosity was sparked into these games, so what was my next solution? Play Dark Souls!
Which was an awesome, yet terrible choice
And so I went back to the beginning....well, as much of the beginning as I could have. I've yet to play Demon's Souls, and I'll probably never get to because I have no intention of getting a PS3 just for that. ANYWAY, with the help of some friends (some former Dtoiders actually), I was able to drag my way through the world of Dark Souls. I grew so addicted to the style of gameplay, and I just couldn't put it down. I beat through every boss in the game, including all of the dlc bosses before I went before Lord Gwyn. *spoiler alert* it was kind of funny how I muscled and strained just to beat through the game....only to get to Gwyn and realized that all of my methods were faulty, since the easiest way to beat him is to just parry him into submission....*sigh*
Praisin' aint easy
I grew so addicted to all the little quirks in these games. I must have praised the sun over 1,000 times by now, and I MIGHT have even done it a few times irl (don't judge). My next escapades led me to play Dark Souls 2....which yes, I beat and no, I'm not super fond of it. It's a little known fact that while From Software did create the game, it was led by a different team completely then the first couple of games. While Dark Souls 2 still has the same feel, lore and vibe of a From Software game...overall I wasn't as pleased with it. BUT YOU CAN BET THAT I CONTINUED TO PRAISE THE SUN. You know...I can't really even tell you about a favorite moment of mine in Dark Souls 2, simply because I felt like I just glossed over the entire game for the sake of saying I beat it. Oh well.
Fear the old blood
After beating through both Dark Souls I and II a couple of times...I found myself missing Bloodborne badly. I missed the game that enraged me and made me toss it aside. Well, I recently got a PS4 again and this time I forged my way through. Ironically, I found the game to be MUCH more playable this time around, and I'm sure that's because I've made myself familiar with From Software's formula. Bloodborne was fantastic, and as soon as I'm done writing up this article I'll be diving back in on my New Game +. I love everything about Bloodborne - the bosses, the atmosphere, the armor, the weapons, the enemies....the ONLY thing I just drastically miss is the ability to praise the sun. OH HOW I MISS PRAISING THE SUN.
What's the catch?
Unlike most games these days, Dark Souls and Bloodborne are very unapologetic. They will force you to play the game exactly how you need to in order to succeed - you can't water down the difficulty, you can't cheat your way out of it. This is why many people regard these games as 'hard' or 'mean', but really these are some of the most fair games out there. Could you imagine these games if they were like a modern day Super Mario Bros, giving gamers an invincibility suit after dying a few times? Where's the fun in that? Like anything in life, you learn through trial and error, and yeah, sometimes you make mistakes. It's on you to learn from these mistakes and correct them, sometimes looking at things from a different angle. THIS, is what makes From Software's games so wonderful. Sure, they are a little difficult when you first try one...but after you get over that learning curve, the reward of succeeding is so satisfying that it'll make you never want to play a said 'Mario' game again.
Sorry babe, your princess is in another castle....
I really wish all game developers could take a hint from From Software's work. I honestly haven't bothered with another video game franchise since I began playing these games....well....Pokemon, but that's different. ANYWAY, I'm really excited about Dark Souls III coming out and hope that it'll be a blast! Have any of you all played a souls game? What are some of your more memorable moments? Hit me up in the comments below! Farewell good hunter!
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