Its a masterpiece, Not many games can drive me to explore as usually I go from point A to point B as quickly as possible. This game forces you to explore to find interesting gear and punishes you for not preparing to conquer areas ahead. However, while doing that exploring never feels like a chore. You never feel like "god just let me go through already" the enemy placements will at first, force you to stop and look ahead and make you think about how to challenge them. The game also doesn't hand you any wins, there are no participation trophies here, everything you collect in this game you earned. whether it be 10 souls from killing a rat or it is a boss weapon that you forged from beating the boss that took you 50 tries to beat.

The enemy design is very simple at times with wyverns, rats, skeletons etc. but at other times it is also very intriguing and some of the most abstract designs in video games with bosses and other major enemies. This is a plus as when you see a very unique design in the game it serves as a warning, and it also drives your curiosity to find out how it fights but more importantly, how you can beat it.

This game also makes you feel like an adult, it tells you the controls and nothing else. Everything you need to figure out on your own. You need to explore and find things that tell you where to go, whether they be NPCs or the description on items. The only thing limiting you in this game is your drive to explore and learn more about the world.

Let me paint a picture for you:
You've attempted this fight 30 times each time falling short. You make your way back to the boss arena, you've mastered the area before it maximizing your health entering the boss fight. The music kicks in, a beautiful orchestra accompanied by a choir of operatic chants. The stage is set, you know all of the bosses moves, you know exactly how the fight is going to go, you planned your strategy ahead of time, you use your buffing item that you learned the boss is weak to by reading the texts in the game and inferring with the knowledge you've accumulated over countless battles. The only thing to do now, is execute your plan to perfection. You start out strong dodging his moves and weaving in some counter attacks but you get a little greedy and get punished for it. your down, but not out. you fall back to recover but the boss doesn't let up. he keeps pushing you and you find yourself crumbling under the pressure, your plan is faltering. You pull off some miracle dodges and the boss finally calms down enough for you to stabilize. you get your bearings back, the buffs wore off but you still have plenty of life You start taking it slower, only going for 2 hits when you feel you can go for 3. slowly the boss is whittled down. The health bar is so low now. only a couple more hits and its over. you push your advantage you dodge aggresively. you swing, swing, swi- the boss counter attacks, waiting for the moment you got greedy and he hits you hard. your down to your last legs. both of you 1 combo away from death. the blood is pumping, the fear of having to do this again, the adrenaline of being so close to victory everything is telling you different things you cant get a thought into your head without contradicting it. "play safe, run in, dodge and counter, bait an attack" all of your options are in your head, the bosses hasnt done anything as if hes waiting for you to crumble under your own fear so he can finish you off. Then as the music swells, he charges in. the move you've seen countless times before, the move you've sworn to never die to again comes. you know exactly how to dodge it, where to optimally position your self after it to guarantee a counter hit. You feel it in your soul. you dodge, counter. its not enough your one hit away, the boss charges up his next attack, its coming, you have no time to decide what to do "dodge or hit ? dodge or hit ? dodge or hit ? dodge or hit ?" in under a second this one question bounces in your mind countless times you give in to your instincts and right as the bosses weapon is going to hit you, you swing your weapon and strike him down. You've conquered not only the boss but your doubts as well, you overcame it. the relief kicks in its finally over, the battle is won, but more still awaits.

This is why dark souls is a masterpiece