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In general though this is the review of someone who played maybe half an hour, never read an item description and then got ganked by a hacker. Also this "reviewer", and I use the term very loosely here, really buys into the whole PC gaming master race thing. He blames a good bit of the difficulty on the "imprecision" of controllers. I`ve said my piece on that before but this guy really makes me foam at the mouth.
The game was designed for controllers. It thus follows that it contols better with a analog input device rather than a mostly digital one. Also, since when do you need to use the face buttons to fight effectively ? You need the dodge button on certain builds and occasionally the triangle/Y button. Easy to reach in a normal position. Is he missing three fingers on his right hand ? Did it not occur to him to use lock-on ?
His complaints about the MP are entirely unfounded, not to mention based on obviously false information. It`s not supposed to work like a FPS or RTS, why would you need text-chat or voice-chat ? The entire theme of the MP is fleeting contact between two people, friendly or not, until you inevitably get torn apart again and remain alone in a world that hates you. And I just realized he thinks the ability to save your progress without hitting a bonfire would be a good thing. What the christ ?
Dark Souls is a masterpiece of storytelling, but some people need it spoonfed I guess.
Also from a formatting and style viewpoint the review sucks - I wrote better stuff in primary school.
All in all exactly what I expect out of a 15 year old PC elitist, so it`s rather sad that someone apparently doing this for a living wrote this.
Edit: PC elitists in general seem to hate Dark Souls. "Oh those dirty console peaseants and thier little game, we`ll blow thorugh it easy with our elegant KB+M that cost us 200 bucks and are in some vapourous way better than the 30 buck equivalents." And then they try Dark Souls and it kicks their lilly-white asses. Of course the game can`t actually be hard, it`s badly designed. Maybe consoles are a legitimate form of gaming that has excellent games as well ? Has this thought crossed their minds ? No it has`nt because the answer would shatter their fragile ego and epeen.
He's right about how not finishing the thing damages his credibility. Calling that out in the first line doesn't neutralize the issue like he may intend. His 'blink' assessment argument is complete bull. I've been enjoying this medium for 25 years and games can still surprise me beyond their early impressions.
It also really sounds like he missed the lock-on function because he talks about losing situational awareness while dodging, and complains about needing to keep a thumb on the right stick while working the face buttons. My immediate response is RTFM. But when I think for a moment its both lol worthy and tragic. I feel for anyone who tries to learn the game without knowing there's a camera lock, no wonder he's bitter.
And as a PC gamer I too cringe when he decries analog controls as archaic and cumbersome. Really? I have three analog controllers plugged into my system right now: pedals, throttle and flightstick. Four if you count the throttle's ministick.
Weird then that the games in my library that demand the most subtlety and precision require so many of these archaic and cumbersome controllers for proper play.
Remember X-Wing ? It wouldn`t even install without a flightstick of some description. I remember a time when peripheral controllers were`nt frowned upon by "Hardocre" PC gamers. Hell they were the guys who used them. Those were good times...
Its the C in CRPG that's important. Computer. You're not making up your own story, you're experiencing a designer's concrete programmed world. The part of the CRPG inherited from the tabletop is the part where you create a character and guide it into a specialization of interest as it gains power, not the part where YOU internalize the character and free-associate with your tabletop buddies or whatever.
If you want to 'role play' in a gaming context you should be sitting at a D&D table or LARPING in the woods.
Yeah, X-wing and Tie-Fighter are near the top of the list of my all time favorites. Played X-Wing in the sixth grade with a two-button CH Flightstick.
One of the things that's potentially awesome about recent console generations is how analog controls have been put into the hands of so many gamers. Its staggering to me that no new space sim franchises have come along to capitalize on that!
I was hoping for some cross polination back into the PC world, cause you're right - peripheals have fallen away in the face of KB/M's versatility and universality.
If we`re talking genre you are correct. I`d be very surprised if FF12 allowed me any interaction with the overarching storyline but noone is seriously going to make a case for it not being an RPG.
Under his definition of RPG, most every title is an RPG. I`m not a badass giant robot piloting mercenary IRL, but I`m playing the "role" of one in AC.
But for serious roleplaying games just are`nt a good medium because you will ALWAYS be limited by the mechanics.
The last "good" Spacefighter game I remember is Freespace 2, and that`s how old now ?
With gaming becoming more mainstream and socially acceptable the overall quality has suffered with everything going after the lowest common denominator. Not to mention fanboys.
The ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up thing is that for many traditionally PC genres KB+M isn`t even the best control method.
First of all, the camera IS horrible. It gets obstructed quite frequently by things on the scenario (i remember *almost* falling in blighttown because the camera got obstructed by some wood structure above me). Furthermore, it can get a little jumpy on some spots (particularly when something is about to obstruct it). For example, in Anor Londo, after you kill the first gargoyle, you have to enter the "painting vault" by walking on a structure and then jumping to a balcony. When you walk over said structure, you pass below some "things" (roof like structures) and at that momento, the camera suddenly moves left or right, depending on your angle (i guess). If you were distracted or low on reflexes, that could mean a fall. And that happens a lot of times (Great Hollow was a nightmare for me because of that).
Another point is, lets face it, the controls are horrible (and i'm talking about xbox 360 pad here). Alghough you get accustomed to them, the controls are, indeed, clunky. Thanks to God, at least they are responsive. The difficulty of any game should come from the program itself, not from the input method.
He doesn´t speak about a *horrible* (at times) "pathfinding" (or layout). I hate when, apparently, you need certain walking speed to walk over a rock, or a step, or a change of floor. If you need an example, equip a heavy load (ensure a flat roll), and go to where the key to the asylum, where the iron ring is. Up the elevator, get off at the opening and jump to the structure to go over the stairs. On that structure, walking and running, you get stuck at nothing. There's literally nothing obstructing your path, but the angle/slope of the structure just impedes your pass. You need to run and then jump to get past this, and i repeat, there's no obstacle or something blocking your way. This happens in a lot of places (again, you need to be on a heavy load or walking to note this).
About the story, I think he has a very valid point. There´s none (per se). There's no storytelling in this game (although some claim that it has masterful storytelling, that is a lie). And, actually, the game does lack some (or a lot of) context. What it has (and in spades) is lore. Every item description gives you something to ponder about. The story here is *what happened*, and that is yours to decipher (or to guess). The game lacks storytelling, BUT, it gives you the necessary elements to become your own storyteller. It pikes your curiosity, and makes your imagination fly. And i think that is as valid as giving you a laid out story.
Finally, the game´s difficulty is completely artificial. It comes down to get the clunky controls, and learn the enemy patterns (or just defend effectively). Once you beat at least once the game, it becomes quite easy actually. On NG+, the enemies have more health, and inflict more damage, yes, but that doesn´t make them more challenging. Once you time out their attacks, it doesn´t matter much if you are at level 1 or 100. The only difference os how much time it takes you to kill them.
Yes, the game has a LOT of bad points. However, and this is surprising, it is a very very good product. I have a lot of gripes with the game, but that hasn't stopped me from spending hours upon hours on the game (200+). I have started several characters, i've experimented with several builds, from the dex/dodgy eastern warrior, to havel the rock. The "story" (and lack of storytelling) is compelling, it invites you to build your own story. The game is optimized like ♥♥♥♥ and the graphics are lacking (technically), but the art design is quite good and i love how each and every piece of armor and weapon looks awesome and detailed. I think that, for each bad point the game has, it makes up with another thing (on the same department, mind you). Yes, the longer you play, the more evident the shortcomings of the game become aparent, but at the same the strng points only grow stronger and you appreciate them more. A great game indeed, and a rare gem (particularly in these "sure product/genre/gamestyle" days. Definitely, he didn't play enough and got to the game with the worst attitude possible.
TL/DR - The game sure has a lot of flaws and shortcomings, but at the same time it has a lot of strong points that make a truly compelling package, and a game well worth playing. The reviewer didn´t play enough time, with the proper attitude.
Edit: Please excuse my english, i'm not a native english speaker/writer, but i hope it is clear enough to be understandable.
I find nothing objectionable enough about the rest of your post to comment but this is frankly a pretty damn minor gripe. I`ve played this game a massive amount of time, easily 400 hours between PTDE and the PS3 version and I have found exactly two of these spots. The one you describe and one of the Blight Town bridges. Since both of the bits where it occurs are almost entirely safe from enemies you can just remove some bloody armour.
And why are you fatrolling anyway ? Even heavy armour chars should strive for at least the mid roll.
As for the difficulty being artificial: No. The game is a textbook example of fair difficulty. Sure, there are a few ambushes here and there, but they're easily survivable. Enemy attack patterns can be figured out rather easily, and every attack can be avoided. Unfair or artificial difficulty implies that death is out of your hands. Practically every death is your fault. It's your mistakes that kill you in this game. I can confidently say that every time I died, it was my fault. That's fair, not artificial.
It is a kind of a minor gripe (if you only keep the mid roll speed). If you keep on the heavy side of things, well, you'll notice more, much more. Another place is quite early actually, in the undead burg, when you enter (just past the drake presentation), theres a little court where you fight 3 hollows. On the right there are 2 spear/shield hollows (before the stairs that lead to the merchant). The path to enter the "spear hollows" court, has this problem. The great hollow branches are plagued with this problems too. But you learn to deal with them.
As to your question, why do i keep my fat roll? (with some characters anyway), for a very simple reason: roleplaying! ;) (although the reviewer swears this isn´t that kind of game). You see, depending on my build, sometimes i like to see and feel them slow, heavy, big weapon in hand, advancing slowly and menacingly towards its victim. jajaja. Sometimes I don´t touch havels ring the whole game.
Also, i kinda like somethings of the classic D&D class system. I don´t like much that just putting enough points into int and attunement, my warrior can pretty much be a sorcerer, so i like to impose some limits to my characters. Playing a knight? let´s go the paladin way, keep him in heavy armor only, with some miracles capabilities. The same character only wears full sets of armor (presentation is everything after all, for my knights at least). My warriors tend to use every piece of armor, mixed and matched, but they have to keep a medium speed/roll and at least a pice of their original armor (the helmet and/or the gloves for most of my builds). Got a cleric? *almost fullsets* only and never wear a helmet. So on and so forth. It's pure fun and for my amusement only, to keep my classes varied and distinguishable from each other ;)
Okay I can see it being problematic in Great Hollow. I have`nt been there in months, so I kind of forget it exists.
I`m certainly not going to try and impose my prefered style of playing on you. If you want to limit yourself that`s fine. I just found it to be a really minor issue since none of the places I`ve experienced it were particularly dangerous in a way that armour could help with, so I don`t think this counts as a "strike" against the game. Besides a heavy armour type "should" have to be careful with his movement and not dancing around uneven terrain, however slowly.
I never said the difficulty was unfair. Artificial is not equal to unfair. It is fair as hell, i agree with you on that. The only unfairness on the game, is that enemies attacks can get past walls (anor londo spear knights are a good example. Feeling secure behind a wall, well think again!). What I mean with artificial is that, at least for me, the game's difficulty is more the "illusion of difficulty". Two examples: Once you get down the patterns or type of attacks your enemy uses, unless you make 2 mistakes in a row, the battle is yours. The other example is, get your eagle shield (or make the artorias great shield for ultimate abuse) and the whole game just becomes a walk. "Look, it's Manus' deadly combo! Shield up 'till he finishes". The game has a steep learning curve, but in he way of difficulty, well... just be patient, and study your opponents. For me at least, the game doesn´t offer much in difficulty. What it provides (in spades, again) is punishment and little room for mistakes.
No product is perfect, and sure as hell Dark Souls isn't either. But (and this is the reason I mentioned that pathfinding and camera problems), it doesn´t matter how much you nitpick at the game, it still is great, and is worth every penny/minute you spend on it. Don´t get me wrong, I love this game, I signed the port petition, I frown at the pc elitists demands (better resolution, 120 fps, M+K, etc.), hell, i don't even use (anymore) Durante's fix. I enjoy the game for what it is: a great example of a good video game with very fun/engaging/original mechanics.