Dark Souls 3 has finally been announced and with its early
2016 release date already established, we have less than a year to prepare for
the inevitable onslaught of rage quits, smashed controllers and shattered
relationships that will accompany it.
Having beaten the first three Souls games by this point (I’ll be getting
to Bloodborne soon enough), I know these acrimonious sensations all too well,
having spent 90 hours alone on Dark Souls, several of which attributed to three
back-to-back, rather unwarranted shouting matches with my mom over the course
of three days (Thanks a whole fucking lot, Ornstein and Smough!). None the less, many of us will doubtlessly
attempt to brave Atlus’ daunting challenges one more, willing to put our
collective sanities on the line for whatever may compel us to play these
games.
And those of you who have never touched this series before
and do not fully understand why these games have infuriated so many must
understand one thing: it is not just the brutality of these games that has
enshrined them in infamy; it is the psychological impact that can leave its
toll in ways you may not even be able to comprehend. The Souls series is not your average
beat-em-up. You can’t simply find the
biggest weapon you can get your hands on and start wailing on everything. You have to think before you act, or else
your oversights and bravado will be your downfall, with even the weakest of
enemies standing a chance at sending you back to a bonfire if you get too confident.
Because of this, I have found that no amount of strategy
guides and wikis will save your ass if you don’t have the appropriate
mindset. Mind you that this isn’t a
beginner’s tutorial and I won’t be going over the basics of the games. Rather, I’m presuming that you have at least
a rudimentary understanding of the control scheme and rules of them and will be
focusing more on general strategies than specific technical details, as
anything I have to say will be meaningless without you knowing how the simpler
mechanics work. That being said, here
are nine of the most important things that I find you need to keep in the back
of your head as you venture forth on your respective playthrough.
1. Look Ahead
First and foremost, you need to first analyze the threats
ahead of you before tackling them. Don’t
simply think you’ll know what to expect from a group, even if you’re familiar
with these types of foes. Focus on what
they’re capable of by themselves and together and how you can counter these
attack patterns. If you’re encountering
a new enemy, don’t attack immediately.
Either stay on your toes or keep your shield up and test the
waters. Let them strike first and gain a
sense for their move set, then strike once you’re comfortable with fighting
them.
Don’t forget about your surroundings either. Whether you’re in a tight corridor or on a
narrow cliffside, remember to alter your strategy in a fashion that allows you
to compensate for the new terrain. Try
to use thrusting weapons or magic in tight corridors and taking a slow,
methodical pace on cliffs by striking once and backing up, lest you get caught
in the heat of the moment and try to side roll.
Also, keep any pitfalls you see in mind at all times, whether during
battle or when you’re simply scouting out the area for treasures. This may seem like a given, but sometimes the
simplest of dangers can undo your progress if you neglect them. Never lose sight of how much room you have to
work with, or you’ll find that the terrain can be just as treacherous as the
enemies.
Finally, you’re going to find that many areas are either
packed with traps or are as dark as a conservative talk radio host’s
heart. Just like with combat, don’t jump
into things. Take your time when
entering any new area and survey every crevice and tile. Many of the traps tend to stand out if you
don’t dash through areas, but will punish the impatient. Just remember that time is on your side;
learn every detail and almost nothing will take you by surprise. As for dark areas, try to keep various landmarks
in mind as you continue to explore so that you associate them with new sections
that you encounter. If you come across
enemies in an area that is particularly dark, simply lure them back into an
earlier room that you’re more familiar with and deal with them, then return and
analyze it, just in case you return there in the future.
Just respect your environment and it will return the favor.
2. Understand Your
Limitations
I cannot stress this enough: this is not your traditional
beat-em-up. On top of utilizing an RPG
stats system, these games are also based in an open-ended world where many
dungeons are available to the player from the get-go, provided that you can
reach them in the first place. That
being said, your best bet is to follow a walkthrough that will give you a sense
of where to go. As tempting as it may be
to go out and explore, many of these areas are scaled in a linear sense for the
player to follow in a mostly specific pattern and will be too difficult to
handle at first. Like any RPG, simply
stick to the weaker enemies at first, build up your stats and work your way
towards the tougher enemies down the road.
Furthermore, you should also pay close attention to your
characters movement patterns. In games
like these, it’s not enough to roll aimlessly out of the way or throwing your
shield up at any given moment. Timing is
everything and, whether you’re going toe-to-toe with a boss twenty times your
size or a horde of undead, one misstep can cost you dearly. Focus on how long it takes to take a sip of
your Estus Flask, how long it will take an enemy to connect with a strike and
so on. If you can grasp the intricacies
of both your character’s motions and the enemies, it’s going to make your
experience far easier.
3. Stick With What
You’re Comfortable With
Throughout these games, as in any adventure title, you’re
bound to find a plethora of equipment that can make your journey more
manageable. You’ll see charms and rings
to boost your magical powers, armor and shields that seem sturdy enough to
withstand the wrath of even the largest beasts and weapons that appear to be
capable of clearing a room full of foes in mere seconds. While all of these may seem tantalizing,
appearance and even higher base stats are not everything.
What you’ll really want to focus on initially is how the
weapon handles and whether or not it compliments your play-style. Are you more inclined to get in quick swipes
and back away? Try daggers or
rapiers. Are you willing to play it
risky and get more bang for your buck?
Give axes and broadswords a try.
Do you prefer to keep your distance and pick away at enemies from
afar? Stick to magic or bows and arrows.
On top of this, the name of the game is not about just
finding the best weapon, but also upgrading them to achieve the maximum damage
output. Initially, it would make sense
to get better equipment, since you typically start with a rather dismal
repertoire that won’t get you very far past the first few dungeons. However, as time goes on and you put together
an arsenal that you feel comfortable with, make sure to think long and hard
about any potential changes to it.
Upgrading is not only essential, but also very time-consuming, as
smithing materials can be very hard to come by down the road. If you truly feel like this new weapon is superior to your
current tool and you’re up to the task of perfecting it, give it a try. Otherwise, one would be wise to stick with
what has gotten them this far. No point
in fixing what isn’t broken.
4. Divide and Conquer
If the speed and strength of your foes doesn’t become an
issue, their numbers certainly will.
You’re going to come across many instances where two or more enemies
will be grouped closely together and, as I’ve mentioned before, the last thing
you want to do is bum rush them. Since
many enemies are attracted to the player based on your proximity to them, the
best thing to do is inch forward until only one starts to make its way
over. Then simply back up a decent
amount, eliminate them as you see fit and repeat this until only one
remains. However, if attracting two or
more of them is inevitable, all you can do is keep your guard up and closely
watch their attack patterns until one leaves himself open. You can also try various poison or fire bombs
if you have them at your disposal, but patience will always be your strongest
asset in these situations.
5. Bait Them into
Attacking
If ever there was an optimal time to strike an enemy, it
would be at the end of an attack animation.
Upon performing one of these animations, most enemies typically require
a second or more to revert back to their walking animation, leaving them open
to attack. In other words, master those
dodging skills. Study the attack
patterns and as soon as you appear to be out of harm’s way, bash their heads
in. However, this also brings us to
point #6…
6. Don’t Get Greedy
Too often do the deaths of players spawn from our innate
desire to finish the fight as quickly as we can, particularly during boss
battles, since that alleviates ones paranoia surrounding the risk of death,
losing their souls and having to restart the level. Trust me when I say that this urge is
completely natural and understandable, as I have succumbed to it multiple times
in the past, but will leave you absolutely hating yourself when it inevitably
gets you killed. After a certain period, enemies simply won’t be stunned by
attacks and will commence their attack animation regardless of how hard you hit
them. As always, patience is your
ally. There’s no time limit on any of
these levels, so simply take it nice and slow and strike when you can, not when
you want to.
This rule also extends to soul collection. We all love the satisfying feeling of seeing
our soul counter get higher and higher as we fantasize about all the items and
levels that we can purchase with them.
That’s a given. But as that
counter slowly begins to fill, think to yourself: how much do I really
need? If you’re in a new area with
enemies and terrain that you’re unfamiliar with, is it really worth the risk to
see whether or not you can reach six figures?
Even if you find yourself halfway through this new level, think about
what those souls could purchase. If it
isn’t an amount to write home about, moving on should most likely be your first
choice. However, if you have enough to
level up five times and buy a brand new set of armor, it might be time to
swallow your pride and head back.
7. NEVER Get Cocky
Believe it or not, there will be portions of these games
that you’ll find yourself breezing through, whether it be because the enemies
follow a rather predictable pattern, you’ve been doing a fair amount of
grinding or you’re simply on a bit of a lucky streak. Considering how much hell the Souls series has been known to give
players, it is VERY easy to get overconfident from that point onward. Hell, if you can handle what one of the most
notoriously difficult game series’ in history can throw your way, you must be
unstoppable. Nothing can stand in your
way! May the Lord help any black
phantoms that cross your path! YOU ARE A
GOD AMONGST MEN!
Yeah…cut that shit out.
Now.
The very last thing you want to do in these games is get
cocky. It may seem inevitable, even
natural, to feel like you’re untouchable when you do exceptionally in games
like these, but remember: cockiness leads to carelessness; carelessness leads
to mistakes; mistakes lead to death.
Enemies and the environment can and will punish even the minutest
mistake by, at least, taking a nice fat chunk out of your health bar if you’re
lucky. If you don’t stay on your toes,
you’re gonna get sloppy and you’re gonna be kicking yourself for it when it
costs you souls.
Simply put, you’re not invincible. Get your head out of the clouds and focus.
8. Don’t Be Afraid to
Ask For Help
This one can be attributed to pride more than anything else. The Souls
series has always been heralded as a set of finely crafted games for a number
of reasons, but that’s not the only reason that people play them. Considering its reputation, many play these
games as a rite of passage within the gaming community. To say that you completed one of them is a
badge of honor that any gamer would wear with pride. So, if you’re going to be one of those
people, the last thing you’re gonna do is use a walkthrough, right? Who cares if it’s mind-bendingly
difficult? You’ve been playing video
games for your whole life and dammit, you’re gonna press on!
Now, while this mentality is very common (God only knows
I’ve been there before), the Souls
series simply isn’t designed to be beaten by oneself. Many things are not exactly made obvious to
newcomers, such as how to produce better weapons and armor, and even directions
may elude them from time to time. This
is because the games were intended to be community based; to have the community
work together, collect data and share tips with one another in order to
overcome the challenges (which also explains the in-game messages and blood
stains). Whether you believe this to be
a flaw in the games or not is none of my business. The point is that this is how the games are
designed and if you want to spend less time gritting your teeth in frustration
and more time actually progressing, you’d be smart to bookmark a few
walkthroughs and wikis for reference.
Believe me; the rest of the game will pose more than enough
of a challenge for you.
9. Understand That
Death WILL Happen
This one may come off as very difficult to accept, but just
hear me out. No matter how much you
practice, how much you grind, how careful you are and how much caffeine is
running through your body, that dreaded “YOU DIED” screen will inevitably
appear now and then. You may not want to
hear this, but you’re going to make mistakes. You’re going to panic
occasionally during your first outing in a new level. You’re going to get overwhelmed by the sheer
amount of enemies in these new areas.
You’re going to misstep sometimes and fall to your death. You’re going to forget to ration out your
healing items and run out at particularly inopportune times.
You’re going to die.
A lot.
But you’d be surprised what accepting this fact can do for
your attitude. If you greet death with
rage and frustration, that anger will linger throughout your play session. You’ll want to blame the game. You’ll begin to lash out at those around
you. You’ll start smashing controllers
and screaming at the top of your lungs.
And your concentration will suffer as a result.
Instead, when it happens, think to yourself: “Why did I just
die?” Go back to the moment of your
death and examine the scenario you were faced with. Perhaps you got too greedy with your attacks
and got crushed by the boss? Maybe you
didn’t take a dark area slowly enough and fell into a pit? Or could you have simply not put enough
distance between yourself and the enemies when you tried to take a sip of your
Estus Flask?
Whatever the reason, it is better to focus your anger
towards something productive than mindlessly flying off the handle. Hold yourself accountable for your mistakes,
figure out how to avoid them and try harder next time. And, most importantly, understand that you
will die here and there. It happens to
the best of us, but it does not mean that the game is over. If you hunker down and keep looking forward,
you can and will succeed. Just remember:
“…people die. But
death is not defeat.” – Hal “Otacon” Emmerich
And that’s about all I can give you. Keep in mind that by no means am I any sort
of “Souls expert”. I haven’t dedicated my life to surveying
every element, weapon, enemy and character build under the sun. Nor do I imagine will this guide be the
end-all, ultimate reference guide for Souls players. I’m simply another gamer who has experienced
firsthand the merciless power of these games and felt like it was my duty to
help others grasp the challenges before them.
No amount of my experience will be a good enough substitute for your own
personal experience, so I can only hope that this guide will make your time
somewhat easier.
Best of luck.
