I used to make fun of dark souls bros.

“Souls games aren’t really hard once you know what you’re doing.”

“You just have to study the bosses.”

“Most people just don’t understand dark souls.”

I used to make fun of people who said stuff like this, but now I am one of those people. I just beat Dark Souls 1 remastered for the first time and I understand why this game is considered a MASTERPIECE. Here are my initial thoughts after beating the game for the first time in 2023:

I started playing Elden Ring when it came out. It was my first soulslike game. It clicked after I beat Limgrave. Soulslike games finally clicked for me. I understood them. I put down Elden Ring and I decided to start with Dark Souls 1 and play the games in release order. I wanted to work my way up to elden ring. I wanted to learn how the games changed over the years. How did they eventually become Elden Ring? I also wanted to get good and learn the mechanics. I felt like this would make Elden Ring even more enjoyable.

This was a great decision. I can’t wait to play the next titles and work my way up to Elden Ring.

The level design is peak. It’s 10/10. It’s so clever, the interconnected design, the boobytraps that made me laugh when I died, etc.

The replay value is so amazing. I will revisit this game for years to come to try different builds. I can’t wait to start with the master key next time.

Also, I have been struggling this past year with alcohol and drug addiction. I started playing dark souls to learn discipline. I know it sounds absolutely silly, but it has helped. I was recently four years sober and I relapsed. Sobriety is a tough road, but I’m on three months sober, and I attribute some of that to playing this game. I typically have low patience and I’m quick to get tilted. This game taught me how to think about things differently. I didn’t get mad once. I was patient with myself and I got good. I was absolutely determined to beat this game.

People who don’t like these games just don’t understand them. :)

I can’t recommend this game enough. I am now a dark souls bro. I didn’t go hollow. Cheers.