The success of Elden Ring and its announcement as the 2022 recipient of the Game of the Year award has ignited interest in souls-like games and has encouraged gamers to replay Dark Souls. One of the more highly-rated titles in the souls-like genre, Dark Souls is one of the biggest game releases in 2011, has achieved critical acclaim, and has even seen two sequels.
Dark Souls was a critical and commercial success due to its extensive gameplay, immersive virtual environment, and gripping narrative. The game was even ported to modern devices such as the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. However, the game is not free from criticism, and gamers who attempt to revisit the game will be slapped with a handful of harsh realities.
The Unfinished Areas
While Dark Souls was lauded for its expansive in-game environment, the game does contain several areas that feel unfinished or that may be inaccessible to players. These include some areas that were originally intended to be a part of the game, as well as content that didn’t make the cut.
Some areas in the game that gamers think is unfinished include Ash Lake, which was the original starting location of players, as well as The Abyss, which was referenced by a few NPCs and items but was scrapped from the game’s lore. While the game’s lore is considered a masterpiece, gamers think it could have been perfect if it didn’t have unfinished areas.
The PC Port Is Not Good
Dark Souls was originally released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 — and then was later ported to the PC due to its success. However, the PC port of Dark Souls has gotten a lot of flack for not performing as well as the versions on the PlayStation and Xbox.
One key issue of the port is that it didn’t have the important features that were considered standard in PC games at the time of its release, including a proper field of view, customizable controls, and support for the mouse and keyboard. In addition, its optimization was subpar, which resulted in bad graphics and a choppy frame rate. That’s a reality that PC players will have to face when they play Dark Souls on their devices.
It Had Terrible Jump Controls
While many consider Dark Souls to be a masterpiece, its jump controls are less than desirable. Upon the game’s release, players were complaining that the game’s jump controls are hard to use and not precise. The root cause of this issue is the lack of a dedicated jump button in the game, which forces the players to press forward twice in order to jump.
In addition, the players also cannot change the direction and height of their jump, which makes it extremely difficult to land on ledges and platforms. Dark Souls ranks highly among souls-like games when it comes to difficulty, and the impreciseness of its jump controls lends to its challenging gameplay.
Defeating Bed Of Chaos Is Tiring
Dark Souls has been thoroughly enjoyed by gamers due to its many bosses that have devastating lore. Besides that, the game also has quite a number of challenging bosses that will give gamers a hard time, including the infamous Bed of Chaos which can be located in Lost Izalith.
The boss can be incredibly frustrating and difficult to overcome as it requires gamers to have precise positioning and impressive timing. In addition, the fight is poorly designed with hard-to-reach platforms, making the fight tiring to finish. Apart from that, the Bed of Chaos can also potentially kill the player with one hit, so some players feel that the boss fight is simply not worth the trouble.
It’s Tedious To Get Rid Of Curses
The curse feature in Dark Souls is one of the most tiring mechanics in the game, so much so that some players think that it’s completely unnecessary. Gamers feel that the curse feature is unfair because it limits them to go further in the game, as curing curses requires gamers to use specific items or complete certain tasks.
The curse feature can also be unexpectedly triggered, which adds to the gamer’s frustration. Some of the worst curses in the game are the Hollowing curse, which happens when players die multiple times, and the Fading curse, which depletes a huge amount of souls from the gamer when they die.
The Covenant System Doesn’t Really Work
In the game, covenants are groups or factions that exist within the world of Dark Souls. Each covenant has its own objectives, goals, and rewards, as well as gives players access to special items. However, many gamers completely disregard the covenant system as it doesn’t really work due to its confusing and difficult-to-understand objectives.
Because each covenant has specific requirements, players can’t keep track of what they need to do in order to join one. In addition, covenants are also used to grief other players, which can be a cause of frustration for targeted players. All in all, it’s a feature in the game that gamers could do without.
The Second Half Of The Game Is Not As Good
Dark Souls is one of FromSoftware’s best offerings, but the second half of its narrative has been criticized by gamers and critics alike. The areas beyond Anor Londo, which comprises the second half of the game, are less enjoyable due to the increased difficulty that adds to the players' frustrations.
The second half of the game also feels repetitive as most of the areas are similar in layout and design. This makes the game feel as if it’s a never-ending battle. What’s more, the lore and the story of the game become more discombobulated in the second half, making it harder to understand the main character’s arc and motivation. Thankfully, the game is saved by its satisfying ending.
The Game Leaves A Lot Of Unanswered Questions
While it’s known for its mysterious and complicated narrative, the game does leave a lot of strings untied. There are a lot of unanswered questions about the true nature of the dark, the connection between the different endings of the game, and the true intentions of Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight.
Despite having the DLC Artorias of the Abyss, some of the questions in the game have been left unanswered. However, some gamers expected this to happen, especially since the game’s creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki, is notorious for letting gamers interpret certain aspects of his games.
The Game Is Plagued By Cheaters
Dark Souls is known for its intense difficulty, that’s why it’s not surprising that some gamer resort to cheating. However, the cheaters in the game can ruin the gameplay experience for those who faithfully play Dark Souls.
One of the more common forms of cheating in Dark Souls is through the use of third-party bots or hacks. These give cheaters an unfair advantage in the form of various features like the ability to levitate, infinite health, and infinite stamina. Thankfully, the developers have tried to combat the cheating issue by releasing patches and updates, as well as banning those who have been proven to use cheats.
It Takes Too Long To Finish The Game
Finishing Dark Souls can become a gargantuan task due in large to its difficulty. The gamer’s play style and skill level are also huge factors that determine how quickly they can finish Dark Souls. To that end, it takes players between 25 and 50 hours to complete the game.
That’s a lot of time to dedicate to a single game, and it can also take some gamers significantly longer to finish Dark Souls as it encourages experimentation and exploration. That’s why some gamers may get stuck for hours on end to defeat a boss or complete an area. It’s a good thing that plenty of guides exist online for gamers who feel like they’ve been stuck in one area forever.
Source:gamerant.com