Gamers have been gleefully declaring the Japanese game industry dead for years due to the inability of eastern developers to create new and innovative experiences (i.e. make first person shooters like everyone else). However, From Software has managed to revolutionize gaming with its Dark Souls series - not by introducing new gameplay (its the same slow, stat-trading combat the developer has been shoveling for years) or a thought-provoking story (this is From Software were talking about), but by tapping into the self-hatred that introverted gamers have for themselves in a way no game has done before. Dark Souls is the ultimate pissing contest, only in this case, the objective is to see how long youre willing to let the game shower you in its archaically punishing gameplay. Players undergo a symbolic form of castration by repeatedly dying and losing all of their experience until Stockholm syndrome sets in and provides a smug sense of elitism that can sometimes be mistaken for having fun. This grueling difficulty also masks the fact that From Software cant balance a game or even explain how its draconian mechanics work - because fumbling around in menus and not understanding basic gameplay systems is part of the experience! Somehow the developer has actually duped players into expecting a paying for a miserable experience, which From Software is uniquely qualified to deliver. Playing and pretending to enjoy Dark Souls is the gaming equivalent of a middle-aged dad driving an exotic sports car - its so clear that youre trying to compensate for your own inadequacies that we can only pity you.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 19:12:20 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015