Why We Love Dark Souls 1

[@chadofastora]

3 things: 1. (2:28) I know there are reasons to go to the catacombs early 2. I’m aware that Gwyn isn’t supposed to be a “grandiose” fight, I used the wrong word to just say that it’s cool. 3. While I do think the DLC is when they started making lots of legendary boss fights, I did forget about Allant in DeS, so I guess it was wrong to say they “cracked the code” here when they’ve done it before.

[@chadofastora]

@@justforfunnn1616 Ya I know it’s been a bit, I just really didn’t want to mess this one up.

[@roccogough254]

4:25 Don't forget that you say getting cursed is the only way you can get punished after death. Every single bloodstain containing 293578239857 souls and 99 humanity that was lost because some idiot decided to run through the enemies rather than be patient and just do what they did last time disagrees. Absolutely wonderful video though, just minor nitpicks throughout that sour it a bit. Sekiro enemy ranking is still my favourite.

[@justforfunnn1616]

@@chadofastora don't worry your videos are always great for me an I like your rankings

[@chrislevack405]

@roccogough254 if you have that many souls and humanity, you're your own worst enemy, dummy. edit: and you honestly deserve the loss. glhfkthxnore

[@Brian-458]

Here is one of the best reasons why: dark souls 1 has the best poise mechanic.

[@Reinoiro]

The general feel of ds1 is just magical. The combination of level design, difficulty, roadblocks, design of menus and ui, lack of fast travel, everyone's unique paths through the game, give it atmosphere unlike any other. That feeling is lost at around anor londo and later, but the first half alone is the coolest gaming experience i ever had, and even if mechanically a game like bloodborne is way better, that magic of ds1 was never captured again

[@chadofastora]

Well said

[@Bladerunner5146]

Ds1 was my 1st souls game and my favorite so far Bloodborne is my 2nd favorite and ds2 is last but enjoyable as well I got the dark soul achievement on ds1 and might try for the equivalent in Bloodborne

[@ryanharvey1610]

@@Bladerunner5146bloodborne was my first and easily my favorite i recently played ds2 and honestly i think it’s more enjoyable and there’s more content than ds1 so i like it better

[@Reinoiro]

@@ryanharvey1610 True that ds1 loses to other games in core mechanics, content, build variety etc. Objective and easily definable criteria. Can't argue against objective facts, but subjective less clear feelings like the atmosphere, just the mood, carry it to be one of the better games in the franchise

[@Its_Only_Chill]

​@@Reinoirothat's not an objective fact

[@chipklip2]

I have a lot more respect for this game than the other souls games. Mainly because of the whole "Don't go hollow" thing. I think it's a good analogy for giving in. Don't lose yourself. Keep pushing on.

[@ramrodbldm9876]

You have more respect for a game cause it has an analogy "don't go hollow" lmao tell me your first souls game was elden ring without telling me 😂😂😂😂😂. What about ds2 "dont give up skeleton"? Sounds like the same thing different wording. But, you just wanted something to say like every other tryhard

[@chipklip2]

@@ramrodbldm9876 the other souls games weren't as motivational to me when I was playing them

[@larpus69]

@@ramrodbldm9876dont go too far because for only 1 day is dark souls here because the next will be the dlc. always love and forgive not hate and forget.

[@slipawy]

​@ramrodbldm9876 Why you gotta come here and start arguments bruh

[@Burakidiosu]

​@@ramrodbldm9876what's got your panties in a twist bruh

[@FromTheWombTotheGrave]

I love ds1 it was the best and my first souls game, I’m now replaying it again for like 50th time it never seems to get old or boring

[@Lucaslf2_]

This game gives me so much nostalgia, almost cried hearing that plin plin plon. To this day, I still think its the best for newcomers

[@bonogiamboni4830]

Yeah the map design of lordran is just stellar (excluding chaos). I have a horrible sense of orientation, i can barely go somewhere in my hometown without pulling out google maps, but somehow i know lordran like the back of my hands after traveling through it for so long, to the point that if someone told me any two points on the map (excluding things that require warping like getting out of the abyss or nito's cave) i could probably give them a detailed description of the route they need to take to get from one to the other, including enemies and objects nearby.

[@psterud]

I played the game dozens of times, and I still found myself wondering how to get to where I needed to go (before warping), or what I needed to do next. That was always really strange for me, because I felt I knew the game inside and out. But I also kind of liked that about the game, how it retained mystery even after my familiarity with it.

[@joshualouw9506]

A true work of art, and my favourite game of all time.

[@psterud]

Me too. I've played a bunch of games since then, but I'm a little sad because I'm pretty sure no game will ever give me that same experience again. It was magic in a bottle. I haven't replayed another From game, for instance. I didn't even finish DS2 or Sekiro, and I did easy mode on DS3 and Elden Ring just to get through them. Bloodborne was super-cool, though, but I didn't replay that either, although now I'm tempted to.

[@klausklavikus3836]

1989h ..... didnt even played CSGO as much as this Game xD

[@nomercy8989]

The maze like design of the world is what makes it stand out the most even if people don't realize it. Nothing wrong with linear design but there is something amazing about having multiple paths to go down and not being outright told what awaits you where. Even Elden Ring failed at this because everything is so open and actually predictable.

[@randychristensen1028]

If there's anything from Elden Ring to compare to I would say that it's like Lordran is a giant legacy dungeon

[@hanselthecaretaker]

There’s definitely Souls design in ER. Most of the legacy dungeons have the same clever looping factor, and it’s even applied to the open world in a few cases. ER’s biggest issue besides some balancing issues and repeated content that’s inherent with open world design anyways is that it’s a culmination of the past six games and a lot of people didn’t have the patience for it, or felt overwhelmed by its larger scale.

[@ToastyFiend]

@@hanselthecaretakerfor me it was open world game fatigue. After Skyrim, Witcher 3, AC series, and BOTW I was pretty much over it and sought out the souls series (but especially DS1) to break up the monotony

[@Revz8bit]

I feel the only other From Software game that got close was Bloodborne

[@rocstarang5747]

​@@randychristensen1028this.

[@WhoDaF0ok1sThatGuy]

I remember going through the great hollow as I thought that was where I needed to go next. Then I found Ash Lake and was take aback by its beauty. Then I ruined it by resting at the bonfire…

[@vincentrousseau8630]

yeh thats a masterpiece for you....

[@hundkebab2433]

time to do some monkey shenanigans

[@CaptainTitforce]

Then 5 years later you find out that there's a long ladder in the great hollow that takes you easily back to the top.

[@WhoDaF0ok1sThatGuy]

@@CaptainTitforce still never knew that

[@CaptainTitforce]

@@WhoDaF0ok1sThatGuy damn dude 💀

[@evelinetheoofdemon6003]

I got the game a few months ago and I'm still replaying it constantly. It's just so fun finally seeing yourself improving :)

[@psterud]

Have you learned how to co-op or invade yet? That's the next level. What I really loved doing was upgrading my pyro, getting a fully upgraded Chaos weapon, and either being a Darkwraith or a Gravelord Servant. So many fun things to do after the main game is over. I'm happy to see that people are still enjoying this amazing game.

[@joelpettersson4055]

My favorite game in the entire soulsbornewhatever series. I have replayed it like 100 times and know almost everything about it other than some questlines.

[@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725]

Still the best one.

[@kozukitonio740]

@@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725bloodborne and sekiro are better

[@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725]

@@kozukitonio740 I disagree. Even though I'm not mad at you for choosing them, they are my #2 and 3.

[@jan-ep7lm]

@@kozukitonio740 thank you miyamoto musashi for this insightful comment. it will surely change their mind

[@tacticalmattress]

I don't know why people try to categorize them as soulsborne. It's stupid, it's not a genre. It's making a new name for something that already exists. The term is typically roguelike, but that isn't a genre either. They're just fromsoft rpg's. They've made them like this even before souls so.

[@Grivian]

One thing I think is really cool about Dark Souls and Elden Ring is that it truly feels like a world that exist whether you are there are not. There are countless places where you have to make some creative jumps to get to the place you need which is not obvious (like Anor Londo). You feel like you are exploring places that were built for others, doors shut or caved in and when you find the correct path it feels nice. A good example of this is Lennas rise in elden ring. So the rise buildings typically has some sort of riddle to enter but not this one. This one is completely sealed with no way of opening it. The stone statue is also broken so whatever riddle you had so solve is gone. In order to enter you need to jump on the roof and get in through the balcony. This way such a cool moment since at that point I realized that parts of the world is in decay. It's like a real world ruin with secrets that you have to search for. Also I went to both the graveyard and new londo the first time playing DS1. I was there for way to long, almost quit before I found the stairway up to undead burg. But it taught me an invaluable lesson. Just because an area exists it doesn't mean that I should go there. If it is way harder than what I would expect based on my characters level it is probably the wrong area. Without that lesson I would have probably spent hours trying to get past valley of the drakes at a low level, or getting to the sea monster, going to the graveyard early after I finally revenged the skeletons outside.

[@spyrotikus]

I love all From Soft Dark Souls games, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring so much. They all affected me differently throughtout the last four years of my life.

[@atinsingh7395]

Pre Anor Londo in dark souls 1 is my best gaming experience till date. You don't know anything about the world there is no fast travel so you actually feels lost in the game and revisit areas even though you don't need to. You truly feel lost and immersed in the world which was only possible because of that crazy level designing. The way areas got connected to each other was so cool to experience playing first time.

[@TroyTheCatFish]

Certified Soulsborne Classic

[@Revz8bit]

Soulsborne Ring, Dies Twice

[@Davey_Da_Vinci]

It's my second favorite, after bloodborne

[@Downsquad]

@@Davey_Da_Vinci Same

[@GameTalesHQ]

Literally agree on all fronts. This game just hits different, good video :)

[@Salty__420]

I got to experience this game in its entirety completely blind because I didn’t have internet when I was playing it and on top of that I had never even heard of it, I grew up poor and the game was only $1 because it was loose and the store didn’t know if it worked but thank goodness I got it cuz it sparked my love for the series

[@GaucheEtVeule]

Ahhhh, a fellow Queelag's Furysword enjoyer ;) I will always enjoy going back to DS1, the overall atmosphere is unmatched.

[@chadofastora]

It just looks so cool while also being practical, it’s hard to pass

[@tommikoistinen2321]

I keep returning to Dark Souls over and over again. It's one of the few games that i consider timeless masterpieces.

[@viewsfromthechris7810]

Just completed my first playthrough of this game a week ago. First souls game I ever played. Had the game for a long time but never knew what to do at the start lol. All your points about world design and the wonder of discovering the world is spot on with what I felt. Very much a masterpiece of a game.

[@realjouni6388]

I played ds1 few months before elden ring released and that was when i fell in love with these games. Even when others souls games are great they still don't feel the same as ds1. It feels like that i find out new things even tho i have played it through like 5 times already and i love the freedom how you can explore the world.

[@psterud]

Trust me, even after 3000 hours playing, and hundreds of hours of KZbin videos, there's still stuff to learn about DS1. It's truly astounding.

[@triplespearmint]

Dark Souls 1 is that game that I always replay every now and then.

[@michalkubik20001]

7:21 "One of the best aspects, that brings this game's world design to life is a design choice none of the other games have." = Amazing chest chilling in the background.

[@mikemidwood9661]

For me, it's the more grounded tone and methodical gameplay. I really don't like how every fight in more recent games is now an anime tier spectacle where everyone is flipping around the arena shooting lasers at one another.

[@psterud]

LOL. Funny way to put it. I don't disagree with you.

[@legitplayin6977]

Because for most people, it’s just more entertaining than two dudes behind shields waiting for the other to do something

[@HMCarsSOA]

The boss designs in the newer games are undeniably better mechanically. But i understand missing the grounded approach, there's a huge difference between Maliketh and Sif or O & S and Malenia lol. Maybe the new Lords of the Fallen will scratch that itch for you.

[@nogoodone6714]

@@HMCarsSOAIts more consistent is the main thing, I don’t look stuff up in any of the souls games and in dark souls my experience in the game takes me super far, and allows me to be good and do a lot of damage and just have fun no matter when I decide to pick it back up or how long it’s been. The newer games have issues with the bossses being very real roadblocks with massive hp bars and second phases that turn me away from them, especially Elden ring, the delayed attacks are sooo boring and almost force you into relearning a boss fight if you haven’t played it in a week. personally the boss designs are missing something the original has and are not overly interesting to me. The game itself is just rewarding and has the perfect mix of challenging boss fights and well fleshed out world to explore. The newer ones seem to be more invested in the boss fights rather than the journey. It’s like demon souls where the bosses are somewhat trivial but the path to get to them is difficult but reversed.

[@Funinightmare]

I remember trying to replay Dark Souls some years ago and I wanted to try the Dark ending. Overall despite some aspects being much the same as the previous play I remember taking alternative routes and trying a new build. It was exciting going a bit deeper into the land of Lordran, playing out events in different order. I managed to get pretty far and had fun rising to the old challenges. The funny thing is I tried the same thing with Dark Souls 3 and I didn't enjoy it as much as I did with Dark Souls 1. Even though I love Dark Souls 3 replaying that game was iffy especially if you try the Dark ending. I was also reminded of the things I hated about DS3 which wasn't anywhere near the negatives of DS1. I go far as to say that Dark Souls and Bloodborne have so much replayability at least for me. (I still have yet to play Sekiro and Demon's souls) I think a lot of us who are into the Soulsborne games can agree that Dark Souls is the definitive title.

[@oskarszile4372]

ON first playtrough i became one of the hollows scratching walls on the way to bell gargoyles. Its really intresting that you got so many mad hollows with broken straight swords over there its like the devolopers knew many ppl would quit at this point

[@psterud]

What's always been funny to me is that they made the Crestfallen Warrior super-strong right there in Firelink. Anyone who attacks him at the beginning - and there's a temptation to do so - will probably quit the game, because he's permanently aggro until after the first bell, and even that's mysterious how to de-aggro NPCs. An amazing and daring design choice.

[@oskarszile4372]

@@psterud funny thing is i killed that bastard :D i did spend an entire day trying to

[@ZaddyGohan]

DS1 is the greatest fantasy-genre game of all time, and probably will not ever be topped. Sure, the mechanics have been improved upon, but it was truly ahead of its time in every way, and no game has revolutionized videogames as a whole quite like this one has

[@sickbrain]

I don't know who can call DS1 the worst game in the series. That's just not true. No other Souls game captures the sense of magic and loneliness like the first one.

[@TheFlick175]

Dark Souls 2 on the other hand 😅

[@VREMEPLOV1]

IDK what people say, but DS1 is tied with Bloodborne when it comes to world design and delivering this feeling of desperation, loneliness and despair. Can’t put a finger on what exactly it is, but it always brings me back to replaying this game. On the other hand, unlike many souls players, I can’t force myself to play Sekiro again; it’s just missing something, and I don’t know what, even though combat is perfect.

[@impositor.]

Love how you’re just casually walking off the edge at the end.

[@chadofastora]

Originally I planned to have a compilation of slowly walking through different areas, ending with that clip. But I still wanted it in the vid

[@Drunk_Souls]

You are absolutely right about all of it. I got started with souls a week after the launch of DS1. When I got invaded in the parish, i wanted to be that guy. So i learned how to become a darkwraith and the rest is history. This is why i am the invader video guy i am now. But, more importantly.... The PVE aspect of DS1 is unmatched. There is no other game in the series (except maybe bloodborne) that even came close to giving me the same feeling. DS1 is built different. All the new fans can't understand.

[@mareksarnovsky2731]

Dark souls game is not good because of harder gameplay as usual, its good because of all gameplay elements, atmosphere, rpg part, etc are powerful. This is why that game for me will be much better than mainstream games like witcher3 which is talking simulator instead of game with rich gameplay.

[@kazenriq]

Ahhh Ashe Lake, I was in awe when I first set foot in that beach... The music...

[@Rigby_Illusion]

This game changed my whole view on gaming and took me through multiple emotions whilst teaching me lessons along the way. Absolutely a masterpiece and I could play it over and over again.

[@molkwi9077]

Solaire goes crazy because of the sunlight maggot he finds. He doesn't go Hollow. He's completed his goal of finding his own Sun and being as grossly incandescent as it, but he still has a purpose. Defending his own sun. He goes crazy and attacks you because he can't recognize you and thinks you want to steal his sun. Also, I'm fairly sure that the NPCs that Hollow don't speak as much as Solaire does in Izalith. They don't speak at all, actually. Yes, Solaire mostly just moans and groans, but he is still human. You can also tell by his skin. Same for Logan. He isn't Hollow, just mad with power, knowledge and intellect. It's a common misconception that some characters goes Hollow when they actually go insane. Still, great vid, pretty interesting and I do agree with a lot of points made. The level/world design is great, though sometimes inaccurate or odd.

[@chadofastora]

Fair point, I definitely oversimplified

[@Noo584]

@@chadofastoranah , he does go hollow. He goes hollow because he no longer has a goal. Source: the player can also wear the sunlight maggot without going crazy

[@mynameisearl9283]

@@chadofastorawhat I love about this is that the pvp is all the more fun when you role play becoming the power crazy protagonist invading peoples worlds and and playing along with the covenants, which I think DS1 does the best out of the three. That’s something I feel like was missed and could be talked about in another video.

[@Arcticwind-xw6qg]

Solaire secret ending

[@psterud]

@@mynameisearl9283 Totally agree. The co-op and PvP in the game take it to greater levels than just the PvE experience. Most people just play the basic game, and if so, they're missing at least 50% of the full experience.

[@donteddy1858]

The problem in blighttown isnt gravity. It's the framerate. People should also remember that DS didnt have nearly the budget that Elden Ring had. And the reason ER did have the budget it had was the revenue DS created.

[@Designlov3n]

I was cursed headed back from ash lake and at the bottom of the great hollow. Under leveled and without a purging stone, it nearly broke the game for me. I recall getting to a blighttown-looking area and being one-shot over and over. Anyone, who made it to the depths to purchase the stone and continue the game, is heroic through and through.

[@rayquaza1245]

I recently got into the Souls series around 2 years ago, but played the games in order. For me DS1 is the best. Looking at it critically; it may have weak bosses at times, some bad late game areas, not yet refined combat, etc. But it has what people refer to as the "IT factor." What makes it special isn't anything in particular, but the entire package as a whole. Just everything about the game ranging from big things like world design, character builds, and combat; down to the little things like sound of your armor, obscure lore details, and even the tone in which NPCs talk to you.

[@rodrigoadiogo]

I decided to give elden ring a try last year, since I had nothing to play on my ps5, and it was my 1st experience with fromsoftware games. I loved it, got the platinum, and decided to make my way back to see what all the fuzz was all about. Played Bloodborne, Demons Souls, and when I got to Dark Souls I've had experience with both the fast paced combat oriented gameplay with Bloodborne, and the slow paced, shield tanking and timed rolling combat with Demon's Souls, but Dark Souls was something else, something magical. All of what you said here is the way that I felt on my first playthrough (quickly followed by another 3). The way that at first I felt lost, not knowing what to do or where to go, slowly making progress for fear of dying and losing my precious souls, it was after battling through blighttown when I got to an elevator, and heard a familiar tune, and the screen prompted that I was back in firelink shrine, it was when my mind was blown to see how the world is connected back to familiar places, how open ended everything is, and how the game doesn't tell you a thing, and leaves it to you to find it, amplifying the sense of discovery. It still is my favorite blind experience I had with the series, and the one game that I wish I could erase from my memory just to experience it all for the first time once again.

[@franciscofunari2343]

Dark souls is the more authentic, and memorable, there is bosses in ds3 that I don’t even remember anymore but all of them in ds1 are just more iconic

[@HMCarsSOA]

I'm the complete opposite, i think DS1 has one of the weaker collection of bosses whilst DS3 has the best in fromsoft's catalogue.

[@More-Sauce-Man]

I went in order and its truly been one of the best journeys of my life. Nothing can ever replicate your first run of Dark Souls. Its beyond a masterpiece.

[@rubeng370]

Right now i am almost at the end of Sekiro and had a reminder why i love this franchise. Glad this video came out the right time

[@ericweeks3662]

I came to fromsoft when I was 6 I am 13 almost 14 and came back to the first and only game I ever played but never beat it so I'm back and still love it

[@Airinas96]

If you didn’t play DS1 when it was the current/latest souls game you will never know the true DS1 experience and how good it was.

[@psterud]

This is a great way to put it. When there were still a ton of players on it, and co-op and PvP were still going strong, it was a total blast. None of the later games could hold a candle to that original experience. That fear of getting human and maybe getting invaded while trying to get your souls back, or that giddy thrill of being an invader. Pure gold!

[@Airinas96]

@@psterud Facts! Ds1 was truly special back then.

[@psterud]

@@Airinas96 I wish I could go back. One thing I hated about the remaster was how invasions became generalized. You didn't know where you'd spawn. My favorite place to invade was from the ledge outside of Solaire's bonfire in Anor Londo. You'd spawn down where the archers began to shoot. So much fun. Insult to injury. But the remaster made it so you didn't know where you'd spawn. BOOO!

[@Airinas96]

@@psterud The remaster is a disgrace. The lighting and look of the game looks plasticy and shitty, they got rid of dead angles, introduced weird ankle glitch when rolling and killed the og versions online player base and basically just killed the game as a whole. Disgusting.

[@psterud]

@@Airinas96 Agree. I like you. :) I will say, though, that at the very least the remaster brought a bunch more people to the game. But they will never know the real experience from back in the day. And all these people telling us we're just being nostalgic will also never know what it was like. It was pure magic, and it will never happen again.

[@chris_devlog]

love your video so far. Dark Souls was such a difficult experience for me and it took about 3-4 years of on and off play to beat it. At one point I finally 'got it'. I was like you and missed the lower undead burg. I got cursed and was at half health for an incredible amount of time due to not looking anything up. With half HP I found the secret Ash Lake and painfully made it to the end of the beach, only to find a dragon and nothing to cure me. I then had to travel all the way back to the surface and many hours later you can imagine my relief when I finally found the guy in the ghost castle who sold me an item to get rid of my curse. It was such a slog, but it was an adventure. I went on and did the same thing you did, traveling down into the tomb of the giants without a light and having to return all the way back to the surface. Once I finally found my footing I was able to beat the game. I think having no fast travel and an interconnected world made this game so special to me.

[@pacoramon9468]

I prefer the slow telegraph combat over the fast paced combat that Bloodborne (my first souls) started, most of the time feels that you can humanly dodge the attacks.

[@cuddlequeen3225]

I haven't watched the video yet. But I agree. Still my favourite in the trilogy. I really like Demon's Souls as well

[@Extension_cord11]

Elden Ring wasn’t my first fromsoft game (i played about half of DS3 over the course of a week at my cousins) but it was my true introduction. Fast forward to hundreds of hours in each Dark Souls has quickly become my favorite in the series and I quite literally have 0 clue why other than I like it more

[@FirstLast-yc9lq]

4:15 I actually read this is even post-patch. As in, before this, curse used to build up pretty much instantly. That's crazy. I'm gonna have to test this one day on an unpatched version of DS1.

[@Phykes_]

on my first playthrough I completed the entire game with 6-10 estus because I didn't know about kindling

[@psterud]

Wow. That's an achievement!

[@roundninja]

DS1 was the first From game I beat, 10 years ago, and I'm so glad it was. They really distilled and perfected the formula in later games, but in doing so, they unavoidably lost a little bit of what made it special in the first place.

[@psterud]

I feel similarly. They called DS1 a "flawed masterpiece," but by attempting to fix the flaws, they lost the masterpiece. DS2, which is not a bad game, was an attempt to further the franchise. DS3 was an attempt to repair the Dark Souls reputation while appeasing the rabid fans of DS1. Fortunately for the company, DS3 is where most players enter those games. Bloodborne and Sekiro are their own things, and are great for what they are. Elden Ring is, in my opinion, just an extension of the DS3 mentality. All fun games, to be sure, but the original magic is simply not there, and can't be reacquired, by anyone. Times have changed.

[@michael2592]

​@psterud nothing can replicate ds1 and even with all the jankiness I still come back to it

[@Reinoiro]

@@psterud Unfortunately the game's design is just something that a company can't make anymore. Fromsoft may generally be an exception to all other triple A games, but they are still a company that would still rather maximize profits and attract customers than try to perfect the magic of ds1 now

[@veleno2473]

I thank myself for having played Dark Souls 1 as my first soulsborne game many years ago.

[@chaseblissett]

6:00 I did the same thing my first play through, except I gave up going through the catacombs, and ended up back tracking, through the undead berg, and discovering the depths. Also, I had the master key and could have skipped all of Blight-Town, but I ended up going the long way, not realizing that I missed an easy shortcut.

[@MisterAlerion]

Rolling/Dodge. Area design. Armor design, skybox art, texture design, voice acting, color palettes, enemy design, animations, controls. Story. Item descriptions. There are so many more things but these are the elements that make it so special

[@darq7000]

It is funny that you say rolling/dodging as the first, when i think that rolling is the one that aged badly the most in DS1. When i replayed the DS1, it annoyed me the most, that you can only roll 4-way when locked on and you have to unlock to get the free roll. That being said, it nonetheless still a great game.

[@MisterAlerion]

@@darq7000 stop using lock on so much

[@redsnorlax1945]

I played ds1 last year and gave up for a while...to make a long story short i beat it this morning and am now playing ng+1

[@psterud]

Now you can get gravelorded. Watch out! :D

[@overseeingowl6972]

As you mentioned there is many essays about DS1 but i really like to watch them. This game gives people different experience so every video is unique.

[@Swim_Jonse]

Hey, same here; I found out about the Lower Undead Burg/Depths some time after I had at least three lord souls. I'm sure had I been using a standard weapon, I'd have figured it out sooner, but I was using mostly a Catch Pole, a Black Knight Sword and a fire Zwei by Anor Londo, followed by the Crystal Halberd you get in Anor Londo until the end of the game, so I never bothered once even upgrading at Andre past Sen's Fortress. I was pretty much the only one of my friends who actually knew about the cave in Darkroot Basin, because a lot of them for years afterwards seemed to work into their memory that you NEEDED the master key to reach Blighttown's entrance from there and I always had to explain that was wrong. I started as a thief but never found the New Londo lift until NG+, though I'm sure many people who started as a thief or picked the master key got there that way. Consequently, I skipped the Blighttown frustration forever. I remember thinking people were disproportionately complaining about an area that I got through with relative easy only to find out much later that it was because I had stumbled upon the less bullshit entry to the place. I did go through the Depths entrance on a new character, but at that point I knew what I might be in store for and how to handle it. I can never experience that frustration. This is why every From Soft game now is streamlined with a mandatory poison swamp, so everyone has to experience it. Seriously though, it is one of the neater aspects of DaS that the other games in the series simply do not share enough.

[@sebastiaan1771]

Dark souls was my second souls game, I started with Elden Ring. I had to power through the tough start and it really helped that a friend wanted to enjoy it through me by me streaming it via discord. I ended up absolutely loving the game. Now I’m playing 3, which is just another masterpiece on its own. But for some reason the magic feeling of DS1 just hits different!

[@karannegi7199]

Very few games have ever consumed my entire being the way the original DARK SOULS did the first time I played it--and it still does to this day. To the point that I spent weeks thinking about it and obsessing over all the small details even when I was going to my day to day. Only time that ever happened was when I first played Ocarina or Shenmue. Truly one of the most groundbreaking games in the history of the game industry.

[@JJCanDes]

There are so many Dark Souls 1 essays, analysis, etc. around here, but even after all these years I genuinely can't stop watching them. It is to the point where my wife makes fun of me for watching yet another DS1 video 😅 I love to hear what different people think about the game and I'm glad, that people still talk about it. So thank you for the video!

[@psterud]

Same. My GF makes fun of me too.

[@MrJordwalk]

I have always likened Dark Souls 1 to the Mark I Ironman Suit Tony Stark fashioned in the cave in Afghanistan. Yeah, it's a clunky thing.... but it was the absolute best work that could be done with the given time/materials and it showcased creative genius.

[@ollie5845]

My first soulsborne experience was Elden Ring and I was absolutely amazed. After sekiro and ds1, and DS3 soon, it's amazing how well ds1 holds up. For me, though, I found sekiro to be the most purely enjoyable experience. I think every game in the franchise has unique strengths and aspects that make them quality games in their own right.

[@psterud]

Don't forget about DS2. It's not a bad game.

[@ollie5845]

@@psterud oh yeah I know, just haven't got round to it yet

[@Niklasaufcrack]

5:44 same thing happend to me and I was dumb enought to not find a way out of the catacombs so I left it there at level 28 or so and started a new playthrough XD😅

[@darksoulsstuffs]

For any one who loves Dark Souls I, you should definitely try the mod Age of Sunlight. It literally makes the game better by fixing stuffs, adding new rings, weapons, spells and even enemies's attack while being lore friendly, keeping the game's core without anything excessive.

[@davidnewhart2533]

Yes! Yes! I'm glad there's someone else who played that mod! That mod was so fun and I think it's underrated! I honestly want to play that mod again!

[@darksoulsstuffs]

@@davidnewhart2533 Do it again, make a torch build.

[@Chupakabrafleumch]

Started playing DS1 for the first time this month. Elden Ring brought me here. After that I stopped by in Yharnam and after finishing yet another masterpiece I realized, that I need to know the legend itself. Bought the Trilogy and jump right into it. Right now I'm struggling with Ornstein and Smough in a magnificent sunsetlit city of Anor Londo, and so far I'm loving it! After I got out of there I love even The Sen's Fortress. No game ever give me what this place gave me.. Anyway, I see so many things that are just like from Elden Ring, sometimes I catch myself thinking these are The Lands Between or part of its lore at least. Too many similarities. Something similar to ER? Gimme! Can't wait to get to the 3rd. And I still have a hope that DS2 I might actually love, too.

[@psterud]

A lot of Elden Ring's design was based on DS1, but it draws from all the games, even Demon's Souls, Bloodborne and Sekiro. Don't be in a rush to get to DS3. It's good, but all the games have their charms. DS2 is also good. Don't listen to the naysayers. Just enjoy it for what it is. It is simply different.

[@michalkubik20001]

18:14 Frampt: "Hraaaoogggh!" Automatic subtitles: [Applause]

[@xMafloN]

At first the world design confused the hell out of me, especially the Depths, they still don't feel logical to me. I also had my "unique way" of playing the game, I didn't find the smith right at the beginning and I also took ages until I found André. So I basically beat taurus demon, the gargoyles, capra demon and Havel with base level equipment. I used the first fire keeper soul not to upgrade my estus flasks and used the butterfly soul for souls rather than a special weapon. After starting a second playthrough, I just realized how much easier the game is, if you actually know what you're doing

[@MossXM]

I genuinely believe there's only one answer to this, and it's the level design. No other game in the wider franchise, let alone other games in general, have been able to match it in my opinion.

[@ThePhysicalReaction]

the parrying is so good with replay. you feel like some kind of god

[@troycoley-cn5bb]

Certified Dark Souls Classic

[@vashdesperado1232]

It's one of the few games that explains why you can die and respawn in a video game. It was just a standard mechanic in every game just so you could keep playing. But Dark Souls made it part of the story and worldbuilding and invented a whole new genre of game in the process. So much good design came from taking the concept literally. And going hollow is a metaphor for getting frustrated and quitting, the only true death. Love it. My favorite game of all time.

[@klausklavikus3836]

Well the thing is DS1 is THIS ONE game there simply everything fits perfect 🙌 The Souls-Games list of me and my friends is nearly the same: 1. Dark Souls 2. Blood Borne 3. Elden Ring 4. Dark Souls 3 (except one Dude which lists ER on 4 and DS3 on 3) 5. Dark Souls 2 Sekiro doesnt rly count for us because its pretty different to the others.

[@eikichionizuka7119]

To share my own experience, on my first playthrough I went to the cathedral but did not find the gargoille so I started to explore and discovered the butterfly, then I fought Capra demon, all the way down to queelag and after beating her I was clueless of what I should do so I went on Google and saw that dumb scale to the gargoille. The problem was that I was so ahead in the game that I 2-shotted the gargouille and took absolutely no challenge beating them. That's another proof that nobody will Follow the same path playing this incredible game! Nice video btw

[@KappaRay0101]

I’m quite new to the soulsbourn games with ds1 being the only game I have and I can honestly say it might be one of my favorite video games of all time

[@LandsoulFFXI]

I have honestly three favorites in their own right the best Best first time experience and remain in my heart: Dark Souls 1 Best game changer in terms of combat design: Blood Borne. I just love how much different and faster pace BB is. Side stepping it was just such a blast in terms of combat design. Best exploration and breathtaking: Elden Ring. It would be hard for me to rate this game to either 2nd or third. The open world, amount of exploration is just so good. Still plenty of bosses. I'm so happy how this game turned out. Still legit a Souls game in terms of level design but open world. Everyone praises Breath of the Wild but it has imo shortcomings they traded in level design for open world, but Elden ring makes no compromises! In terms of online experience: Dark Souls 2 was for me the best experience. Because Dark Souls 1 was a pain to connect and Dark Souls 2 streamlined that process a lot better.

[@alexanderhoy2477]

when i first played ds1 i accidentally killed the giant blacksmith by clicking back into the game window while standing next to him, and i finished the game with a claymore, proceeded to do the exact same fucking thing in ng+ and rush through the rest of ng+ just because i was enjoying it so much and kept saying to myself “damn i’ll just save the boss souls for next ng+” just the fact that me fucking my entire run just made me wanna play more is a testament to the quality of the game

[@chadofastora]

So tragic yet wholesome

[@bt8593]

Elden Ring makes me want to go back to Dark Souls now that it isn't so fresh in my memory (and because I haven't finished it).

[@aka_Jdizzle]

7:04 currently in my first play through and I completely missed the entrance to the chaos witch’s boss room so I kept going until I found the tree, and it had a message that told me about the entrance to the great hollow

[@gahpretu6686]

I like to sit back and imagine how good the second half of the game would be if the team had more time and experience. Imagining Lost Izalith completely reimagined and the Bed of Chaos being a truly grandiose boss gives me goosebumps! But seriously what an amazing video congratulations!!

[@psterud]

I'm one of those rare people who thinks that the second half of the game is still super-fun. I never really understood how people didn't enjoy it as much. I mean, I get their criticisms, but all of it is still really fun to me, even Bed of Chaos. I don't think I was ever able to do it in one try, but it was still fun to attempt it.

[@legitplayin6977]

I like to sit back and imagine how good the first half of the game would be. I’m sorry but only Sens Fortress and Anal rodeo are good early game areas, the other are just so generic

[@kubasa3wwe]

Replayed it after Elden Ring and I low-key like it more and think that it's just a cleaner and more immersive experience then any other soulsborne game.

[@Krystalmyth]

The only thing that compares to DS1 for me is Bloodborne as far as immersion, though Sekiro does a great job of it too with its intricate level design.

[@asdfghjkllkjhgfdsa8725]

​@@KrystalmythI say the same thing. Bb is ds1 with no shield and a gun parry. It just lacks depth in a lot of ways ds1 does not. Bb feels more rushed. I think the world was originally supposed to be interconnected as well

[@JDoggPokepixels]

When I first played it I really didn’t like it because it was clunky and didn’t have the beet bosses just the other day I decided I needed to go back and beat it and I was shocked I had a blast

[@chadofastora]

I think that’s the experience a lot of us have with it

[@eow4317]

The first souls game I ever played, going through ds2 right now and will start ds3 once I beat the three dlcs

[@itznukeey]

Ive started playing it recently after 140h of Elden Ring and honestly was surprised how well made this game is

[@Its_Only_Chill]

It's amazing to me how Miyazaki was able to create a game to age so well, it's beautiful 🥲

[@theformuoli6397]

Kinda random, but for my first play I went to blight town first. I still think of the “back entrance” as the main entrance, not the one from the depths. So quelag was my first boss post asylum demon

[@psterud]

Wow. That's intense.

[@TheSuicune7]

Elden Ring introduced me to this game. I absolutely loved it! Dark Souls 1 really captured the high fantasy in a way that Lord of the Rings did. Elden Ring did this well too, but there’s something timeless and iconic about Dark Souls’ story and world. A fantastic game indeed

[@oninpizon3092]

Ds1 is my favorite out of all 3 games at first I hate that the game was too open and no indicator I was playing Skyrim at the time so I was too focused on the marker and where to go as time passes and I played all 3 games the "open world" is the reason why I love the game the most memorable was the moment you see the dragon in the bridge and died like 10 time I was about to quit the game and notice there's a stairs and the sweetest moment when you kicked the ladder that was the moment I love the game it reminded me life a bit there's always another way

[@magiv4205]

The level design of this game is simply second to none, and none of the other games have ever been able to replicate the incredible feeling of realizing "oh shit, I've been here before!" and unlocking a shortcut back to the serene safety of Firelink Shrine. Complimenting that was the choice of not allowing fast travel until Anor Londo, which I think was absolutely incredible and it's an absolute shame that the other games all just let you fast travel from the get-go (well, with Elden Ring it's necessary but the others have no excuse). One of my most memorable moments in my first playthrough, being a total DS noob, was when I finally got to the bottom of Blighttown and found the entrance to the Great Hollow. I wanted to push on, like I always did. I was curious what awaited me beyond. And then I saw the basilisks. And then I realized... I had rested at the bonfire at the bottom of Blighttown. If I got cursed and died here, I would be stuck in the world's asshole with half health and no purging stones to my name, and might never see the surface again. The fear that gripped me in that moment was one of the greatest "oh shits" I've ever experienced in a game, and it's solely because of the level design and the fact that YOU CAN'T JUST FAST TRAVEL YOUR WAY OUT OF A STICKY SITUATION. It's the first time I actually chickened out and fled back to the surface to buy purging stones before pushing on. I absolutely love moments like this. DS made me feel so connected to the world that I got to experience first hand how truly insignificant and terrified my little undead character must feel in that moment. It wasn't the first or last time I felt that connection, but it was the most memorable.

[@ryanschultz4119]

I recently decided to revisit Dark Souls 1. This time playing the original release on PS3. & purchasing the DLC. And honestly, I prefer it to the remaster. Sure there are cumbersome aspects. Like the frame lag in Blighttown, not being able to fast climb ladders, or having to consume soul items 1 at a time. But they're small inconveniences, in an otherwise all-time great game. Having played every From Soft game other than DS2. I'm finding myself reluctant to move onto DS2. Currently on my NG+++ playthrough. And I'm enjoying it as much as ever! I very much enjoyed your video. Great work!👍👊 Btw, best way to farm Titanite Chunks is the Darkwraiths after draining New Londo Ruins. They even drop Slab's 5% of the time.👌

[@chadofastora]

I will say, the bonfires look damn elegant in the original version.

[@LunarPhoenix139]

Dude I'm about to finish this game I played elden ring first and then started this and now ds1 has absolutely become my favorite between the 2

[@curtis5799]

The world was absolutely mind blowing once you connected some of the loops. I mean, my mind was blown and than I discovered the lake underneath the tree and could not believe what I was seeing. Also, the fact that I had no clue what to expect from the start makes this game an all time classic. Right up there with Pong and Mario.

[@psterud]

Did you just compare DS1 with Pong? LOL. I know what you mean, but I've never heard that one before. "Pong is the Dark Souls of... old 2D tennnis-like games played with paddles." I'm old enough to know Pong. We had it on our TV back in the '70s. We could definitely say that Dark Souls and Pong were both brutal. And both classics! :D

[@19Szabolcs91]

DS1 itself is like lightning in a bottle, and I think the fact that it's somewhat unfair and raw just adds to it. Same with Super Mario 64, another open-ended game where dev intentions be damned, you can approach stuff so many ways.

[@devondorr8212]

I especially agree with the RPG argument. When I play dark souls 1 I tried my hardest to find cheese ways (not to the level of glitches) to deal with bosses and I can always find some. The fact that pyromancy has no stat requirement to me is probably the most obvious hint to players that they should maybe find some level of cheese to deal with the challenges.

[@codykolis7577]

I love how they dont have warping to bonfires in the first half of dark souls 1, its easily one of my main reasons to why i prefer it over the majority of the other games, and right when it would get old backtracking, they give you warping

[@bizzy5439]

I played DS1 when it first came out on the PS3. It was the most immersive and mysterious game I'd ever played. Nothing else was like it at the time besides Demon's Souls, which I hadn't played. Exploring Lordran is still unlike anything I've experienced since from FromSoft. Your point about no fast travel, super tight level design, and shortcuts made exploring the game like a tense dungeon crawl throughout. It's still my favorite souls game ever with the most memorable world and characters.

[@rob6912]

Ive literally watched atleast 20 to 30 dark souls 1 review/ critiques and your one piece reference got you a like from me lmao The world when one piece is over probably is going to look like a dark souls game

[@jits-dn7bm]

Very nice video and ds1 will always be my favorite souls game, also nice brawlhalla music in the background

[@whatta-rr3uu]

Dark Souls 1 is just that game you never forget. Ive done alot with it..hoo my.... The very 1st two rings i grab when i started a new build are that sacrifice ring in the bridge as a ensurance in case i die (need those souls from Pinwell not been wasted)to get my 2nd ring wich is silver serpent ring in T.o.T.G.then return to Firelink. By this point my new character has good souls (Pinweel), a random mask from it,some souls to pop up i grab in there and in some builds i also grab Gravelord G.S. Meanwhile returning to Firelink,binoculars and winged spear (if needed).Zweyhander and a small shield are picked when goin to catacombs before doing what ive described earlier so im quite ready for build my new character with 20% more souls gain. Its a ritual for me.☺

[@padamoce7642]

It is so crazy that my first playthrough mirrored yours, exactly the same except for the fact that i wasn't good enough to actually go up so i started grinding on the tomb until i had a high enough SL to confidently go up

[@GracelessTarnished]

I hold Dark Soul second only to Elden Ring. Still, its brilliant interconnected level design is second to none.

[@SidGameReview]

Dark souls is the closest I have seen a game get to being the GOAT. It’s not perfect but no game is.

[@carlosdumbratzen6332]

I have played all of them (except BB, because no PS4) and even though the others definitely are more streamlined and perfected certain aspects of the Fromsoft formula, none managed to capture me like DS1 (150 hours on the remake, almost 600 hours on the prepare to die edition, 130 on my first game plus NG+). For me it is mostly the calm athmosphere, lore and amazing world design. Even the lesser areas, like lost izalith have things going for them and until OnS it is the best world I have ever played.