Dark Souls Design - Retrospective

A Dark Souls Retrospective, specifically looking at Dark Souls Design. I've been slowly writing this over the course of a few months, trying to take my time and think things over/enjoy the process, so I could really make a good critical analysis of Dark Souls, both with what works and could have been improved.
Sections:
0:00 - Intro
0:36 - Character Creator/Customization
2:06 - Dark Souls Intro Cutscene
4:37 - Oscar of Astora and how to lie to players
6:29 - Undead Asylum and Tutorials in Souls games
10:20 - Firelink Shrine, sound design, and non-linear game design
13:08 - Undead Burg
17:21 - Death penalties
18:55 - Taurus Demon and Dark Souls Sound Design
20:38 - The Hellkite Drake
23:20 - The Undead Parish and shortcuts
25:07 - Warping vs Not warping in Dark Souls
32:35 - The Bell Gargoyles, The Darkroot Basin, and non-linear world design
35:39 - Lower Undead Burg and Capra Demon
37:04 - The Depths and the curse penalty
38:31 - Blighttown and poison swamps
39:58 - Sen's Fortress and traps
42:23 - Anor Londo, the Anor Londo Archery Club, Ornstein and Smough
45:54 - Branching Paths and design continuity
48:40 - The Catacombs, Pinwheel, Tomb of Giants, and Nito
53:27 - The Duke's Archives and forced death
54:57 - Designing non-linear paths in an RPG
56:59 - The Crystal Cave, Seath, and references
59:01 - New Londo, Sif, and unique bosses
1:01:29 - Demon's Ruins, Lost Izalith, The Bed of Chaos/Witch of Izalith, and gimmick bosses
1:05:28 - Secrets and Exploration
1:07:41 - Artorias of the Abyss DLC
1:09:06 - Gwyn, Lord of Cinder
1:10:26 - Multiplayer design and gameplay integration
1:11:56 - Outro
Music List -
0.00 - Dark Souls - Menu Theme
0.36 - Demon's Souls - Maiden in Black
2.06 - Dark Souls - Prologue
3.38 - Final Fantasy VI - Terra's Theme
4.37 - King's Field: The Ancient City - Palace of Oath Exterior
6.29 - King's Field - Passage For a Monk
7.37 - King's Field - The Miner's Graveyard
10.29 - Dark Souls - Firelink Shrine
11.28 - Dark Souls - The Ancient Dragon
14.08 - King's Field: The Ancient City - Levels 1 & 2
17.21 - Demon's Souls - Maiden Astraea
19.19 - Dark Souls - Taurus Demon
20.38 - Demon's Souls - Old Monk
23.20 - Dark Souls 2 - Majula
25.07 - Dark Souls 3 - Secret Betrayal
27.50 - Bloodborne - The Hunter
28.17 - Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy - Rock It Pack Attack
31.21 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Dark World Theme
32.35 - Dark Souls 2 - Executioner's Chariot
33.08 - Final Fantasy VI - Phantom Forest
35.39 - Dark Souls 2 - Queen of Drangleic
37.04 - King's Field - Colosseum
38.31 - King's Field: The Ancient City - The Egg Mines
39.58 - King's Field: The Ancient City - The Earth Folk Village
42.23 - Breath of Fire II - Coliseum
43.43 - Grandia 2 - Out For Lunch
44.08 - King's Field: The Ancient City - The Holy Forest
44.27 - Dark Souls - Ornstein and Smough
45.54 - Demon's Souls - Return to Slumber
48.40 - A Hat in Time - Alpine Skyline
49.29 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Small Item Catch
52.04 - Dark Souls - Gravelord Nito
53.27 - Dark Souls 2 - Milfanito
54.15 - Dark Souls 2 - Fire Keepers
54.57 - Dark Souls - Nameless Song
56.59 - Dark Souls - Seath the Scaleless
58.32 - King's Field 2 - Seath
59.01 - King's Field: The Ancient City - Title Screen
59.49 - Super Mario RPG - Explanation
59.57 - King's Field: The Ancient City - Village Ruins and East Valley
1.00.31 - Dark Souls - Great Grey Wolf Sif
1.01.29 - King's Field - Cathedral
1.02.15 - King's Field: The Ancient City - The Old Battlefield
1.04.10 - Dark Souls - Chaos Witch Quelaag
1.05.28 - Dark Souls - Dark Sun Gwyndolin
1.07.41 - King's Field: The Ancient City - The Guardian's Room
1.09.06 - Dark Souls - Gwyn, Lord of Cinder
1.10.26 - King's Field - Castle Remains
I hope you enjoy this Dark Souls Design Retrospective!

[@SunLevi]

When the Crestfallen dude told me "bell down below" I thought it was at New londo ruins...omg the horrors of trying to find the bell..

[@DaveControlLive]

Hahaha, omg - I completely glossed over that my first time through. I can't even imagine!

[@nioxic77]

deep within blighttown, he says.

[@SunLevi]

@@nioxic77 He did, but I didn't know what or where blighttown was at that point in time...I didn't even remember the full dialog, all I got from it was there's a bell down below...So below I went...to New londo...Then the nightmare began lol...Spent so many hours in the dark trying to find that damn bell. It was so frustrating, but experiences like these are why Souls games are amazing.

[@terripandi5172]

Me too on my first play through. I thought OK maybe New Londo will lead me to this Blighttown. As if I knew playing blind for the first time. Ah memories.

[@DisrespectfulRob]

I must’ve been the only one who thought he was going somewhere else with this...

[@norwegianboyee]

Dark souls is the Dark souls of Dark souls games.

[@Richie_Godsil]

Your logic is sound, carry on...

[@adamiadamiadami]

so funny haha h

[@milkweedreflections]

I mean.... That's kind of actually true tho...

[@technomage6736]

Lol wtf

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

Hmm I’d say it’s more Dark Souls than the Dark Souls you’re making it out to be

[@shamz0]

It's funny how after beating this game a thousand times I can still watch an hour+ video analysis of it. Agreed with pretty much everything.

[@DaveControlLive]

Yeah, I still love watching large analysis videos of the game (and other games I've played). It's fun to hear other people's thoughts and experiences broken down!

[@atreides213]

DaveControl I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but you might want to check out ‘In Defense of Scholar of the First Sin’ by the KZbin’s MauLer. The title is something of a misnomer, because he heavily criticized the game, but it’s an interesting watch nonetheless. He also has a nine hour series about DSII on his channel, but that may or may not be too long for your tastes.

[@casualcadaver]

Its cuz the game is so deep and rich, its nice to get other peoples perspectives.

[@JM-vl3cy]

Exactly, there's something so fascinating with this game, you always want to see further than what you already know about it, even when you know basically everything. I feel like no other games have this kind of effect. Maybe Fumito Ueda's work too, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus also having this kind of oddly fascinating feeling. Like there's always more to find out. I can't really explain why this happens.

[@Turin-Fett]

It's one thing to beat the game and another to analyze it, or understand the lore. Just ask SquillaKilla.

[@HaitaniMasayuki]

are you telling me I have beat this game more than 20 times and NEVER noticed that drop-off shortcut in Undead Burg with the flame-bomb throwing guys!?

[@dariussonofjazzlin7433]

It sure looks like it. #TheMoreYouKnow

[@TheHypeCom]

I noticed it like a week ago for the First Time, After beating DS many times before too^^

[@Lord_Asshat]

I found it my first time playing. And I tried to beat the black knight over and over until I quit.

[@Lrodpotato]

I knew it was there cuz theres no wall on the edge so when you look down all you see is the balcony to jump on. But I never cared for using it. As soon as I got a bow (or bought it from the merchant??? honestly dont remember how I got one my first playthrough) and learned to use it the first thing I did was test how much dmg I would do with it and I just killed all the bombers from a distance and plus a few others which made flying thru that area easy peasy. Using the bow to my advantage is probably what made the game easier if not I probably would've failed alot more. The only areas from the main game I had any real trouble was in the Tomb of the Giants and a tiny bit after the Dukes Archives as you enter to the Crystal Cave. Took me a while to figure out the invisible floor.

[@gabrieltudor6165]

That's why i love Dark Souls. I found a whole new level(Ash Lake) in my 3rd playthrough :). Love it

[@-John-Doe-]

26:33 This is something Dark Souls does _very_ well, and is one of the most profound gaming experiences I've had. The catacombs... then the tomb of giants... it felt like watching the shoreline disappear over the horizon at sea. You have no idea where you're going, and it feels like it will never end. You _want_ to turn back. You feel lost. The undead burg... the depths... then... Blight town? Then... what is this Hell??? The Abyss???? There's a verticality that is so unexpected that it drains any false sense of security you might have had over your environment. This is something Dark Souls does _very_ well. The game feels like the developers might as well have another continent ahead if you keep going. They successfully make the game world feel _uncomfortably_ expansive.

[@fukcg00gle95]

I still remember the dread I felt the first time I hit the bottom of the catacombs.

[@margotalmanzar5210]

Yes 100% travelling Dark souls blind the first time makes you just constantly have this feeling of "I shouldn't be here", but you carry on because every way leads to death, you persevere through enemies, stumble your way to bosses and then to essential items, bells etc and somehow make it through all of that and get stronger and smarter but still feel like a grain of sand in this massive and harsh world. Truly something I wish I could experience for the first time again.

[@bigsmall2842]

Everytime I have a friend who’s new to soulsborne I recommend bloodborne or ds1. The satisfaction you get from trial and error exploration is just too unforgettable.

[@AlejandroGonzalez-ft4si]

It’s fucking insane how you’ll be hours deep into an adventure, you feel lost as fuck, have no idea what’s going on. You open a door. You are somehow back at firelink shrine. It is fucking incredible how they made a map that is so big yet so small at the same time.

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

Reminds me of getting lost in Deepnest

[@VincenzoNardelli]

I really feel that the level design of Dark Souls is quite key when I feel like going back to playing the game again. They definitely spent long hours trying to get it feel right and it totally paid off.

[@crow__bar]

Dave: "Running past enemies is not an option" Speedrunners: "Hold my beer"

[@esajaan]

*estus flask

[@vacuousloki1648]

*every second time player

[@plugshirt1762]

@@vacuousloki1648 * every first player when they get annoyed at the enemies

[@Tausami]

@@plugshirt1762 *every first player in their third hour fighting O&S

[@treasurehunter3369]

I had no idea i could kick the ladder down. I am probablythe worlds best undead burg runner

[@zionich]

Love the section on how warping would ruin the level design. I wish people would realize that it's ok to not have their hand held sometimes.

[@DaveControlLive]

Thanks! It was something I'd been really meaning to talk about and was thinking about making it's own separate video, as it applies to games overall. (That convenience isn't necessarily good game design, depending on the game).

[@Battleguild]

I personally like the idea of earning the ability to warp, and not being given the ability to do so right from the start.

[@anthonyfergerson3444]

Honestly I hate fast travel, whenever I'm given the option I always find myself using it as a crutch and it ruins exploration for me sometimes. I dont know if other people do this but I like it when a game wants me to take my time with the world

[@wizaard7]

Agreed. There is another side to this though. The game world has to be genuinely interesting to traverse and never feel like a redundant slog. Dark Souls succeeds at this of course. I'll never forget the first time I went into the Catacombs (before I had the Lord Vessel). I beat Pinwheel and had to make my way back out again on foot. The feeling I had upon finally seeing the light come in through the entrance tunnel was one of profound relief. I've not had such a feeling before or since in a video game.

[@erkicman]

I remember one playthrough where I took the Tomb of Giants bonfire before getting the Lord Vessel. Man did I f*ck up!

[@dicehands]

Getting warping after arguably the hardest fight in the game is a really nice touch and makes victory that much sweeter.

[@CthulhuianBunny]

I think the fact that the mimic in Sen's Fortress is at an awkward angle and in the middle of the room, instead of being pushed up against a wall as most of the chests up to that point have been, is a bit of a tell that something is off. Also, love that subtle jab at Seath when you talk about Kalameet being an _actual_ dragon! :)

[@-snek.]

Bitch ain't even got legs.

[@Orion26DML]

The Hellkite Dragons first appearance is actually one of my favorite subtle game lessons being taught. That being.. Don’t get comfortable. Just because you beat a boss does not mean you are safe. The game is basically saying,.. Maybe it’s better you go spend those Souls in the known, before venturing out into the unknown. Harsh but meaningful. And memorable.

[@KyeEnzoden]

Duuude, I totally agree. When I ventured past the Taurus Demon and talked to Solair, stepping up onto the bridge and looking at shyt I thought, "This isn't good." Big scorch marks, corpses. No Hollows around to throw Fire Bombs except those in the back. Also, I thought I may not need to say. When you first enter Undead Burge, there is a wall you cross that a Drake suddenly steps on and jumps off to fly. These two cues make the big empty burnt corpse ridden bridge with a Bonfire at the end pretty suspicious.

[@witalian1]

41:40 I disagree that the mimic is unfair. When I saw it the very first thought that I had was: this is a trap. It was lone chest in the middle of the room placed specifically to draw your attention. This is not how people position their stashes in the real world and not how other chests are put in Dark Souls. Usually they are tucked in in some corner where they would not be in the way of people doing their daily stuff, and would be somewhat hidden.

[@karenamyx2205]

Love dave, love ds, but 75% of this video is a shittake. Imo of course.

[@grimreefer213]

If you look at the chain it’s unwound strewn about, the regular chests have a curled chain. Plus you can attack the chests to see if they’re real or not. If you’re a new player and know nothing about dark souls, all it takes is being punished once for you to learn to be wary of chests. Plus there’s messages in front of every mimic chest saying enemy ahead or be wary of chest. So because this is an online game it’s definitely not unfair.

[@witalian1]

@@grimreefer213 That's only a clue if you already know that mimics exist. The question here is whether is fair towards first time players. For me the placement of the chest itself was a clue enough to know this is a trap so I say it was fair.

[@grimreefer213]

@@witalian1 Is Dark Souls supposed to be fair? Why does it have to be fair is my question. When it comes to fairness at least with boss mechanics I think most bosses should have a level of fairness so that it is enjoyable to engage with the mechanics. But when it comes to regular gameplay within levels I don’t think mimic chests should be fair, it is a really minor aspect of the overall gameplay and only takes one mistake to learn. Is it unfair for new players to wander into the cemetery or new londo ruins and die? Is it unfair to not point clearly in what direction you should go in? Is it unfair to give the player vague instructions on their first objective which is ring the two bells? All of these things are part of the charm of dark souls, mimic chests wouldn’t be memorable if they were easily identified by first time players. That’s the point of a trap chest. There’s worse instances of unfairness within these games is all i’m saying.

[@witalian1]

@@grimreefer213 Dark souls IS fair. With the only exceptions of Caprademon and Bed of Chaos.

[@Error-mn4el]

about warping, I remember on my first playthrough after killing Quelag I was not sure how to leave blighttown and since I didnt enjoy the poison that much i decided that I would explore everything before leaving so I wouldnt have to go back, now imagine me finding The Great Hollow, dying to gravity multiple times and then finally finding Ash Lake, after exploring Ash Lake I kinda realised that I will have to go back on foot which I wasnt sure was even possible, so after another 30min of big boi stress I managed to reach the top of the great hollow and I could finally look at the poison swamp of blighttown with joy at being "home" once more it was pretty great ngl

[@GGJChannel]

Don’t forget to pick up the pendant

[@csabawars]

Its make me sad ;.;

[@darkjazzpunk]

"if you stopped panicking and start exploring" - Darksouls in a nutshell xDDDDD

[@LordBane66]

This Retrospective is so good, you need to do this with every other game in existence.....yeah, it's that good! Nice work DaveControl !

[@Rogue20XX]

*I'm a simple soul... I see 2019 Dark Souls content, I Sub 😂*

[@PoorEdward]

🤪🤪🤪🤪😂😂😂😂 HILARIOUS!! FUNNY FUNNY FORMAT

[@0187]

@@PoorEdward ok edge lord

[@Pan_Z]

Dropping a like is the least I could do for that amazing section on warping. A small, seemingly convenient change would ruin much of what makes Dark Souls so captivating.

[@Li_Tobler]

Yeah, filthy casuls would gladly ruin everuthing just for the convenience

[@shde.9799]

Mariya Takeuchi pfp right?

[@whydoiexist2180]

@@Li_Tobler bro stake of marika is one of the best ever created

[@dylannance4772]

Please don't apologize for the editing changes. It captured exactly how much you feel about the game and the real lore behind it. Such a great video on my favorite souls game ❤

[@mackdontpayforstrange3207]

Love this format sir. Can't wait to see what gets this treatment next.

[@Milkra]

I remember watching your streams 3 years ago when you always started streaming when I was about to take a shower and you made a pun about the “Hydro” in my name. Good times Mr Dave

[@MURD3RWAVE]

This reminded me how I felt step by step playing DS. I was smiling the whole time. Very good instincts on how we all felt not knowing what's next. Thanks to DS. I refuse to use guides till endgame so I can see what areas I missed before I beat the game. If you use a guide in your first playthrough you denied yourself so many hours of exploration and excitement. Shame. I just bought a PS5 for Demons Souls. Love love love it. No guides. Just good old fashioned Souls first playthrough.

[@mon0lithic629]

I can't agree with you on Gundyr. To me, he's an amazing starting boss. True, he might seem tough, but he is not THAT tough. His second phase introduces the concept of boss phases to new players, as well, as giving a very intimidating and epic feel right of the bat. He is set up to show players how epic this game is right away

[@plugshirt1762]

Yeah that was easily the worst take in the video gundyr I’d the second best tutorial boss of any game I’ve played besides the one in furi. Gundyr manages to teach you how to deal with humanoid bosses, beast bosses, and second phases. He teaches you nearly everything you need to know about fighting bosses in the game and is perfect for new players in terms of difficulty

[@mon0lithic629]

@@plugshirt1762 Exactly! And the fact that his more aggressive form is considered one of the hardest bosses in the game says something, I think.

[@plugshirt1762]

@@mon0lithic629 champion gundyr is personally my favorite reskin boss in the whole series as it manages to just take the tutorial boss and make it one of the hardest boss without reusing a ton of attacks with higher damage(like Laurence)but having him in his prime where he has many new attacks as well as the great lore surrounding it. Him in his prime being so hard is great to show just how easily it could have gone into being too hard for newer players as well as making newer players realize a boss they may have struggled with earlier was a version of the boss that was significantly weakened making it all the more powerful that they can beat the peak form now

[@RemixedVoice]

Thank you for this video mate. It's clear that you have a lot of passion for Souls and for game design and it's enjoyable to witness. Love your calming voice and your disposition. Can't wait to see more!

[@martinblake2278]

One of the best video game essays out there. More of the series please.

[@TheAquarius87]

Talking about this game never gets old. You rock, Dave!

[@LucasBarbosa-iq4xl]

Any Souls analysis video that starts with the Character Creation theme song is a good video for me.

[@kaltsuu5182]

All these years with you dave still slaying with the content keep it up lookin foward for the supershows as always!

[@MrManagarm]

I liked the way you talked about the design and at the same time you made a guide for new players or not so new. Although i played the game too many times, with this video i realized some things i didnt pay attention at that time.

[@christopherfry2730]

Yeah Dave! Always good seeing you move in new directions :) keep it up fam missed your content!

[@DaveControlLive]

Thanks! This took a few months of on-and-off writing, it ended up being a far larger endeavor than I thought it would be, but hopefully I got it right!

[@lukeelmes2864]

This deserves do much more recognition, your passion and detailed analysis is incredible, keep doing what your doing.

[@Blackhearto]

I'm really digging these new type of retrospective, keep it up Dave! I can't wait to see what will be the next game.

[@axelstoner]

Amazing video as always, your content is always great and massively underrated

[@DaveControlLive]

Thank you so much! :)

[@immortalorigins9446]

This just showed up on my recommendation list and I sit through this hour long video enjoy every aspect mentioned and detail analyse. As a person who enjoyed all Soul games and Bloodborne I agree with mostly everything you said (minus 1 or 2 things but we all have our tastes) and I do say you should make more of these videos! It was so well-structured! I would really like to see you pick up other games like maybe Octopath since you mentioned it alot or the acclaimed Witcher 3 or even pick up series like maybe Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda or Silent Hilll (you compared and contrast Dark souls 1 2 and 3 alot in the video and I enjoyed it!) Hope to see more of these in the future! Good luck! :)

[@DaveControlLive]

Many of those are definitely games I'd love to discuss in the future - and thank you! :)

[@Kjamilex]

I've never watched your videos before, and I find it SUPER cool of you to have an hour long rant about the game I love, and then reveal your face, so that I know where did this lovely voice come from. It really makes me sympathise with you even more by the time I'm at the outro of the video.

[@Degnique]

Man...Dave, I love you, dude. I can tell you worked so hard on this video; you sound really passionate especially talking about how warping early game sucks, which I 100% agree with. You're the man. Keep up with the amazing work!

[@MundMoriginal]

I have 3000+ hours in Dark Souls, and I did not know you can drop from the bridge to the blue tearstone ring , lol.

[@paultapping9510]

Lol, it's amazing how much there is to find out in this game abd how different everyones experience is! I completed it and am in ng+ for the first time the other day, and that drop from the bridge is how I got the ring on my first blind run, because the knight guarding it was a bit too scary at the time!

[@SCDJMU]

3000 hours what???

[@The_Thulhu]

I like the ambiguity of Bloodborne. I feel that the character, constantly being called an outsider, has little to no idea what's going on in the brutal city of Yharnam, until they discover it themselves. The idea of hunters and eradicating beasts, or eradicating beastly hunters sets the tone for the narrative and lore Bloodborne attempts to create. Backstory and the such is cool, and cinematics are cool, but it's interesting to see and experience the horrors of Yharnam yourself. Random rant, I know, but I liked the way Bloodborne was established. Up to personal preference, I know. Just another point of view to think about.

[@darthiceman12345]

This was a great style of video, enjoyed it on my drive to and from work. Can't wait for more like this!

[@DaveControlLive]

Thanks! :) That's exactly what it was intended for, haha. (As I listen to videos while driving to work too).

[@Krisstut88]

Dave your videos are always so informative, entertaining, and well spoken. Keep up the awesome content!

[@chowdhurymandela]

Hey man. I've been watching your videos for a while now. I just wanted to say that i was very pleasantly surprised by this new thing you're doing. Feel like you did a very good job of clearly and fairly explaining DS. It's the only one in the series i haven't played, but after watching this, I'm pretty pumped to get the remastered version. Looking forward to seeing more from you this year.

[@DaveControlLive]

Thank you so much, I'm really glad to hear that!!

[@ChiaroscuroxX]

This retrospective is the dark souls of video essays

[@franbiz]

Great stuff Dave. Look forward to more game design videos in the future

[@soulsring7823]

I really like how you included all the different music from all the games as well as from non dark souls games. I feel they fit the theme of the video well💯

[@MidnightSt]

The Asylum Demon is not only the perfect first boss, but also the perfect *first enemy* . Yes, in Dark Souls, the first enemy that actually fights back is the boss, and the first thing you are supposed to do to "succeed" in that first encounter is to run away.

[@ywnrnf6028]

Super excited for more retrospectives. I hope you cover DS3 as it is one of the souls games I have an intense love hate relationship with. I would appreciate to have some of its triumphs (as well as its faults) dissected. Keep on making great videos!

[@Grrrpure100]

A profound analysis that is impressive in both its scope and depth. Great work!

[@DireWolfSif12349]

Good to see a lengthy Dark souls from you again Dave. I honestly don't know know if there will ever be a game that captivated me quite like Dark Souls did the first time I played it. The Bosses, Environment, the subtle lore in the items and the world itself. Not to mention some of the best YT channels spawning from it. Great Video Dave, look forward to the next one!

[@milesbrown2261]

your take on warping is so good. I've always had this opinion that fast travel ruins games and in my humble opinion it has tarnished the souls series. Allowing for lazier and more "convenient" level design in the place of challenging travel and adventure.

[@soyboytroy148]

I thing Elden ring Tarnished the soul series.

[@whydoiexist2180]

@@soyboytroy148 lol but for elden ring they added that you cant teleport in dungeons which while i do like you can still tele in legacy which they 100% shouldve removed

[@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoon]

I don't think the other Dark Souls were designed in the same way that the interconnected world of DS1

[@m.douglas8492]

Yeah it was a good point but did it have to go on for 6 minutes?

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

I didn’t find the Taurus Demon ladder until well into the game when I was grinding for levels after getting stuck on some other boss and when I first figured out it was the intended way to fight him I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t very well telegraphed to the player and I still believe that dozens of playthroughs later . When he first jumps onto the bridge, I feel like most players are going to roll past him when he swings at you, not turn around and go the other way. I was way out of range of the arrows so I wasn’t even aware of the archers. I just kept rolling behind him to try to dodge his swings and eventually beat him. I think he’s a good first boss, I just wish the ladder was contrasted more against the background to make it easier for first time players to see.

[@Jeff_Biden]

who tf misses the ladder

[@FarhanH1]

I’m commenting because the other guy who commented is unnecessarily rude. People miss it. I did the first time I played DS1 too. I eventually noticed it but I think the game should have had them shoot you a bit earlier when you enter the arena so you actually notice it. But then once you do it clicks and you can comfortable best Taurus :)

[@Taeki]

Wow! That was impressive. Played so much Dark Souls but still learned so much new about this awesome game with this video and your opinions!

[@Kidkinsey]

I can watch these type of videos for hours. Just so much to talk about with this game

[@Jaminhawk]

I find it frustrating that in later games like Sekiro, warping isn't only immediately optional, it's mandatory. Sekiro has several points of no return were the only way out of an area is to warp.

[@PotatoeGamerLP]

I think exploring down paths in a greater world can work well and can give a different sense of adventure

[@plugshirt1762]

I agree but sekiro is a whole different beast from dark souls it doesn’t have super interconnected levels, as composed of a lore, and completely different combat. It definitely has a lot of elements of the dark souls series but it quite clearly was trying to stand out

[@zerosingh4041]

I really enjoyed the video and didn't mind the length, in fact it felt much much shorter because of how much I enjoyed DS1(my first and favourite souls game). However, people who either haven't played dark souls1 or started on a different souls game and only played it as a formality might feel like it's too long. If you target audience is fans of the game the video is for there is no problem with the length but if it is for everyone including people who haven't played DS1 a 1hour ~10minute video might be intimidating .I only mention this because you're considering starting a new series and you want advice/opinions. On a positive note they way you talked about DS1 in such a passionate way really showed. It was really easy to get emotionally invested in the video because of all the times you talked about the good/bad experiences most people also had on their 1st play-through.

[@DaveControlLive]

I appreciate the critique! :) The length is actually something I've been debating on, so it's nice to hear an opinion on it. I've thought about pulling out certain elements of games I really want to talk about, and making those their own individual videos (still in the same style, but just much shorter) so I can talk about specific design elements in a game that were well (or poorly) handled. Or alternatively, just do specific highlights of a game I want to go over. It's something I'll be playing around with in the future, for sure. I did make this particular video for people who'd already played DS1, but I would be curious what people who played it as one of their later Souls games/as a formality would think of the video.

[@Belodri]

@@DaveControlLive As someone who's only played DS3 I very much appreciated how in depth you explained everything. So for me at least the length is actually a big plus! Great video and I really hope you'll do a similar one for DS3.

[@Golfhippy10]

Didn't picture myself watching an hr long video on dark souls but here I am lol. Good job and your thoughts are on point. Praise the sun!

[@Darklove4343]

By far one of my favorite videos of dark souls. I remember my best friend recommended to play dark souls and its the best way to start the souls series, now I'm addicted to dark souls that i played all of them on ps3, ps4 and xbox. Keep making these awesome videos! 🤗

[@HelghastFPS]

Wow this was a very amazing video dave! I would love a Resident evil video next as these 2 franchises are my favorite :)

[@DaveControlLive]

Glad you enjoyed! :) Just made an RE4 video, but I would like to talk about RE1 at some point (Or maybe RE7).

[@sirius6738]

What you say about the Undead Burg is true, i remember on my first playtrough taking ages to reach the Taurus Demon, and by that time i forgot about the plunged attack. That bastard almost make me quit the game

[@Drameloch]

I must say I found a few days this channel and have good things to lisent and enjoy, keep that spirit and get fun doing this nice job :3

[@DaveControlLive]

Thanks! :)

[@rae5425]

This is very well done. Looking forward for more

[@CustardCream515]

*Goes to bed early for work tomorrow."Whelp, not gonna happen now" :D

[@DaveControlLive]

Listen to the dulcet tones of this video for a peaceful slumber. ;)

[@CoffeeFresh_]

Go to sleep. And listen tonite when you get ready tomorrow

[@Jerig128]

Does vaatividia know you raid his wardrobe? Love the vid

[@DaveControlLive]

How did you already finish?! :P I mean, we obviously share fashion tips. Fashion Souls? More-like Fashion BROS.

[@opethmike]

@@DaveControlLive "How did you already finish?!" That's what my wife said last night!

[@Lukas-fn7kb]

I luv this type of long shit, keep up the amazing work

[@itsshelby]

Crazy high-quality video, way to go!

[@duckfilms3662]

You sound like one of those "top 15 gaming moments" youtubers lol. Good vid tho.

[@perdurabo56]

Lmao

[@Li_Tobler]

LMFAO true

[@knightslayer6161]

This is not Sekiro... *commits harakiri

[@k76bk15]

Happy New Year, Dave! & great content as always.

[@Alberto-vx4ev]

oof finally got around to watching this. Good retrospective, always nice to look back indepth at what made a game great! Excited for more vids like this

[@the_abyss_walker2817]

Huh Dave why would you upload this video now I just got to work oh well I’ll just watch this when I get home. That will most likely be around 10PM..... it will be worth it though....... I’ll see you later Dave.

[@DaveControlLive]

So you'll have something to look forward to, obviously. :P

[@Creamouz]

I'm only 7 minutes in but I already feel like you put a bit too much focus on what ds1 did good and how other games also did that thing, especially with all the other soul games comparisons. Not that comparing a game with other games is a bad way of critiquing, I just think you did it a bit too much at the beginning

[@DaveControlLive]

Fair enough! You'll have to let me know if you think the overall video does that too much. (I'd genuinely like to know). Thanks for the critique!

[@Creamouz]

@@DaveControlLive Yeah I think that problem really only applies to the beginning of the video, all of the critique was fair, well reasoned and even when I disagree with you on some points, you explained those views in a way that makes me understand your point of view. Very good video overall

[@Radwalls]

Nice video, I missed this one Dave. Very great compendium of thoughts. Useful for game devs too.

[@larrywolf2509]

Great video, Dave! Worth an hour of watching. Thank you!

[@DaveControlLive]

:)

[@Superschokokeks]

yeah yeah the character creation. Imagine choosing the preset "Thief" and then figuring out you can't steal shit, but "hey" you start to think "backstabbing and ripostes seems pretty great with the dagger" and then you find out bosses are immune to that. most of them. Biggest issue is that the game does not make clear, that you basically classless and that what you choose is a preset, so leveling wrong does not exist, just pick a weapon (and wand) that suits the best and be done with it (well except if you put points into resistances.. then you screwed up). Giving the wrong impression at the start of the game can really hurt the enjoyment. Sure, you can easily figured out that nobody stops you from using a sword, but we could remove that step if we are clear from the get go. Especially to the "prepare to die" marketing you rather think "it is supposed to be hard!!!" first before you think about making your life easier.. , but the fight against the asylum demon give you no real choice to make it easier (it teaches plunge attacks wow), so you have your stupid dagger and have that "this game is so hard !!"-mindset, so why suddenly think to switch your weapon if things are supposed to be that way.. The whole marketing hurt the game anyway. Put me on the cross, but Dark Souls is not a very difficult game or some sort "hardcore" game. It's one of the most challenging game while being very casual friendly.. Anyone can pick up Dark Souls and beat it. That's one of many reason why it is so great. It does not require complex inputs. Pressing dodge, block or attack saves the day. It does not require deep tactical thinking. Bonfires and shortcuts around 30 minutes away from each other, so you can make progress even if you play 1h per day. The only thing you really need is reflex memory and memory/knowledge. And that you require through observation and careful playing.. or dying a lot, but once you know when to press a button to avoid damage and when to hit, you won. Sure that's easier said than done, but that's why it is challenging. Easy to learn, hard to master. It bothers me, because going in with the wrong mindset hurt the enjoyment of Dark Souls, if you even dare to play because "it so hard, bro". While having a focus on combat, Dark souls is shines mostly through exploration, not level exploration also in combat and figuring out how to beat the enemy/boss easily is part of the fun, but if you think it is supposed to be hard/that way, it prevents you from thinking of solving problems like using different weapons, buffs or consumables. On the level exploration side, since you advertise your game as combat game, people who are less interested in such, will skip it even if they like discovering old ruins or mystic forest. The wonder of Dark Souls is the sum of its part (or more than just the sum of its part as Matthewmatosis said). Sure, nowadays DS gets praise on every side. If you don't know about its great level design, it is really on you. That is because of the players and loving fanbase, not of the marketing.. Anyway.. I just stop here and don't edit this comment while watching and stopping your video and comment further as I planned. I think.. It got out of hand already.

[@DaveControlLive]

I think the marketing is a bit of a mixed bag with it... as the marketing was probably part of what gave it its huge boost in the first place and got people playing it. And, while it certainly is difficult for some players, I do agree that it creates a false expectation. I know a lot of people who were too intimidated to try it. I do think a lot of the mechanics of the game are obtuse (as you basically said), and the game can have a steep learning curve. While it's not nearly as challenging as it was marketed to be when you've overcome that learning curve - that learning curve is where I've seen or heard of most people dropping out.

[@andrewnixon5657]

Love the king's field music man. Brilliant video @DaveControl.😁

[@DirtRider999]

I just listened to this in its entirety while grocery shopping and other errands this morning :)

[@kurtallen12]

Enjoyed this a lot man, well done.

[@ygorquerino7817]

Your videos are great ASMR, your voice is quite soothing, makes me go to sleep every time

[@XerowidX]

Ill always click on a movie length retrospective of a game i love... cheer's to you mate who made this loving video

[@darkstardayne8760]

Love the LINK BETWEEN WORLD'S music that's played halfway through this vid.

[@zachpittman2463]

This is such a good analysis of the game design behind this game

[@HyperSplicer]

Can I just say that I really like your use of King's Field's soundtrack in your videos. Also I think this is the start of a great series, Dave.

[@DaveControlLive]

Thank you! (On both ends). The KF soundtrack is such fantastic environmental music, and works perfectly for these vids. (Plus it's nice to have Fromsoftware music accompanying a Fromsoft game).

[@kupskiarts]

more of this please =) loved the design analysis

[@zanychelly]

Amazing mate!! Keep it coming!!

[@joelwilson4837]

Fantastic video man!

[@Raven-fr3ki]

My first run, I got stuck on Taurus, had 0 clue about those crossbowers for the longest time and I didn’t look up anything, and then after got absolutely destroyed at the parish, couldn’t agree more with the assessment, however, I found that getting crushed so hard, and learning afterwards, creating a build through trial and error, learning the value of death runs and what not, dark souls forced me to figure it out, by myself, makes me think of older games, and I love it, it’s what brought me back, the hardest part of dark souls, is learning to engage your brain in a video game again, no more tutorials or constant objectives or quest markers, it’s hard Bc we’ve been trained to play on rails, and that’s why people say souls isn’t that hard, Bc smart players will excel, and people who play it like a modern game will find themselves confused and getting slammed, in short, the game is only as hard as you make it

[@danielwheels9529]

Amazing video Love this series already

[@mikumartikainen954]

Gwyns Thirst trap of a daughter is perhaps the best reward ever after a boss fight in soulborne series. Simpin hard for gwynevere since 2018.

[@Zodd-pi8st]

Excellent video sir. I agree with most of your points, especially about warping.

[@tristanjackson5343]

love the link to the past music from the dark world very fitting ❤

[@SkateDE1]

Great video! Learned a lot. Smart analysis.

[@KaantheKaan]

I actually love the Crystal Cave. The tension you have as you walk very slowly through the invisible paths is amazing

[@NoOne-ju8fi]

I just bought a fuck ton of prism stones and made my way to seath

[@Kade_Bauman]

I totally agree with your first point. Undead Burg/Parish kept me from getting into Dark Souls for a really long time.

[@doplayxx8309]

@Nathan Bauman. same

[@user-nt8dy4xw9r]

Great video!! It’s a surprise that I found your channel this late. I’ll check the other lore videos immediately :)

[@cerberus_3269]

Excellent retrospective. Liked and subbed.

[@DaveControlLive]

Thanks! :)

[@CozyCoffeeLofi]

The level design from Dark Souls are what kept me hooked ! Thanks for the video! 😍🥰❤

[@gbuttersland7757]

I started playing Dark Souls about 2-3 weeks ago, and desperately struggled with Undead Berg. It really took me a while to understand the hallows with shields, as I hadn't learned to kick yet as I missed the signs that tell you about that move. It took me a solid 12 attempts just to reach Taurus, but by then I finally was starting to grasp how my moveset worked. After a slow 4 attempts, it fell and I was finally allowed to say I beat Undead Berg. I have never felt the elation of beating something in a game as I had at this moment!

[@illyay1337]

There have been multiple times where I have my mind blown by randomly finding a doorway in a place I thought I explored already. The catacombs are a good example. I came back to that area with the skeletons at the start multiple times to fight them off and get all the items. Feeling good about myself for being able to take them on. Then I suddenly noticed, on my 4th time in that area that there's a stairway leading to a cave and an entire huge area to explore. So glad I was overlevelled for this area by now. And the crazy thing is I found it without a walkthrough or having been lost or anything.

[@GamingPlus10]

My first playthrough of dark souls was before the first patch. What a time that was. Everything was new to everyone at the same time. I've been lucky enough to play every souls game at launch. That's the best way to experience one in my opinion.

[@Mcsteveberry]

ahhh, legendary 👌🏻 thank you sir

[@casualcadaver]

What I find so amazing is that the first half of Dark Souls is so damn good that even though the game tanks in the last half , or at least the last fourth for sure, we only remember the good of the game.

[@bigsmall2842]

Mainly lost izalith and tomb of the giants. All the other late game areas are fine.