Dark Souls: The Demon's Souls Of Dark Souls

Level your browser’s STR/DEX by maining Opera at operagx.gg/Manley Here is another Dark Souls Video essay by a white guy with a checkmark. From Elden Ring to Demon's Souls, Dark Souls is legendary, but the franchise almost never made it out of blightotwn between Sony almost shutting the whole series down with the release of Demon's Souls, to the troubled launch of the first Dark Souls altogether. It took five years for the majority of creators to start even looking in this games direction to start writing video essays and retrospectives on what is one of the greatest, impactful games of all time. I hope you enjoy :) Hoping Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC gives us more of that classic formula.
Check out the discord and consider picking up a save file over on the Patreon! / manleyreviews
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Discord: / discord
Other Episodes:
Tears of the Kingdom: • The Greatest Worst Zel...
Dishonored: • Dishonored: Arkane's M...
NFS Most Wanted: • The Game That Outsold ...
Twilight Princess: • Twilight Princess: The...
Links and Sources Used:
• Dark Souls 1 but it's ...
• Dark Souls: PS3 vs Xbo...
• (DARK SOULS Tutorial) ...
• The cruel and beautifu...
• Making of - Dark Souls...
• Dark Souls 1 Changed M...
• [ThePruld] When you go...
• The Making of Demon's ...
• [ThePruld] When you go...
• The Making of Dark Souls
• Dark Souls: Fiery Deat...
• "try jumping, amazing ...
• This is what 1000 hour...
• Dark Souls - [Part 29]...
• Dark Souls Pro Skater
/ dark_souls_sales_figur...
gigazine.net/news/20120228-da...
www.eurogamer.net/demons-soul...
blog.playstation.com/archive/...
web.archive.org/web/202301312...
web.archive.org/web/202302012...
www.play3.de/2010/08/05/nachg...
gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/...
www.destructoid.com/hidetaka-...
www.gamespot.com/articles/dar...
www.theguardian.com/technolog...
www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/...
www.gamesindustry.biz/dark-so...
www.famitsu.com/news/201506/3...
Timestamps:
0:00 Dark Souls
1:49 Gxit Gxud
3:50 Dark Souls was not an instant hood classic
5:12 2011 and Growing Discomfort
7:27 Sony's Secret Deal to Beat Xbox (demon's souls)
10:21 Miyazaki takes over a failed project.
13:20 Farm To Table Game Development
15:44 How do you Sell Satisfaction
18:50 DS1 Day 1
20:52 Getting Lost
23:44 thE iNtRrcoNnEcted WorLd of Dark Souls
26:32 "The Dark Souls Gameplay Difference" TM
29:17 Someone's First Time Playing Dark Souls in 2024
30:47 Tongue butt whole
Embark on an epic journey through the twisted corridors of Lordran as we delve into the Untold story behind the development of one of the most influential games of all time. In this video we explore the challenges faced by From Software during development and the visionary genius of Hidetaka Miyazaki that brought this dark fantasy world to life all while giving a modern retrospective analysis on the game itself. How does it hold up to modern standards? What made this game explode in popularity almost five years after its lukewarm release? What made this game so inspiring that it created a genre? All this and more and answered deep within the depths of Lordran, where danger lurks around every corner and death is a constant companion. ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree | Story Trailer
#darksouls #eldenring #soulsborne

[@ManleyReviews]

O░P░E░R░A░░G░X░░I░N░░B░I░O░ operagx.gg/Manley. Why ring two bells when you can ring one by subscribing? Also free stuff over on patreon (Discord and other hijinx): www.patreon.com/ManleyReviews

[@shawnwilcowski]

Thankfully KZbin actually rang the bell for me😂, hope you’re doing well man 👊!

[@longLee280]

Love your videos keep up a good work and I bet it take a long time to ride it all out 👍

[@ManleyReviews]

A functioning youtube feature!?!? lol

[@feresoththedamned2688]

i've never been sold on opera GX because i had my trusty Firefox for years, now that i've seen for the first time, and interesting and funny promotion for it, it might be time to give it a chance!

[@base13music]

opera gx is spyware btw idk if u knew

[@QuantumTelephone]

I grew up as the only white kid in a black neighborhood. So I was always exporting white kid culture to all the others. Dark souls was one of those things. Every night I would have like 5-10 kids at my house, even some of their parents, taking turns playing dark souls. It was so hype when we beat Taurus demon. I remember when one of the dads said "reminds me of your mother". It was literally a hood classic.

[@ManleyReviews]

And they say white people have no culture lol. As if the long form video essay didn’t exist

[@SaurabhPandey-ow6ex]

Pink people have no culture, and Greeks and Romans weren't pink.​@@ManleyReviews

[@Soul_Alpha]

Literally bro that's what's up

[@stzaleft7355]

Isn't dark souls Japanese culture? So you were culturaly appropriating Japan to African Americans. What a dance we do...

[@wahwahwah6690]

​@@stzaleft7355and Miyazaki was heavily inspired by western literature when making Dark Souls.

[@Hepheat75]

"Don't you dare go Hollow."

[@SteveBufz]

Moans

[@lemonscentedgames3641]

Neither of us want to see you go hollow...

[@user-qg1wl1dp2q]

I love you Andre

[@bungiecrimes7247]

Cornball ahh line

[@paradoxxikal7327]

“And pray that we never go hollo-“ SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

I'd say one of the top most unforgettable moments of every first-time DS1 player will be their first ever encounter of the amazing chest ahead.

[@ManleyReviews]

"be sure to hold with both hands"

[@RelaxingNostalgia]

bed of chaos is definitely the most memorable thing fromsoftware has ever made.

[@jordanbarton1624]

My friends and I found Dark souls 1 at GameStop for $15 (it was used) back in 2012. All of us (4) tried it and we never stopped after that night. Truly the game of all time.

[@Moon_Presence]

"Truly the game of all time" what?

[@jordanbarton1624]

@@Moon_Presence your lack of meme knowledge is showing 😉

[@jordanbarton1624]

@@Moon_Presence just google “truly the most game of all time” lol. It’s just a meme.

[@vorbo01]

"More than Tom Brady loves his own son" Damn boy starting like that are we?

[@The_Iron_Yuppie]

Ironic because it might not be his son 😬

[@toolittletoolate]

@@The_Iron_Yuppie That's good then it's not incest and just PDF File

[@ImGonnaFudgeThatFish]

I remember when I said on a news post announcing Tom Brady was already coming out of retirement for more football that he was doing it to get away from being a father, and everyone said I was the worst person ever in the replies Well, again I am right and Tom is still trying to not be home. Probably loves the pigskin more than his wife.

[@crakhaed]

Surprised he didn't use the picture of him kissing him on the lips lol

[@StupidJellyfish]

27:43 Finally, someone shows off the Pro Skater build. No one ever does that one.

[@bad1080]

tony skawks pro hater

[@JoeFilms5420]

I really liked your point about how dreamy the world is in this game. Dark Souls III is my favorite in the trilogy but Dark Souls is so unbelievably special, largely because it has that dreamy world that none of the other games do. I like that each game really just kinda did its own thing.

[@Noizzed]

How did they even let him make DS1? From: "Sir we aren't even going to publish your game outside not because of costs but because we are ashamed of the game." Miyazaki: "Can i do it again?" From: "Absolutely"

[@datensaft]

THIS! xD

[@gmitchell5000]

In 2012 I was at Walmart, window shopping the game displays, and the electronics employee recommended it for me. I bought it at GameStop a few months later and was so glad I did. Beat it 7 years later

[@EDK105]

I got Dark Souls for free with Xbox’s games with gold program nearly 10 years ago. Best game offered that got hooked on the whole series and other entries from FromSoftware. Still haven’t beaten either even though I beat DS2 and 3 lol

[@ManleyReviews]

damn those loading times we're really that bad

[@JPx115]

Sounds accurate, some people, including myself, need years in order to find the right mindset to play the game, I got the OG DS1 xbox 360 version for free thanks to Games with Gold, I knew about the game and wanted to try it but when I did I felt like I was hitting a wall over and over again so I abandoned the game, came back 2 years later, same thing happened but I did a little more progress, ended up abandoning the game again. Suddenly one day, around 2018 or 2019 a friend of mine told me he was playin DS Remastered and that he was having a blast, he showed me some clips he recorded and something about seeing his character using cool armor and wielding awesome weapons, fighting against enemies completely different to what I was used to and also doing all that while standing in a mind blowing end-of-the-world-like scenario made feel that I was also capable of doing all that and that I was really missing a lot by not playing the game, so I decided to install my DS1 360 version again and to beat it. My friend gave me one and just one advice "use your shield and git gud" and, ironically enough, that was all I needed to complete the game. Afer that experience I felt like I needed more so I purchased the remastered version and completed the game again this time with the DLC, then I got DS3 deluxe edition and completed the whole game + DLCs, but I still craved more Dark Souls, I got DS2 and completed the game with the secret ending, loved that game, but after that I needed more, so I got Sekiro and what a journey that game is, I became a disciple of Miyazaki, a true DS grizzled veteran. Then, Elden Ring came out, first Fromsoft game that I got 100% achivements on, after that Armored Core VI came and so did I. Now I'm paciently waiting for shadow of the Erdtree. Miyazaki is my master, I will lack nothing.

[@foolishstrudel2689]

About a year ago, I got myself the Switch to play Tears of The Kingdom. While browsing my local GameStop for any other games to get for it, I saw a used Dark Souls Remastered. I've heard of the franchise before, so I bought it. To say it changed me would be an understatement.

[@gmitchell5000]

@@ManleyReviews I got stuck on Ornstein and Smough haha. I made it one of my 2020 New Year’s resolutions to beat the game. It’s the only one I stuck to

[@FleshWizard69420]

Dark Souls is truly the Jak II of action adventure RPGs

[@ManleyReviews]

that actually made me laugh out loud

[@Motoko_Urashima]

@@ManleyReviews Well, you could review that one...

[@akira1699]

Jak 2 my beloved

[@Weatherman4Eva]

I don't entirely understand your comparison but I'll upvote anyone that keeps the memory of the Jak series alive

[@Dartokenove]

I've never played Jak games, can you explain?

[@high.level.noob.]

Not having fast travel makes having it that much more fun. It also makes some memorable moments like climbing out of Blight Town. It’s fun for me but I also kind of understand why people hate not having it.

[@jeanjorts6553]

It drove me nuts at the start, so many times I'd have to run back to the blacksmith to upgrade things and would groan at some of the back tracking, although I don't think it's the worst thing ever.

[@crakhaed]

It's like the anti Starfield

[@reggieisnotadog4841]

It also has the benefit of making you commit. If you had warping from the start, people are liable to reach Anor Londo, realise they hadn't gone down into the catacombs yet (now they're a bit stronger) and warp back to try those before proceeding. You see it in Elden Ring with warping back and forth across the world and it slowly becomes one big checklist rather than an adventure.

[@yourdad5799]

It just makes you backtrack. Just running around with nothing to do, just starting at that akward running animation

[@xXLunatikxXlul]

@@reggieisnotadog4841and that’s why I prefer semi linear souls, to open world souls.

[@middy5284]

i could never beat gravelord NEET-o and eventually gave up. should i give it another shot, bros?

[@Sleepy_Dan...]

Of course

[@TheKing-kd9li]

If you made it to him you were just about to beat the game so not much else is there to see after that

[@AndroxineVortex]

No, he's literally unbeatable. No one's ever been able to get past him.

[@nayyarrashid4661]

Yeah you should and there are just a couple of things you need to remember. 1)don't go running to him. That will spawn the two giant skeletons that will make the fight really tedious 2) Learn the timing of his sword from down unded attack. Once you learn It's timing avoid it and to hit Nitto stand next to him. He won't be able to hit you. 3) Once you start seeing him sit down this is the AOE. Run away or pull your shield up. His AOE also takes care of the three skeletons. Get a blessed weapon to take care of those skeles for good.

[@larry5272]

You're so close!

[@ItsNanino]

Holy evangelical Genesis. This Thumbnail slaps so hard.

[@marine47ncaa25]

So hard bro💪 You can (Not) go hollow

[@dumbbumsc5329]

Main reason I clicked and I’m subbing for the editing

[@Fellow_Follower]

It really is beautiful.

[@errantcondor9349]

​@@marine47ncaa25 haha that's awesome

[@grrrr255]

Weebs

[@therealzephyr2z]

I have never seen someone use a green screen so effectively lol.

[@dumbass9347]

Nakey jakey

[@MaVerik1727]

Check out internet pitstop. This one's better because he's dressed like his character, which is pretty funny.

[@indecay8756]

Check out Avatar 2, the story is dogshit, but they used the green screen really well

[@XSilent_DevilX]

It's not green screen, he's actually in those locations

[@slavko7898]

what about jakey, jakey, and jakey

[@pascova5088]

Great vid, as a long time dark souls fan (15 months fr 💪) I was genuinely shocked by how much of this I didn't know

[@ManleyReviews]

Better late than never

[@vernaltear]

13:06 Oh man it feels good to be a Periphery fan

[@Praxicaeon]

I have a friend who was obsessed with Demon Souls so when Dark Souls launched and I got a ps3 in 2012 I tried it. Got all the way to Sens Fortress and then gave up. A couple months later I just had that itch to go back to it. Started a fresh file and there was no looking back. My PS3 file has every character slot full with at least 20 hours. One of my favorite games of all time and such a wonderful experience

[@jtn81x]

Same for me. I did not particularly enjoy it back on the 360 and quit. But when I played it again on the PC like 7 years ago I loved it. I did play through it again a couple of months ago and it is still a great game.

[@Lordmau5]

Return of the King. (For real though, big fan of your editing style and content overall!)

[@longLee280]

Good

[@LeMel257]

Hell yeah, im alwais flabergasted every time!

[@emperortgp2424]

the only good nakeyjakey clone

[@Ekky]

Subscribed after the first minute! The editing is gorgeous (especially with the green screen)! It takes SO much time and effort to create. Great job!

[@Couchcritic007]

I have to say, I truly love your video essays. So well edited and entertaining. And you have a great personality. I hope your channel goes further, keep it up!

[@paddyator]

Man 2011 was the golden year of gaming MINECRAFT, SKYRIM, PORTAL and DARK SOULS…. What a year

[@yobro6053]

+ Arkham city, Dead space 2, Gears 3, battlefield 3, deus ex… dayum.

[@DzikiWaclaw]

You mean 2004 right? Right? Im not a boomer I swear!

[@yobro6053]

@@DzikiWaclaw no, he meant 07 😤

[@noti7510]

my fav is terraria, dark souls being second favourite; of 2011, and all time. 2011 was a good year for games, if only for the games mentioned, the seventh gen being in full swing. though, minecraft was a thing, and popular, long before it's 1.0 release, which was in 2011

[@scorpion0498]

@@yobro6053 was gonna give gears 3 a shout also. awesome package of a game, super fun system linked with friends :D

[@local_waver]

The phrase "mental de-buffs" is honestly a really good way of describing depression/anxiety/etc.

[@ales6305]

I'm going to proc curse irl

[@penatio]

I feel like I'm going hollow ngl.

[@notproductiveproductions3504]

What about mental rebalancing? Cuz sometimes I react to delayed gratification the wrong way (hard work makes food taste good…unless I had one of *those* days)

[@freakyninjaman3]

So good to see another video, Liam! Always looking forward to the next.

[@ManleyReviews]

Dude! I saw you in discord while editing this and then you left. been wanting to catch up for a minute.

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

My man saw he had some of the best production quality on the platform and said "not enough" The thumbnail and transitions are sick

[@X-atm092]

The one-two punch of "Running by a graveyard - I was fat" *Fat roll crash* Then being too fatty to fit between the gap.. that bit wiped me out lmao

[@LooterPenguin]

"Git gud" is such a wonderful phrase. It's simultaneously a snarky insult against those complaining the game is too hard, but also the most genuine thing you can say to a struggling player. "Get up, try again. You'll learn eventually. You got this!" ... or, y'know... "Git gud"

[@poutineausyropderable7108]

Yes but you can also teach players genuine advice. It's very easy to put yourself into a pit and can be very punishing for newbs who don't know what to avoid. And there's so many ways to make the game easier. RTSR, and the roll ring and having proper stats and weapon level. Skipping enemies. I couldn't tell someone to get good at elden ring. It's such a hard game that sucks at teaching their players. I'd rather write a 10 paragraph essay on how to play the game generally and then every single openings of a boss + multiple variation of how to use said openings order from easiest to execute to hardest (where the harder methods lets you deal mote damage). And how to dodge every attack and general tips about the boss AI. Ans if they are an absolute noob, then explaining the basic of stats and weapon leveling is a must.

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

​@@poutineausyropderable7108 Elden Ring is objectively the easiest Fromsoftware game. You can become overpowered by accident easily.

[@witha1]

​@@poutineausyropderable7108bro let ppl just play the game, don't gotta tell ppl what to do yk

[@mr-scope]

'Surpass your limits. Right here, right now'

[@watchmehope6560]

I remember it didn't start as an insult ruined by arseholes. It geinuely was just 'you gotta get better' like you mentioned. Now everyone just uses it as a lazy diss.

[@mr.mcpicky2150]

Awesome vid man. Especially dug the Periphery: Wildfire instrumental edit at 13:00.

[@Sloggett1000]

One of the best editors on youtube! I absolutely love your transitions between topics. Also, shout out to low poly drum and bass!

[@Hebgry]

dude your thumbnails are always so god dang incredible

[@longLee280]

Good

[@InternetPitstop]

Great point about while having a interconnected world is cool it’s more about the experiences in that world that matter!

[@MFBushidoBrown]

buddy got the YT Comments, god damn

[@rizwanfaruqi]

Buddy brought the KZbin Comments goddamn

[@shira_yone]

buddy carried the ユーチューブコメント欄 got damn

[@Mattznick]

awwww shit it's IP

[@macrou]

Hope you’re doing fine after you’re operation! You’re editing is impeccable and sublime as always!

[@abelldeez2146]

I just watched an old zelda essay of yours and I'm now restarting this video. Lights off, cast to TV, and appreciate the endless details. Your essays imo are the most polished and hilarious... I mean really. Didn't even skip the ad 2nd time around. Do you play in Denver? Can't search rn i gotta super dope video to watch.

[@jpoo4572]

“Opera comes highly reguarded….” 😂

[@Motoko_Urashima]

I'm tired of a youtube tab in Brave taking up 1.9gb of memory. I'm giving Opera a genuine try.

[@AC-hj9tv]

Chinese spyware

[@basedamogus]

best part of dark souls is when john souls says its dark soulsing time

[@longLee280]

Good

[@ManleyReviews]

personally downvoting

[@basedamogus]

@@ManleyReviews tysm for noticing me. been a fan for such a long time ❤❤❤

[@AbelMusa]

I've never seen a comment so rancidely unoriginal in my life

[@michaelmai6514]

Uhm.. acztually, its John Darksoul. Get it right! - 🤓

[@INdySycive]

I love everything about this video, from the thumbnail to the intermission in each section. Good to see you back after all this time.

[@Ah_Lecks]

Wow I can't believe he edited this entire video from the back of a Cedan in Puerto Rico Edit: I'm not gonna do it.

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

Sedan*

[@Shimod01]

*Sedan

[@jerrodshack7610]

*Sedan

[@rizwanfaruqi]

sedan

[@ManleyReviews]

*saidan

[@Solsev]

I really dug the vid, but I think you are missing one very important aspect of DS at the original launch, and that's the community (reddit, forums, ect). These places were on fire with little details, builds, strategies, and general patting each other on the back for getting past certain sections or bosses. I relied on the community during my teething phase with Demon's Souls, and there was a palpable buzz in these spaces, learning about esoteric mechanics, NPC behaviors or lore-diving, it made the whole experience something you wanted to proselytize to your friends about, knowing they were going to go get their asses kicked and come back to you with a shrug, and then you could offer some tips till it all just clicks into place. I converted no less than four of my friends through sheer "I never shut up about this" persistence. I think that player energy led to the seemingly continuous rising sales figures for the title years beyond the rush of launch. Having Vaati, and Bonfireside Chat, and guys doing ridiculous level 1, no hit playthroughs all just coalesced into excellerent for a hungry fanbase. It was a great moment in gaming.

[@rodrixgaming2527]

Completely agree, DS comunity is an important part of the experience. I hope he can cover that and the multiplayer aspects for the ds2 video.

[@Ewil.Bluetooth]

I don't understand him trying to argue that Dark Souls wasn't a hit until DS3. It was very obviously a hit, because it got funded for sequels as soon as the first title was released. It wasn't because of Bloodborne either. It was already a hit with Demon souls. Each entry just got more buzz about it..... because the previous game was beloved by a big fanbase. Hell just look at the gaming sites review of Dark souls original release. It was a hit. This guy seems to be convinced that games are only hits when he decides it.😂 Imagine starting to play first at the 4th entry and actually believing that a game series that has spawned 3 sequels, one every two years wasn't a big success.🤦 I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this guy didn't play DS on PS3 because he was a 360-guy. It was only because he switched to PS4 that he realized that fps wasn't the only games that are fun.

[@micahjones7837]

I played it in 2018 and this was still my experience. Having an in person friend to help was awesome, but the reddit community was ablaze wtg support, positivity, tips, and lore speculation. The game is great on its own but it really brings out the best in people. I've never been in a more positive gaming community online then ds1

[@ceomusic7]

There’s a feeling i struggle with sometimes that I won’t find new games or music that impact me enough to be nostalgic. I have many blissful memories as a kid and i always want to be in a position to experience them anew. Elden ring was this experience for me in my 30s, which led to dark souls 1. DS1 atmosphere and music makes me feel like a kid who doesn’t quite understand the full picture of things, and in that mystery is a wonder and beauty I will always cherish.

[@NakiKyoku]

outstanding editing. really good stuff man

[@DavidNwokoye]

We missed you Manley. Good to see you back 🥳

[@ManleyReviews]

oh hey love the vids

[@bannisray3683]

Manley is the Dark Souls of Nakey Jakey.

[@indeimaus]

the editing is so god damn good, inspirational first video I've seen by you, sticking around for sure

[@ManleyReviews]

Thanks!

[@ImDenny_]

Love the effort you put in your videos my man, always a joy to watch! ❤

[@barrupa]

First Dark Souls video I have ever seen that managed to include YTP style sentence mixing without feeling like a completely stupid addition. Don't change, never change.

[@FuJIuIIoK]

Oh man, finally! I thought you've quit making your awesome vids! Glad to see you back!

[@maxrobinson2794]

Just amazing and entertaining content guaranteed! Love your videos man! Always worth waiting!

[@t2bstryker]

Bro I just found your content and been running through it, really good shit man. sick editing, commentary and the humor scratches my manic-depressive 28 year old brain. Keep it up man.

[@surkhabsingh5856]

Your channel is amazing Mr.Manley. such good writing and editing. Please never stop ❤️❤️

[@100hundert]

I usually just listen to most video essays, especially on Dark Souls, since I've already seen much of this game. But your videos are so well edited, I really enjoy watching them with full focus 👌

[@Ali_nossier]

i just love EVERYTHING about this channel , instant subscribe for me tbh

[@jacoblundi5573]

The very brief usage of the REmake safe room music was just perfect.

[@J0J0Jetz]

I love how genuine these videos are and the innovations brought forward with every vid. Always so fun to watch, I've never played dark souls but the editing in and of itself kept me intrigued and learning something new. Hope surgery recovery is going well!

[@ManleyReviews]

Wait you WHAT!? Get your ass in the game before I revoke your gamer card

[@danielfernandezaguirre]

hell yeah another Manley video! hope your feeling better after the operation man

[@ManleyReviews]

Thanks doing way better now

[@0That_Guy0]

Awesome work! Looking forward to your next video, and hope you're doing good!

[@DerTodesSamstag]

Can‘t wait for DS2, which was my entrance to the Souls games. Amazing video as always, keep up the good work, you deserve every single one of the views you are getting!

[@wintermintmojo2418]

Literally every time Im thinking “I haven’t seen a Manley vid in a minute. Let me make sure that stupid bell is working.” A video appears a few days later. 2:35 my god Ive never been called out harder in my life

[@aymanhanafi6582]

Great video!! Glad youre back manley. Hoping i can get the IDs of the songs you used in the video cuz they slap hard

[@Nutiviticus]

The rare Manley Reviews upload and it's one of my favorite games! It's a win win.

[@Satsui_No_Hado]

Dark Souls is without question my favorite gaming experience of all time. A friend of mine who was really big in a from soft games recommended it to me at a time that was very difficult and I just locked in. It took a while though but once you really get it and you get good there's almost nothing else like it, It's like you said the world design is unreal, the interconnectedness the story, the general theme and the feel. And when you take down that big boss like artorius, It's such an amazing feeling. Love Dark Souls remastered and I know it's a different version than the one that first came out. That said, it's my favorite game of all time. My other favorite games are Chrono Trigger and super Mario 64 to give you an idea, they couldn't be any different, That said, Dark Souls rules supreme. Awesome content by the way, new subscriber. You have really good content 🔥 looking forward to your Dark Souls 2 video

[@wizcatcheslightning]

12:50 oh yeah, hit em with the Skyward Sword roll credits theme 😎

[@ManleyReviews]

it's a "break glass incase of emergency" song i save for those moments.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@ManleyReviews you accomplished what you were going for in style my friend

[@shadowyyCFH]

why is this guy so unrecognized his editing is so good and the videos are also really good. deserves way more than just 250k subs

[@Verred]

I loved Dark Souls. My friend and I swapped consoles for about a month back in high school and he had a 360 and I had a PS3. I gave him like Uncharted and several other PS3 exclusives and he gave me Bioshock Infinite, Halo, Gears of War and Dark Souls. I played Bioshock first and didn't really enjoy it. Then I played Halo 3 and Gears with my other friends, which was fun. Then I took a swing at Dark Souls. My friend I swapped with said it was super hard and he stopped playing when he fought a "mage in a church". I'm assuming he meant the undead parish area with the mage before the gargoyles. I spent the rest of the month only playing Dark Souls because I found it to be so fun and challenging. Played every fromsoft game since. The friend I swapped with even replayed it after my glowing review and he also plays all the fromsoft games now. Great series.

[@mariohuertaromero4741]

Your vid popped up in my recommend. Holy wow your production quality and presentation is 10/10. Definitely subscribing. Good stuff man!

[@Joe_Silly]

I just want to say I don't think there is any channel on youtube that matches your level of consistent quality Almost every frame has some editing baked in that would take me hours to learn. The music/visual choices, the small details, witty jokes, everything I eventually want to make "guy in front of green screen" content and when I watch your videos it makes me think: "yeah nobody can top this without plagiarizing" lol. Keep up the great work man

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

As someone who's dabbled in video creation, it takes TONS of time. That's why it's rare.

[@royalplayz4274]

22:15, the text on the ground appears to say "I am aware I am bending over for this game, but few of them ever deserve it".

[@SilentAttackTV]

The backtracking and lack of fast travel was what made the world of Dark Souls so immersive (also the level design and everything was just amazing). It reminds me a bit how in vanilla World of Warcraft, the world seemed so huge and immersive when you didn't have a mount because if you wanted to go somewhere, you had to plan a route, and really got to experience the game world when going from A to B. If you traveled a really long way it almost felt good just to reach where you were going.

[@esquirekingston8772]

I was wondering where you've been!!! So glad you're back on my youtube homepage manley!

[@GameTalesHQ]

Manley! You are right up there with NakeyJakey as my two favorite content creators on this website. The humor, the editing, the pacing and information are all top of the line. You deserve a LOT more subs man!

[@Champion919Games]

Im a simple guy. I see an Evangelion thumbnail, I click.

[@cunningdingus7781]

I don't know why this isn't getting put in my home feed, It should be seen WAY more

[@eminkilicaslan8945]

Miyazaki: halving player's HP was a mistake. Also Miyazaki: *stacking curse*

[@97Multiphantom]

HE’S FINALLY DOING DARK SOULS!!!

[@LostWallet]

amazing how this series could have never been made. Miyazaki was in an accounting firm. he quit his job on a whimp. Fromsolf decided to hire a guy on a whimp. they promote him to director out of nowhere, Japan company normaly dont do that. they happen to let him take charge on Demon Soul on a whimp. everything just happen on accident all by a coincidence. and the stars aline, and everything was history.

[@ursaminor2732]

whim*

[@jeanjorts6553]

I think you mean *whim. But this is historically accurate!!

[@Shimod01]

Bro first off I came solely because that thumbnail might be one of the coolest I’ve ever seen and stayed for that editing. Keep it up and guess I’m ringing a third bell today

[@samwhite4961]

Being a DS1 fan in the first 6 months as the mechanics and lore began to unravel was something else. With no frame of reference for how to allocate levels or how weapons work or anything it was brutally difficult and every time you figured something out it was huge

[@pascova5088]

14:57 wtf I'm dead lmaoooo

[@nelsonraley]

The motion graphics video in this go insane, dude

[@lorenzmlosch9237]

the transition animations u made looked incredible

[@namename8004]

I had an interesting introduction to Souls games. I played Demon's Souls on PS3 a bit after getting it for free through Playstation Plus in like 2013. I didn't end up beating it due to moving and not being able to afford PS+ anymore. A friend from highschool started talking up Dark Souls around 2016. I still knew little about the series. I found DS2 on sale at Walmart and I ATE THAT SHIT UP. Played it in every minute of free time I had. And now Souls games are some of my all time favorites.

[@steezydan8543]

Dark Souls is the type of game that makes you stop thinking of yourself as the main character, and it starts making you think like the character you're controlling.

[@viljamtheninja]

This guy is the most dudebro person I've ever seen talking about Dark Souls and I love it

[@KashiMugen]

I love the fact you did these edits yourself you created a brutally honest and beautiful review that this game series deserved 🎉

[@bespincloudcity7893]

Dark Souls 1 absolutely did not come out of nowhere. It had tons of hype from IGN and many other gaming outlets coming off the cult success of demons souls. It sold over 6 million in its first year.

[@NeumaSeven]

Yeah...I don't understand why this video isn't centered around the first Souls game unless making it about Dark Souls gets more views?

[@ManleyReviews]

no it didn't lmao. it sold 1.19 mil on its first year according to bandai namco earnings reports. still was coming from a cult hit, only to be in another cult of its own.

[@bespincloudcity7893]

@@ManleyReviews It came out in September, right before Skyrim. I should have said ‘in its first 12 months’. DS1 was not a ‘cult hit’, it was a blockbuster. Source: I was there.

[@NeumaSeven]

@@ManleyReviews I still wouldn’t consider DS1 a cult hit if it had success like that it’s first year. Either way it’s a well made video. Definitely way more than what I can do lmao

[@solame10101]

​@@bespincloudcity7893 I was a bit confused about this part too, coming from demons souls i was picking up hype when the das1 footage started releasing. I remember the launch being pretty big, only that skyrim kinda fucked with it.

[@Vespyr_]

I hope you won't trash Dark Souls 2's name.... it deserves better from people.

[@randomfurrygirl548]

The most mediocre game from an amazing series

[@ninetailedara3802]

​@@randomfurrygirl548just admit you didn't beat the game and move on.

[@hashtags_YT]

​@@ninetailedara3802 Beat it twice and done 2/3 DLCs. Am I also not qualified to say how shit it was start to finish? Do you wanna keep pretending it's good?

[@ninetailedara3802]

@@hashtags_YT Still a very fun game besides like 1 area, cant change my mind.

[@the_seer_0421]

​@@ninetailedara3802it's not a terrible game but most of the usual criticisms are very much justified. You can like the game and still admit it's issues.

[@chrisg4629]

This is honestly some of the best editing I've seen 😂

[@itstyromusic]

from the instant the video starts the quality is just levels above other similar channels!! Love me a good Manley Review!!!!

[@reggintv873]

i havent played a single dark soul game

[@Jordan-nd3ou]

Sadlife

[@DovahZeux]

Congratulate yourself, and keep the streak going.

[@jp290]

What a sad lonely and depressing life you live.hope u find ur way

[@RED-sl2le]

Dude your editing is on point, I’m definitely subbing.

[@KiazaKadaj]

my buddy invited me to his house after school to play this game. it was around its release. I bought it, started fresh, hated it. Didn’t end up finishing it til before DS2, that was when I fell in love with it lol. rip kirk. everytime I play a fromsoft game I miss ya buddy.

[@unaminous00]

You have the cleanest transitions in any medium I have ever witnessed in my life brah. I don't say that lightly, nor am I trying to glaze.

[@anotherastronaut_]

oh man the transitions keep evolving. glorious! I HIGH-KEY was waiting for the traditional transition music, plz dont ditch it

[@MajorPineapple]

another banger dude! love your videos!!

[@ManleyReviews]

thanks pineapple

[@polar490gg]

I like that part of dark souls when you get a soul but then it goes dark

[@JPHolt413]

I LOVED this video, your style is peak bro

[@kittymadd13]

God damn i love you're videos. You deserve so many more views. Only complaint is I wish you had more time to upload more often

[@giacomopiccinini9157]

Maaaaaaaaaan those transition cards are BANGING

[@vidtato]

i love dark souls too, but i just wanna say this is great editing man, really hard work and it shows, keep it up :D

[@cunningdingus7781]

insanely good video. you just never miss. Welcome back

[@Chrizzi01]

One thing that wasn't mentioned, is just how incredibly watchable Dark Souls was as a game. I never played the game but i had a blast watching other people master this supposedly incredibly difficult game, seeing some people absolutely dominate the game others struggle with was incredibly entertaining to me and many others as well i feel like. Its just an amazing experience all around. But man the controls for PC players made the game borderline unplayable. Sad Keyboard and Mouse noises.