Playing Dark Souls as Miyazaki Intended

[@ji_mothy]

Many people asked for a written guide for this video. It's out now! Free/tips appreciated, just don't reproduce ko-fi.com/s/d8077ef85a

[@Luna0wl]

Thats awesome is it ok if I put this Guide with links to your ko-fi and vid in a Steam Guide ?

[@PersonGuy968]

Some things you could've done different. I think the canonical Starting Class is the Deprived. It wouldn't make sense for your hollow character to keep all of their armor, if they were locked up in prison. Seeing as every other hollow has no armor and is equipped with only a broken sword, it would make sense that you, just another hollow until then, were also naked and started with a broken sword. Also, I think The Four Kings are the canonical first Lord Soul boss, as killing them first allows you to talk to Kaathe. I think it makes sense for our character to learn more about the story and get a new choice in their mission.

[@BolasDeMono3]

did u killed Manus?

[@cryptkid8470]

would you consider making a series on this run?, like a playthrough uploaded episode by episode, I'd definitely tune in for it :D

[@Funkx2g]

Fuck i love the way you did this

[@roastghost901]

Ceaseless Discharge "cheese" was intended. He jumps after you and clings onto the cliff because he's desperate to get his sister's clothes back, and hitting his hands makes him fall to his death with a unique animation.

[@kovrcek]

yeah if you follow your instincts like "oh shit I have to run this is my death" you are basically rewarded with super easy win

[@anonisnoone6125]

Well that's sad. Now I feel kinda bad for killing him.

[@Etnad-f7r]

@@anonisnoone6125listen, it has to be done.

[@bigboss4993]

If anything it's a mercy killing, his life is pure suffering​@@anonisnoone6125

[@Spectrik]

​@anonisnoone6125 CD's life was nothing more than constant pain and suffering from the lava boils on his skin and the emotional trauma of losing his family. We put him down and out of his misery, nobody deserves the "life" he lived.

[@WolfBergMenace]

Actually insane how many questlines i never saw ANYONE finish before. - Hollow Reah - Hollow Griggs - Solaire at Sunlight Altar - Paying Petrus and Lautrec for information I never knew that those are encounters in the game.

[@peo9741]

the solaire at sunlight altar is what i like to call a "bloodborne moment" where you would only ever find it by going back to an area you have absolutely no reason to go back to at that point in the game

[@carlossssssss5492]

​@@peo9741why is this so true

[@knight_lautrec_of_carim]

lol

[@meowforjasper2838]

@@peo9741 Exactly! I remember when I was first playing dark souls and my best friend's uncle came in wanting to play dark holes. Both of us had no reason to be in the area we were in that night, but exploration is what we are supposed to do. I was praising the sun all night. My best friend knows and is cool with it.

[@tylerfortner4838]

Your best friend’s uncle wants to play dark holes. Please avoid this uncle, or if not, let us in on the details.

[@francescogulisano2917]

As a Velka's rapier enthusiast I have to point out that it is an occult weapon that you can find immediately before Ornstein and Smough and it is fully upgradeable by the giant blacksmith (who also sells twinkling titanite)

[@ji_mothy]

This is a very good addition! Didn't know Velka's was occult

[@francescogulisano2917]

@@ji_mothy I find it funny that even when you clearly know a lot about this game (your video clearly shows it) there are still things to discover

[@big.muscles.ohyeah]

i don’t find it funny. your comment comes off as slightly insulting although someone who is lax likely wouldn’t give it much thought. literally the whole point of the video is that he is spending extra effort following the insanely vague breadcrumbs laid out by the devs in order. The video wouldn’t be possible in a game where all the strats and lore are spoonfed to you. Some games literally restrict your playstyle. Although I do believe you meant that you found it interesting how convoluted the game is where someone years and years after its release still doesn’t find every detail despite their best efforts. To me it comes off as, “wow you tried really hard and still didn’t even succeed. heh. i think that’s funny.” I think though, that the fact jimothy missed a couple things, is really just an example of how messed up the internet is, and has been, in recent years. Even now I’m playing the game for the first time and the “official” wiki leaves *A LOT* to be desired. Sometimes routes are wrong, several times it didn’t include all of a bosses moves, and for one area it just says, “Sorry due to the layout of the area you’re on your own.” To which I was able to easily find a route that isn’t even up to preference it’s pretty obvious that the devs weren’t expecting you to just american ninja warrior your way to the bottom of the great hollow, so I don’t see why they couldn’t have just written, “Stick to the roots that look flattened out, and if you’re feeling brave, jump for items.” I digress though. Of course not every teensy tiny little detail was found. There’s that one channel that datamines the content for lore purposes/speculation, and they still make videos about the early game entries because people are still finding new details hidden in the game files. Just thought it was “funny” how you put it, I suppose.

[@Rook-y8m]

Understandable

[@SeanBires]

One of the obscure Miyazaki-intends things (because everyone googles the purging stones) is get cursed in the depths, talk to Crestfallen, and he tells you to make the trip to New Londo.

[@aprinnyonbreak1290]

Another sorta funny "Miyazaki's intent" thing is that I'm almost certain the games are designed for more versatile caster/mixed caster builds. There's things given to pure melee, of course, but, the progression of items, general vibe of running through areas, preparing and adapting to bosses, and so on feels SO much more smooth if you're a caster leaning jack of all trades than a physical specialist. You stop feeling daunted, or having those "I have to beat THAT" moments, and everything kinda melds into a wonderful sort of puzzle where you are constantly aware of all of the options you have and thinking about how to best apply them. You stop encountering "upgrades" and start encountering solutions to varied or complex problems. You have maybe one or two staples, then literally every other equipment, weapon, and attunement slot you have starts looking as flexible and tailorable as a ring slot or something. You stop having a "build" that you force through every hole the game has, and start being more flexible.

[@walter1383]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 Yeah. My first game in the series was DS3, and I started out as the knight, but when I found Cornyx I jumped at the opportunity to learn pyromancies. The game shoves horrifying and extremely aggressive undead abominations in your face constantly, you'd have to be insane not to learn how to 'kill it with fire'.

[@GusJenkinsElite]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 Totally agree, my first DS1 completion I used the halberd until O/S and got hard-stuck until I spent some souls on pyromancy.

[@yewtewbstew547]

@@aprinnyonbreak1290 In DS1 especially you basically get pyromancy for free. All it scales with is the upgrade level of the pyromancy flame, and a bunch of the utility spells have no scaling at all. Power Within is one of the strongest spells in the game and it has no scaling, so you don't even need to upgrade the pyro flame to use it.

[@colbyboucher6391]

I seriously think that it was going to be the only way to cure curses, but somewhere along the way From went "fuck that, actually".

[@xilumnarciso6209]

This is a phenomenal run, so much npc content I've never seen before. I am 100% down to see you do DS2 and DS3.

[@aaronvanzomeren8775]

Bloodborne too!!!

[@tnsaturday]

ER anyone?

[@ethanwing997]

Ds2 is the other one that I think would be great

[@fangerzstanky]

​@@tnsaturdayeww er

[@tnsaturday]

@@fangerzstanky .!.

[@protonjones54]

"There are some terrifying noises near the ledge." >sounds of crows cawing & gentle footsteps through snow 🤦

[@Infinatus25]

Fantastic work! But you missed one other thing. If you talk to Anastasia of Astora at Firelink Shrine after depositing all the Lord Souls but before beating Gwyn, she has a secret dialogue where she thanks you for agreeing to link the fire which will allow her to die as a human, and she begs you to "save us all". In fact, she's so inspired by you that her bonfire automatically upgrades to +20 as soon as that dialogue is complete, without the need to invest any humanity into it yourself. Overall though this video is fucking awesome and right up my alley. I get an immense sense of satisfaction watching the optimal utilitarian run. This is hands down my favorite DS1 walkthrough of all time. Thank you so much for making this!

[@Rundee11]

You don’t need all of the lord souls. I think you only need the Lordvessel to be placed. I can confirm that I’ve received the 20 flasks with only 2 Lord Souls.

[@fadpanda3873]

I just had the lordvessel. I was like what 😮😮

[@TerminatedAccount.]

Is this true? I don't want to get tricked by the internet again.

[@shinku703]

​@@TerminatedAccount.Yeah,she says that dialogue after placing lordvessel

[@aPopcap]

the upgrade happens once you revive Anastasia and deliver atleast one lord soul

[@gryffinp]

I sincerely believe that an intended progression is for the player to go into the catacombs at some point between reaching the Parish and ringing the second bell and heading into Sen's fortress, as it's shortly after the cleric quest progression and leaves the player armed with the Rite of Kindling, which would make braving Anor Londo and O&S noticeably easier. "But that would mean the player has to climb out of the catacombs on foot." Yeah. I never said that I believed their intention was actually a good idea.

[@ji_mothy]

My logical brain agrees with this! It's not quite the late game area I make it here. Its just the _only_ place in the game with a heinous backtrack and that's what I wanted to optimize out. I do think bringing the embers on your first visit to the undead smith is pretty neat too.

[@MultiSneakerLover]

^ bones exist

[@ChongFrisbee]

Not to disagree with anyone, but I have done a playtrough where I climb back with a purpose. First I get to the first catacombs bonfire. From there I rush and do the falls to bypass all of the level and summon Leroy to kill wheel skelies, then Pinwheel. After that I could just bone back all the way up. However, I climb back, but doing it the other way around you find the necromancers before the ressurecting skeletons associated with each one, so when you get to fight the skelies, the actually stay dead. I wouldn't go as far as saying thius is what Myiazaki intended tough

[@htspencer9084]

​@@ChongFrisbeeoooh I like this, run through one way, grab the necromancers on the way back! Genius.

[@McDudes]

to optimize it you wouldnt rest at any bonfires and then just suicide or homewardbone back to firelink. Alternative you can take the 1st or 2nd bonfire to get a halfway point incase you think you might die once or more.

[@Yewzer_Wun]

Fun obscure fact You gain liquid humanity when killing enemies in an area with the boss still alive. Stronger enemies give you humanity faster. After dying to Seath the first time, when you kill the first enemy in his area(usually those crystal hollows) it always immediately gives you one. It’s like a free humanity because you had to die.

[@daniellemurnett2534]

The free humanity after the Seath death is actually a bug. It's convenient and feels intended but is, in fact, a bug. I didn't understand the full technical explanation but illusory wall's Dark Souls Dissected episode on the "humanity drop" system explains that and much more.

[@unaffectedbycardeffects9152]

​@daniellemurnett2534 the variable that governs when you get humanity is increased by like 20000 if you have been to blightown before opening the door. No idea why, but it's enough to gain a humanity after killing the first enemy

[@daniellemurnett2534]

@@unaffectedbycardeffects9152 Iirc it's because of the fact that some bonfires were made warpable in an early patch which messed some things up For Some Reason(TM).

[@ihateyankees3655]

​​@@daniellemurnett2534it might be a bug, but I choose to assume they left it in intentionally

[@s.w.4409]

"Havel Flip was my greatest invention." - Hidetaka Miyazaki

[@tj3423]

I always felt the crystal halberd was put there for you to use on Ornstein and Smough, and kinda teaches the player you can use a throwaway weapon for a hard boss fight if you want to

[@slendydie1267]

So unnecessarily complicated to do the quests the right way. Its crazy that in order to play the right way you need to know the game to a level you can achieve only after playing through it like 10 times. Amazing breakdown, great video.

[@gaymohammed3137]

Same with all FS games. Da 1 2 3 and elden ring are the games I played and all of them suck when it comes to completing all quests without guides.

[@beegarrard9305]

To be fair, I think that's because, while this does make an interesting challenge run premise, Miyazaki's ultimate intent was... To play how you want. You aren't meant to know all these things first time around, and honestly like with a lot of Metroidvanias backtracking is an intended feature of the game, not an unintended side effect. You're supposed to backtrack, play multiple times, try different builds for different bosses, farm to upgrade weapons, these are intentional parts of the experience!

[@gaymohammed3137]

@@beegarrard9305 tbf, alot of people I know back in the day when I played on Xbox. For ds 1, 2 and 3 people bought an book from games tore for way to much money (think 20-30€) that has EVERYTHING written in it from best routes to every secret item, etc. So ya I think the developer kinda expects people to do an 100% first time run and doing that efficient. But in the end, it's a game it's supposed to make fun and the best way of achieving it is to play however you want as long as you don't annoy/hurt anyone else's fun (looking at you, hackers and lagswitcher in pvp)

[@El_Andru]

Think about this thoroughly. Seriously. If you experienced all content in DS1 as it was spoon fed to you. Would you have enjoyed subsequent playthroughs (NG+) the same? Would you have not gotten bored to do the same npc dialogue by force over and over? To me the richness comes into the gift that keeps on giving.

[@Yorikoification]

@@El_AndruLet's be real, who actually enjoys NG+ when it doesn't change anything when it comes to enemy placements, moveset and boss encounters from your first run? Making unnecessary complicated and nonsensical quest design to motivate you into playing the whole game allover again is a terrible design philosophy

[@CAMSLAYER13]

I'd argue the quick ceaseless kill is the intended way to kill him, i feel like its set up to get you to run back and its subtle story telling that he would launch his suicidal final attack

[@LilacMonarch]

I'd say the same for the iron golem too, the fact that it's basically guaranteed to topple at least once during the fight and falling off it has a special animation instead of the usual jank every other enemy does

[@joao17771]

​@@LilacMonarch Iron golem falling to iron Tarkus, only for iron Tarkus to later fall and die as well is the only possible canon I can see

[@Visceral3D]

Holy fucking shit, i have almost 1k hours into Darksouls, from the first GFWL version to Remastered and I still learned new NPC quests watching shit. Im shocked.

[@psterud]

I put 3k+ into the game, and I'm still learning little things. So amazing how unnecessarily deep that game is.

[@GretgorPooper]

This might be the coolest and most original challenge run I've seen in a long time. Congrats!

[@wjr4700]

I have thought about this every time i go back and play this game. Thanks for actually putting the work in.

[@tnsaturday]

Cut - a shortcut that isn't short. You just precisely described my experience with this game in one sentence.

[@Gr3yCard1nal]

It's more like medcut or longcut or even uncut xDDD

[@jeshegames]

Miyazaki-uncut edition

[@KallipolisRadio]

Wow, I watch a lot of DS challenge runs and content and whatnot but this was one of the best DS1 videos i think I've seen. Awesome work man!

[@DannYIIF]

I'd argue that at the very end, the set of Black Knight Armor is an Occult Club moment. Gwyn does heavy fire and physical damage, that set protects well against both.

[@ji_mothy]

valid! I definitely wasn't looking out for armor sets in OCM terms

[@bobroberts2581]

I know this is old, but all of the souls likes, especially the prime souls games are great at handy equipment placement. If you find armor in an area either it’s for the bosses closest to it OR it’s held by the same Mob holding the Boss Key or the area shortcut key. Bleed weapons by unarmored enemies, magic damage enchanted weapons near physical immune bosses, or shields/armors/one off resistance items against bosses/areas heavy with said status present.

[@mediumvillain]

​@@bobroberts2581Elden Ring is practically the opposite, where you get a lot of stuff themed to a region or quest progression that is not extremely useful in the area you receive it, like magic gear around magical/magic-resistant enemies, fire stuff in fire areas, holy items where there's a lot of holy-resistant enemies, etc. It makes sense within the world but isnt super helpful right away

[@humonchronos9048]

the ceaseless discharge "cheese" doesn't feel like a cheese anymore, it just feels intended lmao, the way he falls off aside from that, great video, very interesting how it all ties up

[@sreeharipradeep]

it is intended

[@lowfianimal8605]

Very cool run! One thing though: I believe that you are "supposed" to go to the catacombs way earlier, before going to Blighttown. The big tipoffw here are the Darkmoon Seance ring and your meeting with Nito. The ring means you can get all the content in Anor Londo at once, and the meeting with Nito is clearly a teaser for what is to come in the lategame. But there are a few more reasons. First off, it lines up really nicely with defeating the moonlight butterfly, then the gargoyles, then opening the elevator back to Firelink. Second, it prevents you from being super overpowered and difficulty wise, the boss is going to be much more fitting for this point in the run. Besides, it makes sense that the rite of kindling is a midgame power boost. Third, the design seems analogous to Blighttown. Mainly, it is divided into two halves with one being easier (Catacombs/blighttown) and one with larger and more powerful enemies, intended to be traversed in the endgame (Tomb of the giants/Lost Izalith). And just like Blighttown, you are meant to go back to Firelink before progressing to the more difficult area. Unfortunately, the route you use to climb out of the catacombs is much more tedious than the one in Blighttown, so most people only go there after they get the ability to warp between Bonfires. Even so, I still believe this is an area that is meant to be done not long after ringing the first bell. That said, I am really happy to see someone do this. This is a run that I have been fantasizing about for a while, but haven't had the patience to try, so I am happy to see it attempted. Maybe next time I play the game, I will incorporate some of your notes.

[@psterud]

Good thoughts. Makes a lot of sense to me.

[@MrShinatomaster]

hey! great comments here, and I want to back it up by talking about the things you would have learned at that stage of the game, before blighttown. the moonlight butterfly teaches players how to use homeward bones, and I think the trick that is intended with the catacombs is to use one after pinwheel. think about it, youve just come through undead burg as the faithful knight, you might even have the homeward miracle, so you've started thinking about how the bonfires work beyond the reset enemies/get health/respawn point system, especially after the MLB homeward bone moment. youve spoken to the clerics at firelink and maybe got some items on your way through the catacombs, the descriptions do not fill you with confidence about what is down here. maybe you found the second bonfire, maybe you didnt. you find a coffin to hide in from the monsters for a moment and meet a *real* monster. you get to the bottom of this black fucking nightmare hole complete with black knight and fucking wheel skeletons. mercifully, after all that you find the boss to be not too difficult, and you get the rite of kindling. you climb the next ladder and see a bonfire in impenetrable darkness. I really think the intended move is to homeward bone, instead of resting at that bonfire, trapping yourself down here, and if not, climbing your ass out through the tedium is your punishment for sitting at one without thinking. this is actually something the extra bonfire by the undead blacksmith basically ruins, because if you were a player who didnt find the midpoint catacombs bonfire, you either fought/ ran your way through the entire catacombs to beat pinwheel which would have been extremely grueling, or you were extraordinarily observant and found the drop down skips. using a homeward bone after pinweel for those players gets you all the way back to the start, you feel like a massive hero/ big brain power user and easily get back to firelink. if you found the midpoint bonfire, you probably had a slightly easier time with the rest of the catacombs, and when you homeward after pinwheel, the run back from there to firelink really isnt too bad and you still know you made the right choice. if you factor in this new bonfire, it does kinda lock you into running back all the way up to firelink for the observant player. maybe i"m too lost in the sauce.

[@lowfianimal8605]

@@MrShinatomaster That is an interesting point. It wóuld also explain why Pinwheel is so easy: You are not expected to fight him at full health, with all you spell slots and Estus flasks. Since you have been fighting skeletons all the way down, your resources are stretched thin so everything he does becomes that much more lethal.

[@ZekDrakonEX]

​@MrShinatomaster considering firelink has 6 homeward Bones under the Elevator and points towards the Graveyard when walk out that part of the shrine. Hinting that it want homeward bone and the cleric charm and Morningstar if you are faith build talk to Cleric people as well for maybe the Homeward spell as you suggested.

[@Slutlyfe]

All of these additions make so much sense and I personally never complete a run with out joining the cult of the grave lord so I will try all of these theories on my next run ❤

[@triplebog]

I'm sure someone has already commented about this. But smogh being weak to lightning kind of makes sense. The relationship between ornstein and smogh is not amiable. For one, O is one of the noble and storied 4 knights. While S is a creepy, fat, executioner who is also a cannibal maybe? When S dies first, O kneels respectfully to consume his soul. But if O dies first, S smashes his body with his hammer and laughs. This makes it seem like S hates O and only submits to him because O is a greater warrior and could kill him (cause he's weak to lightning)

[@michielvansteenhoven7255]

I am sooooo happy that you made this video. This type of run has always been something I was very interested in and it"s amazing to see that you took it upon yourself to realise said run

[@maru2413]

I dare say that the "intended" way to reach Sif was never to buy the covenant of artorias, but to get there through the very long stairway at the hydra lake, that key always felt very oddly priced so I assume they actually expected you to use the "free" path.

[@NN-cr6gx]

I kind of remember someone telling you that buying the Crest is a mistake, but I might be mixing this up with its flavour text which warns you of the bandits on the other side.

[@EastonLee-oj7fy]

Yea I think the crest is for ng+

[@riverunconfirmed]

Can you turn this into a written guide? I'd love to replay the game like this sometime.

[@carlosd.8839]

you can look at the transcript of the video

[@huzayfasyed5488]

the description

[@SusloNick]

You've missed few important intended counters conveniently placed on your way : Skeletons are weak to and get shatterd by maces/hammers - the Morning star you get right next to the cemetery, the Mace in catacombs. Griggs sells you spells to easily counter the notorious Coprodemon - magic shield and decoy, somehow no guide mentions this (or ugrade your shield at blacksmith). Pyromancy from Laurentius counters slimes (they are conveniently placed in bunch near bonfire), letting you easily farm them to upgrade weapon with the larger ember you find right there and upgrade the divine weapon too, so you dont suffer from notable lack of damage (requires a small detour back to Firelink and blacksmith of course but its a crucial upgrade, also Laurentius dumps some useful lore/info and Sweat pyromancy helps vs Quelag so you are certainly intended to chat with him in Firelink before heading down) Spider shield you find in the Depths above rat king negates poison/toxin attacks - absolute must have for Blighttown later. Domhnall of Zena sells armor with high curse resist - really helps if you go near basilisks there (or to Great Hollow right away). (nonessential) Evil eye ring lets you heal back from mosquitos in Blighttown. Ninja clothes set found at the start of Blighttown with good poison/tox resist. (btw Poisonbite Ring is a waste of souls and slot imo cause it doesnt even provide resist for toxin - which is the main risk. Unless you are playing with no guides and dont know of return to Asylum, then Poisonbite is the only obvious counter to swamp) Crest shield of knight Oscar in return to Asylum has high magic block to help with Asylum demon (whom you dont even have to fight btw, you can just grab all the items and get out). For Senns you need a bow to trigger traps and aggro enemies luring them into traps (bows locations are not very close so Im not sure how intended this counter is but it helps big time). And dont forget to grab Steel ring for crucial extra protection with no weight attached. In Anor Londo there is a mimic chest with Crystal halberd (which you can buff!) - its the real counter to Ornstein, not the pathetic 'sad club'. Dark Sun Gwyndolin is easily killed with Dragon bow + Hawk ring (both found nearby) Crystal solders in Archives have high physical armor but are weak to magic/elemental dmg so your lightning spear or divine weapon comes handy again. Channellers sniping you are super annoying so a bow(any really) counters them. Catacombs can be easily done without bothering to make divine weapons just sniping necromancers and macing skeles, then Patches drops divine axe for Nito crew. Real boss of catacombs are the bone-wheels and they are countered by a good shield (but its not anywhere around so you must prepare ahead, or 2-hand any decent medium shield). Giant bone-dogs in Tomb of the giants are best countered by strong ranged spells (ie upgraded fireballs) instead of taking chance engaging them in melee in darkness over chasm. Iazlith is just Bed of Crap and its countered by a bow, good shield and walking carefully (or secret pyromancy strat). Soul of Sif makes into Cursed Greatsword of Artorias for New Londo ghosts (clearly intended but non-essential really cause transient curse drops plenty). Butterfly soul makes into a shield with best magic block vs 3kings (if you even bother blocking and not just dps race them) Late game is honestly not well-structured progress wise, thats why its not as interesting (and not just cause of worse levels)

[@CRojas]

My face dropped at around 5 and half minutes. Wow.... thanks for doing this run. Great content.

[@daphnedherbert]

Coming back to rewatch this after your newest video to encourage you.

[@wgyq1]

One of the best dark souls videos i have ever watched, thx for the time and effort you took to make that

[@albertosara416]

I actually adore this idea, there's so many times I thought about these kind of things too. Specially when you tie in things like Seek Guidance miracle and it even gives you more direct hints on what to do. For example, it hints at how to follow the hidden path to get back to the Asylum and things like that. I didn't even think about many of these little steps you showed in the video. Amazing content!

[@TheFloodFourm]

This video makes me feel so validated I want to cry. I’ve been trying to do this for years it’s so fun to do in these games. Dark Souls 2 and especially Demons Souls are really good for this too! Thanks for the upload!

[@psterud]

I'd enjoy seeing a Demon's Souls version of this.

[@buseyisgod]

That random pyro lady in Lost Izalith is one of the witch's daughters. Excellent video!!

[@MrEScience]

Great video. When I play from games for the first time, I am always thinking about what was meant to be done next, not what I can do next. This was really fun to watch knowing the game!

[@ji_mothy]

glad you enjoyed! I would KILL for a guide like this for Final Fantasy games, especially 9, to make sure I didn't lock myself out of content by not finishing a minigame in disc 1 or whatever

[@tehandroidmaster]

Hey Mothy (Jimothy for long), I know this video's only been out for like 8 months at this point but like... this video is friggin *comfort food,* my guy. The complete FromSoft "as intended" series brings the same type of entertainment I once got from proper longplays of the Souls games way back when, but condensed for my ever-diminishing attention span as I march further into the throes of adulthood. I've liked and subscribed for a while, but here's a comment for the engagement! :)

[@scoobertdoobert6543]

Dude, this is really cool project. I've thought of this sort of thing while playing so to see you make it real and put it into action is good to watch. Cheers

[@BornRemaining]

0:22 Before you explain your theories- I'm dead set on Pinwheel being the intended first boss after you get to Firelink. He's the easiest boss in the game, it's a short-ish run to get to him, and you'll sprint to him kind of naturally if you run from the regular enemies in a panic. He's essential to beat to unlock an item for an ability that seems like something you should have access to from the get-go, soooo....

[@guillermosolacorral597]

Broooo I tried to do this during the pandemic, and you're absolutely right, there IS an implicit ideal run to see all content in an order that makes sense, and using the tools the game gives you. It is such a deep and fun rabbithole to go through, I'm so glad to see I'm not the only crazy mf who thinks like these. Like and follow.

[@andrewt836]

Sweet video Jimothy

[@MizanQistina]

Astora Straight Sword is a Divine weapon, it also come with Dragon Crest Shield that have 85% Fire Resistance. These two are guarded by undead dragon nearby two places, The Blighttown and New Londo. Perhaps originally they want to make enemies in all nearby area are weak to Divine because they all are undead, clearly the shield intended to be used in Lost Izalith which acessed through Blighttown against those fire demon and pyromancer. The shield also have hidden resistance stats 90% vs Bleed, 78% vs Poison, 78% vs Toxic and 78% vs Curse which is actually useful in Blighttown. Perhaps they also want to make ghosts can curse us and that's the reason curse healer is there. But somehow they changed the idea making Divine weapon only useful vs Skeleton in Firelink Shrine graveyard (they originally repawned by Necromancer in early release) and The Catacomb which don't make sense. Astora Knights are icon for DS1 (Knights are icons to all souls game).

[@educampsrocks]

damn this video is real good, im here before it blows up

[@a_level_70_elite_raccoon]

Ah hah! I was right about the rare ring of sacrifice, cos that's the only one that saves you against curses. Excellent video, I never played DS1 until a few months ago, having spent years watching other people play it or watching videos about it. I wasn't able to see everything on my run simply because I just didn't remember certain event triggers and was just plowing through and completing areas.

[@projab]

to your conclusion: sid meier has said that "games are a series of interesting decisions", which i choose to interpret as "a game ceases to be a game if an optimal strategy is obvious"

[@ji_mothy]

100%. It becomes more of a puzzle, one which I enjoyed solving!

[@viceroy_raygun]

I know this wasn't the main point of the video, but I appreciate hearing somebody else point out how Metroid-like DS1 is. This is one of the reasons that it's consistently remained my favorite souls game, you just can't beat that world design!

[@Capnsensible80]

Big disagree on the Metroid-vania point. RPGs going back to the Legend of Zelda (which came out before Metroid) had similar concepts of being relatively open but requiring items to get past certain points. There were tons of other RPGs in the NES era that did this, but Zelda is the first that I know of. It's really just a callback to old school NES RPGs.

[@thedroopypickle]

Lol "If you turn your music off hear theres some creepy sounds" *footsteps and birds*

[@The_Juice14]

10:39 are the terrifying noises in the room with us?

[@GingerCentral]

This was super fun and informative to watch! I just recently beat DS1 back in August and it certainly felt like I missed a lot of content. Glad to see what I had missed because I probably never would have seen some of these interactions/scenes.

[@ji_mothy]

Welcome to the franchise if it was your first! Platinum/100% is rewarding if you feel like NG+ :)

[@GingerCentral]

@@ji_mothy Elden ring was my first(which I beat in July)! I beat ER then decided to do the Dark souls trilogy. Besides most of DS2 it was a very fun experience!

[@kumulonvevo6738]

this is an amazing playthrough. i love entertaining these games like this. Elden ring really is a complete masterpiece when played like this also. almost like these games really were meant to be really fun in its own way

[@roachdawgjr]

Brother

[@halocake117]

@@roachdawgjr OMG Lore

[@kumulonvevo6738]

@@roachdawgjr dear brorther

[@soyelpinchimanix8974]

If you rescue Reah from the Tomb of Giants, she will settle down in the Undead Church, and the story will advance further. Talk to her in the church, and Petrus will confront you with your action of saving her, and tell you that she's "not worth her salt without her family name". If you let Petrus kill you after this, he might say "Too bad for you, I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing." upon your death. Ignore her, and she will be dead after you kill two or three more bosses. Talk to Petrus, and he will tell you that her death is terrifying news. If you choose to kill Petrus after Reah's death, he will drop the Ivory Talisman, one of Reah's belongings.

[@Known_as_The_Ghost]

6:24 it floats down :)

[@Jimmyvdpost]

I got the reference

[@Known_as_The_Ghost]

@@Jimmyvdpost I'm glad. :D

[@DefCatofficial]

wouldyou mind doing this for each game? i'd actually pay for it especially if it's in written form as well

[@ji_mothy]

Stay tuned :) thanks for your interest

[@theamazingincrediblespider9689]

I literally never knew Reah had more quest after she makes her way to the church beyone Petrus killing her. I always thought that was just the end. Great video!

[@ThiagoCRocha-fh6lg]

FUCKING FINALLY!! EAVERY YEAR THERES AT LEAST 1 PERSON IN THE FANDOM THAT BRING THE FACTS! DARK SOULS IS A METROIDVANIA

[@juampan]

Dude, I've been playing Dark Souls nonstop for the last 11 years, but you taught me a LOT of new things not even Vaativydia showed me, like lautrec spying and facing Petrus after, Griggs hollowing in Sen's fortress... Also, it felt nice to take advantage of the things the developers put there as a hint to help with the game, totally agree that occult is not very well placed, but you managed to use it in relevant places, like gwyndolin and Gwyn in the end. P.D. The Detroit become human was funny the first time, after that I would have used other famous games with human to keep the joke fresh, (human fall flat, too human, actually there are not that many...nevermind) but still starting with Detroit (it works the best) .

[@AlejandroCastilloRapper]

For me it got funny after the 20th time

[@6ftginger866]

Sick vid Love the inclusion of the info centre soundtrack from genesis jurassic park So pimp haha

[@nCedric1]

FINALLY some spear appreciation in the Dark Souls community. Idk why they never popped off. "Oh but they deal little damage" so do many other weapons that were popular in their time...

[@ji_mothy]

for me it was how they never CLANK off the walls in the many narrow hallways of DS1. Can't evaluate DPS in a vacuum!

[@kendov288]

Very nicely done. Watched the video in one breath. Keep up the good work!

[@unowngamer9352]

YOU CAN HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR 27 MINUTES???

[@kendov288]

@@unowngamer9352 I am a hollow, but still have my wits about me. Hah Hah Hah Hah...

[@Ginkami]

How rich it is of lautrec to warn you about patches, while he sits there, eyeing up the firekeeper

[@ji_mothy]

ikr? I love that they all have their own moralities

[@ZacharyOrchard]

Intelligent take on a (presumed) exhausted genre--DS lore, of which I thought I'd absorbed the conceivable entirety. Good job bud.

[@QuantaStarfire]

Pretty interesting video. I think the only thing I would have done differently is doing Pinwheel before Sen's Fortress. Pinwheel always seemed a bit too easy for when most people encounter him, and the Rite of Kindling is a very useful thing to have for your trip to Anor Londo. You also get the Darkmoon Seance Ring in the Catacombs which you can put to use once you reach Anor Londo.

[@Kinuhbud]

The lightning spear from Sens Fortress carried me through the whole game... I love spears...

[@gabrielgreen7643]

I try to play like this every time to get all the NPC sruff and always miss key content somehow. You have created truly valuable content in this video; thank you

[@anmar2993]

So this is why miyazaki said he didn't intend to make the game so hard , cause most people dont play the game like how you played it , and the fact that this run was easier than playing overleveled by souls glitches is hilarious.

[@busyoompa]

In my latest runs of the game I've tried to not fully optimize my character with an OP starting weapon and such, but rather to take it slow and appreciate the details of the storytelling and mechanics. And yet, this vid has teached me so much!. Sometimes I dont pay attention to items or weapons given since I am "skilled enough" to not need them, but just understanding why they were placed there (like the fire resist. ring on Sen's Fortress) makes you value them a lot more. Not to mention the NPC questlines I didn't know how to continue!, or the types of damage some bosses are weak to. I'll try this kind of run sometime, to feel a bit more connected to the NPCs and to the game as a whole, like I've been trying to.

[@cabordelu]

I have been playing DS1 from time to time since its release on PS3. NEVER had so much FUN as following your proposed path. Tank you sooo much!!

[@HoduAphrodite]

3:03 the best three lines in the game, mind you

[@Laezar1]

I think the intended experience is to miss stuff so that you can discover new outcomes on subsequent playthroughs, but even then some things are just way too obscure xD Also for what it's worth with the soul grinding, not only are you probably not expected to get everything in one playthrough, players are actually LOADED when playing the game for the first time, because dying, getting lost etc, all let you accumulate more souls. So a lot of thing you need to grind to get would be obtained naturally through playing the game normally innefficiently

[@PaladinLeeroy42069]

As someone addicted to speedrun strats and unintended exploits, this is the real challenge run. Well done, friend.

[@realmshifter9102]

A fun little journey I like to make on this game is the dark hand asap run. The reason is if you use the dark hands, souls suck move you get that NPCs humanity. Not all player NPCs have humanity but there's more than enough to go around. The top 3 with the highest amount of humanity to be soul sucked are Rhea, Sieglinde, and Lautrec. Also, if you're worried about the NPCs aggroing doing this , don't, the grab attack of the dark hand does 0 damage so you get all the humanity for free. Just make sure you grab them on even ground because if it is an unsuccessful grab it can still deal damage and cause them to aggro. But if you care about a quest then Oswald can help you there. If you do this on a fresh playthrough you can get up to 78 soft humanity from NPCs that provide it. You miss out on 4 having to kill Ingward in order to obtain a dark hand from the Dark Wraiths. But that's usually more than enough soft humanity to last a while. Especially to kindle every bonfire to max on a first playthrough.

[@ji_mothy]

Haha I was always confused why the wikis make a big point of saying how much humanity you can steal from them. It's you. You are why 😂 Sounds like a fun challenge

[@realmshifter9102]

@ji_mothy Oh, I'd never take credit for it lol unless I did. I'm just just like you when you said, "I like building decks for Magic more than I like actually playing it." I'm the same but with Dark Souls. I constantly have Souls Planner tabs open on my phone with different load outs, trying to find different ways to optimize builds and how I can get out the most of a given stat investment. Then, when I decide to finally start making the build, I usually get bored about halfway through its creation and want to make a new one, lol.

[@Mplopesz]

I always have this thought that Dark Souls is heavily Castlevania-inspired!

[@thatoneguy1883]

It's runs like this at this moment that I now realise I've missed out a lot of NPC interactions lmao

[@haydenbaldwin7837]

I have never seen like two or more of those npcs not even including never knowing about the undead blacksmith.

[@Smellie069]

recently been getting into dark souls, this video is so awesome. I’m already halfway through so I can't replicate this but I love the videos that provide context for all the parts of the game

[@ji_mothy]

Enjoy your first play and don't stress missing stuff! These games have rewarding NG+ cycles where you can follow a guide :)

[@erdngtn9942]

See my fav way of playing the game is doing it this way but with one stipulation; not using a sheiks for a whole run. I’ve never successfully accomplished not blocking at least once. It’s way more challenging without shield and never parrying either

[@paytongagliardi8709]

Its such an interesting way to think about ""intended"" play because you went to Izalith first, which is totally fair, but i always saw Seath and 4 Kings as intended to be first since they dont drop a whole lord soul. Its an open question though (Kaathe also implies that its not expected to be first etc), and it really makes me appreciate the game for how many ways there are to look at it, so thank you for making this! I dont envy all that npc quest babysitting though

[@wriri]

Thank you so much for your hard work. I just started dark souls and I was so lost on what to do because I died so much. You're awesome!!

[@ataberkdedemen9802]

Will you do a “canon” run of dark souls? Where you use spells which Soul of Cinder Uses, decide NPC’s fates by what is shown at later games (mainly ds3), only wear armors shown at official material (elite knight set) etc.

[@hurricaneman7777]

Now i see where i messed up with Siegward’s quest, excellent video!

[@morganschroeder8179]

My first play through i got cursed in the depths and ended up continuing on instead of going back to find a purging stone, i just kept going and almost lost my mind in blight town, i got stuck up there for 6 hrs trying to make my way down, ended up doing the entire area half health before going back up to get a purging stone. My first play through was more fun and entertaining then any other because i had so little knowledge and i think thats why you said playing it this way on the first run wouldn't be playing your first run lol

[@JoeDejacque]

Amazing content, thank you so much for this video ! Great editing and commentary, well presented and super engaging. Can't wait for more!

[@eliju420]

I didn't know you could bring the firekeeper back. I did get that little extra cut scene with Sif last time I played which was pretty cool.

[@_Minimal]

this was the first video ive seen from you. and honestly i loved it a lot. ive played dark souls for years and i learned a lot from this run specifically. its the first one ive seen of its kind. so good job. i subbed

[@albertosara416]

Actually with Occult weapons there is a tiny little thing that helps! At the top of Sen's Fortress, one of the cages in the building before Iron Golem acts as a shortcut that takes you to the start! Meaning you can actually backtrack without too much problems back to get your occult weapon!

[@joeh858]

is that where the big hat wizard is?

[@Ryndegart]

​@@joeh858no,logan is in the room which accessed by breaking the wall with that boulder trap,or make lizardman attack the wall,or you can just stay near to the wall back to the menu and back to the game to destroy the wall,the shortcut will link last part of sen to the first corridor trap, people usually say BDSM lift.

[@JallenMeodia]

Huh, there is a lot more to some quests that I never noticed and/or figured out. Always nice when a favourite game can surprise you.

[@vonder4479]

Like others have said, you've covered stuff that vaati hasn't even covered. Excellent work.

[@Rvel7919]

6:36 I know I’m late but I dig that Fatboy Slim reference

[@numbersbubble]

you don't need to die to kalameet, you just have to see him fly past when you get to the ladder

[@blizzthecasul364]

"Can I plan a route through Dark Souls that maximizes efficiency and collect items before they're needed." That sentence right there is exactly what makes me hard without having to look at my grandma's photos. I am not sure if it is an ADHD thing, but I can spend my whole day thinking about stuff like this, will it be Tarkov or Dark Souls or any other game in which I can execute a strategy like this and (this is required) I can get a benefit from, like time saving or a currency gain (Tarkov). This idea picks my brain in the right way, I have not even watched past 90 seconds and I know I'm gonna love the fuck out of it, thank you!

[@Khalys.]

Time to play DS1 again I guess

[@deadedd3235]

I’m just noticing Scotland the Brave tune in the background 😂 14:56 - High in the misty highlands, out by the purple islands, brave are the hearts that beat beneath Scottish skies!

[@whitewet8507]

DO ONE FOR DS2 PLEASE!!!

[@wasfureinbua]

very cool content dark souls is always cool for me

[@skellymen2395]

Most of my DS1 runs go kind of like this because I like to get all of the NPC interactions lol

[@NolteGameOver]

ohh so nostalgic, hope to see ds2 and 3

[@Kalknhagen]

Funnily enough, there is no mandatory death in the first fight with Seath. This is the only fight in the game which allows you to leave the boss room through the fog wall and continue through the rest of the area.

[@Leto_0]

Lol I guess the "correct" response is to take one look at Seath and say "Nope"

[@LilacMonarch]

Lol how are you supposed to know that?? You're NEVER able to go out of a fog wall

[@dorongrossman-naples9207]

You still have to die eventually, though. It's the only way to get into the prison and unlock the rest of the Archives.

[@billywillyjilly]

uhhh WHAT? been playing dark souls for 10 years and had no idea all this shit was goin on. thank you x1000.

[@Hodge-_-Podge]

I will probably never play this series simply because I'm not a fan of the controls and story-telling, but the amount of work that you put into this is amazing and its presentation was fun to watch. Also, the fact that you've doubled down on the "Detroit: Become Human" joke is great lmao

[@ji_mothy]

Thanks for the kind words! I was you until not so long ago...

[@supersymm3try]

I always feel sorry for people like you as you are missing out on, imo, the best gaming experience it’s possible to get. Although you definitely should have gone into dark souls and the others as blind as possible, as that first play through where you haven’t got a clue what is going on is what makes the experience so good. I would assume if you’re interested enough to watch it, you could easily overcome the hatred of the controls by just playing through it. Obviously everyone can do what they want, but I feel like anyone who may like these games but doesn’t stick with them for at least 20 hours is robbing themselves of something sublime.

[@Hodge-_-Podge]

@@supersymm3try I've played a good chunk of Demon Souls and Dark Souls back in the day. They just weren't my cup of tea combat-wise. I'm more of a fast-paced hack and slash kind of guy and the slower controls weren't to my liking.

[@drlemon7729]

​@Hodge-_-Podge you could try sekiro or bloodborne. Or even ds3 or elden ring with fast weapons like daggers

[@supersymm3try]

@@Hodge-_-Podge i feel sorry for you that it didn’t click. It’s almost like there’s a whole other rainbow with unique new colours that you basically don’t get to experience if you don’t enjoy the souls games. I’d say it’s that big what you miss out on, not even being dramatic really. Also there are ways to speed up the combat in some of these games, not like brainless hack and slash speeds but definitely faster than ultra greatsword swings etc.

[@nicolomotta7776]

This video is gold, the pdf written one is gold. THANK YOU!!!!

[@kingoftheives3488]

..open the..Cut. Its a shortcut that isn’t short. 😂😂

[@gabrielgiordano4008]

great video. i always knew that you could do it, but it's very satisfatory seeing it done properly. amazing friend :D

[@adrianeden8977]

I'm pretty sure you could have become human after initially missing kirks invasion in the depths and just come back in human form before killing gaping dragon.

[@ji_mothy]

for sure. But I just rushed straight through the boss before checking my list 😭