Things I Learned from Dark Souls | Cannot be Tamed

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It took me quite a while to get around to playing and becoming interested in the Dark Souls games. Now that I've played the main trilogy, I've learned a few things I wanted to share.
00:00 Intro
01:26 A word from our sponsor
02:21 You gotta read
03:37 Not bad, just dumb
05:31 Comedy gold
07:09 It's okay to be ugly
07:58 How to git gud
09:58 Level design
11:58 Controllers
12:44 Conclusion
Game footage is all recorded by me on an XBox Series X. Music is from the game soundtracks.
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Intro artwork, logo and banner by: @theMagdalenRose
"Cantina Blues" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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#sponsored #darksouls #gitgud

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Use code my code CANNOTBETAMED for up to 20 free meals from Hello Fresh bit.ly/CannotbeTamedHF #sponsored

[@slaya2006]

Awesome Elvira Halloween outfit! You need to make a video wearing the costume!

[@kendonl.taylor5111]

@Cannotbetamed1 That title thumbnail should have said, "How to get help".

[@user-eb1zv6sr9e]

Git gud isn't rock science learn from your mistakes and use the tools available. These games are as hard as you make them on self in a lot of ways. I mean if you play the souls games and never summon another for Jolly cooperation right you definitely increase the difficulty. And that's fine if that's what you want.

[@Enterred]

"The issue isn't that I'm bad, the issue is that I'm dumb." Welcome to my life.

[@psychodeviant8903]

Not gonna lie, I laughed pretty hard at your point about wanting to get in more than 1 or 2 hits at a time cause that was one of my own hang-ups as well playing the game. Even though the last 50 times I've tried to get in that 4-hit combo resulted in me getting smashed, maybe THIS time I'll be able to sneak it in. Dark Souls will either force you to be patient or will make you pay for your lack of patience.

[@Mechosin]

What I like the most about these games is the metroidvania vibes their exploration gives, their shortcuts, their interconnected levels (which in Bloodborne and DS1 have a very open, non-linear design), the way they lead you to places you've already visited when you don't expect it... wonderful games

[@wobblywally-0]

These games are funny AF. For such a grim atmosphere, it's funny how python esq it can be. running into a group of people who are minding their own business and shoving your sword in their arse and running off like Lancelot never gets boring.

[@hepwo91222]

I mean even the NPC's are funny at times, yeah the Onion Knght, Solaire, Patches, etc. But even the shopkeeper in DS1 in Undead Burg will tell you to fall off a cliff if you don't buy anything or talks to the basket next to him like its his girlfriend? lol

[@Cannotbetamed1]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHe8l2x6jJWLaKc

[@Ichorslick99]

Reading will give you a leg up in these games, can confirm. Like finding out that the Dragons were nearly wiped out by lightning wielding knights and realizing all dragons have a lightning weakness. Or like in game three. Realizing the sludge monsters that come out of humans are made from humanities darkness, so they're all extremely weak to fire. I love that trying to understand the lore will give you advantages.

[@peteharding8573]

The biggest thing I took away from dark souls is cockiness gets you killed, the moment you think you're the best at dark souls is the moment you slip up.

[@High_Bread]

When they had like 10hp left and i had no more estus and trying to go in for them to do some split second attack

[@sekiro3074]

Yes. Yes it does.

[@badtimesgt]

Shortcuts are among the most satisfying bumps of dopamine. Going through a door only to know exactly where you are, as your brain rushes down the path you just took to connect everything will always feel amazing. Glad you came around to the series hehe (:

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Yes, it feels so good. Every time I go past a door that 'can't be opened from this side' there's so much anticipation for when I find myself on the other side of it.

[@aarongaspar]

So, the second you said “Playing while listening to podcasts probably isn’t a good idea” I got killed fighting Havel in Dark Souls 3. Timing was too perfect 😊

[@LastDeadMouse50]

I really appreciate this video. I've tried and failed to get into any Souls like games, and when Elden Ring came out, I found myself feeling like the only gamer who wasn't chomping at the bit to play it. I can appreciate the art and craft behind all of these games, but I just don't enjoy playing them that much. You articulated a number of points that I found applied to my situation, and it was great to hear these to help me truly be at peace with the fact that while I'm happy to watch people's playthroughs or great moment videos, these games just aren't for me personally. Also, congratulations on going back and breaking through some of those barriers (literally and figuratively!)

[@glinteastwood]

Fromsoft games weren’t for me at all for about 8 years. But in 2019 I became a massive fan and remain so to this day. It’s bizarre how my story, or some variation, is so common. So beware. Soulsborne could still getcha.

[@TheShinyShow]

Level design is my favourite thing about the games really. It's why Dark Souls 1 is my favourite too. The links to firelink shrine was just so cool. The ease of fast travelling in the other games, while having its own positives, meant I noticed it most in DS1. I also went down the skeleton path first too and had such a bad time, but didn't realise because I'd been told the game was so hard so it must be normal.

[@sugarhieroglyph]

Yeah that skeleton path is brutal, i went down it first too lol

[@simeon9506]

I love that you brought up how great the level design is. One of my most treasured memories in gaming is making my way through the pitch-black Tomb of the Giants until finally my path was lit up by the light of the neighboring Ash Lake. I could even see the Demon Ruins. Although I couldn’t get to either location from the one I was in, everything felt connected and immersive.

[@alfrankowski8297]

This is really the best starter or re-starter guide for the Dark Souls series. I took a break from video games in general and getting back into them, I started to discover a bunch of open world games I would have really loved. Dark Souls was in that vein, but I definitely was not prepared and even when I watched beginning guides, as good as they are, they forget to tell you (a) read everything, and read everything again, the game has cut all of the hand holding out and this includes descriptions of items and people. (b) Be patient. Overcoming your adversaries is not really about overpowering them, or about learning their attacks, but about being patient enough to work with them in turning the tide toward your advantage. (c) I hated the macho idea that this is a hard game and if your not good at it then you need to find something easier (flexes muscles). I like the idea that first of all you are in a world where you can play the game in many different ways, but ultimately this is a world set up to crush you by giants, so be resourceful, and second, you do not play as a hero, so there is no sense of self other than what you make of each of your eternally recurring runs. If you are not dying and learning to be humbled by that stupid mistake, then maybe you are doing it wrong. Thank you, Pam (if I may)! Re-starting the trek to Anor Londo again.

[@GameBoyGuru]

"I'm not bad, I'm just dumb" is a mantra. I feel that one quite a bit. The stubborn streak is real, and it's easy to dig in your heels when you get frustrated, and often times I figure I'll just brute force my way through something, when I should really be looking at what I'm doing to see if I could approach it another way.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

It's a hard habit to break away from.

[@OmegaMetroid93]

It's so funny, that exact story about getting to Firelink and going into the crypt, getting stuck and killed by skeletons, then putting the game down, is such a common story. Lol

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

Souls games are a not-so-subtle reminder that we humans are wrong a lot, and being wrong is ok. Being wrong is how we learn not to be wrong. I appreciate this video. As a fan of From Soft since Demon's Souls dropped in 2009, I've played and beaten almost every soulslike game I've come across. And it always breaks my heart to see people totally misunderstand the dynamics and point of these games. They teach you to use your brain while playing. To be patient and methodical, to pay close attention to everything, but not to the level of a survival style game. It's a perfect balance of immersion and gameplay intuitiveness. Marry that to the atmospheric settings, interlinking level design and especially the vague lore... it's like a perfect recipe of gameplay. I don't even mind the corpse-run mechanic. It adds more tension. But I can certainly understand why people who favor straight up action games, disdain them.

[@SirVyre]

You described the entire Dark Souls playerbase(or at least its social presentation) with the comments of, "It's not that I'm bad, it's that I'm dumb." and the, "It wasn't that I didn't have the reaction time or skill, I just stubbornly didn't use my full arsenal."

[@QuestMode]

A new Cannot Be Tamed video? About Dark Souls? Today is a good day 😎

[@thegirlwiththecontroller1164]

I've been super hesitant to try a Dark Souls game for the difficulty and patience issue as well, so I can really relate to the "I'm not bad. I'm just dumb" way of thinking. It's funny, because I will spend hours on a Fire Emblem map trying to get my strategy perfect, but then don't do the same with action games. Maybe some day I'll try it and learn to really enjoy them as you have.

[@GuyRification]

The skeleton kicking you off the cliff in Dark Souls 1 is peak gamedev comedy!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I love it.

[@gobowinkler4837]

There's two transformative moments I had while playing Dark Souls games. The first is when you realize dying is an actual mechanic in a surprisingly broad and unique way. There's also a second moment where you maybe level up at a certain point to where you kind of feel like a bad ass and you think to yourself that you can actually do this. Maybe it's a moment where you walk back through an earlier area and drop enemies that had given you tons of trouble earlier. Starting NG+ and just smashing through the first few areas is really satisfying in that way. Glad you eventually came around to the unique Dark Souls experience.

[@kevinbaconwasntinfootloose1742]

Or how about when you beat a difficult boss, or when you complete an npcs quest line. Or play through for a second time and find something you didn't on your first playthrough.

[@zxb995511]

Dark Souls is a game of information more than reflexes. You almost always have 2 ways to solve a problem, brute force it, or finesse it. The people that find the game too difficult usually just want to brute force their way through the game which is the most challenging way to play.

[@Eggyism]

Using all the resources available really helped me “git gud” summoning nps summoning other players, farming souls, you name it I did it. And eventually beat the game and had a lot of fun doing it. I think too many people think they have to tough it out and just slam their face into a brick wall over and over until they get thru the game.

[@pepejjgl]

"The ability to laugh about your own misfortune". What a phrase pAm, I think this apply to real life as well. Always fun and lovely videos. I really want to play DS. but no time or console XD. Have a Blast.

[@ghjong001]

Elden Ring was my first souls game. I loved it... for a couple months. Then I got burned out. I loved the exploration, digging into the lore, making the connections between the item descriptions and the visual storytelling, but by the time I got to the mountaintop of giants, I was pretty spent. So I took a couple months off, then started watching Carbot Animations again, and got right back into the game. And I agree - figuring out how to cheese a fight is one of the most satisfying thing in the game. It's also so much more satisfying if you figure it out yourself instead of reading a guide.

[@StewNWT]

same here - loved it but had to take 2 major breaks from the games as it is long

[@githane]

Yup, Git Gud really just means "theres no shortcuts through this obstacle, you must learn from your mistakes". I find the difficulty, especially for 1 and 2, to be vastly overstated. I often wonder if theres a distinct variation on approach to blind play throughs between people who grew up playing difficult games that required exploration on 8 and 16 bit consoles and gamers who have never played a game that lacks any hand holding. The difficulty reminds me a lot of Zelda 1 and 2. You've gotta pay attention, try things out, explore! 1 specifically doesn't hold you back from going to an area too difficult for you. And it's amazing because of that. One key thing I needed to learn for DS1 to really click... This is a knight simulator. Weapons and armor have weight. This effects your movement. The zweihander will swing like it would in real life, it has momentum. You must plan accordingly. Once that all clicked into place, the gameplay is amazing and I VASTLY prefer it to 3, which focused more on making it fast paced and arcadey. Also, I think watching new Soulsborne players on YT/Twitch is a lot of fun. It's always so interesting watching how people approach problems or try to figure out what to do.

[@douchenozzle77]

For DS3 I recommend learning how to parry. It’s tough to get the hang of it, but it makes the game a whole lot easier. It’s perfectly fine to practice as much as you like on weak enemies and there are many useful tutorials on YT to help. I too played through all three games for the first time recently after years of thinking my mediocre gaming abilities would cause me to burn my house down in frustration. The experience was quite the opposite. Twitch reflexes aren’t nearly as important as observation and patience.

[@Dimensiom]

You state a valid point about those who believe in only "one" right way to play the game. Self-imposed challenges are fine, but not mandatory. The game has mechanics for a reason and using any of them is valid. Any strategy (other than outright cheating) that gets you through the game is a gud strategy.

[@thefearmakerlive]

I avoided Dark Souls games for years. A lot of my friends loved the games, but games being difficult were never a turn on. My GameStop co-workers were fans of the original Demon's Souls on PS3, I played 30 minutes and quit. I bought Dark Souls 2 when it was on sale for $5 on Xbox live, right before the PS4 and Xbox one came out, played 30 minutes, quit. Tried Bloodborne in 2016, beat the second boss, wasn't having fun, then quit. Thought the games were just not for me. Then June 2021, I'd just gotten my PS5, was bored, Demons Souls Remake was on sale on PSN for $40, and it looked so pretty, that I decided to buy it and play it. I fell in love, once I figured my way around the opening area, & beat the tower Knight, I was hooked. After that decided to play Dark Souls 3, which I'd bought on some PSN sale for cheap, thinking Just in case, & now it was 60 FPS on PS5. Also loved it. Then played Dark Souls 2 Scholar of First sin edition, which again I bought cheap just in case , and really liked it. I beat those 3 games over 2 June and July. I was like wow. I thought to myself, I maybe didn't like Bloodborne because I like to play with a sword and shield and use block, which I did in Demon's Souls remake, Dark Souls 3 & 2, but you can't do in Bloodborne. After that I was all hyped for Elden Ring, which I hadn't been, and Elden Ring ended up being a top 10 all time game for me. With it's discovery and exploration just being next level of any open world 3 dimensional game I'd ever played. And I'm coming up on 40 years of consistently gaming, so that's no small feat. I went from someone who didn't care about Souls games to someone who loves them. Also bought and tried Sekiro, but didn't like the feel or movement of the character, and the exploration didn't feel the same. Also I probably wouldn't have played Demon's Souls remake if I hadn't played The Surge 2 on Xbox one on Gamepass. It was the 1st Souls like game I played, and I loved it. Made me think, maybe there is something to this style of game. As I recognized the Dark Souls influences in that game. I then bought it on sale on PS4, because I wanted trophies, but to this day, still haven't replayed it. I thank Gamepass for things like that, I may have never touched Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Unpacking, The Surge 2, without it. And I went on to buy all of those games, and more. Sometimes on the Sony console, sometimes on the Xbox, as I've owned every PlayStation and Xbox, including the PS5 and Series X.

[@duckhead014]

Love that Knight Solaire cameo!! Also the Petee @9:37!! I'm so glad you brought up how Dark Souls is majorly Metroidvania in 3rd person 3D! My first impression of Dark Souls the first time I played it was that it was Castlevania, but finally new. Also, my Xbox controllers also have the RB / LB problem. I switched to 8bitdo controllers and love them!

[@SirPumpkinSlice]

same way you get to Carnagie Hall, practice practice practice. I played it a few times and it's difficulty never particularly intimidated me. Which might be the generation I came up in, where cheap deaths and ambushes were the norm

[@SirPumpkinSlice]

Almost positive I misspelled Carnegie

[@nazmie1179]

Great video, Pam. I’m still playing Elden Ring but I’m planning to play the Dark Souls games too. Thanks for the tips. 👍🏼

[@thugX52]

YES! I love this video. Just the video I was waiting for from you Pam after hearing that you gave DS another shot and learned to love it. There are a lot of spot on points here that I wish more people realize like how it's a game about observing & learning(not just enemy attack patterns but also the level design and item description) & how to set aside your pride and make use of EVERY opportunity given to you to even the odds. I'm not also sure about this fun trivia but from what I remember waaaaay back from when the DS1 on steam was only the Prepare to Die edition, the term "git gud" became derogatory because there are a lot of people on forums that kept asking how to beat a boss but they refuse to accept advice and never changed their tactics and instead complained on forums so the people that tried to help got tired and just meme'd the hell out of "just git gud". Anyways, fantastic video :D

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks!

[@captaindrachma2041]

So happy you started playing through the series Pam!

[@scullyy]

"git gud" is a dismissive hand wave to players who ignore the tools given to them and who refuse to learn.

[@jeremybowers3181]

Well said. And I have not played a dark souls game since 2011 which also was the 360 version. But I will definitely take these tips into consideration, thanks love.

[@Sronmars_Den]

Very glad to hear I'm not the only one laughing at my own silly deaths in Dark Souls ... I mean, rolling in cockily just to get impaled right after and then thrown off a cliffside is just too funny in-game, kind of like a black comedy flick. And Pam, if you ever play Bloodborne, please consider streaming it. I'd love to see that. 🙃

[@davidmosca9557]

The first Dark Souls really taught me how to use my environment against my opponents once I got to Sen's Fortress. But the whole trilogy taught me the same thing: linking the fire is a lie. I learned that after blindly following Kingseeker Frampt in the first game. From then on, I always went with the dark endings. Replaying the first one and finding Darkseeker Kaathe really helped explain things more. A real eye opener

[@hepwo91222]

yeah, its like Kaathe reveals everything is a lie, but he seems like the villain, but he is just a realist. Also Gwynevere being an illusion along with the sun in Anor Londo was also a surprise. Solaire chasing his own sun isn't so crazy, its just that sun might be an illusion?

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I also let the fire go out.

[@hepwo91222]

@@Cannotbetamed1 if you walk out in DS1 the fire dies, but if you speak to Kaathe and not Frampt and beat the 4 Kings boss early, you get like an extra 3 second cutscene when you let the fire die where those snake like creatures all bow before you. Its not worth it just for 3 extra seconds of an ending cutscene, but the dialogue to me was fascinating with Kaathe, like a hidden story.

[@MrLonios]

Thanks for the tips! 👍

[@adamantium4797]

similar to life. Its not about being gud its about the struggle to git gud, similar journey

[@hirakujup]

Once you understand it “Just git gud scrub” is actually insightfully valid advice. 😂

[@vagabundorkchaosmagick-use2898]

Pam, I can't stress enough how right you are on your fifth point (git gud). I've been a Dark Souls player for little less than three years, and I never encountered that toxicity some people talk about, except in very rare cases, exceptions. Most, the great majority actually, of people who say "git gud" refer to what you also refer here: learn the mechanics, use the tools the game gives you to your advantage. From what I see, people like well-respected youtuber Noah Gervais, who still claim "git gud" is off-putting and the people around these games, toxic, are people who don't engage with either the game and the community that surrounds the game, but still HAVE TO talk about these games because clout and views and sponsors and patreon. They never understood the actual use of those words. Anyway, you're right, also, about how the discourse around the game is about the difficulty firstly. Among fans, it's the lore and level design what has the spotlights, but outside the community, yes, it's the "add easy modes" gang who talk the louder, and to gain traction, they conflate (deliberately confuse) difficulty and accessibility, which are two, different things. Tamoor Hussain, unethically, used his influence as a journalist (managing editor, actually) to say that people who would prefer Dark Souls to remain as it is, with no easy modes, are against accessibility options, which is a fallacy, of course. Sorry about the negativity. It's just, these guys get under my skin with their shallow opinions.

[@ArcadePilot]

I wanted to try this game when it was said to be challenging and had a hack and slash game style, I don't do well with items and special combinations, but I liked this even though it got difficult

[@Ddarke11]

The three main things that led me to enjoy these games are: -Play offline. I'm not here for invasions. Don't need it. -Guides are great to use. Tough but fair my ass. The game is trying to cheese you your entire first play through, so I cheese it back. -The most important is to not care about souls all the time and there's usually good places to farm later.

[@gedu7653]

Most helpful and positive video on DS I've watched. Thank you so much!

[@Lorenzo-wh4wc]

Nice..thx for this! 🥳

[@justavian]

I play naked with a DDR pad, but my character always has armor on. Your comments about being stubborn and about trying to get 3 or 4 hits in are really the core of "git gud". If you're coming from metroidvania or other pure action games, it's very difficult to resist that urge to button mash when you see an opening. Dark Souls tests your patience more than anything else. With respect to the stubborn thing, that was a lesson it took me a long time to learn. I fought Manus unsuccessfully almost 100 times before i finally tried something different. I had been wearing some kind of armor that was preventing me from rolling as fast as possible. I took all of my armor off and beat him on the next try. Sometimes armor helps, sometimes mobility helps. I tried to use the mobility approach in Dark Souls 2 and ultimately spent 20 hours trying to get the hang of parry timing and rolling i-frames. Maybe someday i'm going to "git gud" at that one too. Thanks for the video - it was fun.

[@Mary...22-u9j]

i play games nakkie to!!!

[@Davey_Cakes]

I'm not invested in Dark Souls lore at all, surprisingly enough. I play the games for the pure satisfaction of the the gameplay experience, though I do enjoy soaking up the world and seeing all the different locales. The one time I got pissed about the story is when I met all the requirements for the End of Fire ending in DS3 but still linked the first flame because I'm an idiot. Another lesson about paying attention! I'm not replaying the game though; once I finish the DLCs (working on Ringed City right now) I'm done.

[@RaspberryRip]

Excellent video Pam. I've had the Dark Souls games in my Steam library for a long time (buying them when reduced), but have been scared to play them. 😄They've always seemed a bit too intimidating to me. I've felt a bit like you did I guess. Having watched this, I'll definately give them a go now. Thank you. 👍

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Good luck

[@StewNWT]

same here -I have bought all the FromSoft games but it was only after getting full on sucked into Elden Ring that I've gone back to the original dark Souls and found that I love it.

[@cheater00]

Nice vid, Pam. I started Elden Ring but didn't get too far in it. This video makes me want to pick it up again.

[@akimbab]

Cool vid! I def enjoyed the retrospective and I think it's awesome to do this kind of thinking on assessing ourselves and how we play. I know I have to do it all the time on my end both as a player and a dev. I'm gonna send this to my friend who also chooses not to read in Souls games now and see how irritated he gets ;)

[@troobadore]

Another Pro video. Well done- thanks

[@stokes777]

5:31 is very true. And all the proof you need is the many meme vids that have spawned from the community. All of the Dark Souls games have a great sense of humor.

[@superdonut]

I’m excited for this one

[@Onslaught524]

I learned that I apparently play Dark Souls really weird. I almost never used a shield or locked onto targets, instead two-handing greatswords and sweeping them. Probably sounds crazy, but actually worked really well when fighting multiple enemies. Not sure if it was actually a useful tactic or I'm just stubborn, but I beat all three games like this.

[@spaceme0wth]

that controller button is fixable if you are brave enough to open it! mine had the same problem (shortly after DS3 came out...ahem...) and after spending an afternoon doing surgery on it, the button is nice and clicky again now :D

[@makaveli4205]

👻 Happy Halloween

[@scottthomas5819]

Yess!

[@zellar1]

Another great video! Your feelings about tough games are pretty much how I feel on every game!! LOL Patience is a virtue well I have NO virtue which in turn I have NO patience. I have a ton of games and play little bits of them and then on to something else. Oh well! Thanks for the video

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Glad you liked it.

[@radishattack]

And now I have to play through the souls games again.

[@nvrndingsmmr]

The first Dark Souls made me quit "for good" on two separate occasions. The first time was after the dragon bridge toward the beginning of the game, there's a black knight at the top of a narrow tower with a spiral staircase that killed me so many times I can't even begin to imagine the count. I knew I could keep going on the main path and just skip the knight, it was totally optional. I knew I should probably just return when I was stronger, but I was stubborn and told myself I'd beat him no matter what before moving on. Well, that knight killed me for like two days straight, I obsessively threw myself at him for hours at a time, trying to learn the timing of the combat, until the countless deaths completely broke my spirit and I quit the whole game out of frustration. "Psh, I don't need this weird, stupidly hard, obtuse game anyway" I probably thought to myself. My friends were into the games though, and they talked about Dark Souls a lot. Some of the stuff they talked about sounded incredible, and the game... it still felt strange and mysterious to me. Something about the art direction and that gloomy world was irresistible. I decided to give the game another go, many months later, maybe even a year later? The second time I tackled the game, something must've clicked. I had some sort of strange, invisible breakthrough and I understood the combat and timing better on what felt like a pretty deep level, but I didn't really understand what it was that I was even doing differently. I was impressed by how long it had taken me to even just understand the combat and how deeply satisfying it was once I sort of got the hang of it. I was pretty invested from then on. I loved the art and lore, the locations were amazing, and I don't like spoilers so I was able to savor every surprise and marvel at every amazing sight with fresh eyes. My jaw dropped in awe when I finally reached the location after Sen's Fortress, it came as a complete surprise. Then came Ornstein and Smough. I had another period of obsessively hitting my head against an obstacle, refusing to do anything else until I was past it, and they killed me hundreds of times, for several days. Can't remember how many days in a row I spent just getting killed. I knew the battle was supposedly easier if I defeated Ornstein first, but I wanted his armor, and I wasn't going to compromise. After having my spirit completely ground to dust after days of nothing but failure, I got fed up, deemed the battle "stupid", and quit Dark Souls "for good" again. Several months went by, maybe a year? I'm not sure what prompted me to return, maybe my friends were playing and discussing a sequel? I don't know. I returned to the game after all that time and tried again and again. On one attempt I got lucky and beat them. I did it! I took the elevator up and found (spoiler). I got the (spoiler), which granted me the ability to (spoiler). My eyes shot open and I stared in disbelief, mouth agape. I couldn't believe it. This game, a game which had forced me to go through so much pain and suffering, which punished me so much and completely defeated me, shattering my spirit *twice*, now kindly offered me a gift. In such a big, dangerous world, the ability to (spoiler) felt huge. With that giant text still on the screen, "By the power of (spoiler), you may now (spoiler)", I carefully put my controller down beside me and literally kneeled in front of my television. I kneeled before the game, humbled, full of gratitude, and full of respect. Here was a work of art that I'd had a multi-year relationship with that had completely broken me twice, brought me back, and taught me to love and appreciate it in the end. A freaking videogame did this. I was silently kneeling in my room. I stayed there for some time. I think that was the moment I realized I actually really loved Dark Souls, and that Dark Souls rules. "Wow, I wonder how many videogames can actually manage do this to people and affect them in such a powerful way." I thought. I don't think the game would've had me reacting so powerfully had it been easier or less weird and obtuse. This was Dark Souls. Before I knew it, I was farming every enemy that dropped armor until I had a full set of every kind of armor in the game. I wanted every weapon and item in the game. I read every single item description. I devoured those item descriptions and their little kernels of lore like pieces of precious candy. I missed Ash Lake, I missed the Painted World, I missed Gwyndolin and I didn't know I could return to the Undead Asylum. I thought I'd combed through the game meticulously, but despite my best efforts, the game showed me that it still had its secrets, that it had outsmarted me. Multiple times. You can even save Solaire. Dark Souls is huge and labyrinthine. Dark Souls is ugly and intimidating and mysterious and beautiful. It's infuriating and rewarding. I devoured DS2 and DS3, but DS1 holds a special place in my heart. Elden Ring was incredible from start to finish and I was at the end of the game wondering "Wait, when do I get to go to Volcano Manor? Did I just skip it?" After obsessively combing through the game map and hitting every location, collecting every weapon and armor piece that I could and reading every item description. Had I somehow missed every entrance to that entire area? The answer was yes. There was still more to see. There's always more. I love Dark Souls.

[@Comicsnculture]

Nice to know I’m not the only one who listens to podcasts when playing games

[@felman87]

"It's ok to be ugly" Boy is that a lesson I need to learn. "In Dark Souls, right?" ...yes...

[@tyote]

"You're playing a hopeless wretch in a world stuck in a never-ending cycle of misery," ... Yeah. "... and you're fighting against giants and dragons." Oh, right, still talking about Souls. Great rundown on the style and charms of the series. Other games don't quite feel the same after you fall in love with Souls. Almost makes the destroyed controllers worth it...

[@anthonywheeler2082]

It's cool that you learned about yourself through playing videogames. That's beautiful!

[@kulrigalestout]

Yyyyep. I have had many, many dumb deaths. Failed jumps, rolling/walking off of cliffs, insisting on parrying against 4 enemies I have never encountered before, wondering what the ominous black bar filling up meant... Fun times :)

[@frozenninja4030]

This is a great vid, Pam. It took me a long time to get into the Souls games. I still haven't beat most of them. I got pretty deep into DS1 and then ran into Capra Demon and couldnt make it past. Then I leaned I could cheese him so I tried that. I was just hoping to kill the damn dogs in there but ended up killing him too and then felt really bad about cheating my way through a tough fight and quit. This video made me want to go back and finish it, cheese and all, just to put it behind me.

[@RearWheelZeal]

That fight is really designed to feel daunting to new players, but at the end of the day it's an optional and extremely exploitable small encounter that shouldn't be allowed to get in the way of an epic first playthrough. Best of luck!

[@enriquefornasini9019]

Great video. I love and enjoy Dark Souls for the goods and the bads. You Just got to accept it. And as you say you keep laughing for all those funny drops or ridiculous over the top situations. And learn from when you are good and when you are bad. Is hard also as you said to be discipline, but that is really a great thing to learn from a game.

[@mjjjhaney1]

I imagine that you could find some tech nerd, in your area, to repair your bumper button. This video was awesome!

[@scarfade1635]

try kings field games if you enjoy dark souls. that is where the creepiness thrives from.. also play them in a dark room with no light

[@CyRive]

If you enjoyed the level design of the Souls games, you might try From Software's earlier game, King's Field: The Ancient City for PS2. The interconnected-ness of that game is astounding for a PS2 title, not to mention there's no load screens, which is probably a more impressive feat for the time. I will say, though, most people do not like the slow, clunky controls and combat of the King's Field games. If it doesn't bother you, there's a lot of fun exploration to be had!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Maybe I'll keep an eye out for a copy.

[@renendell]

Git Gud isn't disparaging. It means persevere and persist. Adapt and overcome. Cunning is as effective as prowess. Valor is a thing for fools and dead men.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Truth.

[@isaacs.5862]

:DDD I love how this video ended. I have only played a relatively minor Soulslike game: Code Vein. It taught me that it's OK if I am actually just bad. It's ok if a game is mediocre. Having a likable companion, even a not very reliable one, goes a long way toward making any experience worthwhile. If I have to put my character in a game, loneliness is not an option.

[@Zeiru]

I never could get into any game in the series no matter how I tried. It might stem from my experiences with King's Field on PS1. Your video gave me a new respect for the style however, so thank you.

[@Quartered_Rodent]

Poor controllers. I've replaced so many throughout the years... fixing what I could and replacing those I couldn't. I feel for your collector's edition controls... you'd think they make them a bit more durable huh? Great video.

[@mendez704]

I tried to play that game once, and never could pass the first monster. My problem with it is that I can't manage to handle the combat in 3d while having to handle the camera control at the same time.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

The camera can be a pain sometimes. The lock on really helps though.

[@pwnmeister420]

I played lots of everquest back in the day, so I was primed for the soul series when it was released.

[@tamash.5291]

New video!! Yaaaaay!!!!

[@hepwo91222]

I had a similar journey, played the game long ago over all the hype, was frustrated, hated it, put it down only to return years later when it had become a successful series with people discussing the best games ever on PS3 or Xbox 360 as Dark Souls 1 and again whne they were calling Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3 the best PS4 game. I had to go back to understand why. Went back to Dark Souls 1 and finally got it, have played through all of them now including Bloodborne, Demon's Souls, ELden RIng, and Sekiro, and it might just be my fave game series ever. Its a toss up for me between Zelda and the "SOuls" games as my all time fave gaming IP.

[@Plague_Angel]

I went through 2 controllers playing souls games on xbox. Luckily they are very easy to repair. Replacement parts are rather cheap also.

[@mathewward1626]

Long time no see Pamala!! 🖐😁

[@adnanferdousleo9528]

Such an interesting video esp for those players who are planning to jump into the souls franchise but cannot find any encouragement to start their journey

[@BlondeMcGuinn]

“Git Gud” is the most toxic meme the Dark Souls community gave the world. If you’re looking to get into Soulsborne, or if you’ve jumped in and are struggling, do not listen to the Git Gud folks. Soulsborne is a lot like challenging action platformers of the past in that it can be figured out through pattern recognition and memorization. You don’t have to wait until right before you get hit to use your i-frames if you’re struggling with that, just block. There are many workarounds to technical shortcomings. I hope you stick with it (if it’s worth it to you) and come to adore these games how I do. They’re magical experiences. Great video Pam! Big Ups!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

Thanks!

[@DivebombMovies]

10 hours of majula theme

[@ricardohernandezvega8588]

Fun and interesting 👍

[@spacetrains30]

This is a really good video

[@AvanToor]

8. Take breaks! Your pride or determination may want to take advantage of your frustration to lift you up to new heights. It rarely happens. If you notice that you're deteriorationg, put it down. Come back later with a clear head and notice how much easier things are now.

[@hepwo91222]

I can relate to the R button being worn out on these games, I used a Xbox Elite controller and its a $200 paperweight now! lol But I loved every minute of these games.

[@philosophyoftrucking]

One of these days I’m going to try this Hello Fresh service.

[@tonydeluna8095]

hi Pam! any plans for halloween? I have enjoyed your retro gaming reviews have a good week!

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I have a Halloween party to go to... no KZbin related plans.

[@tonydeluna8095]

@@Cannotbetamed1 that’s awesome! Yes for sure no KZbin I just meant like going out with friends. Have a good day!

[@greyfox111483]

I also decided to finally give Dark Souls an honest effort wallet earlier this year and really came to enjoy it. I ended up putting 200 hours into DS1 and am still making my way through Elden Ring at 200 hours there as well, just too much to explore.

[@joet6434]

Have you tried Bloodborne or Sekiro? having played Dark Souls 1-3 & Elden Ring & having gained a better understanding of what makes fromsoft games work will you be more inclined to try the clones like the Surge or Mortal Shell titles amongst others?

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I haven't tried Bloodmorne or Sekiro. I find most Souls clones I've tried just copy the difficult combat and stamina management, which is the least interesting part of Dark Souls.

[@JamesQPurcell]

As you are quite the Metroidvania fan, and you've now experienced the Souls series over the last year. Would you consider Souls games 'Metroidvanias'? I personally think of them as cut from the same cloth, and in many respects Souls games are the 3D evolution of Symphony of the Night in particular.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I think they're adjacent, but not actually metroidvanias since you never really learn any new skills that let you progress.

[@I_Am_The_Social_Reject]

I listen to podcasts all the time playing Souls. Of course you don't do that when exploring new grounds lol. Just when you repeating areas or grinding

[@johnpettigrew3056]

You must master and connect with your inner "Roly Poly" to conquer Dark Souls 😐 It's the only way to become "More Guder" I've been playing a very ridiculous retro game about a Heroine named Lady who wears a mini skirt, thigh high boots and carries a katana blade and whip 😂

[@chocolocojames213]

I just stopped compeletly and kept on trucking with Pacman 256 😁😁😁

[@willbloodworth5248]

Hell yeah, second time I caught one right after posting \o/ Dark Souls is

[@Seirzaku]

Most of these lessons I got with Armored Core. But the others came from Soulsborne. In addition to one additional lesson. If you die. It's 99.8% your fault.

[@legionarybooks13]

Dark Souls 1 is still my favourite of the entire franchise and the one I will return to from time to time. The world feels truly connected and the ambiance just grabs me more than any of the sequels. I always allow the First Flame to extinguish (I was furious on my first playthrough after linking the fire and seeing the crappy ten-second ending!), which in my 'head canon' is the only way to break the cycle and thus the sequels never happen. DS3 is decent, though it just doesn't hold up the same to me. Albeit, I do really like the Fire Keeper's character and will occasionally get the urge for another playthrough. DS2 is a bit underrated, though to be honest does not feel like it's part of the same storyline. While I do at least somewhat get the hype around Elden Ring, but after 20+ hours it still felt disjointed and uninspired. There never felt like there was any sort of plot to latch onto, much less care about. I may get flamed for this, but I honestly think it's seriously overrated.

[@hepwo91222]

yeah I do a playthrough of DS1 every year, it might be my favorite game ever, it is certainly up there. If I were to rank the From Software "Souls" games it would be 1. DS1 2. Sekiro 3. DS3 4. Bloodborne (if it wasn't for farming blood vials it might be 1 or 2!) 5. DS2 6. Elden Ring 7. Demon's Souls

[@legionarybooks13]

@@hepwo91222 I haven't played Sekiro yet, but keep hearing that I need to. Unfortunately, since I game on PC, I don't have access to Bloodborne or Demon Souls.

[@hepwo91222]

@@legionarybooks13 yeah, I mean Demon's Souls was sort of a rough draft for what the series would become, I think its the weakest in the "Souls" series, but still a very good game worth playing. Bloodborne is my favorite PS4 exclusive by far for a console that is known for some pretty good exclusive games. I really feel like PC should get a 60 FPS Bloodborne or at least unlock the PS5 version to 60 FPS, the game is too good to be lost to time stuck at 30 FPS.

[@Cannotbetamed1]

I like DS3 the best. And I let the flames go out as well. Or let them engulf everything in Elden Ring.

[@vaguedreams]

You know, I'm a firm believer that any game that maps a primary action to a bumper button is just broken. Don't care if it is on the Xbox, if it is on the Playstation, it's just a horrible design choice. It hasn't happened to often but when it does *for the xbox* I remap the controls in the xbox accessory app and call it whatever game i'm using it for. I want to say the last time I did it was for D&D game in the forgotten relms where you play as the crew from ice wind dale. That one quickly got uninstalled after crashing my console a few times. I do wish dev's would just give me the option to Remap and Combine inputs. You may want to consider trying it out and seeing if it works for you. It's a bit clunky, but the health of the slick controllers is paramount. I like to keep my accessories working tip top and honestly never even considered it would go bad (even though it's seems to be common enough online).