18 Greatest Video Games Of The PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 Generation

5. Dark Souls

Sometimes a game contains qualities that are hard to explain; a sort of intangible appeal that puts you in a constant state of wonder. Dark Souls is the perfect embodiment of this; it's a flawed game but the experience is like no other. Many choose to berate the difficulty of the game (and yes, you will die constantly here) but really, it's this element that makes it such a rewarding and exciting experience throughout. Enemies in Dark Souls are aggressive and will punish your every mistake; you're on your toes. It's full of tricks and traps that will frustrate, but when you overcome them the relief is unprecedented. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than with the tremendous boss battles which pit you against hulking beasts in intense confrontations. They'll kill you over and over again but when you finally pick up that victory,it feels like you've been crowned King of the World. The design showcased in Dark Souls is incredible too. It's amazingly atmospheric, constantly plunging you into darkness; making those brief moments of light (the game's bonfire system which acts as a checkpoint) all the more important. There's a variety of play styles to use (though the game is made a lot easier if you favour magic) and the minimalist storyline is full of mystery and depth (though you might need a YouTube video or two to explain exactly what is going on). There's nothing like Dark Souls in gaming apart from copycat Lords of the Fallen, and that's a real shame.