5 Things Dark Souls Reminded Us About The Joys Of Gaming

1. It Doesn't Have To Be Hollywood

One of the poisons that seems to be infecting modern video games is this "need" to make a Hollywood movie out of a video game. Now, this doesn't concern cinematics, rather, the thought that game presentation is based solely on cinematics and cutscenes when that is just not the case. So many games are out for that "movie look" and end up missing out on presentation points that make video games more engaging than a movie. Most people who have played Dark Souls can agree that it does not look like a movie. The camera is the old-school center-camera, behind-the-player look, which is surprisingly fresh to see compared to the 3/4th person view we always see, now, as well as the obviously dated character models. Another thing that most Dark Souls players can agree on, however, is how beautiful the game still is when you stand in Firelink Shrine and look out over the landscape or when you meet knight Solaire and see the way the sun shines over the world and, especially, Anor Londo (possibly the most beautiful place in gaming history) which, with its cathedrals and giant hall, really looks like the home of the gods it claims to be. It's these moments in video games that, somehow, do something that movies and paintings cannot. The way that a developer who really cares about the project can weave together a near-masterpiece that is still being talked about 2 years after its release. So, there you have it. From Software really hit the mark when they made Dark Souls, not only by making a fantastic game but also by creating something that tapped into our nostalgia and the inner drive to play video games that was born when we played that first game, whether it was Super Mario Bros. or Crash Bandicoot or even Call of Duty. Here's to looking forward to the release of Dark Souls 2 next year. Now, let's all hope and pray they fix that damn framerate problem!