My Dark Souls III Decision
Originally published April 2016If you've been to this site before, or if you have watched any of the YouTube videos we have for Dagon Dogs, you've probably learned by now that I am a huge fan of the Souls series and have been since Demon's Souls came out on the PS3 in 2009. I don't have a review of every game here on the site, and I don't know what happened to my original review of the first Dark Souls game, but it probably sucked anyway, and would gladly write a new one. I could talk about that game for days and not get tired of it.
You may also be aware of the fact that I was a little disappointed by Dark Souls II, which also happened to be the last game I bought within a week of its launch day. I'd already stopped purchasing games close to their launch date for a couple of years because I didn't really feel like the value of most games justified the price, but Dark Souls II was given an exception. Due to my disappointment in its quality, as well as how they've released several versions of the game since then, I've become apprehensive of even my favorite modern game franchise. The "buggy launch & re-release" business model has infected the Souls series just like any other, so, I had more or less resigned myself to just waiting for it to drop in price before buying it. Video games are, after all, an expensive entertainment hobby and I tend to be a pretty patient and stingy guy.
Image: Bandai Namco
Yet, I still may just get Dark Souls III next week, nonetheless. There are a number of reasons as to why I may be willing to stave off my hunger for souls, though, there are a number of reasons as to why I'd be willing to break my usual rule for Dark Souls III and pay full price for a game. To help me weigh my decisions, I've listed the factors that may convince me to join in the Souls Fever early or wait until the sickness subsides.
My Soul for a Souls Game
The Souls games have become my favorite modern video game franchise ever since I finished the original Dark Souls and I realized there was still so much left to experience in it. I loved Demon's Souls, top to bottom, for its ingenuity, its story-telling techniques, and for the artistic creativity it had. I did not think it could be effectively expanded and improved like the developers at From Software managed to accomplish in Dark Souls.
The transition from one game to another was both fresh and new with the various mechanics changes, though it was still extremely familiar and could easily be seen as cut from the same cloth. The level design was more intricate and thought out, the boss battles were bigger and more frequent, and the world was filled with secrets you were very likely to miss the first or second time through. There are still things about the game that I'm discovering as I go through it yet again on what is likely my 10th playthrough.
Image: Bandai Namco
It's a series that does what I want in a video game in how it gives the players the tools and the mechanics and only asks that the players learn the rest on their own. It's an intelligent game design that asks its players to be intelligent. If you hope to survive in the harsh world in which the game places you, you have to be capable of learning the safest paths, the attack animations, the most successful strategies, the various ways to exploit the game, and how to successfully execute all of it. Every enemy, every boss fight, and every scenario is a puzzle to solve that requires you to effectively execute your solution if you hope to progress. Many of the secrets can be easily found if you just know how to look for them and if you think about it enough. I enjoy this hands-off approach because it allows me to experience more of the game in my own way. Less of it feels like scripted set-pieces and more of it feels like my adventure when I'm the one figuring things out and exploring the world for the first time.
The Sequel Pattern
As I said, I was disappointed by Dark Souls II. That isn't to say that it's a bad game. If it were, I wouldn't have beaten it several times and gone through the trouble of getting all the trophies for it on my PS3. The combat mechanics were still solid and, in some ways, better than they had ever been—the same is true with the user interface. There were still cool items and sets of armor to discover, and the enemies were creatively designed. Nonetheless, it felt like a step down in terms of the overall quality that I came to expect from the series. The level designs seemed less interesting or thought-out, and the mythology of the world had some significant blank spots. I could really only point to a few areas that felt like there was anything interesting about it in terms of look, design, or lore. There were other areas that felt almost devoid of any personality to them and I wondered how much of it was the result of the game being unfinished.
Dark Souls III has a better chance than II in terms of getting things right, due to how it's transitioning to the new consoles and has had to upgrade to a new market. When DS2 came out, the market was well-established and they didn't have to work as hard to get people interested in the game. Now, they're trying to sell on Xbox One and PS4, in addition to the established PC market. Since so many people are on the last generation of consoles and do not already have the current generation, the developers have to work a little extra to impress and pull in people on the new console market. That may be the creative incentive they need to make something special again, rather than a formulaic Souls game.
Image: Bandai Namco
Still, I'm apprehensive, as the sequel patterns of video games tend to indicate that quality dips lower and lower over time with the occasional bursts of brilliance. This is especially true of franchises that are annually released or even bi-annually released. Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed are both examples of franchises that started off fine, then got really good after some much-needed improvements, but then stuck too close to the formula over time, and didn't attempt to make many new strides in the games' designs, and have since lost the favor they once had. A more personal example is the Uncharted franchise. I liked Uncharted 1, loved Uncharted 2, but generally disliked Uncharted 3, due to how my expectations weren't met after 2 had raised them so high and how 3 did very little to move the series forward. It felt like we were taking steps back. I know I'm not alone in my sentiment towards Dark Souls II, and while I think it's a good game mechanically, much like Uncharted 3 was, I'm worried that the Souls series is headed down the road of rinse and repeat game design, likely to lose all of its creativity and, well, soul.
The first few weeks
Anyone who's ever played the Souls games can tell you the best time to play them is when the game first comes out. This used to be the norm in video games, but in the modern age of game development, this has become less of a truth. Back in the land before the internet, you couldn't as easily find the solutions or secrets hidden within a game. It was often discovered through word-of-mouth or the monthly magazines that would come in the mail. Even then, it would still take a long time for everyone to discover the different fatalities in Mortal Kombat or all the power-ups in Metroid. I liked playing games early so I could experience all the secrets before my friends told me. Now, with walkthroughs and guides available online and in stores before the game is even released, the same experience of discovering game secrets has been diminished and there's less of a reason to play the game early.
Not to mention how game development has become slightly less finalized in recent years as well when it comes to the state of releases. Now that games can be patched through the internet on the day of the release, games tend to be released in an unfinished or sometimes broken state (we'll get to that in a moment). The current business model is also responsible for the games that are re-released a year later with all the DLC bells and whistles attached. Most big releases these days have plans for downloadable content to be released within the same year, to further add to the price and value of a game. Once the title has been out long enough, it's time to re-release it all together in a bundle edition, giving publishers a second chance to charge full price for the same game. In other words, companies are almost motivating the player NOT to buy their game when it first comes out. The Souls games are a rare instance where there are legitimate reasons for hopping on board early.
Image: Bandai Namco
One good reason to jump on early has to do with the competitive nature of Dark Souls. This is true with most games that have a competitive multiplayer aspect to them because it gives everyone the chance to play on equal footing. If you've ever played a video game online against other people, you are likely aware of how frustrating it can be playing against people who are leaps and bounds better at the game than you. Dark Souls has never had a real match-making system other than keeping players within the same character level range of each other. That does not take into account player skill, however. Your best chances of winning in combat in a Souls game against other players is to join early while everyone is still learning how everything works and no one has had the time to waste their life away practicing the mechanics and becoming a pro.
The main reason to hop onto a Souls game early, however, has to do with the same sense of discovery I mentioned earlier. Part of what makes the Souls games so special is how little they tell the player up front, giving them the chance to learn it all on their own. As a result, much of the game's mechanics, covenants, item uses, and boss strategies are learned, developed, and shared by the players. Often, this information is shared through vague notes players can leave on the ground for others. The notes themselves are designed to be cryptic and nondescript so that they could be interpreted as either helpful or harmful, adding an element of trust and wariness to the gameplay when a note says something like "strong enemy ahead." It creates this bloom of comradery among players as they all try to figure things out together and share their theories or practices in the game. The developers didn't bother or have to tell them anything. The story is told with the same hands-off approach in Souls games, so figuring out the story, lore, and symbolism is a group effort as well.
Image: Bandai Namco
Strategy guides containing tips and secrets are usually the source for much of the debates over lore and gameplay. Each game has been released with a strategy guide in tow to fill in some of the gaps, but none of the games will have the same vacancy of information as Demon's Souls. The only way to get its strategy guide was to order the limited version, which was indeed very limited in quantity. The lack of access to the guide and the fewer people motivated to share its info on a Wiki page made the gameplay in Demon's Souls more dark and mysterious.
With each release, From Software has strived to make its games more accessible. With this being the first cross-platform game for the new consoles, I'm sure it will be that much more accessible than the last time. Which, to me, means that information will be more easily found and used. I have a feeling a lot of the same stuff that was present in the other games will be there and the total number of new quirks will be low in comparison to previous entries. Still, I do enjoy playing Souls games when no one knows how anything works, especially because it means I won't always lose when I play against someone online.
Patience + Bugs
I've already let Bloodborne slip past my grasp so I can possibly let Dark Souls III do it. When Bloodborne came out last year, it was the first of the From Software Souls-like games that I didn't jump on immediately. Since I still do not have or particularly want a PS4, I have yet to play Bloodborne. By the time I do, it will likely be ancient history to anyone and I'll be lucky if there is any sort of online community left for it. Since it was a new IP, there were likely even more mysteries and secrets to discover than I would have been able to glean from a Dark Souls sequel. I missed out, and that's okay. I could certainly miss out on another Dark Souls, right?
Considering the fact that the developers have proven that their creativity is only matched by the number of bugs that seem to appear in their releases, I'm also a little reluctant to jump into the game immediately. I've heard about the various review copies they sent out to journalists and games media companies for review, and how the copies are loaded with bugs. Some are so bad that the reviewers couldn't even play the game without selecting a particular character type. Perhaps the developers will make a patch in a short time, but that hasn't always been the best source of solution when it comes to their games. The Souls community is filled with talented coders who have solved issues with the gameplay and graphics with their own patches in the past, in a relatively short amount of time. Still, it may be a few weeks before the game is truly playable and I have my doubts about the game's performance and what sort of trouble it may cause.
What I've Seen
Dark Souls III was not even on my radar this year until a few weeks ago. I knew it was coming out at some point, but I didn't know when and I didn't really care too much. I had already assumed I'd just pick it up during a Steam sale or something, as my dedication to the series had waned significantly after DS II. For this reason, I decided to do what I normally wouldn't have done for a Souls game and watched a preview stream from GiantBomb.com.
After watching them run around the first couple of areas and deal with the various enemies, I was intrigued once again. It looks like they kept many of the things I liked about Dark Souls II, but increased their focus on the artistic qualities that made the series so special to begin with. The level design seems more intricate again with shortcuts appropriately placed, enemies deviously positioned, and a few new gameplay surprises that are reminiscent of Bloodborne's speed and Demon's Souls horror elements. After witnessing the apparent wealth of creativity that flowed through the opening section of the game, I became hopeful once again that the Souls games were returning to form as I knew them. Hopefully, they didn't just put all their effort into the early levels.
Image: Bandai Namco
Prices and Preorders
There are plenty of things I disagree with in terms of business practice and the culture that has emerged within the games industry, not least of which is the pre-order nonsense that has permeated the industry since the days of the Super Nintendo. There was more purpose to pre-ordering games back then since the supply was more limited than it is today. It made sense to try to reserve a copy before it sold out. That's hardly a problem in today's market with there being so many ways to buy the game for multiple devices and in different formats.
Now, they have to incentivize you to pre-order, as opposed to the simple supply/demand formula of the past. What you're typically offered for the various versions and the pre-orders of games has gotten ridiculous lately. They'll throw whatever little digital content, extra costumes, or figurines they can to convince you to promise them you'll be there to pick the game up as soon as it comes out. The few commercials I see for games always end with a "pre-order your copy today" statement, as though we can't wait for the game to come out before we throw our money at it. It seems, the only thing that companies care about is making sure you buy the game on day 1 and pre-orders are a method of tracking that.
Dark Souls III is a little more modest, though still guilty. If I were to pre-order Dark Souls III on Steam, I could get $5 off the price of purchase. It would save me money, certainly. However, I still think I'd rather pay the extra few bucks, in all honesty. I don't think pre-ordering is the bane of the gaming industry—and this could certainly lead into a much longer conversation—but the short of it is, I think pre-ordering is a dumb thing that is part of the video games industry and isn't going away so long as we continue to pay for things before they come out.
Image: Bandai Namco
What about if I just wait till the release day to buy it? I still think that games are too expensive for their own good and would rather not continue to make game publishers believe their prices are justified, but Dark Souls is a rare franchise that, in my opinion, provides a fair amount of quality content to warrant its price tag. Plus, buying the game early is a way of supporting the developers of a franchise that I hope continues to improve and innovate over time. It's one of the few modern game series that I'm willing to pay the full price for admission. Even games like XCOM 2, which still greatly interest me, I'm willing to wait for the price to drop and for bugs to be fixed. Other games, like Bloodborne, for instance, which offered a brand new Souls-like experience, have their own issues of being locked behind its own price tag and that of their exclusive console, essentially making a $60 game a $400 purchase. At least with Dark Souls III, I can still play along without busting my wallet.
Wait or No?
Despite how little Dark Souls III was on my radar and how little I cared about the title until a few days ago, if I do any waiting before buying, it will be probably only the first week to see some reviews come in and let the early patches fix any big bugs or complaints. I may have had my interest tested by DS II, but from what I've seen, and with my longstanding love for the series as a whole, it would be difficult to let this pass. Dark Souls III will be available on PCs in a week, at the full price of $60. It will likely be re-released with all its cumulative DLC, and I'm still willing to buy it because I'm that much of a fan. My body is ready for the torture Dark Souls III is destined to inflict.