Dark Souls
A punishing action RPG known for stamina-based melee combat.
Where Dark Souls comes up3 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testThe Secret of Mario's Jump (and other Versatile Verbs)
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testThe Magic of the First Legend of Zelda
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testThe Last Guardian and the Language of GamesDark Souls works by making safety cost something and accepting that it will lose some players. Its shield slows stamina recovery, so defense carries risk. Cryptic hints and player messages keep mystery alive. Miyazaki accepts that its difficulty drives some players away because it gives the game meaning. Lesson: let core systems carry real tradeoffs, and plan for the players they cost you. The sources give no figures.
- 1Raise the shieldStamina restores more slowly
- 2Watch bar and enemyEyes dart between meter and enemy
- 3Lower the shieldNeeded to recover stamina sooner
- 4Stand exposedOpen to attack for a few seconds
From Dark Souls page notes
What was said about Dark Souls
Dark Souls slows stamina recovery while the shield is raised. The stamina meter restores more slowly while the shield is up. To recover sooner, players must lower it and expose themselves for a few seconds, so staying safe has a cost.
Attention flicks between the stamina bar and the enemy about to strike: "your eyes will be darting back and forth between the stamina meter and the enemy".
Dark Souls keeps mystery with secret walls, cryptic hints and player messages. It uses secret walls, cryptic hints and communication between players to point toward things without giving the game away. Mark Brown ties this to the freedom and mystery of the first Zelda, which still work today.
Brown argues Fez's maps toward secret areas are "even better compromises between mystery with accessibility" than Zelda 1 offered.
Miyazaki accepts that Dark Souls' difficulty will lose some players because it gives meaning. Dark Souls is cited as an example of the trade-off between meaning and fun: its difficulty costs it some players but gives the game its meaning.
Brown pairs it with Trico's unreliable obedience in The Last Guardian, which divided players. He calls making systems both enjoyable and charged with meaning "a brutally difficult balancing act".
The Secret of Mario's Jump (and other Versatile Verbs)
Stamina recovers more slowly while the shield is raised, so players must drop it and risk a few seconds of exposure. Attention flicks between the stamina bar and the enemy.
Dark Souls slows stamina recovery while the shield is raised. The stamina meter restores more slowly while the shield is up. To recover sooner, players must lower it and expose themselves for a few seconds, so staying safe has a cost.
Attention flicks between the stamina bar and the enemy about to strike: "your eyes will be darting back and forth between the stamina meter and the enemy".
The Magic of the First Legend of Zelda
It keeps secret walls, cryptic hints and communication between players, showing that freedom and mystery still work today.
Dark Souls keeps mystery with secret walls, cryptic hints and player messages. It uses secret walls, cryptic hints and communication between players to point toward things without giving the game away. Mark Brown ties this to the freedom and mystery of the first Zelda, which still work today.
Brown argues Fez's maps toward secret areas are "even better compromises between mystery with accessibility" than Zelda 1 offered.
The Last Guardian and the Language of Games
Cited as an example of the balance between meaning and fun: Miyazaki accepts that its difficulty will lose some players because it gives the game meaning.
Miyazaki accepts that Dark Souls' difficulty will lose some players because it gives meaning. Dark Souls is cited as an example of the trade-off between meaning and fun: its difficulty costs it some players but gives the game its meaning.
Brown pairs it with Trico's unreliable obedience in The Last Guardian, which divided players. He calls making systems both enjoyable and charged with meaning "a brutally difficult balancing act".
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