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It’s Dangerous to Go Alone

By Greg Meyer
August 28, 2018

zelda

Image from Zelda Dungeon

So last Friday I bought Dark Souls for Playstation 3.

“Why would you do that to yourself?” asked my bewildered wife as we drove away from the store.

Good question! And I’m sure my shaky reply of “I don’t know!” didn’t exactly boost her confidence. For those who don’t know, Dark Souls is an Action RPG where you explore the ruins of a dying land and attempt to save it from a terrible fate. Speaking of dying, be prepared to see the phrase  “You Died” often, because that’s what you’ll be doing, a lot. I mean it. You die on a regular basis. However, each death has a purpose, teaching you a vital lesson in how to survive the hostile world of Lordran.

I bought Dark Souls based on the enthusiastic recommendation of my friend Marcus. He’d regale me with epic tales of daring raids into hostile territory, defeating mammoth bosses by the skin of his teeth, but also tempered with heartbreaking moments of absolute failure. Now, normally that last bit would scare me away from Dark Souls, but something tempered my hesitation: the community aspect. (more…)