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TheCursedBossKiller — Save me from my own review script. Jesus.

Published: 2017-02-22 23:00:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 2861; Favourites: 47; Downloads: 3
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Description The first part of my script for my review of Dark Souls 3. (The art isn't mine.)

    Hello everyone, and welcome to my review of Dark Souls 3. The Souls series has always been one of my favorites, and so when I heard of Dark Souls 3's release I got decently excited for the long awaited return to the series. Now excuse me if the review might seem slightly opinionated, as I will bring up the other games in the series and my lightly explained opinions on them. Also, HEAVY spoiler warning, as I will go in depth about the Lore, characters, bosses, and world of the entire Dark Souls series. If you haven't played these games I highly suggest you do, they're some of the best games I've ever played.
The game starts off in a well rendered CG Cut scene detailing the setting of the game and the core bosses that will be showing up within. It does it's job fairly well, and I believe it to be a good cut scene, all things considered, it gets the setting, bosses, and other things down fairly quickly and well.
Subsequently after the title animation comes the character creation menu. It's fairly standard for the series, nothing extraordinary, but it does what it sets out to do. I just created a standard Knight character and moved into the game.
    As soon as the character creation is finished you are treated to a small cut scene of your character raising out of his coffin into the Cemetery of Ash. The general tone of the Cemetery of Ash seems to be over-grown and worn down, most likely due to the countless years of usage, the thick fog and the look of the gravestones and moss give a thick atmosphere that really fits the general tone of the series. There are many messages on the ground that explain what to do in the early game, which I find quite the brilliant design choice, as more experienced players can walk right past these orange markings. As well as the fact that when you enter one of these games, to quote Matthew Matosis, "You only need to know how to move the left joystick," which is also very good design on the game's part. The enemies are your standard series hollows, whom usually only take a single hit to kill, and the first encounter is a single one, secluded from the rest, not only does it fit with the nature of hollows, to wander, it also gives new players a way to get used to Dark souls 3's new and faster combat system (As the game's engine is passed on from Bloodborne.). Shortly there-after comes one leaning against a wall, a clever way to let players practice backstabs. A short walk down some stairs comes these two hollows, allowing you to test your mettle against a slightly larger challenge.  The level design in the Cemetery seems fairly linear, with a few tiny pathways to the sides of the area that only lead back to where you came, making them effectively useless unless you want to kill only around two enemies more. The Ashen Estus flask is an interesting addition to the series, as instead of Dark Souls One and Two's amount of uses system and Bloodborne's Quicksilver Bullets consumption system we now have the Demon Souls "FP" bar system, where a third bar is added to the hud indicating how much "FP" or "Focus Points" you have, and they are drained every time you use a spell or Weapon Art, which is a new addition to the series. Weapon Arts act as a special move unique to the weapon you have, holding down the L2 trigger on the PS4 or the LT trigger on the XBox, right after pressing either R2 (RT), or if it's a stance weapon art pressing R1 (LT) or R2 (LB). This adds a new aspect to combat, which is always good. Further to the right is a small path leading to a huge crystal lizard. I have very mixed feelings on this giant reptile, as it's a decent challenge to veterans, but will annihilate a new player in the blink of an eye, sure it allows a higher learning curve, but it seems too high for most players to surmount.
    Back where a hollow archer is, is where a path lies, leading you forward To a cliff side, where you find your first bonfire, and get your first gesture - "Rest." Afterwards, a single hollow greets you, the hollows leading to the boss don't die in one hit, leading you to be a little more aggressive while fighting them, after two more and a right turn comes one leaning against some tombstones, I killed him here, but then I get ambushed from behind by another hollow, teaching you to be on guard whenever you're exploring. A small curve in the mountain leads to a bowsman and a spear, I like this due to the slight escalation in difficulty and the game's way of testing how good you are in tough situations. A small trek back up the hill leads you to a small rock leading to a jump, teaching the player the mechanic and then rewarding the player for using this to their advantage with a Titanite shard. Right after this comes a small dropoff to another enemy, allowing the player to try a drop attack. I really like this subtle and very good implementation of mechanics into the series, as the game doesn't hold your hand through the experience and rather tests to see your awareness of your surroundings and when to find a good opportunity to use what you've learnt. Past another archer lies the first boss - Iudex Gundyr, who I find to be a great beginning boss, the beautiful scenery dotting the arena, the intricate movements of the boss, the option to try out your parries, unlike what I did here***. The boss has a second phase in which he transforms into an Abyss beast, or what the community calls: "The Puss of Man," and becomes more ferocious, sadly, he becomes very easy to dodge and punish in this phase, therefor the second phase is alot easier in my books. After claiming the coiled sword fragment and lighting the bonfire, the only way to go from there is through a huge set of doors. In comparison to Humanity or Human Effigies, this game's version of becoming human involves the item called an "Ember," which you obtain throughout the world, by killing bosses, or by killing players. The Ember is different from the humanity in Dark Souls 1, as it's a one time use thing until death, alot like Dark Souls 2, except without the stupid 5% Hp drop per death thing. After opening the door and being treated to a familiar sight, you have many different options to go from here, and this is where I got excited, as I thought it'd be alot like Dark Souls 1 with all of it's non-linear pathing and different areas each branching from a singular place, but to my sad displeasure I discovered all of the pathways to be singular, linear paths out to the sides which lead no-where. I've been awaiting this kind of design ever since my first play through of Dark Souls 1, but it ceases to appear. I've heard a joke saying Dark Souls 1's level design was a mistake, which at this point I'm contemplating it actually being true.
    After going around the side of this large building and killing two hollows you are met with the Sword Master, an NPC like enemy that carries the legendary Uchigatana, he would be an interesting fight if it weren't for a certain exploit that makes him kill himself. I took the honorbound route and killed him myself this time. After killing him you're presented with another path that happens to loop around back to the front of the walkway, past a dog and a few Embers and a Homeward Bone.
    Entering the huge building reveals a suspiciously familiar name, Firelink Shrine, and as soon as I enter I get that same sense of adrenaline from before, with the insides layered with many winding staircases and paths, with a central bonfire in the middle like Dark Souls 1, but what is there to expect from the series now-a days, as none lead to anything important or interesting, no new areas, and if you rest at the central bonfire it's revealed that the travel feature is unlocked from the beginning again, like in Dark Souls 2. It certainly isn't all bad though, as the area certainly looks nice, with a new Fire Keeper situated in the area. Sadly, once again, you cannot level up at the bonfire like in Dark Souls 1 either, but with the fire keeper in the central hub.
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Comments: 15

TheFurriner794 [2021-05-16 09:31:53 +0000 UTC]

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

BionicleImmortal [2017-09-19 04:55:09 +0000 UTC]

Long may the sun shine!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

FunsTimister [2017-02-22 23:04:52 +0000 UTC]

Oh my...

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TheCursedBossKiller In reply to FunsTimister [2017-02-22 23:06:57 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, this is gonna be a long ride, thanks for the Watch, friend! Hope you enjoy my content, and I'll link the review when it's out.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FunsTimister In reply to TheCursedBossKiller [2017-02-22 23:13:39 +0000 UTC]

You're darn right I'll enjoy this ride!

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TheCursedBossKiller In reply to FunsTimister [2017-02-22 23:16:36 +0000 UTC]

 Cheers, friend! *Raises Siegbrau* Also the review shall be done in video format, on a channel I shall be advertising here. Just wanted to inform.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FunsTimister In reply to TheCursedBossKiller [2017-02-22 23:18:11 +0000 UTC]

Aye aye! Right behind ya! Cheers? *Pulls out glass*

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TheCursedBossKiller In reply to FunsTimister [2017-02-22 23:19:42 +0000 UTC]

*Pours you a pint or two* 

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FunsTimister In reply to TheCursedBossKiller [2017-02-22 23:22:56 +0000 UTC]

Well thanks! Now we Clank?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TheCursedBossKiller In reply to FunsTimister [2017-02-22 23:25:46 +0000 UTC]

*Clink's tankard* *Chugs Siegbrau*

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FunsTimister In reply to TheCursedBossKiller [2017-02-22 23:26:55 +0000 UTC]

Yeah!! You're not the only one struggling in a review! Lol I'd really love to see how your's go! Is this your first time?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TheCursedBossKiller In reply to FunsTimister [2017-02-22 23:28:28 +0000 UTC]

Yep, thanks for the best wishes, what was your first?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FunsTimister In reply to TheCursedBossKiller [2017-02-22 23:32:00 +0000 UTC]

Actually, I'm on my first too.. it's actually a documentary though but still has somethingto do with "info!" I'm going to be making a documentary of Doujinshi (Fan Comics) and how they affect many artists for who they are by their fanfictions and how they love many titles that have reached popular media.

Another friend of mine is doing a review of a movie and was going to post it on YouTube. It was a collaboration with another friend bit sadly the other friend's microphone is broken and he has to wait for awhile.. so he's doing another review without him. ^^

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TheCursedBossKiller In reply to FunsTimister [2017-02-22 23:35:23 +0000 UTC]

Ah, sounds good, I'll watch it when it's uploaded. 

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

FunsTimister In reply to TheCursedBossKiller [2017-02-22 23:42:18 +0000 UTC]

We'll see! ^^

👍: 0 ⏩: 0