Dark Souls is known for being hard, but these tips will help people who are trying to finish their first game.
Dark Souls is the famous RPG from FromSoftware, a famous Japanese company. Dark Souls takes place in a fantasy world that is dying and sends players on a trip to see beautiful places and fight very tough enemies. Going into this world is a risky business. There’s no telling where a player might end up if they go in without planning to.
For someone who is new to the Dark Souls universe, entering this world might seem like a big deal. There are lots of different ways to play the game and a lot more to learn about how it works. But what are the most important things you should know before going on one of the best adventures?
Dark Souls is all about the thrill of facing and beating tough monsters and discovering strange new places. But not all of these places are safe to go through early in the game. Find a really tough part with monsters that are way too strong and do way too much damage, even though your level has been pretty steady. Early on, the player may have found an area that wasn’t right for their level and gear.
If this happens, don’t feel bad about leaving and coming back when you’re stronger and have better gear. Dark Souls is about figuring out what to do and how to do it. We’ll see you later.
Starting Class Is Only For The Early Game
When a Dark Souls player presses “New Game,” they are taken to the screen where they can make their character. The very first thing players should do is pick a class. Which class is the best, though? It doesn’t really matter. With enough levels, you can change from one class to another.
But levels are mostly important in the beginning of the game. Are you scared of death and weak? If you want good protection and health/endurance, choose the Knight or Warrior class. Feel the need to keep your enemies at a distance and interact with other people less? To do the most damage at the farthest range, choose the Sorcerer class.
Experiment With Weapons Before Dumping Points Into Certain Stats
Not sure which tool to use? In Dark Souls, there are a lot of different types of weapons and a lot of weapons that belong to those types. It’s important to try out the moveset and see how fast, how far, and how much stamina it costs to find the best tool for the player.
Does clearing the area with a huge Zweihander and killing everyone you see work? You might be more interested in the quick, agile moves of a Rapier or Uchigatana, or the “get in, get out” approach. Or maybe staying far away and firing Soul Arrows at them over and over with a Catalyst will bring you a lot of happiness? No matter which way you choose, trying all of them will make the experience better.
Check Weapon And Armor Stats
Make sure that the right stats are leveled before choosing a weapon or piece of gear to wear. This will save the player some unpleasantness. Need to use that Greatsword badly? Make sure your Strength level is high enough before you wear it. If it’s not, every swing will feel slow and easy.
Going to a place where there are a lot of enemies that do poison damage? To be ready and escape getting sick to death, check the poison stat of each piece of gear. The same goes for places where there is a lot of fire. Some enemies in these places need to be able to fight fire very badly. Be smart, and don’t go into a fight with enemies without being ready.
Dodging And Parrying Is Very Useful
It might be smart for Dark Souls players who have the patience to learn yet another important part of fighting to learn how to dodge enemy hits. If they’re really feeling brave, they could even learn how to block. Dodging is an important part of all Dark Souls games. It’s especially helpful when fighting enemies whose attacks can’t be blocked, or just when you want to save energy instead of blocking.
But parrying is very helpful when enemies hit too quickly or with too much power for you to constantly dodge or block. In the early game, practicing this is best done against hollows because their hits change speed and angle. Adding these skills to your list of tools will help you beat this game without dying.
Poise Is OP
If ducking and parrying are too hard or are seen as weak strategies, balance is the new best friend of the player. The Dark Souls ability Poise is way too strong. When armor sets like Havels or Giants have very high physical resistance, Eggy Car can become very easy very quickly.
Taking hits and barely losing health and never getting stunned is a truly amazing experiment in making a game that is usually very hard less difficult. Tank their hard hits like they’re nothing to turn the Smough and Ornstein into a pair of Hollows. Remember: You need to pay attention to your endurance if you want to wear heavy gear well.
Big Shield, Big Win
Adding a huge Greatshield to Dark Souls might not be enough to make it as hard as Fable 3, but heavy armor with good balance might. There are three types of greatshields: Havel’s, Giant, and Stone. When paired with gear that looks just as scary, these monsters can block out even the sun.
Because it’s hard to learn how to block and dodge at first, this method is great for people who are just starting to play. Players can experience a type of “turtle” gameplay by blocking everything with a 100% Physical shield and high Stability. Put up that shield, stop the enemy’s attack, and then fight back.
Pick Certain Stats And Stick With Them!
You can’t go back in Dark Souls. When a stat is confirmed on a level up, it’s set in stone. Players can choose their build ahead of time if they know this ahead of time. Want to use a greatsword to crush your enemies? Strength and stamina are important. Would you like to use the Estoc or the Rapier? The best way to do this is to be dexterous.
The first things that new players should always do is level up their Vitality and Endurance. Health and stamina are very important for staying alive. When you’re healthy, mistakes don’t kill you right away, and when you’re exhausted, you can use that extra swing to kill a tough opponent.
Learn Boss Moves (Dying Is Learning)
In Dark Souls, boss fights are both an exciting part of the game and a chance to learn new things. Almost all of the bosses have their own set of moves that make them different from each other. Once learned, these move sets can give the player the upper hand against that annoying boss that’s hurting them a lot.
Figure out the clear motion cues that a boss is about to attack, and then use them to your advantage with a quick dodge and strike. If a player gets good at this, they will have a lot of fun fighting bosses and enemies in Dark Souls.
Don’t Expect To Win Every Fight
It is possible to beat bosses and almost all other enemies in many games on the first try. But in Dark Souls, every fight is a chance to learn something new, and sometimes it’s not good because it takes a lot of tries to beat an enemy.
You shouldn’t even get close to an enemy that seems easy because you could die badly or because they’re not worth the time it takes to attack and should be skipped. Once you know this, exploring or going backwards will go much more smoothly during your first run.
