Top 5 Reasons Why Dark Souls Will Eat Skyrim's Face. [IGN, translation, specially for Gamer.ru]
Everyone loves Skyrim. So do we.
But there’s another RPG hitting stores in the coming weeks, an RPG that could change the industry and how we view our favorite pastime. Skyrim is very popular right now, but there’s one game that surpasses it in every aspect. We’re talking about [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls).
Here are five reasons why [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls) will save the gaming industry and eat Skyrim's face in the process.
1) ONLINE MULTIPLAYER
SKYRIM
There is no multiplayer component in Skyrim, despite years of fan requests.
Todd Howard from Bethesda on multiplayer: "The two most requested features we’re working on are dragons and multiplayer. Right now, one of them is ready," he said IGN. "We’re constantly looking at multiplayer, throwing a lot of ideas on the whiteboard, but all in vain. It’s not that we don’t like it. I think it would be a lot of fun. At the end of the day, we take as much time as we can from creating the best single-player game, and that’s where our hearts are."
This means no online, co-op, or PVP. Nothing.
[DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS)
[Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls), the spiritual predecessor to [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls), was hailed as one of the most challenging and epic action RPGs on PS3. IGN awarded [Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls) as the best RPG of 2009, and other media outlets widely named it Game of the Year in 2009. It had multiplayer aspects over two years ago that rivaled any others in the industry, as well as being far less common in its specific genre, and all without compromising the single-player experience.
Why didn’t competitors take this into account?
From Software was TRULY innovative where competitors like Bethesda claimed they simply couldn’t find or spend the time on development.
We played the game and checked all the claimed multiplayer information from From Software. There’s no doubt about it. As Keza MacDonald from IGN says, multiplayer in this game is “one of the most compelling... features of [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls).” From Software created something new while others were following the beaten path.
WINNER: [DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS) - When it comes to the concept and implementation of multiplayer components in games - developers have clearly not reached their creative peak. We certainly don’t claim that Bethesda changed its mind after thinking about multiplayer content, like [Dead Space 2](/games?search=Dead Space 2) or [Bioshock 2](/games?search=Bioshock 2), and it's exploring possibilities for online and introducing innovations, especially considering they have been working on the game for over 5 years. But Bethesda either didn’t consider it important enough or didn’t care to spend time on it, or perhaps they lacked the imagination to introduce something new at this stage of the game’s life.
2) DLC AND PRICING:
SKYRIM
Bethesda announced plans for DLC long before the game actually released, going as far as announcing an exclusive deal with Microsoft. Additional content will be exclusive to 360, making PS3 (and PC) owners wait.
The standard edition of the game will cost 149.99 for a small statue, art book, map, and 'making-of' DVD. Pre-order offers include various interesting items, such as a special map.
The average price of DLC packs is
[DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS)
From Software stated at Gamescom that they have no plans for DLC.
Daizuke Uchiha, Principal Publishing Producer at Namco Bandai Games Inc., recently went on record with this statement: "...we do not plan any DLC for [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls). The game, with its finished layout of enemies and level design, is deeply balanced... I would prefer to provide an equal amount of opportunity for everyone, in terms of competitive play and achievement for obtaining all elements, based solely on the player's efforts.
The collector's edition of [Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) is priced at $59.99 - a standard price for any regular edition of a game - upon release, anyone who pre-ordered at any store will receive a limited edition collector's tin packaging, limited edition hardcover artbook, plus a digital voucher to download the game’s soundtrack, a digital mini-strategy guide, and a 'making-of' video.
WINNER: [DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS) - [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls) brings us back to the days when buying a game in a box meant a final purchase. Skyrim fans may wait months and longer for a 'final' completed version, aka 'Ultimate Edition', which will cost less than the launch price and will include all DLCs/add-ons.
3) EPIC SCALE
SKYRIM
Oblivion boasted one of the largest territories among console games, yet it was criticized for having 'too much empty space.'
Developers were asked how much larger Skyrim was compared to Oblivion, and Todd Howard responded: "...In general, the territory is roughly the size of Oblivion... But for us, it feels much larger because of the mountains."
The action of Oblivion takes place in Cyrodiil, part of the land on the Tamriel continent where all [Elder Scrolls](/games?search=Elder Scrolls) games occur. You could not explore all of Tamriel in Oblivion; the events of Skyrim take place in another part of land in Tamriel. The areas explored in Tamriel were indeed massive in scale and size, and many of us here at IGN spent 100+ hours within their boundaries, especially considering the Shivering Isles expansion.
The world of Skyrim turned out to be the same size, which suggests we should expect more vast, desolate spaces, which were severely criticized in Oblivion. Sure, you can fast travel once you've explored locations, but wouldn't it be easier not to fill a large amount of space with needless filler from the start?
[DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS)
One reason why [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls) is truly more of a spiritual successor to [Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls) than a direct sequel is that its structure underwent significant changes. Now [Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) features an open structure unlike anything seen on contemporary consoles.
Commenting on the scale of the game, producer Kei Hirono called it "...a connected seamless world. If you see a location in the distance, you can walk there. This world is three to four times larger than the world in [Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls). Also, this game has twice as many accessories and weapons."
[Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls) consisted of huge levels divided into segments. 1-1, 1-2, and so forth. When players died at any point, even at the end of a level, they were thrown back to the start. Once the levels were cleared, you were sent to the NEXUS to choose different parts of the Boletaria world to explore afterwards.
[Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) is different... players will explore Lordan, a vast and deadly maze filled with secrets, traps, enemies, and god-like bosses, many of which are unique and placed in the world with careful calculation by the development team. Fewer repeating mobs that gradually upgrade from Black Knights to Super Black Knights to RAGING BLACK KNIGHT KILLERS, and more special enemies and zones to explore, and yes, dying in them.
The design and layout of the game are maximally open, and the open world has much more in common with Japanese games like Metroid and Castlevania, where exploration can occur in many paths and directions, with shortcuts opening as they are completed.
WINNER: DARK SOUL - From Software has truly surpassed its predecessor in terms of scale, while its competitors have not raised their stakes, which they admitted. [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls) fills your time with battles and plenty of exploration options, while Skyrim is likely to be filled with TONS of fetch quests (if we’ve learned anything from Oblivion), as well as long conversations with trees and other exposition content.
4) TOUGH BATTLES AND A REAL CHALLENGE:
SKYRIM
Oblivion faced a lot of criticism for its weak combat mechanics, which lacked a sense of "impact."
Things like the indistinct distance between the player, enemy, and sword swing area, floating animations, and a 'sloppy' feel in third-person perspective irked many players and critics.
By all accounts, Bethesda seemed to have made a lot of improvements to the gameplay and combat. Will it be enough? Judging by the time I spent with the game at PAX this year, the combat system of Skyrim has improved in my opinion, but it still resembles Oblivion.
For a moment, let’s set the combat system aside; Bethesda's role-playing game structure leads players by the hand, clearly defining what to do next in missions.
[DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS)
The combat system of [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls) can boast one of the most venerable lineages in the gaming industry. Every button press is precise and calculates an action that the player must unwaveringly carry out at their discretion. Solid and intense action. You can’t pause the game, and players exploring the world with their guard down face certain death.
From Software created one of the most, if not the most, hardcore action RPGs on modern consoles. PS3 owners have already experienced this in [Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls), but Xbox 360 users have yet to experience the pain and reward in this video game.
A whole generation of gamers raised on Halo and [Call of Duty](/games?search=Call of Duty) has never gone through such an epic journey as this, likening its difficulty to that of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls) is Zelda, fully grown up and sinister. From Software is truly creating the first genuinely modern progress in classic hardcore gaming, closely following the hardcore legacy of [Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls). Developers have created one of the last bastions of classic action adventure in an industry dominated by short campaigns, playing themselves, and offering easy rewards.
The unique aspect of [Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) is that you are not led by the hand. Every one of your failures occurs not because [Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) is cheap; it is very strict with the player. The developers think about the game as a strict sensei, teaching you resolutely, with quiet discipline, teaching how to play - and overcome - by following the rules of the game.
WINNER: [DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS) - The rivalry between players and belief in their persistence and skill is increasingly a forgotten art, and this is an absolutely crucial aspect of games that is simply absent in the modern market. [Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) shows a reverse trend, and it BOLDLY risks being different. The gaming industry will change because of this pure and simple fact. You’ll see.
5) DRAGONS!:
SKYRIM
As mentioned above, Todd Howard explained that fans had two demands. Multiplayer and dragons. And while they haven't brought anything to multiplayer or online yet, dragons have become the centerpiece of the world of Skyrim.
Players, controlling a 'Dragonborn' of the human race, must find and defeat various dragons in the world of Skyrim. The dragons are designed under medieval inspiration, resembling their counterparts from the movies DragonHeart and [Reign of Fire](/games?search=Власть огня).
Some fans praise the game solely because it has dragons.
But have they seen [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls)?
[DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS)
In [Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls), dragons play a crucial role, and From Software went further, using all their imagination to create legendary monsters, unlike any other in the genre of epic action.
Players who have watched snippets of video [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls) Prologue recently discovered that DRAGONS play a very important role in the emergence of the world of Lordan and the curse of the lands of the dead. The lords of Undead, risen from the dead, in an epic battle exiled the dragons that once ruled the world, who had their own Crystal Dragon, Seathe, betraying their own kind for unimaginable power.
Other dragons, such as the headless skeletal dragon and a huge, red, fire-breathing monster shown at E3, are also a big part of the world created by From Software. Fans even saw a dragon that apparently got burned, hidden away in acid. DRAGONS - UNDEAD!?!
WINNER: [DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS) - In Skyrim, there are dragons, but in [Dark Souls](/games?search=Dark Souls), there are crazed, mad dragons that arrive with their characteristic challenge.
WINNER:
[DARK SOULS](/games?search=DARK SOULS)
Think back to the current generation of consoles; you have never played a game like [Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS). Even [Demon's Souls](/games?search=Demon's Souls) cannot match what the guys at From Software conjured up and are ready to release into the world in the coming days.
[Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) comes fully complete and doesn't require DLC, its scale rivals the largest game worlds on the market, it boasts possibly heavily complex combat mechanics and extremely fearless level difficulties, and yes, [Dark Souls](/games?search=DARK SOULS) has DRAGONS.
Your bag of chips is there. What else do you want?
What? You disagree? Let’s hear your arguments. Comment...
Note:
Here I have finished my FIRST translation of an article in my life (university ones don’t count), judge me kindly. Criticism is welcome. :)
The article is relatively old, about 2 months ago. At the time, it caused quite a firestorm resonance on IGN.com and spawned over 5000 comments. As for me, it’s particularly relevant now, as both games have been released and final conclusions can be made.
Translation by: drozdek
*The article was taken from IGN.com.