‘Dark Souls III Developed by: FromSoftware, Inc. Published by: Bandai Namco Entertainment Available on: PC via Steam (reviewed), PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One Release Date: April 12th, 2016 The Dark Souls franchise essentially began with the seminal Demon’s Souls on PlayStation 3 in 2009, and quickly became a larger-scale cultural phenomenon than anyone would have expected out of FromSoftware, …
There’s a lot to love about Kingdom Hearts II, the sequel to Disney and Square-Enix’s mashup of their respective properties. It plays smoother than the first one, the plot elements are better balanced between the whimsical and serious, and all around the production blows the first game completely out of the water. With that said however, KHII does share one key commonality with its predecessor, and that’s a final section that handily outshines the rest of the adventure.
All In explores the rewarding, ego-gratifying and often tedious journey to reach a Platinum, 100% a game, or otherwise achieve every major task in a title. It’s a series that I’ll be spear-heading solo for the foreseeable future but guest writers may take up the mantle as time passes. When it comes to the notion …
Ever since last week there have been little nuggets of dark fantasy floating around the annals of the internet which suggest that 2016 is not too early to expect Dark Souls III, the latest in From Software’s wildly challenging action-RPG series. With IGN and VG24/7 backing the story and two promotional images leaked today, it …
I played the first two Fable games without mercy. I loved the story, the characters, the combat, the writing. They were great games, and they will always remain that way. Then, Fable III was announced, and they had this grand promise of “be the King”, and that was what drew me in. But what should have been an experience that rooted me to my seat, left me questioning my decisions, while forcing me to play through it again really only left me with a feeling of ‘oh’.
When my co-editor suggested we do a monthly theme exploring the concept of long-form gaming, and our most treasured journeys therein, it took almost no time for me to seize upon the opportunity to write about not just my favorite game of the previous generation but very likely the most important and influential gaming experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of enduring: From Software’s Dark Souls.
In the brutal gauntlet of boss encounters in Dark Souls, there are an almost daunting amount of epic and memorable battles to consider. From the soul-crushing difficulty of battling four undead kings in the darkness of the void, to the haunting duel with a fallen hero in a blasted coliseum, to the tragic encounter with a giant wolf who is simply guarding his master’s grave, this is a game rife with intense boss moments, but none carry more nerve-racking danger than the encounter with the former heroes of the kingdom, Ornstein and Smough.
One of the most shocking aspects of the indie gaming movement is how it has led to a laundry list of titles that are almost impossible to describe in simplistic terms. Take Risk of Rain for example. Its creators describe it as a “rogue-like-action-platformer” but it’s clear almost immediately from playing the game that it has RPG elements and can even be described as a bullet-hell type hardcore actioner, especially as the difficulty rises with each passing minute. All of which is to say, it’s a tougher task than usual to explain what makes Risk of Rain so great and so very frustrating in equal measure.
A voice actor may have just pulled the rug out on Square-Enix and Disney as far as Kingdom Hearts III is concerned. Bill Farmer, who voices one of the franchises central characters, Goofy, tweeted earlier today that the game would have a 2015 release.
Following in the footsteps of its divisive forebears, Dark Souls II is an incredibly challenging and endlessly atmospheric action-RPG. Now, with three expansions under its already sizable belt, Dark Souls II is about the most bang a player can expect for their buck for this gaming year, and even though it lacks the power and punch of the original Dark Souls, it has enough new elements and content to easily justify itself. A brutal and beautiful ride, Dark Souls II is an easy pick for my favorite game of the year.
It’s time to check your backs for the Darksign because with the release of Crown of the Ivory King, From Software has essentially closed the book on Dark Souls II. This final episode in the Lost Crowns DLC takes place amid the snowy vistas of a frozen kingdom, and levies some of the heaviest challenges yet.
It’s pretty well known by now that the mantra of the Souls series is “Prepare to die.” Yet, one finds one’s self continuously shocked at the near-trolling levels of effort that From puts into killing the player via tactics of shock, awe, and fear. It would seem that the most appropriate citation is that of the opening cutscene of Things Betwixt, where the three former Firekeepers just laugh at you before you even begin your journey…almost as if they know what kind of horrific traumas are to come.
From the very first trepidatious steps of the new Dark Souls II DLC, the notoriously tough series once again reminds players where they are, and what they can expect from such a terrible place. Crown of the Sunken King, the first of three planned expansions to be released this summer, begins in an area filled with gaping chasms, a dozen different paths, and a waiting cavalry of brutally clustered enemies (many of which are playing dead). Talk about a welcome mat!
Cursed undead rejoice! From Software and Namco Bandai have just announced not one but three episodes of DLC, and all to be released over the course of the next four months.