How Dark Souls has ruined my gaming life

After my first playthrough of Dark Souls, I thought I'd take a break and play something different for a while. I lasted under 24 hours before starting a new game of DS. I finished my second playthrough on Saturday, and thought the same thing - I need a break, so I'll play some mindless shooter or something.

So today I'm sitting there playing through a certain FPS as a change of scenery, but all I'm thinking is how boring this is, how mind-numbingly dull :roll: . I'm spraying bullets everywhere, eyes half-closed, rarely dying. I'm losing patience with the game's lack of 'soul', pardon the pun.

And that's why Dark Souls has ruined my gaming life. I now compare everything to it, and nothing matches up. I miss everything about it when I'm not playing. I miss the bosses, the combat, the thinking that has to go into it. I miss the sense of urgency that I get with DS - I want to play it every spare moment I get, even though my next playthroguh will be my third. The shooter I played today - well, I couldn't care less if I ever play it again, but DS gets under the skin, and stays there, nagging you to play.

I've now got six games, still wrapped, waiting to be played, but I'm just not interested in them. I just want to play DS again. Does anyone else get like this? Or do you need a break, a breather, a change of pace? I feel like an addict.

Welcome to Dark Souls...

I beg to differ; My taste of games was always very, very picky. I only get games that I see as exception, and only a few games have reach such an exception. Dead Space, Starcraft, and Dark Souls. I did not even like many of the shooters, and I only play it so that I can play with friends. That is pretty much it, and most games I buy do not last long, usually stops when I beat them. Only a few games are an exception to that rule.

So I can say that I know what you are saying, flower skull. I don't remember where you have posted before, so I must say welcome to the forum.

LordRevan wrote:Welcome to Dark Souls...

Indeed . I genuinely feel that I could get rid of nearly all my games and quite happily play Dark Souls and just not get bored with it.

Acidic_Cook, I used to think I was picky about the games I played, but since playing DS, nearly everything pales in comparison. Yes, I'm a massive fan of Elder Scrolls/Fallout,etc, but when I finish those games, I need a break, but all I want to do with Dark Souls is just start again, immediately. And I have to agree about Dead Space, too.

Thats the first 100-400 hours. It goes away. Though I enjoyed other games too much to just not play them for that time.

Story of my life. I've tried three games since I got platinum on Dark Souls but nothing compares. I always go back.

I've felt somewhat the same way. After I first got into Dark Souls I had bought Gears 3, Fable 3, Kingdoms of Amular and Skyrim. I haven't beaten any of them yet because I'm still going through and having fun with Dark Souls. The only exception where I took a week off to play Mass Effect 3 because I love that series.

To be fair, I still play Starcraft. I also still play Dead Space when not Amnesia. Some games just stay with you, if they connect well with ya.

But why is it so addictive? Is it the variation in the way we can play? The difficulty? The originality? What makes me think about Dark Souls when I'm not even playing it? Why do I go to bed thinking about it? And, so far, I've played both my playthroughs almost entirely PvE - I haven't even started PvP yet, and from what I've read, that opens up a whole new world, too.

white knight chronicles 2 sticked with me for 800 hours lmfao it was too damn addicting.

Connection; The primary reason.

I feel you Dreamforger.
I couldn't say why the game keeps calling me back... Again and again. Last Saturday I was trying to kill the Stray Demon with my new experimental toon.
I was being Buttkicked by the fatty that when I killed him it felt like the first time... Although it wasn't.
My point is that exactly, I think that is one of dark souls' attributes that makes you come back over and over again and that is that with every new playthrough come new challenges.

If we understood its power over us we might have a chance of defeating it :') ahh well *kills more hollows*

dreamforger wrote:But why is it so addictive? Is it the variation in the way we can play? The difficulty? The originality? What makes me think about Dark Souls when I'm not even playing it? Why do I go to bed thinking about it? And, so far, I've played both my playthroughs almost entirely PvE - I haven't even started PvP yet, and from what I've read, that opens up a whole new world, too.

3 reasons it's addictive: RPG.
PVP.
EPIC.

I usually play one game exclusively for a looong time, as my parents don't usually let me, and I also dislike spending money. My friends then started getting me more and more into a "hardcore" gaming mode. (I used to suck SO bad at darksouls. Fun, but I stopped after a month at release). I played a bunch of other games, and my Gaming-ADD friend switched me around on so many games. Finally, we landed on TERA, but we played Dark Souls between the weekends because TERA was only open on every other weekend, as it was in CBT. After the first week of Dark Souls, I just didn't want to stop playing. I got on the forums, stayed in the community. I'd slack around Questing on TERA because I wanted to check the forums. I wasn't thinking about healing and giving MP to my team because I was thinking about dark souls.

First game that really stuck to me, keeping me from other games. I have stopped playing games with my friends, for the most part. The last week we had a good time playing Trine2, laughing it up and having lots of fun playing a casual puzzle RPG that takes teamwork. But the next day, I was on the forums again.

I could always play one game for a long time. Same with music and everything else. But Dark Souls has kept me in it. I don't mind being kept from other games, as I now have an excuse not to buy the games my friends want me to buy XD

JoeBroski09 wrote:I usually play one game exclusively for a looong time, as my parents don't usually let me, and I also dislike spending money. My friends then started getting me more and more into a "hardcore" gaming mode. (I used to suck SO bad at darksouls. Fun, but I stopped after a month at release). I played a bunch of other games, and my Gaming-ADD friend switched me around on so many games. Finally, we landed on TERA, but we played Dark Souls between the weekends because TERA was only open on every other weekend, as it was in CBT. After the first week of Dark Souls, I just didn't want to stop playing. I got on the forums, stayed in the community. I'd slack around Questing on TERA because I wanted to check the forums. I wasn't thinking about healing and giving MP to my team because I was thinking about dark souls.

First game that really stuck to me, keeping me from other games. I have stopped playing games with my friends, for the most part. The last week we had a good time playing Trine2, laughing it up and having lots of fun playing a casual puzzle RPG that takes teamwork. But the next day, I was on the forums again.

I could always play one game for a long time. Same with music and everything else. But Dark Souls has kept me in it. I don't mind being kept from other games, as I now have an excuse not to buy the games my friends want me to buy XD

I take it you lost your duel

Dark souls is definitely one of the most addicting games I've ever played. Since I got dark souls, I also bought kingdoms of amalur, assassin's creed: revalations, skyrim, mass effect 3, and the witcher 2 and I have yet to beat any of them because the whole time that I'm playing those games I always think "I could be playing dark souls right now".

It's something different, and there's so much chance for variation. I just made a new character yesterday and managed to get the black knight halberd which I had never used on any of my other 20 toons (yes I do actually have 20). So after about 400 hours of the game, I still found something new to use and experiment with, and I haven't even scratched the surface of pvp yet. Dark souls is an epic journey, and once you get started, you keep going

BartholomewWenceslas wrote:because the whole time that I'm playing those games I always think "I could be playing dark souls right now".

LMAO. Same. Amazing quote, and I'd love to hear a clip of someone saying it. It'd so be my ringtone.

dreamforger wrote:After my first playthrough of Dark Souls, I thought I'd take a break and play something different for a while. I lasted under 24 hours before starting a new game of DS. I finished my second playthrough on Saturday, and thought the same thing - I need a break, so I'll play some mindless shooter or something.

So today I'm sitting there playing through a certain FPS as a change of scenery, but all I'm thinking is how boring this is, how mind-numbingly dull :roll: . I'm spraying bullets everywhere, eyes half-closed, rarely dying. I'm losing patience with the game's lack of 'soul', pardon the pun.

And that's why Dark Souls has ruined my gaming life. I now compare everything to it, and nothing matches up. I miss everything about it when I'm not playing. I miss the bosses, the combat, the thinking that has to go into it. I miss the sense of urgency that I get with DS - I want to play it every spare moment I get, even though my next playthroguh will be my third. The shooter I played today - well, I couldn't care less if I ever play it again, but DS gets under the skin, and stays there, nagging you to play.

I've now got six games, still wrapped, waiting to be played, but I'm just not interested in them. I just want to play DS again. Does anyone else get like this? Or do you need a break, a breather, a change of pace? I feel like an addict.

I totally agree with you. Just bought Max Payne 3. Playing that frustrates me. It does not give me the vibes. Continuously thinkin The combat system, atmosphere, bosses, the general feeling of a great game. Dark souls is the game that i would not forget.

Demon's did the same thing to me.

The only time i can get away from dark souls is if I have a major rage session.(Stupid undead zombies) At most that keeps me away for a week

Great replies here, and it's good to know that it grabs most people, not just me. And yes, every time I fight a boss, it feels like the first time again, which is so strange. Of course I know what to expect, but the elation still feels the same.

Acidic_Cook wrote:Connection; The primary reason.

I think this is it. Yet there are no endless books to read, no characters babbling on for hours about lore, but it still feels deeper and more meaningful than any other game I've played. Oh well, off to start playthough three. Now, do I go for the Pyromancer or the Wanderer........

Ok. My story in short;

Bought the Atlus version of Demon Souls back a couple of years ago. Then I was so hooked, I bought the Black Edition from EU too later that year (summer). After that bought the Asian version (still is very busy btw!!) and then came Dark Souls. Both xbox and ps3 version. I finished both and I started getting memories to Demon Souls again so I started a new class in the asian version of Dem. Souls. Had a TON of fun again. And now I am playing Dark Souls again and again and again.

FromSoftware has a good customer with me. Ha!

Although I have Dragons Dogma atm, I still have Dark Souls in my ps3.

The main reason for me Dark/Demon Souls is great; the unique online system intertwined with the SP.

I do often find myself going 'Sigh, this is just not enough of a challange' at games since Dark Souls. More than anything else I've played, Dark Souls gives you an astonishing sense of achievement as you overcome each hurdle.

Zechk wrote:I do often find myself going 'Sigh, this is just not enough of a challange' at games since Dark Souls. More than anything else I've played, Dark Souls gives you an astonishing sense of achievement as you overcome each hurdle.

I agree, only Dark Souls and Demon's Souls really makes me feel like I did something worthwhile.

I can't play assassin's creed anymore lol, it's just to easy...

I have 3 gaming mood: build-up, challenge, story.

Dark Souls fills up my challenge mood on it's own.

Also, a week off from Dark Souls means I'm rusty already so that means relearning everything again.

hello everyone,i think its time i finally got up on this community., i spend the last week reading through this forum and its great. The thing about dark souls for me is this game doesnt hold you hand IMO, neither did demons souls, its just a challenge that doesnt reli excists in other games for me plus the lore is amazing if you care enough to follow it and as everyone said the rewards and achievements you feel after boss fights and battles with phantoms just top what i describe as almost perfect game. Bring on the dam DLC.