Chapter 125: Reputation Reversal

Chapter 125: Reputation Reversal

On the day Dark Souls launched and the following day,

players who entered the game were primarily discussing just how exaggerated the difficulty was, and how malicious the game's design felt.

These players launched various protests on Chen Xu's official Weibo account and the Official Game Platform.

Although there were still some players defending the game, the overwhelming majority were negative.

As a result, the game's ratings continued to plummet.

But now, two days later, although there were still many new players who had recently gotten into the game and were being driven away,

joining the discussion to voice their protests and furious rants,

an increasing number of players were now defending Dark Souls. This shift was most directly reflected in the game's score.

The player rating, which had initially dropped to 8.3, had now climbed back up to 8.5.

For most games, ratings typically start high and gradually decline. Dark Souls, however, was moving against the trend, rising instead.

This could only mean one thing: players who had previously left negative reviews were now changing their opinions.

Meanwhile, on the official forum, many players who had experienced the game from day one were now posting detailed reviews of their personal experiences with Dark Souls.

One particularly lengthy post attracted over a thousand replies, quickly becoming a hot post on the forum.

In this thread, the player described their emotional journey while playing Dark Souls.

'At first, I was just like most other new players. As soon as I entered the game, I was subjected to a brutal thrashing by the Crystal Lizard and discouraged by Gundyr the Ash.'

'In extreme frustration, I immediately gave it a 1-star rating. But now, I've changed my score back to 9. I'm not sure if I'll adjust it further later, but based on my current experience with Dark Souls, I truly believe it deserves this score.'

'Just as Chen Xu said before, this is a completely different ARPG. What is the core of an ARPG? Character progression through Numerical Design and better equipment.'

'Dark Souls has these elements too, but it's still unique—because attributes and gear are merely support. The true core lies in us, the players ourselves.'

'When I first faced Gundyr the Ash, I was tormented over and over. I couldn't even trigger his second phase. At the time, I thought there was no way this monster could be defeated.'

'But after the second time, the third time, I suddenly realized that each time, Gundyr the Ash's health was decreasing. When I finally defeated him, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment flooded over me. I never imagined that defeating a newbie village boss could feel so incredibly satisfying.'

'Looking back, I realized that Gundyr the Ash wasn't all that special after all. My character's attributes and equipment remained unchanged. I had grown stronger—not in terms of in-game Numerical Design, but as a player!'

'This is a feeling that no previous ARPG has ever given me.'

'Then there's the minimap. At first, I was completely bewildered when I realized there was no minimap, especially when I reached the High Wall of Lothric and encountered those malicious trap layouts.'

'But after repeated traversing and dying, I found that I had unconsciously memorized every corner of the High Wall of Lothric. The entire map was cleverly interconnected, with shortcuts provided. By unlocking these shortcuts, you could quickly reach other areas. This actually made me appreciate the brilliance of the game's map design. Think about it—how many previous ARPGs had maps you could remember so clearly?'

'Overcoming myself, surpassing myself—that's the attraction I've felt in Dark Souls.'

'And upon further reflection, the level and map designs in Dark Souls aren't infinitely punishing. The game provides bonfire Save points throughout the map. Our task is simply to use a limited number of Estus Flasks to reach the next bonfire, gradually progressing toward the boss's chamber.'

'Persist to the next bonfire. Defeat the seemingly invincible boss in front of you. Break through the encirclement of monsters. I am deeply fascinated by this.'

'There is nothing in this world more fulfilling than surpassing oneself, and Dark Souls fulfills that perfectly!'

'This might not be a game that satisfies everyone, but it's absolutely not the garbage game everyone claims it to be! In the end, I hope every player can calm down and truly experience this outstanding game!'

As the first wave of players reached the High Wall of Lothric, and those with talent for action games began to grasp the mechanics of Dark Souls, these players, who had fully awakened to a certain understanding, became unstoppable.

Players who had died countless times in the Dark Souls world—and were still dying—began posting detailed advice threads.

On the forum and official Weibo account, such posts grew increasingly common.

They were highly detailed, and without exception, praised Dark Souls to the skies.

As more and more people talked about what attracted them to Dark Souls and highlighted the game's strengths,

many players began re-evaluating and reconsidering the game.

After all, herd mentality is something most people possess.

It's not that they would instantly believe a game is great just because others say so.

But at least it encouraged players to learn about the game more objectively before forming their own opinions.

This caused some players who had originally intended to give up to choose instead to persevere.

And once they defeated Gundyr the Ash, they too fully experienced the unique attraction of Dark Souls.

Dark Souls is undoubtedly a very special game.

Because it gives players a very direct sense that they are gradually becoming stronger.

The fundamental design philosophy of Dark Souls is progression through levels.

The attack patterns of bosses, the traps hidden throughout the map—these elements all follow discernible patterns.

Take monsters like Gundyr the Ash and the Uchigatana Guy—when they attack, they have a wind-up animation that gives the player time to react.

All monster designs in Dark Souls follow this principle, which is why some call it a memorization game.

Unlike pure ACT or Fighting Games, Dark Souls doesn't demand extremely fast reflexes or split-second reactions from players.

Instead, it emphasizes familiarity and understanding of boss move patterns and mechanics.

Once players understand these patterns, defeating bosses becomes much less difficult.

This allows players to clearly feel a tangible sense of progress.

At first, you encounter a monster and get instantly killed, unable to even touch it.

But after dying repeatedly, you realize you can now defeat it.

This is one of the core pleasures of Dark Souls.

After passing Teacher Gundyr's Trial and overcoming the High Wall of Lothric,

the vast worldview of the Dark Souls world gradually unfolded before the players.

The undying dragon on the Fire Dragon Bridge, the Fire Keeper whom countless players affectionately called "wife," and the legendary Lords of Cinder—

these elements continuously attracted and captivated players.

(End of Chapter) <>