If there’s something that drives me absolutely batty as a Dark Souls fan, it’s all the hardcore fans who bleat about what is or isn’t cheating in the game. I’ve written about this before, but I’m doubly annoyed as we make our way to the release of Elden Ring. Here are just some of the ways you’re playing Dark Souls wrong, according to the hardest of hard Souls fans (who insist the games aren’t that hard, anyway). It’s a bit different with Sekiro because you’re very limited in how you can play the game, but there are still some things that are considered cheating. There are definitely cheeses for the bosses and the propensity to say such-and-such boss isn’t that hard, anyway. Git gud, n00b! And so on. And there’s always the flex that the game in general isn’t that hard; you just have to learn the rhythm of the game. Anyone can do it!
Side note: I’ve thought about this a lot because I’m so terrible at the games. I heartily disagree that anyone can play the games for a variety of reasons, whether it’s simply they don’t want to put in the time, disabilities, or any other reason. It’s really frustrating when Souls fans* refuse to acknowledge that the games are hard and not for everyone. “Anyone can play them!” Stop saying that!
I went back to Sekiro recently because I needed a game and it’s one I feel like I never really gelled with. I wanted to give it another chance because I could see what a brilliant game it is. An I’ll admit that I had a gander at what I needed to not-plat it. Because of what I’d have to do to get the not-plat, the smart thing to do would be to continue the NG+ playthrough (of my first game) that I had going. The problem with that was that I was stuck at Owl (Father), one of the top three hardest bosses in the game for me. It took me many hours to beat him and I didn’t think I could do it again. Going right back to him was not smart so I did a few other things first, like grinding for skill points. Why? Because one of the trophies is to get all the skills in the game. That takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r so I did some grinding. then I tried Father (Owl and…it didn’t go well at all. Not only that, I was too impatient to want to do it the way I hid it the last time (the long way. By baiting out one attack and ignoring the others). It brought back how I was done with him after five tries the first time I fought him, which was not a good sign.
I gave up after twenty or so tries and uninstalled it again. Could I have relearned him? Probably. Did I want to? Hell to the fuck no. What I should have done was save after the Isshin fight the first time so I could save scum the two other endings down that path, but that’s not how I play. And, to be fair, in all the Souls game, I played them enough to get all the endings organically. That, by the way, isn’t considered cheating–save-scumming, I mean. Why? Who knows the way of the hardcore fan?
Anyway. In the Souls games (specifically Souls), here are several ways it’s considered cheating to play the game: Using pyromancy and/or magicks; using a shield; Haveling up; using the Zweihander (in the first game); and using any big strength weapon in general. Oh, and summoning, of course, is especially verboten. You must beat all the bosses solo (preferably on the first try). Basically, anything other than doing a naked onebro run is cheating according to the hardcore fanbois.
I’m curious to see how Elden Ring will change this narrative, if it does at all. It’s wryly funny to me that so many games journalists who decry magic in the FromSoft games are so eager to try out the magic in Elden Ring--which I must admit looks so badass. And, look. I don’t care if someone wants to play as a caster or not, but I do get tired of all the people who put down using magic in the games.
We talk about accessibility in games and, frankly, I find it ableist to sneer at people who use magic or calling it rubbish. “I like to get in there and smash things up” is fine, but not everyone has those kinds of reflexes. And it has nothing to do with skill or activity. I can’t make my self have better reflexes. I’m old and have had traumatic experiences that have led to me suppressing my reflexes.
In addition, I do a mixture of close combat and ranged. It’s not as if I can cast all the time without consequences. I will admit that having FP (manna, basically) instead of a limited amount of casts does make casting much more viable throughout a level, but that depends on me allotting enough Ashen Estus Flasks to power up my magicks. There are a total of fifteen Estus Flasks in Dark Souls III. You can allot them however you want. I go 10/5, which means I have a full 5 less Estus Flasks than most melee users.
I can’t parry. I’ve gotten competent at it with the Silver Knights in Dark Souls, but that’s about it. I can’t do the visceral in Bloodborne or the deflect in Sekiro. In Dark Souls and Bloodborne, I found ways around it. In Dark Souls, I simply ignored it. There were other ways of dealing with humanoids so parrying wasn’t a must-have. It was a little more important in Bloodborne, but I got around it by using the Augur of Ebrietas to stun the enemy before doing the riposte. That’s shooting out tentacles and I loved yelling, “Tentacles to the face!” as I made it happen. Was it cheating? Probably, according to the hardcore fanbois. To me, it was getting around something I couldn’t do, substituting something I could do instead.
To me, the point of playing games is to have fun. Well, not fun, per se, but to have a positive experience in some way. That differs for different people. Taking the Souls games in particular, I play them to explore the wonders of the worlds that Miyazaki has created. That’s my primary reason for playing them. I can take hours just poking in all the corners, even if they don1’t lead me anywhere. I want to see absolutely everything the game has to offer and I’ll take my sweet time to do it. I’m there to throw my fire at anyone who gets in my way and bop a few of them with my axe (Pyros start with axes, for whatever reason). I play the games to marvel at the gorgeous darkness of the games and how things are intricately interlaced (except, yes, Dark Souls II, but that got overblown).
The combat in the games is almost incidental to me. Ian commented that maybe I just didn’t like combat, which opened my eyes. I think he’s right. I cannot deny that I get a thrill from beating the bosses of Souls games–that would be foolish. Finding a way to beat Midir alone? Hell to the fucking yes! Using Dorhy’s Gnawing to beat Sister Friede by myself? Yes, please! And beating the last boss of Sekiro (best path) was a transcendental experience. So, no, I’m not hating on the combat, but I never like it. I just do it because it’s a vital part of the games.
Would I want to play the games if there was no combat or there were different difficulty modes? I’m not sure. They are such an integral part of the games that I can’t imagine not having combat in them. But I also know that I have no issues with using whatever it takes to beat whatever enemy (boss) I’m fighting at the moment. Pyromancy is my main jam, but let’s throw in magic and miracles, not to mention bows and arrows. I use the Hidden Body (spell)/Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring to be a ninja and stealth around. The former makes you nearly invisible while the latter muffles your footsteps. I discovered it in Dark Souls III and have not gone back. It’s also possible in Dark Souls, though not Dark Souls II.
I think if it’s in the game, it’s legit. Period. If you want to go through the game as anaked onebro (never leveling up), only using your fists to fight the enemies–go buck wild with your bad self! You want to vastly over-level, don the heaviest armor, and chonk-a-bonk your way through an area? have fun, friend! You want to be wily, dual-wielding and slithering around, slicing and dicing? You do you; you do you.
In return, I am going to do me. I am going to be a strengthcaster who does more wizarding than smacking. I’m going to wear light armor and brandish a big fuck-off shield. I’m going to make many mistakes because I’m not very good at these games. I’ll never no-death it (let’s not even mention no-hit), but I’m fine with that. I’ll play the games and enjoy them in my way. That’s just what I do.
*For the sake of brevity, I’m calling them Souls fans, but I really mean fans of FromSoft games.