{"id":10162,"date":"2018-01-12T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience"},"modified":"2018-01-12T19:30:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-12T19:30:00","slug":"soapbox-dark-souls-ruthless-recipe-perfectly-suits-switchs-evolving-audience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2018\/01\/12\/soapbox-dark-souls-ruthless-recipe-perfectly-suits-switchs-evolving-audience\/","title":{"rendered":"Soapbox: Dark Souls\u2019 Ruthless Recipe Perfectly Suits Switch\u2019s Evolving Audience"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"picture embed centered picture-900x img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a title=\"Soap Main\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/0\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/0\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Soap Main\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><em>Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on a wide range of topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this edition,<\/em> <em>editor Dom explores the viscous and empowering minutia of the Dark Souls phenomenon and how it&#8217;s a match made in heaven\/hell on Nintendo Switch.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>If you\u2019d told me this time last year I\u2019d be playing <strong><a class=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/dark_souls_remastered\">Dark Souls: Remastered<\/a><\/strong> on a handheld platform &#8211; and a <em>Nintendo<\/em> handheld platform at that &#8211; I\u2019d have laughed you out of the room. It\u2019s not that such an idea would have been turned me off (hundreds of hours between <strong>DS<\/strong>, <strong>DSII<\/strong>, <strong>DSIII<\/strong> and <strong>Bloodborne<\/strong> will attest to the opposite), it\u2019s the simple fact such a notion was simply inconceivable.<\/p>\n<p>This time last year Nintendo Switch was untested and unblooded, a console with a titanic amount of expectation tied around its neck and the history of Wii U\u2019s stumbles strapped to its back. Such trepidation was standard across the industry as we watched Switch launch and not stumble, but sprint with ever more confident strides. That cautious optimism soon turned to abject wonder.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"object object-youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube\">[embedded content] <\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>That success, both in terms of sheer numbers Switch is selling by and by the breadth of the audience its amassing, has paved the way for a grander and more diverse library of software. It\u2019s given us a new home for indies; a stable platform of annual sports sims; a place for well-known franchises to try something new; and now it\u2019s the home to one of the most deeply devise yet inherently empowering games ever made. Now it\u2019s home to Dark Souls.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever played, and come to appreciate, the genius of FromSoftware\u2019s seminal work you know what that means for Nintendo Switch, but for many the words \u2018Dark\u2019 and \u2018Souls\u2019 often seem as impenetrable as the game itself. It seems, on the surface, like a game that actively wants to see you fail, eschewing tutorials and handholding for violent difficulty spikes and seemingly unbeatable bosses. But DS is so much <em>more<\/em>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture strip\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/1\/original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/1\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Every enemy is like a brutal puzzle to be solved.\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Every enemy is like a brutal puzzle to be solved.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Every first impression you have is probably true, but there\u2019s added dimension to every misconception. Is it difficult? Absolutely, but it\u2019s difficulty distills the danger of fighting a horde of moderately challenging enemies into one or two devilishly fiendish ones at a time. It makes every fight a boss battle in itself, a crucible designed to make you fail until you learn <em>why<\/em> you failed. It makes every successful strike, dodge and parry mean something because if the \u2018simplest\u2019 of enemies can kill you in a matter of seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In an age of endless retries and regenerative health, DS constructive difficulty curves are a refreshing tonic (with a bitter aftertaste, naturally). It\u2019s empowerment earned not by perk, skill tree or upgrade, but by honest trial, error and good old fashioned hard work. When you overcome one enemy or area, you move to the next like a revitalised angel of death, only to be beaten senseless by the next challenge. The feedback loop begins anew, but now you know the basic principles. You fail, but you do so know with a virtual scar tissue that means you learn that little bit faster.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture strip\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/2\/original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/2\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"So many of the bosses you'll face will stay with you long after you finish DS.\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>So many of the bosses you&#8217;ll face will stay with you long after you finish DS.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t want to occasionally scream or turn the air multiple shades of blue with your language &#8211; even the most experienced of hollow knights feel the sting of DS\u2019 nebulised brutality &#8211; but it becomes part of the aroma that keeps drawing you back to its bubbling pot of combat, exploration, discovery and elation. It\u2019s the true gamification of the \u2018love\/hate\u2019 dynamic, reduced down to a powerful, unmistakable flavour. Even your journeys between campfires (which serve as DS\u2019 take on a save system) become odysseys in themselves as you hunt for souls and risk losing them if you die before your next save.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are dangers around every corner. Enemies take attack from the darkest of corners, sliding blades into the blindspots of the uninitiated. Even narrow walkways and paths can be your undoing, as you attempt to roll and dodge dangers only to roll one animation too far and into oblivion. And we haven\u2019t even covered the bosses. Each one is unique in its design, behaviours and attack phases and many will stay with you long after you\u2019ve vanquished them and spent their souls. Being able to tackle these giant foes away from your TV won\u2019t make them any less monstrous, but it won\u2019t detract from the genius of their design either.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture strip\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/3\/original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/3\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"The obtuse nature of DS' storytelling forms part of its esoteric charm.\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The obtuse nature of DS&#8217; storytelling forms part of its esoteric charm.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Oh, and did I mention how well it implements multiplayer? It\u2019s PvP meets PvE, blending co-operative sessions (where you can request help from one or more fellow knights when trying to beat a seemingly unbeatable boss) and competitive skirmishes as players enter your world and attempt to slay you (usually at the most inopportune time). It plays into DS\u2019 central theme perfectly &#8211; nothing is safe and everything wants to kill you. It might sound unattractive on paper, but in the midst of its moreish chaos, DS is anything but.<\/p>\n<p>In truth, DS\u2019 rich take on the fantasy RPG suits Nintendo\u2019s heritage better than you might think. <strong><a class=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nes\/legend_of_zelda\">The Legend Of Zelda<\/a><\/strong> remains the blueprint from which all the greatest (and the worst) role-playing games draw their inspiration, and DS is no different. The open-ended levels; the shortcuts and secret pathways; the game world that tells as much story as its dialogue; the memorable bosses and tactics needed to overcome them. It&#8217;s DNA is as plain as day, even after all these years.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture strip\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/4\/original.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/01\/soapbox_dark_soulsr_ruthless_recipe_perfectly_suits_switchrs_evolving_audience\/attachment\/4\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Behind its seemingly impenetrable surface lies one of the best games ever made.\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Behind its seemingly impenetrable surface lies one of the best games ever made.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Nintendo has always embraced a family-friendly mantra, but the arrival of Dark Souls: Remastered on Nintendo Switch marks a watershed moment in the console&#8217;s lifecycle. It&#8217;s a reaffirmation of Switch&#8217;s solidified position in the modern gaming market, while proving an action-RPG such as this is as natural a fit as a new <strong>Smash Bros<\/strong> or a fresh <strong>Pikmin<\/strong>. Nintendo\u2019s older generations have grown up with Zelda forming the foundation of their gaming, so it\u2019s only right that Switch\u2019s software library should mature along with them thanks to one of the most innovate games ever made. You\u2019re going to die, again, again and again, but it\u2019s going to be glorious.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>That&#8217;s Dom&#8217;s take on the importance of Dark Souls and how its Remastered edition will only serve to empower Switch&#8217;s legitimacy as a console. But now we want to know what you think about FromSoftware&#8217;s classic offering and its new Nintendo home&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on a wide range of topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this edition, editor Dom explores the viscous and empowering minutia of the Dark Souls phenomenon and how it&#8217;s a match made in heaven\/hell on Nintendo Switch. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10162\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}