Make no mistake, Dark Souls isn't a Devil May Cry clone with fast-paced nu-metal music -- Dark Souls has a slow, steady pace absolutely focused on exploration and survival. It may take you months before you've successfully plumbed the depths of this haunted kingdom, because you must approach the game in a slow, deliberate manner if you want to survive. It's in the grand tradition of old-school white people RPGs, though perhaps a clear line could also be drawn between it and, of all things, Zork. It certainly isn't focused on aesthetics either -- while graphically it's competent, and getting through Sen's Fortress Funhouse rewards you with a breathtaking view of Anor Londo, any beauty is inherently incidental in relation to the game's overall statement. Its UI for example is almost certainly dredged up from an older era, that of King's Field (another From Software game, of course,) Ultima Underworld, the first two Elder Scrolls games that everyone's forgotten about by now. Gameplay and atmosphere are at the forefront here in terms of the game's focus.

What makes DS special is its minimalist approach. You're dumped into the world with some basic background and left to fend for yourself. The game teaches you some of the basic mechanics in the opening dungeon, but it's non-obtrusive and if you know how to play already, like you've come from Demon's Souls or you're re-rolling, you don't really have to read the messages if you don't want to. Actually exploring the world is entirely something you have to do on your own. It can be overwhelming at first -- especially since your starting class is somewhat important, though you can build your character into whatever you want. It's very open-ended in that regard, and the game is more than willing to let you make mistakes -- mistakes you'll pay for later. Putting points into the wrong stat is as much your fault as falling off a cliff -- and you will fall off cliffs, because there are no magic barriers, no invisible railings to protect you.

And that's really what sets the game apart, in terms of difficulty. Some of the basic things you'd think of are there -- survival horror style rationing, approaching things with caution or outright fear, some downright cruel booby-traps, and the occasional instant death trap. But it also means things that modern games have all but excised -- the world itself is not safe. The game does not coddle you. It does not protect you. It won't forcibly shove you off that cliff but it's certainly happy to let you fall off on your own. If you die, and you will, and you will often, it's your fault, and that means there's an opportunity to learn from it. There's no such thing as "bullshit" in this game. And that's really the thing that drives the game -- the opportunity to make your own victory.