This game is hands down one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. It would be hard to pinpoint exactly what makes this game so great beacause the answer is virtually everything in it. I can't reccommend this game enough, but be warned: it does have a steep learning curve. You are only told some basic information at the start, and most of your experience comes from trial and error. If you are one to get frustrated easily and expect a game to hand-hold you with guides and easier difficulty settings, then this is by no means the game for you.

But if you like challenge, persisting against uneven odds, and are willing to dive into a world and story you must discover on your own, then I highly suggest picking this game up.

The story is largely told through NPC dialogue and item descriptions, leaving the player to fill in the gaps with their imagination. This makes the story feel more personal, as the player gets to interpret the events of the game for themselves. The atomsphere of this world feels real, for lack of a better term. Just from the central hub of Firelink Shrine you can tell that this land was a once mighty kingdom that has fallen into decay, and you get the sense that you are ultimately just another lost soul wandering around what's left. Unless you look up a specific guide on the game, I doubt that a first-time player will find every area, item and even secret bosses on the first playthrough. Replay value is wonderful because of this, and since there are multiple endings to the story you can change how you move through the game on you second, third, or tenth tour.

The gameplay is surprisingly simple, yet challenging. Many of the usual adventure games encourage a "hack and slash until they fall over" kind of combat, but that's not the case with Dark Souls. You have to be careful and calculating because one misstep could lead to your death. An enemy in the starting area can still hurt you badly even after you've leveled up and geared up later. Death has a clear presence in this game, and what I find wonderful is that the idea of respawning is actually a lore feature in the game. You are an Undead, doomed to linger on, unable to die until you ultimately lose your mind and become a Hollow husk of your former self. You are not alone in this curse, and the NPCs weave a story of finding meaning from meaninglessness.

The soundtrack deserves special mention as well. The boss themes are epic in scale, and the environment themes really add to the atomosphere of the world. The Firelink Shrine theme is my favorite soft, slow, and melodic theme in the game, and possibly from any other game as well.

The only downside I can think of for this game is that it has ruined me for other adventure games. From now on I instinctively compare all the games I play to Dark Souls because it set the bar for what I think an adventure game should be like.

Overall this game is challenging, but rewarding. Easily one of the best games in the last decade.