It's Dangerous to Go Alone |

By Greg Meyer
August 28, 2018

Image from Zelda Dungeon

So last Friday I bought Dark Souls for Playstation 3.

“Why would you do that to yourself?” asked my bewildered wife as we drove away from the store.

Good question! And I’m sure my shaky reply of “I don’t know!” didn’t exactly boost her confidence. For those who don’t know, Dark Souls is an Action RPG where you explore the ruins of a dying land and attempt to save it from a terrible fate. Speaking of dying, be prepared to see the phrase “You Died” often, because that’s what you’ll be doing, a lot. I mean it. You die on a regular basis. However, each death has a purpose, teaching you a vital lesson in how to survive the hostile world of Lordran.

I bought Dark Souls based on the enthusiastic recommendation of my friend Marcus. He’d regale me with epic tales of daring raids into hostile territory, defeating mammoth bosses by the skin of his teeth, but also tempered with heartbreaking moments of absolute failure. Now, normally that last bit would scare me away from Dark Souls, but something tempered my hesitation: the community aspect.

A huge portion to Dark Soul’s appeal is how players interact within the game world. Players can send messages to warn fellow players about environmental dangers, bosses, or possible treasure. Players can also summon others to join their game and help them pass the games many challenging bosses or frustrating gauntlets of foes. On the other hand, experienced gamers can also invade other player’s games, hunt them down, and kill them for rewards. There’s something infuriating about making a run for the area boss, only to have a rival player invade your game and kill you before you get to your destination. Every time your character becomes human again, you run into the threat of player invasions.

Such is the case with what happened to me the other night. My spear-wielding pyromancer was just about to head to the next area when my world got invaded by a rival player. Said player ran off and attempted to lure me into a trap, which I would’ve fallen for had I not been talking to Marcus on Google Hangouts. He had just left my world after helping me slay the first boss, so he was in the area. I summoned him into the game, and Marcus took down the invader as my weak and inexperienced character cowered behind the safety of a wall, far, far away from the invader. While it wasn’t my proudest moment, I found it rewarding watching Marcus force the invader into falling for his own trap.

Image from Dark Souls Wiki

Dark Souls is a wake-up call for my own limitations as a player. Most games are about empowerment, giving the player enough tools to transform themselves into a powerhouse. While it’s possible to become a walking skeleton-obliterating machine, this is only after countless hours of cooperation with other more experienced players. How many of the protagonists in stories we love owe everything to their allies who work by their side? Where would Batman be without Alfred? Frodo without Sam? Locke without Ben Linu—well, on second thought, Locke might’ve been better off without Ben.

The same goes for the world of Children of the Wells. Bron, Calea, Nyasha, Jaysynn, and Kyrie may have started as five different individuals living separate lives with individualistic goals. However, after the earth-shattering events of the cataclysm, the rug’s been pulled from underneath them. It’s not enough to have intelligence, brawn, or finesse, because these talents can only get you so far on your own. It’ll take teamwork and trust to overcome the coming trials that loom overhead.

So remember, whether you’re going through a difficult time, or being chased by a black knight with a hefty greatsword, sharing your burdens with a friend makes the load manageable.