Dark Souls: the Alternate Reality Simulator

Warning: full spoilers follow!

Dark Souls is not easy.

Not only is it difficult to play, it's also difficult to understand. If you were like me, you probably went on the wiki to learn some valuable information that you could not have continued without. "Humanity isn't the same as being human? Resistance is useless? I need an orange soapstone to create warnings?" These are statements that would have taken me forever to create, but the multiple wikis make the game's concepts so easy to understand that they are difficult to resist after the initial exposure.

What does this even mean?

Yes, I succumbed to the temptations of the all-powerful wikis; I continued to depend on the wiki for almost anything that I didn't immediately and fully understand. Eventually, I accidentally spoiled various key storylines for myself, almost completely destroying any sense of wonder that the story should have bestowed upon me. I knew that Gwynevere was behind that door, I knew that Lautrec was evil, and I knew Solaire would fall, all before I even set foot in Quelaag's Domain.

We meet again, old friend

In other words, I messed up.

If you played Dark Souls, you probably spoiled some plotlines or enemy encounters for yourself as well. Imagine though, that you hadn't done this. Imagine that a wiki didn't exist (no, this isn't the alternate reality in the title). You would have to play the game completely blind. Concepts unknown to you would remain so for a significant amount of time, and plotline arcs would be completely unknown.

Oh boy, what a different game Dark Souls would make.

Not because its various surprises would actually be surprising, but because of how utterly helpless you would feel. You would know that you lack a fundamental understanding of what you're playing, and you would watch slowly as your friends die around you. The Firelink Shrine fire keeper, Solaire of Astora, even the annoying Crestfallen Warrior that you've grown fond of, would all begin dying without your say or preparedness. You would be barely alive by the time you reach Gwyn with your substandard armor, weapons, and spells, and you would slay him.

You know that a boss means serious business when he's a humanoid and is slightly taller than you.

And then you would play again, because you know that you missed something.

Something is an understatement. Everything would be available to you this time. Better equipment, better spells, and, most importantly, your friends. This time, you would do everything in your power to keep your friends alive. You would say no to Laurentius of the Great Swamp, as he requests the whereabouts of your new flame. You would end Petrus before he lays a hand on the damsel Reah. You would save your favorite bro, Solaire. This time, you would save them all.

The coolest dude you'll know in Lordran

Or would you? The crestfallen merchant is once again dead, your newfound wizard duo cannot be saved, and Siegmeyer is destined to be slain by his own daughter.

You thought you had the power, didn't you? Like everything else that the game does, Dark Souls mocks its players with the illusion of power, then quickly takes it away from them as it ambushes them with hordes of enemies to withstand.

Dark Souls is, or at least was meant to be, a lesson to its players: they are not always going to be in control of every situation presented to them. From life, to death, to bloody videogames, people are never in full control of what comes upon them.

Hopefully, Dark Souls 2 will explain its mechanics properly so that I can be taught this lesson again without having to resort to spoilers.