Dark Souls - Part 3

Writing this on my iPad, so excuse any AutoCorrect-induced grammar

I got something I hadn't got in a while playing Dark Souls...an achievement (two achievements, to be honest). I'm not usually someone who cares about my GamerScore on Xbox Live, but it caused the biggest grin to appear on my face, simply because it reassured me that I was making significant progress. Something I hadn't done in a long time, due to constantly restarting the game.

An aspect I love about Dark Souls is the non-linear nature of the game. Past a certain point, you have a multitude of places you can travel to in the world and stand a chance of not getting destroyed by an enemy in two hits. So I did exactly that! Really, once you complete the first task you are given in the world, you would travel to the next objective through an area called The Depths (charming, I know). However, being the rogue-ish type I am, I took a shortcut. Granted this shortcut was littered with poisonous bastards, but it cut about three hours out of my journey.

Of course I taunted when I beat her

Quelaag was a bit of a pain in the ass to beat. She wasn't overly difficult in any sense, she just had a lot of health that took a while to whittle down. And I think it was smart design: the Taurus Demon and Capra Demon were both fairly quick fights, with both bosses having little health. Quelaag represents a change in pace for the game, with bosses suddenly require just as much patience as they require understanding.

Despite me taking a shortcut, I did decide to travel through the Depths and clear the boss there, just for the experience and Souls (currency in the game), and boy...it was disgusting. Giant rats, ooze monsters and a dragon that can only be described to people who have seen the movie 'Teeth'. It was horrifying!

I get creeped out by this picture

But again, the Gaping Dragon was similar to Quelaag, requiring patience and knowing when it was safe to attack, rather than the reckless abandon of early boss fights. It was a welcome change of pace, but I'm looking forward to seeing them vary it up, with more human-sized boss fights, rather than the monsters I am currently facing.

Overall, I'm so much more stoked about Dark Souls than I've ever been watching YouTube videos of these bosses being beaten. I'm not doing with the amount of skill some of them are doing it with, and there may be a lot of trial and error involved, but Dark Souls rewards you for wanting to get better, and it feels so good when you do.