Originals

03/03/2013

You’re Not Supposed To Be Here

Dark Souls is designed to not care about you.

By: Brendan Keogh

Filed Under: Adventure Editor's Pick Editorial Horror Mechanics

Dark Souls doesn’t care about me. It’s indifferent to everything I do. It’s Carpa Demon just flick me off the face of the world with as little effort as I brush a fly from my shoulder. The game is passive, indifferent, stand-offish. Any progress I make in this game is going to be a battle against the game, not with it. Dark Souls will give no quarter.

But it’s not simply that Dark Souls is ‘hard.’ Lots of games are hard, but few convey this sensation of fighting against such an indifferent opponent. Most games are hard in the way they go out of their way to make your life difficult. Dark Souls is hard in the way it is just there and, to add insult to injury, the way it couldn’t care less about me. Fell off a narrow ledge and died? It doesn’t care. Killed a massive demon and opened up a new path? It doesn’t care. It’s indifference to me makes me even more determined to prove myself. Dark Souls’s passive difficulty motivates while the aggressive difficulty of other games frustrates.

This indifference of the game towards the player shines through every aspect of its design, but, paradoxically, it is a deliberate indifference. Dark Souls is exquisitely designed to feel as though the world simply doesn’t care about me—something that could only be achieved if its developers actually think about me first and foremost.

Most fascinating to me is how the level design, the very layout of Lordran, makes me feel unwelcome, like I am not supposed to be there. Dark Souls takes a conventional syntax of how video game spaces are meant to work and subverts it to mess with the player—all while acting like it isn’t doing anything at all. Most game worlds are designed so that the player is looking where the designer wants them to look. Maybe a future objective is framed by the environment, maybe a doorway spits you out looking at stairs that will take you to the next place, maybe a landmark is visible from nearly every part of the game world. Most game worlds ever-so-subtly guide us through them. Dark Souls, though, masterfully takes how we understand game spaces to screw us over.

An example. After I leave the Undead Asylum (the closest Dark Souls has to a tutorial level), it drops me at the Firelink Shrine, a sort of central hub area that connects to the rest of Lordran. Lordran is open-world and, from the start, there are multiple paths I can take. The bonfire I have been dropped at sits beside a gaping chasm. To my left is what looks like a stairwell going down. Straight ahead are the ruins of a temple with a doorway. To my right is a dead tree and the wall of a cliff.

On my first game, I spend well over an hour trying to find the right path. First I take the stairs down, find an elevator, and end up in the dark depths of New Londo. This seems like it might be the right path, as I kill a bunch of weak undead. But before long, invincible ghosts destroy me. Clearly this is somewhere I shouldn’t be yet.

I try going through the temple, and find the graveyard. Bones comes together, falling apart backwards into skeleton warriors. If I’m lucky, I can just kill one of these before the next five kill me. The kicker, though, is that even if I manage to kill one, these skeletons drop very few souls, so fighting them doesn’t help me to progress at all.

I waste more than an hour going back and forward between these two paths. There’s no other way to go so one of these must be right. Both seem impossible, but Dark Souls is meant to be hard, right? I just have to keep trying.

It’s not until a friend suggests there is a third path that I notice the cliff wall behind the tree that I previously dismissed actually has the narrowest of staircases hugging its side. From the bonfire, the stairs are nearly invisible, half-concealed behind the spindly tree. These stairs take me to the Undead Burg, an area where I am meant to be going. But from the bonfire, it feels like a secondary path. It feels like an afterthought, this weird little secret path over there.

I have seen this called bad design by frustrated new players (including myself). But, in fact, it is immaculate design—this part of the world was build in a way as to make me do exactly what the game wanted me to do. It wanted me to try the wrong paths first—both to build an appreciation that dying and failure are crucial parts of the Dark Souls experience, and that there are paths that I will be able to explore in the future.

But it also works to ingrain and reinforce the feeling that will linger throughout my time with Dark Souls: that neither the game nor the world care about me. It didn’t flag me towards the path I need to take saying, “Hey, Brendan! Try over here!”. It just sat there, arms folded. Not going out of its way to make the path hard to traverse, but not caring enough about me to tell me where the path was in the first place.

This kind of level design permeates the entire world (at least, up to Anor Londo, where I currently find myself) to make me constantly feel like a trespasser in a callous land. Sometimes I have to skirt around the rim of buildings, so narrow that one of my character model’s feel sits atop open air. What looks like a few protruding polygons from a cliff are, in fact, the first steps of a path to an entirely new area. It’s not just that there are ‘secret’ paths, out of the way. It’s that the paths often don’t feel like paths at all. It’s the un-video-game-ness of them that makes it feel so indifferent.

Of course, these paths are perfectly designed to feel not designed at all, to feel like the paths you have to take in a broken video game—or the paths you have to take to break a video game. The designer seems to disappear, abandoning you, caring for you as little as the game does.

Many hours later, I reach the city of Anor Londo, with its wide paths and towering buildings. It feels like the inhabitants of this city were at least twice my own height. Not far into the city, the path hits a dead end. To the right is a giant cathedral, at least five-stories tall. Diagonal stone beams run parallel with the sloping roof, sweeping down from to beneath my current path. These beams are pointy, with no handrail. They didn’t look like paths at all—so clearly they are. 

I rolled off the path and landed on a beam. The camera refuses to sit perfectly behind my character, and I am forced to do a weird zigzag walkrun up the beam to compensate. At the top, I could jump onto a balcony of the upper floor of the cathedral (I actually land awkwardly on the handrail around the balcony) and, from there, I can pass through an open-window into the cathedral. After thirty-odd hours of playing, I thought to look for the weird path, but only because the game has taught me to fight the game. Don’t go for the typically game-ish paths, I’ve learned; go for the paths you try to find when you are trying to break a video game.

In Grand Theft Auto 3, there is a way to break the game so to get to a closed-off area you’re not supposed to be able to get to. Rockstar were aware of this issue and placed a sign on a wall here that says, “You weren’t suppose to be able to get here, you know”. Instead of closing off the area, they put a reward there. A secret that slaps the player on the back and says, “Well done!”

In Dark Souls, such out-of-the-way paths are the very routes you have to find. Nearly every place I visit in Lordran feels like it could have a sign that says, “You weren’t suppose to be able to get here.”

By discovering this path into Anor Londo’s cathedral all by myself, I feel like I have learned how things are with Dark Souls. I have, at last, learned to appreciate the game’s antagonistic-yet-apathetic stance towards me. If I want to progress, it won’t help me. I will have to find my own way. Not into the game’s world, but against it.

[art credit]

Filed Under: Adventure Editor's Pick Editorial Horror Mechanics

About the Author:
Brendan Keogh a Media and Communications PhD student at RMIT University. He is a freelance videogame critic and journalist for the likes of Edge, Hyper, Unwinnable, Gamasutra, Pixel Hunt, Ars Technica, and PC Powerplay.

216 Responses to “You’re Not Supposed To Be Here”

  1. M. Scott Veach

    this makes me want to go back revisit this game… i got through the city tot he right of the bonfire only to be stopped cold by a dragon.. the ghosts are invincible as you say.. and past the skeletons down into a cavern that had no end… somewhere while down there, real life intruded and i never went back to dark souls.. i was getting frustrated at the fact that nothing in the game was challenging to me unless it was instantly killing me… but i didn’t find many secret paths.. maybe that was my mistkae…

  2. CrestOfArtorias

    Good article!
    The game is actually pretty easy in my opinion, though still challenging.
    Its study your enemies and understand the mechanics in place or die, to me thats how it is supposed to be, not a checkpoint every 15 seconds, a load feature or what-not.

    The game treats you “fair”, you aren’t anything special, you have no heroic defense or anything, as a matter of fact you have the exact same potential as every human NPC in the game, probably Making it the most fair game ever, since the player actually has no advantage over the NPCs.

  3. hey

    Taxi moto line
    128 Rue la Boétie
    75008 Paris
    +33 6 51 612 712  

    Taxi moto paris

    Hello my loved one! I wish to say that this article is amazing, great
    written and include approximately all vital infos.
    I’d like to see more posts like this .

  56. asmr https://0mniartist.tumblr.com

    Thanks for your personal marvelous posting!
    I certainly enjoyed reading it, you may be a great
    author.I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will often come back later on. I want to encourage you to continue
    your great writing, have a nice evening! 0mniartist asmr

  57. 0mniartist

    I don’t even understand how I ended up right here, but I believed this publish used to be great.
    I don’t know who you are however definitely you’re going to a well-known blogger if you aren’t already.
    Cheers! 0mniartist asmr

  67. http://j.mp/3mPeyCz

    Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading
    it, you will be a great author. I will make sure to bookmark your blog and
    will come back from now on. I want to encourage you
    continue your great job, have a nice evening! 0mniartist asmr

  69. j.mp

    Hey there! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog.
    Is it hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure
    things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about creating my
    own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any
    ideas or suggestions? Many thanks 0mniartist asmr

  96. gamefly why

    I was recommended this website via my cousin. I’m now not
    certain whether this submit is written via him as no one else realize such designated about my problem.
    You are amazing! Thank you!

  97. for asmr

    Wow that was strange. I just wrote an really long comment but
    after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear.
    Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say fantastic blog!

  98. what asmr

    Hi! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be
    okay. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward to new updates.

  99. the asmr

    Currently it sounds like Drupal is the preferred blogging platform out there right now.

    (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?

  111. when gamefly

    Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems
    as though you relied on the video to make your point. You definitely know what youre talking about, why
    waste your intelligence on just posting videos to
    your weblog when you could be giving us something informative
    to read?

  113. for asmr

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my
    own weblog and was wondering what all is needed to get setup?
    I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
    I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% sure.
    Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

  116. j.mp

    Does your site have a contact page? I’m having trouble locating it but,
    I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing.

    Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing
    it develop over time.

  118. in asmr

    What’s up to all, how is everything, I think every one
    is getting more from this web page, and your views are good
    designed for new visitors.

  122. that asmr

    I’m gone to tell my little brother, that he should also go to see this web
    site on regular basis to take updated from latest
    news update.

  140. http://j.mp/

    scoliosis
    Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this website.
    It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between user friendliness
    and visual appeal. I must say you’ve done a superb job with this.

    Also, the blog loads very quick for me on Opera. Outstanding Blog!

    scoliosis

  142. tinyurl.com

    scoliosis
    Hello to all, how is all, I think every one is getting more from this web site, and your views are fastidious designed for new viewers.
    scoliosis

  148. https://785days.tumblr.com/

    free dating sites
    You actually make it seem really easy with your presentation but
    I in finding this matter to be actually one thing that I believe I might by no means understand.
    It sort of feels too complicated and extremely broad for me.
    I’m having a look forward to your next submit, I will
    attempt to get the hold of it! https://785days.tumblr.com/ dating sites

  156. my asmr

    Thanks , I have just been looking for information about this subject for
    a while and yours is the greatest I have found out so far.
    However, what about the bottom line? Are you positive in regards
    to the source?

  165. an dating sites

    Greetings from Florida! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your
    blog on my iphone during lunch break. I love
    the information you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.

    I’m surprised at how fast your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m
    not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, wonderful site!

  171. what scoliosis

    Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly.
    I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
    I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same outcome.

  174. free dating sites an

    Greetings from California! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to check out your site on my iphone during
    lunch break. I enjoy the knowledge you provide here and
    can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how fast
    your blog loaded on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G ..
    Anyhow, great site!

  175. tinyurl.com

    My brother recommended I might like this web site. He was
    entirely right. This post actually made my day. You
    cann’t imagine just how much time I had spent for this information!
    Thanks!

  176. tinyurl.com

    Hi there I am so glad I found your web site, I really found you by error, while I
    was researching on Bing for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thanks a lot for a remarkable post and a all round exciting
    blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS
    feeds, so when I have time I will be back
    to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the excellent work.

  203. website

    I get pleasure from, result in I found just what I used to be taking a look for. You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye

  214. Antonio

    Hello there! This post couldn’t be written any
    better! Reading through this post reminds me of my
    old room mate! He always kept talking about this.

    I will forward this page to him. Fairly certain he
    will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

The Latest:

  • Originals

    Swan Song

    This is a tough one to write. For those of you who know me, in person, by my writing, or…


  • Originals

    The Fool and the Villain, Part II

    (Warning: In Second Life, pixelated tits and dicks abound. Abandon all hope, all ye who enter this article at work.)…


  • Commentary

    The Edge Of The Ocean

    The problem is to plot the map. My sense of geography is spotted with black holes. There’s the Chinatown and…


  • Originals

    Play Everything

    Play everything. No, I’m serious, play everything. Play that game of hopscotch those kids drew up on the sidewalk with…


  • Commentary

    Genre In Question

    Why are there so few video game comedies? At least twice in the past year I’ve bumped into conversations trying…