Dark Souls, for me, is a piece of art. No game comes close to it in terms of how well designed, structured, and thought out it is regarding atmosphere and ambience. The way the world feels and looks miserable and empty, being inhabited only by monsters and enemies. The places you discover are all full of dread and suffering, a kingdom holding on to a glory long gone. And, despite this, the characters you meet throughout the game are full of hope, a big contrast to the world around them, going on in their adventures, most likely to fail and go hollow. And despite them knowing this, they help you along your journey, hoping for your safety, constantly reminding you, "never go hollow. " It 's beautiful.
The designs of the player character and enemies reflect this very thing. You're just a random undead who happened to be chosen, and yet, you're no different from the other undead you meet. You're no god, you're no king, you're no dragon or monster, you're just an undead knight. You're even shorter than most humanoid enemies you meet throughout the game. This is done on purpose as a method of intimidation. In theory, you have no chance of succeeding , and the gameplay reflects that. You'll die, over and over again, but eventually, you learn , and you manage to get through it.
The entire game is about, against all odds, succeeding and not giving up in a world where hope is long gone. The in-game term of "going hollow" indicates a loss of self and becoming a mindless husk, stripped of purpose and meaning. This is what would happen to the player if , during a hard level or boss, they gave up. You see characters go hollow during the game, a constant reminder to not give up and never go hollow, like they did.
Pair this with the amazing level design, interesting and well-connected areas that shape the kingdom of Lordran , innovative gameplay, deep lore, and atmospheric storytelling, enemy variety, and some of the best boss design in gaming, along with loads of different weapons and armors that allow many different builds, you'll get Dark Souls.
It is a shame that despite this, the game had to be rushed at some points due to a lack of time and money, and so, you'll find that some aspects of this game aren't as great during a third of the game (Tomb of the Giants and Lost Izalith). Still, this is definitely not enough of an issue to make this game anything but what I described it as.
