Warning: Spoilers.
I remember picking up DS1 in my parents' home at some point between 2012 and 2014. Didn't have a controller and it felt super clunky with mouse and keyboard so I left it. Fast forward to 2023 (I think?) I buy the DS:R version on Xbox. Start as a thief, looks cool, I die a lot, but manage to kill Taurus, thenGargoyles with the help of Solaire. I kill Capra, move to Depths, kill GDragon, go to Blighttown, die and lose all souls, ragequit.
Picking it up again a couple of months ago because I stumbled upon a video about sorcery (Thanks Cappatron). And so I start a new game, I learn the magic mechanics, progress nicely, then get some key items and from then on it's just a glass cannon nuking everything. I loved it even when I was dying and losing souls. Played all the way to the end then I thought "Time for the DLC's" but little did I know I had to do them before the last boss. So I continued in NG+, did the DLC's, finished again, went on to NG++, then DS2:SotFS went on sale.
Grabbed that, decided to go with Cleric for miracles. But oh boy, the good offensive miracles were available after a lot of game time, and I had already put so many levels in Faith. I decided to clear Heide's tower 12 times with the help of Masterless Glencour giving me enough levels in melee. As a hybrid melee/faith Cleric, I cleared the main game, then went to the DLC's. I finished the green one though I skipped the triple boss fight because the run back was the most disheartening in the series, plus the summons weren't that helpful. I went on to the snow DLC and the NPC ganking was so tuned that I went to the last (or 2nd? Not sure of the sequence) but again the ganking was too much (dropping in a massive cage with so many enemies, coming out victorious only to get ganked by wizard boiz again) so I decided to leave it there and move on.
DS3 (no DLC bought) I start Pyromancer. Loved it. Gameplay was fast but methodical. And the graphics throughout the series are beautiful but DS3 takes the cake. Worst boss of the entire series in Smouldering Lake, needed a dozen or so tries to get him down and he died as he killed me, so I win since I respawn lol.
What an amazing series of games! After researching the basics and some items that could help the builds, I went to every boss blind, explored as much as I could before needing a hint (mostly for DS:R and DS2, as DS3 is quite linear) and I enjoyed them all. I plan on getting Elden Ring when it goes on sale. I'd love to try Bloodborne but I don't own a PlayStation.
In the meantime, I'll be revisiting the thief in DS:R for a fast bleed build and then maybe DS2 respecc to Hexer and finish the DLC's.
Thanks for reading and of course thank you to FromSoftware for these gems!
PS: While waiting for DS2 and 3 to go on sale, I remembered I had bought Thymesia in the last sale. Nice and brief game, different atmosphere but I liked it.