Dark Souls is one of the most popular games of the past decade, to the point where it could almost be considered a cultural phenomenon. The game really doesn’t need an introduction to people that are invested in gaming. It’s a game people have either played or have been told to play, and its success has boosted studio FromSoftware from small developer to powerhouse in the industry. However, whenever Dark Souls is brought up, there’s always a “but” in the conversation – the second half of the game and more specifically, Lost Izalith. It’s no secret that the game’s development was rushed, and that lack of time is very apparent in one set of levels in particular. The Demon Ruins and Lost Izalith suffer from uninspired bosses and poor enemy placement among a myriad of other problems, which is made readily apparent on the entrance to the area after the player defeats Ceaseless Discharge. You walk down a slope and see a group of Taurus Demons packed together like they were copy-pasted. If you choose to go right instead you encounter a Capra Demon, followed by seven more in a tight corridor. There’s a bonfire, a set of stairs, and finally three more Taurus Demons guarding various treasures and fog doors. It’s a stretch to call this level design – it’s lazy and underwhelming. But the core concept behind it isn’t necessarily terrible.
Re-using earlier bosses as regular enemies later on in the game can be used to great effect if done well. It can help demonstrate to the player just how much they’ve grown in strength and skill over the course of the game, an an enemy that may have been the cause of much consternation earlier can now be breezed through in one or two hits. The re-contextualization of a boss can also work wonders in providing a fresh encounter with an old enemy, either as an increase or reduction in challenge. Fighting the first Capra Demon actually works very well in this way, allowing for an even encounter against a foe that was fought in a decidedly uneven fashion earlier. That early boss fight is possibly the most unfair part of the entire game, for a number of reasons: there are multiple aggressive dogs to go along with the demon, the arena is incredibly small and cramped, and the boss rushes at the player immediately. It’s poorly-designed and very difficult to win without having previous knowledge of the fight. In contrast, the fight in the Demon Ruins is as much a one-on-one as anything in the series. Most players will feel legitimately empowered by grinding the new Capra Demon into dust, only to have that feeling turn into disgust when they round the bend and see several more copied into a walkway. It’s the worst kind of level design because it takes the player out of the world, and makes them question the developer’s thought process.
Likewise, Dark Souls brilliantly uses the black knights throughout the game. While veteran players will be able to parry ones in the Undead Burg, Undead Parish, and Darkroot Basin to death, they will provide a major challenge to newcomers who are not expecting an area filled with hollows or walking plants to also have a strong, fast, bulky knight miniboss. At the end of the game, the player has to pass five of these just to reach the final boss, demonstrating how far they have come since first being dropped off at Firelink Shrine.
Part of the reason these encounters work is because they don’t diminish the uniqueness of bosses. A large part of the appeal of the Souls series lies in their distinct and memorable boss encounters, which when done well are among the most exciting experiences in gaming. Repeating enemies later on just makes those earlier encounters seem somewhat trivial. Can you imagine if Artorias had been reused as a random guard in New Londo, or if Ornstein had been recycled in a later ga- oh. The Capra Demon, while pasted later, is different in the initial meeting because the two dogs give the impression that this demon is somehow more intelligent than the average specimen. Black knights are always seen as powerful, but not unique, and different weapon movesets give each encounter a different challenge. A pack of Taurus Demons is not unique, it is just difficult because of magnitude.
To me, the biggest problem with the Demon Ruins is that it encourages players to run past the packs of enemies instead of confronting them as the developers intended. Both the Taurus group and Capra gauntlet can be easily avoided, and nearly all players will – veterans know it is easier to go past, and newcomers will be too intimidated. It’s unfortunate, really, because the hints of a good level exist in the Demon Ruins but it is ruined by poor placement of lackluster enemies. Some developers try to complete levels by creating something of a challenge run, and end up putting together an experience that ranges from a hassle at best to a disaster at worst.
But at least the Bed of Chaos is good enough to make up for it.
The Sad Enthusiast 