Lessons From the SoulsBourne Games

Soulsbourne is the term we players use to describe the From Software games that include Demon Souls, all Dark Souls games, and Bloodbourne. 

The first SoulsBourne game I ever played was Demon Souls. This was a long time ago and I did not like that game. It made no sense to me. The story was vague and confusing and the enemies were erratic. Being killed repeatedly by the first enemy in a game can be demoralizing but I kept going for a while. Every step was wrong and led to frustration. I didn't get very far and quit before I felt any accomplishment. I moved on.

Years later I played Dark Souls 2. This was when my appreciation for the game blossomed. Many believe that Dark Souls 1 is the best game in the series but that is probably because they started with it but I started with Dark Souls 2. While it is insanely difficult for a person unaccustomed to the unforgiving gauntlet that these games offer it was not as bad as Demon Souls and I think that Dark Souls 2 was a good game for me to dip my toes into. I dipped my toes hard!

Dark Souls 2 is like Dark Souls 1 but with the familiar level design of a more common style of third-person RPG. One can more easily wrap their head around the environment and there was plenty of space to run back, forward, or around. The maps are more expansive and linear making the experience more about the travel than the maze that the previous games were designed around.

I remember spending hours getting high and smoking cigarettes playing Dark Souls 2. I had the collector's edition guide book and bought all the add on downloadable content (DLC). It was the first game I spent more time playing than the Elder Scroll's games. I can still remember some of the areas and I could probably make my way through it pretty easily nowadays. Dark Souls 2 popped my cherry and in a big way. I remember when I got to the point that I could easily kill the Pursuer boss at the beginning of the game which made me feel that I had overcome a great challenge. I probably died hundreds of times to that son of a bitch and I finally learned that the key was to watch and learn its moves. To learn the precursor signs to each move and see it coming. Mostly it was about staying on the right side, moving forward when it attacked and hitting it in the back once and repeating the dance many more times.

Then Bloodborne came out and it was such a beautiful adaptation of the idea and it was when I started to appreciate the Miyazaki touch. The level design in Bloodbourne is not like Dark Souls 2. It takes place in a decrepit Victorian era nightmare with urban landscapes. The monsters come from the perversion of human blood, of course, and the levels are intricate and three dimensional. The player weaves their way around vertical and interlocking city streets and sewers. Areas are connected by long ladders and locked doors, which is just like Dark Souls 1 but I didn't know it at the time. The look was so polished and creative compared to Dark Souls 2. The graphics and frame rate were better as well making it a faster and smoother experience. The DLC was amazing and it was not hard to get completely wrapped up in it.

Dark Souls 3 was also an amazing entry in the series. All the benefits of the original director, Miyazaki, along with all the benefits of a higher budget, better software, and better hardware. It brought back a lot of what people liked in both Dark Souls 1 and 2 and added a ton of lore and new challenges. The customization and variety of items to manipulate was nearly perfect and it took a long time to become bored with it and even later I have come back to it a few times to find that it steals my attention every time.

Sekiro was not a disappointment but it also didn't hold my attention. The art and general gameplay are great but it was underdeveloped in my opinion. It needed more variety of character-driven accouterment. More customization. More diversity in animations for stealth actions. More clothes, weapons, armor, and larger environments. I think that the inevitable sequel will be amazing. Hopefully, it will take advantage of the fast-paced actions and vertically driven movement in a way that doesn't feel so cramped and forced. Maybe open the world up a little more. Also, if you are going to make a game about a specific character then the story has to be awesome. Traditionally the SoulsBourne games have had vague stories where the backstory of the player was inconsequential. You are a nameless adventurer out for treasure and power but in Sekiro you're a named ninja fucking up the status quo but the story just wasn't there for me.

 After playing Dark Souls 3 again and being of a more mature mindset I realized that the game offers a kind of medication for me. I play it with the goal of controlling my emotions. No matter how many times I die or make a mistake I try not to care about the failures. I makeup goals for myself and try to accomplish them. I try to enjoy the game without becoming obsessed with it. I have put enough hours into it that I know the system pretty well. Well enough to know how to get where I'm going and do what I want. Dark Souls 3 offers a brutal world and in so doing it offers an opportunity to learn. To adapt. To challenge the mind and body to work together. Through repetition and knowledge, the game hones you. You either adapt or quit, there is no in-between.

The following is an enumeration of some of the personal, cognitive, and philosophical lessons I have learned from playing the SoulsBourne games.

Patience

The Soulsbourne games do not force you to be patient or to rush in. You can stand in one spot for all eternity as far as the game is concerned or you can try to run your way through the level. A young man is like a young character in the game. A young man might be so eager and self-assured as to rush into a dangerous situation and unwittingly pay a heavy price. This is why patience becomes a virtue. As in the games and in life the universe is not designed to accommodate one style. There are certain parts where patience is the best tactic and if you can truly master the balance between patience and action you will stop being surprised by your own failures.

Learning takes time. This is a lesson I am applying to my new love of music. In the past two years, I have started learning how to read, play, and make music. It has been a slow process and I am not good at any of the instruments I attempt to play, but the advancements and rewards are far beyond what a video game can offer. If you think Dark Souls is hard try playing the violin. It is very difficult and I have been very frustrated with it but I know that accomplishing something difficult takes time and practice. Patience is key.

Awareness

Whether it's getting hit by an arrow you didn't see coming or finding yourself falling off a cliff into an endless abyss, you need to pay attention. The environment is not there to keep you safe. It is designed to kill you. It is designed to make you think twice about whether you can jump to that other ledge or jump down thirty feet to the shiny object you desire. Nearly every treasure's bounty is tempered by potential danger and traps lay everywhere.  Check your six, check your corners, and sometimes running back is the best way to keep moving forward. Or you can try to run past all the enemies and seek shelter somewhere.

Running past enemies in Dark Souls is like ignoring negative people in life. This can be a good strategy as they will only waste your time so not giving them your attention is just a step closer to doing something you enjoy or that will make you better. Sometimes dysfunctional people are hard to ignore, especially if they are in your family. Not that you can simply ignore everyone around you such as family or coworkers. Sometimes you just have to tolerate them and try not to get sucked up into their negativity. It's like watching a cutscene in SoulsBourne games except in life the only way to skip the monologue is by being rude or being perceived as rude by the boring-ass or negative person.

Fighting enemies one by one in Dark Souls is like facing what gets in your own way. Dysfunctional people and internal demons are the enemies to success in life and if you can face them it is risky and you might lose something but afterward, they are no longer a threat to your continuing pursuits. You can move toward the rewards that await beyond the things that get in your way. Whether you decide to ignore the haters or face the demons pay attention to your environment and yourself.

Personal Limits

Learning takes time and it often feels like you're not ready for the challenge ahead. Remember that failure is an opportunity to evaluate your situation and take steps to overcome the challenge. This is a good time to seek guidance from those that have gone before you. It is also a good time to slow down and look for new routes. There might be an opportunity you have missed that will make your journey easier. Look inward to find the source of the failure. I find that it mostly comes down to two factors: ignorance and emotional imbalance. Not knowing enough about the problem is solvable through analysis and experimentation and emotional imbalance is solved through self-reflection and discipline. Putting your ego aside for a moment and being honest about your limitations can help clarify the problems you face and allow you to take steps to solve them.

Also, sometimes you're just tired and can't think straight and you just need to sleep and try again tomorrow.  

Competition

The multiplayer style in Soulsbourne games is unique in that game worlds are invaded by other real players who can hunt you down and kill you. There are people who just do this. They play the game long enough to create a character that is optimized for a certain playstyle and then they just invade games in hopes of killing other players that are trying to make their way through treacherous environments. This offers a challenge that mirrors the chaos of the real world. Sometimes challenges don't have rewards other than to overcome them. The reward is in the struggle. It hones your skills and humbles you. It can be frustrating but it is the cost of engaging with the world.

In life as in SoulsBourne games, there are enemies and they may be smarter than you, they may be stronger than you and you may not be able to run away. Enemies in the games can be like demons chasing you down just for the pleasure of ruining your day just like the demons that chase you and follow you in your mind. You can choose to ignore your problems by running away and hiding or you can face your demons before they manipulate you and take away your freedom. Like when you die and lose all your souls or you were about to get to the boss and you fall off a ledge trying to run away from a gank squad. Or in life when you realize that many people in your life use you as a dumping ground for their negative emotions and hostility; and now you have to tell some of them to fuck off. It's a competition of wills. Like when a boss asks you to do an impossible thing just to see you fail. Although, I suppose they do this is the military to test how someone acts in a desperate situation. So, if the boss does this for purely experimental reasons and makes that clear to the team ahead of time then I suppose that would be potentially acceptable in a non-military setting. But I digress...

To utilize a cliche, the real enemy is yourself and the real competition is against your own ignorance and fear. You fear that your ego will be shattered when others discover your ineptitude and you will be shamed when the truth comes out. Don't be afraid of the truth and fuck your ego. 

Cooperation

While there are some challenges you must face alone there are also friends all around you that want to help where they can. All you have to do is ask. Reach out to others and they will be there. The world might be lonely and terrifying but you aren't the first to face it and there are resources to help you on your journey. Seeking the wisdom of others can be the key to moving forward and sometimes you just need to even out the odds with a partner. No one can do it for you but your friends can help you along the way.

Reward 

Around every corner, there is the potential to acquire the resources you need to make your journey more agreeable. Souls and Blood Echoes are the currency in these games and allow you to upgrade your character, upgrade your weapons, and buy needed materials. If you are patient you can get enough of these items easily enough. You can grind by killing the same lower-level bad guys over and over again or you can take on harder enemies to get more resources but with a higher risk level. It is all about risk management. The lower the risk the lower the reward. Just like life, typically at least. If you want to get the highest rewards and really feel an achievement you have to progress through the levels and make your way to the hardest challenges.

It is only with perseverance, discipline, and creativity that you will acquire the most valuable treasures. It will not be easy but it will be worth it. There is nothing more exciting than finally defeating a difficult boss after making 30 attempts in a Soulsbourne game. With each attempt, you learn something new about your foe and get closer to winning. It can break you if you let it or you can check your ego at the fog gate and continue adapting. More than just the financial reward is the reward of the continuation of the journey. Enemies get in your way and only through their defeat can you make your way to the next challenge and the next reward. The story can either continue or you can quit.

In Conclusion:

The real lesson I have learned from playing these games is that the real enemy is within myself. It is my own ignorance, egotism, and emotional imbalance that become hindrances to my success.  In the process of learning something new, the ego is challenged by the reality of my own incompetence but there are rewards on the other side of the discomfort. Pushing through the frustration of attempting something new has allowed me to learn new skills in my life such as learning to be a better employee, playing pool, shooting guns, exercising, writing, photography, and recently learning to play music. These things require self-discipline and self-awareness and while the learning never ends the process is what matters. I don't want to get to the end of the story I just want to continue on a path I can be proud of.

Success requires a certain mastery over emotional extremes that can get in the way of seeing a situation clearly and working past the negativity and fear. The Soulsbourne games offer an opportunity to detach from emotions and work rationally. Working toward detaching from the egotistical desire to be perfect is an important exercise in controlling consciousness. If the goal is to reach a reward that requires rational cognitive resources then emotional distractions are an impediment. The time for emotions is in celebrating success, not ruminating on failures.

30 Days of Fiction: 20

After a few more tries George made it past the bevy of undead villagers and more white wolves. He had taken a wrong right turn once where he was immediately murdered by a twenty-foot long lizard that pulverized him with its jagged blue crystals. He decided that that one would have to wait. After the lizard, the world had opened up for him revealing an expanse of snowy mountains and castles off in the distance. It was a beautiful site but not as beautiful as the softly smoldering bonfire at the top of the hill and when he touched the hilt of a rusted sword sticking into bonfire he was filled with tranquility and peace. He was renewed and the fire was renewed for with his touch, it blazed hotter and brighter as if it had been waiting for him a very long time.

George sat at the fire for a moment and took stock of his inventory and found that his two glowing flasks were full again. When he was done resting he stood up and as soon as he had made the first turn down the path he was accosted by more villagers in tattered clothes wielding short swords and jagged daggers. He was getting better at blocking their attacks and with some effort and only drinking twice from his golden flask he found himself staring into a round and ruined courtyard. In the center of the courtyard, a giant in ornate silver armor knelt with its head to the floor motionless. Just beyond the statued knight were a set of doors. 

"That must be where I need to go," George said and headed toward the large doors at the far end of the yard making sure to give a wide berth to the giant as George had learned that this world was full of deadly surprises. 

The door was locked. 

"Hmm," George murmured and then began running around the courtyard for a clue as to what he had to do next. 

After frantically running the diameter of the area a few times he walked slowing up to the kneeling knight. Up close he noticed that there was a strange black mass undulating in and around the knight's back. Then he noticed that a long coiled sword was plunged halfway through the knight's chest. With apprehension, he began to pull the sword from the statue's chest. As it came free mists and spurts of blood began to fly from the sword and as it fell to the ground the giant raised its head and stood up. 

George backed away but in no time the giant was picking up his large halberd and moving swiftly toward him. George turned and as he began to run back toward the safety of the beautiful bonfire he saw before him a wall of fog blocking his way. He tried running through the fog but just as he found that he couldn't and turned, the sharp end of the giant's halberd was slamming down on his head. He attempted to drink from his flask but just as he pulled it out of his pocket another blow was raining down on him and he found himself in a haze of mist and death. 

He arose at the previous bonfire and was not surprised to find that all the enemies he had dispensed with earlier were back to torment him. He checked his flasks and the two were full but his jar of white smoke was empty. This time with a little more rage and resolved to regain that which he had lost he made his way toward the courtyard once more. 

The villagers were a difficult obstacle but he found a way to minimize how many he had to interact with and when he found himself in front of the giant the second time he was only down one drink of life juice. He felt confident as he passed through the threshold toward his foe but this time the giant was already up and making his way toward him. George pulled up his shield and walked forward. The giant struck him hard in the shield and he was hurt but alive. He swung his ax striking the knight once for decent damage but just as he went for another he was struck by the giant's side stomp and stunned for a moment. The giant swung again hitting him square in the side of his body staining the ground with his dark red blood. 

His life nearly gone, he rolled back until he couldn't roll anymore and took a drink from his flask, giving him back the majority of his health. He pulled his shield up just in time as the halberd slammed against it again. George made his way around the giant's side and began to slash it his flank as fast as he could doing more and more damage but with another stomp and slash the giant was on him causing his health to dwindle. George tried rolling back again but after the second roll, he found himself without any ground to roll onto and as he plummeted down an endless abyss he thought to himself, YOU DIED!

With even more rage in his heart George crossed the threshold of the courtyard but this time he ran at the giant full speed and started swinging blindly until he found himself being slammed to the ground by the massive halberd. He got up and started swinging blindly again only the have the giant lunge forward slamming the halberd down and up again launching him into the air and as he hit the ground he thought to himself again, YOU DIED. 

"FUCK!," he exclaimed as he was resurrected at the bonfire. This time he ran past all the villagers and headed straight into the fight. Instead of striking the giant face-on George remembered that the knight's flank was exposed after it attacked so this time he maneuvered around to the right at each opportunity and struck as much as he could. He took a halberd to the face a few times but was making progress. After each strike, he would try to flank him and strike until exhausted but still the giant was too fast and too powerful. His life dwindling he rolled to the right, then to the left and when he had just a moment to act he struck the knight and something different happened. 

All of a sudden the knight stopped and a mass of writhing black tar burst out of his back and head and a new head with burning red eyes and a long snout arose out of his body. A pale long arm stretched out from the knight's side and with a screech, the knight was now a hideous monstrosity. Not knowing what to make of this George made his way to what he thought was the creature's flank and began to strike as fast as he could taking chunks out of its flesh. The creature turned and struck down with its long face slamming George to the ground. With just a sliver of life left and the creature gearing up for another attack he rolled to the right just in time to miss being hit and took a drink from his golden flask. 

With vigor, George rolled toward the half-knight-half-black-tar-creature and struck it again and again. The creature was nearly dead when it leaped into the sky and in an attempt to miss the incoming strike George rolled backward but he rolled too soon and the creature landed with its full weight on his body killing him once more. 

"NOOOOOO!!!!! I fucking had him! Goddamnit! Fuck! FUck! FUCK!" George spewed out of his mouth as he was being resurrected. 

George decided to take a break. He was so angry that he knew that if he continued he would just die again exacerbating his rage. Instead, he decided to look around the area and practice killing the villagers. He tried taking each one individually and found them much easier to deal with one on one. Around one bend in the path, he had found some dark black orbs and found that if he threw them they burst into flames like a bomb from a Mario Brothers game. He only had 4 after the initial test throw so he decided to save them for when he really needed them.

After a few more practice sessions in the area and with his jar filling up nicely with white smoke he decided to take on the giant again. He crossed the threshold and ran up to the giant and waited for it to strike. When it did he moved to his right and struck a few times and then waited for the next strike. He was beginning to read the giant's patterns and concentrated on what he was doing in a way he hadn't before. George was in the "zone" this time and in no time the knight was again transforming into a blackened creature. The fight became more intense but George kept his witts and drank from his flask only twice thus far.

The creature's health was nearly gone and in his haste, George swung too many times and as he became exhausted the creature smashed him into the ground taking most of his health away. He got up, rolled to the right and drank from the flask just in time to miss another strike. He rolled toward the back of the creature but just as he went to swing his ax the creature jumped into the air. George waited for a half second and then rolled away from the creature as it struck the ground missing him entirely. The creature was too far away to strike but George remembered the black bombs.

"Fuck it!" he said to himself as he flung a black bomb at the creature's blackface.

The creature screeched and writhed in pain as the bomb exploded, setting it aflame. That did it and it was over as it began to fade away from the world in a haze of smoke and blood.

"YES!!!!!" George exclaimed pumping his fist into the air and he began to dance a little. When he was done celebrating he noticed a small bonfire appeared in the center of the yard and when he touched the sword sticking out of it the bonfire blazed with delight and they were both at peace. After resting, George took out his jar and found it full of wonderful white smoke. He walked over to the large doors and with all his strength he pulled them open. 

30 Days of Fiction: 19

Because he didn't know where he came from, who he was or how he had died, he was now a blank slate. He could name himself whatever he wanted and that would be his first challenge. For some reason, Jake came to mind, but that was too obvious and boring so he thought about all the great names that he could call himself. Ghengis Khan, Martin Luther, Ragnar, Shakespear, Godzilla, but those were too obvious and lacked individuality. So maybe something more descriptive and creative, he thought. Maybe Gluten Master, Knee Slapper, Green Monkey, or Magical Martian? No, none of that would do and he felt that he was wasting time. He just needed to pick one and move on.

He thought for a moment and finally decided to go with George. That's fine, he thought and now onto gender. He could be female or male but it made little difference so he went with male; George is a male name and he was male and so why not, he thought. Next, he had to choose what he would enter the world with and who he wanted to become in the end. He could be a strong man, a dancing fencer, a sorcerer, a healer or a myriad of other choices but in his heart, he knew who he wanted to be in this life. He would be the strongest warrior this land had ever seen and he would take on his foes like a thunderous hammer striking through them to the earth itself. No one would stand in his way for long. Also, he had a ring that gave him 10% more life. He finished calibrating his reincarnation parameters and was born again.   

He stood in a dark and desolate graveyard holding a short ax in his right hand and a wooden shield in the other. The world was in ruin, decaying for what must have been centuries. Even the trees and grasses looked sad and how could they not be as the sun did not make it far into this area. George moved forward quickly, excited to find out more about what this land had to offer and as he turned the first corner he saw a strange looking man standing still and holding a dagger. Maybe he knows what is happening, George thought and started toward the man but just then the man lunged at George with the dagger slicing his chest. 

"What the fuck!" George exclaimed and took a quick step back just as the psychotic villager began to flail madly striking him another time. 

George was next to death but managed to find his will and swung his ax hard at the man. The remnant of what used to be a man lay on the ground before him in a sad pile face down in the mud. Feeling weaker and wearier George looked up to see another strange man sitting against a broken fountain. Inside the fountain's fractured basin an orb of white light could be seen. I wonder what that is, he thought as he moved forward. When he was about 10 yards from the enticing light the villager stood up and without hesitation began running at him dagger first. This time George held out his shield and blocked the first strike and as he let his shield down the man hesitated and then flailed unexpectedly striking him in the face and chest and he fell to his knees in agony. He had just started but just as fast as he was born he had died and the world faded into darkness. 

YOU DIED, he thought as he stood next to the grave he had started from in the damp cemetery a few minutes earlier. He started forward resolute not to die again and happy that he had another chance. He turned the same first corner as before and the man that he had killed before was resurrected and stood there again with his dagger in hand. This time he walked slowly forward with his shield up and as the man lunged forward to attack him he blocked strike after strike until the man stopped and he swung his ax once more vanquishing the undead madman. He hadn't noticed before but as the man died he felt his pocket become slightly heavier and when felt into his pocket he found a small glass jar. The jar contained a small amount of what looked like glowing white smoke resting at the bottom. Curious, he thought and put the jar back into his pocket. 

He moved forward but this time he was ready for the next undead man and struck him down as swiftly as the first but this time there was a green and red stain on the ground where he had died before. Stepping over it he could feel the weight in his pocket slightly increase and when he looked again at the jar he saw that there was a little bit more smoke then there was before. He put the jar back and stepped forward toward the basin in front of him. In the basin was a mysterious light that blinded him from seeing what the basin contained. With trepidation, he reached his hand into the basin and beneath the piercing light he felt a small glass item and as he pulled his hand out the light disappeared revealing a glass flask containing a glowing blue liquid. 

George opened the lid of the flask and drank its contents but there was no effect. It had no smell or taste and seemed to do nothing so he put the flask into his other pocket. As he did he felt that another item was already in that pocket and when he pulled that item out he saw that it was another glass flask. This time it was full of a glowing golden liquid and when he drank from it he felt slightly better and it had a sweet nourishing taste. Not knowing better he drank took three gulps and put it back into his pocket feeling vigorous and energized.

He had walked only a short distance before he heard the rasping barks of a large creature. He braced himself and watched as a white wolf rounded the corner with the speed of a greyhound. It bared its teeth and sprung forward smashing its massive white head into George's shield. He swung his ax reflexively but hit only air. The beast had jumped back swiftly and then sprung forward again, this time sinking its teeth into George's side taking out a sizable chunk. He swung again, even harder, hitting the wolf in the face and knocking it back several feet. As it struggled to get to its feet George rummaged in his pocket and pulled out the flask with the golden liquid but when he looked the container had little more than a few drops. He realized he had no more life juice and was attacked by the wolf again and as he fell to his knees once more he thought about how he might try it next time.