C183: Reality and Imagination are too far apart

After understanding that the underground cemetery is not a map meant for early-stage —and after lighting the bonfire, which led to a dead end—I wanted to see if there was a way out.

Having played the earlier Souls game, I knew a lot about its mechanics. In Souls, whether it's the bosses or the level design, the game ensures players feel pitifully weak and agony. However, there's always a way forward, nothing is completely unsolvable.

Given the presence of the underground cemetery at the start, it's evident there must be a path leading elsewhere—perhaps to the Fire link Shrine or other locations. Clinging to the last shred of hope as an old player, I decided to explore further.

After wandering through the dark corridors of the underground cemetery, enduring countless deaths, reality finally set in. There is an escape, but not for me in here. Starting over was the only option.

The game's vengefulness became undeniable. By this point, I hadn't encountered a named boss—No Gwyn, Nor Nite, Neither the Witch, nor The Seath the Scaleless. Even without these foes, the terrain and mobs alone had overwhelmed my mind.

Eating up my pride, I opened a new life, feeling as a defeated god. Despite knowing the Knight's starting path was challenging, I chose it again without thinking. As for the starting gift, I selected the Master Key, still uncertain about its purpose.

This time, equipped with future knowledge, my journey from the undead prison was smooth. In less than five minutes, I have gathered all available items and reached the Fire link Shrine.

The sight of bloodstains scattered across the shrine offered a strange comfort. They were the evidence that there is universal suffrage of sufferings here. Many of the deaths weren't from enemies or even confrontations with the brooding figures at the shrine. Instead, they occurred as players fell from broken eaves and crumbling walls while attempting to retrieve glowing items from precarious heights. Greed is a sin.

For any Dark Souls player, falling is as normal as morning bath. Even in earlier games with cheats enabled, falling to death remained an inevitable hazard.

Everything is same as ever, I wandered for ten minutes before finding a tunnel resembling a cave. After hacking through several skeleton soldiers and a few oversized sewer rats, a new world unfolded before you.

I arrived at a map called Undead Burg, the very one Zhang Yi had mentioned during an earlier conversation. Compared to the oppressive in cemetery, this new area felt like heaven. Only two hollowed enemies, armed with shields and axes, stood at the entrance—far less intimidating than the previous trials.

"Sure enough, this is the right way." Song Ren muttered, with tears.

The earlier map was clearly a prank by devs, who deliberately placed the advanced maps near the spawn point to reel newbies in. Reflecting on it now, it felt like a school day's lesson.

The remains of the Little skeleton that Zhang Yi mentioned earlier? They hadn't even been found yet. But the so-called cryptic cemetery? That was a complete joke!

The cemetery's defense system was insane-skeletons guarding the entrance formed the first line of defense, exploding skeletons and soldiers lined along the path to the cave as the second line and once inside the underground crypt, rolling skeletons descended the stairs as the third trial. Finally, near the last bonfire, a lantern monster will launch fireballs as a final obstacle.

As a rookie, Song Ren will usually die on the way and respawned at the fire link shrine. Only seasoned players from the previous game had a decent chance of surviving and lighting a bonfire in such a high-level area and yes they will be trapped there then. 

With a sigh, Song Ren moved on to explore the new map, leaving earlier frustrations behind. However, something about this map felt off.

The little soldiers in Undead Town seemed enthusiastic compared to those at Lothric's High Wall. Just approaching them was enough to draw them in like overly eager villagers. They attacked with relentless combos, often leaving Song Ren either dead or severely injured.

Before stepping into the fray, Song Ren had pictured an image of himself:

a graceful roll,

a sharp backstab, and

a deft shield counter.

With his trusty blade, he'd cut through like a master.

But reality has set in.

Even the small monsters in Undead Berg seemed far more agile than before. Just ahead of the first bonfire, Song Ren encountered a Black Knight wielding a sword and shield.

In the previous game, the Black Knight was tucked away in a small room on the Road of Sacrifices—far from being an obstacle. Now, it blocked a narrow corridor that could barely fit one person.

"Maybe its stats have been nerfed?" Song Ren mused. After all, as a seasoned player, fighting Black Knights in the past isn't unheard of. Surely an old acquaintance wouldn't be too difficult?

Locking on, I approached cautiously, lunging with my blade. A sliver of health bar dropped.

Then, the swift slash from knight. And

[You are dead!]

Reviving at the nearby bonfire, Song Ren trudged back to the starting point, where the Black Knight stood unmoving. He stared at it in silence for a moment.

"Farewell!" he sighed. "When I will grow up, I'll come back and settle this once and for all!"

Putting down this hatred. I moved on. Then I avoided the powder keg pushed down by a living corpse and step into a scene reminding me of a sentry tower.

The master key comes in handy here. By opening the door to the sentry tower. Behind it lies an endless downward spiraling corridor, sloping downward, leading all the way to the bottom.

At the end of the descent stood a knight with his back towards me, with a bulky black suit. 

This person wields a massive dragon teeth, speed towards me and dealt a shot. There is no time for a second hit. The health bar bottomed out.

[You are dead!]

Reviving at the nearby bonfire, there's no rush to re-enter the tower. Instead, leaning back in the chair, I took a moment of rest. The mobile phone is out, and then the forum for newbies is opened.

A new and endearing inquiry catches my eye:

"Can someone tell me, how does Dark Souls: Age of First Fire compare to the previous work?"

For now, there are no replies. Reflecting on the recent game experience, a reply should be given silently:

Different details, And New and exciting map!

History of Souls, but it's the same familiar experience!

A must-play!

Satisfied. Not a single line is a lie.

The maps are indeed of high-level from the start, teeming with insidious traps—how can that not be considered exquisite?

The gameplay feels familiar. After all, how many times has [You are dead!] screen flashed now?

For anyone who has already played Dark Souls, isn't enduring the pain and challenge part of the journey? Why else enter the game if not to relish the feeling of being beaten again and again?