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6 tips for how to survive in Dark Souls on Switch
Ready to face your toughest challenge yet with Dark Souls on Switch? We're here to help.
Dark Souls has a reputation for being one of the toughest video games money can buy, and it's not totally undeserved. Brutal for newcomers and quick to punish little mistakes, it’s become something of a hardcore gamer's dream – but that's not to say that novices can't jump in and enjoy it as well. With the arrival of the Nintendo Switch version of the game, the potential audience has increased dramatically – and existing fans will be tempted back by the promise of portable play. Whether you're a total newb or simply wish to brush up on your skills, this handy guide will hopefully make the trip to Lordran that little bit easier.
1. Don't get hung up on your starting class
Like a great many action RPGs, Dark Souls asks you to choose your character's class at the start of your adventure. However, unlike many other examples of the genre, your starting class doesn't mean a great deal here. Sure, your load-out and stats will be geared towards that particular class, but because you can choose where to assign stat points and can change your gear completely, there's no reason why you can't turn your Knight into a magic-user as the game progresses; the freedom Dark Souls provides means you can also create hybrid vocations which mix the best qualities of two different builds. If you're a newcomer to the franchise then you may well be frozen with fear when selecting your class – don't be.
2. Choose your starting gift carefully
After you've picked your class, you can select a 'starting gift'. These are items which have a range of uses; some are one-use affairs – like the Black Firebomb – while others are wearable pieces which can give you a stat boost and make those early parts of the game that little bit easier to stomach. There's no single item that is the 'best' as such; even the Master Key, which can open several locked doors in the game, is something of a poisoned chalice. If you open a door earlier than the designers intended, it's likely that the enemies contained within are going to be too powerful for you to handle.
3. Balance risk with reward when saving
To level up in Dark Souls, you need to get to a campfire (these also act as your save and respawn points) and use the Souls you have acquired from defeating enemies. Any unused Souls you have collected during your game are lost when you die; if you return to the point where you died you can reclaim them, but should you die again on the way, they’re lost forever. Therefore, Dark Souls is all about balancing the risk of progression with the reward of using your collected Souls to boost your stats at the nearest campfire. Don't over-reach your abilities when you've got loads of Souls in reserve, as you could lose them – and hours of progress – as a result.
4. Take it slow in combat
Combat in Dark Souls is all about watching and waiting. Going in all guns blazing is usually a quick way to get yourself killed, for a wide range of reasons. Each attack consumes stamina, and once this runs out you are vulnerable for a short period while you regain your breath. Because of this, even a few very low-level enemies are capable of taking you down should you time your offence poorly, so it pays to approach every single encounter with caution. Keep your shield raised (if you have one), lock onto your foe and circle them while you wait for an opening. Watch for the animation cues which tell you when they're about to attack, and be mindful of nearby enemies who could hit you with ranged blows. Being methodical in Dark Souls isn't just a good idea – it's how you survive.
5. Learn from other players’ mistakes
While Dark Souls is, on the surface, a solitary experience, working with other players makes things a lot easier. This might sound like a confusing contradiction, but those who have played the series in the past will be fully aware of what we mean. Throughout your adventure, you'll notice glowing signs dotted around Lordran; these are usually helpful hints left by other players, but they can occasionally be tricks or false pointers. An upvoting system means helpful messages usually stick around for longer, so it's normally quite easy to spot which is which. As well as these messages, you'll also see after-images of the final moments of other players, a handy way of avoiding upcoming threats.
6. Make use of extra reinforcements
Finally, it's possible to invite players into your game to tackle Dark Souls' many difficult boss fights – and in the Remastered version, it's now possible for six players to be in the same game, whereas previously you could only have four. This will make things a lot easier for novice players, as the extra help really makes a difference. However, the game's online system works both ways – your game can be invaded by other players who will then hunt you down for sport. Thankfully, you'll often find that allies are automatically summoned to defend you, leading to some thrilling PvP encounters that are unmatched in any other series.
