Has anyone played any of the Dark Souls games?
I'm thinking of trying them, and #2 and #3 are on sale. The first one has a remaster, but it's not on sale. Would it be ok to just jump into the 2nd or 3rd one or should I just go ahead and get the 1st Dark Souls?
The Dark Souls games are legendary for a reason. Particularly 1 (which doesn't look/play great by today's standards, but is still an excellent game) and 3, which is more refined. 2 is considered the weak link, but it's still a good game. But all of the games (as well as the series' offshoots, like Bloodborne and Sekiro) are an acquired taste
You know how, in old NES games, you'd have to keep fighting the same bosses over and over again, trying to figure out their patterns and such? It's like that, but to the extreme. Like, super, super punishing. The good side is that the game really pushes you to customize your loadouts and tactics for specific battles, which IMO is a deeper gameplay experience than button-mashing your way to victory. (And, if/when you do eventually beat a boss, it feels like a major accomplishment. It's super satisfying!) The bad side is that it's easy to lose a lot of progress and get frustrated. If you'd rather beat bosses on your first couple of tries, relying on your reactions and a little luck, they're not the games for you. (Also, I'm definitely NOT a fan of the "hardcore gamer" mentality the Dark Souls games, and Souls-like games, have helped foster in the gaming community--where hardcore gamers who beat games like Dark Souls are "real gamers" and everyone else is just a "casual gamer." It's some real chest-puffing, ego-stroking bullshit that people who take games waaaay too seriously define themselves by.)
IMO, one of the most overlooked elements of the games is the lore. Particularly in the first game. It doesn't tell a straightforward story so much as it does litter the game world with little bits of info here and there that, when put together, tell the story of the game world, its rise and fall, and the player's role in it. You can find a bunch of super extended/deep examinations of the games' lore on YouTube. But... if you're not that big a fan of lore, or don't feel like going out of your way to look for it, you'll be missing out on one of the best things the game has to offer.
Hope this has been helpful! I'd say start with DS1 remaster to get the original experience. Or get DS3, if you'd like the most refined experience at a sale price.
