Don't You Dare Go Hollow- Dark Souls is Your Story
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- Patreon: / firesteel
Twitter: / _firesteel_
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An analysis and retrospective of the Dark Souls series existential leanings and what that means regarding its narrative and gameplay's interaction.
When you make your character in a Dark Souls game you do just that, you put yourself into the game's world. What you're putting into Dark Souls is incomplete if you don't also invest yourself in your own journey. Dark Souls asks you to literally be your character both in and out of the game. That's what hollowing is truly about. There is only a single lose condition for the series, putting the game down and never coming back. Hollowing might be represented in various ways in game but you'll only ever be overtaken by it if you give up.
The series in this way is as much a fantasy story as an existential journey for you to go on. Little is ever told to you and so much is simply built around your own interpretation. Your own search for meaning. In spite of this Dark Souls is happy to give you purpose and because it's a game, you'll accept that. The series can also be seen as a commentary on our own need for meaning in our lives and each game in the series advances this critique with the third game finally allowing you to truly set off on your own.
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Chapters:
Part 1: • Don't You Dare Go Holl...
Part 2: • Don't You Dare Go Holl...
Part 3: • Don't You Dare Go Holl...
Also please note that there is another video with a similar title (I didn't know this when I uploaded this video, sorry about that) discussing a different and equally interesting interpretation of Dark Souls here:
• Don't You Dare Go Holl...
Prepare to Die... But fight to live..
Dark Souls in a nutshell.
I kinda wish that was on the back of the box or maybe after you beat the game the title comes up with those words. It’s really powerful to me
Prepare to cry... but fight to give..
Prepare to Die.. but finger but hole
I always felt that the Lord of Hollows ending was representative of finally letting go of something that you thought defined you and freeing yourself of the shackles that you put yourself in
Doggos into philosophy?! What a time to be alive xD
"I found my meaning.
I found my purpose.
I'm not a hollow"
16:26
Words potent enough that I'm tempted to say them every morning
This is seriously some underrated stuff. You should be swimming in subscribers and views. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the support. I'm sure some of it has to do with my lengthy hiatus about a year ago and also being really bad at timing everything.
It's funny but I have played all ds game sin when passing thru critical periods, I started ds2 right after ending up a a very toxic and destructive relationship. It gave me strength to continue grinding in real life
Yo, same, Dark Souls is a important thing in my life, literally saved me of suicide some years ago.
Felt this
My journey thru Dark Souls has just started about a week ago. I bought the whole trilogy. I just got the Lordvessel in the first one. I just. I don't even know what to say. Just this game is. Everything right now. :))
Hope you made it right on through to the end. I finished DS1 in preparation for Elden Ring and it blew me away. Then I finished Elden Ring and Sekiro, and I'm halfway through DS3 right now. These games have permanently altered my perspective, and my standards for quality in video games. Kinda sucks that the majority of new games will never meet those standards, but I wouldn't trade the Souls series for a thousand sub-par AAA titles.
Now I just gotta go back and complete DS2, and then pray for a PC port of Bloodborne and Demon Souls (doubtful, but maybe someday...)
That don’t you dare do hollow hits hard I saw another video about that quote and it reminded me of best friends play
I will fight, and I will not hollow.
i have never played a game that had such a mental impact, i dont really get depressed, i have alway had a therapist to talk to, one i visited once a month for years, but i got demotivated lately and the game re motivated me.
My kindred seeker kaathe wanted to spread the dark not the abyss. the abyss was born from Manus' suffering, loneliness, and hopelessness his locket held the last piece of his former life when it broke he could see no reason to keep on going and the power of the dark soul was unleashed by what was essentially a hollow so the abyss inflicts the same kind suffering upon all who try to traverse it albeit in a vague approximation.
sorry about the punctuation
One of the problems we run into with interpretation is how little we really know Kaathe's motivations and whether or not he believes spreading the abyss and dark are one in the same. Every time he intervenes, the abyss comes. Whether it's part of his end goal or not is completely up for debate but we do know it's tied in some way to the flame going out and humanity running wild. I honestly can't say even if I believe it's part of Kaathe's plan or not. You have a beautiful little interpretation all your own though!
Truly an exceptional video. I played the first game of the series when it came out and immediately I began pondering on the nature of its world. I could understand that the story was full of metaphors or, if I am allowed the expression, the whole game was an existential allegory. Nevertheless, given that it was "just a game" I began to doubt myself, thinking I was giving an action RPG too much credit. After all, none of the games I had played until then bothered with any kind of philosophy. Well, the idea was planted in my head so I couldn't let go if it that easily and here I am 5-6 years later watching your video. I am glad you found your purpose through Dark Souls much like I did. Existential philosophy is a tricky thing, often leading to a nihilistic way of thinking which leads to a general feeling of lacking purpose. Thank you for this video. It is a nice way of explaining the series and what it means to some people. Be safe, my friend.
Thank you. The ending is more rhetorical and I've had a long history with existentialism in games (hint hint Freespace which I'll crowbar in wherever I can). The whole idea that you and only you are responsible for yourself is why existentialism is scary to most people. I'm glad you found the video!
Never let anyone tell you the meaning you got out of something isn't meaningful. Art is all about what you personally get out of it!
Honestly it's funny I'm a Christian and yet I love dark souls and it's negative outlook on religion because in many ways religion has simply made things worse for humanity but at the same time so many of the atrocities perpetrated in the name of religion is because of human nature and our diabolical need to play God when as mere humans we have no right to judge others unless they are actively harming society but besides that only God himself has the right to judge us and if people had understood that from the beginning none of the various religious wars throughout history would of ever taken place. That is why I love humanity and detest it, because we can even warp and corrupt something as beautiful as spiritually into just another excuse to spill the blood of fellow human beings..
Bravo! Someone truly understands the games original thought. The game had truly this things in its creation.
Very well made video my man. I've always looked at the souls games as a challenge, something I went in to beat for the sake of beating it, even if it was a replay. It was always more about experiencing the bosses and keeping my reflexes sharp. But from now on I'll definitely have a second view of the things I do in the games. Thank you for this perspective. Great work!
This is too good for the reputation it has! Amazing job mate, keep up the good work!!
Thanks so much!
I absolutely love this game series awesome video
Cool video, Im glad i found it. Don't You Dare Go Hollow!
JEsus, how i just found this, 3 years later?
I even feel ashamed i didn't earlier..
Terribly good!!! Keep it up!!
This is one of the best videos I've ever seen in UA-cam, thank you a lot
first video essay I ever listened to without getting bored! Nice work and very thought provoking. Thanks
Beautiful video! Very well written. I'm subbing!
Thank you so much! I can't say I'm speedy with the content but I'm trying to make up for it with quality.
Firesteel that's the right choice. Quality is always better than quantity.
Incredibly well-put!
Thank you!
And thats why dark souls has always been the superior story telling game throughout the past two decades
Dark souls and fromsoftware in general have helped me crippling depression and I am forever grateful. Thank you for thin insight. Wish I found the series earlier.
I went hollow at O&S
Great vid, This makes me want to play all the souls games in tandem. My only question is where does Bloodborne fit in with the souls series? Does it also delve into the meaning of purpose or is it an different theme entirely?
Bloodborne is very much its own self contained story, mainly for legal purposes. That isn't to say it might not be the Souls universe in the far future but its relationship to Dark Souls is the same as Demon's Souls. It isn't explicitly in the Dark Souls world but it isn't unreasonable to speculate something more than a mechanical connection.
Not owning a PS4 myself I haven't been able to spend the hundreds of hours on Bloodborne that I have with Dark Souls. Bloodborne is much more of a straight up Lovecraftian story that you experience first hand. To me Dark Souls is about the inherent meaninglessness and our search for some kind of meaning. Bloodborne on the other hand is far more tied to the nature of dreams and the baser aspects of being human. We all have some kind of beasthood within us and part of life is understanding and controlling it. As far as the Eldritch parts of the story are concerned, they are as they have always been, trying to understand them leads to madness (illustrated in the game's insight system).
I love dark souls videos and just found ur channel ur up there with the best dark souls video makers!!
Thank you! I have another one close to being done. I just need to find more time and energy to do voice over recording.
+Firesteel I'll be waiting for that bro! it's just nice seeing people's experiences with the souls games. it's easy to see why it's consider one of the best games evermade, years on a we are still finding answers to some questions and more often than not discover new questions to answer. keep it up glad I'm subscribed!
5y later and chillin in my recommendation, since elden ring is the main topic at the moment this was perfect
My character is a sorcerer class and has the dragon scholar face preset but customized based off an amazing character creation guide to the point that now he truly looks the part of a privileged pretty boy genius who was a rising star in the sorcerer academy of Vinheim before subsequently succumbing to the undead curse and then being imprisoned in the undead asylum. However what's most interesting about Godwyn is that he actually grew up in a royal family within new Londo and like so many others were devout followers of the Gods and prominent members of the church and as a result my character had a real first hand look at all the corruption and underhanded tactics employed by the supposed holy members of the upper echelon of the way of white and even worse he bore witness to his own sister being locked away by his parents after she started rebelling against the church's doctrine before eventually commiting suicide due to isolation but because of the curse not truly dying but instead becoming undead and then being taken away to the undead asylum, never to be heard from again. So to say he has a grudge against the Gods would be an understatement and yet even though a part of him wishes to see the age of the Gods gone forever he still chooses to rekindle the first flame because first and foremost he is a sorcerer and if the age of fire ends then the greatest mysteries regarding the soul and soul sorceries will never come to light and all the work that has already been done will be for not and he'd rather sacrifice himself a million times over then let that happen.. So he must let the age of fire continue in perpetuity in the hope that someday a sorcerer much like him will be able to unlock the secrets of life itself and as such guide humanity so that they may transcend once and for all the cycle, the curse, and the very shackles of the Gods and become truly transcendent beings..
This game completely obliterates my self esteem, I can't do it to myself any longer
wow I remeberd playin dark souls 2 for one item only the majestic greatsword...thing was i reached a point where this was my only goal and so when I found it I just could not play anymore I did not have any motivation or what so ever to keep on playin makes me sad :(
Stuff like that happens. I still have yet to finish the Dark Souls 3 DLC on account of just not picking it back up.
@@Firesteel You get to see Sister Friede's feet
I can't believe I'm just now discovering this! You did a well done analysis and your story is incredible!
You got yourself a new sub.
Do you think you'll be doing anything for Elden Ring?
Nah ichigo has come a long way 😔🙏
Yeah, where has you channel been all this long? 👏👏👏 Good work, time to share
fucking amazing video bro you deserve so much more from making this
When it finally dawns on you that lurtrec wasn't such a bad guy after all.
Great video man,keep it up
We all go hollow eventually.
Don’t you dare go hollow
I think you're mistaking going hollow with true death, going hollow is to die philosophically, to give up completely on life and be unable to come back.
I never played it..is it harder than Sekiro? Sekiro getting to higher levels you have to have a perfect parry and your getting both swarmed and flanked by enemies at all corners
Sekiro characters have movement speed. Since, they are shinobi, so, sometimes it's harder. Dark Souls bosses are either a victim of a curse or in misery, their large bodies have less movement speed.
Some of the bosses in Dark Souls are easier than even General in Sekiro and some are much harder.
Depends on the player.
5 years I spent in that cell.
Man, if I only had enough time for this fkng franchise
I'm slow to push forward without coming to a complete halt due to many irl factors ;-;
Nagito komaeda crashes in at 7:17
Ergo Proxy
Damm this is good stuff
Um well.... I played in the swamp. As Shrek. Naked.
Underrated as fuck
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
No I will, I gave up. It helped me beat Cuphead though.