I just beat the game. Before I logged out I left messages saying “good luck” and “remember” because I am a pretty big sap.
I considered remaining logged in until the end. Maybe someone would evaluate me. Maybe something special would happen. But this left me feeling oddly sad and waiting around would probably make me even sadder so I logged off, unhooked my PS3, and put it in the closet.
I’ll probably never touch it again unless I find people to play Spelunker HD with. That game was the Demon’s Souls of 2D platformers, in case you didn’t know. It’s also free on PS+ for a few more days. You should download it.
This game is very easy now, and I like that. I replayed Dark Souls 3 recently and I died a lot, even though I’ve played the game many times. Here I felt like game knowledge was more important than combat skill. It’s very easy to break this game. I don’t even remember what most bosses look like up close. I prefer that. I think I beat every boss on the first try except for Old King Allant. I had him down to a sliver of health and I could have easily thrown a fireball at him and finished him but I said “No. I will stab him. I want to feel him die.” But he stabbed me first, and I died. Typical ending for me, but this time I wasn’t being impatient. I was calm. Maybe I knew I deserved to be punished. That is an awful thing to want to feel.
I beat him on the next try.
Then I walked around the beach a bit. Then I walked inside, finished the king, and stepped on a head, which is also an awful thing but it seemed right.
My final Old Monk was linkman666420.
My final partner was TheMilfDestructor.
I wanted a port but they’ll fuck it up. They’ll smooth out all the edges. The edges are part of what make this game special. I’d somehow forgotten just how From it was. Frequently ugly and unrefined and uneven and ours. I know everyone keeps saying this, but it’s amazing that this became a thing. It seemed like a massive triumph when it simply got released in the West and now it’s almost a decade later and Mario games are paying tribute to it. What in the world.
I’ve largely stopped caring about corporations digging up the corpses of things I love but I know I’m going to be sad when I see a marketing campaign based around “This is harsh. Evaluate me.”
I feel haunted.
(it won’t be taken from you)
