So I think I have finally wrapped my brain around playing Dark Souls, and it is something I want to pick up. I am frustrated that I waited this long - especially since the game was just in the Steam sale for 8 bucks and now it's back up to full price. My question is this: is it even worth it, with Dark Souls II around the corner? If I just wait and jump in when the zeitgeist is rallying around Dark Souls II, will I be confused story-wise? Or will I be okay? Do I NEED to play Dark Souls?

Someone help me. Someone help me move my mouse hand to "buy" in Steam.

Spend the lower amount of money to see if you can even handle the challenge, before you go and buy DSII at full price and find out it's too much for you.

It is never too late, my friend :)

Dive in now and if you love it and plow through it, Dark Souls 2 will be there just when you're itching for more! I almost envy you.

Heres what you do. Play Dark Souls now. Buy Dark Souls 2 when its cheap.

@brewmaster_andy: You don't really need to worry about the story. Dark Souls may have fantastic lore, but the story itself and the way it's told is sort of garbage. You can just watch a couple of YouTube videos and be fine, and you probably don't even need to do that much.

The real story of Dark Souls is what it does to you over the course of playing it.

Never too late, do it today!

The Souls series are not games about story. That's not to say there is no story/lore there, but the magic about these games is how their gameplay create an impressive experience. It doesn't really matter if you wait or not, once you experience the "Souls experience" it will grab you and you will want to play them all.

If anything, you should buy Dark Souls at the "discounted" price on Steam to see if it grabs you. If it does you won't regret it, and if it doesn't you saved some bucks.

I very much doubt there will even be a lot of callbacks to the first game, nothing that someone who hasn't played the first game will feel like they're missing out on at least. Of course I don't know for sure, they might bring up some of the old gods or primordial serpents, but my guess is that it'll be fairly standalone.

That said, I have an extra copy of the game I got when it was cheap, it's yours if you want it. I was gonna give it away if Gerstmass happened anyway.

@jacksukeru: I sent you a PM - that's very generous of you. I'd gladly reimburse you!

Definitely not too late. I started the game only last month. Mopping up my first playthrough this week. It's a great experience.

Its never too late to dive into that world of frustration and self hatred.

Grab Dark Souls the next time it goes on steam sale; add it to your wishlist to get an email when it's a daily or weekend deal. Enjoy a gorgeous game that is ruthless, punishing, frustrating, and one of the greatest games ever made.

I think you should go play the game, go in blind and see if you like it

Story continuity won't be very important at all, but having a feel for the combat and the general attitude of the series will certainly help ease you into Dark Souls 2 when it comes out. Having played Demon's Souls before Dark Souls, it made getting acclimated to the new systems/concepts much smoother.

It's never too late. Also, you should play it before spending 60 on DS2

My official stance is that if its a great game there is no wrong time to play it.

I know everyone like Brad says "gotta be a part of the zeitgeist, man!," but as someone who finished both games but was never super hardcore about the franchise, I feel the Souls games go on for a while. It's not like most games where mostly everyone stops talking about them a month after the release.

I ended up playing Dark Souls four months or so after it came out, and I still felt like I was knee-deep into the community aspects of that world. Probably not compared to day one, but people were playing NG+ and discovering alternative methods of doing every little fucking thing in that game when I was playing it.

Play Dark Souls now, and if you have to, play Dark Souls II later, like in the summer. People will still be playing it intensely even then.

I'm changing my answer to no, you've got plenty of time. DS 2 isn't till March as it turns out. Everyone was talking about it so much, I thought it right around the corner. Plenty of time at least to get your feet wet.

The zeitgeist around Dark Souls never really disappeared; I still see it everywhere and the community is one of the strongest in gaming.

Go for it.

There's a bunch of time until it releases, unless you're super busy and won't have time to play it anytime soon, I don't see how it would be too late.

Naaaaaaah! I'm diving in myself to gear up for II. I did the same thing with Demon's several months before Dark Souls cane out.

Since you already seem to be getting a copy I'd say this, the zeitgeist for the game hasn't disappeared. In fact, it's actually gotten stronger. It's a very unassuming game at first but over time as people begin to understand it the more they talk about it. I've got a few articles worth a read that I plan on posting here later.

It's totally worth it. Especially because there's already so much online direction for new people to glean upon if they need help. Dark Souls 2 will be a clean slate as far as information on the internet for a while. I'd consider that before choosing. If you're fine going into something completely unknown, and that a draw for me in the new one, then go for it. If you want a safety net in case you get hopelessly stuck, then Dark Souls already has information galore online. Besides that, like I said before, Dark Souls is definitely worth playing through.

As someone who is currently playing through right now (just killed laurtec), it isn't too late.

And at the very least, by playing it you'll figure out if you actually enjoy the game or not.

Edit - I'm also looking forward to Dark Souls 2, if only because I'll get to experience it by running around blindly. I laughed so hard at myself when I "found" the Stray Demon... Good times!

Dark Souls is an incredible game. It's not too late.

I wanna be a part of all this but.. ughhh. I do not understand the game and it's fun experience at all. I only got bored and tired. Mayeb i'll give it another try someday

You are definitely not too late good sir! I recently started a new game and every time I go online there are plenty of other people still playing, and not just experienced veterans either. I see summon signs of all manner of player still placed all over.

And if you plan on getting Dark Souls 2 and you've never played a Souls game before then at least playing Dark Souls for a little while should help you understand the basics, like those people who had played Demon's Souls already when Dark Souls came out.

Join us.

Never too late, I bought it little over a month ago for $6 on Steam (using DSFix, back off crazy PC people) and have loved every bit of it. Helps if you have a friends that can point you in the right direction without outright telling you how to play or telling you spoilers.

@brewmaster_andy:

Dark Souls is about the challenge, finding secrets, getting past combat puzzles, opening up new paths, and really just trying to stay alive and keep what you got. The story stuff is neat but it's incidental to the value. The real value is about overcoming the challenge and that resonates as much today as it did in 2011. No to mention the community around this game is very vibrant even now.

Just don't watch video playthroughs on how to get past hard spots and you'll be find regarding having a good time.

I say go for it, I just started a few weeks ago after the steam sale and I can't believe it took me so long to get into it. Start up and enjoy it!

I've been asking myself the same question. I've been hesitant on pulling the trigger, because of GFWL going away. Does anyone said anything what's going to happen to Dark Souls?

Never too late!

In the end, you still end up getting your legs in one game or another though, right? Playing Demon's Souls eased you into Dark Souls, but you still had to work out the concepts in Demon's Souls. Is it something about coloring the experience, and starting with a clean slate in the next game?

Your suspicion is correct. There will be little easter eggs to all sorts of previous From Software games but Dark Souls 2 will be a standalone experience. I would advise the op wait for it to be cheap again then buy Dark Souls 1. Honestly if they go much farther in the "the game is good because it is hard" direction I will probably be done with the series. The challenge being considered as the top reason it is "good" is the biggest travesty the internet has ever perpetuated on a game.

I didn't buy it until the Thanksgiving sale and it's the best game I've played in years. I beat it in about two weeks while working a full time job six days a week, so you've got plenty of time to finish it before the second one comes out.

I still haven't started Demon's Souls or Dark Souls yet.

#NEVERGIVEUP

I paid five dollars on live, a crazy price for xbox. And im stuck. Ithught I could get thru by march, that gave me four months, but I read this guys blog, he had not finished in seven months. Im way behind Green and Buddy K. It could be a called a perfect game.

@brewmaster_andy: It doesn't sound like you NEED to play it for Dark Souls II, but I think it would help to get your mind around the way the combat works and just the general feel of the game.

Also, Dark Souls is awesome. Game of the generation. Play it. Relish it.

You're never to late to Dark Souls.

@brewmaster_andy: ehh just wait for two. If you buy it now and plow through it you'll be to burnt out to play play #2. Coming from someone that has been dark souls several time, oh my god does ds2 look so much better.

Well thanks to @jacksukeru I am installing as we speak! Thanks all!

It's never too late duder! I'm gonna play Dark Souls this year on my PS3 in order to get ready for Dark Souls 2!

It's never too late. You can beat Dark Souls now and be ready for the launch of Dark Souls 2.

I started a month ago and now I am in deep! It can be insanely frustrating but also very rewarding.

I love it already. It's methodical and maniacal. Loving it.

Don't buy Dark Souls on PC. GFWL is shutting down.

I presume that everyone playing Dark Souls 2 will have played Dark Souls, so it only makes sense for you to play it too. Otherwise you will be a critical outlier.

you are not too late dude, I got in this past fall, and everyone has been more then encouraging helping me out giving me advice. Like use drake sword for a bit, but it won't scale get a better sword and keep upgrading it.

And try out twitch streaming your game, kids out there are super helpful even if they are mocking you.