A great post! I've only ever played Elden Ring, which was absolutely fantastic. It's like what you wrote, you have to keep trying/dying. It teaches a skill many of us lost as we became adults: perseverance. We give up too easily. Kids don't. They keep trying and failing and trying and failing. In a way, the Souls games have us revisit that skill.
Thanks for reading! I love the connection you made between the games and children's mindsets. Childhood fascinates me, and I often find myself writing from the perspective of adult me looking back and analyzing my childhood. Interesting to see there's a connection even in the essays which are about something else entirely!
I'd only ever dabbled for a few short minutes in Dark Souls (I or II, not sure which), but then I absolutely fell in love with Elden Ring and put in over 200 hours. Incredible game. The lore, the strangeness, the perseverance, the world.
2. I teach a class on stages of faith that uses a mystical classic, "the Interior Castle" by St Teresa of Ávila, as the launch point for the discussions.
When I first read that book and started talking to my husband about it he said, "It sounds kind of like 'Legends of Zelda.'" Reading this post makes me think that maybe all video games are modeled on stages of faith concepts, whether intentionally or not. This was a fun read Andrei!
Thanks for reading, Jenn! It’s cool to see a correlation between the two. Though I suppose both RPGs and stages of faith are very similar to the hero’s journey, with the former trying to mimic it and the latter probably serving as inspiration. In any case, it’s a really interesting Link (get it? cuz Zelda🤔).
Haha! I would get it...if I had every played Zelda. I'll have to ask my husband. But YES. The Hero's Journey is super related, so I suspect your theory is correct.
This is awesome. I have not played Dark Souls but I’ve played many other games of various genres. And the sense of accomplishment in defeating an epic enemy or solving a wildly complex puzzle is real. The mind and the hand-eye coordination making magic. Yes!
Hello my friend, welcome back for a brief time. I hope you feel better. This is a beautifully written essay full of truth, empowerment, and candor. Your words "The fact that you aren’t capable of something today tells you nothing of what you’ll be able to do tomorrow, or at the end of the month." make me reflect on how I've been struggling with taking in medicine lately, but still I try, until my body learns to accept and adapt to it. If we don't persevere, we don't see the fruits of our labor later on. But when we do, it's all worth it in the end. Games like Dark Soul teach us to be determined and patient. They teach us how to multitask and create well-made plans. Returnal taught that to me as well. I hardly ever play such games because of my heart issues and how easily stressed and exhausted I get. But through my symptoms, I persevered (of course with lots of breaks in between and sometimes maybe not enough lol) and beat an extremely hard game. I was surprised at myself for having done that when with other games I usually choose the easiest difficulty there is (not enough patience I suppose). This tells me I can play difficult games, and I can persevere in my life journey too. Thank you for this. Please take care and take it easy when you can with your well-being.
Nadia! I’m glad the essay spoke to you. It’s cool how video games bring together people of all walks of life, people who deal with all sorts of issues, and they can find some of the help they need there. There are quite a few videos on Youtube of people explaining how Dark Souls saved their lives, so we know that games can be a powerful force for good. I’m so very sorry to hear about your health issues, but I’m always happy to hear you’re pushing through. I know how hard it can be to be here consistently, on top of your other commitments, but to also have to deal with chronic pain on top of that... you’re honestly a hero. You inspire me. Thank you so much for this gorgeous comment.
I don’t play video games, I’d get hooked. And I’m already struggling for time.
Speaking of struggles, Dark Souls…what you’ve written about it…makes me think of the struggles many go through dealing with poverty, crime, trying to live good or giving in to temptation, living with faith, patience, perseverance, and failing…or succeeding…depending on how much one keeps going.
You may have single handedly convinced me to pick Dark souls back up. My save sits at the point right after beating the demon on the bridge (can't remember his name). I always wanted to fight Kalameet, as I always heard it was the epitome of what a dragon fight should be. That always intrigued me since I was a huge Skyrim player.
Now, I'm not so sure about bloodborne. As much as I LOVE that game, I swear I have tried every single combination on the blood starved beast.
What a fantastic read, thank you for tagging me in it so it didn't pass me by!
Thank you for the kind words! I’d say, pick it back up, but maybe you can just try a more welcoming alternative. Why not Elden Ring or Dark Souls 3? I found the latter easier overall, and I’ve just started playing the former and the first few hours felt way more welcoming.
I’m glad to see we’re of like mind! And I don’t know if I’d go quite so far, knowing I could beat Dark Souls is one big motivator for me whenever I struggle.
Before Covid hit, I had a little gaming channel. It's still up. N00biegamergrrl. I was a Nintendo girl growing up, but after the original NES, I didn't have many consoles. One day, I decided why not recording some sessions. I watch a few gamers on Youtube and it seemed fun and a good way to try to build up some self confidence in my speaking. I came on the moniker because I like video games but I'm a noob at a lot of them. Dark Souls is one hubby wanted me to tackle on the channel, but I never got around to it. Covid had him working from home and I couldn't yell at video games while he was on work calls. In the evenings, we chilled together and I didn't feel like going through the set up to record, so I haven't gotten back into it. Maybe one day I will, and if I do, Dark Souls is definitely on the list because of how crazy it can be.
Lots more options since the times of Dark Souls one, though. You can start with Elden Ring or Dark Souls III, which are more approachable. Though I suppose original Dark Souls might look even less appealing once you’ve met its more handsome cousins. But yeah, the Souls series is a wonderful, unique experience. Every single game in the series is worth the time and sweat invested. Maybe one day you’ll try them, and film your first epic fails. Might make the experience more palatable.
I’ll admit... I gave up Dark Souls rather quickly because I don’t have the skills to play. Video games deserve so much more attention than they receive for the depth of plot and how gracefully they can immerse you. There are some lines in Elden Ring that stick with me!
Just started Elden Ring last weekend and I’ve already sunk 15 hours into it! It’s absolutely brilliant, and I appreciate the heightened focus on lore and dialogue that it has compared to the rest of the series!
I've never thought that a video game could be able to teach such a good life lesson as you say in this post. Sometimes life needs perseverance to be successful and I'm happy that you have learnt that during the time you have played Dark Souls.
I have to say that I like other kind of games, I used to play Mario Bros, Tetris or even Street Fighter when I was younger 😅 Now, I have to accept that sometimes I get nervous while playing this kind of games... and the most of the times I play some game in my computer it is the windows solitaires 😅
A great post! I've only ever played Elden Ring, which was absolutely fantastic. It's like what you wrote, you have to keep trying/dying. It teaches a skill many of us lost as we became adults: perseverance. We give up too easily. Kids don't. They keep trying and failing and trying and failing. In a way, the Souls games have us revisit that skill.
Thanks for reading! I love the connection you made between the games and children's mindsets. Childhood fascinates me, and I often find myself writing from the perspective of adult me looking back and analyzing my childhood. Interesting to see there's a connection even in the essays which are about something else entirely!
Great thoughts, Thomas.
I'd only ever dabbled for a few short minutes in Dark Souls (I or II, not sure which), but then I absolutely fell in love with Elden Ring and put in over 200 hours. Incredible game. The lore, the strangeness, the perseverance, the world.
Two things:
1. I don't play video games.
2. I teach a class on stages of faith that uses a mystical classic, "the Interior Castle" by St Teresa of Ávila, as the launch point for the discussions.
When I first read that book and started talking to my husband about it he said, "It sounds kind of like 'Legends of Zelda.'" Reading this post makes me think that maybe all video games are modeled on stages of faith concepts, whether intentionally or not. This was a fun read Andrei!
Thanks for reading, Jenn! It’s cool to see a correlation between the two. Though I suppose both RPGs and stages of faith are very similar to the hero’s journey, with the former trying to mimic it and the latter probably serving as inspiration. In any case, it’s a really interesting Link (get it? cuz Zelda🤔).
Haha! I would get it...if I had every played Zelda. I'll have to ask my husband. But YES. The Hero's Journey is super related, so I suspect your theory is correct.
Michelangelo's Last Judgement and a Damned Soul... https://cwspangle.substack.com/p/michaelangelos-last-judgement-and
This is awesome. I have not played Dark Souls but I’ve played many other games of various genres. And the sense of accomplishment in defeating an epic enemy or solving a wildly complex puzzle is real. The mind and the hand-eye coordination making magic. Yes!
Thanks for reading, Sherman! Yes, a modern kind of magic.
Sleepwalker . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4n5GUGsDLE
Hello my friend, welcome back for a brief time. I hope you feel better. This is a beautifully written essay full of truth, empowerment, and candor. Your words "The fact that you aren’t capable of something today tells you nothing of what you’ll be able to do tomorrow, or at the end of the month." make me reflect on how I've been struggling with taking in medicine lately, but still I try, until my body learns to accept and adapt to it. If we don't persevere, we don't see the fruits of our labor later on. But when we do, it's all worth it in the end. Games like Dark Soul teach us to be determined and patient. They teach us how to multitask and create well-made plans. Returnal taught that to me as well. I hardly ever play such games because of my heart issues and how easily stressed and exhausted I get. But through my symptoms, I persevered (of course with lots of breaks in between and sometimes maybe not enough lol) and beat an extremely hard game. I was surprised at myself for having done that when with other games I usually choose the easiest difficulty there is (not enough patience I suppose). This tells me I can play difficult games, and I can persevere in my life journey too. Thank you for this. Please take care and take it easy when you can with your well-being.
Nadia! I’m glad the essay spoke to you. It’s cool how video games bring together people of all walks of life, people who deal with all sorts of issues, and they can find some of the help they need there. There are quite a few videos on Youtube of people explaining how Dark Souls saved their lives, so we know that games can be a powerful force for good. I’m so very sorry to hear about your health issues, but I’m always happy to hear you’re pushing through. I know how hard it can be to be here consistently, on top of your other commitments, but to also have to deal with chronic pain on top of that... you’re honestly a hero. You inspire me. Thank you so much for this gorgeous comment.
That is so touching. Thank you so much. YOU inspire ME. :)
I don’t play video games, I’d get hooked. And I’m already struggling for time.
Speaking of struggles, Dark Souls…what you’ve written about it…makes me think of the struggles many go through dealing with poverty, crime, trying to live good or giving in to temptation, living with faith, patience, perseverance, and failing…or succeeding…depending on how much one keeps going.
Stay well, Andrei.
Thanks a million for reading, neena! Yours are some extreme examples, but on a smaller scale, Dark Souls really is a struggle.
You may have single handedly convinced me to pick Dark souls back up. My save sits at the point right after beating the demon on the bridge (can't remember his name). I always wanted to fight Kalameet, as I always heard it was the epitome of what a dragon fight should be. That always intrigued me since I was a huge Skyrim player.
Now, I'm not so sure about bloodborne. As much as I LOVE that game, I swear I have tried every single combination on the blood starved beast.
What a fantastic read, thank you for tagging me in it so it didn't pass me by!
Thank you for the kind words! I’d say, pick it back up, but maybe you can just try a more welcoming alternative. Why not Elden Ring or Dark Souls 3? I found the latter easier overall, and I’ve just started playing the former and the first few hours felt way more welcoming.
I don't know whether I'm pleased or ashamed to say that I have never played a video game. Maybe it's my age. This was a fascinating read, though!
I’m glad it was, even for readers like you! My wife was bored halfway through, haha.
Such a great read.
I came to conclusion : "If you can beat souls game, you can beat the game of life."
Dark Souls ranks easy in the hardest things i ever did.
I’m glad to see we’re of like mind! And I don’t know if I’d go quite so far, knowing I could beat Dark Souls is one big motivator for me whenever I struggle.
Before Covid hit, I had a little gaming channel. It's still up. N00biegamergrrl. I was a Nintendo girl growing up, but after the original NES, I didn't have many consoles. One day, I decided why not recording some sessions. I watch a few gamers on Youtube and it seemed fun and a good way to try to build up some self confidence in my speaking. I came on the moniker because I like video games but I'm a noob at a lot of them. Dark Souls is one hubby wanted me to tackle on the channel, but I never got around to it. Covid had him working from home and I couldn't yell at video games while he was on work calls. In the evenings, we chilled together and I didn't feel like going through the set up to record, so I haven't gotten back into it. Maybe one day I will, and if I do, Dark Souls is definitely on the list because of how crazy it can be.
Lots more options since the times of Dark Souls one, though. You can start with Elden Ring or Dark Souls III, which are more approachable. Though I suppose original Dark Souls might look even less appealing once you’ve met its more handsome cousins. But yeah, the Souls series is a wonderful, unique experience. Every single game in the series is worth the time and sweat invested. Maybe one day you’ll try them, and film your first epic fails. Might make the experience more palatable.
I think given what I know about them, it's be lots of fun to film my epic fails. Elden Ring definitely tempted me as well.
I’ll admit... I gave up Dark Souls rather quickly because I don’t have the skills to play. Video games deserve so much more attention than they receive for the depth of plot and how gracefully they can immerse you. There are some lines in Elden Ring that stick with me!
Just started Elden Ring last weekend and I’ve already sunk 15 hours into it! It’s absolutely brilliant, and I appreciate the heightened focus on lore and dialogue that it has compared to the rest of the series!
Oh man and the voice acting? 👌 perfect!
Yeah! And that’s a huge achievement considering the absurd amount of characters in the game.
I've never thought that a video game could be able to teach such a good life lesson as you say in this post. Sometimes life needs perseverance to be successful and I'm happy that you have learnt that during the time you have played Dark Souls.
I have to say that I like other kind of games, I used to play Mario Bros, Tetris or even Street Fighter when I was younger 😅 Now, I have to accept that sometimes I get nervous while playing this kind of games... and the most of the times I play some game in my computer it is the windows solitaires 😅
As always, very happy to read you. 😊