Summary
To this day, there aren’t many great action RPGs that feature the same level of worldbuilding, level design, and sense of exploration present inDark Souls. Sure, FromSoftware themselves have done a great job of refining the combat in this title, making future games more fast-paced and action-packed than ever before in this department… but some people still swear by the fact thatDark Souls' strongest aspects are yet to be surpassed by any title the studio has released since.
It was one of the most important games in FromSoftware’s history, letting players experiment with a combat system that could be pretty tough to get used to if players weren’t measuring their hits and following a proper build. Some weapons were especially challenging to use, and only the most sadistic players would even think about using some of the game’s more offbeat weapons that are a pain to master and can potentially handicap their run!
Scaling
Strength (C), Dexterity (C)
The Caestus is one of the most meme weapons in theDark Soulsfandom. In a game full of massive swords, giant rapiers, and magical armaments, the idea of using stone knuckles to punch enemies into submission sounds pretty mundane in comparison. However, this is precisely why Souls fans love using the Caestus in the game.
The low reach and damage mean that players need to chain combos in a game that wasn’t developed to foster such fast-paced combat. Some players take it a step further by dual-wielding this weapon, meaning thatthe defense provided by a shieldis also done away with to pound enemies into a pulp.
Strength (B)
The Asylum Demon serves as a great example ofwhatDark Soulsis all about. With no weapon or protection to speak of, players are thrust into a boss fight that they have no hope of winning. Of course, players who are well-versed in the game’s mechanics can either bash this boss with their fists for hours on end or use Black Firebombs to deplete its life bar in no time flat.
Doing so nets players the Demon’s Great Hammer, which is really only viable in an NG+ playthrough because of its high Strength requirement. To make things worse, the weapon is so slow that only the biggest damage windows let players unleash a single hit, making combat frustrating for impatient players.
Dexterity (C)
Whips inDark Soulsare pretty annoying to use for a bevy of reasons. Their moveset is trickly, the damage isn’t all that high, and they pale in comparison to most mid-level weapons even after being upgraded to the max. Of course, players should always attempt to use the weapon that they like the most, so the Chosen Undead is more than welcome to master the whip if that’s really what they want.
The Guardian Whip is one such weaponadded in theArtorias of the AbyssDLCthat is pretty decent. However, obtaining this weapon is a pain in itself, with players having to slice off the Sanctuary Guardian’s tail somehow. Given how swift this boss is, it’s easy to see why trying to circle this foe can lead to players being frustrated as they become a target for the beast’s attacks over and over again.
Strength (E), Dexterity (C), Intelligence (B)
MostDark Soulsplayers won’t really pursue a magic build because of how challenging it can be to use spells in the game. It takes a decent understanding of the game’s systems to even pursue such a build, and the lack of any viable weapons certainly hurts a player’s effectiveness too. Of course, they’ll be too busy spamming spells to worry about something like that, but having a backup always helps.
Velka’s Rapier is one such weapon that scales primarily with Intelligence, making it perfect for magic users who have some points invested in Dexterity too. However, the moveset can be a bit hard to get used to, in no small part because of a lack of crowd control. Even after optimizing one’s build to adhere to this weapon, some people feel likeDark Soulshas other options that are simply better. Still, using Velka’s Rapier in one-on-one duels is fascinating and makes players feel like genuine duelists who won’t put a foot wrong in their skirmishes.
Intelligence (B)
The Moonlight Butterfly is certainlyone of the more visually striking bosses in the game, even if the battle itself can be fairly underwhelming. After defeating this boss, most people just consume its Soul since both the items made from it aren’t all that useful, or so most people think. While the Crystal Ring Shield is universally touted as one of the worst boss items in the entire game, some people genuinely love the Moonlight Butterfly Horn.
The lack of any split damage makes this weapon perfect for enemies weak to magic. While the Horn is a bit heavy, sorcerers can still use this weapon to attack enemies from a safe distance if they’re being cornered. It helps that the weapon looks quite striking, making players look pretty threatening as they blast enemies away with spells and use this spear to poke any foe who dares to close the distance.
