Once he fully realized this catacomb wasn't a place meant for early exploration, and since he had accidentally lit the bonfire which trapped him in a dead end…
At first, Ben still wanted to try and see if there was a way out.
After all, he had played the earlier Dark Souls games and knew one thing about them: whether it was the bosses or the stage design—
It was always brutal, making players feel cheated and tortured to the point of tears, but never completely hopeless.
If the game gave you no way back, then there had to be another way forward. And if the catacombs existed right at the start, then there had to be a path that linked them to other places, maybe even back to Firelink Shrine.
Holding on to the last bit of pride as a veteran player, Ben decided to explore more.
But after wandering through the pitch-black catacombs, dying countless times, he finally accepted reality.
It was time to just start over.
By now, he had fully felt the cruelty this game was built on.
So far, aside from the demon boss at the start that could be beaten with terrain tricks, he hadn't even seen a single real boss. Not Gwyn, not Nito, not the Witch, not Seath the Scaleless—none of the famous gods at all.
Just the maps and basic enemies had already given him a brutal beating.
Out of stubborn pride, when starting a new file, even though he knew the Knight class was a trap at the beginning, Ben still chose it. For his starting gift, he again picked the Master Key, which he still had no idea how to use.
Thanks to his past experience, the Undead Asylum was a breeze this time. In less than five minutes, he had gathered everything and made it to Firelink Shrine.
The one thing that made him feel better was seeing bloodstains everywhere while online, proof that plenty of other players were suffering alongside him.
Even in Firelink Shrine itself, he saw bloodstains all over the ground.
And when he checked them, he even got a laugh out of it.
Because clearly, those players hadn't been killed by enemies, nor did they anger Crestfallen Warrior—they had just fallen to their deaths inside Firelink Shrine.
That was because many items in Firelink Shrine glowed white in hard-to-reach spots. They were usually on broken walls or high ledges, and one wrong step meant falling to your death.
For the Chosen Undead, falling was one of the biggest threats.
Even in the earlier games, with cheats turned on, falling was still one of the deadliest dangers.
After enjoying the many funny deaths of newbie players, Ben wandered around for about ten minutes before finding a tunnel that looked like a cave. After cutting down a few skeleton soldiers and some sewer rats, a new world opened up before him.
He had reached a new map: the Undead Burg outside the city. It was the same one Zack had mentioned in their chat earlier.
At the entrance, there were only two hollows with shields and axes. Compared to the catacombs full of skeletons, this place felt like paradise.
"This is the real path, huh? What the hell was I doing before…?" Ben looked at the new map, almost moved to tears.
Clearly, the catacombs had been nothing but Lucas's malice—a trap, putting high-level areas right beside the starting point just to lure players in.
The more Ben thought about it, the more he realized how cruel it was.
He still didn't know what the New Londo Ruins looked like, since he hadn't found them yet.
But the catacombs were clearly a scam!
The skeletons in the graveyard served as the first line of defense.
The exploding skulls and skeleton soldiers on the stairway into the cave were the second.
Rolling down into the deeper catacombs brought you face-to-face with even more skeletons as the third.
And finally, once you reached the bonfire, the lantern hollow who immediately threw fireballs at you served as the final safety lock.
For most new players, this meant dying along the way and respawning back at Firelink Shrine.
Only veterans who had played the earlier games were likely to make it in far enough to light the bonfire.
So this high-level area right next to Firelink Shrine?
It was a trap set specifically for veteran players!
Thinking about all this, Ben started a new map.
But as the exploration went on, he quickly forgot all about "paradise" or whatever.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but the small enemies in Undead Burg seemed way too eager compared to the ones back at Lothric's High Wall.
He didn't even need to get too close—just stepping near was enough for them to rush at him with axes and swords like overly welcoming villagers.
And they didn't just swing once, they came with full attack combos. Getting hit once could mean instant death or being left almost dead.
Before playing, Ben had pictured himself looking amazing—rolling smoothly, landing sharp backstabs, pulling off fast parries with his shield.
With a swing of his blade, he would cut down every enemy standing in his way.
But in reality, it was the exact opposite.
The little monsters in Undead Burg felt a lot quicker than in the last game.
And right after lighting the first bonfire, Ben ran into a Black Knight in the corridor ahead.
In the last game, the first Black Knight only appeared in a small room under the Road of Sacrifices, and even then it wasn't blocking the way.
But here? This one replaced the old Lothric Knights, standing right in a tight hallway that could only fit one person?
"Maybe they weakened its stats?"
Ben guessed. And as a proper Undead, it's not like he hadn't fought Black Knights before in the last game.
Taking down an old face should be no big deal, right?
He locked on, moved in, stabbed—just a tiny chunk of the Knight's HP bar dropped.
Then the Black Knight spun around and slashed nonstop.
Ben raised his shield to block, but his stamina bar vanished instantly.
[YOU DIED]
Respawning back at the nearby bonfire, Ben stood still for a moment, staring at the unmoving Black Knight.
"Forget it! When I get a full Havel set and a Black Knight Greatsword, I'll come back and settle this properly."
Leaving those words behind, he pressed forward, narrowly dodging a burning barrel pushed down by a Hollow. He entered what looked like a watchtower, where his Master Key finally came in handy—it could unlock one of the tower doors.
Behind the door was a downward staircase, and he ran all the way down.
At the bottom, he finally saw what he had been longing for—the Havel set.
Only, it wasn't lying there. It was being worn by someone else.
And that guy was swinging a massive Dragon Tooth club.
Ben didn't even get a second chance. One hit and his full health bar was wiped clean.
Once again, those familiar words appeared: [YOU DIED].
Respawning at the bonfire again, Ben decided to take a break. Leaning back in his chair, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the forums, spotting a newbie's post:
"Hey bros, can anyone tell me how 'Dark Souls: Age of Fire' compares to the last game?"
No replies yet. Checking the time, and thinking about his own hour-long experience so far, Ben quietly typed a response:
"Different details, but the same brilliant map design!"
"Different timeline, but the same familiar experience for players!"
"A must-play sequel for every Dark Souls fan!"
Looking at his post, Ben nodded in satisfaction.
Not a single lie.
The game throws high-level maps at you right from the start, filled with sneaky traps—if that's not brilliant design, what is?
The familiar feeling is still there. Just look at that [YOU DIED] screen after every death. Doesn't that hit home?
If you're playing Dark Souls, it means you came here to suffer anyway. So why not dive in and enjoy that sweet pain?
(End of The Chapter)
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