Just adding my thumbs up to the scores of fans.

If you're someone deciding between this and Dark Souls III, here was my experience as a late-comer to the series. I started with DS3 thinking I would only play 1 DS game. I completed about 40% of it before moving to other games. It's fantastic, and utterly beautiful.

On a whim I decided to try playing DS1 to see if I could stomach it. Well, it turns out I like this game more. The gameplay is slower and more methodical, and it feels like the choices I make in both exploring and leveling my character just have more impact. DS3 is a great game, and obviously prettier; but if you're on the fence, I recommend starting with this one. Also, they are different enough that playing both eventually would make sense.

Final piece of advice: once you leave the asylum, if you encounter enemies that seem unfairly hard, there is likely an easier path you can take as a new character (hint: that path lies upward, not downward).

Just adding my thumbs up to the scores of fans. If you're someone deciding between this and Dark Souls III, here was my experience as a late-comer to the series. I started with DS3 thinking I would only play 1 DS game. I completed about 40% of it before moving to other games. It's fantastic, and utterly beautiful. On a whim I decided to try playing DS1 to see if I could stomach it. Well, it turns out I like this game more. The gameplay is slower and more methodical, and it feels like the choices I make in both exploring and leveling my character just have more impact. DS3 is a great game, and obviously prettier; but if you're on the fence, I recommend starting with this one. Also, they are different enough that playing both eventually would make sense. Final piece of advice: once you leave the asylum, if you encounter enemies that seem unfairly hard, there is likely an easier path you can take as a new character (hint: that path lies upward, not downward).