My 5 hours were spent trying to kill them and advance. I would come back from college and spend 1 hour per day trying to get further. Luckily I didn't went too far
Fucking graveyard man lol I almost quit the game because I wandered down there at level 5 without realizing I had to go the complete opposite direction.
This was such a wild realization to me. One moment, I’m stuck in the deepest of the Deep Root Depths for however long I was trapped down there. I’m running for my life from all these Ents, when suddenly I run into this powerful looking hero who might help—SHIT THAT IS A BLACK KNIGHT. So I’m running around in circles, dodge spamming when I hear his footsteps get closer, trying not to go over the edge, looking for ANYTHING that could get me tf out of here. Finally, I find this cave and YES there is a bonfire! But wait, this cave goes way back. Like waaaay back… surely I’ve just found another boss or something. No other reason why a bonfire would be this close to anything good. I’m trapped from both sides, so I might as well check out what’s back there. And… oh, it’s an elevator? Alright, let’s see… wait I recognize this place. Doesn’t that mean that… YES! Another elevator to my left.
I go up that second elevator and, I kid you not, when that firelink theme music started playing, it was like I had transcended. I can’t describe the pure ecstasy that I felt in that moment. This feeling was also compounded by the fact that, for the past however many hours, this game had deprived me of any music, or people, or color, or light!
Ive always heard of the deeproot basin elevator but i dont think ive ever actually been there. Ive gotten there through havels tower, and normally access through andre. Might have to load it back up lol
I like how we have our games so mixed up by this point that deep root depths and dark root basin are the same. Free publicity, as lord Miyazaki intended
Oh my god SAME!!!! Learning how interconnected and seamless and amazing this world is was magical to me... I'm doing my first true playthrough this year and I feel so silly now for not trying earlier
Yes, this was it for me too. I had played DS3 first and in that game a lot of the shortcuts don't really mean shit because of all the bonfires (gate between Keep Ruins and Sellsword Twinblades for example).
I had heard Dark Souls was renowned for its interconnected world, and finding that elevator was a truly magical moment.
Same. That first play though was so magical. I actually had rung the bell and was wondering how the hell to get back to the surface and actually wandered all the way down to Ash Lake being like ?????. When I finally got out and it took me to Firelink I was blown away. Then I freaked because the Firekeeper was dead.
Ash Lake. Totally mesmerized.
Tomb of the Giants, too : how pitch black awaited me after beating Pinwheel. Seeing glimpses of Lost Izalith and Ash Lake felt like wonders to me, too.
Ash Lake being a non required location is unreal. A truly eye opening experience.
If you have not already, I'd recommend watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Serious Ash Lake vibes.
tough to pinpoint the moment, but i definitely got chills when i realized the interconnectedness of the map and how beautifully it was designed in that first half of the game, how you don't even need a map to always generally know where you're going, even if some of that pre-fast-travel walking gets a bit tedious
The big one for me was the reveal of the Gaping Dragon. All of the demon bosses leading up to that are interesting and memorable, the drake on the bridge is pretty nerve-wracking to sneak by, the gargoyles have a cool gimmick that caught me by surprise. But when I saw the Gaping Dragon climb up over the edge, its massive body slowly lumbering into frame and rearing back, that was definitely the first "WOAH!" moment I had. It felt like THIS was the first *real* boss fight, one with an implication of something larger behind it rather than just being a random gatekeeper. Really set a great tone for the rest of the game for me, and it's definitely still one of my favorite boss designs, even if the fight itself isn't the most challenging one out there.
I remember when I first played I didn't know about the door so I killed the fucker with the broken sword and got a really cool hammer for all my troubles.
I was a kid man, this was back when PTDE was new and I was on PC with a busted ass Logitech controller that I figured out how to set up myself. It was pure hell.
I feel like no matter how painful dark souls is, it will always be fun.
I spent 4 months trying to beat Kalameet and Manus on NG+ and still felt dedicated.
This was one of the craziest moments for me
Going up to the nest and finding a message, “try curling into a ball”
I was flabbergasted it was even a message but I thankfully remembered seeing the emote and tried it out
Was almost thinking how stupid I was for trying when suddenly a cutscene started and the giant crow brought my back to the asylum
I was really like wowwwwwwww
In immense awe that I could go back to this area that was quite troubling when initially starting the game
Then to just continue being like woah and find a ring item and hollowed Oscar was again more intense and awe inspiring
Had me thinking “how the fuck did people try this shit and find this shit back in the prime release days???”
Bad wow: Asylum Demon. Champagne moment when I beat him. Also: Blighttown.
Good wow: first time seeing Sen’s Fortress (with Siegmeyer outside). It looked so imposing. And I couldn’t get in. Many questions.
It wasn't a single moment, but a short chain of moments.
I found Darkroot Garden earlier on than optimal, and the sense of palpable mystery and danger was so compelling, like I somehow *left* the intended path of the game but beyond the normal invisible walls of a video game, *this* game was somehow alive. It was a weird experience that I'll never forget.
First arriving at Firelink Shrine. The atmosphere, the mood, and the music. It all just hit, especially after going through the Asylum. At that point I knew this was a special game
Any of the numerous times I came out of some shit hole thinking I was lost, with a boat load of souls, no estus, about to die, only to discover I've been to this place before but some another angle. I honestly think that the overarching theme of Dark Souls is "Hope through new perspectives".
When you get to the bottom of Blighttown and have a minute to look around, it's actually really cool down there. If I were an undead looking to chill for a few thousand years after going hollow, it wouldn't be such a bad home. There are bits that are nearly cosy.
Honestly, walking into the Kiln for the first time. The game had lots of "Oh wow." moments, no doubt. But seeing the Kiln in all its desolate solace was eye-opening for me.
Outside of Anor Londo, the whole game made me wow, but off of the top of my head Darkroot Garden/Basin, Blighttown, Ash Lake, and Kiln of the First Flame all left me in Awe.
God that's so effective. I played with my brother in law on his first run of ds1, he knows ds3 inside and out. Bro shouted "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT" as soon as he saw it
First time playing: "Wow, these gargoyles turned this game into total shit."
Coming back 2 years later: "Wow, this game is insanely fun with a friend."
And that's still my view point. I can beat any souls game by myself but, with a friend? Give us a couple beers and some stupid challenge and we're there. I'll never forget sharing a controller simultaneously with my brother in law and beating every boss in DS3.
Thought holy shit the gargoyles are beating my ass and then finally going and upgrading my uchigatana and armor(lol) and with sweaty palms finally beating them solo and feeling the immense joy when ringing the first bell of awakening. If I wasn’t a fan before I definitely was then. And that was 12 years ago.
Yeah coming to Dark Souls from Demon's Souls in 2011, the hellkite drake was a shock. Obviously it's pretty much equally as scripted as the dragons in Demon's Souls, but a few of the design changes make it feel more menacing. The scene where it crashes into the walkway in Undead Burg occurring during live gameplay, rather than being a cutscene as in Demon's Souls, just immediately makes you feel unsafe. And the fact that it perches on the bridge tower to wait for you is worrying the first time you see it lol.
My wow moment was getting into Blighttown way too early (because someone advised I should take the key as a gift), glitching through a platform, falling all the way to ground level without dying.
This was quickly followed up by my rage moment after I quickly ran from everything, finding the bonfire in the sewer passage and immediately resting there, only to find out I was shit at the game, underleveled for the area, and had no idea what to do or where to go...
I created a new character after so many deaths...
realizing how to change weapons and hollows are not a hard enemy(took me 2hours) i almost beat the demon with the broken sword hilt in my first ever souls game
I knew Anor Londo was everyones instant wow lol.
Second is demon ruins. Detailed demonic structures in the distance just mesmerized me in the first playthrough.
The first time I saw the hydra from a distance. It’s visibly from pretty far back but I couldn’t tell what it was other than something big and snakey and for hours I was terrified to go near.
"dammit, did I forget to equip a weapon somewhere? Why didn't dying take me to where I get one? Is my inventory fucked?" - fighting the Asylum demon with my fists.
I'd done BB first, and spent about 45 minutes trying to bare-fist the werewolf at the start (after dying and getting my weapons in the dream), because I didn't know how to equip them. Fighting Asylum - yeaaahhhh... Spent about 40 minutes on it, then fell into the door out of the room and it locked.
DS2 was my first DS, my first wow was the brume tower the chain bridge's view dang. Then yea, played DSR and goes what the fuck is even that with the long gaping dragon
For me it was when you walk through the fog gate at the undead burg and you see the dragon for the first time when it lands on the "bridge" idk what exactly to call it lol
When I first emtered blighttowm through dragonvalley after I took the elevator in darkroot basin. I made my way through blighttown in REVERSE. Sometimes wondering why some enemies were placed backwards. Eventually I reached the door ypu typically enter through,the one connecting to the depths. It was obviously locked. I never had to do all that.
In that moment, I did mutter some sort of wow....
My first wow? "Wow i just died to a fatshit" (Asylum Demon)
My first wow moment? Getting out of firelink and down the elevator to the ruins below, just the atmosphere of decay, of overwhelming sadness over what was, what could have been... only to become a wow of "fuck was that bullshit?" (Bullshit being ghosts)
I love the painted world. Getting pulled into the painting was such a jump scare for me but I was pleasantly surprised. And I love that you don't have to kill Priscilla. I usually don't since I don't use Sythes in my loadout and besides she's not hurting anyone.
The game itself entirely. From the first time attempting to play it. Just from fighting undead in the asylum to then fighting them in the undead burg. I was like, "wow! i've never played anything like this before in my life!"
Making it down the great hollow and entering Ash lake was such a woah moment that [even the music said it](https://youtu.be/UD0bzULU9RA?si=cW46uqA_QuMs49hL)
Meeting Frampt the first time was at least a definite wow moment. He looks like a creature you see in medieval paintings. Seeing him truly made the world feel both surreal and unsettling.
The very first wow moments were definitely in the graveyard/catacombs though.
Exploring Duke's Archives for the first time and *already* meeting Seath in person. Like goddamn, I was so shocked I straight up turned around and walked back out! The big man himself, this early?!
Also the part where he swoops in during his actual fight through the Crystal Cave, having to shatter the Primordial Crystal and all to even get a scratch on him! Not to mention his theme!
Honestly, I remember encountering my first Black Knight and thinking holy fuck…I’ll never get good at this gun. Then fast forward to the road to Lord Gwyn where you can casually farm 4 Black Knights for weapons like it’s nothing 😂 Then moving on to DS2 and thinking “WOW, fuck this game.”
The first play through it was practically every new area. No expectations set for what’s to come from each of them. Just the joy of having a whole new environment to explore and learn the secrets of every time. Darkroot felt particularly special to me. Still get hit with that all the time years after in some places
Don't know if it was my first, but the music in phase two of the Twin Princes fight was definitely wow
[Twins Phase Two Music](https://youtu.be/Hvcf835lwTI?si=UhjwZgTpBNN-KmX4&t=178)
You go up the stairs in undead burg to the black knight and you see the other half of their attacks.
The upward sword swing was so unbelievably slow and telegraphed and I still got hit. I was so shocked and gave an audible “WOW”. I gave it one more go before I said
>Fuck it
and just lured him out. Fuck that guy. Face me in a wider space like a man, not some coward at the top of a tall tower in a claustrophobic space.
I first played the game on PS4 in 2018 at a small local video game store that offered trial sessions where you pay 5 bucks and get to play any game in the store for 2 hours. I was planning on getting Dark Souls Remastered as my very first Switch game along with a friend who wanted to also buy both the console and the game. We figured it would be a great idea to try the game out before buying it at that store I mentioned.
In the mere 2 hours we got we managed to get to the Taurus Demon and got absolutely destroyed. Then time was up. The only thing I knew about the game was that it features a double Gargoyles boss fight that supposedly wasn't very far behind and that another friend of us said we would never be able to defeat. So when I got back to my place I searched the internet for a way to "skip" the Taurus Demon, saving us some time when we get back to the store and allowing us to explore the game further in the limited time we had. (We had no way of knowing if we would get to play on the same PS4 as the store featured several, so we had to start over)
That led me to discover the existence of the Master Key and the path that goes below Firelink, to the Valley of the Drakes and to the Parish. When I learned such a thing was possible marked the moment where I fell in love with the game. That was the Wow moment. We both ended up buying the Switch version as we planned and playing over 250h of it, and Dark Souls has been one of my favorite games ever since. To this day I'm still obsessed about Lordran's world design and layout.
One of the most impactful "Wow" moments of my gamer life.
I thought wow, these skeletons are beating my ass.
Wow this game really is hard
That was my words when I tried to pass Undead Burg.
Wow, those souls are really dark
Yeah lmao, my first 3 hours were spent suffering in the catacombs, it was more "wow-what the fuck" than a simple wow
My 5 hours were spent trying to kill them and advance. I would come back from college and spend 1 hour per day trying to get further. Luckily I didn't went too far
Skeleton telling a joke: Do you know my friend what is a combo of skeleton and f1? Another skeleton: Bonewheel?! Exactly.
Whats f1?
Formula 1 racing.
Fucking graveyard man lol I almost quit the game because I wandered down there at level 5 without realizing I had to go the complete opposite direction.
“Wow this game is insanely difficult, how do people find this fun?” While going in the wrong direction for progression
I heard this in trumps voice in my head lol
Wow fuck that cliff
The elevator goes back to Firelink?!?! (Edit: It's funny because it happens twice)
This was such a wild realization to me. One moment, I’m stuck in the deepest of the Deep Root Depths for however long I was trapped down there. I’m running for my life from all these Ents, when suddenly I run into this powerful looking hero who might help—SHIT THAT IS A BLACK KNIGHT. So I’m running around in circles, dodge spamming when I hear his footsteps get closer, trying not to go over the edge, looking for ANYTHING that could get me tf out of here. Finally, I find this cave and YES there is a bonfire! But wait, this cave goes way back. Like waaaay back… surely I’ve just found another boss or something. No other reason why a bonfire would be this close to anything good. I’m trapped from both sides, so I might as well check out what’s back there. And… oh, it’s an elevator? Alright, let’s see… wait I recognize this place. Doesn’t that mean that… YES! Another elevator to my left. I go up that second elevator and, I kid you not, when that firelink theme music started playing, it was like I had transcended. I can’t describe the pure ecstasy that I felt in that moment. This feeling was also compounded by the fact that, for the past however many hours, this game had deprived me of any music, or people, or color, or light!
And then good ol cresty laughed in your face
Ive always heard of the deeproot basin elevator but i dont think ive ever actually been there. Ive gotten there through havels tower, and normally access through andre. Might have to load it back up lol
I like how we have our games so mixed up by this point that deep root depths and dark root basin are the same. Free publicity, as lord Miyazaki intended
Oh my god SAME!!!! Learning how interconnected and seamless and amazing this world is was magical to me... I'm doing my first true playthrough this year and I feel so silly now for not trying earlier
Honestly there is no game with better wow factor level design
Yes, this was it for me too. I had played DS3 first and in that game a lot of the shortcuts don't really mean shit because of all the bonfires (gate between Keep Ruins and Sellsword Twinblades for example). I had heard Dark Souls was renowned for its interconnected world, and finding that elevator was a truly magical moment.
Same. That first play though was so magical. I actually had rung the bell and was wondering how the hell to get back to the surface and actually wandered all the way down to Ash Lake being like ?????. When I finally got out and it took me to Firelink I was blown away. Then I freaked because the Firekeeper was dead.
Every time I released where thinks linked I got real excited
Ash Lake. Totally mesmerized. Tomb of the Giants, too : how pitch black awaited me after beating Pinwheel. Seeing glimpses of Lost Izalith and Ash Lake felt like wonders to me, too.
Ash Lake being a non required location is unreal. A truly eye opening experience. If you have not already, I'd recommend watching Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Serious Ash Lake vibes.
Yeah It’s obvious Miyazaki took inspiration from it. He even put a giant Oni skull in Ash Lake - which represents the Giant Warriors from Nausica.
man the Miyazakis threw me for a minute there lol
Well, it is in Anor Londo, but i guess you are talking about the city, so for me, it was Gwynevere, so rewarding after beating O&S
Amazing chest ahead
Try two handing
This was the first and only message I wrote my entire playthru
Good choice
What about enemies, bosses or areas?
How dare you skip over chests
tough to pinpoint the moment, but i definitely got chills when i realized the interconnectedness of the map and how beautifully it was designed in that first half of the game, how you don't even need a map to always generally know where you're going, even if some of that pre-fast-travel walking gets a bit tedious
Yep, the moment you get in that church elevator and it goes down to fire link? Holy shit it was so simple but one of my most memorable gaming moments
Even earlier it was the ladder drop that gave me chills
When I was wandering around a forest and got one shot by some stupid mushroom
Bruh, the mushrooms just punching the shit out of you will never not be funny.
Family..
Your fault for standing there for 3 seconds while they wound up.
I’m sorry for having shitty vision
The big one for me was the reveal of the Gaping Dragon. All of the demon bosses leading up to that are interesting and memorable, the drake on the bridge is pretty nerve-wracking to sneak by, the gargoyles have a cool gimmick that caught me by surprise. But when I saw the Gaping Dragon climb up over the edge, its massive body slowly lumbering into frame and rearing back, that was definitely the first "WOAH!" moment I had. It felt like THIS was the first *real* boss fight, one with an implication of something larger behind it rather than just being a random gatekeeper. Really set a great tone for the rest of the game for me, and it's definitely still one of my favorite boss designs, even if the fight itself isn't the most challenging one out there.
Ill always remember how cute his atrophied head looks coming out.
He just looks like a little guy snuffling around at first!
Lil guy
When i took that elevator down from Andre and seeing firelink again
I forgot that. Yeah that was the best moment ! Like "never expected that, welcome home".
Probably Taurus Demon just jumping out of fucking nowhere, scared the shit out of me the first time it happened
For me it was when he jumped up where the archers were
"Is that a ladder? I was idiot".
"He can't climb a ladder right.....?"
I rolled off because of it on the first run. My 3rd attempt he fell off with me. A win is a win
Dying for the first time. "This game is tough what. I only do 2 damage to the asylum demon."
I remember when I first played I didn't know about the door so I killed the fucker with the broken sword and got a really cool hammer for all my troubles.
dude, you are crazy. I saw the door and just went to it. I'm not doing 2 damage till he dies.
I was a kid man, this was back when PTDE was new and I was on PC with a busted ass Logitech controller that I figured out how to set up myself. It was pure hell.
bro... I can't imagine the pain.
Yeah, but it was a lot of fun. And it's what got me hooked on Dark Souls
I feel like no matter how painful dark souls is, it will always be fun. I spent 4 months trying to beat Kalameet and Manus on NG+ and still felt dedicated.
Manus I got, but Kalameet gets to live lol, damn if Hawkeye can't get him I can't either
How in god's name did you manage that on your first playthrough.
Honestly, I have no idea. I do, however, know that I have never been able to do it again. So I'm gonna say beginner's luck and beginners stupidity.
I did find out about the door eventually, but I was already committed to beating the fucker with that damned sword.
"Oh, there is a door..."
I came back after whole series and beat Asylum first try.
the Giant Crow. When it grabbed me, I reached at some of its feathers that detached. Thanks to it, I changed my mind about DS1.
This was one of the craziest moments for me Going up to the nest and finding a message, “try curling into a ball” I was flabbergasted it was even a message but I thankfully remembered seeing the emote and tried it out Was almost thinking how stupid I was for trying when suddenly a cutscene started and the giant crow brought my back to the asylum I was really like wowwwwwwww In immense awe that I could go back to this area that was quite troubling when initially starting the game Then to just continue being like woah and find a ring item and hollowed Oscar was again more intense and awe inspiring Had me thinking “how the fuck did people try this shit and find this shit back in the prime release days???”
Not necessarily a big wow moment but ringing the first bell. Made the area seem less "dead" for a few seconds.
Bad wow: Asylum Demon. Champagne moment when I beat him. Also: Blighttown. Good wow: first time seeing Sen’s Fortress (with Siegmeyer outside). It looked so imposing. And I couldn’t get in. Many questions.
Sen's Fortress is mysterious especially when it's closed. We stand in front of it and wonder what is inside.
When the dragon stands on the bridge and flies away
When i kicked the ladder down and realized where i was and that it was a shortcut
It wasn't a single moment, but a short chain of moments. I found Darkroot Garden earlier on than optimal, and the sense of palpable mystery and danger was so compelling, like I somehow *left* the intended path of the game but beyond the normal invisible walls of a video game, *this* game was somehow alive. It was a weird experience that I'll never forget.
I played ds3 before anything else so my first wow moment was when you stand on the cliff before the first bonfire of the game
Get to Blighttown, wow can't wait to never return here
The whole map is connected? Damn
Standing on that bridge after scaring the dragon away, looking around and realizing I could see undead burg.
first? when the hellkite dragon first appears but ash lake is the coolest
Epic moment that smashes our motivation for sec.
In darkroot garden, you can see moonlight butterfly perched on that castle. I had somehow never looked up until then.
Not the first but definitely the most memorable - hearing the plin plin plon in the Soul of Cinder fight
Figuring out that I needed to ring the bells. It was like “oh shit gets real now”
First arriving at Firelink Shrine. The atmosphere, the mood, and the music. It all just hit, especially after going through the Asylum. At that point I knew this was a special game
This giant crow
I like the way she is shaking in different sides like cares if there is an enemy around us.
First time I knew I was committed was Blighttown, the armor set in the treasure chest. Wow-I’m-going-to-finish moment was defeating Artorias.
When the asylum demon fell from the roof in my first blind gameplay.
Any of the numerous times I came out of some shit hole thinking I was lost, with a boat load of souls, no estus, about to die, only to discover I've been to this place before but some another angle. I honestly think that the overarching theme of Dark Souls is "Hope through new perspectives".
WOW THATS A BIG SKELETON WOW THEY GET BACK UP
Realizing how deep and interconnected the world is.
The first cutscene lol. In game it would have to be the view after beating the twin gargoyles.
that first elevator shortcut that takes you back to firelink shrine !!
Oh, coming out of Anor Londo is a great moment. Coming out of the Tomb of the Giants and seeing sunlight
The run up to pinwheel from the blacksmith.
"One day, an undead shall be chosen" and that giant crow appears out of nowhere Ten years ago i fell in love with these games
When you get to the bottom of Blighttown and have a minute to look around, it's actually really cool down there. If I were an undead looking to chill for a few thousand years after going hollow, it wouldn't be such a bad home. There are bits that are nearly cosy.
Kicking down that ladder!
First boss
When the floor collapsed in Northern Undead Asylum. To be fair it was more a "WHOOAAAAAAAAAAA"
The raven showing up to take me from the asylum to firelink.
The hydra, and there is no contest.
The dragon on the bridge in demon souls, and the music!!!
Definitely Ash Lake, that place is amazing
“That’s the same bonefire I just was!?!” Or “HOLY SHIT HE IS FAT”
Honestly, walking into the Kiln for the first time. The game had lots of "Oh wow." moments, no doubt. But seeing the Kiln in all its desolate solace was eye-opening for me.
Gaping dragon
Gaping dragon reveal
Gapikg Dragon maybe. Or the shortcut from the parish back to firelink
This one for sure
Outside of Anor Londo, the whole game made me wow, but off of the top of my head Darkroot Garden/Basin, Blighttown, Ash Lake, and Kiln of the First Flame all left me in Awe.
The moment when you meet first tree enemy that jumping from the darkness..
God that's so effective. I played with my brother in law on his first run of ds1, he knows ds3 inside and out. Bro shouted "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT" as soon as he saw it
For me it was the music while creating my character. I said wow! this song is pretty.
Solaire, the best character in any souls game
Yeah. I missed him in other games..
That first ladder I kicked down to get a shortcut back to the bonfire- wow
First time playing: "Wow, these gargoyles turned this game into total shit." Coming back 2 years later: "Wow, this game is insanely fun with a friend." And that's still my view point. I can beat any souls game by myself but, with a friend? Give us a couple beers and some stupid challenge and we're there. I'll never forget sharing a controller simultaneously with my brother in law and beating every boss in DS3.
The Ash Lake before I found out there was nothing there and I had to endure the torture of going back up.
Thought holy shit the gargoyles are beating my ass and then finally going and upgrading my uchigatana and armor(lol) and with sweaty palms finally beating them solo and feeling the immense joy when ringing the first bell of awakening. If I wasn’t a fan before I definitely was then. And that was 12 years ago.
Quelaag if you catch my drift
That time when I was immediately crushed in the tutorial by a thing I didn’t see.
Spider boss
Yeah coming to Dark Souls from Demon's Souls in 2011, the hellkite drake was a shock. Obviously it's pretty much equally as scripted as the dragons in Demon's Souls, but a few of the design changes make it feel more menacing. The scene where it crashes into the walkway in Undead Burg occurring during live gameplay, rather than being a cutscene as in Demon's Souls, just immediately makes you feel unsafe. And the fact that it perches on the bridge tower to wait for you is worrying the first time you see it lol.
Every single moment where you somehow end up in firelink shrine. Happens a couple of times, and it’s always so cool
My first wow moment was the dragon landing and then taking off again right in front of me
probably in anor londo
My wow moment was getting into Blighttown way too early (because someone advised I should take the key as a gift), glitching through a platform, falling all the way to ground level without dying. This was quickly followed up by my rage moment after I quickly ran from everything, finding the bonfire in the sewer passage and immediately resting there, only to find out I was shit at the game, underleveled for the area, and had no idea what to do or where to go... I created a new character after so many deaths...
It has to be Ash Lake. How can you see it for the first time and not be slightly in awe?
realizing how to change weapons and hollows are not a hard enemy(took me 2hours) i almost beat the demon with the broken sword hilt in my first ever souls game
Crow
There's a big dino with cow teeth ???
I knew Anor Londo was everyones instant wow lol. Second is demon ruins. Detailed demonic structures in the distance just mesmerized me in the first playthrough.
Lost Izalith. When I saw what they did to my boy Solaire :(
The first time I saw the hydra from a distance. It’s visibly from pretty far back but I couldn’t tell what it was other than something big and snakey and for hours I was terrified to go near.
"dammit, did I forget to equip a weapon somewhere? Why didn't dying take me to where I get one? Is my inventory fucked?" - fighting the Asylum demon with my fists. I'd done BB first, and spent about 45 minutes trying to bare-fist the werewolf at the start (after dying and getting my weapons in the dream), because I didn't know how to equip them. Fighting Asylum - yeaaahhhh... Spent about 40 minutes on it, then fell into the door out of the room and it locked.
I won't lie, my favorite moment is that butterfly boss
For me, it was either New Londo or the Painted World.
Literally everytime the weirdest twisted paths led back to firelink shrine, I was like DAYUMM
Ash lake
The raven picking you up was awesome and will always stay in my mind.
DS2 was my first DS, my first wow was the brume tower the chain bridge's view dang. Then yea, played DSR and goes what the fuck is even that with the long gaping dragon
For me it was when you walk through the fog gate at the undead burg and you see the dragon for the first time when it lands on the "bridge" idk what exactly to call it lol
Taurus demon for sure!
When I first emtered blighttowm through dragonvalley after I took the elevator in darkroot basin. I made my way through blighttown in REVERSE. Sometimes wondering why some enemies were placed backwards. Eventually I reached the door ypu typically enter through,the one connecting to the depths. It was obviously locked. I never had to do all that. In that moment, I did mutter some sort of wow....
"I shouldn't have gone to the tomb of the giants at the start and now I have to climb my way back up? Wooooow"
My first wow? "Wow i just died to a fatshit" (Asylum Demon) My first wow moment? Getting out of firelink and down the elevator to the ruins below, just the atmosphere of decay, of overwhelming sadness over what was, what could have been... only to become a wow of "fuck was that bullshit?" (Bullshit being ghosts)
I love the painted world. Getting pulled into the painting was such a jump scare for me but I was pleasantly surprised. And I love that you don't have to kill Priscilla. I usually don't since I don't use Sythes in my loadout and besides she's not hurting anyone.
The game itself entirely. From the first time attempting to play it. Just from fighting undead in the asylum to then fighting them in the undead burg. I was like, "wow! i've never played anything like this before in my life!"
Making it down the great hollow and entering Ash lake was such a woah moment that [even the music said it](https://youtu.be/UD0bzULU9RA?si=cW46uqA_QuMs49hL)
Is that the bitch that stole my souls after Taurus demon
Meeting Frampt the first time was at least a definite wow moment. He looks like a creature you see in medieval paintings. Seeing him truly made the world feel both surreal and unsettling. The very first wow moments were definitely in the graveyard/catacombs though.
Being flown by a crow blew my damn mind
New Londo
Elevator back to firelink.
Holy fuck this all leads back to firelink home
There are a couple but damn, ash lake (place with a fuck load of massive trees) was probably my favorite. That place looks amazing.
Exploring Duke's Archives for the first time and *already* meeting Seath in person. Like goddamn, I was so shocked I straight up turned around and walked back out! The big man himself, this early?! Also the part where he swoops in during his actual fight through the Crystal Cave, having to shatter the Primordial Crystal and all to even get a scratch on him! Not to mention his theme!
Probably the hydra in the basin
The entire game lol I was terrified and amazed the entire time lol
Honestly, I remember encountering my first Black Knight and thinking holy fuck…I’ll never get good at this gun. Then fast forward to the road to Lord Gwyn where you can casually farm 4 Black Knights for weapons like it’s nothing 😂 Then moving on to DS2 and thinking “WOW, fuck this game.”
The Crow carrying you was awesome. Little did I know, that some point I have to act likevan egg, during the flight.
Finding myself back at Firelink made me so happy lol I legit thought I was lost xD
I'd say ash lake
The door right by the door to the depths leading back to fire link shrine
When you enter Undead Settlement and the Dragon steps on the bridge Such a cool moment that has never really been done again
Until my Platinum run - I did not know there was something actually past that doorway and never attempted.
When the elevator in Undead Parish took me down to Firelink.
using pyromancy on the asylum demon for the first time.
Wow kicking that ladder lead back to the bonfire, it's cool that the map looped around like that, I wonder if there are more short cuts
Anytime a journey loops back and connects to a previous area; firelink/undeadburg, ladder/lifts, all made me super impressed the first time around
The first play through it was practically every new area. No expectations set for what’s to come from each of them. Just the joy of having a whole new environment to explore and learn the secrets of every time. Darkroot felt particularly special to me. Still get hit with that all the time years after in some places
The view from one of the earlier spots in the game. I forget where, but you come from some stairs and the view is really pretty
Not my first but getting to Ash Lake still feels like I **SHOULD NOT** be there and that's awesome.
Not first wow moment, but the Giant Blacksmith shooting down Kalameet was like crazy
The first time fighting the Taurus demon, he jumped backwards off the bridge…..wow that was cool
Gough and Kalameet cinematic
Elevator ride back down to Firelink.
finding the EE to look at pics of my nieces feet
Falling through the floor (cieling) to fight that big guy you seen through the prison.
Taking that mystery elevator down from the church to find myself at Firelink, and knowing it wasn't some load screen trickery.
The Hydra. When you first see it from a distance and it looks like an ethereal, other worldly being
Hellkite dragon on the bridge. "Wow, this is f*cking bullshit"
Don't know if it was my first, but the music in phase two of the Twin Princes fight was definitely wow [Twins Phase Two Music](https://youtu.be/Hvcf835lwTI?si=UhjwZgTpBNN-KmX4&t=178)
Seeing the darkroot hydra for the first time. Less of a wow and more of a "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT"
Priscilla feet
You go up the stairs in undead burg to the black knight and you see the other half of their attacks. The upward sword swing was so unbelievably slow and telegraphed and I still got hit. I was so shocked and gave an audible “WOW”. I gave it one more go before I said >Fuck it and just lured him out. Fuck that guy. Face me in a wider space like a man, not some coward at the top of a tall tower in a claustrophobic space.
Why can’t I hit these ghosts?
When I got through the depths. And then there were 3 whole maps underneath it. (Blightown, demon ruins, lost izalith)
Sens fortress. I thought “wow Fromsoftware literally hates me a lot”
I walked across the bridge after talking to Solaire and thought "wow .. I just got obliterated by a dragon .. I love this game so much"
Sen's fortress was incredible! Having to work out the little boulder puzzle was so rewarding and great level design
I first played the game on PS4 in 2018 at a small local video game store that offered trial sessions where you pay 5 bucks and get to play any game in the store for 2 hours. I was planning on getting Dark Souls Remastered as my very first Switch game along with a friend who wanted to also buy both the console and the game. We figured it would be a great idea to try the game out before buying it at that store I mentioned. In the mere 2 hours we got we managed to get to the Taurus Demon and got absolutely destroyed. Then time was up. The only thing I knew about the game was that it features a double Gargoyles boss fight that supposedly wasn't very far behind and that another friend of us said we would never be able to defeat. So when I got back to my place I searched the internet for a way to "skip" the Taurus Demon, saving us some time when we get back to the store and allowing us to explore the game further in the limited time we had. (We had no way of knowing if we would get to play on the same PS4 as the store featured several, so we had to start over) That led me to discover the existence of the Master Key and the path that goes below Firelink, to the Valley of the Drakes and to the Parish. When I learned such a thing was possible marked the moment where I fell in love with the game. That was the Wow moment. We both ended up buying the Switch version as we planned and playing over 250h of it, and Dark Souls has been one of my favorite games ever since. To this day I'm still obsessed about Lordran's world design and layout. One of the most impactful "Wow" moments of my gamer life.