It’s over. Halfway through I’ve given up and sold Dark Souls III to the next willing combatant. I wish him good luck on his harrowing adventure and hope he makes it further than I did/could/would?

I had fun along the way and still feel the purchase was worthwhile. Especially considering I sold it for $10 less than I originally paid. The 12-year old version of myself would have been ludicrously happy with a two month rental for $10.

Upon first purchasing, I was caught up in the hype and happy to join the fun. Proud to throw my sword into the ring and attempt to beat a game that actually meant something if you could. Most AAA games require nothing but time from the user to complete, but Souls is right up there with Mega Man for prideful completions.

The beginning of my experience was a fun exploration of weapon types and the Lothric Wall. But once I found my groove with a big hammer and a raw gem I was hooked on grinding. I went pure strength and took great pleasure in smashing the biggest foes to smithereens, especially the bracelets off a certain High Lord with bad breath.

But after reaching Ithryll of the Boreal Valley and admiring the view…

I hit a barrier that could only be opened by backtracking and taking care of a few bosses I missed. Back to the swamp, back to giant crabs, back to searching while being harassed by the nightmares of Miyazaki’s imagination.

My mistake was that I took a break.

Dark Souls is like a muscle and every day away from it i felt my skills were getting weaker. Every day made it more intimidating to go back. Weeks became a month, Uncharted 4 and Overwatch moved in, and I knew it was over.

I’m disappointed I couldn’t add it to my gaming resumé but I still had a damn great experience. There’s only so much time to spend with games and I feel good moving on to others. 2016s releases alone are shaping up to be a year for the ages and there’s always a practically infinite backlog to plow through.

To those that have beaten a Souls game (or Mega Man, Battletoads, Ninja Gaiden etc) I tip my controller to you, and to those that haven’t, I say don’t feel bad and just enjoy what you play. After all, we’re supposed to be having fun.

How do you feel about conceding to games?

Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon, and you can be just like him by leaving the first comment on our site. It’s easier than Dark Souls and will earn you more respect………..from us.