FUCK OFF DARK SOULS THERE'S SOMEONE AT THE FRONT DOOR

Let's discuss Dark Souls' main flaw.

Now, I'm sure some people will disagree with me on this one, because this is the internet after all, but I'm just going to straight up say it:

Dark Souls needs a pause button.

There, that felt better.



Now, before anyone deems fit to tell me that I'm a fanny and that not being to pause the game adds to Dark Souls' unique challenge, let's be realistic for a second. I am a man in his mid twenties who lives in his own house. I have a girlfriend, and family, and friends. As such, sometimes my gaming time is interrupted or cut short by things that are out of control - people at the door, chores that need doing, or the fridge exploding, for example - things that actually need attending to then and there.

Now, if you're bumming about in Firelink Shrine, or you've just cleaned an area of enemies, that's fine; so long as you don't mind your playtime being artificially inflated you can leave your character stood around doing nothing for as long as you like without them getting smushed all over the floor by giant bad things. No big whoop. But if you've just traversed the white light, carrying a massive wodge of souls, the fact that you can't take a second to go and sort out real life things that might need doing is hardly fucking fair, is it? At this point, the game (a predominantly single player game, no less) is just being deliberately difficult - and as such, you know every time this happens I end up cursing the name of From Software as I trudge back to wherever it was that I dared to reach when the fucking phone rang, just to pick up the souls I've recently spaffed all over the floor at the hands of some giant flapping arsehole of a monster while I was telling some giant flapping arsehole of a PPI salesman to fuck off because I don't want to have to use any homeward bones.

That's pretty much my entire point, I think; the game being unpausable isn't some genius design decision, it's an artificially added difficulty that an already hellishly complicated game simply doesn't need. I mean, I'd totally understand if you weren't able to pause when you're in PvP or you've summoned another player into your world (although less so in the latter - it's fucking co-op for shit's sake) - but when you are playing your game on your own with no dependency on, or behoovement to, any other player in the world, the fact that you can't stop the game for a sec as and when you need to is absolutely ridiculous. I <i>know</i> the game is supposed to be unforgiving, and I <i>know</i> it's supposed to be a harsh teacher, but when it actively punishes you for having a life, it just feels like it's being a dick.