Darksign . These cursed are doomed to be resurrected each time they die , and with each resurrection they become Hollower until they remain a shell of their former selves , driven mad for all eternity . The player ’ s character is one of these cursed humans , and with each death , the player becomes increasingly Hollow until they use a finite item called Humanity that , as the name suggests , restores the player ’ s humanity . The more “ human ” a player is , the more resistance the player has against various forms of damage , the more items the player finds , and overall experience of the player is better . However , over the normal course of play , the player will die , and thus loose his accrued humanity . As a gameplay mechanic , this instills a sense of frustration in the player , as in this case , it is the ineptitude and inadequacy of the player that makes it harder to continue , making each misstep even more harmful to progression . This happens a lot to the normal player , and over time , this frustration might lead to anger , as anger is the appropriate response to that frustration ( Blair ). This anger , as it hardly ever gets alleviated , might in turn breed hatred , either towards the player himself or to the developers , the gods of this dark universe the player finds himself . As emotions run ever-higher with each death , the player ’ s character becomes increasingly zombie-like , showing visible signs of Hollowness . The player , in this sense , is much like the character he controls – he is becoming less human . Humans are pictured as being rational beings , capable of thought more advanced than purely cause-and-effect . With every death , the player allows anger and hate to cloud their judgement , letting it fuel them with each subsequent death , getting the motivation they need to continue . Some people reach a critical point , causing them to have to step back from the game and put the controller down , sometimes for good , lest their emotions consume them . Others complete the games several times over , embracing the madness .
Another one of the key aspects of the game are the multiplayer components . Players can choose to provide aid to other players , or simply invade them . This mechanic not only provides another enemy for the player to be constantly weary of , as other players can invade at any moment , but also another object of hatred and frustration for the player . People , especially when surprised , are generally more prone to “ irrational movements of the mind ,” as Stoics claim , and as such are easier to anger ( Wagoner ). This seemed to be a major consideration when planning the multiplayer components of the game , as the other major one comes in the form of leaving messages on the ground in the game world , the only clear way of mass communication between players . The vocabulary able to be used is quite limited , but the scope of the messages left is broad . Some warn of a hidden enemy , others alert players to a treasure off the beaten path . Some , however , are not as helpful . The message system can be used to negatively impact the game experience of other players . Players can use these messages to lie to other players , leading them to a premature death . Other messages could be jokes , placed in a critical spot to distract the player from an oncoming enemy . This type of betrayal is particularly striking because frustration , as R . J . R . Blair states , occurs when an individual “ continues to do an action in the expectation of a reward but does not actually receive that reward .” The player continues to follow the messages left by players , as they bring with them rewards , and when they stop returning positively , frustration is experienced . This brings the player closer towards anger , an anger towards a large group of people , if not everyone else playing the game at the same time . It also introduces an anger that cannot be satiated – notes are left anonymously , and only specific notes appear in specific instances of the game . To find the writer of the note , to enact revenge , is impossible , so nothing can be done in retribution . That retribution would provide the “ rewarding experience ” necessary to quiet anger , but it simply cannot be accomplished , leaving the player hurt and more alone than ever ( Chester ).
Within this atmosphere built specifically to illicit hostile emotions , the player is expected to complete a quest set for them by the game ’ s developers , and against all better judgement , the player usually completes most , if not all , of the quest . The philosopher Śāntideva explained something comparable to this phenomenon when searching for the reason for enduring suffering . He believed that by enduring suffering , people will be happier , as “ the mind does not get piece , nor enjoy pleasure and happiness … when the dart of anger rests in the heart ” ( Lele ). Scientifically , there is some merit for happiness as the result of frustration as well . Acting aggressively , in the pursuit of revenge , has been found to be “ hedonically rewarding ,” allowing humans to associate pleasure to the expression of frustration ( Chester ). Dark Souls exploits this feature of human nature by creating a world so woefully oppressive that every new enemy slain by the player ’ s blade gives a kind of cathartic effect . Each boss killed is grounds for jumping in pure joy . To the player , overcoming each of the challenges set forth by the de-
12