No, Dark Souls Didn't Save You 

As this is a more personal subject than typically discussed on the channel, I have one request - please watch the whole video BEFORE you leave a comment. Thanks all and have a great day!

I agree with the statement "Dark Souls didn't say you, you saved you". However there is still an argument that Dark Souls is what brought it out of them, it's what made them motivated to WANT to save themselves.

I've never had a "this video game saved my life" moment, but something close to it. Right after I called a certain hotline, I climbed to the top of a mountain. Not sure why. But I did. I attribute that experience with helping me during the darkest time of my life. The mountain didn't "save me", but provided the perfect environment for me to save myself.

Of course literally "saving lives“ is a bit hyperbolic, but to give the SoulsBorne games a bit of credit nonetheless, I have to say this: If you really want to see the whole game through, you absolutely NEED perseverance, patience and also a certain stress resistance. Of course it doesn’t directly get transferred into real life, but I did find that those "lessons“ or abilities DO at least contextualize my struggles in the real world. Like, at least it made me much more aware of the importance of those above mentioned qualities! Plus, when you’re already in a bad place or depressed, the game telling you to "not go hollow“ can resonate quite effectively.

For me, Dark Souls gave me a huge confidence boost. I’m a legally blind gamer, and for the longest time, beating something as difficult as Dark Souls seemed so daunting. But through careful planning and designing a play style around finding enemies I couldn’t see, I beat the game. I agree, Dark Souls didn’t save my life. But it was the big confidence boost I needed. It showed me that I can indeed work with my disability to do things that may seem forever out of reach.

This is a really important distinction. There is no product you can buy anywhere that will solve your problems for you. A game like this can be a great tool to help get yourself out of a bad mindset, but you still have to put effort in. That's kind of what the story in this series represents in the first place.

I totally agree. I think I give it credit for shifting my mindset a bit, resulting in the changes I made in my life. But I don’t want anyone to be under the impression that this game alone will save them. It takes work. Great video man :)

You put it very well. A game can't save you, but maybe it can help teach you the tools to save yourself Dark souls did not save me from some deep depression, but it has helped me a lot. I've always struggled with feeling inadequate because I do not pick up skills quickly, and it often has worried me that after I graduate college, I won't be able to survive my job in the real world, despite interning and setting myself up for success. More than anything, souls, and sekiro in particular, has seriously taught me that the feeling when you take on a task and it feels absolutely hopeless at first can be overcome with time and practice. I remember the first time i fought Sword Saint Isshin, I didn't even get past Ginichiro, and after probably 15 tries, only then did I survive Isshin's first attack for the first time. After losing count of attempts, I finally got to his second phase, only for it to get more difficult. After literal days of trying, I remember feeling so accomplished at how easily I could manage the first phases of this fight, and by the time I finally beat him, it was nearly a flawless run. The boss that i was unable to hit, or even survive his first attack became so manageable. This may not seem like a big deal, but this feeling comes to me with almost every souls boss, and it has helped me overcome the crippling anxiety of being unable to succeed at life because the work I plan to do seems so out of reach despite being expected of me. It's helped me learn that tasks that I can't even begin right now will become simple with time and practice, which genuinely gives me so much more hope than I've had before

I always tell people, depression is like a war, and everyday is a battle. Some days you're going to lose, but as long as you make it to the battle tomorrow you're going to win the war. I think the beauty of the souls series is it reflects that same kind of mythos. Your first time playing you're lost and confused and lose a lot but with everyday you get back on you move ahead a little more, learn a little more, and with time you conquer the famed "dark souls" of anything. If you're struggling, struggle onward. I promise you'll find a way!

bro this was beautiful. keep up the content homie you're a class act

Yes you can't give all the credit to a game. But you also can't tell people they didn't feel that they were growing as a person through a game. You can't just decide that a game won't be able to do that for someone, you can only decide how it will effect YOU personally. Bloodborne is a game I picked up a few months after my best friend died, and losing her had absolutely destroyed me despite the councillors and psychiatrists I was speaking with. I do honestly believe it helped me. And you nitpicking the reasons for my revitalisation is just... stupid. Imagine someone saying that something saved them, and you standing there telling them they were wrong.

THANK YOU BRUH, AIN'T NO WAY THIS IS THE FIRST VID ADDRESSING THAT.

Tough topic to articulate and very well done my man! Subtle, but fresh take!

4:20 Is basically what he's saying.

Yes, this is like the "you saved my life. I am literally a rock." meme. But the chemical imbalance theory of depression got debunked.

First of all, the title sucks. "You don't actually feel how you feel!" It's impossible to know what affects other people's lives and feelings. For me personally, Dark Souls, on its own, in a non-complex way, did save me. The way the game expected me to be changed my brain for the better. It made me learn to overcome challenges rather than just surviving through them. It's not that I wanted to overcome the challenges, I just wanted to have fun. The challenges were fun. That was the only reason I persisted. The idea to try and get better didn't occur to me until I played Dark Souls. If I had not played Dark Souls, I would not have climbed out of my depression. It's not a tool I used to get back up, it picked me up and pushed me forward. I have clinical depression, not just sadness, and Dark Souls is the only reason I want to feel better at all.

Good video. I disagree. Dark Souls saved us all not just from a tough time but from terrible modern gaming.

I let myself fall down a deep hole of alcoholism back in 2015. It was the darkest part of my life that culminated in an attempt to "just sleep" by keeping myself sedated for almost an entire week. Just in time Fallout 4 came out (yes, I am a shameless Bethesda fan) and, while it isn't Dark Souls and it didn't save me on its own, it came just in time to help me limp the long, terrifying road to sobriety. So I agree. Videogames are beautiful things that can help us learn perseverance and get perspective on our problems. But at the end of the day, the only way out of real life problems is by going through them yourself. That said, I bought Elden Ring last year as my first Souls experience since I didn't finish Dark Souls 2 back in the day. It was perhaps the most transformative 156 hour videogame experience of my life. I love the videos Nightwalk! I love seeing a RU-vidr that isn't afraid to broach difficult subjects or think deep.

Wonderful video with an excellent message. What piece of music is that though? It’s phenomenal

Wow man what a powerful vid. I've actually been thinking about this a lot, and thinking abt covering the topic myself. I played some of my fav games at some of the lowest points in my life. I'd argue my ps5 hurt me bc I hid from the world and my responsibilities and escaped into gaming, as I drank myself into oblivion. 9 months sober now I still game a lot after a 4 month break, but now I'll put down the controller to go outside, or read a book, or do anything else. Crazy how much better I enjoy gaming now that I'm healthy. Great topic and video man. Liked and Subscribed

In Hinduism, unlike what many believe, the ultimate goal of one's life is self-realization with Gods being just tools to achieve it. Gods can guide you, prepare you, teach you. But it is still you that has to walk the path. But it does help to be inspired when everything knocks you down. So it is with Dark souls.

In a time when I was really depressed I gotta say that the dark souls games helped me get through that time. Especially then it felt like home and it still means a lot to me however I am better now because of me taking action and not giving up

Dark souls "saved" because it gave people the opportunity to nurture their sense of self empowerment, which is exactly what you said. So yes, you saved you, and dark souls helped (only helped) teach people how 👍

Interestingly I also picked up DS3 when I was in a dark place, but I wasn't able to finish it... I got frustrated too quickly and layed it down after Vordt, now I am doing much better and now I can die for hours no problem, but it is cool to see that some people are able to use the game as a mean to evolve

I talked about the effect From Soft games have and had on people with my friend and we share the same view. At that time Dark Souls was known for it's difficulty and barely nothing else, lore started becoming popular later as the information was gathered and community was building up. But around the release date people were usually reluctant to try out the game and accepted it as hard, the viewpoint that remained years later. Anyway, dealing with something that was regarded as difficult and rarely achievable by many, me and my friend got into the games with a mindset. The mindset states If I can beat this, then everything else in life is less scary. So we finished the game and got a little confidence boost. From dealing with difficulty and fear in game, we grew as individuals and that later translated into real life, affecting how we deal with problems and go trough life.

I find outside hobbies more helpful with getting my mind off negativity and feeling better the next day or week and to feel like to keep going in life and look at a a happier perspective.

I disagree with you on this. Your fellow creators have clearly stated in their respective videos that when nothing else seemed to work out and they were almost ready to give up and end it all, Dark Souls came into their life and saved them. Not just that, it helped them reverse their situation at the time and succeed. I understand that it didn't save you, but that doesn't mean it didn't save others. In my case, not even games like Journey proved to be of any consequence. In fact, games like that feel even more hurtful due to the sheer contrast they paint against your dreary depression. No one recommended me to play Souls games to cure my crippling depression. I just happened to come across it, and it saved me. And yes, it saved me. It gets full credit for it. Not my family, not my friends, and certainly not my greedy therapist. To this day, I rely on soulslike games to prepare myself for upcoming real-life challenges. The only other piece of media that has helped me overcome my crippling depression is One Piece.

Bro i grew up a gamer in the 90s, and until i played dark souls, i was finished with modern gaming.. dark souls showed me not every game is trying to milk money from me, and some cut scenes filled wanna be movie.

Dark Souls III was the first time i had to go through something i thought was impossible, i gave up three times until i finally decided "i'm gonna beat this even if it's the last thing i do", afterwards i felt a huge boost of confidence, i felt like going out and doing everything i wanted, because now i know I CAN DO IT! Went looking for a job, a girlfriend, physical health, gym and i'm not slowing down, i see Dark Souls as my boost of confidence, but i walked and ran, and i'm very proud of that!

Dark Souls really is something special, great video man. Keep it up!

Its not that the game did something to solve any particular issue of anyone who played it, its that it provided a wall you had to chip at pebble by pebble. It said "here's the wall, find a way to tear it down" and as you did you felt like the walls of reality were no longer as unbreakable as you believed, as long as you were willing to break through them one pebble at a time.

Dark Souls never saved me from depression. God bless but I have been lucky enough to not have been hit by extreme depression or sadness, so I don't know what it feels like atleast as of yet. But Dark Souls did light up a fire in me. Or should I say, it saved me - from remaining an average minded person. I am still far away from what I want to be but Dark Souls made me realize that it is better to build an empire which may not even last forever, rather than being the bystander who has seen multiple empires rise and fall in front of him. Atleast I tried doing something. And I also know everything comes to an end.

Beautiful video. I don't know what else to comment, but I still wanted to. It's just a nice sentiment. "Dark Souls didn't save you... you saved you." Now there's a quote.

I would urge everyone to please DONT BE FOOLED BY THE TITLE! This is a deeply personal video, with a unique take. Even if you disagree, please do not be disrespectful, and watch the whole video. This take may be controversial, but some people need to hear it. Some people WILL go into a downward spiral if their favourite media releases something "bad" because they think the game itself saved them. This ISNT healthy. I love games, I'm attached to games, but your identity is more than games. Nightwalk is obviously extremely attached to these games just like you, and was also "saved" by them. But he's trying to INSPIRE you, to go beyond the game, to know the person who persevered against Manus, Orphan of Kos etc was YOU. And YOU can persevere against mental health, against being lonely, against being jobless. Anything. Maybe this message doesn't resonate with you. But it might resonate with someone else, who needs to hear it Thank you nightwalk for your amazing content!!!

I tried to learn guitar on and off for years as a teenager but always gave up immediately. After I beat Sekiro when I was 19, I suddenly felt like anything was possible and tried learning guitar one more time. 2 years later, I’m the lead guitarist in a band (Yes, the band on this channel. Feel free to check us out lol)

Beautiful video, nightwalk

I just love the lore, art style, story style, and music it’s true art if I ever told anyone that a video game was pure refined art it would be the soul series. The only other franchise that gets me so intrigued, immersed, and so laser focused on the lore is the resident evil series.

Bro, from one point of view, yes, you are right. However, if it was as simple as 'You need to fix it', would self harm still be a thing? If it was as easy as look inward, would people be searching for inspiration outwardly? You're not wrong. That said, I'm pretty sure everyone has heard it..... from licensed doctors, medical journals, etc. If the DS experience could help, why discourage it?

You are definitely one of the best smaller creators right now imo

In my opinion, it did save a part of me. It taught me to not give up and quit. If I put in the work, I will be rewarded eventually.

souls games have for sure helped me but they definitely dont make issues vanish, games just distract from those issues

My car didnt brought me to work. I did. The car was just a tool. Now I get it.

meanwhile im still depressed and playing dark souls

I’ve beat Dark Souls but I didn’t even feel in the slightest any sense of accomplishment nor any relief from my depression, feelings of insecurity, lack of agency or feelings of incompetence I like the game, but to me I just beat another game…not that significant at all

I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. But I wasn't enthralled by the challenge, but the dismal world that is presented instead. It's perspective altering, but not life saving

How tf did i get a notification to this video when i'm not even subscribed?

I feel like this was a point that didn't need to be made, but maybe it did. Dark Souls is a great form of escapism in dark times, and you need that to keep you from drowning in darker thoughts. But it's not going to change the world around you. You do that yourself. If Souls saves people, psychiatrists would be prescribing it already.

I feel like soulsgames makes it easier to help yourself out of deep holes.

I agree

Personally, dark souls taught me a very important lesson of perseverance. To me, that saved me from spiraling down into a horrible mindset of "I cant do *anything*. May not have saved you, it saved me though.

Dark souls teaches people that suffering and preserving through hardship provides rewards in a time where that mentality isn’t around today. That’s why it’s valuable

I honestly don't agree. I agree with the "the only one who can save you, is you" mindset, but just like a water can't boil without a stove, you can't change without a catalyst for it. For me, sekiro was the souls game to ingrain this mindset into my brain. I was pretty much socially outcast and i didn't understand why i felt miserable at all not knowing my depression was still there as ever. After playing sekiro, and just getting comfortable with the idea that i will fail a thousand times if need be, i thought about giving it a shot IRL. I tried socialising, the first few times still haunt me because of how socially awkward i was but instead of doing what i usually did and swearing to never go near someone again, i just continued. Eventually, i got the hang of it and for the first time in years i was able to have friends and not spend breaks in a stairway i believed nobody would be in, which led to me feeling significantly better these last couple of months and i find all of this, rooted in sekiro and what mindset it has ingrained into me.

No, Dark Souls Did Save Me, literally

i see this videos of dark souls saved me and think to my self i've played all the souls games and i still as bad of a person as always and this games really didn't change anything at all🤨

I think a lot of us are like this.

Its time to be honest darksouls didn't save me, it ruined me in terms of my enjoyment of others types of games lmao

Do you still feel like an insignificant speck of negativity can tip your entire mood, no matter how much positive thoughts you had before? I think I am facing similar issues and would like to know if it got any better for you.

Some people are hurt because of this video hahhahahaha. To me this is hilarious 😂. Like come man ! Man up ! Ps : great video by the way ! 👍

Dark souls saved me Not because It gave me take a turn for the better in my life, I didn't came out more confident not any of that stuff, Nah I Just refuse to die untill I played every dark souls related game, this also means bloodborne, demon souls (both) and Elden ring And because I'm piss poor I probally will never or will take years to play those games, I played 1 and 2 by now, and that's the reason I live, consumism and not myself doing something for me, Nah I Still live the shit life I live, dark souls saved me, but oh well I'm like, one in one billion people that got saved by the game and Just the game, thanks dark souls, when I finish every one If you I will die with a Bang

Based

Darks souls didnt save you, it helped you save you

Good Video, but it's kind unnecessary to make a title like that. Really appears disrespectful.

Nah imo you downplaying peoples love for DS is the same as ppl overplayinh how good it is. It is a perfect game, but no livesaver. But just because it aint doesnt mean it can not generally better a persons view on life. Remember bruv newtons idea of gravity which was basically the most important thing in physics ever came from a fkng apple

Dark souls 7 saved me

Yes you safed you and ds is just a tool but is it easy to find something that gave you that feel? Nooo ds is different from any thing else even you just consider it as escape it is hard for you if you have depression to have passion for anything! All who have depression know that so for ds many people consider it as escape or tool or the cause of saving their life it is not a small thing!

Lol yeah dark souls has nothing on a bit of lexapro and therapy

the sentence "Dark souls saved/changed my life" is true AND false in the same time... it's "true" that playing it saved your life, since it made you see what you didn't see before... BUT it's "false" because you are "the one who choose" to acts upon what the game showed you ... that's what every RU-vidr meant, including you.

Nah Dark Souls saved me

Yeah, to be honest it makes me cringe when people say this. I get a game can be an escape for a while, and help but it didn't SAVE YOU. You're covering up your issues with a distraction. Its a symptom of the modern world that teaches you to be a victim and is obssessed with mEnTaL hEalTh.

Lies

Dime store philosophy and just bait for other people to dogpile those who disagree in the comments. Lame.

Wow an entire video about a clickbait video,nice

What a pointless analysis! Of course those creators are admitting that they saved themselves through their perseverance. They're implying that DS was the medium. No sane person would actually believe that a game can change your life. It is the drive for perseverance that the game inspired.

This is so cringe

If a work of art touches someone, who the hell are you to diminish that? Not everyone is depressed because of their diet and routine, believe it or not, life does suck, and some people really do have real problems. Dark Souls can train you to cope with things in a more productive way. The game isn't going to save you from depression, but neither is medication, neither is counseling, neither is living healthy. You're always going to have the sickness, there is no cure. You might have better days, but as long as you're alive, you will always have opportunities to relapse, and remember that there really is no light at the end of the tunnel. None of that diminishes the impact of art. It's why art exists. Stop being a contrarian.

I mean, your counter-thesis is obvious, everyone says that. You are playing a linguistic game. It's annoying, tbh. But, otherwise, good video, when you just talk about how much the game inspired you, the same way everyone else did. And you... are still working on it, and stuff... like everyone is. And stop trying to decide how people who say they were suicidal, until specifically playing these games, and often other games. It's really weird to try and tell people how they should talk about *their own struggles with things like severe suicidal depression*... It's just... as they would say in the great film "Hook" with Robin Williams.... That's "bad form!" Just saying, mate.

Yes, it did. End of story!! I'm unsubbing now. Farewell.