Quote Originally Posted by SirPrizes View Post

I love the game to pieces and have over 200 hours on it, and I definitely think this is a legitimate complaint. In Demon's Souls it wasn't a big deal because the game actually had a well done manual, but for some reason Bamco decided not to include a detailed manual with Dark Souls, which I was thoroughly disappointed in. Games like these NEED a manual.

I don't think they should include any type of tutorial in the game itself, as it would slow it down and take away from the feeling of finding your own way to tackle obstacles and situations, but at the very least they should include a manual that explains all the essentials for you (and maybe some of the more advanced stuff too). It's just sad that in this day and age, manuals in general are practically non-existent. It really hurts the accessibility of a game like this.

From what I've read though, II seems to be addressing this issue, so try playing that when it comes out! This series is fantastic, and it's fully worth getting over that initial learning period.
I'm glad we can come to some sort of understanding. Other people that weren't on this forum got the impression I was trying to trout on their game and got very defensive when I mentioned this kind of stuff.

Your post has kind of motivated me to give it another crack sooner or later. Even if I dont get invested in the original, I will at least give DS II a try.