No, I've never finished Dark Souls. I stopped where a lot of players stopped, Ornstein and Smough. I came bloody close to beating them on the first attempt and then didn't come close ever again. I realized that I wasn't interested in putting in the amount of time necessary to get good enough to beat them or play long enough to get lucky. But I was struck by the nihilism of the basic plot.
The Lords of a previous age have used the fire of their souls to kindle and "age of fire", but fire is fading. The player, playing a potential chosen one, can sacrifice themselves to rekindle the flame- or snuff the flame and usher in an age of darkness. We are told that the age of darkness is the age of man, by less than trustworthy sources. And the question as to which choice is the correct one is a question not easily resolved.
Or is it?
Because the fire will always fade. The age of darkness is inevitable. Even if the player succeeds and rekindles the flame, the success is temporary. Eventually the flame will go out. Darkness will eventually fall.
Dark Souls has no win condition. The point is to persevere, but eventually- darkness prevails.
