Narratively, the player character is afflicted with the Darksign, an undying curse that ensures they cannot truly perish.
The game’s difficulty often leads to deeper psychological and philosophical interpretations: Why Dark Souls Made Me Comfortable With Death 147 : Prepared to Die
The "Prepared to Die" philosophy is enforced through high-stakes mechanics that create "mechanical fear". Narratively, the player character is afflicted with the
In traditional gaming, death is an interruption—a "Game Over" screen that signals a mistake to be erased by reloading. Dark Souls rejects this by integrating death into its world-building. 147 : Prepared to Die