Dark Souls II

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3117 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,992 out of 3117
  2. Mixed: 521 out of 3117
  3. Negative: 604 out of 3117
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  1. Nemeziz
    Apr 27, 2014
    5
    I've never done this before, but Dark Souls 2 deserves creating an account and submitting a review.

    I'm not going to address the technical issues the pc port is facing, or the quality of ingame graphics. It's a separate problem and I hope Namco Bandai will face some consequences of their false advertisement/bate and switch tactics. Dark Souls 2 is not a Souls game. It's as simple as    I've never done this before, but Dark Souls 2 deserves creating an account and submitting a review.

    I'm not going to address the technical issues the pc port is facing, or the quality of ingame graphics. It's a separate problem and I hope Namco Bandai will face some consequences of their false advertisement/bate and switch tactics.

    Dark Souls 2 is not a Souls game. It's as simple as that. It's missing everything that made the previous games so special. Starting with the controls, combat mechanics, loot system, game world, boss fights and ending with the difficulty level. It's all gone. Replaced with mechanics that try to "innovate"and remain similar to the previous game at the same time.

    The controls feel clunky and unresponsive. The character seems "heavy" and the movement is sluggish. Where in previous games the overall rules applied to both the player and the enemies. In Dark Souls 2 there's a different set of rules (stamina, poise, movement etc) for the player and the monsters. Some will have infinite stamina and spam heavy attacks to no end. Other's will "track" your movement in the middle of their attack animation. We're talking about spinning 360 degrees while "channeling" their attack. Some will even go as far as to reset the attack animation and hit you when they should be recovering from their last attack.

    The world design is inconsistent and seems out of place. One minute you're fighting a boss in a giant mill just to take the elevator up to the iron keep. The problem is - there's no keep above the mill. Level design is poor at best and the multitude of bon fires makes little sense. In some cases you'll have 4 of them in an area the size of Undead Asylum. You'll find yourself fighting 4 of the most powerful demons in the land to overcome a bit of rubble blocking the way in the forest...

    Instead of creating interesting enemies From decided to toss a bunch of mobs at you to make up what they lack in design with numbers. The difficulty doesn't come from good design choices but cheap gimmicks. Enemies attacking you through doors or a gate. Bosses with adds during the fight, bosses that "multiply" during the fight. It's all based on cheesy gimmicks. Even the fights that suppose to resemble if not imitate boss fights from the previous game are simply boring.

    Deaths feel cheap. It feels like the game is trolling you by not following it's own rules. The concept of having to die in order to get loot has no place in a Souls game.

    Overall the game is a huge disappointment.

    It's got as much in common with previous Souls games as Resident Evil 6 has with the original Resident Evil ;)

    An average imitation at best.    … Expand
  2. Blackice
    Apr 28, 2014
    8
    Great game and the PC port is good, although you should still play with a gamepad and it clearly looks like a port. It's still the best version out there and I recommend the graphics mod called GeDoSaTo DS2 Edition because the original graphics are also clearly a port of the lesser console graphics.
    The new multiplayer options are great and offer a nice diversion from the core gameplay.    Great game and the PC port is good, although you should still play with a gamepad and it clearly looks like a port. It's still the best version out there and I recommend the graphics mod called GeDoSaTo DS2 Edition because the original graphics are also clearly a port of the lesser console graphics.
    The new multiplayer options are great and offer a nice diversion from the core gameplay.
    White screen crash was fixed in a timely manner.    … Expand
  3. Power_Gamer
    Apr 28, 2014
    7
    I made this account just for this game. Pre ordered it 2 months before release. For the first four days I couldn't even start it due to White Screen of Death (crash during startup).

    Now the game has been fixed.

    Gameplay wise this is a great game. But the company's false advertising (graphics, lighting etc) forces me to keep my score down.

    7/10
  4. JacobCleveland
    Apr 28, 2014
    5
    I am re-doing my review since the patch today making the game actually PLAYABLE. Plus, I had to wait for 3 days after i pre-ordered the game 3 months ago just to run it properly. The keyboard and mouse controls are alright once you get used to them. The binding is really difficult to do, and the camera is clunky. The menu's still have Xbox 360 controller buttons instead of actual PCI am re-doing my review since the patch today making the game actually PLAYABLE. Plus, I had to wait for 3 days after i pre-ordered the game 3 months ago just to run it properly. The keyboard and mouse controls are alright once you get used to them. The binding is really difficult to do, and the camera is clunky. The menu's still have Xbox 360 controller buttons instead of actual PC key-binds which is ridiculous. They said it would be a decent port, but it's barely better than the consoles. The only thing great about the game that's different is the graphics and fps which is improved from consoles. If you wish to play this with a controller, it's worth it more than 360 or PS3. HOWEVER, I SHOULDN'T BE FORCED TO PLAY ON A CONTROLLER. If a game is released on a PC, I expect, no I demand that the controls are actually worth using. I didn't buy Dark Souls II on PC to play it with a controller.… Expand
  5. janne808
    Apr 28, 2014
    5
    Post-patch review: The game lacks the vision and the stellar game design from the first Dark Souls game. What you're left with is a mediocre hack and slash action romp that looks at times like a PS2 game.

    Claims made about Dark Souls 2 being developed for the PC natively have turned out to be another marketing gimmick and a bold faced lie. Not a grain of critique was spent on the gaming    Post-patch review: The game lacks the vision and the stellar game design from the first Dark Souls game. What you're left with is a mediocre hack and slash action romp that looks at times like a PS2 game.

    Claims made about Dark Souls 2 being developed for the PC natively have turned out to be another marketing gimmick and a bold faced lie. Not a grain of critique was spent on the gaming press about the obvious bad keyboard and mouse controls, that on top of everything else, have almost a half a second delay on every action you take. Xbox controller icons are left in place from the Xbox, proving that the game is just another quick console port. Nowhere it is explained, that you need a controller to properly play the title on PC, which makes sense from a marketing perspective. It should be made clear, that the PC gamer will have to put another 20 euros towards the title in the form of a Xbox controller, but it isn't.

    Don't believe the fan-boy hype. This is not a PC game, but a bad console port of a game which is overshadowed by the brilliance of the original Dark Souls.    … Expand
  6. Nocturn86
    Apr 28, 2014
    8
    Game has been updated and seems to work for most now. I haven´t played for long yet, but from what I saw I´d give the game a 10/10 minus one point each for graphics (only slightly improved from DaS1) and controls (I use a Xbox-controller, so they are fine for me, but even when using mouse/keyboard the games always displays the Xbox buttons solely, which is unlikely to be fine for everyone).
  7. monktheking
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    Revising my first review. Patch fixed everything. Game looks and plays fantastic. It's Dark Souls 2, you will die alot and get angry. But you will have fun while doing so.
  8. dabro90
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    This game would be a solid 10/10 if the PC port wasn't broken. I had to go through various forums and plenty methods to even run the game, which is unforgettable for a 50€ release. Huge amount of people still cant get it to run, I was lucky to get it resolved.

    Apart from that, game is great so far.
  9. testerlnx
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    Now have serious bugs (I have to switch down the HDMI port every times when I run the game, and only run in windowed mode not fullscreen).

    The diminishing healthbar and the evaporing enemies are really annoying, but it is a great game, when they fix the starting bugs I will change the rate.
  10. cafebabe
    Apr 27, 2014
    6
    This game is not much fun anymore. It's either input lag or the unfair packs like the Three Sentinels. I don't like to summon people to beat the game, but this one leaves me no other choice - unlike DS1. And that makes me sad and angry. The input lag is annoying as hell. You block at 100% stamina and simple enemies slay through it. The game feels stable, but the fights don't feel balanced.This game is not much fun anymore. It's either input lag or the unfair packs like the Three Sentinels. I don't like to summon people to beat the game, but this one leaves me no other choice - unlike DS1. And that makes me sad and angry. The input lag is annoying as hell. You block at 100% stamina and simple enemies slay through it. The game feels stable, but the fights don't feel balanced. It just so frustrating. I know, the game is ment to be hard. I beat DS1 several times. But this one is has not the same feeling. I'm always feeling like being cheated by the engine.

    Another big issue is the bad durability of weapons. Having a favorite weapon for PvE is almost impossible, because durability is soooo low. I always find myself fighting mobs with my favorite, leveled weapon until they vanish (after 10 - 15 kills) so I can reach a boss with this weapon. And why the hell, don't enemies do damage to themself in close ranges?!!

    Another big issue is PvP. Too often, the lagging decides who the winner is. Lagstabs, teleports and taking damage after having dodged ten meters away becomes the norm. And you can call yourself lucky not to meet a hacker, because the PC platform is already infested with them. The game has no cheat countermeasures in place. (Why not make the client verify actions on both ends, compare them and just quit the duel when the comparison is negative?) It comes down to use a dashcam (record the PvP matches) and report the hackers to Steam along with a YouTube video.

    The overall map design feels less creative than in DS1. The zones are more separated so there is not that experience anymore, that you can look from one end of the world to the other. I liked that flavor of DS1 very much and it added to the atmosphere. In DS1 the zones felt like they really belong together.

    I hope, FromSoftware will deploy some patches to address the input lag and the PvP lagging. Right now, after 40 hours into the game, I'll take a longer break and wait for patches.    … Expand
  11. Quariq
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    I picked up the first Dark Souls on Steam and liked it, the only problem i had with the game was the controls for PC. Now with the release of Dark Souls 2 we were promised a more polished PC version with better graphics and - here is the big one - working controls. So did they deliver? Short answer NO , Long answer NO. Default controls are near unplayable , controller buttons everywhere "I picked up the first Dark Souls on Steam and liked it, the only problem i had with the game was the controls for PC. Now with the release of Dark Souls 2 we were promised a more polished PC version with better graphics and - here is the big one - working controls. So did they deliver? Short answer NO , Long answer NO. Default controls are near unplayable , controller buttons everywhere " press A to this , press B to that" . But dont worry , just rebind your keys , right?? NO. Trying to rebind the keys is painfull at best and once you are done you are left with a half decent experience. I loved the first Dark Souls and plot/gameplay wise Dark Souls 2 looks promising. But as a PC gamer i feel cheated and lied to when it is blatantly obvious that no extra effort was put into making this a positive experience for PC gamers.… Expand
  12. whitedeath505
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    UPDATE: The other review was negative,because the game didn't work.
    Finally the game it's working,(after the update) and All I can say,it's awesome,beautiful,incredible and more hard than before.
    The multiplayer finally get fixed,now the connection it's super-fast and really good,good job from software.
  13. deszka42
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    The game is a fantastic port, let's start with the worst and advance to the less interesting problems:
    -the game refuses to start up (crashes with white screen) for TONS of people
    -even when it starts the new game loading screen freezes -game freezes when intro needs to be playing -people who got banned in other games received a ban for dark souls 2 (absolutely unheard of) -the    The game is a fantastic port, let's start with the worst and advance to the less interesting problems:
    -the game refuses to start up (crashes with white screen) for TONS of people
    -even when it starts the new game loading screen freezes
    -game freezes when intro needs to be playing
    -people who got banned in other games received a ban for dark souls 2 (absolutely unheard of)
    -the controllers connected to pc refuse to work
    -the keyboard+mouse controlls refuse to work
    -the keyboard controlls are **** even when they work: holding shift prevents you from clicking etc...    … Expand
  14. Sohae
    Apr 26, 2014
    7
    Terrible launch, can't even start the game.
    PC gamers were waiting for a "special" release, but not of this kind ... However, to pre-order and take money, there's no bug.
  15. Whitescreenop
    Apr 30, 2014
    10
    UPDATE: The other review was negative,because the game didn't work.
    Finally the game it's working,(after the update) and All I can say,it's awesome,beautiful,incredible and more hard than before.
    The multiplayer finally get fixed,now the connection it's super-fast and really good,good job from software.
  16. Pablo_Dourado
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    I am here to represent the over 1k players from steam who is not getting any help from developers of the game, we get a random bug that dont let us play the game, we are trying to get attention over our problem for more then 50 hours since the release and nothing at all, we decided to yell our voice to another sites, we are making a critic not about the game itself because we cant EVEN logI am here to represent the over 1k players from steam who is not getting any help from developers of the game, we get a random bug that dont let us play the game, we are trying to get attention over our problem for more then 50 hours since the release and nothing at all, we decided to yell our voice to another sites, we are making a critic not about the game itself because we cant EVEN log in, we are here to tell how disappointing is the support from the developers.
    We paid for that we deserve the same thing as others, but seens the primary atribute to play the game is have the luck to get a copy without any bug, i will never spend my money on products of your company again!    … Expand
  17. Gorshum
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    I imagine this would be a really fun game if it worked. I trust in their ability to make a fun game. The problem is that for many people the game does not work at all. When you try to start the game it pops up as a white screen then crashes within 10 seconds. So far the only workarounds have come from the community and even then they don't always work. Considering they supposedly 'built itI imagine this would be a really fun game if it worked. I trust in their ability to make a fun game. The problem is that for many people the game does not work at all. When you try to start the game it pops up as a white screen then crashes within 10 seconds. So far the only workarounds have come from the community and even then they don't always work. Considering they supposedly 'built it for the pc first' this kind of thing is really unacceptable. There's no reason we shouldn't be able to play the game we payed for. We didn't pay $50 so we could troubleshoot/beta test their game. We payed for a product and we currently have no access to it despite it being released. If you're thinking of buying this game for PC, don't. Wait for them to fix whatever they screwed up. There is no point in buying it now unless you want to play 'Waiting Simulator: Broken Edition'.… Expand
  18. Zhael
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    I was so excited to play DS2 this morning but found myself shouting at the screen in under 5 mins.

    The graphics are awful - games released 3 years ago look better. The sound is awful - walk through long grass and it sounds as if you're rattling through your cutlery drawer. But worse of all; the controls are awful. On screen hints tell you to press the green 'A' or the blue 'X'.    I was so excited to play DS2 this morning but found myself shouting at the screen in under 5 mins.

    The graphics are awful - games released 3 years ago look better.

    The sound is awful - walk through long grass and it sounds as if you're rattling through your cutlery drawer.

    But worse of all; the controls are awful. On screen hints tell you to press the green 'A' or the blue 'X'. Want to go up a ladder? In every other PC game you walk in to a ladder and start to climb. In DS2 it's ctrl-left click. Why would they make it so awkward? I tried to swap weapons and ended up consuming a good portion of the healing stones.

    Another bad part worth mentioning is the combat. It's .... awful. You can lock your target by pressing the middle mouse button, but it doesn't really make much difference. I created a cleric and armed myself with a great big metal mace and picked a fight with a little old lady cooking a meal (I'm very brave, I know). She beat me to death with her ladle. Not once but many times. So many times in fact I had to roll a new character to get past the point.

    In short this is not worth buying on the PC. For the consoles maybe, but not the PC.    … Expand
  19. sheva7
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    This game is so ****ing hard that i cant even launch it. I guess they deliver the difficulty they promised. Yeah, the 0 goes to the company, not to the game.
  20. Boogz
    May 3, 2014
    10
    After finally being able to start the game after the first patch it turned out to be just as good as Demons Souls and Dark Souls, its a truly fantastic game.
  21. DefiantMaledict
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    Dark Souls 2 is all about challenge, they said. Well, the only challenge this game is posing now is how to make it work properly. PC will be lead platform, they said.
  22. ninja666
    May 4, 2014
    5
    I'd reviewed the game once, but since then I've managed to play it a bit more and managed to get further. I didn't beat it, but I played for 12 hours total before quitting. I'm still disappointed by how the game turned out and only gets one point more this time, but I want to review it once more from scratch because I want to make the review better, more comprehensible and I want to expandI'd reviewed the game once, but since then I've managed to play it a bit more and managed to get further. I didn't beat it, but I played for 12 hours total before quitting. I'm still disappointed by how the game turned out and only gets one point more this time, but I want to review it once more from scratch because I want to make the review better, more comprehensible and I want to expand it a little.

    The game, as a sequel to Dark Souls, feels disappointing. It was stripped down of everything that made Dark Souls 1 good and went through major changes that, for the most part, are changes for the worse. But, let's start with the pros first.

    Some of the mechanics are executed far better than in the former game. I really liked the presence of Human Effigies as a cure to hollowing instead of "liquid" and "soft" humanity that could be acquired pretty quickly, but also could be lost by one fatal mistake. In Dark Souls 2, when you die you lose your human form, but you can reverse the hollowing with ease - you don't even have to go back to the bonfire; you can do it immediately.

    Another thing is that the locations are far larger than they were in Dark Souls 1 so there's a lot more to explore. They are branched too, so very often you can get to the boss by many ways. Plus, some of the locations are truly breathtaking and atmospheric. I'm especially talking about No-man's Wharf and Harvest Valley with astonishing view on the humongous and abstract windmill. This is, unfortunately, too little to make me enjoy the game and give it a higher score, as numerous flaws overshadowed every good aspect the game had.

    Now for the flaws.

    Let's start with the key element and core of every Souls game - the combat system. In Dark Souls 1, the combat was very precise. The slow pace of battles and well-made-but-not-perfect animations made you "feel" the weight of the equipment, making it a major part of making up tactics against an enemy and your playstyle in general. When you wanted to be a knight armed to the teeth, fighting with a sword bigger than yourself, it was obvious that you had to sacrifice mobility for it, while choosing a leather armor and a scimitar was the exact opposite. In Dark Souls 2 it doesn't matter - every piece of the equipment feels super-light and the only thing indicating you actually travel heavy is the rolling speed - and it feels very forced.

    The difficulty - another key element of the Souls series, and something it is always proud of. Dark Souls 1 was really unique in this aspect - it was hard and punishing, but very fair at the same time; you always knew what you did wrong and could learn from your mistakes. Dark Souls 2 is nothing like that. After a few deaths you start to notice that most of them weren't your fault, but the game's. The difficulty was amped up just for the sake of being hard, while forgetting to add fairness along the way. You often die from being outnumbered by groups enemies that "aggro" all at the same and stunlock you to death or cheap tricks, like mummies in Lost Bastille that can explode and get back on their feet as many times as they want. There's also tracking of your moves present in the enemy AI - they spin around following you during every second of their attack animation, giving you next to no chance to dodge. And to make things even more "exciting", your character's movements are now clunky and awkward - he gets tired really quickly and can't dodge properly.

    Now, the atmosphere. Dark Souls 2 lacks certain peculiarity Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1 had, giving you generic Dark Fantasy stuff in the veins of Gothic series. Now, it wouldn't be too bad if it had any soul (pun not intended) - despite what I've stated above, almost all locations feel bland and uninspired. Most of the them are either a forest, a castle or something trying too hard to mimic a location from the first game. Literally, none of these made any impression on me, aside from boredom. Another thing is - why are you even in Drangleic. You don't have any purpose of being there, aside from looking for alleged cure for the curse, which you are told right at the beginning, doesn't exist.

    The level design in this game is absolutely terrible. Aside from the blandness, the locations' arrangement in the world map makes no sense or logic whatsoever. The creators went for Demon Souls-esque hub world with the central point being Majula. It's not a bad thing, if executed properly, but in this game, the locations feel very disconnected. They are always preceeded either a tunnel or a cave and there's no smooth transition between them.

    Concluding - Dark Souls II is a pretty average game with many technical difficulties and quirky, badly executed mechanics, that may be good for die-hard fans of the series, but for an average gamer, who likes challenging games, it's too unbalanced and badly-made to be enjoyed. Hence only a 5/10.    … Expand
  23. redtwister
    Apr 27, 2014
    0
    Broken and awkward! I can't jump, among other things that don't work right. The controls are terrible. I actually am contemplating asking Steam for a refund it is so bad. Betas of other games are better than this "finished" product.
  24. sodapopcan
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    they don't even put the pc controls on the menus. and even if they did i cant even start the game to see the change because of the crashing. this was a bad buy.
  25. 1993Gamer
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    I'm amazed how can such a bad port receive so good reviews.
    I can't even play the first 15 minutes of the game with mouse+keyboard, the game does not respond correctly to any of my controls inputs, is this a bad joke?
    Wortst pile of garbage I bought this year yet. If you value your money stay away.
  26. WskOsc
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    Dark Souls 2 is currently an unplayable mess for many, and plagued by bugs such as terrible keyboard/mouse controls that lag pretty badly.
    The game gets a 0 out of 10 not only for being unplayable/broken but also for a lack of proper support and communication from the developers, as well as how long it's taking them to issue a fix.
  27. Merdique
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    This is one of the worst PC ports I have seen in years. The game can be somewhat configured to use a keyboard and mouse, but the interface does not acknowledge this (which generates a lot of confusion while playing). Many of the bound combinations are geared to console playing. Just terrible. Got sick of playing it after a few hours. Save your money. Wish I had...
  28. ctrlaltwalsh
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    Game Remains Unplayable, Crashes when starting up. Game developers and publishers need to realise they cannot release a product which simply does not work, this is not a problem specific to my (Frankly Standard) computer configuration.
  29. the_reality
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    The first thing you encounter is a door. A prompt comes up "press B". This door proves to be a unquenchable bastard. I've tried all the common keys WADS QEFR. Nothing. So I tried attacking the door. Nothing. I can't get past it. I should have listened when then said Dark Souls 2 was just a hard as Dark Souls 1. I find myself puzzled as I look at my Dark Souls 2 for PC box for some clue onThe first thing you encounter is a door. A prompt comes up "press B". This door proves to be a unquenchable bastard. I've tried all the common keys WADS QEFR. Nothing. So I tried attacking the door. Nothing. I can't get past it. I should have listened when then said Dark Souls 2 was just a hard as Dark Souls 1. I find myself puzzled as I look at my Dark Souls 2 for PC box for some clue on how to get past the door. Nothing. No Clue. I have to resolve that his game is too hardcore. Too Hardcore to the point of not being fun anymore. "Atmospheric dungeon, crawling, fearsome enemy encounters". Namco needs to realize that making a game hard doesn't make it fun. Sadly with less money in our pocket and critics giving scores in the 90's the joke is on us.… Expand
  30. RainbowPieFiM
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    This game don't work.
    The game crash everytime you enter, and the company dont launch a fix, 3 days after his launch.
    Thanks for stole my money!
    Ah, and the game doesn't have a pc controller instructions, is a BAD port from the console version.
    $50 for a bad port.
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2014
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
12
#12 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    95
    This game’s playability puts to shame everything that’s been released for the new generation of consoles. [06/2014, p.54]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 6, 2014
    90
    The definitive Dark Souls II experience, the latest entry to The Souls series shines on the PC. [June 2014, p.50]
  3. Riot Pixels
    Jun 5, 2014
    80
    If you’re a fan of hardcore games, try Dark Souls 2. It is not as memorable as its predecessor, and yet it is still a phenomenal experience.
    Read full review
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