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. Chrysaliarus
    Apr 27, 2014
    6
    Welcome to the drab and boring world of Drangleic. Where there are repeating textures everywhere and graphics that would make Demon's Souls curl up in a ball and cry in a corner. From-soft is the wonderful developer of this massive rpg open-world experience and I don't know how but they balls it up because every time I die I don't feel that it's my fault. Mostly because either I die fromWelcome to the drab and boring world of Drangleic. Where there are repeating textures everywhere and graphics that would make Demon's Souls curl up in a ball and cry in a corner. From-soft is the wonderful developer of this massive rpg open-world experience and I don't know how but they balls it up because every time I die I don't feel that it's my fault. Mostly because either I die from the stupid new implemented jump mechanic or the game designers though that they would have a joke with the player and make him die instantly without warring. This does not make it a bad game, the controls mostly feel responsive, and sometime even the environment can look gorgeous. Just make sure not to go up to that environment to see the **** resolution of the textures. Also, isn't this game supposed to be dark? Most of the time I don't need my torch and I can see everything perfectly clear. In fact, many things are different. The lock-on system isn't colored like in the demo, it looks worse than shown and generally everything that made it unique before has been stripped away. Overall Bright Souls 2 feels like an hollowed out version of Dark Souls with very little effort or though put into it. Poor design choices, horrid textures, a horrible jump mechanic, and sometimes non-responsive game-play is why I think this game deserves a 6 out of ten.… Expand
  2. abraxes
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    It seem a lot of people are upset about the port not being as wonderful as they'd like. I suggest getting a controller (they're like twenty bucks... come on, guys) and get down to business playing this AMAZING game from From Software until your eyes start to bleed... Dark Souls 2 is a worthy successor to an incredible rpg that stands out in the crowd like the absolute gem that it is. IfIt seem a lot of people are upset about the port not being as wonderful as they'd like. I suggest getting a controller (they're like twenty bucks... come on, guys) and get down to business playing this AMAZING game from From Software until your eyes start to bleed... Dark Souls 2 is a worthy successor to an incredible rpg that stands out in the crowd like the absolute gem that it is. If you liked the first two, don't be fooled by people whining about the port-- we should be grateful to be able to play this on PC. DS 2 is everything I hoped for, and more.… Expand
  3. Bladia
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    I am a PC gamer, but I played DS on my gamepad. I play DS2 with KM, because I my gamepad is broken. I spent over two hours to set keys for mouse/keyboard. And after more than 23 hours in game, not even in the half of the first playthrough I might say, it feels pretty comfortable.

    Graphics are awesome (better than console version, trust me, I could compare it live), FPS is just great, I    I am a PC gamer, but I played DS on my gamepad. I play DS2 with KM, because I my gamepad is broken. I spent over two hours to set keys for mouse/keyboard. And after more than 23 hours in game, not even in the half of the first playthrough I might say, it feels pretty comfortable.

    Graphics are awesome (better than console version, trust me, I could compare it live), FPS is just great, I never recognized any FPS drops or something - game is very smooth. Everything is great, I haven´t a single issue.

    And gameplay? Dark Souls 10/10.    … Expand
  4. PcIsMasterRace
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    As every Souls game it's
    "Hate it or love it"
    If u liked DS1 u will LOVE DS2.
    If u hate DS1 u will hate DS2.
    And don't play this Game without a gamepad, it's not mend to play with a Keyboard so accept it.
    it's the same as playing a FPS with a gamepad on PC.
  5. Docteur
    Jun 22, 2014
    0
    A 0 might seem peculiar to players who encountered the rare, rare case where the game works fine. But let's say it does;
    stop selling us products you made for consoles.
    You have to make something for PC players that is not only porting the game, but adapting the gameplay! Why is there on earth XBox360 buttons prompts in the menu!? "Press B to open"? Who are you kidding? I'd really    A 0 might seem peculiar to players who encountered the rare, rare case where the game works fine. But let's say it does;
    stop selling us products you made for consoles.
    You have to make something for PC players that is not only porting the game, but adapting the gameplay!
    Why is there on earth XBox360 buttons prompts in the menu!? "Press B to open"? Who are you kidding?

    I'd really like if you could provide us the same experience as everyone else; you know, since we're paying, too.

    This is a broken game in all its glory, with so many flaws I wonder how the pro reviewer played.    … Expand
  6. Worldeater_PS4
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    CHANGE THE PROMPTS TO PC CONTROLS !!!! NOT X-BOX!!!!!! "press y" means press enter, Press"a" blah blah blah, cant believe they didnt even bother with that !!!

    I loved no1, i just got a PS4 and sold the ps3, so PC is was !! The game plays very well, and is just as deadly as the last, this is not a charge in swinging game, as it wasnt before, feels like an upgraded extention of the    CHANGE THE PROMPTS TO PC CONTROLS !!!! NOT X-BOX!!!!!! "press y" means press enter, Press"a" blah blah blah, cant believe they didnt even bother with that !!!

    I loved no1, i just got a PS4 and sold the ps3, so PC is was !!
    The game plays very well, and is just as deadly as the last, this is not a charge in swinging game, as it wasnt before, feels like an upgraded extention of the lastone.

    Fantastic............just hurry up and change the prompts................have you done it yet ??.............very very annoying and lazy................................................how about now ???    … Expand
  7. Rokyn
    Apr 29, 2014
    9
    Captures the same atmosphere and difficulty as the predecessor, huge world full of secrets and bosses and many ways to engage in pvp, which works very well. My only problem is that you can't viably go strictly ranged combat, but I also can't imagine how they would pull that off with how the game is built.
    All in all it's a really great game, that I would recommend to anyone that enjoyed    Captures the same atmosphere and difficulty as the predecessor, huge world full of secrets and bosses and many ways to engage in pvp, which works very well. My only problem is that you can't viably go strictly ranged combat, but I also can't imagine how they would pull that off with how the game is built.
    All in all it's a really great game, that I would recommend to anyone that enjoyed the prequel, or who didn't play the prequel solely because of the bad port (much better now whoop!).    … Expand
  8. dvzon
    Jul 4, 2014
    1
    This game has a lot of potential but it's trash in the end. You will be dying more than playing. Nothing wrong with dying, but when you die because the controls and controllers are so god damn quirky, and unpolished, it's frustrating and a huge issue with the game.
    The movement controls are awful because it's not seamless or smooth, and this comes into play when you have to battle or kill    This game has a lot of potential but it's trash in the end. You will be dying more than playing. Nothing wrong with dying, but when you die because the controls and controllers are so god damn quirky, and unpolished, it's frustrating and a huge issue with the game.
    The movement controls are awful because it's not seamless or smooth, and this comes into play when you have to battle or kill an enemy mob. OH MY GOD, you will hate it. If you have ever played a smooth movement controlling game like WOW, diablo 3, call of duty, battlefield or any other high polish game with extremely smooth and seamless movement controls, YOU WILL HATE THIS GAME!
    Every time you engage an enemy or a boss you are praying your attacks will hit because you have no idea what the range is. You have the option of locking into an enemy or not locking. Either way you are **** If you lock into an enemy your character will move but not where you tell it to move and it looks like he developed a case of severe dementia because even though you are telling it to move away from the attacking enemy, this is all happening while you are getting beat up by the way, he stays around it, move towards it or just sits there. If you choose not to lock on to the enemy, pray to god that you can land hits. You will press to attack, somehow, even though you are facing the enemy, you attack air and your attack misses.
    Also, you will find that whenever you are about to engage an enemy, somehow they get to attack you first, EVEN THOUGH YOU PRESSED YOUR BUTTON TO ATTACK WAY BEFORE THEY STARTED ATTACKING YOU. This game is buggy as hell! and of course...you die!
    This game is all about progression yet they make it cheatingly impossible for you to progress. There is this thing called souls which is like in-game currency, which you can use to buy pretty much everything in the game. You can collect as many souls as you want! but if you die, you lose them all. After you die you can run back to the spot you died and re-collect them at once! great! BUT...BIG BUT! if you somehow die again after you just died, ALL THE SOULS YOU SPENT HOURS COLLECTING CAN NOT BE COLLECTED AGAIN so make sure to just die once...just once because the game doesn't give 2 **** about your spent time.

    If you want to spend hours progressing and then spend more hours trying to re-collect the souls you lost because you died, and then on the way to re-collect the 100k souls you worked very hard collecting you couldn't kill that guy with 1 knife because your attacks kept missing him because the game controls SUCK! hey, be my guest!

    trash game, don't waste your money.

    Spent over 50 hours playing and trying to like the game, but im no massochist..    … Expand
  9. yogibbear
    May 4, 2014
    9
    I'm only 30 hrs in, and ~30% of the way through my first playthrough. The game is an extension on the previous concepts of Dark Souls & Demon Souls. Probably the most obvious "negative" is that the world is no longer as interconnected as Dark Souls was. This is both due to having the ability to warp between bonfires from the get go, and the increased world size making theI'm only 30 hrs in, and ~30% of the way through my first playthrough. The game is an extension on the previous concepts of Dark Souls & Demon Souls. Probably the most obvious "negative" is that the world is no longer as interconnected as Dark Souls was. This is both due to having the ability to warp between bonfires from the get go, and the increased world size making the interconnect-Dark-Souls level design an impracticality. Ignoring the "world layout", the actual levels themselves, enemies, and atmosphere are spot on. Always something interesting to do and always having multiple paths open for progression. The combat & levelling mechanics have been given an overhaul and they are now super sweet. The changes to agility, poise, adaptability & two attribute required progression for certain stats means the early builds can vary greatly, and the impact on your ability to dodge, hit, and sustain in combat is noticeable as you level up. The PVE & PVP are now both balanced beautifully to encourage both players that enjoy PVE and Co-op, as well as those that want to do PVP. But no longer do you need separate characters for PVE and PVP, and can play the same character through to NG+++ due to the implementation of soul memory.
    TLDR: If you enjoyed any aspect of Demon Souls or Dark Souls then you will love this game. Run flawlessly on my PC, I use the 360 gamepad (because you need to with this game). Yeah the PVP can suffer from lag issues, but that doesn't reduce the game from being at the very least a 9/10. Get it and love it. All builds are viable. All playstyles are viable. Basically the game is exceptional and probably the best game that will come out in 2014.    … Expand
  10. morpj
    May 5, 2014
    10
    I have to add my positive review to help counter the 197 (!) negative reviews. I bought the game about a week after launch and I had none of the initial issues people have reported. I have played maybe 35 or so hours. For me, this is my game of the year so far! Here are some of the reasons why:

    1) Gameplay. This is the most “kinetic” swords and shields game I’ve ever played. Every    I have to add my positive review to help counter the 197 (!) negative reviews. I bought the game about a week after launch and I had none of the initial issues people have reported. I have played maybe 35 or so hours. For me, this is my game of the year so far! Here are some of the reasons why:

    1) Gameplay. This is the most “kinetic” swords and shields game I’ve ever played. Every weapon is modelled not just in appearance but also performance. It gives the game an ultra-realistic feel that I just love. The difficulty level is hard but honestly it makes the game special. I took me hours to beat some of the bosses but the feeling of accomplishment was unmatched.

    2) Design. This game is lovely. Many locations are breathtaking and truly original. The storyline is awesome and the attention to detail amazing.

    3) Performance. I'm running this game on a Razer Blade connected to a TV, and it runs perfectly at high detail with no stuttering and high frame rates. No CTDs, no slow-downs, just excellent performance.

    4) Control scheme. I recommend playing this game with an XBox controller – this is how it's meant to be played! I usually play games on my PC with keyboard and mouse but it just feels so kinetic and natural playing with a controller. I understand the keyboard controls are tough, but this is the perfect game to take that leap and try a controller. A new XBox controller + receiver is about $55 on Amazon.

    5) Community. It’s like a single-player MMO. The messages, the bloodstains, the invasions all come together to deliver a truly immersive experience.

    Overall this is a game that I can see myself spending hundred+ hours playing, moving very slowly through all the levels and experiencing every aspect. I really respect the developers and encourage everyone to buy and play this game!    … Expand
  11. BeanyUndead
    Apr 30, 2014
    9
    Dark Souls II is a great game. It is let down slightly by the fact that the console-port is not as complete as I think many people would have hoped, but it is still extremely well executed. The mouse movement is smooth and attacks/actions are crisp and feel ‘weighty’. The only problem is that the ‘instructions’ the game provides, especially in the tutorial zone, are all console-commands,Dark Souls II is a great game. It is let down slightly by the fact that the console-port is not as complete as I think many people would have hoped, but it is still extremely well executed. The mouse movement is smooth and attacks/actions are crisp and feel ‘weighty’. The only problem is that the ‘instructions’ the game provides, especially in the tutorial zone, are all console-commands, making learning how to play a little tedious at first. But as YouTube offers numerous ‘getting started’ guides, this is not a big problem.
    The game masters atmosphere like no other, presenting a bleak and emotionally crushing fantasy world that looks as though it has reached the end of a very long history and is crumbling before time. The characters are well voice acted, the dialogue provided is excellent given the genre and effect the designers were going for and above all, it all comes together to form a deep and often surprising gaming experience. Combat is exceptional and challenging. Level design is simply inspired!
    The game is hard but with patience you can always master its challenges. Remember one thing! Anyone who gave this game a rating below 7 (which is the lowest score even the most critical reviewer could legitimately justify) is not being a good reviewer. They are allow their own highly specific problems dominate their opinion of the entire game because they are angry. It is an excellent game!    … Expand
  12. jdotjdot7
    May 3, 2014
    10
    Bought this game for $40 from GMG, have to say, highly impressed. Had high expectations and this game met them. The controls? Well they are pretty bad, but spend 5 minutes toying around with them and you can make it almost entirely like Dark Souls 1 controls on PC (Which I am used to and prefer, even over a controller). The MAIN issue I had was if you unbind double left/right click, theBought this game for $40 from GMG, have to say, highly impressed. Had high expectations and this game met them. The controls? Well they are pretty bad, but spend 5 minutes toying around with them and you can make it almost entirely like Dark Souls 1 controls on PC (Which I am used to and prefer, even over a controller). The MAIN issue I had was if you unbind double left/right click, the game still counts them as inputs and so once unbound, your character will stand still if you double left click, just took a bit of time to get used to it and now it's fine.

    Overall, the game got a bit harder in some areas, easier in others. There are a few bosses that are simple and easy, and then some that will have you screaming at the screen. There's a new system that stops respawning enemies after they die 15 times which means technically the game has limited resources (without the use of Bonfire ascetics). Now, when you die, you lose max hp that can only be regained by becoming human again, this debuff stacks until you have 50% hp (or 80% with a certain ring). This can make the game much more difficult as you'll likely have a lower hp at all times.

    Overall, combat is awesome, pvp is alive, and the game's atmosphere is breathtaking. Some people say Skyrim looks beautiful but it has never made me admire it's scenery, whereas Dark Souls has a unique atmosphere that's pretty creative and makes great use of both light and darkness, the story, like before is something you piece together on your own, and it's riddled with mysteries waiting to be solved.

    Great game and I can gladly say I was among the first 2000 to beat it on PC.    … Expand
  13. GRiMtox
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    While the first game was a really bad port and only enjoyable with a controller and the DSFix, the second part only requires the first one. This game is one of the best games ever made, so was the first one. The atmosphere, the gamedesign, the mechanics; everything is extremly well coordinated and makes this game to one of the best RPGs of all time. If you are frusttollerant and have aWhile the first game was a really bad port and only enjoyable with a controller and the DSFix, the second part only requires the first one. This game is one of the best games ever made, so was the first one. The atmosphere, the gamedesign, the mechanics; everything is extremly well coordinated and makes this game to one of the best RPGs of all time. If you are frusttollerant and have a fetish for dark places, this game is for you.… Expand
  14. sniperlawless10
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    I would give this a 9.8 this game dark souls 2 is a true dark souls game, I started with demon souls though that is the hardest one so far I am glad they made it a little more easier For the first playthrough it is a hard game even so, and if you want to make it even harder you can put a specific item at a bonfire and it will re spawn all the enemy npc in the area, if you killed theirI would give this a 9.8 this game dark souls 2 is a true dark souls game, I started with demon souls though that is the hardest one so far I am glad they made it a little more easier For the first playthrough it is a hard game even so, and if you want to make it even harder you can put a specific item at a bonfire and it will re spawn all the enemy npc in the area, if you killed their respawns 10 times. The bosses also come back after using that item so if you wanted to trade your boss soul for one of the 3 choices you have to get a spear or shield or bow you can do that as well. The Pc graphics are much better than the console version, After the tutorial you will see this excellent artistic area, the water is just drop down jaw dropping and the wind that moves the grass is even a better site, a lot of the levels have fantastic graphic quality. Even at 1600x900 it looks amazing, I can't say it has better graphics than crysis but it has better art. So I plugged it in my TV that is 1920x1080 and it looked even better, resolution changes everything. But then I heard about a tool called Gedosatotool it is a mod that is in alpha stage and it basically means that you can down sample and it is most compatible with dark souls 2 so far it did not crash my game. I set it to 3840x2160 and changed the Anti alaising to ultra and started the game. And boy does it now look better than ever it looks like the game play trailers that were out before down sampling really helps the game look 5 times better than what it is. This game is truly optimized for low end- high end gaming machines a mid end can run this game max settings 60 frames no problem. I am using a old processor back from 2007 called the Intel core 2 Q6600 quad core at 2.4ghz and a gtx 550ti graphics card and 4.5gb ram and the game runs 60 fps with the down sampling enabled. The controls are much better on keyboard and mouse than the previous dark souls game, you are allowed to change keybindings ect. You can also plug in a controller of your choice. I have plugged in my Ds4 playstation 4 controller and it worked like a blast I also downloaded the playstation controller texture pack mod so it replaces the xbox controllers buttons with playstation buttons. The gameplay is really remarkable, one little tiny mistake can get you killed, even against weaker opponents that seem harmless can sneak up to your back and kill you with one back stab, You have to be aware of your surroundings, otherwise you will die a lot. The boss fights are incredible, they are such a challenge especially when you have to fight through tough opponents to reach the fog boss area gate, where no bonfire will be present so if you die you will have to plow through them again and waste healing potions ect. But thanks to there limited re spawn once you go through it about 10 times they will stop spawning. The bosses fight very aggressively you will die a few times before learning there moves and predicting on what they will do next, one of the hardest bosses I though was hard to learn was the looking glass boss I do not look at tutorials and I ended up die about 20 times before being able to predict all his moves and finally kill it. The bosses are very smart and some of the tougher bosses will not allow you to summon npc phantoms which is awesome because I never use phantoms anyways or player help. the souls you gather from bosses can be than traded for their swords, shield, spears, bows ect... which all each have their own special attack that the boss used in the fight against you. The atmosphere of the game is amazing you will hear singing from npcs, awesome voice acting, Excellent music when your fighting bosses that are just epic. You will hear every sword swing that hits a rock or deflects off of a shield in its own way. You also get to level up your character according to how you want to play if you want to be a mage you specifically put most of your souls towards that or, range or melee you do the same to them. This game is truly a souls game that will last 60-100 hours through the first play through and after you beat the game you will get to play it again with all your gear ect.. and start all over with even more of a challenge and after that their is a another NG++ Which is even more difficult hard.… Expand
  15. CodeX96
    May 5, 2014
    10
    Do not believe the people whining about the controls, graphics, or it not working. They are simply not intelligent enough to look at the key bindings, change the resolution in the games video setup section, or bother actually playing the game. This game is just as good as Dark Souls and improves on nearly every aspect of the first game. Devoted servers make the online much easier toDo not believe the people whining about the controls, graphics, or it not working. They are simply not intelligent enough to look at the key bindings, change the resolution in the games video setup section, or bother actually playing the game. This game is just as good as Dark Souls and improves on nearly every aspect of the first game. Devoted servers make the online much easier to handle. The graphics as compared to the Xbox version (I own both) are insanely better. PC: 4k/1080p (As high as your screen allows) at 60fps, and yes, with an AMD video card. Did I mention seamless controls, environment, and no frame skips? Not even lag. The best part is quick loading. Instead of a whole minute on Xbox, it is about a second on PC. Xbox: 720p, 30fps, lag and long load times, with some occasional frame drops.

    This game is the pinnacle version of Dark Souls II. It is easily playable even on low end computers, and works like a charm even with keyboard and mouse. Ignore the low scores, this game is a true gem.

    Xbox/PS3 Version
    9/10
    30fps at 720p, occasional framedrops
    Long load times, annoying when you teleport a lot between areas.
    Online play can be a little messy on Xbox servers, no word for PS3 as I don't have it.
    Ideal controller for gameplay

    PC Version
    10/10
    60fps at 1080p / 4k resolution
    Seamless loading and no lag anywhere
    Great online play if you have decent internet
    No real complaints, it is by no means a bad game

    The game is perfect for anyone desiring a true challenge, but not an impossible one. The game will push you and punish your mistakes, but not agonize you. It just doesn't hand hold you like most modern games. Skyrim is great, and it is an example of a game where a map and guidelines are necessary. But Dark Souls is not one of those games. It requires skill, patience, and intelligence to truly enjoy, but it will be an experience you will not regret.

    If you really wish to experience whether or not this game will work, then torrent the game and play it. If you enjoy it, please buy the game and support this small company. Besides, you won't have any online play if you don't buy it.    … Expand
  16. deviantdizzy
    May 11, 2014
    5
    Game is pretty, I'll give it that much (excluding clunky characters)-- this is a TERRIBLE port- they couldn't even bother to change the onscreen prompts from console control commands, the keyboard bindings are nigh impossible to get a good config on (shift+click?! to use actions unless it's a left or right click- which we all know is attack, etc?!-- why must it have 2 motions to useGame is pretty, I'll give it that much (excluding clunky characters)-- this is a TERRIBLE port- they couldn't even bother to change the onscreen prompts from console control commands, the keyboard bindings are nigh impossible to get a good config on (shift+click?! to use actions unless it's a left or right click- which we all know is attack, etc?!-- why must it have 2 motions to use something?!) Disappointed, don't like the dying penalty- I'm here to have fun, not drive myself nuts over dying..… Expand
  17. Mirgil
    May 4, 2014
    9
    The majority of this review is focusing on other complaints, especially on the controls of the game. However for the sake of an actual review, I have to say Dark Souls II is almost all around the perfect sequel to Dark Souls I. It falls short in World-Structure and boss variety, but largely makes up for this by creating a beautiful atmosphere and perfect combat system. In response to manyThe majority of this review is focusing on other complaints, especially on the controls of the game. However for the sake of an actual review, I have to say Dark Souls II is almost all around the perfect sequel to Dark Souls I. It falls short in World-Structure and boss variety, but largely makes up for this by creating a beautiful atmosphere and perfect combat system. In response to many complaints, it really makes me upset that people are willing to give a game a "0-3" rating based on a single thing. Yes, I'll admit it is quite ridiculous that the prompts in game are not in keyboard/mouse layout. However this does not excuse as low of a rating as I'm seeing it get. I've had 0 issues playing with the keyboard and mouse, and changing button layouts is such a straight-forward concept you would have to play the game for 5 minutes and then give up to complain. I would expect it to take less than an hour to optimize the controls for your preference and then get used to those controls. One hour so you can enjoy a game that would probably take you 50+ hours to beat through once, and then replay an endless amount. It's simply childish and honestly laughable that people are so closed-minded that they can't figure out how to fix something that is right there in the options.

    Just to summarize, the game exceeds its self as a sequel. People are simply dense and arrogant to fix a single problem they're having and base their first few moments of gameplay without really getting anywhere. Don't sit there and complain because you didn't take the time to fix a single problem. Almost every negative review I've seen has only complained about one problem. That would be the same as saying, the game is great overall but I don't think the graphics are very good: 2/10. Take a few moments to locate the source of the problem, and then fix it. I'll guess that 8 out of 10 of your problems can be fixed without any headache or effort. It is extremely childish to cry and whine about something that you on your own can fix if you would only put in the minuscule effort to address the problem at hand.    … Expand
  18. JEK
    May 14, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls 2 is a very good game. It might be frustrating at first but as you increase your Level it becomes good and easy to play. The port is good (unlike the dark souls 1) 10/10 to this game and this is to compensate to those who scored 0 to this game.
  19. TFORPULLONE
    May 13, 2014
    8
    I'm not in to these games but Dark Souls II is just different. The movement is the best. Everything feel so smooth but not so easy. The difficulty is a class of its own. Bosses what you have to fight are interesting and they there own weaknesses. The game is cool.
  20. Valaridan
    Jul 17, 2015
    10
    Player reviews doesnt matter anyway critic reviews matters only and all of them are positive just like this game this game doesnt deserve less than 10 great story great gameplay I love everything about this game
  21. SimpleReviewz
    May 4, 2014
    9
    Well, here we are with my first game review! Dark Souls 2. Man, is there alot to say about this massive game. Even the main story by itself will take you about 50 to 60 hours to beat, and even more if you explore hours for items, covenants, and etc. Does it sound like TOO much? Guess what? It's not! DKS2 is an amazing, unforgettable experience with only a few flaws holding it back fromWell, here we are with my first game review! Dark Souls 2. Man, is there alot to say about this massive game. Even the main story by itself will take you about 50 to 60 hours to beat, and even more if you explore hours for items, covenants, and etc. Does it sound like TOO much? Guess what? It's not! DKS2 is an amazing, unforgettable experience with only a few flaws holding it back from being one of the best games on the PS3 and X360. The difficulty of this series is the main eye-opener. It presents tough but fair combat and punishes you for every tiny mistake. Yet still, DKS2 remains a fun game. You have to time every block and dodge correctly, otherwise you may pay with your life. And that sounds brutal. Believe when I say it though, you can overcome any challenge the game throws at you, it just takes time and patience. One new addition of the game is that every time you die, you lose a little bit of your health. However, it can be prevented by using a Human Effigy. It is still a hardcore feature, though. There are 2 ways to approach the combat in this game: Ranged (ex: sorceries, hexes, pyromancies, etc) and Melee (ex: blades, axes, spear, etc). I highly recommend starting out with melee if this is your first Souls game. I've played both, and each class is overall pretty balanced because you still have to block or dodge the enemies' moves. I love how the Souls games utilize multiplayer so differently. You can't just invite people to a game, but you can summon people with the signs. You can also leave messages and bloodstains with give other players great hints. And then there's the evil part: people can invade and kill you. Don't worry, though. You won't encounter many of them this time around. Have I forgot to talk about the graphics? They are amazing, too! It perfectly fits the atmosphere of the game. In Dark Souls 1, the bosses were a constant highlight. Here, there are alot. Most of them aren't extremely hard, though. I remember a few that only took me under 5 tries to beat. Their designs are psychotic and awesome to add. Now we come to the part when we talk about the flaws. At times, you won't always be able to trust the mechanics. There's gonna be many attacks that really shouldn't have connected, and sometimes if you want to raise your shield up, it's not exactly going to. Because of this, I felt like FromSoftware was too focused on making it hard in some points rather than truly accurate. Another disappointment is that the whole world isn't actually connected like in Dark Souls 1. It was so unique finding shortcuts to other areas previously, and it's sad that it's not here. However, Dark Souls 2 is worth every penny if your a fan. It's possible to sink so many hours here. It perfectly combines quantity and quality. If you're a newcomer, there's no better place to start than here. It is worth $60.… Expand
  22. LaserMoose
    May 6, 2014
    9
    Dark souls 2 is a great sequel, although it has some flaws. Playing this game with keyboard & mouse is incredibly hard. From Software clearly meant this game to be played with a xbox/ps controller. In the "tutorial area" the game never explains how to play with keyboard & mouse and figuring out all the bindings is a challenge of its own.

    The game looks great compared to its prequel, but    Dark souls 2 is a great sequel, although it has some flaws. Playing this game with keyboard & mouse is incredibly hard. From Software clearly meant this game to be played with a xbox/ps controller. In the "tutorial area" the game never explains how to play with keyboard & mouse and figuring out all the bindings is a challenge of its own.

    The game looks great compared to its prequel, but its certainly not next gen graphics, but this fact did not stop From Software to provide this game with some awesome and beautiful scenery. The level design feels as natural as the first Dark Souls where you're not exploring different levels, you're exploring a world. Fast traveling is something that unfortunately removes some of the depth of exploring and adventuring, but it makes Dark Souls 2 harsh punishments more tolerable. Fast traveling also lets you easily jump back in to where you left of so you can continue progressing.

    Thankfully the combat system we Dark Souls veterans loves has not changed to much. It has only improved. Now dual wielding is a valid way of playing the game, and you can parry with two-handed weapons. Jumping is much easier this time around as well, as you can choose to bind the jumping button to the "Left Control Stick Button". If you preferred the old way, you can still jump with the same button you run with.

    The online features is a big step up. You can now very easily and quickly summon or be summoned by players. The waiting time for engaging in jolly co-operation has shortened greatly. I've spent about 50 hours on this game and only been invaded by a real player about four times which is disappointing. The reason for this seem to be their new online matching system, which not only takes your characters level in consideration, but also your soul memory. I am still very unfamiliar with how it works so i will leave it at that.

    The game is hard but fair. Something new players will have to learn is that you will die many times. It's trial and error. The game punishes you for dying, so there's an actual fear from dying. Dark souls 2 throws you off the birds nest without teaching you how to fly first. But once you get the hang of it, this game will give you some amazing and memorable moments.    … Expand
  23. Jost
    May 13, 2014
    10
    After the Fix for VAC the Games freaky **** awesome! I hope there will come some more games like this game from Bandai Namco Games. Realy good, good.... good jop!
  24. Philbo
    Jun 4, 2014
    4
    I'm new to the Dark Souls franchise. I was taken in by the overwhelmingly positive reviews and a few videos I watched. I've logged 9 hours in the game and can say with a great deal of certainty; this game is NOT 'open world' as I was lead to believe. Not even kind of. Calling a game 'Open World' is almost all you have to tell me to compel me to pull out my wallet. Needless to say, I wasI'm new to the Dark Souls franchise. I was taken in by the overwhelmingly positive reviews and a few videos I watched. I've logged 9 hours in the game and can say with a great deal of certainty; this game is NOT 'open world' as I was lead to believe. Not even kind of. Calling a game 'Open World' is almost all you have to tell me to compel me to pull out my wallet. Needless to say, I was very disappointed with the "vast open world" (quote from the Steam description) of Dark Souls 2. I'm really only writing this review to clear up the apparent confusion about what open world means in a game.

    If you can look off in the not too far distance in a game and see terrain that you cannot travel to.... the game is NOT open world. In Dark Souls 2, I'm constantly faced with rocks, cliffs, fences, etc. that guide me down a very narrow path. What's on the other side of those obstacles? Nothing, because it's not open world. Open world means; you hop over the fence and find your own way to point B. It means there's not just one or maybe two ways to reach point B, but TONS of ways with plenty of side adventures along the way. There are a few wide open areas where I can see far off areas that I can travel to.... and those areas are covered in water hazards still forcing me down a straight and narrow path. (I guess if I could swim, I could swim past all the giant sentry dudes instead of fighting... and we certainly can't have that now can we?) There is no real exploring in Dark Souls 2. That's my gripe. There's only one path to really follow. That's not to say that you won't overlook a cave entrance covered in bushes, but that's console-style exploring as far as I'm concerned. The only way I can think of that they got away with calling it "open world" is the lack of loading screens between the very well defined zones. That's it.

    All in all, Dark Souls 2 does have some very neat features and is very challenging. I'm just upset about the verbage used in so many descriptions I read before spending $50. If you're going to call Dark Souls 2 "open world", you may as well call Devil May Cry, Fable, and God of War open world as well. If you want to know what an open world game really is, play Skyrim, Fallout 3New Vegas, any GTA game, or DayZ (if you like pain).    … Expand
  25. goodgoy
    Sep 6, 2014
    4
    At the time of writing, Metacritic ranks Dark Souls II as one of the top 100 PC games ever released, with a critical reception comparable to that received by landmarks such as Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, and the original Deus Ex. However, unlike the aforementioned masterpieces, and contrary to what this game's advocates would have you believe, this is a game which is certainlyAt the time of writing, Metacritic ranks Dark Souls II as one of the top 100 PC games ever released, with a critical reception comparable to that received by landmarks such as Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, and the original Deus Ex. However, unlike the aforementioned masterpieces, and contrary to what this game's advocates would have you believe, this is a game which is certainly unworthy of its hype. Discounting the issues resulting from what is essentially a quick and dirty console port (which are detailed extensively in many other reviews), the game soon reveals its many lacklustre gameplay aspects.

    This series' main claim to fame is its relentless difficulty; however, Dark Souls II seldom presents any challenge containing what could be regarded as "legitimate" difficultly. That is to say, all that is needed to overcome any given enemy is to exploit its very predictable AI; to learn its attack pattern, and by extension, learn when to move, when to dodge, when to block, when to attack, etc. and repeat until said enemy is defeated. The only other difficulty comes from plain unfairness in the NPCs' advantages over the player; enemies are able to attack the player through walls and through other enemies with no consequence, have infinite ammunition, often have an extremely disproportionate amount of health and/or damage potential, and so forth.

    By resetting enemy spawns and returning the player to the start of an area upon death, the game could appear "hardcore" to a gamer growing up playing games with checkpoints and regenerating health, but this does not add any inherent difficulty to the actual gameplay; it only serves to increase the gameplay time without increasing progression, and thus increase tediousness and frustration. Neither of the two aforementioned elements (predictable AI, often with an unfair advantage over the player, and a reset of progress after failure) are anything new; countless arcade games did the same thing more than 20 years ago. So why has this game attained such an astounding level of critical and commercial success? It certainly can't be from the sub-par visual quality, bland art direction, directionless, pseudo-nonlinear environment, or the brain-dead friendly NPCs.

    The answer is that, prior to the Souls series, console gaming had not seen a critically acclaimed revival of such arcade mechanics, in the skin of a AAA RPG (published by Namco Bandai), in a significant amount of time. In the age of hand-holding and blinking arrows, a game like Dark Souls II is seen as revelatory. Critical acclaim begets hype, and hype begets popularity. And of course, the average "real gamer" is unwilling to call out this game's vapidness in fear of others insinuating that they found the game too difficult, calling their legitimacy as a "real gamer" into question. And so the resounding opinion is that of how glorious the emperor's new clothes are. However, those either secure in their own gaming ability or just not stupid enough to care about such trivialities, and old enough to have owned an SNES, will see games such as this for what they are.    … Expand
  26. StaticSpine
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    Spent tons of hours here after Dark Souls and Demon's Souls. The mechanics seems more polished this time, though the atmosphere is not that gloomy as it was in previous games. Won't make a lengthy review, I just say this: a solid entry in the series, very fun to play and worth your money/time.
  27. ELemppu
    Jun 13, 2014
    10
    This game is just so good there hasn't been too many games that has been released whit in the years that have been this rewarding and fun. the game has a TON of weapons and a lot of different weapon types. the combat is just so good. the graphics are pretty good (just waiting for the enhanced graphics mods)
  28. wildemu
    May 17, 2014
    9
    Stop being bad,

    mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmkayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?
  29. gannicus
    Oct 22, 2014
    10
    this game is a true test for the serious gamers... Its not casual in any sense of the word.. you will feel tortured and punished but successful completion will give you a sense of pride. The game is meant to be played with a controller and the standard graphics leave something to be desired but with the Gedosato mod downsampling from 4K it looks amazing... Seriously impressed
  30. Wedgeta
    May 16, 2014
    9
    Great game! Graphics: 8/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Story: ?/10 (No coherent story lol) Challenge 10/10

    If there is one thing I should criticize, it would be K&M support, although its already a huge improvement from the last Dark Souls. Highly recommended
  31. doombman
    May 12, 2014
    8
    There's a few flaws with this game that I can point out comparing to the first dark souls game, (not demon's souls). DS2 on it's own is a very solid game though. Personally I think it deserves a 10/10, but when I actually think about the game itself and compile everything; it's high-80's-low 90's. Before I get bum-rushed by a bunch of people crying on how the K&M controls are bad, I'm justThere's a few flaws with this game that I can point out comparing to the first dark souls game, (not demon's souls). DS2 on it's own is a very solid game though. Personally I think it deserves a 10/10, but when I actually think about the game itself and compile everything; it's high-80's-low 90's. Before I get bum-rushed by a bunch of people crying on how the K&M controls are bad, I'm just going to call you an idiot and tell you to learn to set your own bindings yourself. Unlike DS1, DS2 offers a VAST set of keybindings; and most of you have not even bothered to touch them. When FromSoftware promised you a solid port, they promised you it; you just need to adjust things to your own preference. (Cough, you did it with the modding community in DS1, ect. DSMfix.)
    Anyways. The game overall is absolutely great. Lots of playtime can be invested into it, and like every souls game, there's a certain point where the game is a cakewalk because you adjust to its unique learning curve, but the game still becomes absolutely rewarding after every enemy. Of course, the bosses seem a little rushed; they have easy to learn movesets and such, but they still have a very high challenge. The gameplay is smooth with a solid 60 FPS, even when I run an ENB on it. Visuals are nice and gameplay is fun. Only pet peeve I have is the Demon's Souls styled PVP. Story progression is also vast and great, lore is perfect. About 30-40 good hours should be spent before you'd even bother to beat the final boss, ect.
    TL;DR: Good game, K&M complainers need to shut up and learn how to check the options, solid game progression, PVP is very different and 'off-setting' compared to DS1.    … Expand
  32. Celtish
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    Took some getting used to after investing over 400 hours into the first dark souls, but well worth the effort.
    Rewarding as every and incredibly interesting if you take the time to delve into the deep mysterious lore of the world.
    A very enjoyable, yet tense experience. It definitely doesn't fall short in the difficulty department, it's visually stunning (Although some of the sights are    Took some getting used to after investing over 400 hours into the first dark souls, but well worth the effort.
    Rewarding as every and incredibly interesting if you take the time to delve into the deep mysterious lore of the world.
    A very enjoyable, yet tense experience. It definitely doesn't fall short in the difficulty department, it's visually stunning (Although some of the sights are little more than an illusion), the AI is as good as it needs to be, given the genre and the type of enemies.
    The boss fights leave little to be desired and the gameplay is fluid and responsive.    … Expand
  33. Jman88s
    Jul 23, 2014
    10
    This game is so hard, i died on the main menu. Beware that if you play this masterpiece, you will die repeatedly. Still a really good game. Get this, right now.
  34. Baroness
    May 23, 2014
    8
    I waited a LOT for this game, and overall I was not disappointed. Too bad it could have been way better. There are a lot of issues that could have been worked out before launching the game, such as the well talked about hit box problem. On the plus side, the graphics look nice and work very well even on less powerful systems.
    However, the story and feel of the game fall flat. A true DS1    I waited a LOT for this game, and overall I was not disappointed. Too bad it could have been way better. There are a lot of issues that could have been worked out before launching the game, such as the well talked about hit box problem. On the plus side, the graphics look nice and work very well even on less powerful systems.
    However, the story and feel of the game fall flat. A true DS1 fan can easily tell they changed directors, the atmosphere just isn't up to par, unfortunately. The story is convoluted, confusing and feels recycled. Certain assets are even reused from DS1 and instead of being a nod to the previous game as seems to be intended, it comes off as lazy and half assed.    … Expand
  35. pongkrit03
    May 25, 2014
    7
    This is my revised review without playing DS1 before . At my first time play through, I gave this game 0 out of 10 because of terrible port. I almost ditched this game but on a second thought, I gave it another try by overlooking bad port and poor graphic. This time I really enjoyed the game. I spent 100 hours+ with this game, played it till the end and still want to play more so I wouldThis is my revised review without playing DS1 before . At my first time play through, I gave this game 0 out of 10 because of terrible port. I almost ditched this game but on a second thought, I gave it another try by overlooking bad port and poor graphic. This time I really enjoyed the game. I spent 100 hours+ with this game, played it till the end and still want to play more so I would like you guys to read my review first, you will understand why this game has a lot of lovers and haters at the same time, and whether this game suits your taste or not.

    Let me start with the bad port first. As many negative reviewers said, this game has a abysmal console port EVER !. If you have controller, you will not have the issue. Nevertheless, if you have only keyboard + mouse, You will have to spend 1-2 hours learning how to play with keyboard. Even after you know how to do every moveset, you still have a delay. Anyway, you still can play this game with keyboard + mouse. Me too struggled at first but now totally fine.

    Second, the Graphic is unacceptable if you compare to PC RPG game nowadays. So even without keyboard issue, this game cannot get perfect score. No zooming to the face when you talk to NPC, NPC mouth is shut. Character creation is bare bone. Begining cinematic is a lie. You will not see cinematic like that again in the game. The only cinematics left are seen when you fight a boss, which most of them are mediocre.

    Third, there is a very little story in this game, or I could say this game has no story at all, no quest or whatever. You just have to put yourself through the end of the game, that's it. This game is pretty much like a hack&slash game if you ask me.

    However, even with these very poor features, this game still has its huge merit, that is THE CHARISMA of the game. or in another word, THE CHALLENGE, which is very unique if it is compared with most RPG games in the market. EVERY TIME YOU DIE, THE GAME WILL PUNISH YOU, this concept adds the unique tense that I never had before in other games. Every death will decrease your maximum HP 5 - 10% per time and If you die again before getting to the spot that you just died, you will lose all your souls accumulated, which can be a huge loss since you have to use souls to up your lv and spend stuffs. Of course, you cannot save your game. This rule will force you focus on the game and be cautious to every corner, traps and enemy. "I must survive ! I must not die" these are what you will chanting in your mind while playing the game. There are checkpoints (bonfire) available though, however many times checkpoints are far from each other, so if you die along the way, you will have to run from the start again.

    Game Mechanic is also very awesome. I blamed it in my first review but that was because of my inexperience. This game when you click attack button, it means you just committed the attack, you cannot cancel it and you will be vulnerable at that time. This force you to play more carefully. Most of enemies in the game can be defeated only by skill not by your lv or equipment. You just need to understand its attack-pattern, dodge and attack at the right time. Boss's fights are so epic and super excited. I still remember how hard when I fought will Last Giant, the first boss and Pursuer, the second boss first time. I spent more than 2 hours to beat them. I died a lot, many times I made mistakes just when I was about to finished them off ( wanna cry). I even almost gave up. However, after I defeated them, I felt very satisfied. The feeling that you conquer the game on your own perseverance will emerge.To me, there is no game giving the winning feeling as big as this one.

    Multiplayer, another thing that I must mention no matter what. This game has a VERY GOOD MULTIPLAYER, which I've never expected from RPG games. PVE, you can summon your friends to help you fight or can go to help in your friend's world. Thus, if you feel like the game is too hard, you can summon help anytime. More importantly, PVP IS THE BEAST, fighting the others is very fun. A lot of weapon have its own moveset, making the fight very diverse. There is no best weapon nor best armor in the game. Moreover, you can invade the other's world forcefully by using items, ambush poor guy while he is busy with his monsters, or be invaded yourself, or even become a helper who helps newbie fight with invader. However, for me, in a high lv 200+, the game will start to be less fun in PVP since everyone will use the same style due to the stat soft cap and soul mem matching is unreasonable.

    In sum, I have a lot of fun with this game but I cannot give perfect score because those bad aspects. So here is my quick brief review

    IF YOU WANT THE GAME WITH AN AMAZING GRAPHIC, EXCELLENT STORY that has various of choices and memorable NPC. This game is absolutely ์NOT for you.

    However, IF YOU WANT A INTENSE CHALLENGING GAMEPLAY and GREAT PVP, this game is a must try !. I hope DLC will come soon :>    … Expand
  36. SanySuny
    May 15, 2014
    9
    I can't believe how so many people give 0/10 ratings without even having played the game and say that this game is unplayable because they have some technical problems.
    Just look how many people are enjoying the Dark Souls II, so what do you think is the problem? The game or you?
    DSII surely could use some polish in terms of Menu interface, it can be especially confusing for players who    I can't believe how so many people give 0/10 ratings without even having played the game and say that this game is unplayable because they have some technical problems.
    Just look how many people are enjoying the Dark Souls II, so what do you think is the problem? The game or you?
    DSII surely could use some polish in terms of Menu interface, it can be especially confusing for players who have not played the other games, but the PC port is already greatly improved and absolutely playable. I find it even a bit easier than the first one.
    What I do not like is the soul memory mechanic which limits the PvP and Co-op.
    Also to increase your rank in the covenant of blood is quite problematic since you have to win 500 PvP battles without loosing basically, which is ridiculous if you just want to rank up in order to get the rewards or achievments.
    The bonfire warping kinda kills the idea of traveling imo.
    But other than that it is a very good game, one of my favorites (could be a bit more depressing and dark though, in terms of inveroment^^)    … Expand
  37. ReviewBros
    Jul 8, 2014
    10
    if your looking for a epic soulless demon killing game this is for you.even after raging over 100 times it still makes this game brilliant.half the demons you fight are 10 times the size of you.and if there not they have unique weapons.the online is perfect and it has fairly balanced weapons that suit your playsyle this game is truly brilliant.
  38. Immorta
    Aug 14, 2014
    10
    Game is amazing and works great on PC.. People are mad because they suck at the game.

    I will admit after stomping Dark Souls one completely (using a controller.. DS 1 was a HORRIBLE console port) this game does feel a little easier to play. That is a problem with making the games so similar. Veterans are really good and new players will flounder. That aside, PC controls are great and    Game is amazing and works great on PC.. People are mad because they suck at the game.

    I will admit after stomping Dark Souls one completely (using a controller.. DS 1 was a HORRIBLE console port) this game does feel a little easier to play. That is a problem with making the games so similar. Veterans are really good and new players will flounder.

    That aside, PC controls are great and the game is extremely fun, maybe not as good as Dark Souls 1 in level design and feeling.. but pretty damn close.

    Still gotta give it a 10.    … Expand
  39. Cech
    May 16, 2017
    7
    Продолжение серии соулс под порядковым номером 3

    Почитав многие обзоры, у меня складывается ощущение, что существует много людей, которым эта часть ДС нравится больше, чем первая. Нет, у этой игры большое количество минусов Техническая часть Лучше: в отличии от 1ой части можно запустить без бубна и плясок. Но у неё проблемы с разрешением.. при его номинальном Full HD система    Продолжение серии соулс под порядковым номером 3

    Почитав многие обзоры, у меня складывается ощущение, что существует много людей, которым эта часть ДС нравится больше, чем первая. Нет, у этой игры большое количество минусов

    Техническая часть
    Лучше: в отличии от 1ой части можно запустить без бубна и плясок. Но у неё проблемы с разрешением.. при его номинальном Full HD система воспринимает его как HD, отсюда все иконки рабочего стола и окна разлетаются туда, где им не место. Также у неё проблемы с запоминанием графических настроек

    Графика
    Для ремастера в 2015 году средне. На дальних дистанциях от пейзажей могут вытечь глаза, но.. это рост относительно ДС 1
    UPD. DLC Ivory King делали другие люди и глаза не вытекают от фона

    Сюжет
    В первой части его нет, тут можно даже проследить, но нет

    Мультиплеер/Ко-оп
    Из-за "относительной старости" игры я не ощутил этот экспириенс в ДС 1, тут это было здорово, особенно когда оставил знак призыва и помогал человеку, общение через жесты забавно и очень атмосферно

    Главная проблема игры - это самокопирование

    Боссы
    Нужен больший уровень прокачки, отсюда рост сложности, но уникальности в боссфайте 0 - десяток одинаковых боссов - большое разочарование, но бо'льшая проблема - это 90% копирование боссов из ДС 1
    UPD. DLC делали другие люди (2), тут хоть сложный босс есть Сэр Алонн

    Локации
    Что-то новое в плане локаций игра не превнесла, и, опять же, самокопирование. НО.. локации имеют ещё большую проблему.. ДС 1 был почти цельным миром с парой ответвлений, здесь же это куча ответвлений, без цельности. За прохождение ни разу не было ВАУ эффекта от шортката, возвращение в некоторые места в ДС 1 просто разрывало шаблоны, а тут куча срезов, которыми вы даже не воспользуетесь.. Очередной перебор с анусами подземелий, но тут хоть с наличием света проще. Одно радует - перемещение между кострами есть изначально и вам не нужно бегать 30 часов для получения такой возможности.

    Персонажи
    Колоритные NPC и забавные враги - забудьте, я был влюблён в людей-грибочков, из-за которых я когда-то купил ДС 1. Колоритом ни от боссов, ни от NPC тут и не пахнет, запомнился только Вождь Венгарл, но остальные..

    Ачивменты
    Очень расстроило то, что я не знал, что нужно было обязательно призывать NPC фантомов на бои с боссами для получения пары ачивментов. Ну етить, серьёзно?    … Expand
  40. unicyan
    Jul 25, 2018
    7
    Dark Souls had balance in it's physics and rules. Let me give you examples:

    In this game walls don't block enemy attacks, some enemies have infinite stamina, most enemies are faster than you, your hit-box is too big, your stamina drains really fast, every time you die you lose max HP unless you use human effigies which are few in the game, most of the time enemies just pile up on you,    Dark Souls had balance in it's physics and rules. Let me give you examples:

    In this game walls don't block enemy attacks, some enemies have infinite stamina, most enemies are faster than you, your hit-box is too big, your stamina drains really fast, every time you die you lose max HP unless you use human effigies which are few in the game, most of the time enemies just pile up on you, when an enemy falls your lock on system makes you follow him/her too,controls are unresponsive sometimes, etc.

    The UI is really bad, the lore is weird, the world design is not good, dialogues are sometimes long and boring. It's a good RPG but compared to Dark Souls it's really bad    … Expand
  41. odviee
    Jun 20, 2023
    3
    Boring, not fun, the locations and bosses feel like copies from the 1st Dark Souls, feels like an uninspired cash-grab, the DLC I got just spawns way too many enemies in one room so it's only hard that way, the bosses feel underwhelmingly easy comparing them to the hellhole of trying to fight 10-20 zombies at the same time, it's just the worst part without question.
  42. pjmeyer22
    Apr 29, 2014
    0
    When I first played Skyrim, I thought it was pretty hard. Boy was i very wrong about that. Skyrim scales to the way you play. Dark Souls is for hardcore players and masochists only. In Skyrim you can build a damn good stealth character and beat the game. If it is too difficult you can always turn it down. Hardcore is the only setting for Dark Souls 2. Another thing Dark Souls 2 does isWhen I first played Skyrim, I thought it was pretty hard. Boy was i very wrong about that. Skyrim scales to the way you play. Dark Souls is for hardcore players and masochists only. In Skyrim you can build a damn good stealth character and beat the game. If it is too difficult you can always turn it down. Hardcore is the only setting for Dark Souls 2. Another thing Dark Souls 2 does is penalize for everything. Die and you lose all of your souls. Don't die fast enough and you break your weapon. Give Dark Souls 2 a bad review. A From Software employee bad mouths you and gives Dark Souls 2 a perfect 10.

    The first thing you learn in computer 101, is that the keyboard has 105 keys. It is unnecessary to hit Ctrl+Alt+Right mouse button. You only need the space bar for this action. Yet somehow From Software did not Know this. Even worse is they did know and did anyway. You know to make the game even harder. Thank God you can rebind the keys.

    The worst thing about Dark Souls 2 is the storytelling. Apparently everyone has to talk very, very, very, very, very slowly. They have to do it in a cryptic voice. If they have a quest they have to give you little to no information on how to complete the quest. I talked to a guy to see if he had a quest and this is what I got. BLACKSMITH: I........ need ........ to ....... open...... my....... store......... I ........ lost ....... the ......... key.
    Okay can you tell me where you lost the key. BLACKSMITH: I ......... need....... to ..... Oh my God just shut up. There is no quest log and area map. So there is no quest tracking system.After an hour of searching I found out you have to buy it from a witch living in the middle of nowhere. That will be 300 souls please. After all that and completing quest. I am pretty sure I was not rewarded for my efforts. I could not level up because I was 300 souls short. That's when uninstall became my next action.

    Overall Dark Souls 2 feels like an unfinished game. The graphics are from 2005. Which is why FPS gets 60 plus. There is no quest log and there needs to be one. It would have been helpful to have an area map, but there isn't one. It would have been nice to keep the money system and XP system separate. So you don't have to spend souls on repairing items. It would been nice to select your level of play. Wait I forgot who I was ranting to. We are From Software. We are hardcore gamer snob. We do not make games that can be enjoyed by everyone.    … Expand
  43. Bortx
    May 3, 2014
    0
    Crap port for PC. To open door press "Green X Button". Don't have a green, red, yellow, or blue buttons on my keyboard. Hate games that exhibit this kind of laziness. User interface is confusing and settings don't take (sometimes). You have to do some mouse gymnastics to get them to take. Graphics are poor and dated. For console standards this might pass but for PC this is 5-7 year oldCrap port for PC. To open door press "Green X Button". Don't have a green, red, yellow, or blue buttons on my keyboard. Hate games that exhibit this kind of laziness. User interface is confusing and settings don't take (sometimes). You have to do some mouse gymnastics to get them to take. Graphics are poor and dated. For console standards this might pass but for PC this is 5-7 year old tech. Story is confusing and nonsensical and expect to die all the time. This game is nothing but frustration. I don't see how anyone can enjoy this unless you have hours of time to waste and like to inflict pain on yourself.… Expand
  44. Dethstar
    May 4, 2014
    2
    PS - To Bandai and the paid for marketeers flooding this site with reviews. You might want to pay for native English speakers first. If your going to do it then at least make a proper effort. Then again, at least your consistent with your scam of a game as this probably took about the same amount of effort to create as some of the pidgeon English reviews they have been posting here andPS - To Bandai and the paid for marketeers flooding this site with reviews. You might want to pay for native English speakers first. If your going to do it then at least make a proper effort. Then again, at least your consistent with your scam of a game as this probably took about the same amount of effort to create as some of the pidgeon English reviews they have been posting here and elsewhere on the net.

    The first portion of the game is a long intro in which your mean to create your character. Unfortunately being an utterly **** console port (one of the worst I have seen) it is unplayable for me as try as I might the game will not recognise the letters on my keyboard so I cant create a character. Simply gives character unrecognised errors for everything. This in itself is not so bad if I had not been ripped off, spending 50 Euros on this terrible example of just why console games will never be as good as something designed for PC specifically. The field of view and aspect ratio during play is absolutely awful making it look like your watching everything through a small slot like a postbox.

    So I sent a message to Steam where I brought it. Despite UK and EU statutory law concerning sale of goods they sent me to Bandai. Bandai just do not respond at all. So not only did this game cause me to drop it, it cost a long term relationship with steam as well as they treated my with utter contempt for asking me for my money back ignoring the fact that the contractual relationship for sale of goods is between us. Passed it to the consumer protection agency and they are dealing with it. Also passed the story on to UK independence party campaigners to use if they see fit to indicate how corporations ignore EU law.

    There are claims that the game is beautiful etc.. Well, while your looking through that little slot it is a bit hard to tell as your characters arse takes up quite a lot of the screen real estate and there is little room to gauge how nice it might look. The quality of the art work reminded me of the witcher 2 but the field of view here was unplayable if your not limited by playing on a console.

    Perhaps some PC gamer modders will make this playable someday but it is not worth paying for as it is.

    So, this game was actually so bad, and the company behind it's support so poor that it cost me a 6 year relationship with a vendor I used to like.

    Sorry to digress but the outcome indicates how poor the game actually is.    … Expand
  45. MadclownJack
    Apr 27, 2014
    9
    First, the positive. Everything and more than i expected. Brutally difficult, still, with a fantastic and gorgeous world and a subtle story to tie it all together. I had the fortune to play it both on PS3 and PC and i have to say, the PC version is OP. I know this for a fact because my laptop gets fluent 60fps on highest settings, while the PS3 version had lower textures and occasionallyFirst, the positive. Everything and more than i expected. Brutally difficult, still, with a fantastic and gorgeous world and a subtle story to tie it all together. I had the fortune to play it both on PS3 and PC and i have to say, the PC version is OP. I know this for a fact because my laptop gets fluent 60fps on highest settings, while the PS3 version had lower textures and occasionally lagged. I haven't had any game breaking bugs so far and gameplay has been flowing as well as possible. A must try for any player.

    That said, i still feel as if the designers either willfully messed up OR didn't know how to approach some very basic features. Like the confusing menus (you have to be in-game to map any button and out to play with the graphics settings)and the lack of a pause feature (it does nothing to lessen the difficulty and is really helpful because you don't have to constantly go in and out of the game, but that's just me). Also i felt as if the first game had a much better flow of the stages and story progression, i can't really say why that is.

    In summation, if you take it for what it is, mold it to your suiting, you will certainly enjoy it.    … Expand
  46. ignore78
    May 15, 2014
    10
    This game is amazingly good. it has everything i ever dreamed of in a game. i always loved from softwares games. from kings field to demons souls to dark souls. the dark feel and mysterious over them, its so beautifuly made. Dark souls 2 is the best game of them all, smooth gameplay, great controls. i dont know why all the people talking about, that the xbox 360 controller is notThis game is amazingly good. it has everything i ever dreamed of in a game. i always loved from softwares games. from kings field to demons souls to dark souls. the dark feel and mysterious over them, its so beautifuly made. Dark souls 2 is the best game of them all, smooth gameplay, great controls. i dont know why all the people talking about, that the xbox 360 controller is not working?. mine is working great. just plug it in , and then start the game. the different between dark souls and dark souls 2, i first thought that making the enemies disapear would be a problem. but that is just making the game a little more easy. but then there is harder bosses i think, and harder to level up because of the enemies disapearing. and when you die , your life is lowering. but that is not a problem, because of the ring. i never thought i love any game this much.… Expand
  47. BastardySkull
    Apr 26, 2014
    9
    The game has significant improvements on Dark Souls, including vital improvements to the netcode. Covenants are more intuitive and interesting. This alone improves vastly on Dark Souls and allows for a more cohesive experience for the community.

    Animations and movement is smoother, and the world is more expansive and richly detailed. The graphics are great. You have to be some kind    The game has significant improvements on Dark Souls, including vital improvements to the netcode. Covenants are more intuitive and interesting. This alone improves vastly on Dark Souls and allows for a more cohesive experience for the community.

    Animations and movement is smoother, and the world is more expansive and richly detailed.

    The graphics are great. You have to be some kind of baby to think the graphics in this are substandard. We knew what we were getting post-console release.    … Expand
  48. kallell
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    This game is incredible, easily one of the best I've ever played. Don't be fooled by all these "negative" reviews. I can't remember the last time I thought a game was a "10".

    I got this game this weekend, and have already put in 40 hours of gameplay. Most of the online "reviews" from consumers **** about the controls. While I can say Bandai (creators) could have done a better job with    This game is incredible, easily one of the best I've ever played. Don't be fooled by all these "negative" reviews. I can't remember the last time I thought a game was a "10".

    I got this game this weekend, and have already put in 40 hours of gameplay. Most of the online "reviews" from consumers **** about the controls. While I can say Bandai (creators) could have done a better job with the PC controls, this game is made to be played with a controller, and anyone following the series should know that by now. If if the pc controls were top notch/max customization, there is no way you could do this as effectively without having a controller in hand. All you need to do is plug in a WIRED xbox 360 (or third party) controller and you'll be set.The game shouldn't be voted on based on some of the issues it has using a mouse and keyboard. That's just ridiculous.

    This game continued to live up to the souls series and provided a plethora of new [brutal] bosses, hidden areas, and tons of completely open world exploration.

    The game is exactly how I thought it would be. I'm sick of the carebear gaming genre catering to whiny casuals who complain if a certain puzzle/boss fight takes more than two attempts. Games like this (cough WoW), makes it feel unrewarding and you always walk away feeling like the game was too short or you didn't get your monies worth.Furthermore, I despise having a linear path progression through a game; you just feel like you are being spoonfed and handheld the entire time. Having the ability to explore different areas, and have multiple "boss fight options" open to you any any given point keeps the game interesting.

    You will die, period. The sooner you accept this the sooner you will start to enjoy this game. Sometimes bosses will take 30+ attempts to down in order to get the mechanics right. Sometimes you'll be invaded while fighting other NPCs. Sometimes you'll fall victim to a trap and plunge to your death. All these parts are what make up a great game.

    Again, overall, this is easily one of the top 10 games I've ever played in my life. If you want a challenge and want to actual feel that a sense of accomplishment after beating a boss, get this game.    … Expand
  49. Glgh
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    This is an improvement over what had already been an excellent first Dark Souls game.
    Somewhat brighter that it´s predecessor, Dark Souls 2 is a game that is just better looking and has better performance on PC, when compared to console versions.
    Combat has been improved and so have some other things related to both technical an artistic issues. This one is a MUST HAVE for every action    This is an improvement over what had already been an excellent first Dark Souls game.
    Somewhat brighter that it´s predecessor, Dark Souls 2 is a game that is just better looking and has better performance on PC, when compared to console versions.
    Combat has been improved and so have some other things related to both technical an artistic issues. This one is a MUST HAVE for every action RPG games fan.
    There have been some bugs, and it is just unbelievable how angry people just cast random votes without having actually seen the game.    … Expand
  50. Klun
    Apr 27, 2014
    2
    Critic Reviews plz find another job ...

    This game... Lets keep it short because this game is not even worthy of huge review. The story is bland as hell, same as the graphics and the gameplay ohhh my goood... You have a jump key but you cant jump, is a lazy "jump the puddle " feature, the game is Awesome because is so HARDDD , of course is HARDDDD is a Broken Mess, over sensitive    Critic Reviews plz find another job ...

    This game... Lets keep it short because this game is not even worthy of huge review.
    The story is bland as hell, same as the graphics and the gameplay ohhh my goood...
    You have a jump key but you cant jump, is a lazy "jump the puddle " feature, the game is Awesome because is so HARDDD , of course is HARDDDD is a Broken Mess, over sensitive camera even with the lowest settings, awful controls layout and beyond stupid Mechanics, customizations... a lot when you can figure it out.
    To sum up one horrid port that should stay in consoles, one of the worst Sp experience in years and the Mp ... well good luck with that. Avoid this crap    … Expand
  51. arktor
    Apr 27, 2014
    10
    i don't get all these negative reviews here. the game is great. everything i love in the dark souls 1 - but more. and runs better, much better. i love this game.
  52. pfmahoney
    Apr 28, 2014
    2
    I heard from friends that Dark Souls II was pretty good - and the metacritic scores were pretty good so I bought a copy, downloaded it on Steam and found that it's basically unplayable. The tutorial says to hit buttons that plainly don't do anything. It says to hit "A" and I hit A and it does nothing. I finally figured out how to open a door but then it says to hit "B" and that doesI heard from friends that Dark Souls II was pretty good - and the metacritic scores were pretty good so I bought a copy, downloaded it on Steam and found that it's basically unplayable. The tutorial says to hit buttons that plainly don't do anything. It says to hit "A" and I hit A and it does nothing. I finally figured out how to open a door but then it says to hit "B" and that does nothing.

    I am completely perplexed by trying to play the game... it's like it's broken. The mouse works ok, and I can move around like I always do with W, A, S, and D but any sort of move or action doesn't actually work at all, and I can't figure out how to do anything. I've spent some time reading reviews by users and apparently, it's all using the console controls - which is ridiculous. It's a PC game sold on Steam - PC's come with keyboards and mice.

    I don't understand how it's even legal to sell a game which doesn't work. I'm going to try to get a refund from Steam... but since I've never heard of anyone getting a refund on Steam, I'm thinking that I have a hard struggle in front of me... but likely easier than trying to learn how to play Dark Souls II on the PC.

    I'm totally disappointed and the company should be embarrassed that they released this mess.    … Expand
  53. DangerMX
    May 1, 2014
    10
    The game has been updated on Steam (PC), work for all now, no justification for this score by the HATERS, the game is beautiful, graphics is modest, but nothing to panic (I liked) no border-aliasing, full FPS, good textures, and the game-play is REALLY GOOD on PC's, continues with the essence of Demon/Dark Souls. For me this game is EPIC... Battle, grade and equipment system is the mostThe game has been updated on Steam (PC), work for all now, no justification for this score by the HATERS, the game is beautiful, graphics is modest, but nothing to panic (I liked) no border-aliasing, full FPS, good textures, and the game-play is REALLY GOOD on PC's, continues with the essence of Demon/Dark Souls. For me this game is EPIC... Battle, grade and equipment system is the most complex in the game EVER, the story-line (Lore) is amazing, the enemies are so hard! But I found easier than previous, nothing to spoil the game! Do not listen to any of these bad reviews below, buy the game and then tell me it was not worth it! Buy ORIGINAL and have no such problems!… Expand
  54. TommyTanker
    May 13, 2014
    10
    Thinking of buying Dark Souls 2 for PC? Buy it. Simple as that. I never played DS1 so I waited anxiously for the game to be released on Steam on the 24th April. Since then I have logged 160 hours of game play. I will say that again so its clear. I have logged 160 hours of game play since the 24th April. Thats how immense it is. It has what we gamers want - REPLAYABILITY and DIFFICULTY. ItsThinking of buying Dark Souls 2 for PC? Buy it. Simple as that. I never played DS1 so I waited anxiously for the game to be released on Steam on the 24th April. Since then I have logged 160 hours of game play. I will say that again so its clear. I have logged 160 hours of game play since the 24th April. Thats how immense it is. It has what we gamers want - REPLAYABILITY and DIFFICULTY. Its not made for dumbed-down audiences or kiddies. Its a great combination of online and offline play too. The storyline is epic. To think you would pay the same price for Dark Souls 2 and Dragon Age 2 - you cant even begin to compare. Dark Souls 2, has loads of content, hundreds of hours of re-playablity and its challenging.

    The majority of 0 scores here are Assassin Creed mouse click spammers who are upset about the Keyboard / Mouse porting. I went onto Steam community and downloaded a simple keyboard mapping script - problem solved. Dont let these kids put you off. I felt a thousand times more ripped off buying BF4, Dragon Age 2 or Hitman Revolutions than this piece of Art. Well done Software - great game.    … Expand
  55. slauterhause
    Apr 28, 2014
    0
    I am SOOOOOO stupid for trusting the 'professional' reviews on this one, I should have looked closer at the user reviews.

    This is perhaps the worst port of a console game that I've ever purchased. It's beyond dreadful. If you care about anything like key-bindings, windowed Full screen or any of an endless list of normally available options, keep walking - nothing to see here. I    I am SOOOOOO stupid for trusting the 'professional' reviews on this one, I should have looked closer at the user reviews.

    This is perhaps the worst port of a console game that I've ever purchased. It's beyond dreadful. If you care about anything like key-bindings, windowed Full screen or any of an endless list of normally available options, keep walking - nothing to see here. I suppose that yes, technically it works on the PC, but that's it, you won't enjoy it. It's criminal that they charge $$ for a horrendous port that looks like it was done in about 5 minutes.

    0/10 - Easily one of the worst games I've bought in recent memory.    … Expand
  56. Red781RuM
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    Do NOT Believe all the negative feedback from these raging morons. The game works perfectly and the online features have never been so fast. The game is meant to be played with a controller, and it's a pretty hard game so yes you will have a bad time playing with mouse+kboard (Get a 360 controller, the game is worth every penny... And really, you shouldnt even try without a controller)Do NOT Believe all the negative feedback from these raging morons. The game works perfectly and the online features have never been so fast. The game is meant to be played with a controller, and it's a pretty hard game so yes you will have a bad time playing with mouse+kboard (Get a 360 controller, the game is worth every penny... And really, you shouldnt even try without a controller)
    This game is just amazing. Pure hardcore RPG with unique online features and engaging difficulty like rarely seen before.
    If you are a teenager who smashes his controller everytime you get killed in CoD ; Do NOT buy this game.
    If you desire a challenge, epic boss fights, and a world you can never forget, you have to try it.
    While it may be far from easy, the game is so rewarding. It is a masterpiece, nothing less.
    All the negative reviews come from angry gamers who either can't launch the game or can't play with keyboard, so they rate a game 0/10 without even playing it... They are pathetic and you shouldn't bother those reviews. While no game is perfect, this game is the closest one I can possibly think.    … Expand
  57. Tarnak
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    I've had NO PROBLEM at all with this game on PC. It doesn't need a fix like the first game. It looks great and runs at 60 fps (and there is not really any point to going higher... this isn't counter strike. Overall it's way better than the first one, a lot more diversity for monsters, areas, weapons and armors. Online is a lot better, it takes me under 15 seconds to summon someone. OnlyI've had NO PROBLEM at all with this game on PC. It doesn't need a fix like the first game. It looks great and runs at 60 fps (and there is not really any point to going higher... this isn't counter strike. Overall it's way better than the first one, a lot more diversity for monsters, areas, weapons and armors. Online is a lot better, it takes me under 15 seconds to summon someone. Only thing bad is the hitboxes (which will surely be fixed soon), and that bosses are not as epic as DkS1 bosses are. I don't get why everyone are complaining. THIS ISN'T A GAME THAT CAN BE PLAYED ON KEYBOARD AND MOUSE! Even if it was a perfect port, there are way to many things to be performed to play with mouse and keyboard and have everything under your fingers.… Expand
  58. rasto4ek
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    This game is good. Its really good peace of art, game design, combat system and addictiveness. As any game it has some cons. It does not have the cutting edge graphics, people say there are some problems with launching. But, there will be fixes soon and this game is not about graphics.
    Oh, there are some **** that give 1 or even 0 for not a appropriate mouse keyboard support. Kids, there    This game is good. Its really good peace of art, game design, combat system and addictiveness. As any game it has some cons. It does not have the cutting edge graphics, people say there are some problems with launching. But, there will be fixes soon and this game is not about graphics.
    Oh, there are some **** that give 1 or even 0 for not a appropriate mouse keyboard support. Kids, there is no better way to play DS than pad.
    I give this game solid 8, but because of some **** that can't think logically and are throwing with Ones and Zeroes, I give it 10    … Expand
  59. DaveTheJackal
    May 15, 2014
    2
    Forget what others are saying about the console port re controls, that's the least of this game's issues.

    What it does right: better usability in some ways, with improvements to game-play BUT: Not only is an xbox controller mandatory and there are xbox prompts on the screen AND the graphics are way worse than in previews but the fact that this is the barest of bones port is revealed    Forget what others are saying about the console port re controls, that's the least of this game's issues.

    What it does right: better usability in some ways, with improvements to game-play BUT:

    Not only is an xbox controller mandatory and there are xbox prompts on the screen AND the graphics are way worse than in previews but the fact that this is the barest of bones port is revealed in terms of how spell durations, invulnerabilities, even some actions are timed in the game.

    They do it by using counters decremented each time a frame is drawn on the screen. Not this is a dubious method of programming anyway (haven't these people heard of timer interrupts?) but at least on the consoles, which are locked to 30fps, there's not much of a problem. On the PC however, where frame rates can vary immensely and you have a massive problem. Especially in PVP. It means the way spell effects, melee moves etc work depend on how fast your PC is. Appalling.

    Also: the game world is trash. Unlike the original dark souls none of it fits together, you can't see most areas from most others, even when you clearly should have. They even have the inside of a volcano you go upwards to get to from a tower above which is open sky! So many rough edges I can only think they rushed things and needed more time to finish but instead decided to release what they had.

    So, it isn't just a poor port but the whole game smacks of a quick cash in too.

    Also: They have now removed VAC secured multi-player support so good luck tackling cheaters.    … Expand
  60. Fuz
    Apr 28, 2014
    3
    They did it again, and it's even more inexcusable this time.
    Mouse controls are terrible, redefining keyboard is messy and incredible chore, even more so because they didn't even bother to change the keys showed up in the interface, so you'll still see "A", "B", "Y" instead of the keys you're actually using.
    Terrible, terrible, terrible port.
  61. bobbypie67890
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    Unspeakable. For starters, customization is worth every second you put in it. The game plays amazing. I have an AMD FX-8120, 2x Power color AX7870 in Crossfire-X, and 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600Mhz RAM. It runs at 60 FPS. For all you people who are giving the game a zero because it won't launch, look up a solution and you aren't supposed to review a game until AFTER you play the game.Unspeakable. For starters, customization is worth every second you put in it. The game plays amazing. I have an AMD FX-8120, 2x Power color AX7870 in Crossfire-X, and 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600Mhz RAM. It runs at 60 FPS. For all you people who are giving the game a zero because it won't launch, look up a solution and you aren't supposed to review a game until AFTER you play the game. That's why the critic's score is high.… Expand
  62. KaXaSA
    Apr 27, 2014
    10
    This is a 'good port' the game was actually ported from pc to consoles and not the other way around, the mouse controls are better but you need to disable things like auto cam and mess with the mouse sensibility imo you should just use a controller instead.

    While I don't really like/ agree with these score systems the 5.6 score is not fair at all, anything below 8 is bs just ignore them :p
  63. Panhodny
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    Please do not believe the negative feedback from players who (as they themselves admit) have often not even played the game! The game is fantastic, looks much better than on consoles (understandably), even though the graphics still look a bit downgraded from the pre-release pictures. Due to the inherent variability in PC optimization, I obviously cannot speak for everyone, but so far IPlease do not believe the negative feedback from players who (as they themselves admit) have often not even played the game! The game is fantastic, looks much better than on consoles (understandably), even though the graphics still look a bit downgraded from the pre-release pictures. Due to the inherent variability in PC optimization, I obviously cannot speak for everyone, but so far I didn´t experience a single bug or crash and the game runs constant 60 frames per second without a single hiccup. Overall, the port seems to be working perfectly fine and offers all the adavantages of PC gaming. The game should, however, be definitely played with gamepad - it was never designed for keyboards and its nature would have to be fundamentally changed in order to accommodate for such change. Don´t whine and praise the sun!… Expand
  64. proutek
    Sep 1, 2014
    0
    Game is hard. That's ok and I have not problem with that. But if I die constantly due poor controls and have to press zillion buttons for just simple jump attack then there is seriosly something wrong with developers.
  65. Jonatikkan
    Apr 30, 2014
    9
    The first Dark souls game was amazing but, as we all know, it had terrible defects. The most important was the online aspect,with failing summonings and the pvp, laggy as hell. The second one, the technical aspect: 30 fps? C'mon!

    But you know what? They fixed it! And I don't mean just an upgrade, I mean the online works perfect now. The pvp system is much more balanced and diversed.    The first Dark souls game was amazing but, as we all know, it had terrible defects. The most important was the online aspect,with failing summonings and the pvp, laggy as hell. The second one, the technical aspect: 30 fps? C'mon!

    But you know what? They fixed it! And I don't mean just an upgrade, I mean the online works perfect now. The pvp system is much more balanced and diversed. Whatever your style of combat is it will be fun to use and effective.
    The game runs at 60 fps and looks great, not as well as expected but much better than in consoles. And anyone knows that modding can help the game to look much more beautiful.

    Oh, by the way. This game is not meant to be played with keyboard and mouse, get a controller. Why? Is not only due to the interface, with some upgrades for keyboard and mouse control, but also the gameplay. Don't nerf yourself and get a controller.    … Expand
  66. abowman
    May 6, 2014
    10
    Sucks a lot of people are having issues with this game... but i've had none. that being said I do own a PC gaming pad for games such as these as I know they're not worth playing without one. This is easily one of the best RPG experiences i've had. Solid game.
  67. SolomonRed
    Apr 30, 2014
    9
    Loving everything about this sequel.
    The people complaining about the graphics should look at the recommended specs, it was made so the majority of PC's would have no problem running it. FromSoftware even clarified that they want the game to look good but not be unattainable to mid range users.
    My experience so far has been nothing but flawless. Beautiful character models and landscapes    Loving everything about this sequel.
    The people complaining about the graphics should look at the recommended specs, it was made so the majority of PC's would have no problem running it. FromSoftware even clarified that they want the game to look good but not be unattainable to mid range users.
    My experience so far has been nothing but flawless. Beautiful character models and landscapes all around.
    Game-play wise the controls are consistently responsive, when I die I usual know it was because of a flaw on my part not the game. By the way I am playing on a gamepad, the way Dark Souls is meant to be played.
    This would be a 10 for me but due to the apparent very vocal minority of players having issues on their set-ups, it could likely use some minor fine tuning.    … Expand
  68. Lamps
    May 18, 2014
    2
    I was fooled by the excellent reviews this game recieved. It is not an excellent game, especially on PC. I am literally going to say the same thing that everyone else who gave this game a bad review said. I only made it to the first town outside of the tutorial.

    At first, you cant play the game because you will literally need to establish your own key binds for keyboard/mouse. All of    I was fooled by the excellent reviews this game recieved. It is not an excellent game, especially on PC. I am literally going to say the same thing that everyone else who gave this game a bad review said. I only made it to the first town outside of the tutorial.

    At first, you cant play the game because you will literally need to establish your own key binds for keyboard/mouse. All of the tutorial messages display the XBox controls, so you dont learn any keys from the tutorial. It took me 1 hour and some internet research to rebind the keys. That is because you have no way of knowing that Shift+Left click is the equivilant to XBox 'A', so no matter how many times you rebind your keys the settings wont save until you look up on the internet how to hit 'A'.

    There is no explanation of whats going on at all. There are creatures in the tutorial I was unable to beat, even after looking up online how to beat them. There is no quest log or map, so you had better remember what you were supposed to be doing. If you talk to a person, they dont necessairly give you any info until you stand there and talk to them over and over and over... If they had something important to say why wouldnt they just say it?

    Having the XP and money system the same is garbage, on my first, second and third attempt at a new game I didnt even understand that I had been forfeiting all of my characters experience by dying after I had allready died.

    I can see that the game has merrit, but I genuinly did not enjoy the game and I really tried to give it a chance. I am a huge RPG fan, and I dont mind being thrown directly into harms way, but you shouldnt need to research walkthroughs and wiki's just to understand whats going on.

    Also, I laughed at someone elses review on here, I was still unable to light my torch even after looking up how to do it - didnt care to figure out what the PC equivilany to the XBox 'Y' was.

    Try this game before you buy it, or you may be sorely disappointed.    … Expand
  69. SirPFS
    May 1, 2014
    8
    You guys just went full hollow... never go full hollow.

    If you guys think that the port is horrible, take a look at the first game, and please think again. The port is not perfect, but damn, way better than the first one. And improvements deserve a highscore. And yes, this is Darksouls, you have to play with a controller, like any Souls game. The game is unfair, you'll be angry    You guys just went full hollow... never go full hollow.

    If you guys think that the port is horrible, take a look at the first game, and please think again.
    The port is not perfect, but damn, way better than the first one. And improvements deserve a highscore.
    And yes, this is Darksouls, you have to play with a controller, like any Souls game.

    The game is unfair, you'll be angry when the boss will do a 360 just to target and beat the cr*** out of you. This is how it works.

    I saw some minor bugs in my 2 playthrough i've done so far, but nothing gamebreaking.

    There are indeed some things that could have been better, but this game dont deserve the crap you are giving it.    … Expand
  70. aliwake
    Apr 29, 2014
    2
    DS2 is RPG game but this game is not very hard.but most people say this game is very hard Rather this game is Slag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Do not waste your money for this game.because dark souls 2 is the most bad console port game Ever.
    The only good thing is playing music.In some areas it is!!!!!!!!!! I can not stand that the game would be completely empty. Detailed level the    DS2 is RPG game but this game is not very hard.but most people say this game is very hard Rather this game is Slag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Do not waste your money for this game.because dark souls 2 is the most bad console port game Ever.
    The only good thing is playing music.In some areas it is!!!!!!!!!!
    I can not stand that the game would be completely empty. Detailed level the playing Disaster All times playing video games on the shoulders of graphic art spread.People who say that this game is only for certain people are completely wrong.This game is not only a map, not a mission to be spun like crazy on the environment that you are looking for a monster first half with a shot to the back. Skyrim does not even have the game in terms of graphics is more like Dragon Age.
    I'm glad we enter the next generation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  71. Darvinius
    Apr 30, 2014
    10
    Absolutely brilliant Game. Easy to learn hard to master . On my PC System it´s running perfect without bugs . Thanks From Software for this Pearl of Game :)
  72. airyimbin
    May 1, 2014
    10
    10/10 Would die again. Game in comparison to the console versions is highly superior in every way. Mod from durante also helps as well with and increase in graphical fidelity.
  73. adff500
    Apr 27, 2014
    4
    1. AMD graphics card owners (7870,7970....) prepare yourself as you pay to become betatester.
    2. When you finaly run the game,you will see tutorial and interface with xbox controller prompts. (press LS and A....)
    3.Graphics are average at best.
    4. No LAN support.
    5. Wait for sale or bargain bin with patches included.
  74. awais142
    May 2, 2014
    9
    You know what.. i made a mistake this game is actually damn fun, ive stated mechanical problems and graphical problems but there so much rewarding experiences in the game that make you forget all that stuff. Hell even the controls on mouse and keyboard took me 2-3 hours to get used to, i cant imagine using a controller now. This game is damn exciting and i have to admit i did exaggerate,You know what.. i made a mistake this game is actually damn fun, ive stated mechanical problems and graphical problems but there so much rewarding experiences in the game that make you forget all that stuff. Hell even the controls on mouse and keyboard took me 2-3 hours to get used to, i cant imagine using a controller now. This game is damn exciting and i have to admit i did exaggerate, but the games endless loot rewards and coop is so damn fun. Wielding a giant cloud strife style buster sword has never felt like an actual greatsword. Great game, forget my negative past posts they are irrelevant now. Ignore the haters, i know i was one but this game has truly got me hooked after playing few bosses.… Expand
  75. ConorHat
    Apr 28, 2014
    3
    I can't connect online for some reason, thousands of others reporting the same on the forums for a few days straight, no fixes. I prefer to use the keyboard and mouse to play the game, but the interface keeps telling me to use Xbox buttons? Right away the level design and the pointed lack of atmospheric graphics, I immediately regretted my decision of buying this game. Such a lazy PC portI can't connect online for some reason, thousands of others reporting the same on the forums for a few days straight, no fixes. I prefer to use the keyboard and mouse to play the game, but the interface keeps telling me to use Xbox buttons? Right away the level design and the pointed lack of atmospheric graphics, I immediately regretted my decision of buying this game. Such a lazy PC port to an otherwise mediocre game.… Expand
  76. Rennn
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    This is a great game.
    The people rating it down apparently believe games are primarily a graphics and UI showcase with a playable demo attached. They're so stupid they make my brain hurt.

    Epic game.
  77. expellite
    May 10, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Worst RPG of my life, definitely. Maybe this title has impressed Kevin VanOrd, but I hate it. The most important thing that pains me is that there's no friend or companion and there are some silly cat-like merchants! I didn't like the concept of the game. Enemies walk like zombies and in the first look you think you're playing Resident Evil. The is difficult insanely, and it's not a merit. You will die and die and die til you drive crazy and for what? You die for nothing cuz this game doesn't deserved to be played hours and hours. Gameplay is not that good. Voice acting is terrible and there's no lipsync in game (except cutscenes which are terrible too). At least Skyrim (The Great RPG) with that buggy visuals looked great and entertaining but this one ... I don't know what to say. To be frank the game didn't make me pleased. I felt all alone in its dark world. Enemies don't look alive, they're like puppeteers. Boss fights are insanely hard and you'll die before than it has withdrawn its weapon. Every critic pans Bound by Flame but I found it far better than this Sick Souls. Don't squander your time. Play Child of Light for a second time instead of this. I can't believe I bought this game.… Expand
  78. macishiryu
    May 16, 2014
    0
    I played for over 70 hours because I was on vacation, but were the most wasted hours in my games. The game has no natural difficulty, but it's programmed to annoy you. The jump system is ridiculous (and you need it), the enemie blows cross the walls, their arrows are guided like a rocket, some enemies seem to have unlimited stamina. The game forces you to take full rounds by scenariosI played for over 70 hours because I was on vacation, but were the most wasted hours in my games. The game has no natural difficulty, but it's programmed to annoy you. The jump system is ridiculous (and you need it), the enemie blows cross the walls, their arrows are guided like a rocket, some enemies seem to have unlimited stamina. The game forces you to take full rounds by scenarios because the character does not climb one rung at 10 cm. Anyway, there are so many absurdities that people confuse with difficulty. But it is not. It is an artificial difficulty, programmed to kill you compulsively, with a annoying and unfair manner. Technically, same the others. Almost no music, no character voice and personality, minimum story, outdate graphics, and believe: NO HDMI/TV SUPPORT!!!… Expand
  79. notagamer
    Apr 27, 2014
    10
    the game is great it is exactly what you expect from the sequel of dark souls. it is a little easier than the first one but even been easier than the first is a pretty fun and hard game
  80. OliverGrau
    Apr 29, 2014
    9
    BEFORE YOU JUST SCROLL FURTHER DOWN THE REVIEWS, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THIS:

    Hello everyone, I'm your average Joe gamer, who plays a bit of everything and I'm open minded for all games. However, after the stale port from the first Dark Souls game, I wouldn't even touch Dark Souls II with a grill fork. How did I obtain the game then? Well, my girlfriend and I was joking around and    BEFORE YOU JUST SCROLL FURTHER DOWN THE REVIEWS, PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THIS:

    Hello everyone, I'm your average Joe gamer, who plays a bit of everything and I'm open minded for all games. However, after the stale port from the first Dark Souls game, I wouldn't even touch Dark Souls II with a grill fork. How did I obtain the game then? Well, my girlfriend and I was joking around and I somehow made a joke about wanting Dark Souls II one day. Well, 1 hour later I recieved a Steam gift from my girlfriend. I wasn't really too happy about and I was almost inclined to play it, as she had paid a great deal of money for it.

    I went in the world of Dark Souls 2 with a negative perspective and I wasn't too happy about Dark Souls again letting me down on the lack of 'tutorial' in terms of key bindings. However I changed that rather quickly in the settings and got it setup as I like it. I began diving into the deep combat and I died countless times and became very frustrated, yet I wanted to try again after losing every souls I had obtained (the curreny of the game) which you lose upon death. However, when I finally succeded I felt as a god, no one could take me down, the satisfaction were... Immense. I have never felt such satisfaction by succeding in a game. Though there were times I wanted to quit, I began using the tools the game provided for players to help one another through co-op or messages (guidance) which players leave behind for others to use. A great implementation to the game. I dived even deeper in the game and soon I had played for about 10 hours and it felt like minutes. I began praising the art, the visuals and the dark mood of the game - even though the textures aren't state of the art, the game began to become pleasing to the eye. The puzzles came together I saw the whole picture. Dark Souls wasn't just a frustrationg pile of trash, it was a glourious piece of art, even though it's rough around the edges, it's still one of my favorite games ever played. It deserves 10 in my opinion, but staying objective it has to be a 9, as there are some things to improve upon. I highly recommend this game to every RPG fan who is tired of the lack of difficulty in their games.    … Expand
  81. adrianccc
    May 5, 2014
    5
    I really enjoyed the Dark Souls I , and was expecting to do the same for Dark Souls II, but Dark Souls II feels lacking in atmosphere, consistency and depth compared to its predecessor. Its likely a combination of factors led to this disparity. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of the first game, was not present for Dark Souls II, and the difference in quality is noticeable - from pacing,I really enjoyed the Dark Souls I , and was expecting to do the same for Dark Souls II, but Dark Souls II feels lacking in atmosphere, consistency and depth compared to its predecessor. Its likely a combination of factors led to this disparity. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of the first game, was not present for Dark Souls II, and the difference in quality is noticeable - from pacing, to level design, to the design of boss encounters. The game also received a graphical downgrade before release, resulting in far less atmospheric lightning and visuals.

    The hub system, with fast travel from the very start of game makes the world seems disconnected and shallow, and accommodates far less thoughtful level design than the first game. Furthermore, having to return to a central hub and skip through irrelevant NPC speech every time you wish to level up is also a chore, and kills the momentum and pervading loneliness that was present in first game.

    In summary, Dark Souls II feels just a little soulless.    … Expand
  82. Rogyapa
    May 5, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's Demon Souls 1.5 |(which isn't necessarily a bad thing). For people who didn't get to play Demon Souls but played Dark Souls you're probably in for some nasty bumps. Losing health each time you die (with the effect only being reversed by using a human effigy/ being summoned and helping another player defeat a boss) is the biggest change from Dark Souls. The level design is more like Demon Souls in that there's a main hub world and all the other worlds are connected to the hub.

    Pros: +Excellent enemy designs
    +The game has some standout environments (Majula, Forest of the Fallen Giants, Iron Keep, No-Man's Wharf)
    +Tons to explore
    +Retains the ambiance/atmosphere of previous games

    Cons: -Some areas are just plain cheap. There are a few bonfires where enemies are directly positioned outside (Straid's Cell, The Sinner's Keep bonfire, one of the Earthen Peak bonfires).
    -The game sometimes relies on overwhelming you with enemies to increase the difficulty (which limits certain playstyles like dual wielding at times).
    -Keyboard and mouse controls are doable but not great. I'd recommend a controller.
    -The guard break is changed from a kick to a swipe with your weapon (which is much slower and way shorter range). This sucks for regular gameplay but makes PVP less of a kicking match :P
    -Still basically a console port :(    … Expand
  83. Commodent
    May 2, 2014
    10
    This game is fantastic. I did not play the first game, as it was so horribly optimalized PC, but with this time the studio has done a magnificent job. Yes, it does have Xbox icons, but this is no problem as all the keybindings are listed up in the settings. The controls feels very natural, too, although some people seem to disagree. It does have minor issues, but the atmosphere,This game is fantastic. I did not play the first game, as it was so horribly optimalized PC, but with this time the studio has done a magnificent job. Yes, it does have Xbox icons, but this is no problem as all the keybindings are listed up in the settings. The controls feels very natural, too, although some people seem to disagree. It does have minor issues, but the atmosphere, performance, the challenging gameplay and sense of achievement makes this one of my biggest favorites of all time. 10/10 - no doubt!… Expand
  84. James26
    May 4, 2014
    10
    The game is great and if you liked the first one there is a good chance you will like the sequel. A few changes to the overall game but nothing that really alters it too much.
    They changed humanity to "Human Effigies" and I don't believe being human effects your drop rates or anything anymore since there are no ways to stack human effigies.
    Becoming hollow now decreases your HP and you    The game is great and if you liked the first one there is a good chance you will like the sequel. A few changes to the overall game but nothing that really alters it too much.
    They changed humanity to "Human Effigies" and I don't believe being human effects your drop rates or anything anymore since there are no ways to stack human effigies.
    Becoming hollow now decreases your HP and you can be invaded while hollow.
    Co-op is great and improved greatly over the old GFWL crap from the first game. It is much easier to play with friends once you acquire a certain ring.
    The world seems larger but I'm not sure if it actually is, I think the number of areas is similar to the first game. Instead of being all linked together, DS2 has a much more linear progression following different paths from the main hub in Majula.
    Most of the complaints I've seen here have to do with the keyboard and mouse control configurations. Unless you have a condition where your brain has turned into glue this shouldn't take any more than 10-20 minutes. Funny enough that is about how long the tutorial area lasts.
    Also most of the bugs I've heard about have been fixed since launch. I personally pre-loaded the game and played it on launch day without any issues, so there is a good chance if you aren't playing on some outdated paperweight that you won't have any problems.    … Expand
  85. DelMann2
    May 21, 2014
    4
    I finished DS1, game was fun, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Not this time. There are quite a lot of bugs, game got "cheaper" - 360 dodge hits, through wall hits. You can't fight in tight spaces with certain weapons and the game is a piece of cake with spells. (from what I've seen and heard)

    Unbalance and glitches are the main issues at the moment - and of course - if you are a determined    I finished DS1, game was fun, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Not this time. There are quite a lot of bugs, game got "cheaper" - 360 dodge hits, through wall hits. You can't fight in tight spaces with certain weapons and the game is a piece of cake with spells. (from what I've seen and heard)

    Unbalance and glitches are the main issues at the moment - and of course - if you are a determined keyboard user, you might have a bit of problems.

    Few patches down the line and the game could be on a pedestal again, but it simply doesn't have the feel like the previous game had. I don't believe I will ever enjoy it as much as its predecessor.    … Expand
  86. MadJaples
    May 7, 2014
    4
    What do you mean it's only worth FOUR!? HEATHEN!!

    Well it's only worth four, simply because these bastard devs keep producing (and I *do* notice it is distinctly from the Japanese end of the market and it's **** annoying as HELL) these games that look so damn good, sound great, have godawful long FMV sequences so it's as good as renting a friggin movie, only to discover....the controls    What do you mean it's only worth FOUR!? HEATHEN!!

    Well it's only worth four, simply because these bastard devs keep producing (and I *do* notice it is distinctly from the Japanese end of the market and it's **** annoying as HELL) these games that look so damn good, sound great, have godawful long FMV sequences so it's as good as renting a friggin movie, only to discover....the controls on the keyboard **** really.
    No really they are, and worse still, when you pull up the controls list, it's all displayed in the most un-user friendly manner possible, with a mixture of colour co-ordinated key press on gamepad you don't have, with letter press on keyboard you DO have, and that simply has to be probably THE most annoying thing about **** ports. And that's why it's a **** port.
    If you have a controller, all power to you, because you'll probably actually be used to twiddling yer thumbs on two sticks and pressing all of 8 or 9 buttons on a controller, but once again, this friggin annoying annoyance destroys any credibility of those who produce these games without much in the way of thought as to what sort of people are going to play their game. This is not a singular issue, it is becoming far too commonplace now, and it has to stop.

    It's people that produce games like these that are probably some of the reason people choose to obtain their games illegally instead of paying for them!

    "THINK! MCFLY! THINK!"    … Expand
  87. zachser
    Apr 29, 2014
    9
    This is a well made sequel to the Souls series. It runs a lot smoother on the PC than it's predecessor did and it actually feels like they put some care into making it run on the PC properly unlike the port of Dark Souls. The combat feels polished for the most part, different routes were balanced out a bit better (melee, sorcery, ranged, etc) to bring them closer together, the difficultyThis is a well made sequel to the Souls series. It runs a lot smoother on the PC than it's predecessor did and it actually feels like they put some care into making it run on the PC properly unlike the port of Dark Souls. The combat feels polished for the most part, different routes were balanced out a bit better (melee, sorcery, ranged, etc) to bring them closer together, the difficulty curve is much nicer (no Anor Londo wall in this one), and many of the environments are beautiful to look at. There is a nice blend of Dark Souls and Demon's Souls for this game, using the best of both worlds and improving upon both of them. Death carries a higher punishment than previous games, but at the same time perseverance is rewarded a little more. Dying costs you a percentage of your max health (down to a minimum of %50 I believe) but can be reversed by helping someone else beat a boss in their world or using a human effigy (I think I had about 40 of those by the end of the game). Once you kill an enemy so many times it will stop spawning upon resting at a bonfire or dying, both to stop constant grinding of a zone and to help players who keep dying a lot.

    Keyboard and mouse controls are not optimal like many people are saying, however there is no way that they could actually make that happen. Dark Souls 2 uses every button on the controller to play, including the D pad and L3, which puts it at using 14 non-movement or camera buttons. If you use your mouse for the camera and the two mouse buttons for attacks (can't use more than that for default controls because not everyone has more buttons than that) then you have sixteen buttons you have to somehow manage to keybind in a usable way (14 + 4 for movement - 2 for the mouse attacks). There is no way to actually do that where it feels intuitive, especially for a game like this where you have to be able to use most of those at a moments notice.

    Overall this is definitely a well made game and I believe it is getting a lot of flak for an undeserved reason. It is a rewarding game that gives one a great feeling of accomplishment when any boss is beaten or a zone you were having trouble with is passed and while it is certainly not made for the casual crowd, it is a good title for those of us who truly enjoy gaming.    … Expand
  88. Srjbutcher
    May 4, 2014
    10
    A beautiful challenging game that will push you to your limits. It's a difficult game, but nothing worth doing is ever easy.

    It's actually much easier than the first, but with graphical improvements, a very active multiplayer community, and the same great gameplay, this game at least matches its predecessor. Some people are having trouble with keybindings and such, which i don't    A beautiful challenging game that will push you to your limits. It's a difficult game, but nothing worth doing is ever easy.

    It's actually much easier than the first, but with graphical improvements, a very active multiplayer community, and the same great gameplay, this game at least matches its predecessor.

    Some people are having trouble with keybindings and such, which i don't understand. If you can't figure out how to change bindings or plug in a controller that works, maybe you shouldn't be playing computer games.    … Expand
  89. dragoltor
    May 4, 2014
    10
    Many of the negative reviews given are poorly thought-out and from people who obviously don't know much about souls games. The K/M controls ARE awful, but that is because it would literally be impossible to get the same amount of accuracy with the mechanics of rolling and such without using a controller. A CONTROLLER IS NECESSARY TO PLAY THIS GAME, and that isn't a bad thing. The gameMany of the negative reviews given are poorly thought-out and from people who obviously don't know much about souls games. The K/M controls ARE awful, but that is because it would literally be impossible to get the same amount of accuracy with the mechanics of rolling and such without using a controller. A CONTROLLER IS NECESSARY TO PLAY THIS GAME, and that isn't a bad thing. The game doesn't look bad at all, in fact it looks beautiful, and all of the lighting "problems" are done on purpose for the areas of the game that are MEANT TO BE DARK. this game is amazing, and the pc version is great.… Expand
  90. actualwave
    May 6, 2014
    10
    lol @ loosers who spent $70 on the game and cannot get a $10 controller.
    lol @ loosers who pirated the game to try and rage because it does not work.
    lol @ ppl who bought the game not even trying to understand it and whining "why its so rude to me raping my char aroung every corner" Before trying first game I knew it will be hardcore and it must be played with controller, so I've    lol @ loosers who spent $70 on the game and cannot get a $10 controller.
    lol @ loosers who pirated the game to try and rage because it does not work.
    lol @ ppl who bought the game not even trying to understand it and whining "why its so rude to me raping my char aroung every corner"

    Before trying first game I knew it will be hardcore and it must be played with controller, so I've spent $10 to buy Speedlink XEOX controller and 2 minutes of my time to make it playable with X360ce. Never played with controller before and never had a console -- I enjoyed every moment of the game. For Dark Souls 2 I already had a controller, same controller, and bought game first day it was available on Steam. Its enjoyable and beautiful and I experienced no problems at all.

    Thanks goes to From Software.    … Expand
  91. DominusKaiser
    May 17, 2014
    10
    A really good game,enjoyed it better than DS1,people giving it a bad score is because they can't outsmart the AI and die quite often or rage at the game,a score shouldn't be based on how much you suck at the game,now entering NG+ after 100 hours of exploring and getting items using Asctetics I can say I haven't found any game breaking bug or anything that made my experience less,as a portA really good game,enjoyed it better than DS1,people giving it a bad score is because they can't outsmart the AI and die quite often or rage at the game,a score shouldn't be based on how much you suck at the game,now entering NG+ after 100 hours of exploring and getting items using Asctetics I can say I haven't found any game breaking bug or anything that made my experience less,as a port is better than the last one DS1 had a Fps cap of 30 and it lagged around at the worst places expected,this one runs for me at a smooth 60 fps without any issue,people complaining their stuff run less needs to check their pc,friend of mine using a quad-core is getting better fps than the ones mentioned here and that should say something,only one point I didn't enjoy of the game was that the AI has homming attacks even with heavy weapons it's nothing that you can't dodge but sometimes it becomes annoying and cheap but it doesn't become anything that handicaps you from playing or becoming better at reading the patterns,as for the online play I enjoy it far more as it becomes more of an annonymous experience with PC on steam and not a hate mail war with under aged users or trolls which often could lead to frustration and could make the game annoying instead of enjoyable as it is now,and as far as I can tell we got a better game than the console counterparts running at better Fps and higher textures,as for the controlls I have seen too many people complaining about them,this game is a port it wasn't suppossed to be a full optimized PC game when the company said already they don't make PC games,we are even lucky that we got it,get a controlller,learn the keybindings and learn to play,I have seen far too many people on YT complaining that they can't "jump" when they don't even know the mechanic of the game or how jump is suppossed to work.… Expand
  92. gjmoss1
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    Nice game just what to be expected from a souls game yes the game is difficult and the graphics not as spectacular as I expected but graphics are not everything. i have had no issues or bugs with the game as yet so all seems to be good .
  93. 21-5-73
    Apr 26, 2014
    9
    I can tell you one thing for sure: this game won't give any pleasures.
    You will read stories of disappointment, of abysmal conversion, of horrendous key-binding, of near-to-non-existent controls....
    Well, it's all true. Most players will throw away their keyboards (keyboards!) with rage, others will cry for a refund, and others again will refuse to touch it till the patching. They will    I can tell you one thing for sure: this game won't give any pleasures.
    You will read stories of disappointment, of abysmal conversion, of horrendous key-binding, of near-to-non-existent controls....
    Well, it's all true. Most players will throw away their keyboards (keyboards!) with rage, others will cry for a refund, and others again will refuse to touch it till the patching. They will be all right.
    Very very few players like pain and anguish while playing.
    If you are, like me, one of them, buy this game, play it til you master it. And curse bad porting and bad controls, and bad devs who hate you. And suffer in pain.

    And die.    … Expand
  94. dsheik
    Apr 28, 2014
    1
    I really wanted this game to work. I went and purchased a controller specifically for this game. Dont bother if you plan on playing it on a PC. Maybe its great on a console but its not playable on PC. Ill check back to see if updates are made, but for now its unplayable.
  95. D347H
    May 15, 2014
    0
    I tried so hard to actually play this game. I got pretty far, but what bugs me in this game is the poor graphics, the lack of fighting controls, the slow movement of fighting. The game play is like trying to teach a down syndrome math. I wish this had a negative score rating, because this game would be the top -100. If you have a hard time sleeping, play this game, it will put you right toI tried so hard to actually play this game. I got pretty far, but what bugs me in this game is the poor graphics, the lack of fighting controls, the slow movement of fighting. The game play is like trying to teach a down syndrome math. I wish this had a negative score rating, because this game would be the top -100. If you have a hard time sleeping, play this game, it will put you right to sleep very quick. I gave it a zero mainly because it helped me sleep.… Expand
  96. aj587
    Apr 28, 2014
    0
    This is, by far, the worst game I have ever played. Even on max settings, the game looks like it was made on the GameCube. The grass looks like it's from Nintendo 64. Hell, some of the grass is so flat that it looks like it was a cropped, low-resolution Google Images picture. Almost every texture has really weird blur and your screen "dims" every 3-5 seconds. The shadows appear andThis is, by far, the worst game I have ever played. Even on max settings, the game looks like it was made on the GameCube. The grass looks like it's from Nintendo 64. Hell, some of the grass is so flat that it looks like it was a cropped, low-resolution Google Images picture. Almost every texture has really weird blur and your screen "dims" every 3-5 seconds. The shadows appear and disappear randomly in caves. Character creation is limited. The controls are for an Xbox 360 controller, my controls are all messed up even for my Logitech controller. Mouse and Keyboard, lol... The camera movement is awkward.

    I see why they used those crappy movie trailers. This game is a joke. First, it was not being able to launch and now all of this.    … Expand
  97. mrtbonesteak
    Apr 27, 2014
    10
    The first Dark Souls was a great game but an abomination on the PC. Namco only ported it to the PC because the demand was so great and they apologized beforehand for the bad port. Still, it was so extremely bad that this was no excuse. Only thanks to some community efforts did the game become playable on the PC, but the controls were still annoying when playing with a keyboard and mouse.The first Dark Souls was a great game but an abomination on the PC. Namco only ported it to the PC because the demand was so great and they apologized beforehand for the bad port. Still, it was so extremely bad that this was no excuse. Only thanks to some community efforts did the game become playable on the PC, but the controls were still annoying when playing with a keyboard and mouse.

    Dark Souls 2 is a brilliant game. I enjoyed it way more than the first one. It's bigger, harder, more enfuriating, more balanced and runs like a dream. I'm below the system requirements and it looks great while running extremely smooth. That being said, they still did a mediocre job at porting controls to a keyboard and mouse setup. It doesn't quite help that a lot of buttons and mechanics changed compared to the first Dark Souls. I do admit that I was a bit annoyed at first, but all I had to do was make an effort and think about a control setup that could work given the limitations of the control system and I was good to go. It's a disgrace that in this day and age the M4 and M5 buttons aren't supported though. Another bad thing are the preorder items. They are absolutly worthless. The other preorder extra's are nice, but I was hoping for some unique preorder items to use.

    Don't be discouraged by the negative reviews here. While I do admit that they could have done a better job with the porting of the controls, given some effort and tweaking they work just fine and rarely will you die because the controls are bad. They aren't completely customizable but enough so that you can't blame the controls when you die. It's a grand game and it's worth the extra 5 or 10 minutes to setup your controls and to figure them out. It's bigger, prettier, better and tougher than it's predecessor. The game is immense and has A LOT of great Boss fights, worth its money tenfold. Get it.    … Expand
  98. Valoisbr
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    An imersive game. You got to tube yourself with the game in order to fully comprehend what it is all about. On PC, some technical problems with control adaptations may disappoint, but yet, a masterpiece!
  99. bananapancakman
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    First off, ignore every negative review from everybody, and to every IDIOT who is crying about how the keyboard controls suck, THIS GAME IS NOT MENT FOR KEYBOARDS, SIMPLE AS THAT. The developers even recommend using a controller if all those IDIOTS GIVING NEGATIVE REVIEWS just read the system requirements on steam THEN THEY WOULD REALIZE THAT THEIR ARGUMENT IS INVALID. this game is notFirst off, ignore every negative review from everybody, and to every IDIOT who is crying about how the keyboard controls suck, THIS GAME IS NOT MENT FOR KEYBOARDS, SIMPLE AS THAT. The developers even recommend using a controller if all those IDIOTS GIVING NEGATIVE REVIEWS just read the system requirements on steam THEN THEY WOULD REALIZE THAT THEIR ARGUMENT IS INVALID. this game is not developed for keyboards. also ignore all negative reviews saying that the game isn't booting, as of yesterday a patch has been released to fix all those issues and it does. those were the reasons why people would rate this game a 0, that is incredibly unfair and why you cannot trust most user reviews. THE ACTUAL SCORE THIS GAME DESERVES IS A 10 as it runs beautifully on pc. Don't listen to idiots… Expand
  100. cwilder06
    May 6, 2014
    10
    I can't speak to any problems with Steam as I've had none but am keenly aware so many of the negative reviews here are specifically related to people who had issues with getting the client to run after downloading through Steam.

    That being said, the game itself is everything a Dark Souls fan has come to know and love. At times there are very clear attempts to recreate certain areas of    I can't speak to any problems with Steam as I've had none but am keenly aware so many of the negative reviews here are specifically related to people who had issues with getting the client to run after downloading through Steam.

    That being said, the game itself is everything a Dark Souls fan has come to know and love. At times there are very clear attempts to recreate certain areas of the original. You will pointedly play the game and say "Oh, this is Blighttown Part 2, this is Undead Burg Part 2, this is Anor Londo Part 2, etc." Ordinarily I'd penalize a game for some obviously trying to reprise it's predecessor, but given just how great the original was "more of the same" is more than welcome. I don't think the game makes any leaps ahead of what the original provided, it just provides another hundred hours of a very similar experience. Generally speaking, your feelings about the original will be mirrored with this sequel. Sure, there may not be quite as many iconic bosses, though I think some of that is simply a function of the formula and tone is not as fresh as it once was - much like many things in life, something can only be "new" once. This is an absolute must play for any Dark Souls fan.

    For people who are unsure whether they would enjoy the series, I tend to think so long as you are willing to commit to it and put some time in on the admittedly steep learning curve you'll find a lot to love. While the first half dozen hours of this game are more approachable than the original they still aren't exactly welcoming. But that is part of what makes the longer journey that much more rewarding. Any individual disillusioned with the trivially easy games of this generation will find this a much needed breath of fresh air.    … Expand
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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

All reviews »
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.
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