Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2514 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,867 out of 2514
  2. Mixed: 224 out of 2514
  3. Negative: 423 out of 2514

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. not_good
    Feb 24, 2013
    4
    I kept hearing about how much better this game was than Skyrim, but at least you can play that This is the most pathetic port I've played in a long time, the graphics are stretched and look terrible, the controls... oh god the controls.If you need to download 'fixes' to get this game working properly they done up. End of story.
  2. SwoopTrust
    Aug 31, 2012
    4
    For this review I'm going to split it in three parts. Technical aspects, controls and the game itself.

    Technical aspects: I expected more of this port on the technical side. First off, I want to say that the art direction is amazing. Now, 30fps are fine, I don't mind, but 60 would have been awesome. What I do mind, however, is the **** 1024x720 internal resolution which gets    For this review I'm going to split it in three parts. Technical aspects, controls and the game itself.

    Technical aspects:

    I expected more of this port on the technical side. First off, I want to say that the art direction is amazing. Now, 30fps are fine, I don't mind, but 60 would have been awesome. What I do mind, however, is the **** 1024x720 internal resolution which gets upscaled, making it look like a blurry goddamn mess at 1080p. A fix corrects this and lets you see the surprisingly high-res textures.
    Another thing I absolutely hate was that the on-screen buttons are 360 buttons and not PC keys, which just screams "LAZY". What in the **** were you thinking, From? do you think all of us own Xbox 360 controllers? I do, but still, that's some goddamn **** On the PvP part things aren't happy either. Items are client-side, which is a problem due to the game being easily broken with Cheat Engine and trainers, and also the online play uses P2P.
    P2P in a game like this is absolutely unacceptable. Also, this uses that GFWL mess, so pray to the sun that your saves don't get ****ed up.
    To resume online play, you're better off playing offline unless you like australian lagstabs. Controls.

    Game is unplayable with Mouse & Keyboard. I'm dead serious. If you don't get a pad, you're ****ed.
    Now, to top that off, the mouse camera control is basically emulating an inferior input option such as the analog. Using a 360 pad makes this point go from **** to gold, but I'm judging the port itself and not the mumbo jumbo I have to go trough to actually play.

    Gameplay.

    After you get past the absolutely abysmal Keyboard + Mouse controls replacing them with a 360 controller, and after you can actually see what the hell is going on on the screen using DSFix 0.6, the gameplay is nearly perfect. The difficulty is just right and you really feel progression and power building up in your character with every level up or weapon upgrade. Seeing bosses fall is very satisfying, and every time you die you feel like it's your fault.
    It's a complex game, you can make lots of builds and try a lot of combinations. It's fun to try some new things or make already existing things better. AI is pretty smart and WILL **** you up if you're careless.
    Backstabs are a bit weird to perform.

    Technical aspects: 2/10 - Good art direction, surprisingly high-res textures, **** default internal resolution, horrid online, GFWL is always a minus, Xbox 360 on-screen buttons.

    Controls: 1/10 - Unplayable without a gamepad, which is unacceptable for PC. But hey, at least it gives you the "option" to use a 360 pad.

    Gameplay: 9/10 - Satisfying all around. Backstabs could use better hit detection, tough.

    Overall: 4/10. Get it on a sale, use those fixes and a gamepad, and you've got yourself a pretty good game.    … Expand
  3. Stormcrow666
    Aug 24, 2012
    4
    This easily could have been made into one of the better computer games this year, instead it is a terrible port that need a lot of work. The graphics are just plain terrible. 30fps limiter with dips to 20fps is just atrocious. This game uses approximately 10% of my gpu power. The camera is shaky and annoying. The controls are obviously ported. I was smashing buttons trying to figure outThis easily could have been made into one of the better computer games this year, instead it is a terrible port that need a lot of work. The graphics are just plain terrible. 30fps limiter with dips to 20fps is just atrocious. This game uses approximately 10% of my gpu power. The camera is shaky and annoying. The controls are obviously ported. I was smashing buttons trying to figure out how to do simple things like access my inventory. It is a real shame since this game could have been something so much better than this poor port. I understand that the console version is great but sometimes ports are not meant to be ported unless there is additional work done to make it a better experience for the PC user.… Expand
  4. Makaveli
    Oct 24, 2012
    4
    This game originally is one of my favorite games of all time. The PC version is crap though. I wanted to also comment about those sissy "gamers" giving this a bad score because there is no story or that if you get killed you lose all your souls. First off you are the type of people that make gaming worse. First off, they do not hand the story to you, you have to read item description etcThis game originally is one of my favorite games of all time. The PC version is crap though. I wanted to also comment about those sissy "gamers" giving this a bad score because there is no story or that if you get killed you lose all your souls. First off you are the type of people that make gaming worse. First off, they do not hand the story to you, you have to read item description etc to get the story.. Besides that whocares, you are playing a game. You do realise that early games didn't have stories either but they still were great games. This game has a unique way of telling a story and you idiots complain about it. You guys **** and complain and that is why most games today have no creativity or anything unique about them. How about you shut your mouth and stop playing video games all together, we don't need only 1 type of game to play. Yes I gave this PC port a bad review, that is because the PC port sucks. The console versions are masterpieces. You people complaining about the difficulty and making excuses are just sissies. You are the reason why games today hold our hands. Quit being a pansy ,grow some balls. You want a story? Have your mother read you one before you go to sleep at night. This game has a story but retards that don't no how to read or have A.D.D will not understand it. This is an REAL RPG that requires you to read, and has difficulty. Next time read the back of the box, somewhere on there it will say you will die a lot. Oh I forgot that you guys don't know how to read...my bad..This review will get a bad score but atleast it's the truth. And whocares if it runs at 30 FPS and 720 RES, that should of been expected from a company that said clearly that they are not good with PC games... Next time do some research on the game before buying it.....Opps my mistake again, you don't know how to read.. So have your mom read you Snow White, quit your whining,go buy a console ( there cheap now) buy Dark Souls and shut the **** up and be a man. I'm aware of the grammar mistakes and spelling but I'm writing really fast, and I figured since you guys do not know how to read that it shouldn't matter anyway.. Oh and for you people complaining about the difficulty and making excuses, how about you have your little sister play the game for you or perhaps your grandma, I'm sure they would **** less than you guys do. From Software gave the PC gamers what they wanted, the petitioned and From said they were not good with PC games but you guys still asked for it, and you guys got an inferior version of it. That's all.… Expand
  5. Chapa9dj
    Aug 24, 2012
    4
    Overrated, uninspiring and boring. So this is the game that my friends pictured to me as the ''Panacea of Gaming'' and turned out to be completely wrong. The gameplay is clunky as hell, especially when you engage in a boss fight.. The map design feels bland and very empty, not to mention that the graphics are downright terrible. Is this 2012 or 2004? Ok, continuing with this, its not openOverrated, uninspiring and boring. So this is the game that my friends pictured to me as the ''Panacea of Gaming'' and turned out to be completely wrong. The gameplay is clunky as hell, especially when you engage in a boss fight.. The map design feels bland and very empty, not to mention that the graphics are downright terrible. Is this 2012 or 2004? Ok, continuing with this, its not open world as some people told me, its completely linear and boring and the character lacks personality and charisma. Also, it has GFWL. That is enough for anyone to stay away. I don't even know why companies still use this. I'm glad i got it as a birthday gift, but sometimes i wish my friend didn't have to spend that amount of money. I'm not ungrateful, on the contrary, but this game is definitely not my cup of tea. Definitely one of the most disappointing games of 2012.… Expand
  6. drachehexe
    Feb 12, 2013
    4
    I can't believe the gaming industry took this game seriously. This game is pure garbage. The graphics and models look 10 years old, the textures are among the wort I have seen in current generation game. And no wonder it's the hardest game to play, the controller setup is the worst. It's the most unintuitive controller scheme there ever has been and you can't change the controllerI can't believe the gaming industry took this game seriously. This game is pure garbage. The graphics and models look 10 years old, the textures are among the wort I have seen in current generation game. And no wonder it's the hardest game to play, the controller setup is the worst. It's the most unintuitive controller scheme there ever has been and you can't change the controller settings. The interface is also unintuitive and not very user friendly having to take several steps just to swap gear. Also, you left stick doesn't work in the menus, forcing you to use the dd-pad to navigate menus which is unintuitive as well and just plain stupid. This game is full full of bad design from top to bottom. I regret even buying this game at a discount. It sucks and it it sucks really bad.… Expand
  7. OmnipotentGamer
    Aug 5, 2013
    4
    An excellent game hidden beneath layers of GFWL and horrid technical issues. I honestly could not recommend the game unless you own a gamepad for your PC the controls on KBM are that bad. Also DS FIX is MANDATORY for full enjoyment IMO.
  8. Trebek
    Aug 30, 2015
    4
    This game for all its potential depth and story does a few things that are cardinal sins in my opinion. First off, it has very fiddly controls combined with a 3rd person camera that make the blocking and striking mechanics harder than they need to be. Secondly it combines punishing difficulty with a lack of a save/load function, so if you try something and mess it up, there's no tryingThis game for all its potential depth and story does a few things that are cardinal sins in my opinion. First off, it has very fiddly controls combined with a 3rd person camera that make the blocking and striking mechanics harder than they need to be. Secondly it combines punishing difficulty with a lack of a save/load function, so if you try something and mess it up, there's no trying it again - e.g. the sleeping dragon at the start with the items you're supposed to be able to sneak up, steal and get away with (or die but keep). In my game the fiddly controls had me smashing A for my character to pick up the 2nd item before the dragon murdered me only to find that it just wouldn't register the command, and now the game is saved with the dragon awake.

    Frustrating design combined with huge difficulty and punishing auto saving? You get to meet my friend called the steam refund policy!    … Expand
  9. Mortensus
    Aug 1, 2013
    4
    An horrible port from console to pc, unplayable as it with mouse & keyboard, you have to run through lot of tweaks to make it playable (provided by users!), for me the game don't worth the time spent to make it run properly...
  10. Gabcd
    Apr 19, 2013
    4
    Horrible controller integration. Lots of user made fixes (that you have to figure out).

    Once you get to play the game, it doesn't look interesting enough to make you want to play.

    I'm sure this game is a lot of fun to most(some) people, but I am willing to uninstall this game without having played more than the couple minutes it takes to get past the first "boss".

    A waste of money to me.
  11. Scrove
    Aug 30, 2012
    4
    This is an excellent game that is screwed over by a horribly executed console port. With the Resolution fix that was provide the same day as release by a user the game is playable and gets bumped up to a 6 or 7, but due to the massive amounts of technical problems, low fps, graphical issues and the sticking point of them not putting any effort at all into controlling the game with keyThis is an excellent game that is screwed over by a horribly executed console port. With the Resolution fix that was provide the same day as release by a user the game is playable and gets bumped up to a 6 or 7, but due to the massive amounts of technical problems, low fps, graphical issues and the sticking point of them not putting any effort at all into controlling the game with key board and mouse I can't rate it any higher than this, especially since they haven't bothered to announce fixes for anything.… Expand
  12. scafutto20
    Mar 7, 2014
    4
    I really can't understand why this game is so acclaimed. Graphics are crap (looks like PS2), controls & gameplay are really bad, pc port is the worst ever. I'm trying to say something good about this game but I can't find it. The high difficulty is the "big point" of the game is not something that makes me wonder. So avoid it as fast as you can, don't give it a chance like I did. Wait forI really can't understand why this game is so acclaimed. Graphics are crap (looks like PS2), controls & gameplay are really bad, pc port is the worst ever. I'm trying to say something good about this game but I can't find it. The high difficulty is the "big point" of the game is not something that makes me wonder. So avoid it as fast as you can, don't give it a chance like I did. Wait for DS2 to be something at least playable.… Expand
  13. TheNikus
    Jul 22, 2014
    4
    Dark Souls, AKA "The Great Test of Patience", AKA "Frustration: The Video Game", is certainly one of a kind. This is not a game for everyone. Calling it "difficult" does not quite hit the mark, "challenging" is a bit better - but there really is no proper single word for it. Here's a quick test to find out if you'll like the game: Do you enjoy repeating the same little part of a game overDark Souls, AKA "The Great Test of Patience", AKA "Frustration: The Video Game", is certainly one of a kind. This is not a game for everyone. Calling it "difficult" does not quite hit the mark, "challenging" is a bit better - but there really is no proper single word for it. Here's a quick test to find out if you'll like the game: Do you enjoy repeating the same little part of a game over and over, memorizing everything and finding out how to best trick the game, only to move on to the next little part and do the same, and do you not mind a game's very stylish but nonetheless crude presentation and a sense of foreboding adventure, in part due to the fact that the game totally alienates you if you do not have a third party to explain it to you? If you can say yes, then Dark Souls is for you. The game has its charm, but as already stated, it's simply too crude, so I can't recommend it (except maybe at a discount - that's how I got it, thank God).… Expand
  14. ALkasyn
    Sep 1, 2013
    4
    A friend suggested I buy this game because it is challenging and a good throwback to how games used to be. Well, I can agree that the game is indeed difficult, but unfortunately it is the dumb kind of difficulty, where the enemies just 2 shoot you. Normal creeps also have the ability to instagib you with an animated attack, even if you are at full health. The story is pretty muchA friend suggested I buy this game because it is challenging and a good throwback to how games used to be. Well, I can agree that the game is indeed difficult, but unfortunately it is the dumb kind of difficulty, where the enemies just 2 shoot you. Normal creeps also have the ability to instagib you with an animated attack, even if you are at full health. The story is pretty much non-existent, you are never told anything helpful as there is no tutorial/practice level and you learn the tactics for a particular boss by dying to them, respawning and running to them again. You don't really know where to go or what do to apart from a general idea of "ringing two bells". The NPCs don't tell you anything more useful than that. Top it off with PKers invading your world even though their level is twice as high as you and the fact that to understand anything of the game-play the Covenants, the Invasions, the Phantoms, Bosses etc. you have to browse the Wiki. Oh, and the abysmal respawn system where you have to run back to where you died to pick up your experience points before finding a shortcut this might take up to 15 minutes to reach your body the monsters have all respawned, too. All in all, a disappointment, and the only redeeming factor for me is that I bought it on a Steam sale. If you do play this game, do it on a controller, not the keyboard+mouse as the port sucks.… Expand
  15. SpawnCap
    Nov 29, 2014
    4
    Dull boring environment. Boring combat. Boring world. Demon Souls was great both Dark Souls series very boring. The graphics on both Dark Souls on the pc are worse than the graphics of demon souls on the ps3. FANS OF SINGLE PLAYER GAMES AVOID THIS TITLE. Nothing but a bunch of children invading other's games.
  16. Odogreviews
    Sep 18, 2016
    4
    Intro:

    Dark Souls is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. The game sold very well and has created the current Souls series which includes Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls III. Dark Souls was created by Fromsoftware it was to be the spiritual successor Demon's Souls which was worked on by the same team. People praised the game for its difficulty    Intro:

    Dark Souls is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time. The game sold very well and has created the current Souls series which includes Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls III. Dark Souls was created by Fromsoftware it was to be the spiritual successor Demon's Souls which was worked on by the same team. People praised the game for its difficulty and thick atmosphere. I have been told by many people to play this game. I finally played it and beat it in a few weeks. I frankly did not enjoy that much. If you are expecting a positive review you can look at another review now. I felt that Dark Souls was a flawed janky game that was hamstrung by its difficulty but had well designed levels and ambiance.

    Presentation:

    Dark Souls has a passable presentation. The graphics are decent for a game that came out in 2011. The game's visuals as an overall package can look quite excellent in times and give you the feeling of hopelessness and oppression. The menus are design can be a bit clunky with your inventory filling up too much. The levels are designed with a high level of detail that greatly increases the immersion. Overall Dark Souls has a presents quite well.

    Story:

    Here is the part where I begin to not like Dark Souls. Dark Souls has a highly convoluted story that follows the theme of light and dark. Dark Souls has a minimalistic plot. Historical events in this world and their significance are often implicit and left to player interpretation rather than fully shown or explained. Most of the story is given to the player through dialogue from characters within the game, flavor text from items, and world design.The opening cutscene begins in primeval times, with a world shrouded by grey fog and ruled by Everlasting Dragons. In this world, Gwyn happens upon the First Flame and finds a Lord Soul, and with his allies, use their power to defeat the dragons beginning the Age of Fire. But all flames must fade, so after thousands of years, the Age of Fire was dwindling. With the dwindling flame, the undead curse appears, where certain humans become branded with the Dark Sign and continually resurrect upon death, losing a small piece of their humanity and sense of self with each death. The player begins as one of these cursed undead, locked away in an undead asylum "To the North". After escaping the asylum with the aid of the knight Oscar, the player ventures to Lordran attempting to follow a mysterious prophecy, given to them by Oscar. From there the story takes off. I feel that the game's story is too convoluted and minimalistic to tell a great story I understand that many will disagree with me on this.

    Gameplay:

    Dark Souls most lacking aspect is in the gameplay department. The game seems to be more focused on difficulty than eljouablbilty. Many deaths in the game can be unfair such as the games poor hit detection and physics which can cause your character to sometimes corrine off a cliff. I feel that Dark Souls has created a nasty tread in this area of creating difficulty as the center of the gameplay which can greatly take away from the experience. I believe that games should be enjoyable experiences and not frustrating ones. I believe that Dark Souls difficulty would be much more fair if it had a difficulty setting so players can choose how hard they want the game. The very well respected game critic Jim Sterling agrees with this and has wrote and said in the past that he wouldn’t mind Dark Souls having an easy mode so it would be acceptable to less experienced players. The game uses a basic action RPG combat. The game also uses a basic leveling system where you choose a class and build it from there. The game also features many frustrating level designs especially Sen’s Fortress which features many cheap and unfair traps that makes you often have to restart the area many times. The game also features some of the worst platforming in video game history even worse than the original Half-Life. Dark Souls combat I mostly found boring frustrating and repetitive and incompetent. Overall Dark Souls gameplay is far more frustrating than enjoyable.

    Technical:

    Dark Souls suffers from many technical problems and crashed on me many times in the middle of playing. The game also experienced many strange glitches as well. The game also had a terrible physics system which would glitch in and out and ruin the entire experience.

    Overall:

    Dark Souls is poorly made game. I don’t understand the praise this game gets. Maybe I am not the demographic for this game. I see Dark Souls has a bad influence the game industry. Bloodborne when it came out was praised for the same reason by critics but I hated it as well and they claimed it was a true survival horror game. As a survival horror fan I see it infest and ruin recent horror games to focus on difficulty to “scare” the player vs. genuinely trying to scare player in creative ways. I am greatly looking forward to Resident Evil 7. And so far from the trailer and demo it looks great but I hope that it takes influence from horror games like P.T. and SIlent Hill that focussed and real storytelling and scares over cheap difficulty to stress the player. I feel that games are made to be fun and Dark Souls is not that game. I give Dark Souls a very disappointing 4/10.    … Expand
  17. roboticsun
    Sep 2, 2012
    3
    Overall this game is just a quick xbox360 build with optional key binds and additional content (they do not bother changing the on-screen key markers). To be frank, I played Demon's Souls as well as Dark Souls on PS3 and they both played and looked much better than this sloppy PC version. I know a lot of reviews here are biased because it is an amazing game, but it's really unfair to newOverall this game is just a quick xbox360 build with optional key binds and additional content (they do not bother changing the on-screen key markers). To be frank, I played Demon's Souls as well as Dark Souls on PS3 and they both played and looked much better than this sloppy PC version. I know a lot of reviews here are biased because it is an amazing game, but it's really unfair to new comers. If you are a new player who do not own a console then you need to buy a gamepad first to make the game playable and enjoyable, then hassle for a while with the third party fan-made patch to make it look as nice as console version. I do not think those hassles should be placed on an average gamer. If you want to try this beautiful game on pc then I'd say wait it on sale for $10.… Expand
  18. cryocore
    Aug 26, 2012
    3
    Game is great, brilliant in fact. Port is appalling. Crashes, stutters, drop frame rate, no control options outside of a controller (that may or may not work), no graphics settings, and a locked frame rate make it impossible for me to enjoy this. No one should support a developer who releases sub par dross like this.
  19. camoe
    Aug 27, 2012
    3
    the euro gamers says its not the worst port in the world yes it is truly horrible pc port if you don't have a xbox controller don't bother buying it you can not play this game with keyboard and mouse their are no graphics option fps cap resolution cap.Also its so slow everything in the game is just plain slow.The is non existent all in all a sloppy and lazy port why support a company thatthe euro gamers says its not the worst port in the world yes it is truly horrible pc port if you don't have a xbox controller don't bother buying it you can not play this game with keyboard and mouse their are no graphics option fps cap resolution cap.Also its so slow everything in the game is just plain slow.The is non existent all in all a sloppy and lazy port why support a company that dishes out this rubbish they don't deserve it.… Expand
  20. voathun
    Aug 25, 2012
    3
    I don't mind that there are no PC exclusive high res texture options. Dark Souls isn't about graphics.
    I don't mind GFWL. Annoying, but whatever.
    I don't mind the 30 fps frame lock. The gameplay experience is smooth enough. I don't mind the limited resolution. On the first day someone already provided a fix for that. .. but what I do mind is the fact how insulting the implementation    I don't mind that there are no PC exclusive high res texture options. Dark Souls isn't about graphics.
    I don't mind GFWL. Annoying, but whatever.
    I don't mind the 30 fps frame lock. The gameplay experience is smooth enough.
    I don't mind the limited resolution. On the first day someone already provided a fix for that.

    .. but what I do mind is the fact how insulting the implementation of the controls are. Wake up. This PC version isn't a love-letter from the developer to the PC community. No, the management looked at the 100'000+ petition and thought... wow, easy money. Lets do a port with the least effort possible!

    The result is, that they didn't even bother do remove the windows mouse cursor from the screen while in game! The ingame hints are based on the xbox controller layout and cannot be changed. The keyboard / mouse control method is next to useless. You need to play it in order to see how abysmal the controls actually are.

    "So what? Get a gamepad!" some may cry. The default PC peripherals are mouse and keyboard last time I checked and if you own a gamepad then the chances are pretty decent, that you also own a console. So whats the point of a PC version in the first place? The Dark Souls DLC is coming to consoles later this year anyway.

    But if you already own a gamepad or you're willing to invest into one, then ignore the user ratings, because with a gamepad the gameplay experience is as it should be. Read the official critic reviews, hype yourself up and enjoy one of the best mature RPG experiences that there is out there.    … Expand
  21. EddyHan
    Dec 30, 2012
    3
    The worst port ever for PC! No advance graphics settings and no way of changing the controller inputs around. I like the punishing and brutal gameplay, but the controls need to be changed.
  22. lisac2k
    Sep 4, 2012
    3
    While eagerly expecting something as a new Severance: Blade of Darkness, this game did its best to burst my bubbles. Aside from being a terrible console port, it tries to break the record in un-inventive and scarce moves. The graphics seem to be locked to a certain resolution and stretched to higher resolutions with obvious edge-pixelation and blur, with next to none sharpness. While thisWhile eagerly expecting something as a new Severance: Blade of Darkness, this game did its best to burst my bubbles. Aside from being a terrible console port, it tries to break the record in un-inventive and scarce moves. The graphics seem to be locked to a certain resolution and stretched to higher resolutions with obvious edge-pixelation and blur, with next to none sharpness. While this can be overridden, you may ask yourself if an expensive AAA title should be published with such "features" and sold for petty 40 EUR (boxed version will cost you 45 EUR). In order to check the simplest stat one will need dozen of keys to be pressed, altogether with one of the worst mouse supports ever (no, you can't do anything with your mouse except moving camera in 4 directions and swing around with right hand weapon). While using the mouse, the cursor will be visible on the screen and fly around, helping you to de-immerse yourself from somewhat interestingly created world. It could have been much better... Better luck (or should I say "better corporate development decisions") next time. Console freaks with gamepads will enjoy this (I suppose), everyone else could save money and look for something else.… Expand
  23. johndoe0
    Aug 26, 2012
    3
    First of all why all these bad review with a 10 score??? Btw I had a really high expectations for this game. I love play games on hardnightmare, so this sounded like a good challenge for me. After few minutes bad graphic (late ps2 like), choppy frame rate(cheap console port style), bad pad mapping, made an hard game an impossible one! So im really disappointed. I don't suggest this even onFirst of all why all these bad review with a 10 score??? Btw I had a really high expectations for this game. I love play games on hardnightmare, so this sounded like a good challenge for me. After few minutes bad graphic (late ps2 like), choppy frame rate(cheap console port style), bad pad mapping, made an hard game an impossible one! So im really disappointed. I don't suggest this even on sale, too much frustration!… Expand
  24. Noolah
    Aug 24, 2012
    3
    I'm wishing I'd spent my money on Darksiders II instead. This game is just dire. The story is let down by graphics that wouldn't have looked out of place on my original Xbox. Yes, I can set the resolution to 1920 x 1080, but it's obviously still intended to be played on a big screen. Don't get me started on the control system; if I'd wanted to use a gamepad to play a game, I'd haveI'm wishing I'd spent my money on Darksiders II instead. This game is just dire. The story is let down by graphics that wouldn't have looked out of place on my original Xbox. Yes, I can set the resolution to 1920 x 1080, but it's obviously still intended to be played on a big screen. Don't get me started on the control system; if I'd wanted to use a gamepad to play a game, I'd have bought it for my 360 instead. You can customize the keyboard controls and even use a mouse (mouse support is just terrible), but all of the on-screen prompts assume you're using a game pad. So you're left either mashing keys until you get the right one, or having to look it up on the cheat-sheet you've probably had to print out to stand any chance of even being able to press the correct button. The camera controls are also extremely annoying. TL;DR - If you want this game, get the console version.… Expand
  25. ayman03
    Aug 29, 2012
    3
    the worst pc port i have ever seen in my life
    locked resolution at 768?really
    stupid key mapping for keyboard and mouse
    tutorial with xbox controller keys
    frame rate issues
    menu is unfriendly unplayable
  26. umad
    Aug 29, 2012
    3
    What makes this game hard are the god awful controls. Mind you I'm using an xbox controller, dont even think of playing this game with a keyboard & mouse. Just pressing the attack button slightly will make your character attack leaving you vulnerable. if you press any button while swinging, even just a tap the character will execute that action after the swing, so if you make just oneWhat makes this game hard are the god awful controls. Mind you I'm using an xbox controller, dont even think of playing this game with a keyboard & mouse. Just pressing the attack button slightly will make your character attack leaving you vulnerable. if you press any button while swinging, even just a tap the character will execute that action after the swing, so if you make just one wrong tap you're probably dead. I don't know who designed the menu system but it is horrendous , at first you'll have no clue what you're doing, after getting used to it dropping weapons , sorting, everything is just tedious. Exiting the menu is a pain, you have to exit the main window, then press B to exit it completely, if you forget to turn it off PREPARE TO DIE in battle cause you can't attack if the menu wasn't exited completely. The upgrade system is just confusing, they probably wanted to look complicated to make it seem it has depth, but really all it is, is just get the required items, and use souls to upgrade a weapon. It could of been done much more simpler.
    The developers were right to name the game "prepare to die", cause you'll be seeing the words "YOU DIED" 70% of the time while playing. Found a new area to explore? well PREPARE TO DIE cause most likely the stronger enemies there will kill you instantly. Finally the english is awful, it reminds you of the badly translated games from the NES days. Every NPC in the game you meet are ... weirdos... they all do a creepy laugh after everything they say WTF? it all adds to the frusturation. The only thing good about this game are the graphics (Only if you tweak it with an unofficial patch), the weapons/armor look pretty, and the scenery is nice, but the rest is just a pain, and the only reason you'll be playing this game is to beat it and get done with.    … Expand
  27. Pirate_Who
    Sep 1, 2012
    3
    I heard using the keyboard for this port was nearly impossible, so I used my X360 gamepad. I still found the controls to be to clunky and very poor for combat. I found the graphics to be terrible even with the resolution fix. The item menu was also terrible to navigate though even with a gamepad. I feel this game has a lot of potential that was wasted due to a lack of refinement of theI heard using the keyboard for this port was nearly impossible, so I used my X360 gamepad. I still found the controls to be to clunky and very poor for combat. I found the graphics to be terrible even with the resolution fix. The item menu was also terrible to navigate though even with a gamepad. I feel this game has a lot of potential that was wasted due to a lack of refinement of the game mechanics and controls. Not to mention there is no way to pause even when navigating menus. Also let me emphasize "Prepare to Die Edition" really means just that. The poor controls and game mechanics make this a real grind fest that takes extreme patience.… Expand
  28. Lako
    Sep 8, 2012
    3
    How can people complain about the controls and graphics and then give it a 10? I bet half the people here are console gamers defending their title. Notice how short the reviews are on the reviews with a score of 10.
    Pros...
    Costs less than the console version and comes with a DLC. A challenging game with an interesting story. Cons... Internal resolution locked at 720p. Almost    How can people complain about the controls and graphics and then give it a 10? I bet half the people here are console gamers defending their title. Notice how short the reviews are on the reviews with a score of 10.
    Pros...
    Costs less than the console version and comes with a DLC.
    A challenging game with an interesting story.
    Cons...
    Internal resolution locked at 720p.
    Almost complete lack of graphical settings.
    Having to sign into Windows Live. I'm already signed into Steam.
    The game still displays 360 controls on the screen when there is no controller plugged in.
    The KB&M controls are very hard to use.
    The default controller/keyboard mapping is terrible.
    The game play is really slow and clunky.
    The graphics are really cheap, like flat lo-res images being used as backgrounds(not talking about sky).    … Expand
  29. Muffinrex
    Aug 13, 2014
    3
    The game might be terrific for all I know, but the PC port is so goddamn awful that I just can't play it. I spent hours trying to figure out how to get around Games For Windows Live, and when I finally got into the game, I FOUND OUT IT WAS HORRIBLE.

    I am so disappointed! The framerate and resolution are crap, as well as the over all graphics. You can clearly tell that the team didn't    The game might be terrific for all I know, but the PC port is so goddamn awful that I just can't play it. I spent hours trying to figure out how to get around Games For Windows Live, and when I finally got into the game, I FOUND OUT IT WAS HORRIBLE.

    I am so disappointed! The framerate and resolution are crap, as well as the over all graphics. You can clearly tell that the team didn't put any effort into this terrible port, because the bloody hotkey icons are still looking like X360-buttons! And the mouse, OH GOD THE MOUSE. The camera keeps spinning around, and the mouse cursor is still on the screen in-game.

    Don't buy this. If you have a PS3 or a Xbox 360, buy it for one of those. This port is a waste of cash. Totally unplayable.    … Expand
  30. Snadiwchhhh
    Jun 13, 2013
    3
    The game earns high scores by its hardness. But even after many years, game on PC is horrible: controls, camera, lock on, movements, FPS, bugs, lags, graphics of games created in 2002, horrible in-game menu, no explain of controls, everything is shown as xbox controls, horrible combo controls and many other cons. Even game without them is average, im not saying on hardness, but whyThe game earns high scores by its hardness. But even after many years, game on PC is horrible: controls, camera, lock on, movements, FPS, bugs, lags, graphics of games created in 2002, horrible in-game menu, no explain of controls, everything is shown as xbox controls, horrible combo controls and many other cons. Even game without them is average, im not saying on hardness, but why demons are so easy to kill (hide behind the tree while demon swings with his weapon and then attack, or go above the beast and jump on his head to kill him) and why mini bosses kill you with one hit or 2 bites of huge rat will poison you for 2 minutes, what is fatal for your hero. Game is saying that you can do whatever you want and go where you want, but its lies. Because going wrong way you will meet enemies who kill you with one hit. Games biggest enemies are not demons or bosses, but lags and optimization of the game. Hope that sequel will fix all these cons.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PC Game of 2012
10
#10 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
20
#20 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 42
  3. Negative: 1 out of 42
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    72
    The irony is that the PC version could have been much better than the PS3/360 ones, with higher resolutions to make the textures look better, a cornucopia of mods and/or an active (in theory at least) community. But FROM ruined it all (with the assistance of Games for Windows Live). It’s a shame really, if we at least had just a decent port (or a better infrastructure for a less appalling multiplayer mode), Dark Souls could have been one of the best RPG for the PC. [November 2012]
  2. GameFocus
    Nov 19, 2012
    80
    Not often do you see a game that is equally rewarding as it is frustrating; and it's not because the game is unfair.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 29, 2012
    80
    Dark Souls returns the hardcore elements back to action RPGs – heavy focus on uncompromising fight mechanics and absolute freedom in hero profiling. The price of this game is not for everyone. [Oct 2012]
See all critic reviews »