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

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  1. pizzer123
    Mar 11, 2014
    0
    This is absolutely the worst game in existence i have no idea what kind of complete moron reviews this game and finds it "enjoyable" it is a game that aims to anger and does so again and again, if you are some kind of masochistic then this is the game for you, otherwise ignore what your friends say, ignore the reviews the only explanation i can possibly think for this horrendous game toThis is absolutely the worst game in existence i have no idea what kind of complete moron reviews this game and finds it "enjoyable" it is a game that aims to anger and does so again and again, if you are some kind of masochistic then this is the game for you, otherwise ignore what your friends say, ignore the reviews the only explanation i can possibly think for this horrendous game to get such great reviews is that this is some kind of sick internet joke.… Expand
  2. Azazaa
    Sep 20, 2014
    0
    7.3 ? Are you kidding me? Absolutely bad graphic! PC version is bad. It so bad - that mouse cursor runing over game! It so bad that i don see difference with resolution 640*480 and 2550*1440! It so bad that 4 kays not move to keabord! I see many games, ilsee thousands bad games. But this - absulutely record of bad games.
  3. RoweShamboe
    Aug 28, 2012
    0
    Completely unusable as a PC they do not even try. The tutorial is written for the Xbox controller and it took forever to find out how to bring up the Menu (it is End not Esc). Do not buy, more frustration than fun.
  4. bigbradford
    Sep 7, 2012
    1
    This game is **** garbage. The controls are awful and the camera is all over the place, very frustrating to play on a KB & mouse. Namco should be ashamed of themselves for this horrible "port" I should of just bought the xbox 360 version.
  5. Serious00
    Aug 26, 2012
    0
    This review is about the port, not the game itself. This game is genuinely inferior on PC. If you want to play this game, buy it used for a few bucks and play it on your console. The developer should *not* be compensated for doing D grade porting. If you're interested in the special PC content, wait a few months for a new console edition to come out with that said content. You've been warned.
  6. AthanasiosT
    Mar 9, 2013
    1
    I really really tried to play this one. but when I play a PC game, I want to be able to play it as it's meant for PC. Meaning that this is a really bad console conversion. Mouse and keyboard have just decorative roles, even though I downloaded two extra moddings (1 for game and 1 for mouse controls). Framerate is awful and if you insist on using mouse control, the frames just hop like aI really really tried to play this one. but when I play a PC game, I want to be able to play it as it's meant for PC. Meaning that this is a really bad console conversion. Mouse and keyboard have just decorative roles, even though I downloaded two extra moddings (1 for game and 1 for mouse controls). Framerate is awful and if you insist on using mouse control, the frames just hop like a frog. Too bad, because the game seemed very-very good....… Expand
  7. Andrew_Paterson
    May 18, 2013
    2
    Sometimes I wonder why I haven't learned to read meta critic user reviews BEFORE buying a game.

    Dark Souls is probably an awesome game provided you're not playing the shoddy PC port. But I'm getting ahead of myself and before I start ranting about how terrible the game-play is I must walk you through the issues in trying to get to game-play. Firstly there was the wait for the Steam key    Sometimes I wonder why I haven't learned to read meta critic user reviews BEFORE buying a game.

    Dark Souls is probably an awesome game provided you're not playing the shoddy PC port. But I'm getting ahead of myself and before I start ranting about how terrible the game-play is I must walk you through the issues in trying to get to game-play. Firstly there was the wait for the Steam key it took about a week to acquire which is long in the digital age but livable. Then I had endless issues with Windows Live. I have windows live installed and working for other games but for Dark Souls it crashed and/or battled to sign in. Sadly you need Windows Live to save. I sorted Windows Live out and finally got into the game. Or thought I had: I got bogged down in the awful, awful character creation interface and then got stuck watching a long unskippable cinematic followed immediately by another long unskippable cinematic.

    I finally get to play but have very little good will left after the preceding mess. And then I discover that the controls are broken. A keyboard and mouse are not recommend and can't be used anyway as the mouse sensitivity on it's lowest setting will see a tiny bump swing the character through ninety degrees. An XBox controller (which is recommended) doesn't work because the button configurations are mangled and can't be re-configured. A genuine XBox controller on a genuine windows operating system (Win 7) and somehow the Dark Souls developers got the button mappings wrong.

    This game is broken.

    I finally quit in frustration. Or tried to. Because the controls are mangled there was no way to get back to a menu to save and quit; I had kill the process instead. Now every time I launch the game it chastises me for not closing it correctly.

    After installing various fan patches I got the game to a playable (and decently looking) state and unfortunately discovered that after all the effort I'd gone through the game play is terrible.

    The premise is that Dark Souls is unforgiving and will kill you again and again until you play cautiously which is awesome. I've been looking for a challenging game for years.

    The reality is the game killed me again and again as the camera seldom points anywhere useful and I stepped off ledges I couldn't see. Or the character locks onto an enemy far behind him and stops me from blocking an enemy immediately in-front. A stabbed in the back instant kill.

    Absolutely nothing about Dark Souls is good or even working.    … Expand
  8. Antiks
    Jan 7, 2013
    2
    Terrible port. Controls can't be reset and the mouse and keyboard stuff is just broken. Do not buy this game if you don't own and xbox 360 controller for your pc. Also you need to make several community fixes to the game to get it looking decent and running decent. Would not recommend anyone purchase this game for PC. Buyer beware.
  9. howlhaku
    May 3, 2014
    0
    This game, just like the first, is broken. They pretend it's 'hard' but it's just an excuse for a lack of testing and play balance. The save points are sparse and the game play is tedious. Tbh I could forgive most of this if the graphics were at least decent but jeebuz they are terrible. Unless you are a cutter I would avoid this like the plague.
  10. mberserk
    May 12, 2014
    0
    This game doesn't works properly. Crash on start screen. I bought it on Steam. I've played with Windows 8. But Windows 8.1, crashes, crashes and more crashes. Tried several workaraounds but no sucess.
  11. jimbobslimbob
    Dec 10, 2014
    3
    Meh.

    I don't understand the hype around this one. It's really nothing special. Couple this with the god-damn awful PC port that it is, it's enough to safely put me off from playing this anymore.I found the game to be significantly lacking in all areas. Sure, it's hard, but that is really all it's got going for it.

    Jimbo Rating: 3/10
  12. 0and0is00
    Sep 3, 2012
    0
    The lack of the possibility to use the PC-controls (mouse/keyboard) correctly, makes this game basically unplayable on the PC.
    Rather spend the money on another PC game.
  13. Lino
    Sep 18, 2012
    0
    DONT BUY THIS GAME!!!!!

    I just created an account to rate this 0 because its an absolute impudence to sell this game on PC like that. I will never buy a game of that company again you cant do that. There are no controlls for PC its all made for consol, and whats worng with the grapic this looks awful, now i have to buy an 360 controller for my Pc Just to play this game. How can ppl even    DONT BUY THIS GAME!!!!!

    I just created an account to rate this 0 because its an absolute impudence to sell this game on PC like that. I will never buy a game of that company again you cant do that. There are no controlls for PC its all made for consol, and whats worng with the grapic this looks awful, now i have to buy an 360 controller for my Pc Just to play this game. How can ppl even rate this game with more than 5 its simply lieing to ppl who trust an honest rateing.    … Expand
  14. MrFunsocks
    Jul 20, 2013
    0
    Worst purchase ever. Terrible controls, for mouse or keyboard. The joypad controls aren't rebindable, and the default bindings are atrocious. I spent about an hour messing with it before I started using JoyToKey to try and remap my controller. Just got fed up. Maybe it's good, but the intro (even aside from controller issues) shows some tired graphics, incomprehensible story setup, andWorst purchase ever. Terrible controls, for mouse or keyboard. The joypad controls aren't rebindable, and the default bindings are atrocious. I spent about an hour messing with it before I started using JoyToKey to try and remap my controller. Just got fed up. Maybe it's good, but the intro (even aside from controller issues) shows some tired graphics, incomprehensible story setup, and incredibly bland gameplay, along with a basically nonexistent tutorial. Maybe it gets better later, I don't know, but I'm not going to fight the game for another hour just to find out.… Expand
  15. Eitr
    Aug 12, 2013
    0
    Garbage port. Key bindings are the worst and the game wont even tell you which key because it only displays controller buttons. After finally getting it to go full screen and controller hooked up, gameplay was still buggy and the camera was awful. At one point an enemy had killed me at a bonfire, but when I respawned he still had agro on me again (and again). To make this worse, the gameGarbage port. Key bindings are the worst and the game wont even tell you which key because it only displays controller buttons. After finally getting it to go full screen and controller hooked up, gameplay was still buggy and the camera was awful. At one point an enemy had killed me at a bonfire, but when I respawned he still had agro on me again (and again). To make this worse, the game does not pause at all when entering any menu so I had to kite the enemy around before he killed me just to be able to exit the game. I can understand not pausing during pvp but this was in offline mode. Tutorial is practically non existent and expects you to just guess what the mechanics of the game are half the time. Little notes written on the ground where it's usually too late to respond to the situation after trying to read them does not suffice for helping new people get into the game.… Expand
  16. 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
  17. Blackcompany
    Aug 26, 2012
    0
    Automatic Zero. Why? It uses Games for Windows Live. That's reason enough to rate any game Zero. Avoid it or get it in some other way. Preferably a way that allows you to play it without the aggravation suffered by paying customers at the hands of this awful DRM scheme from Microsoft.
  18. Kerith
    Sep 22, 2012
    1
    Could of been awesome, but it fails at the most basic requirement to be a PC game: controls. Incorrect keyboard shortcuts displayed on menu items, giggle joystick quick-time events, and choppy camera rotations can be experienced within the first 15 minutes of play.

    Second big fail are the graphics, they are even worse then then their console counterparts. As they chose to port the Xbox    Could of been awesome, but it fails at the most basic requirement to be a PC game: controls. Incorrect keyboard shortcuts displayed on menu items, giggle joystick quick-time events, and choppy camera rotations can be experienced within the first 15 minutes of play.

    Second big fail are the graphics, they are even worse then then their console counterparts. As they chose to port the Xbox 360 version (evidence is button displayed in-game), there is no excuse for the reduction of graphic quality seen. Microsoft has gone out of their way to share the API for DirectX 9 and Windows, and even has extensive tutorials on how to port between platforms on XNA. Now my first point can be easily fixed and forgiven with a quick patch. Binary Domain had even worse controls at release and a patch was announced the next day for the next week. They delivered. Nothing out of FROM software, nor the original developers for patches and they are still pushing the 40 dollar.price tag on Steam .

    The graphics issue can be fixed with a third party patch, this is where it gets fun. I had purchased this on Steam, so the third party patch could threaten my entire game library if VAC is configured to work with the Windows Live DRM. The method used could trip cheat detection software and result in the loss of your entire game library. The patch is basically a DLL replacer, sprung into popularity for FXAA support and shader modding in Skyrim. The policy on banning cheaters does vary on the developer and whether the game is multiplayer or not. In the case of Skyrim, the official stance is that they do not ban these types of mods. There has been no comments from FROM Software about anything at this point, so I recommend buying this on separate accounts so you don't get screwed over. Below i have noted some dev statements on the use of these mods in multiplayer.

    Blizzard on Diablo 3 - "All mods are against the TOS and could be banned at any moment"
    Source (the mod read-me is funny too): http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5150763717

    ArenaNet on Guild Wars 2 - http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Guide_to_modifying_in-game_graphics/Texmod#ArenaNet

    EA Games, ME3 rumoured bannings for singleplayer modding and some BF3 bannings (I couldnt find a reliable source sorry)

    You will notice these mods come with source code usually, and it is not because of good will. They can touch your OS and hardware at a lower level then most applications can because they act like a middle man between your game and the graphics card. That is why you get a copy of the source, so you can compile your own version of the DLL and have a complete understanding of what it is doing to your computer.

    Ugh way longer then I wanted this, but I had to fight the steam game hub to understand the risks of these mods. I was going for a 3, but its not a 1 after all those words.    … Expand
  19. Xanthor
    Mar 22, 2013
    0
    With most PC console ports I am willing to see past the problems and try to enjoy the game. But this game is horrendous. The resolution is awful (even running 1920x1080). Never heard of camera smoothing? Then, several keys just won't bind. Finally, after painfully setting up the controls, attacking the undead creatures will result in hitting air to the left or right.

    Well, Bandai,    With most PC console ports I am willing to see past the problems and try to enjoy the game. But this game is horrendous. The resolution is awful (even running 1920x1080). Never heard of camera smoothing? Then, several keys just won't bind. Finally, after painfully setting up the controls, attacking the undead creatures will result in hitting air to the left or right.

    Well, Bandai, enjoying the easy money? How about completely redesigning the PC port and RESPECT one third of your customer base for a change? It could be a great game, but the port makes it a complete waste. By the way, there are more publishers that could (should) set the same example.    … Expand
  20. bombrero
    Apr 26, 2014
    0
    Back in the day i didnt write a review for this game because it would be another 0, so I just thought "let it be, its not worth the rant, the game is unplayable and takes the bad pc porting to a whole new level, people will struggle to play it and the result will be all the same, low score for the controls high score for the gameplay, no need to punish it", but something happened that madeBack in the day i didnt write a review for this game because it would be another 0, so I just thought "let it be, its not worth the rant, the game is unplayable and takes the bad pc porting to a whole new level, people will struggle to play it and the result will be all the same, low score for the controls high score for the gameplay, no need to punish it", but something happened that made me notice that it had to be punished: The sequel came out. When I bought the first one (this game) It was the worst pc port I had EVER played (and thats saying something): Locked internal resolution (1024 x 720) and FPS (30fps), bad performance, CTDs, unskippable cutscenes and logos (which rapidly becomes a problem if your game crashes often and takes one full minute to restart only for it to crash again), and for the love of god! no keyboard and mouse functionality, as in the mouse didnt even had a chance in this game, and rebindible keys? be lucky with them, on top of some input lag that set the foundation to a horrible experience. But then, hours after my purchase one man, ONE TRULY DEVOTED MAN fixed a lot of the issues releasing a quickfix that let you set internal resolution, fps unlock, skip the cutscenes and logos, and somehow made the flickering graphics and CTDs I was experiencing go away. Then another man joined him and made a fix for the mouse making it fully playable with just minor inconveniences (negative mouse acceleration was still there). And It was hen that I started to have a damn good time. The game itself was good and nostalgic. It was like one of those unforgiving dungeon RPGs from my childhood, but with nice graphics (thanks to the savior who made the fix) and great inmersion. The game ended up being really enjoyable for me, so I bought the second one yesterday thinking that the huge backlash would have been enough for them not to make the same mistakes... Well, not the same mistakes were made, some of the issues were fixed, but it came with a whole new mix of old problems and new problems that make the game again a bad, uncomfortable experience, almost unplayable. That made me realize that thjis scores even if pointless, those "Its unplayable have a nice 0" people (and me) have been giving are completely necessary so these thing wont become a cycle. I'm getting a refund on DS2, and I will state that though I had a great time with this game, it was only thanks to the fans, who made the game possible, since the company sold an unplayable piece of garbage. Thats why I'm giving this game what it deserved in the first place.… Expand
  21. iozay
    Nov 1, 2012
    1
    The game is impossible to control. Controles are by default incorrect displayed in the interface(For PC version at least). I would defenitely not recommend this game to anyone. The game defenitely has a lot of potential but is not executed well.
  22. SohailACE
    Nov 21, 2012
    0
    Worst port of the year, worst graphics, gameplay sucks, biggest flop of the year 2012.................................................................
  23. Paco73
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    ..........................................................................................................................................................................Crappy port. Not even worth a $2.99 bargain bin purchase.
  24. mosti
    Dec 1, 2013
    1
    Absolutely terrible.Graphics are crapola! There's a patch mod to make it better but I spent 4hrs to try to get it to work without luck so I decided to just get into the game with it's crappy graphics.
    The idea of the game is great and is the only reason I'm not giving it a 0/10!
    What irritates me the most above the graphics and the usual glitch and bug is the difficulty and imbalance of    Absolutely terrible.Graphics are crapola! There's a patch mod to make it better but I spent 4hrs to try to get it to work without luck so I decided to just get into the game with it's crappy graphics.
    The idea of the game is great and is the only reason I'm not giving it a 0/10!
    What irritates me the most above the graphics and the usual glitch and bug is the difficulty and imbalance of this game. If you enjoy a game that you're finding yourself continuously having to kill the same enemies over and over and over to try to advance (as they respawn every time you die, or heal at your camp when you run out of potions), then good luck to you because this will certainly break you as it did I!
    The entire combat system is beyond retarded! Wayyy to difficult to block and counter enemies. Stamina is used to strike, block, dodge, counter you name it! So when you find yourself up against 2+ foes swinging their swords in your face...you die...why? Because you spend all your stamina blocking the first two strikes which leaves you open for a massive hit (3hits your dead).
    Horrible game, seriously steer clear    … Expand
  25. Kovil1402
    Apr 2, 2015
    0
    I would give this game a 5 just because its the worst concole port I've ever seen and because it is impossible to play the game without the controller...Moveover the game is boring the plot is simple and vacuous not to say the least.The story is just not engaging and even the gameplay itself,which is supposed to be key in this game, is filled with walking through poorly designed corridorsI would give this game a 5 just because its the worst concole port I've ever seen and because it is impossible to play the game without the controller...Moveover the game is boring the plot is simple and vacuous not to say the least.The story is just not engaging and even the gameplay itself,which is supposed to be key in this game, is filled with walking through poorly designed corridors and engaging in combat with armies of skeletons.This is not fun at all!Difficulty is not enough for making a good game.Challenge is not the only thing needed to make an interesting game.I am concerned that this game has so many fans because this tells much about the gaming community as a whole.… Expand
  26. Goden
    Jan 8, 2014
    1
    If you want to read about the story or gameplay then read a review from someone that can actually get it working. As for me, Steam's timer shows that I have played it for 27 minutes and that is about as far as I can take it. Keyboard Mouse controls are almost completely unplayable and illogically bound BUT FEAR NOT as I have a Logitech gamepad tucked away for games that require aIf you want to read about the story or gameplay then read a review from someone that can actually get it working. As for me, Steam's timer shows that I have played it for 27 minutes and that is about as far as I can take it. Keyboard Mouse controls are almost completely unplayable and illogically bound BUT FEAR NOT as I have a Logitech gamepad tucked away for games that require a controller to use, so I plugged that badboy in. Whoops, turns out that unless you're using an official Microsoft Xbox360 controller then there is roughly a 30% chance your controller will actually work. If it doesn't then you need to download, install, and then config a third-party 360 controller emulator and blah blah blah blah. This game was gifted to me by a friend and I would very much like to play it but so far that seems highly unlikely. I honestly have to question the legality over selling a product which more broken and dysfunctional than most early alpha test games. If I had paid full price I would certainly be requesting a refund from Steam support.… Expand
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. fnhostyle
    Jul 18, 2013
    1
    First of all ...I wrote this review jokingly... it doesn't really read that way tho.. anyway,.. read on....

    If I were explaining the worth of this game to a friend... the descrption would contain, at minimum, several million swear words.....drowning out all comprehensible information. I will say these words.... .....console game... bad port....... ....terrible graphics........rip    First of all ...I wrote this review jokingly... it doesn't really read that way tho.. anyway,.. read on....

    If I were explaining the worth of this game to a friend... the descrption would contain, at minimum, several million swear words.....drowning out all comprehensible information.

    I will say these words.... .....console game... bad port....... ....terrible graphics........rip off .swear word...... refund different swear word.. bad port... (again).. nonsensical half finished swearword..etc

    Although I'm unfortunate enough to have purchased a 360 controller, I tried this tittle first time around using (what I prefer)...a keyboard and mouse setup.... the result talking to myself out loud about the lack of mouse pole rate adjustment or smoothing.... (without even knowing what I'm really talking about)....then the lack of being able to re-assign mouse buttons, screen refresh rate maximum at 60hz making my eyes sore being used to 120hz, the windows mouse cursor being stuck on the screen...and moving although not utilizable end result... me hitting alt F4.

    Player control, using the mouse and keyboard, is set up as if the character were a car or vehicle ....to explain better......Rather than turning both the character and camera as one unit with the mouse... the people that ported this title only linked the mouse to camera movement so as you walk.....turning is accomplished only via keyboard... leaving the camera behind to continue looking at a wall .....so constantly repositioning the camera view point using the mouse is necessary ...which is difficult considering the attack left or right hand and light attack left or right hand and block left or right hand is all controlled back on the keyboard by the mouse hand... and getting used to the fact that facing the enemy with the mouse will not ensure you faced your character at the enemy, with turning by tapping the turn keys to line the character and target up...or auto lock on target.. only accomplish-able really when the camera is also adjusted.....makes things difficult..... and all these complications might be overlook-able....to some people....for instance the people who did the port...., but making the matter worse the mouse is not calibrated correctly for widescreen use so up and down is more sensitive than left and right ruining the normal sense of balance that exists in basically every other game...and therefore the feeling of control or what little that may have remained from the 10 different mouse sensitivity adjustment settings the user may have try'd to settle upon.

    Keyboard assignments are so bad that the "end" key is used in place of the "esc" key to bring up the main menu..

    So anyway I restarted the game.....and After sitting through 15 different non skip-able splash screens again, I tried it out with the 360 controller... a lot better... I then find out that not even the buttons on the 360 controller are re-assignable... which leaves me with only swearing as re-course, once again, about how crap this game is..... at the same time the games for windows live menu is popping up over the game nonstop as I try every button on the controller looking for a "lock onto target" button ...or something else actually handy....and then once more after finding the difficulty of even the first boss creature damn near impossible....I give up.

    Thanks Good Game host Bajo for explaining about how great a game this is so great in fact ...he's playing it a second time through....apparently....
    I now...unfortunately.. have to re-evaluate any future usefulness of the aforementioned persons opinions.. lol

    I think this game may have been designed for 11 year olds...to be fair..... by 11 year olds... smart ones tho..... I'm sure..

    Value=$7.60    … Expand
  30. Drago_Malik
    Jul 11, 2014
    1
    The game is not difficult. You can game it easily by learning to doge and evade the patterns of everything including bosses. Therefore you can kill anything easily. The only stumbles I found are the camera doesn't lock on the PC view so you end up having blocked views if you don't adjust the second axis for the camera while you move. The other is the stuns that cause loss of characterThe game is not difficult. You can game it easily by learning to doge and evade the patterns of everything including bosses. Therefore you can kill anything easily. The only stumbles I found are the camera doesn't lock on the PC view so you end up having blocked views if you don't adjust the second axis for the camera while you move. The other is the stuns that cause loss of character control from hits or falls that delay character reactions that are much needed. These two are very gamey things that add difficulty which is easy to adjust once familiar with the game. The game is very linear. You open up new areas which are also linear. I like the concept of being undead and collecting souls and monsters and gear look cool for the most part. The multiplayer is burdensome and clunky. Try to get a friend in the game with you and you can wait up to an hour before they can join sometimes. That doesn't add to difficulty, it just is a time sink. Combat is interesting, but easy to game around with good evasion and not using target lock will help you more. Easy mode = skip to any item you want for your build by remaining low endurance to dodge and weave your way through anywhere in the world. Farm exp / souls by running high value monters/npcs off cliffs. Way too gamey imo.… Expand
  31. Keenanz
    Oct 3, 2015
    3
    BAD THINGS :
    Terrible PC port.
    This game is unplayable on average PC unless you download a mod called DSFIX. You can't even bind numeric key if you want to play this game with keyboard. Graphics looks bad and a lot of framerate drop in certain area. Terrible game Design This is basically a rage game, a Lot of enemies can often insta kill your character even if you wearing    BAD THINGS :
    Terrible PC port.
    This game is unplayable on average PC unless you download a mod called DSFIX. You can't even bind numeric key if you want to play this game with keyboard. Graphics looks bad and a lot of framerate drop in certain area.

    Terrible game Design
    This is basically a rage game, a Lot of enemies can often insta kill your character even if you wearing medium-heavy armor and invest a lot on vigor stats. Some bosses are easier than some normal enemies that you will encounter while exploring. Overall, this game is cheap and unbalanced in the terms of difficulty. If you want a balanced and challenging game, this is not the game for you

    A lot of area in this game are felt empty and lack of detail. the dev are even put strong enemies in ridiculous formation for preventing players to explore some unfinished area.

    took 30 hour less to beat the game on my first try, and i missed the DLC content because no way i can find the portal without reading online guide.

    GOOD THINGS :
    - O&S is my favourite boss fight in this series
    - Cool armor design
    - some enemy design are mindblowing
    - interesting lore
    - unique multiplayer design    … Expand
  32. Saix
    Sep 9, 2012
    0
    Totally wasted my time! First, I learned to use a keyboard, watching this obsolete graphics, then I connected an Xbox controller and it become better. But all was a waste when I was killed by a dragon came from nowhere and lose all XP :( Why do so?
  33. 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
  34. Molvanian
    Jan 18, 2016
    0
    This game is known for being hard. It isn't hard because it's a well made, challenging game. It's hard because the camera is game-breakingly awful, the enemies will awkwardly slide around at times while tracking you with attacks rather than animating movement (Or standing still like you have to), and they forgot to add any character motivation. The entire reason for literally everythingThis game is known for being hard. It isn't hard because it's a well made, challenging game. It's hard because the camera is game-breakingly awful, the enemies will awkwardly slide around at times while tracking you with attacks rather than animating movement (Or standing still like you have to), and they forgot to add any character motivation. The entire reason for literally everything you do is a guy says his family told him undead should go to this place. So... you do. Even though you must fight legions of monsters to do so. Because some dying guy mentioned it.

    Don't believe the hype, this game is poorly made, it's lazy, enemies attack through walls that instantly stop your attacks if you're even near. Save your money and don't buy into the hype. It's not worth it, and it's not the difficulty. It's just poorly made.    … Expand
  35. zmaint
    Jul 22, 2013
    0
    Another console port. No keyboard support, you have to use an Xbox controller. Graphics are low res Xbox crap.

    Good news: I paid $2.49 on a Steam sale.
    Bad news: I wasted $2.49 on a complete and utter steaming pile of crap.
  36. lockie507
    Sep 25, 2013
    0
    This is by far the worst port I have ever seen. they have not even bothered to remove the Xbox controller promps when playing on a keyboard.

    Also the Camera is very jittery and unpredictable, also why oh why would they leave the standard mouse pointer to be seen permanently in the game....

    Please don't waste your money on this.
  37. Knoxville
    Oct 24, 2012
    0
    This game absolutely ruined my day. Camera work is terrible, character dies from a 1 foot fall, it's just...bad. DO NOT get this game whatsoever. You have been warned.
  38. Kain
    Jan 17, 2013
    0
    This game is offensive to everyone that is not in coma since 2000 , it's rather easy to look for a game made in that time superior to this that they called a "game" , 0 graphics , 0 sound , 0 Gameplay , the one thing that could be interesting is the plot , but i will take my hat to the ones that have the courage to play this more than 10 mins .... 6.8 user score at the moment is veryThis game is offensive to everyone that is not in coma since 2000 , it's rather easy to look for a game made in that time superior to this that they called a "game" , 0 graphics , 0 sound , 0 Gameplay , the one thing that could be interesting is the plot , but i will take my hat to the ones that have the courage to play this more than 10 mins .... 6.8 user score at the moment is very flattering to this "game"… Expand
  39. zrrz
    Jul 14, 2013
    0
    Trash. Input made by a retarded donkey. Kicked me to the start menu because of "frames problem," when it was running perfectly. Would have been decent if Devs put 10 minutes into making it a PC game.
  40. Osmium
    Jul 30, 2013
    0
    The game itself is simply fantastic, a legend among videogamers. The atmosphere is always tense, the difficulty level is horrendous you need a lot of patience and will die very often in this game. But this is exactly what makes progressing in this game so rewarding. Great action RPG, though recommendable to hardcore gamers only.
    But: The PC version which I am rating here is by far the    The game itself is simply fantastic, a legend among videogamers. The atmosphere is always tense, the difficulty level is horrendous you need a lot of patience and will die very often in this game. But this is exactly what makes progressing in this game so rewarding. Great action RPG, though recommendable to hardcore gamers only.
    But: The PC version which I am rating here is by far the worst console port ever to defile my hard drive. Graphics are horrible, controls (with mouse and keyboard) are beyond broken, other technical issues (games crashes to desktop, freezes, inexplicable FPS drops) are taking away the rest of the fun. No effort whatsoever has been put into this console port, it is disgusting and a disgrace to the devs. I would recommend anyone interested in this title to get it on the console, not for PC.    … Expand
  41. Flash_Over
    Dec 28, 2013
    2
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! Any game that requires Windows Live Beware! I've been screwed again buying before researching! This game is horrible, the voice acting is really bad, the graphics are bad even with top settings, and the 'auto-save' system is horrible. up and want to start a certain part over? NOPE. You will replay that horrible save over and over unless you make a new game. SpeakingDO NOT BUY THIS GAME! Any game that requires Windows Live Beware! I've been screwed again buying before researching! This game is horrible, the voice acting is really bad, the graphics are bad even with top settings, and the 'auto-save' system is horrible. up and want to start a certain part over? NOPE. You will replay that horrible save over and over unless you make a new game. Speaking of making a new game, the story is very vague at the beginning and you get dumped into a jail and apparently you are a zombie, then with little to no tutorial and bag controls you are then pushed into a boss fight. I dont mine difficulty, but as a new play on level 1 everyone wants an easy level to learn how to play, but getting pushed into a ring with a boss right the get go only to be smashed 20 times before defeating it is just... Bad. This is a HORRIBLE console port (console ports are bad to begin with) But, the controls are really poorly done. if you do not have a Xbox controller, forget attempting to play this game. Luckily I got this on a steam sale for $6. TOTALLY not worth the full price. This game did however install perfectly and it didnt really have any bugs from waht I could tell. So it gets a 2. As for everything else over all, the story sucks, controls suck, graphics suck and voice acting sucked. Nothing good about this game but the music.… Expand
  42. giskarduk
    Sep 25, 2013
    3
    If there is 1 thing that really annoys PC users it is terrible console ports. It is not so bad if they make an effort but when they do not, it shows. The entire game becomes a reminder of how bad games get. Dark Souls is such a game. The games controls are super sensitive by default on modern PCs and because it is a bad console port, there is no sensitivity adjuster like you would expectIf there is 1 thing that really annoys PC users it is terrible console ports. It is not so bad if they make an effort but when they do not, it shows. The entire game becomes a reminder of how bad games get. Dark Souls is such a game. The games controls are super sensitive by default on modern PCs and because it is a bad console port, there is no sensitivity adjuster like you would expect in ALL PC GAMES made during the last 15 years. Also the keys that the game tells you to press are not the keys the PC version uses. So you are left guessing how to get back to the menu to check what keys should be pressed. Only they did not use the default escape key for that, that would be far too easy to find, no they used the END key... so you spend 30 minutes stabbing at the keyboard hoping to get lucky when half the time, keys do nothing unless your stood next to something special. So you still do not learn what the keys do simply by pressing them and the game makes zero effort to teach you them. A truly terrible game, no effort made during the porting process what so ever and it shows.… Expand
  43. TemplarGR
    Sep 9, 2016
    1
    Well, to get this out of the way first, the port is somewhat decent now, it is playable, but you need a controller. This game is hell with keyboard and mouse. But i won't focus on that, because the main game is trash anyway.

    If you try to be objective for a moment, and look at this as a piece of software, comparing it with the competition, you can't help but wonder how can this pass as    Well, to get this out of the way first, the port is somewhat decent now, it is playable, but you need a controller. This game is hell with keyboard and mouse. But i won't focus on that, because the main game is trash anyway.

    If you try to be objective for a moment, and look at this as a piece of software, comparing it with the competition, you can't help but wonder how can this pass as a PS3 era AAA game. Seriously. The graphics are borderline PS2 level. Animations and hitboxes are archaic, controls are literally trash. Sound is nothing special, music, what is music? Dialogs are few. The character system is bad and not explained, you can't design a good character without a guide. Enemy AI is non-existant, enemies just stand on their place and just hit you with swords/arrows/whatever. They are just hit point sponges. There are bugs. This game could have been created with 4-5 interns at best. This is no AAA.

    Then we have the supposed "difficulty". Make no mistake, this game is not difficult, it is cheap. Let no blinded fanboy and "hardcore gamer" tell you otherwise. There is nothing difficult with Dark Souls. If it had a proper save system and allowed proper difficulty settings (easy/medium/hard), it would have been much, much easier than other games, because there is literally no enemy AI on this game. If you play Skyrim on the hardest setting, enemies can become HP sponges too, and hit you harder. Same thing, on a far better video game.

    You don't have to be a good gamer to complete this game. I am all for a challenge, but i am 33 years old, and my time is limited. I don't have the time to die 500x times, lose all progress and have to travel all the way again, or grind endlessly in order to beat a boss. That sh1t should have died in the 80s/90s. This is not difficulty, this is tedium. Difficulty is trying to beat a hard AI in chess. Having to grind to win a boss or die repeatedly to learn its patterns, is just a way to waste hours of your life for no reason. It is just BAD DESIGN. A proper human being, that means not a basement dweller, has no time for this sh1t.

    Last but not least, there is no reward for suffering to complete this game. The story is trash, the lore is trash. You have nothing to gain by completing this, other than "bragging rights". For me, if anyone, and i mean, anyone, comes to me and tells me that "he is a hardcore gamer because he wasted hours of his life dying cheap deaths in order to finish a non AAA console port", it is a litmus test for being an idiot. "sure bra, you completed this abomination, what a life accomplishment you made!" All the while normal people play real games to relax for fun.

    I can't explain the high scores of this game by reviewers. Typically, the metacritic scores it has achieved are reserved for classincs and masterpieces, and this trash is not. Also, typically, Japanese games have becomes garbage in the PS3 generation and afterwards. Repetitive trash with low production values. From software was a small japanese developer never known for any good game prior to this. So how come they made it? I believe it is a combination of "marketing" (read:bribes), younger gamers' inexperience and vanity, and Stockholm syndrome. Sony and Japanese gamers/media, have every reason to attempt to push this cheap trash as a "masterpiece" in order to make a comeback in the industry. Professional reviewers don't want to score it lower to not be called "n00bs" and told to "git gud". They typically never finish their games, they almost always play on easy, but somehow they adore Dark Souls... Yeah right... Kids with no accomplishments in their real life, are eager to show off by finishing this turd, and then go online and tell everyone and their dog about it. And they call anyone who won't suffer this garbage "a casual". Most of those kids have completed this game by sheer repetition and grinding, or with guides and cheats. Yet they want to keep the appearence of having fun with it, because admitting this is trash, will make them having to admit they wasted their time and what they accomplished is nothing special. Probably the reason for the whole popularity.

    I have even seen a best game ever list on us gamer, putting Dark Souls on No1 spot. That is after the release of Witcher 3... Calling it a master piece and work of genius. My God, the emperor has no clothes. Are these clowns getting paid to write this?

    Waste no time with this game. Next time someone calls you a "casual" for it, just laugh at his face. This fad will be over soon.    … Expand
  44. MaddysonGovnoed
    Apr 10, 2016
    0
    Very bad game very bad gameplay its very stpd game !!! Very bad game very bad gameplay its very stpd game !!! Very bad game very bad gameplay its very stpd game !!!
  45. 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
  46. KoKop0
    Aug 16, 2020
    0
    very very very terrible port to PC and very disappointing... you must download DSfix if u wish to play the game... FPS is capped and no input mapping you must download mod for it... overall awful unplayable port and poorly optimized if it was even optimized at all

    after playing dark souls 3 I wanted to play the 2nd one it didn't work at all so I tried the first one and its even worse    very very very terrible port to PC and very disappointing... you must download DSfix if u wish to play the game... FPS is capped and no input mapping you must download mod for it... overall awful unplayable port and poorly optimized if it was even optimized at all

    after playing dark souls 3 I wanted to play the 2nd one it didn't work at all so I tried the first one and its even worse port...its just sad    … Expand
  47. 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.
  48. tybalt777
    Jun 23, 2014
    0
    This is hands down probably one of the worst rpgs I have ever played, any money spent on this game is a waste. The game is such a let down that the programmers should feel a sense of shame just for bringing this load of crap into the word
  49. thenthomwaslike
    Feb 26, 2022
    0
    It's 2022, From Software still haven't fixed a single thing wrong with this game. Running it on today's hardware with dsfix is still an optimization mess. Instead of putting out any patches they tried to sell us a remastered version. Ha.
  50. reguire
    Apr 5, 2016
    1
    Worst port ever. Even mods can hardly fix this. As a pc gamer, I don't support the use of controllers instead of keyboard+mouse. This is me surpassing the 150 characters limit.
  51. Vandark
    Jun 18, 2017
    1
    It's one of the best action rpgs I've ever played, but i do not recommend playing this game on PC.

    PC port of this game is some kind of joke - almost unplayable.
  52. TheW4tchT0wer
    Apr 20, 2022
    1
    Gotta give it a point for the art style and atmosphere - they're the only things going for it. I think this game is for people suffering to the extreme from 'sunk cost' fallacy ('I wasted so much time on this garbage, it has to be good! I will troll other people to feel better about my poor choices!'). Most of the enemies, I had no problems defeating with my tactics. But basically toGotta give it a point for the art style and atmosphere - they're the only things going for it. I think this game is for people suffering to the extreme from 'sunk cost' fallacy ('I wasted so much time on this garbage, it has to be good! I will troll other people to feel better about my poor choices!'). Most of the enemies, I had no problems defeating with my tactics. But basically to progress, you are forced to grind - and it's the most boring slog of a grind I can think of. I'd honestly rather grind old NES JRPGs than a Souls game. The only thing that has routinely defeated my playing this or Demon's Souls has been overwhelming boredom by the third or fourth hour in. If it was a traditional action game, it'd likely be 100x better. As it is, it's just a bunch of poor game design decisions hidden beneath a nice coat of paint.… Expand
  53. draemato
    Aug 14, 2022
    3
    5/10 game but absolutely terrible PC port. You can't play online with DSfix and controls customizer, which is why i rate it 3/10. Play Remastered version instead but even Remastered is not perfect.
  54. CursedKnight
    Sep 7, 2023
    0
    Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition is a milestone in the history of video games. Its excellence shines through various aspects.

    Pros: Rewarding Challenge: Extreme difficulty is offset by the sense of accomplishment when overcoming obstacles. Intriguing World: Lordran is an interconnected world, full of secrets and submerged lore. Deep Combat: The combat system is precise and    Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition is a milestone in the history of video games. Its excellence shines through various aspects.

    Pros:

    Rewarding Challenge: Extreme difficulty is offset by the sense of accomplishment when overcoming obstacles.

    Intriguing World: Lordran is an interconnected world, full of secrets and submerged lore.

    Deep Combat: The combat system is precise and strategic, allowing for various approaches.

    Immersive Atmosphere: The dark ambiance and melancholic soundtrack create an immersive experience.

    Story in the Margins: The narrative is fragmented and requires exploration, enriching the experience.

    Cons:

    Technical Issues: Some bugs and optimization problems hinder gameplay at times.

    Steep Learning Curve: It can be intimidating for novice players, deterring some.

    Final Verdict:

    Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition, despite some technical issues, is unquestionably the greatest game of all time. Its complexity, challenge, and narrative depth create an experience that transcends any other title. This game is a masterpiece that will be remembered and cherished by generations of gamers.    … Expand
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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]
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