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. murut87
    Aug 25, 2012
    7
    It means to be playable using Controller,if playing Keyboard Controller,its freaking impossible.Worst Console Port Ever,with Lack of Tweaks,Capped FPS and Frustratingly Hard-To Play this game.But the game core is good on every possible so,i don`t recommend this game if you wanna play using Keyboard+Mouse because its all messed up....I really wanted to play this game because it looks fun toIt means to be playable using Controller,if playing Keyboard Controller,its freaking impossible.Worst Console Port Ever,with Lack of Tweaks,Capped FPS and Frustratingly Hard-To Play this game.But the game core is good on every possible so,i don`t recommend this game if you wanna play using Keyboard+Mouse because its all messed up....I really wanted to play this game because it looks fun to play even through its Difficulty was way impossible...… Expand
  2. llamayarmybar
    Jul 14, 2017
    7
    I'm not sure if their is a game on this planet as infamous as Dark Souls, that actually makes you feel as though you've cheated throughout its entirety as soon as the ending credits begin to roll. I always considered myself a casual player in regards to the series, having mainly spent several hundreds of hours playing through multiple builds, with different weapons, different armorI'm not sure if their is a game on this planet as infamous as Dark Souls, that actually makes you feel as though you've cheated throughout its entirety as soon as the ending credits begin to roll. I always considered myself a casual player in regards to the series, having mainly spent several hundreds of hours playing through multiple builds, with different weapons, different armor combinations and different approaches to more or less the same thing, over and over again. However, when I did finally finish it, I felt as if I had stumbled upon a glitch. Early on I had come into possession of the "Black Knight Halberd," a weapon that has a certain random number generator factor in terms of how often it drops in the game. Most people would prefer not to use this weapon, or it typically doesn't spawn often enough, whichever the reason, I took it all the way to the end. I spent all my souls and items to upgrade it as high as it could go, I wore armor that was far too heavy, but provided all the protection I'd ever need, I found a "Stone armor" shield and used that for the majority of major battles. I believe all I ever upgraded was "Strength" statistics in regards to my own character. I felt impervious, really the only times I didn't were sections of the game that purposefully slow you down, put you in terrible positions, or squares you off against two bosses at the same time. Otherwise, I felt like my victories were undeserved and while this was going on, I also felt as though the game was missing something. Huge vantage points showed a massive world built for giants! Enormous structures lay about almost everywhere, but it was so spread out that the rest of the world seemed almost dead, almost silent. Many might argue that it created a more foreboding atmosphere, but I would argue that developers who designed such large open spaces, had neglected to place anything in them. While I don't believe Dark Souls is a bad game, I believe it is an acquired taste in the genre, to be fair their isn't much out there like it, but it lacks a kind of polish, it lacks a dimension of real proper design. I admit, I'm am just a casual fan, but even after spending hundreds of hours playing, even as the hollowed figure rose up from his imprisonment, after those credits had rolled for the first time, after everything had been defeated, even I had to set the controller down and walk away. Dark Souls possesses a kind of charm, that we don't see in many things anymore, and I do believe it is special, but it seems a shame that its uniqueness doesn't quite cover up its many glaring flaws. I think to this day it was one of the few games that had me utterly transfixed on its own pointlessness by the end of it.… Expand
  3. tech-noir
    Sep 5, 2013
    7
    As one the worst ports I've ever played, it also suffers from poor storytelling and an unforgiving difficulty. The battle mechanics are very good, while boss fights are the highlights of the game. It can be tedious sometimes, but it is an overall enjoyable experience that requires patience and dedication.
  4. keefbaker
    Oct 27, 2013
    7
    Really bad port of what is supposed to be an excellent game by all accounts. The control system drives you up the wall and doesn't feel responsive enough and just generally the game just feels... not quite there.
  5. Matuka
    Oct 1, 2013
    7
    Absolutely awesome game. If ONLY, it had awesome controls and awesome pc port it would have atleast 9/10. A very mysterious dark, fun, cool, HARD, challenging, rewarding game.
  6. Chaosmaker
    Sep 27, 2012
    7
    This is a good game, but definately not a proper RPG. The focus is totally on combat, there are no dialogues, character advancement is secondary at best. The controls are... uh, terrible - forget the mouse and keyboard, I was able to play it only on a gamepad. FPS are low. Despite that, it still is a very good game, with nice visuals, difficult combat and dreary landscapes. Just it couldThis is a good game, but definately not a proper RPG. The focus is totally on combat, there are no dialogues, character advancement is secondary at best. The controls are... uh, terrible - forget the mouse and keyboard, I was able to play it only on a gamepad. FPS are low. Despite that, it still is a very good game, with nice visuals, difficult combat and dreary landscapes. Just it could benefit immensely from a good PC port.… Expand
  7. CyberEagle_1x
    Oct 6, 2012
    7
    i like Dark Souls but it has some big problems. For a start it is not a good pc port, I had to use mods to get it to 1080p at 60fps and sometimes games for windows live would crash and I would get kick me off of my game and without live you can't play with your characters. The online of the game is that you can join a random world and help or kill someone and they can join your two, whichi like Dark Souls but it has some big problems. For a start it is not a good pc port, I had to use mods to get it to 1080p at 60fps and sometimes games for windows live would crash and I would get kick me off of my game and without live you can't play with your characters. The online of the game is that you can join a random world and help or kill someone and they can join your two, which is a nice touch but most of the time when someone join you it really lags and you can do a thing when one invades your world at lvl 60 and your lvl 12. it is a hard game and the control really bad you need a controller to play it. some of the sub boss are harder then real boss but it is a good challenge and you might like. The graphics beautiful with the mod for 1080p. A good game but with the problems it has I am going give it a 6.9 but I recommend to someone who like a good rpg.… Expand
  8. Jackiel
    Aug 24, 2012
    7
    The game is definitely worth playing, but sadly it's a really lazy port to the PC platform. The camera control is horrendous whether you are using the keyboard or mouse. If you are using mouse, the camera just jitters around which makes you miss your normal attacks sometimes, or even lead you to drop in a dead pit. If you use the keyboard, well it feels more smooth, just like when you areThe game is definitely worth playing, but sadly it's a really lazy port to the PC platform. The camera control is horrendous whether you are using the keyboard or mouse. If you are using mouse, the camera just jitters around which makes you miss your normal attacks sometimes, or even lead you to drop in a dead pit. If you use the keyboard, well it feels more smooth, just like when you are using analog sticks, but then it's too slow to sway the camera to a correct angle to do anything (console players can probably be good at this, but as a pure PC gamer, I simply can't stand it). Movement control wise, it feels a lot better than the camera, but still suffers from random problems, such as sometimes my character would just execute some actions which I completely did not order him to do so, like random rolls, random jump attacks, random stab towards a completely reversed direction, but I do not know if it is the game or is it just me not being used to this controlling scheme. Besides the control problems and several other port problems, the game itself is actually quite amazing, and definitely one of the most challenging yet rewarding games these years. The art style and the graphic rendering just completely fits with the setting and the tone of the world, and the combat system is also very complicated and worth exploiting, plus intelligent level design and enemy AI configurations, with those HUUUUGE epic bosses, so overall, it's a great game, but badly ported.… Expand
  9. CriticoDubioso
    Aug 27, 2012
    7
    The game itself is simply terrific, but the port is abyssmal. Especially considering how a simple mod released on day 1 by a fan fixes 2 of the most glaring technical issues, namely the native resolution buffer and DOF. That's simply inexcusable. Just a little more effort on FROM's part would have avoided most of the moaning by PC users and gave the game a better rep.
    Now with the    The game itself is simply terrific, but the port is abyssmal. Especially considering how a simple mod released on day 1 by a fan fixes 2 of the most glaring technical issues, namely the native resolution buffer and DOF. That's simply inexcusable. Just a little more effort on FROM's part would have avoided most of the moaning by PC users and gave the game a better rep.
    Now with the fanfix, the game looks absolutely stunning, much better than it ever did on consoles. Only problem remaining is the 30 fps lock, that sometimes drops to 15 fps for whatever reason. I hope the modder can fix this as well, because the devs likely won't.
    As for the game it's unlike anything I've played before, and most importantly the antithesis to all modern games that want to be as easy, casual, and cinematic as possible. DS shines in world design, combat mechanics, and an unforgiving but rewarding difficulty. Worth a shot for anyone who likes action RPGs.    … Expand
  10. ChunkySaurus
    May 24, 2014
    7
    I reviewed this poorly before but after seeing footage for Dark Souls 2, i decided to give this another try. If you press beyond the PC port issues there is some rewarding content later on. As long as you go the right way and have a walkthrough open most of the time.
  11. f3doraman
    Oct 6, 2012
    7
    To get this out of the way early: yes, the port is terrible. It's a direct port which had little work put into its PC controls and settings, and it suffers from it. However, the only reason it was made in the first place is because of a large movement of gamers asking for it. The lack of resources into its port is mostly a result of the company not knowing how safe an investment itTo get this out of the way early: yes, the port is terrible. It's a direct port which had little work put into its PC controls and settings, and it suffers from it. However, the only reason it was made in the first place is because of a large movement of gamers asking for it. The lack of resources into its port is mostly a result of the company not knowing how safe an investment it would be, though they were nice enough to throw in the DLC for free. Hopefully, if DS is successful on the PC, it will get more developers to focus more resources to making proper PC ports.

    All that being said, this is still a great game, one of my favorites. The combat is brutal and challenging, which fits perfectly into its dark and imposing story. While there is a leveling system to the game, it's not really necessary; I've read forums of people challenging themselves by not leveling at all. If you can't get past the poor controls, or have a gamepad available, at least try this out for the console. Dark Souls does a lot of things very well, and it's worth giving a try.    … Expand
  12. Makoo
    Oct 30, 2012
    7
    The difficulty is great, losing souls when you die is great, just pick them up Diablo II style. This game is supposed to be hard and the story is only non existent for blind people. What I do not like is the **** port, the bad controls for PC , the nonexistent PC control hints and the fact that some small bugs makes some mobs harder than they are because they just don't work the way theyThe difficulty is great, losing souls when you die is great, just pick them up Diablo II style. This game is supposed to be hard and the story is only non existent for blind people. What I do not like is the **** port, the bad controls for PC , the nonexistent PC control hints and the fact that some small bugs makes some mobs harder than they are because they just don't work the way they are supposed to.

    IF you have a controller for your PC and love hard but fair games, then get this game because it's great. flawed but great.    … Expand
  13. Potitoman
    Apr 25, 2013
    7
    Too much game!
    This game is easy to pick up but demands time, patience and diligence to master.
    The combat system is amazing. Simple but immensely deep and satisfying. Even the lowest ranking enemies will cut you to bits if you rush in or lose concentration. The world or Lordran is beautiful in a dark way. It's history and lore revealed only to those who seek it. The problem is that    Too much game!
    This game is easy to pick up but demands time, patience and diligence to master.
    The combat system is amazing. Simple but immensely deep and satisfying. Even the lowest ranking enemies will cut you to bits if you rush in or lose concentration.
    The world or Lordran is beautiful in a dark way. It's history and lore revealed only to those who seek it.

    The problem is that this game really does demand too much of you. If I were a teenager with nothing better to do, I would score this a 9 or 10, but as a married man that works and has two kids, this is too much. I don't have the time to go back and fight the same boss for the fifth time just to have my behind handed over to me.
    As a game, it's great. It is addictive as anything and very satisfying, but it does cross that line from being a game to feeling almost like a commitment. Too much for me.    … Expand
  14. Exoaria
    Jan 2, 2013
    7
    Before you take to heart what a lot of the negative reviewers are giving this game, understand that a lot of them are judging it completely on the aspect that it is not possible to play properly with a mouse and keyboard. Steam, and the retail version both clearly state that a Microsoft Xbox 360 controller is needed to play the game.
    The real quarrel that I have with the PC Port is that    Before you take to heart what a lot of the negative reviewers are giving this game, understand that a lot of them are judging it completely on the aspect that it is not possible to play properly with a mouse and keyboard. Steam, and the retail version both clearly state that a Microsoft Xbox 360 controller is needed to play the game.
    The real quarrel that I have with the PC Port is that it is not properly optimized. It is locked at 30 fps and on my moderately good rig which can play Skyrim at near maximum, it stutters a lot when entering new areas. This has been fixed by tweaking some settings in Catalyst Control Center and using a modification called DSFix.

    If you are willing to use an Xbox 360 controller, or equivalent, then this game should pose you no threat as long as you use DSFix or have a newer Nvidia GPU.

    Dark Souls is an extremely challenging and rewarding game that makes you beg for more with its unforgiving and barren atmosphere. It takes you from the depths of an Asylum to the highest reaches of Lordran as you fight your way to the top through trial and error. There are many secrets to discover and really is the type of game with many different unique aspects that were lost to gaming many years ago - the only way that you can really experience this is to try it for yourself.

    It boasts a unique weapons system and a stat range similar to the complexities of World of Warcraft although it's pretty ridiculous comparing the two games. I mentioned the popular mmorpg to reference the stat system and the importance of the type of gear and stats you increase depending on your class, although it is a little more flexible.

    Boss battles will have you cringing, and the whole way through you will either be angry or on edge, waiting for the next enemy that appeared around the corner. The words "YOU DIED" will be engraved into your mind for eternity after playing this game.

    I give this game a 7/10 because of the bad PC port. However, providing these issues were fixed and judging the game based on their original console versions it would be a clear 9/10.    … Expand
  15. MrSnakes
    Jan 26, 2013
    7
    I've found this game to be an excellent RPG game, the characters are interesting, the story and lore are rich and deep. As we all know, the PC version is probably one of the laziest ports from a console in recent history. But there's also the problem of how much people are reacting to this port, the port was never planned until a petition that received a huge amount of signatures gotI've found this game to be an excellent RPG game, the characters are interesting, the story and lore are rich and deep. As we all know, the PC version is probably one of the laziest ports from a console in recent history. But there's also the problem of how much people are reacting to this port, the port was never planned until a petition that received a huge amount of signatures got through to the developers who then decided to make a port to support their profits. I don't think this is a bad game, wipe the horrific port away and it's one of my most favourite games ever, but the port does bring it down. Though I also think people are overreacting, since the PC port was never apart of their plans and shouldn't be used as a basis for a review. Like how they were forced to make a PC port, we're forced to go through an unplanned port. But this lesson does leave a bright future for the next Dark Souls game. The combat is excellent and the whole thing is rewarding, and the game has a glorious multiplayer with a complex and amazing covenant system. This game is probably one of the best games on a console, but for a PC it needs to step up its game to even make a mark on the vast market. Lets hope Dark Souls II doesn't turn out the same way.… Expand
  16. ghost2512
    Jun 12, 2014
    7
    an awful pc port.. but this is to be expected communing from the developer who has never done a PC port . but regarding the game its pretty good. the one thing i love about a dark souls game is its difficulty. this could be by far one of the best RPGs ever made if they made provided if the port was decent..
  17. f0rdragon
    Dec 23, 2021
    7
    very good game with a lot of potential but poorly executed.low fps,terrible pc port and don't even bother to even test it without controller.some of the port problems can be fixed by dsfix but this isn't an excuse for these major problems.
  18. Noughtshayde
    Jul 6, 2013
    7
    Despite the fact that the developers made it hard to play the game using just the keyboard, the port was not too difficult to manage. The gameplay was still great, and despite there being a lot of lag due to my graphics card not being the best in the world, I managed to do fine without using a gamepad. The controls might seem impossible for those not used to classic keyboard controls, butDespite the fact that the developers made it hard to play the game using just the keyboard, the port was not too difficult to manage. The gameplay was still great, and despite there being a lot of lag due to my graphics card not being the best in the world, I managed to do fine without using a gamepad. The controls might seem impossible for those not used to classic keyboard controls, but for keyboard users, it is not too much of a leap to make. Overall, not the best port I have seen, but definitely not the worst, either.… Expand
  19. lukemacu
    Oct 2, 2013
    7
    Dark souls is a great game. It really is and I give a 7/10 score not because the game is bad, but rather because it's a fairly bad port. If you're going to get it on the pc make sure you have a controller for your computer. Also, it can be quite a hassle when starting it up for the first time thanks to Games For Windows Live Marketplace but a bit of searching the internet should solve that issue.
  20. Fogdale
    Mar 3, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dark Souls is a really interesting game but one hell of a difficult one.
    Sadly this difficulty doesn't always come from the tactics-based bosses and areas but more from the bad camera angles,framerates and collision boxes.

    Focusing an enemy will sometimes cause the camera to go full potato and twist around like crazy; pointing to the sky, the ground or to some enemy who is way too far away to be an actual threat.
    Sometimes one enemy will be able to lock you against a wall and make you unable to move or dodge attacks which gets really annoying if you fight a group of foes. There are some enemies (especially the mosquitos in Blighttown) who may get damage from attacks missing them but will completely ignore attacks that go right through them.
    Additionally this game is really poorly ported to the PC. The standard controls make almost no sense and it takes very long to find working keybindings. The mouse cursor will always be visible if you don't install a mod which hides him (like DSfix).
    The framerate in many areas (mainly Blighttown, Sen's Fortress and the Kiln Of The First Flame) is terrible on older PCs like mine (~15 FPS), while in other areas I got framerates of around 100 FPS without any problem.

    Overall Dark Souls is an excellent game but the PC version is haunted by way too many problems to be actually enjoyable throughout the entire game.    … Expand
  21. PessimisticMan
    Mar 20, 2015
    7
    My favorite game of all time gets a 7. The reason for this is, while it is my personal soul-mate, it is definitely not for everyone, and plenty of flawed game design is in it.
    PROS:
    + The art direction is so incredible! This is one of the main reasons my love for Dark Souls is so enormous. If you decide not to get this game - at least pick-up an art book. + 90% of the bosses are    My favorite game of all time gets a 7. The reason for this is, while it is my personal soul-mate, it is definitely not for everyone, and plenty of flawed game design is in it.
    PROS:
    + The art direction is so incredible! This is one of the main reasons my love for Dark Souls is so enormous. If you decide not to get this game - at least pick-up an art book.
    + 90% of the bosses are challenging but fair (most of them). They can be amazing, brilliant, beautiful, and sometimes (if you know the lore) tear-jerking.
    + The lore is so deep; every character has an incredible back-story, no matter how small their role. A prime example of this is Knight Lautrec of Carim, who has more story than screen-time.
    + While some levels are hot smelly trash (*cough* Blighttown *cough*), some levels are amazing, for example, the Painted World of Ariamas.
    + So many weapons, so many spells, so many upgrades, so many classes; your character is a slate for you to do what every you want with.
    CONS:
    - Some bosses (the 10%, if you will), are just stupid. Bed of Chaos is one of the most frustrating bosses ever, Priscilla can be irritating your first few playthroughs, Gwyndolin decides if you live or not. But including maybe a few others, there aren't many.
    - Some levels are dumb - just designed to make you angry: Blighttown, The Depths, The Great Hollow, Ash Lake, and the route to Manus (if you have the DLC) is another awful one. But keep in mind, again, there are some AMAZING levels in this game.
    - Invasions, they aren't fair. But at least they don't pretend to be fair.
    - The biggest learning curve in any game every. You'll be frustrated when on your first playthrough you find out you've screwed yourself by wasting humanity and leveling the wrong stats 10 hours ago.
    If you're skeptical about a purchase of this game (unfortunately there isn't a demo I can recommend), just watch a Let's Play of the game on YouTube, and decide from there. But it is my favorite game of all time, and I would recommend picking it up on sale.    … Expand
  22. Sivea
    Jan 13, 2014
    7
    Yes, this game is one of the most horrible ports I've seen in a while. They still even had the Xbox controller icons in the game. The people who are complaining about the controls are not very skilled, just an excuse to compensate for their poor performance. (These people are those idiots that buy an Alienware machine and can't clean it) Yes, at first, the controls for theYes, this game is one of the most horrible ports I've seen in a while. They still even had the Xbox controller icons in the game. The people who are complaining about the controls are not very skilled, just an excuse to compensate for their poor performance. (These people are those idiots that buy an Alienware machine and can't clean it) Yes, at first, the controls for the mouse/keyboard are just horrid. I had to reconfigure them to make it less awkward than it already is. As an avid PC gamer, you must learn to adapt; that's what I have done: On NG 3+ and have already beaten the DLC as well as Ornstein and Smough. I played on an old 5+ year old machine, Dell inspiron 530 stock with a GT210 (512mb), (constant 20- fps) no one can complain. Other than that, it's a very solid and unique game on its own. The game is more action focused than Role Playing, in which the combat delivers very well.

    Gameplay will feel very strange at first, for all the people who don't have a PS3 and have played Demon Souls probably won't have many problems. The game has a learning curve, a big one, but with a bit of bravery and practice, you will surpass that and be killing enemies and bosses with ease. When you first play the game, it is an experience you will never forget, you will push yourself to the brink of frustration. Exploration is very fun and risky but that's what makes it fun. You're taking a huge risk of dying, enemy encounters only make exploring more exciting. Landing blows are very satisfying. You feel like you're doing damage (most of the time). There are minor RPG statistical elements and pseudo-realistic elements as well: such as armor weight and armor protection, both are numbers that have an effect on you. Same with everything else in game. Leveling system is quite nice, if you have enough souls (which you collect from killing enemies or looting), you get to distribute one point into a variety of different skills to suit your play style. You can make your typical builds like any other fantasy RPG, but they are optional, you can build your character however you want. Which can lead to a terrible character if you do not properly distribute points and go for a good build. Boss battles are unique, and can be taken down in all ways if you're able to. The game can feel unfair a lot of the times. There are a nice variety of places to explore, and hardly any loading times for the scale of the map.

    One thing that makes the game all the worse is the queuing system. The queuing system is by far one of the worst I have seen in a while. Buttons seem delayed a lot of the times. Say, I'm attacking, I click twice, in the middle of that, I try to roll out; As soon as I'm done with my second attack, the enemy is going to hit me, instead of rolling, the game makes me attack again, which would result in my death; even though I wanted to roll, not attack again.

    Another huge gripe is the mouse targeting. All you do is face an enemy, middle click, then it would lock on. Simple right? To an extent, it's not that it's not simple, but how it functions most of the time. When facing more than one enemy, the lock on would spaz out and switch to both targets constantly and would most likely get you killed. This happens with the mouse sensitivity on high or low, there is no sweet spot.

    The graphics are quite nice, you would see some nice shading, but it is there to compensate for the low quality of some textures. Animations are pretty terrible, male and female characters have the same animations, even the funky "crapped your pants" idle stance. The game is too "asian" like, almost anime-esque, which is a massive turn off for me. The voice acting as well, they mind as well have that irritating japanese school girl voice in. I feel that western games just feel and look better overall. They don't have that stupidly pointless excessive-ness that (stereotypical) asian things/games/everything seem to have.

    The story feels like it almost doesn't exist. It is a very interesting story that is indirect and is solely based off of fan speculation. I wish it would be told in the actual game though, I want to know who I'm fighting, why am I fighting, who is this guy? Why is he here, what does he want? Most questions are not explained in the game, I wish they were. Interaction between characters is extremely limited. Which leads to the non-role playing part. Yes, I am my own character, but my influence feels artificial, my only influence seems to be from a strike of my sword.

    The game is overall unpolished, but still good. The game is challenging, not "lolz,i 'm so hardcore pro MLG quality" though, I played this game casually, got NG2 in less than 80 hours. A good game on it's own. I would recommend it if the player is willing to take the challenge. With the exception of the anime-esque aspects, the quality and longevity is shortened by the lack of mod support, terrible port, and Games for Windows Live.    … Expand
  23. MrSealclubber10
    Sep 13, 2018
    7
    Pretty good game with a few problems for me.
    In about 75% of the game it's a fair challenge to the player but the rest of the remaining 25%? A very unfair memory test (Those percentages are totally not made up btw)
    The first boss for example, a real thrill of a challenge that feels rewarding once you beat him. But in other cases creatures off screen will just sling a projectile or    Pretty good game with a few problems for me.
    In about 75% of the game it's a fair challenge to the player but the rest of the remaining 25%? A very unfair memory test (Those percentages are totally not made up btw)

    The first boss for example, a real thrill of a challenge that feels rewarding once you beat him.
    But
    in other cases creatures off screen will just sling a projectile or some gargantuan beast from nowhere will pounce and you're dead. No two ways about it, you're dead.
    The camera coupled with the level design can sometimes screw you over, where it'll clip behind a wall and block your complete view.
    I like a challenge, not a memory test of jump scares and OHKs.    … Expand
  24. IcecreamSnowman
    Mar 11, 2014
    7
    I had lots of fun with Dark Souls but I also got very frustrated at times. It has everything a good RPG should have. It also has some annoying repetition and grinding.

    The world is fun to explore, the enemies and environments interesting and varied enough to encourage you to go on just to see what's next. The world is progressively unlocked just by building your character until they    I had lots of fun with Dark Souls but I also got very frustrated at times. It has everything a good RPG should have. It also has some annoying repetition and grinding.

    The world is fun to explore, the enemies and environments interesting and varied enough to encourage you to go on just to see what's next. The world is progressively unlocked just by building your character until they can triumph where once they had been beaten to a pulp. I found it very satisfying to beat an area which had been much to hard for me a day ago.

    There's always something on the horizon goading you on - a boss you couldn't kill, a weapon you can't quite use properly, an item you can see off in the distance but can't reach. This all works very nicely to keep you playing without getting bored.

    Some more good points: there are no endless conversation trees, there's actually very little dialogue at all; enemies don't speak, so no repeated one liners; the difficulty curve keeps you challenged but not stuck (generally).

    BUT, and this is a big stinky but(t), I didn't like having to trek back through the same area with the same enemies every sodding time a boss killed me. I'd often spend longer getting to a boss than actually fighting it. This game could benefit immeasurably from a simple "Restart Boss?" button. This isn't a gripe at the difficulty, I like that the bosses are big and tough and can crush you with their pinky finger, because then I feel I've earned their XP etc. when I finally beat them. I just don't see why I need to fight the same small enemies ad nauseam just to get another round. "OK," I said "time to go grind some levels."

    I don't like grinding: a game should be fun, not work, and I don't buy into the thinking that if you haven't spent long enough murdering the same helpless group of enemies then you don't deserve to see the rest of the game you paid good money for. In this game you'll have to grind for XP and materials to improve weapons and armour. All that stuff should stay in the realms of MMORPGs where I don't have to go anywhere near it.

    These points fit with the lore but the lore shouldn't detract from game play - that's just pretentious and poor design.

    Overall a very good RPG which suffers from two very prominent annoyances.    … Expand
  25. limelikegreen
    Mar 11, 2014
    7
    You're going to die, you're going to want to throw things across the room and that's the point of buying this game. I love challenge, but I love challenge that comes from the game itself.

    The poor porting to the PC version leaves much to be desired. Controls are non-intuitive and difficult to understand. I got it on sale over Steam so it was a great deal for the playtime that I got    You're going to die, you're going to want to throw things across the room and that's the point of buying this game. I love challenge, but I love challenge that comes from the game itself.

    The poor porting to the PC version leaves much to be desired. Controls are non-intuitive and difficult to understand. I got it on sale over Steam so it was a great deal for the playtime that I got out of it, I just wish I wasn't fighting the controls and interface as much as the impossible monsters and bosses in the game.    … Expand
  26. JE5U5INCOGNITO
    Mar 30, 2014
    7
    I actually admire a game that challenges its players but Dark Souls goes too far. It often feels like you are not fighting the characters in the game but the game itself. The Controls are sloppy, even on a 360 controller, and many times you wind up doing something you didn't want to do. Beware of any form of combat on a precarious position, for you may end up performing an attack onI actually admire a game that challenges its players but Dark Souls goes too far. It often feels like you are not fighting the characters in the game but the game itself. The Controls are sloppy, even on a 360 controller, and many times you wind up doing something you didn't want to do. Beware of any form of combat on a precarious position, for you may end up performing an attack on accident that will cause you to fall to your death (this happens A LOT). There is no guidance in the game, so besides hacking bad guy after bad guy, I have no idea what I am doing. All enemies (except bosses) re spawn whenever you rest at a bonfire, removing any satisfaction from killing them. The comment system with which other players can leave warnings/adivce in your world is either useless or hurtful because they are so limited that you have no idea what they are talking about until after you have encountered the enemy ( some jerks put a "try jumping" hint near a cliff just to make you fall). Upon death, your re spawn at your bonfire, meaning that you lose all your souls AND enemies re spawn too, which could lead to an infinite loop of death...besides all this, it is still a fun game, just frustrating and difficult. The difficulty wouldn't be so bad if you could fight it, but since half of the problem is with the game itself you cant.… Expand
  27. mrtbonesteak
    Apr 1, 2014
    7
    It's a horrible port and a game specifically made for the restrictions of a console. That being said, in hindsight it was worth all the headaches. It took me a few hours to get this game working properly on a PC with an azerty keyboard. After all that, the controls were still subpar and every gameplay tip was displayed with the controller keys in mind. I still wanted to experience thisIt's a horrible port and a game specifically made for the restrictions of a console. That being said, in hindsight it was worth all the headaches. It took me a few hours to get this game working properly on a PC with an azerty keyboard. After all that, the controls were still subpar and every gameplay tip was displayed with the controller keys in mind. I still wanted to experience this game because of all the good things I heard about it.

    After playing it for a few days, I can safely say that not just the port but also the difficulty of the entire game is vastly overrated. A lot of the difficulty comes down to quirks and limitations of the game mechanics and controls. Weapons hitting walls but no option to stab instead of swing, extremely bad hitboxes especially in some Boss battles, horrible camera angles and so on. Worst of all was the horrific targeting system. No self respecting PC gamer should be forced to use something as dumb and simplifying as an auto targeting system. If I played careful and focused, I rarely died more than once to a Boss mechanic or even a certain area. Atleast for me, a lot of the difficulty was artificial and it all came down to game and console limitations. I would have prefered if they would have added save points right before Boss battles, it's not a challenge to walk back to a Boss everytime you died, it's a waste of time. I have played RPG's that were, with the right difficulty settings, just as hard as this game but didn't have these annoying limitations.

    All these annoying quirks aside, the game is actually pretty solid. Engaging combat mechanics (despite the hitboxes on Bosses), great atmosphere, a very mysterious and hostile environment and some fun RPG elements. If you can ignore all those annoying things and persist till you can atleast manage the crappy controls, it's an addictive game. It can indeed be a frustrating experience, especially with the controls, but it wasn't the (partially artificial) difficulty that stood out to me. It was the engaging world, fun combat and the appeal of slow but steady progress.    … Expand
  28. thederekman
    May 23, 2014
    7
    Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty Empty.
  29. smilzoboboz
    Nov 11, 2015
    7
    The game is definitely good, challenging and with a nice and dark setting, but controls/bugs (only partially fixed with mods) kept me away from this title for a long time.

    When you release a game for PC, players expect to find 2 things, mostly: graphical options and working controls for mouse/keyboard (and eventually a controller too). This game actually lacks both (non-modded    The game is definitely good, challenging and with a nice and dark setting, but controls/bugs (only partially fixed with mods) kept me away from this title for a long time.

    When you release a game for PC, players expect to find 2 things, mostly: graphical options and working controls for mouse/keyboard (and eventually a controller too).
    This game actually lacks both (non-modded mouse-look makes you puke hard after few minutes of gameplay).
    After I switched to v2.0-beta, installed DSFix, DSMfix, KB+M icons and hi-res fonts it still isn't good: I can change graphical options and the mouse-look works "better" but it's definitely not enough to make me enjoy this game with KB+M.
    I know it is clearly stated that an xbox controller is strongly recommended, but again I think that for any PC game, working keyboard + mouse support is mandatory (along with basic graphical quality options). It's a pity we have to get what developers were supposed to do through unofficial mods.

    So, this PC port is still one of the worst ports I have ever played, but after you manage to get it playable modding/tuning graphic and control settings, I can easily say it's a gem, one of the 10 out of 10 that keep yourself playing hours and hours, amazed by atmosphere, story-telling and gameplay.

    In the end I'd say I totally recommend this game to hardcore action-rpg lovers but think twice before buying if you don't have a controller.
    Also, to my linux fellas: the game runs stable with staging wine, no framedrops.    … Expand
  30. gloriouspotato
    Jan 23, 2016
    7
    First thing to say is that DSfix and a controller are pretty much a necessity for this game considering how much of a shoddy port it is. Without this mod and with kb/m, I probably would've rated my Dark Souls experience a 5/10 at best. Even with the fix in place, there are a couple graphical issues such as screen tearing, and performance can become unbearably bad in some segments even withFirst thing to say is that DSfix and a controller are pretty much a necessity for this game considering how much of a shoddy port it is. Without this mod and with kb/m, I probably would've rated my Dark Souls experience a 5/10 at best. Even with the fix in place, there are a couple graphical issues such as screen tearing, and performance can become unbearably bad in some segments even with high-end hardware (Seath the Scaleless boss battle comes to mind). Fortunately, these instances aren't commonplace and I was able to maintain 60fps most of the time.

    With regards to the presentation of the game, I thought the visuals and sound quality were unremarkable, even by 2011 standards. The level design was for the most part quite good, and I did like how interconnected the various areas of the game were. Many reviewers seem to praise the hidden backstory of Dark Souls as if it's some superior form of storytelling. While I do find the idea innovative in a sense, I do wish that the overarching story could be a little more cohesive and less up to interpretation. At best, the player finds small, disconnected snippets of lore from which the wider Dark Souls community have made vast extrapolations in order to produce some semblance of a timeline of events. I'm willing to bet that for most players, had they not consulted a wiki or accessed an online synopsis, they would've been quite lost in terms of the story, and wouldn't know that areas such as the Great Hollow or Ash Lake existed. My point is, while the plot that is deemed 'correct' by online consensus is a decent one, its delivery is too inaccessible.

    The gameplay mechanics are generally pretty solid. Combat system is decent, and there are some exploration and RPG elements. My complaints in this area include the lack of explanation of several mechanics such as rolling speeds, having longer/shorter parrying windows for particular shields, effect of humanity on item discovery and resistances etc. Enemy AI pathfinding also isn't very good, as seen when enemies roll off cliffs or get stuck walking up staircases. There are also a few enemies and bosses that felt 'cheap' in their design, usually due to forcing the camera into awkward angles in enclosed and narrow spaces (eg: Capra Demon, Centipede Demon). The difficulty is something that is often praised though I'm also not sure why this is so. While I don't object to hard games, it's not something I'll give free brownie points for. The game was challenging but not overly so. Like I said, some instances felt cheap, but otherwise with enough patience every obstacle in Dark Souls can be overcome.

    Overall rating - 7.1/10    … 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

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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.
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  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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