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. switchback
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    TL;DR: Use a controller, and the graphic fix and this game is awesome.

    --- I have never given a review on Metacritic before but felt it was important to review this game due to all the surrounding "controversy". THE GAME itself is AWESOME. THE PORT was HORRIBLE (depending on your expectations). It's a 1:1 direct port to PC. Everyone wanted to play this game on PC and now you can,    TL;DR: Use a controller, and the graphic fix and this game is awesome.

    ---

    I have never given a review on Metacritic before but felt it was important to review this game due to all the surrounding "controversy".

    THE GAME itself is AWESOME. THE PORT was HORRIBLE (depending on your expectations). It's a 1:1 direct port to PC. Everyone wanted to play this game on PC and now you can, with a few caveats.

    IMPORTANT:
    To enjoy this game you MUST use a controller. The game goes from a horrible, unplayable, direct port. To a fun, exciting, easy to control game. Also, it is imperative that you download the graphic fix. Before this fix the game felt like it was straight out of 2000. With the fix, while it's no Skyrim, the graphics get a much needed boost, and become quite beautiful.

    PRE controller/graphics rating: 1
    POST controller/graphics rating: 9

    I wanted to do this to help people who are on the fence about this game, because while it is a direct port (some may say a lazy port) the ONLY things you need to do are a very minor graphic fix, and use a controller... I don't think thats too much to ask to enjoy a game of this caliber.    … Expand
  2. LestatV3
    Sep 11, 2012
    10
    You should definitely play this game. But remember, when you play you have to want to get better or you'll only frustrate yourself.

    Don't be afraid of the children raging about the controls just because they couldn't lower the camera sensitivity on the options menu. Several people already played and beaten this game on full keyboard and keyboard+mouse controls. Some even preffer not    You should definitely play this game. But remember, when you play you have to want to get better or you'll only frustrate yourself.

    Don't be afraid of the children raging about the controls just because they couldn't lower the camera sensitivity on the options menu. Several people already played and beaten this game on full keyboard and keyboard+mouse controls. Some even preffer not using a controler.

    Some people rage about the game being unfair and stupid while they try to play the game without learning the basic combat mechanics, without blocking, without locking target or trying to rush everything spaming the attack button on a game where you have a stamina bar. Enough said, the game expects you to analize your sorroundings before proceeding, to take one enemy at time, to learn how to deal with each enemy and each location and to learn from your mistakes, something that some people just can't.

    Expect to die. That's part of the game not the end of it. That's how you learn to play the game: by dying and experimenting; observing enemy patterns, learning to parry attacks or when desperate calling help from other players online. Talking to the community, wanting to learn how to play the game and upgrading your gear is also for the best. If you have doubts, don't hesitate to ask. All veteran have once suffered before.    … Expand
  3. kappamerc
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Due to the bad port, I'd give this 8/10. However, adding the graphical mod and using a controller make both of my main issues with the game a non-issue. Since there are people out there giving 0's I am making this a 10.

    Assuming you are playing with a controller (first time I've ever hooked my xbox controller up to my PC but totally worth it) -The controls feel great. -The graphics    Due to the bad port, I'd give this 8/10. However, adding the graphical mod and using a controller make both of my main issues with the game a non-issue. Since there are people out there giving 0's I am making this a 10.

    Assuming you are playing with a controller (first time I've ever hooked my xbox controller up to my PC but totally worth it)
    -The controls feel great.
    -The graphics are good once modded.
    -The gameplay is solid, not once did I die and think, "Well that was unfair."
    -Combat has weight and strategy.
    -The world is dark medieval fantasy at its best.
    -Boss fights are grand, epic, challenging, and rewarding once taken down.
    -Armor is interesting.
    -Weapons look neat and feel distinct.
    -Difficulty is just right.
    -Death is an expected teaching mechanic. -You are punished for making bad decisions but through those decisions you come up with new ideas. -This game punishes you with death for making bad decisions but it rewards you for playing smart.
    -Each encounter is consistent, deliberate, and gives the player plenty of opportunity to make the right decisions.

    At the end of the day, Dark Souls delivers the same experience as consoles but with some extra content, a faster framerate, cheaper price point, and the potential to pickup a mod for higher resolution textures.

    Play this with a USB controller, my xbox controller had no issues syncing up for this game. I highly recommend people play this game on any system they can get their hands on. Just make sure your have a controller if you get the PC version.    … Expand
  4. aaaaaaa
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    The atmosphere of this game is amazing, with a minimalistic plot everything in the world is excessively dark. I can't imagine Dark Souls being less difficult, unforgiving, it teaches you that life is more suffering than pleasure, more failure than success. But if you are persistent enough you will be awarded with a pure sense of jubilation. Nothing else in gaming compares to this experience.
  5. ozorxoron
    Oct 16, 2016
    10
    Years later and this is still the best Souls game, it has some balancing with weapons and paticular builds and lag issues but they don't hinder what is one of the best action RPG's ever made.
  6. aksu113
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Bad Pc port and hard controls but still i really enjoy of this game
  7. LtVanzi
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    The game itself is a great RPG, it is however quite difficult - the combat system will get you killed pretty often, the boss fights are tough (assuming you play without reading spoilers), there are also no maps in game and every death puts you back at last checkpoint while also respawning all monsters. Now, keep in mind this is a CONSOLE PORT. It was meant to be a console port and it is aThe game itself is a great RPG, it is however quite difficult - the combat system will get you killed pretty often, the boss fights are tough (assuming you play without reading spoilers), there are also no maps in game and every death puts you back at last checkpoint while also respawning all monsters. Now, keep in mind this is a CONSOLE PORT. It was meant to be a console port and it is a console port. You need a gamepad (I used Razer Onza) to really enjoy the controls. Also make sure to get the Durante's mod that unlock internal buffer size - it's a must have! Out of the box the game looks horribly on 1080p screen, after switching the buffer size to 3840x2160px it's a completely different game!… Expand
  8. Q8eZy
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Pc gamers give pc gamers a bad name. One of the best games of all time down voted because it is the exact same as the console (not entirely true, extra content + durante's rez fix + better frame rates make this the ultimate version). Just goes to show that PC gamers dont actually like great games, they like epeen things like $1000 video cards and 3-monitor setups. Meh, their loss.
  9. cmoyano
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    the game is amazing. amazing enough to get a 9 or 10. the port is crap, but the resolution fix from durante has saved form software from a catastrophe and it may as well make them some money. i have seen plenty of people double dipping just because of this resolution fix. myself included. if thats what it takes to get this game to have good sales, thats fine. maybe we can all hopethe game is amazing. amazing enough to get a 9 or 10. the port is crap, but the resolution fix from durante has saved form software from a catastrophe and it may as well make them some money. i have seen plenty of people double dipping just because of this resolution fix. myself included. if thats what it takes to get this game to have good sales, thats fine. maybe we can all hope about a good next game in the series coming to pc. dark souls gets a 10. port gets a 5.… Expand
  10. Groshonee
    Aug 24, 2012
    9
    Well, us PC gamers asked for it and we got it. Dark Souls - Prepare to Die is just as fun as the original console game, with the added bonus of several hours worth of new content. However, it's dragged down somewhat by quality of the port. Granted, this is the first ever PC port From Soft has attempted, so they ported it with the intention that it was to be played with a PC gamepad.Well, us PC gamers asked for it and we got it. Dark Souls - Prepare to Die is just as fun as the original console game, with the added bonus of several hours worth of new content. However, it's dragged down somewhat by quality of the port. Granted, this is the first ever PC port From Soft has attempted, so they ported it with the intention that it was to be played with a PC gamepad. Keyboard and mouse controls are kind of clumsy, but still tolerable.… Expand
  11. kofelovr
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Great game with a basic port. It is well worth whatever minor inconvenience the port poses to be able to play this unbelievably great game. Personally, i just got a gamepad and all problems were solved. Thanks so much to the developer for bringing this to the PC platform.
  12. Pierson
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    For those coming from the shiny generic tale of Diablo III, Dark Souls takes an approach to story in the same vein as Diablo II: The world has been created and populated with a great background, but it is up to you to find it, instead of it being shoved into your face with endless cut-scenes and minutes-long exposition. The game itself is strict but fair; any mistakes made will be punishedFor those coming from the shiny generic tale of Diablo III, Dark Souls takes an approach to story in the same vein as Diablo II: The world has been created and populated with a great background, but it is up to you to find it, instead of it being shoved into your face with endless cut-scenes and minutes-long exposition. The game itself is strict but fair; any mistakes made will be punished severely but the game will never cheat. Similar to Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, you will get to the end of the game not by brute-forcing it, but by becoming a better player. It is one of the most rewarding games to play on PC.

    It is just a shame that such an amazing game has been let down by one of the worst ports in memory, regardless of the player-made fixes available.    … Expand
  13. Bledwings
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Its strange that this game was release in only 720p, a shame really.... don't let that discourage you though.
    you see this game is still just as amazing as before and the new content is every bit completely worth it! although im obviously not going to spoil that.
    Let me add that there is a patch that puts this game into 1080p and i have to say the game looks amazing now that Ive applied    Its strange that this game was release in only 720p, a shame really.... don't let that discourage you though.
    you see this game is still just as amazing as before and the new content is every bit completely worth it! although im obviously not going to spoil that.
    Let me add that there is a patch that puts this game into 1080p and i have to say the game looks amazing now that Ive applied this patch hopefully the developers will release it as an official patch now that its been created.    … Expand
  14. Ezekial
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    This game is a direct console port. They didn't even remap the Xbox buttons to interact with things. But that's ok, they still released a PC version by community request. I highly recommend playing this game with a Xbox controller, or a PS3 controller using MotionJoy DS3 Tool to emulate a Xbox controller--this is what I do, and it plays perfectly like the PS3 version. Next thing IThis game is a direct console port. They didn't even remap the Xbox buttons to interact with things. But that's ok, they still released a PC version by community request. I highly recommend playing this game with a Xbox controller, or a PS3 controller using MotionJoy DS3 Tool to emulate a Xbox controller--this is what I do, and it plays perfectly like the PS3 version. Next thing I recommend is to get the community made resolution fix located here: http://blog.metaclassofnil.com/?p=108

    The difference is unbelievable, and will make your game look phenomenal.    … Expand
  15. PC-Gamer-Fan
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    Superb game & decent enough port what are you waiting for buy it now. PC version is way better than the console versions its the definitive version of this superb game. There is a lot of misinformation about this being a poor port its not at all. Its certainly not the best looking game ever made but also with the upscaling graphical mods (check the neogaf forums) now available it looksSuperb game & decent enough port what are you waiting for buy it now. PC version is way better than the console versions its the definitive version of this superb game. There is a lot of misinformation about this being a poor port its not at all. Its certainly not the best looking game ever made but also with the upscaling graphical mods (check the neogaf forums) now available it looks very good in places & is very well optimised on PC. The higher resolution alone makes it look a lot better than the console but throw in the mods, AF filtering, instant load times, vsync & smooth FPS combine to make it a decent enough technical experience. Its designed around the MS 360 gamepad & wokrs very well with that. KB+mouse is not the best way to play this but still possible. This game has superb atmosphere, art direction, voice acting & creature/work designs. One of the best games ever made & also one of the hardest its not an easy game but also not as challenging as others its more about exploration & making the right choices. GFWL works very well here but most of the time you will not even notice its present apart from the achievements appearing onscreen (you can even disable these notifications if you do not want to break atmosphere). Ignore the BS & hate campaigns against this game its one of the best ever made & just has a unique & superb atmosphere. Only a 3.7GB install as the game is so well optimised & the textures highly compressed. No pointless lengthy FMV here or dialog to waste disc space its so the install size is small but the game world is still pretty large.… Expand
  16. kitoro
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    It's Dark Souls, on pc and it's a 10. It's an exact port of the best console game/ game of this generation. Seriously ignore the high pitched girlyman resolution/keyboard/mouse/gfwl/consoleportomfgshtuup background whine and just buy an xbox gamepad. I really really wish i could be playing it again for the first time just to experience it with fresh eyes. It has a game world full of weirdIt's Dark Souls, on pc and it's a 10. It's an exact port of the best console game/ game of this generation. Seriously ignore the high pitched girlyman resolution/keyboard/mouse/gfwl/consoleportomfgshtuup background whine and just buy an xbox gamepad. I really really wish i could be playing it again for the first time just to experience it with fresh eyes. It has a game world full of weird mystery, memorable characters and some of the most awesome and imaginative bosses and combat ever. It hints where other games crap exposition over you, and a winding twisting design to the levels that really impresses once you understand what is going on.

    There is nothing remotely close to this on pc.    … Expand
  17. Xen-Masta
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    This is exactly what we were promised. If you are disappointed, then that is your fault. The game looks and basically plays the same as it did on the 10 year old console hardware that it was originally developed for. Of course it doesn't look like a new state of the art PC game. Also, if you came into this thinking that you were going to play on a keyboard, and are now complainingThis is exactly what we were promised. If you are disappointed, then that is your fault. The game looks and basically plays the same as it did on the 10 year old console hardware that it was originally developed for. Of course it doesn't look like a new state of the art PC game. Also, if you came into this thinking that you were going to play on a keyboard, and are now complaining about the controls...you're an idiot, straight up. Did you know/read nothing about this game before purchasing it? Thanks to From-Software for listening to it's consumers and actually releasing this.… Expand
  18. Tata
    Aug 24, 2012
    8
    It's all Bulletstorm again, where GFWL ruins an otherwise great game. Now, add the console port issues to that and you've got one of the biggest mess of a game this year. If I had to rate the vanilla game, I'd give it a 0 or 1. They absolutely took ZERO time to make this run better on the PC. What's funnier, a group of game developers (console experts or not) can't do, what a modder can doIt's all Bulletstorm again, where GFWL ruins an otherwise great game. Now, add the console port issues to that and you've got one of the biggest mess of a game this year. If I had to rate the vanilla game, I'd give it a 0 or 1. They absolutely took ZERO time to make this run better on the PC. What's funnier, a group of game developers (console experts or not) can't do, what a modder can do in 23 minutes, at all. The game itself is good, though the combat is almost identical with The Witcher 2's difficulty and combat, it's just as enjoyable. Cinematics are good, so is exploration and character customization, but god, the menus and the tutorials are atrocius. The guy who had the idea to make the End button the one which brings the menu up instead of Escape should be fired. I actually had to Alt+Tab and search how to open the menu, just like the inventory menu in Skyrim.
    To make this short, it's a great game, but GFWL and the issues I mentioned make this game very unfriendly. If you are patient enough to wait until modders fix the game or the developers use the modders' works as patches, then wait. If you're completely fed up with GFWL, I suggest pirating is the way to go. I swore that Bulletstorm will be the last game I buy that uses GFWL, and sadly, I had to keep this promise, since there is no DRM free version. It's sad that Namco Bandai choose to go EA's way, meaning the DRM and no optimization.    … Expand
  19. donki
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    All the complaints about the bad keyboard & mouse controls infuriate me. This game is MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH A CONTROLLER. I too, hate the fact that the PC controls suck... But this is a non-issue if you plug in a controller. I would give this game 11 / 10 just to make up for the low ratings from people who are to dumb to plug in a controller. This is the best. gaming. experience. Ive.All the complaints about the bad keyboard & mouse controls infuriate me. This game is MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH A CONTROLLER. I too, hate the fact that the PC controls suck... But this is a non-issue if you plug in a controller. I would give this game 11 / 10 just to make up for the low ratings from people who are to dumb to plug in a controller. This is the best. gaming. experience. Ive. ever. had. When playing Dark Souls, I feel like being young again and sitting in front of the old Zelda titles, immersed in the game. I just want to say thank you to the developers... Thank you.… Expand
  20. Lysh
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    This game is not a great port, but it's not a terrible one either. Despite what some people would have you believe, you don't have to have a controller to play this PC game. Having analogue sticks would certainly make controlling a bit more precise, but I've had no problems playing with keyboard alone. The default config is working fine for me, but the keys are completely remappableThis game is not a great port, but it's not a terrible one either. Despite what some people would have you believe, you don't have to have a controller to play this PC game. Having analogue sticks would certainly make controlling a bit more precise, but I've had no problems playing with keyboard alone. The default config is working fine for me, but the keys are completely remappable in-game, so there's really no excuses to complain about the controls. It's true that the in-game prompts don't display the keyboard keys, but if you can't even be bothered to read the manual and see what the controls are before playing a game you're not qualified to write a review for it in my opinion. Despite the minor issues I feel this game is fully deserving of a 10/10 based on the gameplay alone. This is the sort of thing all games should aspire to be.… Expand
  21. JosephR
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    To all people who are downrating it because the game because it is a port. I have to ask, what did you expect, Fromsoftware is an EXTREMELY small company who barely had the manpower to make the game for ps3 and xbox. If they wanted to make a perfect pc port, they would have had to rewrite the entire code for the game, by themselves, which would have been impossible. Fromsoftware gaveTo all people who are downrating it because the game because it is a port. I have to ask, what did you expect, Fromsoftware is an EXTREMELY small company who barely had the manpower to make the game for ps3 and xbox. If they wanted to make a perfect pc port, they would have had to rewrite the entire code for the game, by themselves, which would have been impossible. Fromsoftware gave the information that it would be a port from xbox before it was released and anyone who didn't know this, or rather is downrating because of it, shouldn't be a little **** about it… Expand
  22. Mathute87
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    LOL at those giving it a bad score just because you suck at it. Ungrateful PC players trashing a game that the DEVELOPERS THEMSELVES already said that they weren't fully developing for PC. It's a decent to bad port, but plays just like on console with a Xbox Controller. Areas where frames used to drop don't drop anymore (Blighttown, Demon's Ruins),

    Just because you're bad at the game,    LOL at those giving it a bad score just because you suck at it. Ungrateful PC players trashing a game that the DEVELOPERS THEMSELVES already said that they weren't fully developing for PC. It's a decent to bad port, but plays just like on console with a Xbox Controller. Areas where frames used to drop don't drop anymore (Blighttown, Demon's Ruins),

    Just because you're bad at the game, and because it isn't shiny, don't whine. Ungrateful PC players :) as usual. Go play Battlefield 3 or Skyrim (easy games that hold your hand and have a no-need-to-think gameplay). You weren't even supossed to get this game. Ever. Now I hope next time you don't get nothing at all. Whine some more.    … Expand
  23. DickTracy
    May 9, 2016
    8
    Dark Souls breaks a cardinal rule of RPGs: you can beat it without leveling. But only if you’re really good, and only if you understand its systems perfectly—that its crafting system matters, that certain items can be obtained only by fulfilling obfuscated quests. Or you can just play as Pyromancer. In a genre where systems are king, Dark Souls reigns because it’s all about systems. JustDark Souls breaks a cardinal rule of RPGs: you can beat it without leveling. But only if you’re really good, and only if you understand its systems perfectly—that its crafting system matters, that certain items can be obtained only by fulfilling obfuscated quests. Or you can just play as Pyromancer. In a genre where systems are king, Dark Souls reigns because it’s all about systems. Just learning how each stat affects your character’s build is a process deeper than most D&D-themed RPGs, but it’s ultimately just as rewarding.

    So is discovering the rich lore of Lordran, which is told through cryptic conversations and subtle environmental clues. The depth of Dark Souls' world carries over into exploration, too. Everything is connected brilliantly, and secrets and shortcuts—including massive hidden areas and features—await the most dedicated adventurers. Dark Souls' summoning system is also unlike anything else in RPGs, but you can unplug and beat the whole game solo, or learn to love being invaded and fighting off another player.

    You died. Mostly because it's a terrible port to PC; you're punished for trying to play with mouse+keynoard. The line where the fun of masochistically being killed time and again and suffering defeat because of the horrible port had to be drawn somewhere. Use a controller and get the graphic fix to alleviate the problems. Still dying? Git Gud.    … Expand
  24. Imsomniwight
    Jan 8, 2013
    9
    Dark Souls is a bad PC-port but it's not unplayable. Playing with a keyboard and a mouse is possible but not easy (with a controller it's a lot easier).There is no excuse for these problems and as you're playing it becomes clear that the developers did not put any effort into making the game suitable for PC. You have to resort to community-created fixes and mods to get past the problemsDark Souls is a bad PC-port but it's not unplayable. Playing with a keyboard and a mouse is possible but not easy (with a controller it's a lot easier).There is no excuse for these problems and as you're playing it becomes clear that the developers did not put any effort into making the game suitable for PC. You have to resort to community-created fixes and mods to get past the problems that they should've taken care of but apparently were too lazy to. Even the tutorial is for people with X-Box controllers and the mouse is always jittery.

    The game is difficult but that's basically the trademark of Dark Souls so I don't consider that a negative. It was meant to be hard and it's clearly not meant to be played by casual gamers seeking purely entertainment. The game doesn't tell you the story the traditional way - by handing it for you on a silver platter. Instead you have to be interested yourself - you need to combine the pieces you got from talking to NPCs, reading item descriptions, looking at the game environment and deducing into a story. Not a groundbreaking story but a decent story.

    One thing I absolutely love about this game is the bosses. Oftentimes they do not really have any ties to the story but they are so difficult that beating them feels rewarding, like you truly accomplished something. The people who designed the bosses had a good imagination; each and every boss is interesting and unique. Not that there are any complaints about your everyday enemies in this game.

    Gameplay is absolutely fantastic and that's a good thing because that's what this game is completely based around. You don't need to sit through 30-min cutscenes, instead you can play the game itself and that's all you need to ever do. You are fighting enemies more powerful than yourself so combat is not just mindless button mashing. In combat, you have many options and not just "boring attack 1" and "boring attack 2" and to win you need to know how to use all the different mechanics. You need to be patient and getting from point A to point B is never easy as enemies never disappear - they respawn always if you rest at a checkpoint.

    If you're looking for a challenge and a certain old RPG-charm (and you can stand playing the game with a keyboard and mouse or you are ready to buy a controller which you shouldn't have had to buy) then you've found your game.    … Expand
  25. Omaeka
    Sep 21, 2012
    8
    **Short Version: I went into Skyrim, had a ton of fun and walked out feeling like a little kid with a wooden stick and a plastic plate for a shield. I came out of Dark Souls feeling like a man who took on the world and won. It is a horrible port, but when a game is this good it really doesn't matter as the community had fixed it before the first week was finished. || **Long Version: Ignore**Short Version: I went into Skyrim, had a ton of fun and walked out feeling like a little kid with a wooden stick and a plastic plate for a shield. I came out of Dark Souls feeling like a man who took on the world and won. It is a horrible port, but when a game is this good it really doesn't matter as the community had fixed it before the first week was finished. || **Long Version: Ignore any review that complains about the resolution or about how its unplayable on your mouse and keyboard. This is the ultimate RPG experience for anybody with a brain, as all you need is a 1 megabyte mod extracted into the root directory of the game and a controller of some kind, which is a must have regardless of what games you play. A miniscule amount of effort will enable you to experience the game in beautiful 1080p with high quality SSAO and SMAA which makes it look as good as most PC titles. The games mechanics are flawless to say the least, with a large amount of risk vs reward that leaves you feeling like you actually accomplished something without the entire world screaming 'HAIL DRAGONBORN, YOU ARE OUR HERO!'. The arsenal of weapons and armors are just as impressive as everything else in the game. You can wear a leather trenchcoat and wield a 40kg crossbow which fires bolts big enough to skewer a bear, and instantly swap to a 8 foot long katana. If that isn't your style though you can always wear armor the size of a truck and dual wield greatswords. The people who slander this game for things that you can fix in less than a minute really should get it for console, right after selling their PC and never infecting the platform with their lazy, misinformed, inane babble.… Expand
  26. Haon
    Sep 27, 2012
    8
    Might be tl:dr, but whatever. First off, this game is more like an 8.5/8.75, but, whatever. After playing quite a bit of Dark Souls now (never played it on the Xbox/PS3), I feel like the need to opine on this "masterpiece." The game is definitely fun and it's a hell of a game. I'll be playing all through the semester. However, I would not bring this up to the level of "masterpiece"Might be tl:dr, but whatever. First off, this game is more like an 8.5/8.75, but, whatever. After playing quite a bit of Dark Souls now (never played it on the Xbox/PS3), I feel like the need to opine on this "masterpiece." The game is definitely fun and it's a hell of a game. I'll be playing all through the semester. However, I would not bring this up to the level of "masterpiece" by any stretch. First and foremost, this is a game by gamers for gamers. For people outside the hardcore gaming community, there is almost nothing going for the game. The graphics are decent, but not spectacular; the story isn't bad, but it's poorly told; and the gameplay is repetative. Let me expound on the story a little. It ain't there for ya. You've got to find it. But when you do, the acting and the dialouge are meh, so there's a lot less incentive to look for the hidden pieces. (As contrast, consider the hidden dialouge of the Mass Effect series and the incredible writings - as in the books - of The Elder Scrolls and the original Deus Ex; I consider these much better examples of quality hidden plotlines). Also, the lack of connection between the different sequences leaves you scratching your head. I appreciate digging to find a story, but the inability to direct your search in any meaningful way means you're missing a ton unless you have outside help. Next, and this a big one for all us gamers, I don't find this game hard. Sure, you die a lot, but that doesn't make it hard in the technical sense. The mechanics of the game are straightforward and the controls easy to master. The environment does throw curveballs at you, but the reality of it is that a little examination of an area and the enemies removes any tricks. In particular, enemy attacks are all identical in type (if not form): blockable and unblockable. It's not rocket science to figure out. There are still tactical choices to make involving positioning and stamina level, but once you figure out that you can block even crazy looking attacks (noted: with a 100% DR shield, but these are actually quite common) the gameplay difficult degenerates significantly. Finally, I don't care what people say, this game cheats, just like any other. Things like getting hit through walls, thrusting straight forward when you're locked onto a flying enemy ABOVE YOU (I will never go back to Blightown... stupid annoying bugs that refuse to get hit), and horrible camera placement at inopportune moments kill you just as much as poor gaming on your part. So why am I giving this an 8.5? It's a blast to kill things, the leveling mechanic is solid, the multiplayer/community is flat out brilliant, and the loot/weapon/armor/smithing is decent. It's not that this is a bad game. But it's lacking the technical difficulty of other hardcore games and the atmosphere and story(telling) of "easier" games. In the end, it's just a game, and one that I am more than happy to waste my time on.… Expand
  27. bob13bob
    Apr 10, 2013
    10
    There are issues to this port. Google: steam dark souls tweak. It will lead you to a guide which fixes many of hte problems. my graphics improved greatly, and fps improved greatly.

    Been gaming since chrono trigger on the Snes. In terms of best single player game, this ties with chrono trigger. In terms of best gameplay in a single player game, this is it. The game is hard, and    There are issues to this port. Google: steam dark souls tweak. It will lead you to a guide which fixes many of hte problems. my graphics improved greatly, and fps improved greatly.

    Been gaming since chrono trigger on the Snes. In terms of best single player game, this ties with chrono trigger. In terms of best gameplay in a single player game, this is it. The game is hard, and you learn by dying. And it's awesome. You have to pay attention to every fight, or you can die to the smallest creature. The combat is challenging. For the first time, I feel like I'm actually exploring. There is no map, so you have to pay attention to your surroundings.

    This is the first single player game I've send more then twenty hours playing in years. Others may be pretty, but theyare boring.    … Expand
  28. Doghin
    Dec 27, 2012
    9
    I believe that the official reviewers should have given the game reduced scores for the poor port: controls and graphics, but I bought a controller, used the patch and this game is amazing.
  29. fhouse
    Jan 2, 2014
    8
    I hated this game with all my heart, but after 10 hours, somehow I got hooked.
    If you think it's too hard, I recommend you to loosely follow a guide to help you where to go and what to do.
    I have a controller, I love to use it, and the DSfix does wonders.
  30. Yutoh
    Mar 26, 2013
    10
    Plug in a controller, install the DSfix mod to play the game at 60fps, and enjoy this game as it was meant to be played. The Dark Souls/Demon's Souls games are some of my favorite games of all time. The challenge is very rewarding. The story isn't spoon-fed to the player like most other games out there. Instead, the player needs to be observant, investigate by talking to npcs, and look atPlug in a controller, install the DSfix mod to play the game at 60fps, and enjoy this game as it was meant to be played. The Dark Souls/Demon's Souls games are some of my favorite games of all time. The challenge is very rewarding. The story isn't spoon-fed to the player like most other games out there. Instead, the player needs to be observant, investigate by talking to npcs, and look at item descriptions to uncover the many gems about the Dark Souls world. I have played this game on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. I will say the PC version is the best if you go through the 5 minutes of work to polish this game by installing dsfix. Make sure you read the readme before installing the mod! The only flaw this game has is the networking. It can be very difficult to connect to your friends worlds, but once you connect to them once, it is a lot easier to connect again.… 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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