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. Kamsy
    Apr 12, 2016
    9
    Igual es un poco tarde para hacer el análisis, pero viendo que acaba de salir la tercera entrega de la saga Dark Souls (o la cuarta de la saga Souls) y habrá gente que se interese por esta saga y quiera jugar a los anteriores.
    El juego es muy bueno la verdad, a mí me está encantando, el problema que tiene es que el port es bastante mediocre, pero no te preocupes, se puede poner DSfix para    Igual es un poco tarde para hacer el análisis, pero viendo que acaba de salir la tercera entrega de la saga Dark Souls (o la cuarta de la saga Souls) y habrá gente que se interese por esta saga y quiera jugar a los anteriores.
    El juego es muy bueno la verdad, a mí me está encantando, el problema que tiene es que el port es bastante mediocre, pero no te preocupes, se puede poner DSfix para que el juego vaya con un rendimiento bueno y puedes desbloquear los 60fps, ponerle mejores texturas etc.
    Jugarás mejor que en cualquier consola.

    El juego me está pareciendo una maravilla, igual para algunos tiene una dificultad más alta de lo normal al principio (ésto me ha pasado a mí) porque la primera vez que juegas a un Dark Souls te suelen hacer bicarbonato al no estar acostumbrado a ese estilo de juego. Este juego es un juego para tomárselo con calma, ir a lo loco es un error ya que cualquier enemigo te puede matar perfectamente. Aún así no quiero que la gente que me esté leyendo ahora mismo piense en no jugarlo por el tema de la dificultad ya que, el juego no es TAN TAN difícil como algunos hacen creer. Es solo acostumbrarse, aprenderte los movimientos de los enemigos, saber lo que significa cada cosa, porque la mayoría que juega por primera vez no sabe ni para que sirve la Inteligencia, la Fe, el Aprendizaje, para que sirven X titanitas, X anillos etc. (Cosa totalmente normal porque el juego a veces no te explica nada). Es cierto que, obviamente, tiene una dificultad alta. Hay X bosses que podrían hacerte llorar incluso, pero ahí es donde está la belleza de este juego, en ver todos los días unas 10 veces en la pantalla: HAS MUERTO.
    Hay zonas que te quedas asombrado la primera vez que las ves por lo bonitas que son, y otras que son muy lúgubres y tétricas.

    Juego muy recomendable para cualquiera que le gusten los videojuegos que suponen un reto.
    Un saludo ^^    … Expand
  2. Vicente_ao
    Apr 13, 2016
    10
    El mejor juego que he jugado.
    Donde cada error se paga caro, donde hasta el enemigo más debil puede matarte, donde ni la mejor arma ni la mejor armadura significa que ganarás fácilmente, donde la rejugabilidad es alta, donde tendrás que aprender por las malas que no hacer, donde los escenarios son magníficos, donde los diseños de armas y armaduras son originales y hermosos, donde los    El mejor juego que he jugado.
    Donde cada error se paga caro, donde hasta el enemigo más debil puede matarte, donde ni la mejor arma ni la mejor armadura significa que ganarás fácilmente, donde la rejugabilidad es alta, donde tendrás que aprender por las malas que no hacer, donde los escenarios son magníficos, donde los diseños de armas y armaduras son originales y hermosos, donde los jefes son hermosamente dañinos y únicos, donde la historia es tan poco contada y a la vez tan rica, donde la música es heroica y melancólica y de las mejores bandas sonoras que he oído, donde te tendrás que acostumbrar a morir,

    Lo bueno:
    - La historia o mejor dicho la mística y meláncolia del mundo de Dark Souls.
    - La jugabilidad.
    - La dificultad.
    - La música.
    - Las recompensas.

    Lo malo:
    ....

    10/10    … Expand
  3. JustSomeGamer
    Aug 22, 2016
    10
    This is one of my favorite games of all time. Because of how hard and punishing this atmospheric game can be it's also very rewarding when you finally (somehow) beat that boss. Dark Souls also has AMAZING lore, although you will have so search it up for the most part, as the game doesn't tell you much and because some of the quest lines are easily overlooked.

    The only reason why i    This is one of my favorite games of all time. Because of how hard and punishing this atmospheric game can be it's also very rewarding when you finally (somehow) beat that boss. Dark Souls also has AMAZING lore, although you will have so search it up for the most part, as the game doesn't tell you much and because some of the quest lines are easily overlooked.

    The only reason why i didn't rate this game a 10 is because some aspects and mechanics of the game are very unpolished and not thought out very well. for example, if you accidentally hit a blacksmith once he will be hostile for the entire playthrough. another example would be how quite a big chunk of the content is practially impossible to know about unless you follow a guide or look this up on the internet. This includes things like optional bosses, npc, weapons and armor, and basically the entire story.    … Expand
  4. PelusaChopo
    Apr 15, 2016
    9
    Se dice que la versión de PC está mal optimizada, y eso es verdad, pero en comparación al de PS3, este no tiene casi caídas. Juegazo en general, aunque a mitad del título la experiencia se ve un poco menos elaborada, pero igual de disfrutable.

    En general, si no fuera por las caídas de FPS este juego sería perfecto.
  5. micigelati
    Jun 1, 2016
    10
    Dark Souls is, to me, the most enjoyable gaming experience I have ever had in my life, not just because of the gameplay, but because of all the little things you could spend hours talking about. The flawless tutorial level, the impressive worldbuilding through visual, spoken and written means, the overarching themes which become more defined with later games, every aspect of the game flowsDark Souls is, to me, the most enjoyable gaming experience I have ever had in my life, not just because of the gameplay, but because of all the little things you could spend hours talking about. The flawless tutorial level, the impressive worldbuilding through visual, spoken and written means, the overarching themes which become more defined with later games, every aspect of the game flows into each other creating this harmonic interwoven story which can't be experienced in any other medium. From a technical standpoint, however, it does fall flat. If you are thinking of getting this game, I recommend using the mod DSFix which unlocks the framerate which is capped at 30 and using a controller since the game was poorly optimized for the PC. As a closing word, I do recommend playing the game without seeking any knowledge other than technical. You only get one first Dark Souls playthrough.… Expand
  6. momsspaghetti
    Jun 18, 2016
    9
    Very interesting replayable game,but 8/10 because pc port is terrible,some areas are just freezing not because of bad computer(areas like new londo), playing game on computer with keyboard is similar to burning in hell,controlling camera view with mouse is also terrible because camera twitches and its not related with mouse sensitivity. TO HAVE A GOOD TIME PLAYING DARK SOULS: PLAY IT ON CONSOLE!!!
  7. DeyvsonCaliman
    Jul 25, 2016
    10
    Dark Souls is able to make the player feel a great sense of achievement. I remember struggling to kill the first bosses and thinking about giving up, but then, as I progressed, I felt like I just had to end this game. The boss fights are sublime, they really make us fear them and be happy when we finally win. The game have this European dark medieval aesthetic that is very appealing, withDark Souls is able to make the player feel a great sense of achievement. I remember struggling to kill the first bosses and thinking about giving up, but then, as I progressed, I felt like I just had to end this game. The boss fights are sublime, they really make us fear them and be happy when we finally win. The game have this European dark medieval aesthetic that is very appealing, with great armors and weapons that look realistic, except for the big size of some. The story turns into mere background noise, although it has it's poetry, but what is really appealing about the game is it's sense of challenge against very strong enemies that you fear before you defeat them, and respect after.… Expand
  8. lolnomansskylol
    Aug 12, 2016
    8
    Great game with a great atmosphere. Though I wish it was worked on more to be a proper port. Luckily they were at least honest with it unlike other developers.
  9. Beeshu
    Dec 19, 2022
    9
    DS1 is an instant classic. The way the game presents challenge and storytelling is revolutionary for the whole games industry. Some might be scared off by the game's difficulty and lack of direction, but once you overcome that initial learning barrier, the game opens up as an incredible skill-based RPG with a fantastic underlying story and a mythical and hostile world waiting to be conquered.
  10. Senden_Wh
    Jun 1, 2022
    9
    Так, игра имеет много проблем с механиками и их исполнением. Если бы не они, игра было бы идеальна
  11. Chalkbrood
    Dec 11, 2022
    8
    this is my favourite game but I cannot in good conscience give this more than a 7.5/10
    It's beautiful in a sense that it's not actually as hard to learn as people make it out to be, it's just that applying the knowledge to new areas of the game manages to stay as punishing as the start of the game when you don't have that knowledge. that's a good learning curve my friends
    or it is a good    this is my favourite game but I cannot in good conscience give this more than a 7.5/10
    It's beautiful in a sense that it's not actually as hard to learn as people make it out to be, it's just that applying the knowledge to new areas of the game manages to stay as punishing as the start of the game when you don't have that knowledge. that's a good learning curve my friends
    or it is a good learning curve until the second half of the game, where it seems that they ran out of money, one area is cast entirely in darkness, it's almost like they didn't have to design a place
    one is a lava field filled with dragon asses (this is not hyperbole or a joke), it's basically just a stack of pointless reused assets, one area is a single room which would be clever if it were implemented properly but it rather unfortunately is quite a dull area. it doesn't help that by this part of the game your character should be somewhat overpowered in comparison to what should be the more interesting individual encounters.
    Furthermore the game is nigh impossible to penetrate the ideas of, while it's fine for the story to be obfuscated behind little details, a lot of quite important gameplay details are completely unclear. This paired with the fact that when buffs are most useful (early game) is when buffs are also completely non replenishable makes the barrier to entry quite high and not just because it's designed to be hard, but because it's pointlessly obscure what does what. One of the stats you can put points in is legitimately useless. Furthermore there are nearly gamebreaking weapons that have a 1 in 5 drop rate from enemies that don't respawn that there are only one of, so first timer success can be contingent on luck.
    So those are the negatives and ultimately they're not all that negative, this game is very enjoyable to get good at and a lot of enemy designs and environment designs are amazing fun to look at. So yeah, git gud, play dark souls, but do it with a strategy guide cause it's probably impossible without one    … Expand
  12. Lazzakz
    Aug 21, 2023
    10
    Single-handedly the most ridiculously good level design in ages. Fantastic worldbuilding, unique and genre-defying gameplay. The ultimate experience for its generation of gaming.

    10
  13. KOMC
    Feb 26, 2023
    9
    one of my favourite game of all time!!!
    insane world design, excellent boss design!!
    too much unforgettable memory!
    all the NPC are so interesting too!
    Ash lake is still most breathtaking area of souls series and one of the best in gaming history!
  14. itsstillalive
    Mar 17, 2021
    10
    It's a bad PC port but with some mods It's easy to fix them, especially the graphic mod.
    To get the best experience you are pretty much forced to use a controller.
    After that you will play a game with one of the best designed open worlds, in which the areas are interconnected. Throughout the game it's usually a challenging experience and you will have to learn the movement sets /    It's a bad PC port but with some mods It's easy to fix them, especially the graphic mod.
    To get the best experience you are pretty much forced to use a controller.

    After that you will play a game with one of the best designed open worlds, in which the areas are interconnected. Throughout the game it's usually a challenging experience and you will have to learn the movement sets / reaction of enemies and bosses to beat them. While exploring a dark and atmospheric world with it's history and quests hidden in plain side.

    One of the main issues for new players is probably the backtracking at the beginning of the game, which will only be solved in mid game. Besides that the only possible disappointment is the area where they rushed the development with a corresponding boss fight.    … Expand
  15. BioShip0706
    Aug 11, 2023
    8
    8.5 . Amazing game, i didn't really notice the downfall on the second half of the game cause i played it many years ago.
  16. Desertstorm
    May 28, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dark Souls was and still is an unmissable landmark unique title that arguably changed the gaming landscape. It spawned dozens of copycats and influenced hundreds of games, which makes it even crazier that there is still nothing like it. The closest are the other two Dark Souls games but each one has a different feel, the other two don't capture the originals' feel but have different strengths and weaknesses. Dark Souls 2 feels more "arcadey" while Dark Souls 3 leans more towards being an action adventure game.… Expand
  17. Yukhta
    Jun 8, 2022
    9
    The game itself is awesome, but the PC port was horrible ( and still horrible).
  18. demestros
    Jun 13, 2022
    10
    This game is the reference. It has technical limitations, it was not polished, but it was revolutionary. At a time, when games became more and more like movies and played themselves, this game singlehandedly changed the focus of game machanics in the mainstream. It was hard and not afraid to hide game elements, to reward the player at the end.

    for me the pc version is the reference    This game is the reference. It has technical limitations, it was not polished, but it was revolutionary. At a time, when games became more and more like movies and played themselves, this game singlehandedly changed the focus of game machanics in the mainstream. It was hard and not afraid to hide game elements, to reward the player at the end.

    for me the pc version is the reference because of the modding scene and randomizers available.    … Expand
  19. k1ra120
    Jun 26, 2022
    8
    Dark souls is beautiful at its core. Interesting game mechanics and combat system. However, the port itself is bad. 30 fps lmao
  20. CodaHensley
    Aug 27, 2022
    8
    Dark Souls, how I love you. Dark Souis, how I hate you. I know these days there isn't really a new take under the sun, but with the circle jerk it surrounding Dark Souls, I still feel as though it's blasphemy to say any part of Dark Souls isn't amazing. I personally think a lot of Dark Souls isn't amazing. The main foundation that manages to uphold the game is its feel, no other gameDark Souls, how I love you. Dark Souis, how I hate you. I know these days there isn't really a new take under the sun, but with the circle jerk it surrounding Dark Souls, I still feel as though it's blasphemy to say any part of Dark Souls isn't amazing. I personally think a lot of Dark Souls isn't amazing. The main foundation that manages to uphold the game is its feel, no other game captures the same atmosphere of Dark Souls. However, at the end of my most recent playthrough, I think I've become convinced that's all that's good about Dark Souls. Dark Souls has abysmal combat. A lot of people say that it's skill based, no it's absolutely not, each weapon has such limited implementation, trapped to only a few basic attacks each. Its more of a memory game, becoming comfortable with a specific weapons attack patterns and adding in the knowledge of enemy attack patterns in order to equate to being able to attack the number of times that the enemy's recovery time allows. This however, very often has you using the same weapon for the entire game, and this is not a short game. In a game that seems to throw variety at you, begging for experimentation, anytime I picked up any new armor or weapon and I was curious enough to test it, I would get stomped out while trying to essentially relearn the combat of timings of each weapon. And I'm specific about saying 'timing', because there is no variety from weapon to weapon, a weapon either thrusts or stabs, thats it. The only thing that changes is the animations that play when a characters swings. It makes the game feel stale very quickly, and the last few hours became a slog. I changed weapons all of one time to fight a boss that was easier to overcome with quick attacks rather than high damage ones, but that was one boss out of a plethora of big, slow moving tanks, and I'd argue that its one of the most unfair bossfights in the game anyways. Despite my issues, I can't bring myself to hate it. I've never gotten more angry at the **** a game pulls than playing this game, but the design of the world and its characters are so damn appealing to look at, even if they don't make any sense when you put the specifics of it under a microscope. That's one last gripe, item descriptions aren't a **** story dude, not one of the damn Dark Souls games has a good story, i'd be hard pressed to say any of them have any story at all. And no, I will not watch a cringe youtube video to explain to me the lore that he made up in his head because you didn't put enough in your game. A bit harsh, but it comes from a place of love. If I didn't like the game, the things im not a fan of wouldn't stick out so much in my mind.… Expand
  21. Artors
    Aug 10, 2022
    9
    Un juego que no llegaba a 5 euros y me dio muchas horas de juego.Recomendado.
  22. vip_leaf
    Nov 21, 2022
    10
    Truly one of the greatest games of all time. The pc version needs the dsfix mod though to be playable.
  23. Aidelweiss
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    great game, you really wanna take it slow. the multiplayer meta is a bit dependent on a single build
  24. maluigario
    Dec 5, 2022
    9
    The beginning of a delicious series of games and creative brethren. The graphics and combat don't hold up as well post-Dark Souls 3/Sekiro/Bloodborne, but this game still holds a place of honor for being the birth of an absolute CRAZE in new gameplay design. It did for action/adventure games what FNAF did for horror; it changed the way everyone looks at the genre and forced the entire gameThe beginning of a delicious series of games and creative brethren. The graphics and combat don't hold up as well post-Dark Souls 3/Sekiro/Bloodborne, but this game still holds a place of honor for being the birth of an absolute CRAZE in new gameplay design. It did for action/adventure games what FNAF did for horror; it changed the way everyone looks at the genre and forced the entire game industry as a whole to shift, so much so that Steam now has a "Souls-like" category. That should speak for itself.… Expand
  25. Naked_Snakee
    Jul 22, 2023
    8
    Just text (crutch) to save the game to the list. Such things. Maybe I'll do a review later.
  26. Marcio_
    Jul 2, 2023
    10
    Those who gave low marks clearly did not know how to take advantage of the essence and its real message. Regarding the controls on the PC, there are no conditions to play a game of this size on the keyboard. Furthermore, this masterpiece still has an impact on games today. To those who complain, I hope you have a good reasoning to understand everything that happens in this work whileThose who gave low marks clearly did not know how to take advantage of the essence and its real message. Regarding the controls on the PC, there are no conditions to play a game of this size on the keyboard. Furthermore, this masterpiece still has an impact on games today. To those who complain, I hope you have a good reasoning to understand everything that happens in this work while resting at the fire. PRAISE THE SUN!… Expand
  27. BraidzMC
    Sep 7, 2023
    9
    It's the game that ruined Action RPG's for me forever.

    No world design in gaming has stacked up since.

    An imperfect buggy unfinished masterpiece
  28. Magikcarp
    Jul 19, 2023
    10
    Gameplay - 10
    Plot & Characters - 5
    Storytelling - 8
    Pacing - 10
    Music & Sound - 9
    Replayability - 9
    Performance - 7
  29. agq
    Jul 28, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the closest any game will ever come to in terms of true art. The story is told through rare bits of NPC dialogue, descriptions of items, and the world around you. The enemies, bosses and world design feel intricately designed in a way that makes the world feel real and lived in. This game-play can go from dreadful to fearless depending on where you are, the trip into the Depths and down to Blighttown always gives me a unique sense of dread that not even a horror game could give me. But you persist and move on through the game, unveiling the ending leaving you thinking that you have played the greatest game ever to be created.… 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.
    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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