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. KeyserSose815
    Jul 12, 2013
    3
    What a dreadful console port!! Stay away. I cannot quite comment how good or bad this game would be in the long run, I gave up playing it quite rapidly. The controls are awkward, it's near impossible to use a keyboard and mouse, the gtaphics stuck at 720p standard, despite 1080p being offered (the textures are too low res). The framerate is cappedat 30 (often dips below that, despiteWhat a dreadful console port!! Stay away. I cannot quite comment how good or bad this game would be in the long run, I gave up playing it quite rapidly. The controls are awkward, it's near impossible to use a keyboard and mouse, the gtaphics stuck at 720p standard, despite 1080p being offered (the textures are too low res). The framerate is cappedat 30 (often dips below that, despite largely exceeding specs). Also the camera angles are annoying, you keep dying from stuff you could not see coming (Oh, cool, a giant boulder. I'll remember that the next 75 times I come here). The information messages during loading screens aren't readable because the loading aren't long enough. The voice acting is cringingly poor (the grunting when you take damage sounds like German p*rn) and generally speaking, there isn't much of a story to this game, at least not from the outset. I regret my £5.… Expand
  2. tjgiannhs8es
    Apr 5, 2014
    1
    Is there a worst console port? The keys you are asked to press only suit the xbox controller and you spend half an hour derping over the keyboard trying to learn how to equip a thing. The graphics look bad and there are only FOUR options in the video optimization tab(two of which are the resolution and fullscreen on/off). What a way to treat PC fans.
  3. Batzzel
    Jan 3, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. THIS GAME IS AMAZING! This game have everything, with this game you can be Anger, Happy, Sad, and all at the same time. I Already played 100 hours of this game, and i can't complete it yet (i'm close). Every person who says "this game is bad" is because he hasn't enough skills, i play this game with my Keyboard and I really appreciate this kind of games, 'cause this game is Hard, is a real challenger.… Expand
  4. Neardark
    Jan 16, 2013
    0
    I dont mind if this game is hard, This is one of the reason why I got this game. I play all my games at the hardest difficult always. I don't care about GFWL, the low frame and the outdated graphics, there are solutions for it, This game had the potential to be one of the best PC games of 2012, but the company was so lazy to put a little effort to make this playable. I spent about 10I dont mind if this game is hard, This is one of the reason why I got this game. I play all my games at the hardest difficult always. I don't care about GFWL, the low frame and the outdated graphics, there are solutions for it, This game had the potential to be one of the best PC games of 2012, but the company was so lazy to put a little effort to make this playable. I spent about 10 minutes trying to figure the keys, cause the game use xbox layout (the **** menu is on the END key). You die not because you suck, but because the camera keeps you changing your target between enemies. People are rating this with 10 because they are console players or because they played the game before at console and like it, Come on guys you know that this port does not deserve 10, the developers dont even botther to try make this playable with mouse and keyboard. This game should get a 5 score, but with so many people rating with 10 and defending a bad port game for no reason i will rate this with 0 to balance the score. My advice: Pirate this game from torrent sites and try it for yourself, then if you think developers should get your money for doing nothing with a pc port, feel free… Expand
  5. newprophet
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    Great game greats people!!!! horror best rpg game. The best game-play I've played. The first game is sunk into the soul. Look forward to Dark Souls 2.
  6. nJoe
    May 7, 2013
    10
    Giving this game a 10 is, for me, dependant on the following three conditions:

    1. Use a gamepad (xbox 360, ps3 controlers are fine). The game does not play well with keyboard and mouse but fantastically with a gamepad. 2. Install dsfix for resolutions beyond 720p and fram rates above 30 fps. This will make the game look quite beautiful. Through this fix you can also disable depth of    Giving this game a 10 is, for me, dependant on the following three conditions:

    1. Use a gamepad (xbox 360, ps3 controlers are fine). The game does not play well with keyboard and mouse but fantastically with a gamepad.

    2. Install dsfix for resolutions beyond 720p and fram rates above 30 fps. This will make the game look quite beautiful. Through this fix you can also disable depth of field, which makes the game look much crisper. (There are excellent instructions included with the fix.)

    3. Install dscfix to improve your pve and pvp experience. Unfortunately the game uses peer-to-peer connections through Games of Windows Live for multiplayer and sometimes it can be very hard to establish connections. With this fix, you can easily connect to anyone with whom you are friends on GfWL.

    Some would argue that a game should be perfect "out of the box", but in this case the developer From Software had a very limited budget with which to port the game to the PC. Hence the lacking graphics features, for instance. Installing the mods is very easy though and it lets you enjoy the game to its fullest. As a gamer I don't mind doing my part to maximize my experience with a game.

    Story
    The game is very sparse in what it lets you know, but you can draw conclusions along the way and there are clues that will let you piece together some of the many curious things you see and hear during your travels through Lordaeron. Should you want to read them, there are excellent online articles that explain the story in detail. There is quite a bit of drama going on, both in the present and in the past.

    Graphics
    Out of the box, the game looks blurry and the frame rate is capped at 30 fps. You can fix this though with the above mentioned mod, dsfix, and once you have, it looks fantastic. All the armor and equipment is extremely well designed with amazing attention to detail. The enivironments are cleverly crafted with excellent atmosphere. At times you will dread even taking a single step forward.

    Sound
    The sound is rather minimalistic, but in a fitting way. Heavier armor makes noise when you run or roll, weapons sound realistic when they hit enemies, shields, walls etc. There is not a lot of music, as the environments speak a lot for themselves, but the boss battles.. well, you'll see.

    Gameplay
    PVE: The game is about knowing what you're up against and a certain amount of skill. So expect a stiff challenge early on. The level design is great because it allows you to explore the world in a non-linear fashion. You may wander off in a direction that sets up against brutal enemies and that is usually a sign that perhaps you should go elsewhere for the time being. There are, however, hints in the game as to where you should go, albeit in loose terms.

    Bosses are well designed for the most part and some of them are very difficult initially. It can take a while to nail down a boss fight, but stay with it because eventually you will figure out what you need to do.

    There is plenty of gear and spells to be had by finding secret places, and getting there is a lot more rewarding if you managed it yourself by way of exploration. One awesome aspect of Dark Souls is the many different paths you can take with your character's development. Do you like to wield fast rapiers, long spears, huge two-handed weapons, or perhaps fist weapons? You can specialize in whatever you like and upgrade your favorite weapons along numerous paths such as lightning, magic, faith, occult, fire and chaos. Then there's magic as well, two different schools (three, kind of, with the expansion which is included in the pc version). Armor comes in tons of variations as well and in the end not too many characters in Dark Souls will ever look the same. Some even follow guides to outfit their characters like favorite characters from other games, such as Castlevania. There is no limit to the amount of awesome builds and ideas you can come up with, and this becomes even more intriguing PVP.

    PVP and Co-op: This is where the game gets really interesting after a while. Initially it can be very annoying, however, as you can get invaded and killed by fellow players. The good thing is you can summon others to help you and you can let them summon you into their playthroughs. Is a boss giving you all you can handle and more? Summon a friendly phantom, bow to it when it appears and go to town on the boss! There will come a time when you realize what areas are prone to invasion and you might even linger there for some good duels. Depending on how you built your character, you will fare well or badly versus certain builds. It's a bit of rock-paper-scissor, but your skill will go a long way and since you can have multiple weapons, shields and spells equipped to change around, you will have a fair bit of flexibility.There is a lot more to PVP and co-operation in Dark Souls but I'll let you find out the rest for yourself.

    There is no space for rounding this off properly. So, GLFH!     … Expand
  7. Nekh
    May 23, 2013
    1
    This had to be one of the worst ports ever, the textures was terrible and the controls were beyond a nightmare. They didn't even bother to remove the console buttons. Press 'A' to read and so on, and 'A' was on 'Q' well in till you got to the menus then it was enter. Controlling the camera with the mouse was jerky and flung about every which way. I hope playing this game with a consoleThis had to be one of the worst ports ever, the textures was terrible and the controls were beyond a nightmare. They didn't even bother to remove the console buttons. Press 'A' to read and so on, and 'A' was on 'Q' well in till you got to the menus then it was enter. Controlling the camera with the mouse was jerky and flung about every which way. I hope playing this game with a console controller is better because keyboard and mouse was just awful.… Expand
  8. TCoop888
    Jul 11, 2013
    2
    This game is good on the basic merits of a game but suffers do to bad porting.any possible enjoyment has been removed from this game by the necessity of using windows live and an xbox controller. This by far the worst pc port of a game i have ever encountered, i had heard about it but to experience the sloppy, inconsistent and at some point just plain idiotic transfer of this game isThis game is good on the basic merits of a game but suffers do to bad porting.any possible enjoyment has been removed from this game by the necessity of using windows live and an xbox controller. This by far the worst pc port of a game i have ever encountered, i had heard about it but to experience the sloppy, inconsistent and at some point just plain idiotic transfer of this game is indescribable. the greatest insult came from the message that said an xbox controller (30$ new by the way) was "strongly recommended". this is a lie. it is flat out required that you have a controller to enjoy this game. The basic control scheme looks as if a child designed it, and not only this but the game is incompatible with any of my other 3 controllers. and i am not willing to pay extra to play a game i already bought. The wors of it was the camera controls, you have the choice of using the j i k and l keys which interferes with combat to no end. or using the mouse which even on my computers lowest setting is more sensitive than a fresh chemical burn. i will not bore you with the graphical issues you have most likely already heard of as these were patched with a mod very quickly (although the fact that a single modder was able to accomplish this in a few hours and the entirety of the from software staff was unable to raises some questions) but this game is just plain insulting to pc players and is essentially a way of the company saying that we don't matter. I do not claim to know what they were thinking but i can say that they have lost me as a customer. i was lucky enough to purchase this game during a steam sale so i did not loose much money, but i can honestly say this game was not worth the 7 dollars i payed. It would have been better spend wadding up into a ball and throwing it at the back of the CEOs head.… Expand
  9. Denbushisan
    Sep 27, 2013
    3
    The first measure of a good game is does it make me want to keep playing it. This game fails that test. I even took heed of the numerous warnings to use a Gamepad, something I've never had to do for any PC game. I made it about 2 hours in, but I had to force myself to do that much, hoping to give it a chance to get better. It didn't.

    I honestly don't know why there are so many gushing    The first measure of a good game is does it make me want to keep playing it. This game fails that test. I even took heed of the numerous warnings to use a Gamepad, something I've never had to do for any PC game. I made it about 2 hours in, but I had to force myself to do that much, hoping to give it a chance to get better. It didn't.

    I honestly don't know why there are so many gushing reviews of this game. Apparently the standards for a console game are a lot lower. If this game had been released exclusively to PC, it would be relegated to obscurity in the shadow of games like Skyrim, which is superior in every way other than being so hard that you die 5 times before getting out of the tutorial. (Which could be a plus or a minus depending on who's asking I suppose.) I tried really hard to like this game, but the graphics (even after the 3rd party mod to unlock the resolution) are lack-luster, the environments are dull and uninspired, the enemies that I encountered are generic. The story is non-existant, and the protagonist has no personality what-so ever to make me want to care about him/her, neither do any of the scarce NPCs I met. The combat was bland and the character movements and animations clumsy.

    This game just feels through and through like something that was lazily thrown together to make some fast cash. Here are some real hallmarks of the laziness of this game. 1. NPC voice overs but static faces. I can't remember the last time I saw a game that did that. If you're not going to at least make their mouths move, don't bother giving voice overs. 2. Every single monster I killed ended up with a ragdoll corpse getting stuck in between my feet and kicked along as I walked. Really? 3. I routinely lined up a power attack on an enemy only to have my character leap diagonally 3 feet to the right of where I was aiming, leaving me vulnerable during the 5 second recovery time. Apparently you HAVE to use target lock if you want your attacks to hit. 4. See any of the reviews that harp on about the pure laziness of the terrible PC port.

    There's no joy in this game, just a dull grind through generic monsters with no real goal or story in evidence. The only positive thing to say about it is that it's "really really challenging". But I for one don't find that appealing in a game when it's to no end except to make you grind from the last save back through the same dull environments and bland fights again and again.

    Don't buy this game. Go re-play Skyrim instead, you'll have way more fun.    … Expand
  10. DeusXCom
    Nov 20, 2013
    10
    First impression: console crap, terrible port, bad mouse+keyboard controls etc. After fixing all the port-related problems with DSFix, buying a 360 controller and 500+ hours of gameplay later: the best RPG of this generation and definitely one of the true masterpieces of video gaming history. Beautiful dark fantasy world, captivating atmosphere full of isolation and despair, well-hidden,First impression: console crap, terrible port, bad mouse+keyboard controls etc. After fixing all the port-related problems with DSFix, buying a 360 controller and 500+ hours of gameplay later: the best RPG of this generation and definitely one of the true masterpieces of video gaming history. Beautiful dark fantasy world, captivating atmosphere full of isolation and despair, well-hidden, but complex story, great responsive combat system, unique multiplayer elements and extremely addictive gameplay. Yes, this can be a very challenging piece at your first playthrough, but as you learn from your mistakes and your skill goes through natural progress, you're slowly becoming a master and you will eventually fall in love with this beast. 10/10… Expand
  11. anomander
    Nov 19, 2014
    10
    There is no reason not much to write, this is a must play, so in a nutshell. Best game of the last generation and one of the best game in history. Enjoy this refined diamond!!!
  12. CallOfGaming
    May 13, 2014
    2
    Great game, too bad the controls are unplayable. I can't count how many times I used up a valuable potion or exited my inventory because I pressed the wrong key. I didn't got far, not because of the dificulty, but due to the awful control port.
  13. Frontsalat
    May 12, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First, let me point out a simple question, so that you might get an easier picture of what I'm up to. What exactly is the purpose of a game? Or spoken differently, why do humans play? There's probably tons of information on how to define what a game is, but I'll keep it simple due to character limit. Games are a form of activity done to amuse and/or relax to most times fulfill the simple pleasure of exercising them. Or expressed even more simple...Games are fun!

    So now let me list what exactly I've experienced when I first started up the game and played through the first 15 minutes: Graphical glitches and issues around almost every corner. Locked 30 FPS and 1024x768 resolution, I can't even remember when I last played a game with such low FPS and resolution. Somewhere around the mid 90's I assume, it almost felt like a dia show. I've got 3 crashes to desktop in less then 10 minutes. I've first tried to play with keyboard and mouse, which you might already have figured by other reviews, wasn't such a good idea, but unfortunately using my gamepad was neither.

    I wasn't capable of redefining keys like I wanted to, which is essential if you're left handed or play with arrow keys. The mouse acted wonky, unsmooth and sometimes completely crazy and there was absolutely nothing I could do to change it, as there where no mouse options. Hello?! No mouse option on a PC game? It doesn't matter if this is a console port, there HAS to be mouse options. And even IF I had the option to change keys/mouse, there still was this unswitchable stupid cursor flying over my monitor. The gamepad wasn't the holy grail everybody proclaimed. Buttons where reversed, the right stick (controlling the camera) had only one axis and the controls where lagging just as much as the mouse, plus it was extremely unprecisse and ~50% of hits where missed.

    Regardless of that experience I've installed the DSFIX, the DSMFIX and numerous texture improving mods. It's the first thing I always do when having a new game to look out for Mods. In 90% of all cases I do this to enhance what is already good, but for DS it's different. You'll need to search for those mods and fixes in order to even be capable of playing it. In no way it's possible to play this game without fixes and mods.

    So, after that 8 hour journey I finally got the game in an acceptable state. I'm playing with mouse and keyboard, which feels much more precise and right. I'm on my monitors maximum resolution 1680x1050. I have extremely vibrant textures, bloom, AA and all the modern graphical gimmicks possible for this game. There's still one thing that itches me though. I have to use different keys for menu navigation if I don't use a controller. Did not found a patch or fix that'd allow me to use arrow keys for controlling my charcter AND controlling the menu. But whatever, I've gone so far to ignore all flaws, as the game finally rewarded me superbly with fun and entertainment...or should I say positively rewarded me until I figured what this game really was about?!

    It happened then after the tutorial forcing me to have a deeper look into the reviews not only around here, but on a various of websites and online game magazines. I should have noticed it early on when fighting this fat demonic Jabba. I'd died 4 times before finally killing it, and ONLY due to a happy coincidence that made fat leged Jabba glitching inside one of the pillars. I've read myself through a miriad of reviews and forum discussions about the difficulty of the game, quickly figuring that there's two sides...the hardcore devoted fanboys, and those, like me, that just like to play a game to have fun, relax and getting some easy entertainment. Easy is the keyword, as the forum discussions almost made me feel like a sinner wanting just to enjoy the game and thus not wasting any time with something that creates frustration and forces me to die 1.000 times in a row.

    With increasing life expereince and age, the urge to prove something has been taken away from me. And even if I'd need to prove something, why would I prove it inside my lonesome gaming cellar where nobody's capable of witnessing? Apart from that, I'm practicing the art of Buhurt and as such would eat everyone inside this game and its players alive, plus I'm 6"2 and have a corresponding penis size.

    So here I am now, having a real jewel of a game not being capable of enjoying due to technical flaws and a sadomasochistic difficulty level, that must expel any ordinary gamer who's just playing games for fun. What's a challenge if the only challenge is to constantly die and repetetively play the same scene over and over again? Learning by dying anyone? So in all respect, I have to give this game three different scores. First score barebone game without mods/fixes, second score game with mods and fixes, third score is the final verdict after figuring the most annoying difficulty level which absolutely destroys everything go0d about this game.

    1: 4
    2: 8.5
    3: 2.5    … Expand
  14. heesoo91
    May 23, 2014
    1
    Created an account just tell you how horrible this game is. I love challenging games, but that's not why this game sucks. The absolute worst port I have ever played. Seems like the developers just wanted more money and put this game on PC with console settings. They highly recommend playing this game on a xbox controller which to me seems pretty ****** stupid. If i wanted to play this gameCreated an account just tell you how horrible this game is. I love challenging games, but that's not why this game sucks. The absolute worst port I have ever played. Seems like the developers just wanted more money and put this game on PC with console settings. They highly recommend playing this game on a xbox controller which to me seems pretty ****** stupid. If i wanted to play this game with xbox controller. Ill buy it for xbox. Horrible company and i will not be buying any other games from them. I wish they actually spent time creating a real port because i really wanted to try this game. ESPECIALLY on a laptop with a limited keyboard, do not buy. For someone who works 10- 12 hours a day like me, i just dont have the time to really sit and grind on this game trying to get past one enemy with controls that dont work. You have been warned; buy at your own risk. Shame on this company for being greedy.… Expand
  15. ivanncrazy
    Aug 19, 2019
    0
    dark souls 1 very outdated game mechanics and copy paste level designe, stupid key mapping for keyboard and mouse menu is unfriendly unplayable
  16. ugi_b
    Jun 26, 2016
    0
    The worst game experience I've ever had. It might be better on console, but it is obvious that no real effort has been made to make it even mildly enjoyable on PC. Unbelievable that it is still available as a PC version, as it can only give the game a bad name. Keyboard and mouse need elaborate mods and fixes (and even then it's not much better), messages for key presses come up withThe worst game experience I've ever had. It might be better on console, but it is obvious that no real effort has been made to make it even mildly enjoyable on PC. Unbelievable that it is still available as a PC version, as it can only give the game a bad name. Keyboard and mouse need elaborate mods and fixes (and even then it's not much better), messages for key presses come up with console buttons and not PC key bindings, menu system is awkward, movement feels clunky and awkward, directional aim is clunky, camera view is slow.… Expand
  17. BladeStrike
    Apr 7, 2013
    6
    Simply put it is overrated. It can be challenging but there are plenty of harder games out there that have difficulty settings. This games difficulty is over-exaggerated greatly. Having played this myself I have to assume it only gained popularity because its not "mainstream". Fight the power, kids..!

    Its not a bad game though, just overrated, and my score of 7 suits it perfectly. I    Simply put it is overrated. It can be challenging but there are plenty of harder games out there that have difficulty settings. This games difficulty is over-exaggerated greatly. Having played this myself I have to assume it only gained popularity because its not "mainstream". Fight the power, kids..!

    Its not a bad game though, just overrated, and my score of 7 suits it perfectly. I didn't have any real problems with this port either.    … Expand
  18. Freez
    Nov 11, 2013
    8
    I heard this is the hardest game ever made, that and demons souls which I never played. Aside from just timing on dodge and parrys this game didn't seem THAT hard to me, it is probably the hardest ive played...no, the most frustrating game ive played only because sometimes checkpoints are an hour away and dieing loses your souls (currency) and if u die again before you reclaim them youI heard this is the hardest game ever made, that and demons souls which I never played. Aside from just timing on dodge and parrys this game didn't seem THAT hard to me, it is probably the hardest ive played...no, the most frustrating game ive played only because sometimes checkpoints are an hour away and dieing loses your souls (currency) and if u die again before you reclaim them you lose them all. Also the reason I give this an 8 for PC is because it was a horrible horrible console port, which you can only fix by googleing DSfix downloading it and throwing it into your data folder, then if comp savy enough to modify the script, which is a piss off, reminds me of Prototype 2 port...Anyways great game, hard as F*ck. If your a veteran hardcore gamer, this games for you, and it will still be challengeing and you will still die ALOT. That's all I gotta say.… Expand
  19. DOSfan
    Sep 26, 2012
    8
    very happy this hit the PC. i had a ps3 for a while, and played the hell out of demons souls.
    after i sold it dark souls came out and i missed the chance to play it.

    the port is pretty crap, but with some of the fan fixes and a controller it's pretty fun.
    really though, this game would have been a 10 with minor fixes to things like framerate and 1080p.
  20. Rennn
    Jun 25, 2013
    10
    I'll keep this short, since it's a simple breakdown.

    The game is amazing. It's possibly the most immersive and fluid gem of our generation. Combat is excellent, the art style is sublime, and the story that exists is told through clever hints that allow the player to discover the world on their own, without being spoon-fed. Dark Souls is one of the best games of all time. Having said    I'll keep this short, since it's a simple breakdown.

    The game is amazing. It's possibly the most immersive and fluid gem of our generation. Combat is excellent, the art style is sublime, and the story that exists is told through clever hints that allow the player to discover the world on their own, without being spoon-fed. Dark Souls is one of the best games of all time.

    Having said that, the PC port is just horrible. Optimization is okay, but unreliable at times. Beyond that, mouse and keyboard controls are totally inane, and the resolution is capped at 720p. HOWEVER, there's a simple mod called DSfix that uncaps the framerate and fixes most of the other issues as well. It's a completely essential mod that turns Dark Souls from a bad port into a pretty decent port.

    Here's the summary:
    If you plan on using DSfix, get this game for the PC now. It's an epic experience and it comes bundled with amazing DLC.
    If you absolutely will not use DSfix for some reason, you're better off saving yourself the trouble and getting a console version.    … Expand
  21. otakon17
    Feb 5, 2014
    8
    An excellent "sequel" to From Softwares "Demon's Souls", Dark Souls is an unforgiving, open world romp through a dark fantasy world. You play as a Dark Sign cursed Undead, doomed to die and come back until eventually you go mad from it. However you are captured and put into the Undead Asylum, where the Undead wait for the end of the world. You however, with some help manage to get out andAn excellent "sequel" to From Softwares "Demon's Souls", Dark Souls is an unforgiving, open world romp through a dark fantasy world. You play as a Dark Sign cursed Undead, doomed to die and come back until eventually you go mad from it. However you are captured and put into the Undead Asylum, where the Undead wait for the end of the world. You however, with some help manage to get out and start out on a quest to discover the true destiny of the Dark Signed cursed Undead. At the beginning you'll be asked to make a character from one of many starting classes, but don't think you'll be regimented to playing a certain way the entire game. The upgrade system is open and allows you(through increasingly steep costs) to upgrade your abilities in any way you see fit. And as you should, for if you die(and you will) to one of the many horrors or pitfalls that litter the land of Lordan, you will lose of the precious 'Souls' needed to upgrade your stats and purchase services from the few sane Undead that remain there. Die a second time on the way to 'Reclaim your power' and those Souls are gone forever.

    The game offers a large challenge in that enemies are fairly aggressive and will chase you for quite some time, along with many of them using group tactics to overwhelm your defenses or just being so much stronger than you that a head-on fight is tantamount to suicide. No, Dark Souls punishes those that treat this like a "hack and slash" game like so many 'action-rpgs' that have come before it. You must consider everything going forward in the world of Dark Souls and every enemy has it's own strengths and weaknesses that you can exploit and look out for.

    Graphically, the game is fairly impressive looking but isn't stellar by any means. However, the art design, along with the weapon, equipment and monster designs are both familiar and alien at the same time. The first dragon you see is nothing like the standard fire-breathing red lizard with wings that is so popular in fiction. However, something like that shows up fairly early and it's not even a boss. The game is dark and I mean that both figuratively and literally. Many areas are so black that you'll need a spell or special item to see more than a foot in front of you and you'll want these to keep you from stumbling into enemies lying in wait. Or pitfalls just begging for someone to step over them into the gaping void.

    The game features a unique multiplayer aspect in the form of 'Invasions', 'Summons' and 'Covenants'. 'Invasions' are just as they sound, another player(with the help of certain items) can invade your game to try and kill you for both Souls and even more precious Humanity(another commodity you need to continue on). However there are balances to keep someone from being constantly invaded by players much further along(usually, I will get back to this). 'Summons' can happen one of two ways, the player can lay down a 'Summon Sign' to offer their services to another player online to defeat a local area boss or if the player is 'Human' instead of 'Hollow' they can summon other players to help them with a local area boss. Finally, 'Covenants' have their own set of rules that influence 'Summons' and 'Invasions'. Some allow you to 'infect' other worlds(players games) with powerful enemies but at the cost of opening the infector to 'Invasion' by up to three people at a time. Another offers numerous chances to 'Invade' other characters if they tarry in a specific area of the game, however there is no upper limit to whom they may invade so the invaders may find they bite off more than they can chew at times. Another 'Covenant' allows you to invade frequent invaders and punish them(i.e. kill them) for their 'Sins'.

    Onto combat and controls, the game offers a wealth of weapons and armor that all affect how you fight. Do you prefer dodging around your foe and harrying them with quick attacks then backing off before they can even face you? Or cladding yourself in the heaviest armor you have and wading into melee with a massive two-handed sword, letting your ability to shrug off lesser blows carry you while you cleave them in twain? Or something in-between? They're all possible and the game rewards experimentation.

    As for negatives, the game on PC as of late has had a flux of cheaters as of this review. People who use certain programs to reduce their Soul Level(your overall power rating, numbering from 1 to over 700) low enough that it allows them to invade anyone, even new players while using things like infinite health or weapons/equipment far more powerful than the first time player is even capable of getting. However they can be avoided by staying Hollow, but this can cut off certain scenarios that allow you to see more scenes or get different items. Another sour note is that even though the game was ported to PC, there are still areas that suffer massive framerate drop but that is more of the engines fault.    … Expand
  22. Vagoth
    May 30, 2014
    10
    When I purchased this port it was nearly unplayable. After six months of occasional stabs at it, buying an Xbox controller, and turning the graphics way down, I finally started to get into Dark Souls, and a few months later I can say it is now one of the greatest games I've ever played. Its world, art, combat system, and game mechanics all transcend its peers. The world of Lordran isWhen I purchased this port it was nearly unplayable. After six months of occasional stabs at it, buying an Xbox controller, and turning the graphics way down, I finally started to get into Dark Souls, and a few months later I can say it is now one of the greatest games I've ever played. Its world, art, combat system, and game mechanics all transcend its peers. The world of Lordran is worth mentioning in particular, because it is Dark Soul's main character. I never imagined a level designer could communicate so much through architecture and geography as was done through Lordran.… Expand
  23. Jacer200
    Apr 20, 2014
    9
    This review is for the fully modded PC version.
    The modded version of this game is an adult RPG masterpiece. This game is the ultimate thinking mans rpg. The game has a great look and feel to it. The combat is tough and best used with a gamepad. The sound and the voice acting are really unique. I would have given the game a 10 if it wasn't for its bizarre and tough to follow story. Don't    This review is for the fully modded PC version.
    The modded version of this game is an adult RPG masterpiece. This game is the ultimate thinking mans rpg. The game has a great look and feel to it. The combat is tough and best used with a gamepad. The sound and the voice acting are really unique. I would have given the game a 10 if it wasn't for its bizarre and tough to follow story. Don't be scared off by the toughness of this game. Follow the path of least resistance and you'll be fine.    … Expand
  24. FarscapeSDC
    Jan 27, 2013
    8
    Having played the original Xbox 360 version of Dark Souls, I find myself feeling just the tiniest bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I was exceedingly happy to finally have my beloved Dark souls on my powerful PC, but the problem with it is despite my Desktop having superior hardware, the bad design choice when "From Software" was porting it over makes me a bit regretful.

    To start    Having played the original Xbox 360 version of Dark Souls, I find myself feeling just the tiniest bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I was exceedingly happy to finally have my beloved Dark souls on my powerful PC, but the problem with it is despite my Desktop having superior hardware, the bad design choice when "From Software" was porting it over makes me a bit regretful.

    To start with, Dark Souls was designed to be a console game, which means that the controls were designed with consoles in mind. The game is almost unplayable on a Keyboard and mouse set-up. If you want to be able to play the game, one must have an Xbox 360 or a PS3 controller plugged into their PC.

    The second main complaint is the awful frame-rate and pathetic resolution. By default, the game is locked at 30 FPS (Max) and 1280x840 resolution. This is utterly unacceptable. Thankfully there is a mod called "DSfix" which allows you to kick the resolution up to a lovely 1900x1300 (although you cannot increase the frame-rate without pissing off Games-For-Windows-Live, which can get you banned from playing the game online)

    My third main complaint is about the game's main demon, one far more frightening than any of the actual in-game demons -- Games For Windows Live (GFWL). The game runs with GFWL taking care of its online component, making the online component worse than playing on Xbox Live or the Playstation Network. Finding players to help you out (Cooperative PVE), or players to invade (PVP) is unreliable at best, and downright awful at worst. If you plan to play the PC version of Dark Souls online, you best have a strong Internet connection and a lot of patience.

    I shall now list my other, less important, complaints.
    - The Dark Souls tutorial worked well... on the console. From Software made the awful oversight of leaving all the in-game prompts in the Xbox 360 format, so anyone who is trying to play with a Keyboard will have no choice but to memorise the controls or learn through trial and error.
    - There are infrequent but very annoying graphical glitches.
    - The game crashes more often than I would expect.

    Despite my complaints, Dark Souls has a lot of good things going for it.

    The game is challenging while never feeling completely unfair. At no point did I feel like the game was just killing me for the hell of it. When you fight a difficult enemy and die, you learn its patterns and its tells, and then you go back and try again, and you succeed, because you have gotten better, which is something few games really do.

    The variety in the enemy design keeps the later stages of the game interesting. As opposed to the same creatures with increased stats, or just more enemies, you actually encounter different enemies with different attacks and different weaknesses.
    "Oh, you've beaten the zombie-warriors? Here's some Zombie-knights! Oh, you've beaten the zombie-knights? Here's some lightning-spitting lizard-men!" the game seems to cry as you transition seamlessly from area to area to encounter completely different atmospheres and enemies.

    The variety in enemies is further reflected in the level design. from abandoned asylums to ruined churches; from a glittering city of the gods to a murky swamp filled with poison-spitting mosquitoes; each area looks and feels different and atmospheric. And the best part? Almost no loading screens! With the exception of when I died, I didn't see a loading screen for the first six hours, which is very impressive. Instead of smaller areas connected by transition-screens, Dark Souls feels mostly like a massive, singular area that loops back in on itself t create shortcuts that you couldn't have anticipated until you reach them.

    Combat is slow and methodical, forcing you to un-learn some of the things other games have taught you. Running in and whaling away at an enemy with your massive cleaver is more likely to get you beaten to death than it is to get you victory. Taking your time and feeling the enemy out is more important than playing aggressively.

    Conclusion

    Dark Souls is still - despite all my complaints - an excellent game. It is challenging, fun, and entertainingly frustrating. However, if you are not willing to put up with the lower frame-rate, having to mod it to get the resolution up, and GFWL wreaking havoc on the online component, then you might want to get the game for Xbox 360 or PS3.    … Expand
  25. Kaniya
    Mar 30, 2013
    9
    I really appreciate how namco bandai answered to that petition signed by pc gamers for the release of this game on this platform. They respected what people demanded and its really respectable to us as well. Dark Souls is a different kind of game where DEATH is part of the gamelpay. You die, you get punished, but u will get better. Dark Souls is a game where players choses their characterI really appreciate how namco bandai answered to that petition signed by pc gamers for the release of this game on this platform. They respected what people demanded and its really respectable to us as well. Dark Souls is a different kind of game where DEATH is part of the gamelpay. You die, you get punished, but u will get better. Dark Souls is a game where players choses their character based on the pre-defined classes and roll into a dark world which every corner of it holds a secret. Dark Souls its a semi open world and for you in order to finish the story must kill every boss in the game. you kill enemeis and gain souls, use souls to upgrade, use the BOSS souls to make weapon, Loot for better armor, try different weaposn and examine the enemies weak points, die and experiements till you learn the mechanism of the game thats the general formula. The world has a lot to explore and it might take you quiet long time to discover its secrets and you might still miss some of it :D this ediiton for the PC is packed with the DLC where the games takes place in another town. So actually you have a longer playthrough than the normal console version. the game roughly takes about 30-50 hours to complete for the first time. Gameplay is really awesome but its needs patience also so if you thing DARK SOULS is a hack and slash game do not go for it at all sadly graphics arent that much to hold up well with other PC titles, the resulations have problems and its just a scale up from 720 and its not a real 1080 if you want to run it on 1080. FPS is more smoother than the console version but its still a 30 FPS locked and sometimes it falls below but it doest hurts the gameplay that much. You also need a xbox controller to enjoy the game finally this game is an awesome experiece where you will feel the joy of victory,… Expand
  26. Leandro36
    Dec 20, 2013
    9
    This game really isn't that hard, but it's still a lot of fun.
    The combat is addicting, the world is big and theres a lot of replay ablity.

    The port sucks though.
  27. Klewer
    May 17, 2014
    9
    Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition
    Average User Score: 7.2
    May 8, 2014 8 Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition ImageI'll be honest with you. This is game is actually one of the best of this generation and offers so many unique aspect lost on modern games. That feeling you get for just achieving something so simple is amazing, lost on so many recent titles. Sadly a would be perfect    Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition
    Average User Score: 7.2
    May 8, 2014
    8
    Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition ImageI'll be honest with you. This is game is actually one of the best of this generation and offers so many unique aspect lost on modern games. That feeling you get for just achieving something so simple is amazing, lost on so many recent titles.

    Sadly a would be perfect experience is ruined by a sloppy port.    … Expand
  28. 911nsidejob
    May 26, 2014
    10
    At first i was told "you won't like it, it's freaking hard" and i have a bad temper so i stayed
    away from this game then i was like "hell, why not" then i was like "How dare you keep me from this masterpiece!" lol with that said...
    This game is everything i wanted in a sword and sorcery adventure game, I like that it doesn't have a set path to follow and bringing back true difficulty    At first i was told "you won't like it, it's freaking hard" and i have a bad temper so i stayed
    away from this game then i was like "hell, why not" then i was like "How dare you keep me from this masterpiece!" lol with that said...

    This game is everything i wanted in a sword and sorcery adventure game, I like that it doesn't have a set path to follow and bringing back true difficulty in gaming that i have not seen sense 1985 /1992 games.
    The graphics are not Directx11 but it still looks very amazing, they did well considering it's a port.
    Game play is solid, after a couple of hours you have it all down so no worries, from speed dodging techniques to tanking it up and going toe to toe you have a lot of choices here.    … Expand
  29. Baraquel
    Jan 1, 2013
    6
    An average game. Can not understand all the highly positiv reviews. The gameplay on Pc isnt very good but after the first hour and an graphic patch its ok and i dont want to complain about it. But the game it self isnt as good as it could be. The first hours of the game are very hard as u expectet sometimes its frustrating to die this often but before u bought the game u knew it. But afterAn average game. Can not understand all the highly positiv reviews. The gameplay on Pc isnt very good but after the first hour and an graphic patch its ok and i dont want to complain about it. But the game it self isnt as good as it could be. The first hours of the game are very hard as u expectet sometimes its frustrating to die this often but before u bought the game u knew it. But after the first 3 bosses the game gets to easy in my oppinion. Enemys get weak and ure Charakter getts too strong. I killed the final boss without losing half my hp.… Expand
  30. Dracalyus
    Jan 29, 2013
    8
    This game has its issues and it is in need of some improvements and yes it is a straight from console to pc port. That aside I still rate this game as a whole amazing. Why? The community released a fix for the internal resolution glitch. "The controls are bad" Buy a controller. Many console to pc ported games need one for the controls not to be horrible. "It doesn't feel like it was meantThis game has its issues and it is in need of some improvements and yes it is a straight from console to pc port. That aside I still rate this game as a whole amazing. Why? The community released a fix for the internal resolution glitch. "The controls are bad" Buy a controller. Many console to pc ported games need one for the controls not to be horrible. "It doesn't feel like it was meant for PC." IT NEVER WAS INTENDED TO BE. From Software admitted in the beginning when they were first developing Dark Souls for Xbox and PS3 they had no intentions of releasing it for PC. They did this to test the waters. To see what the response would be for their series if they released a game to PC and even included the DLC early exclusive to PC. All that aside, I own copies for both PC and Xbox and I still find the PC version better. The xbox couldn't handle certain parts of the game without lagging. My PC being a powerhouse had no trouble. The gameplay is exceptional. The feeling of embracing a challenge again and again just to die and pick yourself back up again, to try and figure out a new way to get past it. The views are just exceptional. The intricate weight factoring and weaponstyle choices. Just everything about this game made me fall in love with it. True it has its faults and it could have been better, but after the sales reception of this game From Software is now more then aware they have a following in PC gaming and is more then likely to release their next addition on a better enhanced version for the PC.… 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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