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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. hodgesb
    Aug 4, 2013
    8
    I really enjoyed Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. It offers challenging gameplay that made even small successes feel rewarding. Overall, this is a fantastic game and I look forward to Namco's future titles.

    In my case, playing with a keyboard and mouse was not effective, so make sure you have a controller handy before jumping in.
  2. Rendomg
    Jul 26, 2013
    8
    This game is interesting. There's a lot to do in it and the gameplay is good.
    HOWEVER, there's a few things you must know before playing on PC:
    1) You need an Xbox Live account Windows Live account. 2) This game has a lot of stuff that, if you don't get help (Friends, Wiki's, etc.) you might have a hard time figuring out where to go. 3) And the 3rd one I can think of which is a big    This game is interesting. There's a lot to do in it and the gameplay is good.
    HOWEVER, there's a few things you must know before playing on PC:
    1) You need an Xbox Live account Windows Live account.
    2) This game has a lot of stuff that, if you don't get help (Friends, Wiki's, etc.) you might have a hard time figuring out where to go.
    3) And the 3rd one I can think of which is a big one, you'll need an Xbox 360 controller that works with PC. (GameStop sells them new and used for about 20-30 dollars, rather than Microsoft's Xbox 360 50-70 dollars)

    This game is hours of fun, only hindered by a few facts (at least in my opinion why I rated 8/10).
    -The Xbox controller being almost needed If you try the Keyboard and Mouse you'll find it very difficult to get anywhere, like me and many others have found out.
    -You cannot windowed full screen the game (which is a personal preference of mine)
    -The game is hard to figure out on your own if you don't have help. (Again, not for everyone but for most, but that's also what makes it such a good game)
    -Xbox Live Membership required to connect to online (at least I think, it wouldn't let me play online without it. However, you can play solo, so if you don't want to be with others, you're okay to do that as well)

    That's cons of this game. Some of these cons is also what makes the game as good as it is, in my opinion.

    The gameplay itself is fun, you have to block, dodge, avoid things, etc. to survive, and there's almost always something to improve on which is a turn on for me, in terms of games.

    Dialogue is good as well, a small detail which I think is neat, is if an NPC is wearing a helmet their voice will be muffled, rather than an NPC's voice who doesn't have a helmet will be normal.

    Graphics are fantastic, definitely something worth noting if you look for good graphics in games.

    Sounds are also something to note, wonderful sounds when attacking, blocking, parrying, backstabbing, all that kinda stuff. Music fits the atmosphere very well in most places.

    So all in all, it's an amazing game, worth the money if you're okay with hard games, don't mind dying a lot, and are willing to go out and spot the ~30 dollars for a controller. The story line is wonderful, and there's so many things you can do with it, and a lot of side stories that you can do for fun.

    Highly recommend 8/10    … Expand
  3. Sboriky
    Sep 11, 2013
    8
    The porting on PC is just awful, but with the right fixes made by the community, the game is very enjoyable.

    The combat mechanics are great, and the background story and the atmosphere are awesome. The main story is not that good, but as I said, the settings and the events behind our adventure are very detailed. Everyone should buy this masterpiece. It's an unique action RPG, full of    The porting on PC is just awful, but with the right fixes made by the community, the game is very enjoyable.

    The combat mechanics are great, and the background story and the atmosphere are awesome. The main story is not that good, but as I said, the settings and the events behind our adventure are very detailed.

    Everyone should buy this masterpiece. It's an unique action RPG, full of details and things to discover. Dark Souls is potentially an endless game... just prepare yourself to die an infinite amount of times!    … Expand
  4. Idiocracy
    Oct 8, 2013
    8
    MOD MOD MOD AND GAMEPAD IT UP!!!! Yes this port is pure trash, but thanks to our loving DS community, there's plenty of texture and UI mods that resurrect this perfect game from its portdeath, besides the MODS MAKE IT LOOK EYEGASMIC, so I'm enjoying the game even more than I did on the console!!!
  5. Jadetiger
    Oct 16, 2013
    8
    Brutally difficult and challenging, which makes for a massochistic pleasure for hardcore gamers. As noted in some other reviews, there are some sloppy aspects to the pc port. I played with a gamepad, so may have noticed this less than others. Not for the weak of heart!
  6. Malchy
    Dec 1, 2013
    8
    The PC port is downright dreadful. Don't even think about purchasing, if you don't own a controller.

    The game itself is pretty solid, addicting and most of all challenging. It brings back memories of really hardcore oldschool games. Although it can be confusing, overwhelming and sometimes mindlessly frustrating, the feelings you get after each tiny step in progress cannot be put to words.
  7. Sabatasso
    Nov 2, 2013
    8
    The PC port is bad but the mod called DSfix fixes everything. DSfix also enables texture modding possibilities by the way.

    Anyway, the game itself is brilliant! It's easy and hard, simple and complex and fun and boring at the same time! I can't really explain it better than that lol. The combat is simple yet it flows and feels good. You have a ton of things to consider regarding gear    The PC port is bad but the mod called DSfix fixes everything. DSfix also enables texture modding possibilities by the way.

    Anyway, the game itself is brilliant! It's easy and hard, simple and complex and fun and boring at the same time! I can't really explain it better than that lol.

    The combat is simple yet it flows and feels good. You have a ton of things to consider regarding gear that will change combat so much that I't quite amazing how they've manage to balance it. I'd personally love a bit more gear to choose between and possibly a real dual wield combat style.

    The story is great but it isn't forced down your throat so you can kind of choose whether you want to play this as a pure arcade game, an RPG or a mix between the two. The online stuff is also great, but you can choose not to be a part of that by plugging out your internet cable.    … Expand
  8. TheOtherGuy103
    Jan 7, 2014
    8
    After installing the DSfix and hooking up my Xbox controller, I was completely sucked into this world. Like Armored Core, another one of Fromsoft's game series, The game is fairly challenging, but fair.

    Every single one of my deaths were caused by either a mistake or a lack of caution on my part. If I rushed into a room before surveying it, I was punished. If I used the wrong type of    After installing the DSfix and hooking up my Xbox controller, I was completely sucked into this world. Like Armored Core, another one of Fromsoft's game series, The game is fairly challenging, but fair.

    Every single one of my deaths were caused by either a mistake or a lack of caution on my part. If I rushed into a room before surveying it, I was punished. If I used the wrong type of shield in a fight, I was punished. The game does a good job of subtly teaching you its mechanics without posting on-screen hints in the middle of boss battles.

    I also liked how each boss taught me something about the game. The Asylum Demon taught me how to observe my surroundings and how to use them to my advantage, the taurus Demon reinforced that lesson, the Bell Tower Guardians taught me about weak points, etc.

    I will warn new players about the online aspect of the game. In my opinion, it does a perfect job of allowing players to either help each other out, or to ruin each other's days. I fell in love with PVP combat in this game, and even after beating it a few days after release, I am still playing it for its PVP. That said, new players can get turned off by the game fairly easily because of how unexpectedly another (and possibly more experienced) player can invade their world.Another big turn off is the abundance of trainer users that are online.

    One thing to remember about this game is to give it a chance. Dark Souls is an acquired taste, and I guarantee that you will feel very satisfied once you beat it. Fromsoftware has easily become my favourite developer because they try to make their games as satisfying as possible.

    Never give up, and Prepare to Die.    … Expand
  9. huss2215
    Nov 14, 2013
    8
    Refer to my previous Dark Souls review on 360 if interested. Prepare to die edition is a horrible port to the PC, it looks like an emulator running. The game never seems to work when trying to summon, or be summoned, their PVP system never worked for me, and invading seems to work the best yet there are many hackers. Besides that, I really enjoy the expansion which lasts about 3 extraRefer to my previous Dark Souls review on 360 if interested. Prepare to die edition is a horrible port to the PC, it looks like an emulator running. The game never seems to work when trying to summon, or be summoned, their PVP system never worked for me, and invading seems to work the best yet there are many hackers. Besides that, I really enjoy the expansion which lasts about 3 extra hours long, 3 new bosses, 1 can be missed. Newer spells, 1 which is overpowered, newer items, and weapons that can be forged from new boss souls. The story is interesting, but never really dives the player deep into it. You see a younger Wolf Sif, but you may miss the story behind it, and may need to resort to the Wiki to find out the details.
    Overall Score: 8.0 out of 10.    … Expand
  10. janne808
    Apr 26, 2014
    8
    Although a semi-decent console port on PC, the stellar game design still pulls it through. Probably got away with it for being a small cult game initially. One of my all-time favourite.
  11. Steeldude
    Oct 13, 2014
    8
    A horrible port of a great game. The biggest problem I have with this: I had to download 5 mods for it to work. And even now, the most deaths come from the retarded function that switches locked targets when you just slightly move your mouse ... which you have to use to attack in the first place. Despite the flaws, the game is still way above average as well as a serious challenge.
  12. saxo27
    Jan 5, 2016
    8
    This is quite a fun game--but not hard (as everyone says). The hard parts of the game of simply the CHEAP parts of the game--Capra Demon, Archers in Anor Londo, Chaos Bed. No matter your skill, you will end up dying at certain cheap parts.

    I played with a controller and it was fine. Also, played on a laptop intel hd 4000 graphics card. Worked fine with the downloadable fix (forgot the    This is quite a fun game--but not hard (as everyone says). The hard parts of the game of simply the CHEAP parts of the game--Capra Demon, Archers in Anor Londo, Chaos Bed. No matter your skill, you will end up dying at certain cheap parts.

    I played with a controller and it was fine. Also, played on a laptop intel hd 4000 graphics card. Worked fine with the downloadable fix (forgot the name of it).

    In short, fun game but difficulty comes from being cheap at times. Dark Souls 2 is better. Enjoy!    … Expand
  13. Mearehear
    Dec 27, 2014
    8
    A game that unforgivingly punishes you for your mistakes, with death never far away even against the most lowly of ingame characters. There is none of that fetch quest back and forth nonsense here as seen in the likes of Skyrim, just a deep dark, surprisingly interconnected, world for you to lose yourself, stripped back of all the gimmicks used in many other games. Frustration will giveA game that unforgivingly punishes you for your mistakes, with death never far away even against the most lowly of ingame characters. There is none of that fetch quest back and forth nonsense here as seen in the likes of Skyrim, just a deep dark, surprisingly interconnected, world for you to lose yourself, stripped back of all the gimmicks used in many other games. Frustration will give way to a rewarding feeling of achievement, as you learn your way and progress.… Expand
  14. Vzhik
    Jan 13, 2016
    8
    Пробовал раньше играть в ДС1 раз пять, все не шло: то графика отстой, то управление кривое, то сюжета мало.. Но отдохнув от ДС2 (два прохождения) несколько месяцев, возникло вдруг желание увлечься в какую-нибудь вселенную, посмотреть миры, посравнивать циферки в оружии. И тут же ждет неначатый дарк! Уже и управление нормальное, и графика ниче вроде :-)
    И побрел я по просторам мира,    Пробовал раньше играть в ДС1 раз пять, все не шло: то графика отстой, то управление кривое, то сюжета мало.. Но отдохнув от ДС2 (два прохождения) несколько месяцев, возникло вдруг желание увлечься в какую-нибудь вселенную, посмотреть миры, посравнивать циферки в оружии. И тут же ждет неначатый дарк! Уже и управление нормальное, и графика ниче вроде :-)
    И побрел я по просторам мира, совершенно ничего не знаю об этой игре, круша врагов и спасая невинных, проходить вслепую за мага. Очень хорошо, что сделали более живой мир - НПС перемещаются, че-то рассказывают.. Некоторые локи очень красивые - Кристальный Грот это вообще нечно! В меру сложное прохождение - некоторые боссы с первого раза, некоторые с 30-го. Иногда "вау" и "ух ты, как завернули" не отпускало. В общем хорошая интересная игра. Очень понравилось, что надо в начале много ходить ногами - прям реальное путешествие получается Очень понравилось как устроены локации и мир. Классные боссы. Но что вы думаете произошло? Я убил очередного (меня меня) босса и внезапно оказался на НГ+! Со стартовым посохом, с неполученным оружием из душ боссов, не найдя босса-мага, о котором знал заранее (думал от него нормальный посох дадут) и не найдя ДЛЦ!
    И как оказалось я пропустил, с наверно, треть игры! Надо сказать, что читая потом вики, у меня волосы на голове дыбом вставали! Как можно было так сильно всё запрятывать! Ну невозможно нормальному человеку так всё исследовать, чтоб самому найти ковенанты, оружие.. Вот в этом моё главное разочарование в ДС1 - перемудрили они с секретами, через чур это, не над так.
    Спасло что сейф был, откатился, допрошел всё на первом круге. Просто я не люблю спойлерить перед прохождением, и не люблю по второму разу проходить.
    Но даже так, играя вслепую и напарываясь на косяки, игра очень достойна, стоит того чтоб в неё поиграть.
    А для себя сделал вывод. Что похоже, дело не в играх которые либо затянут либо нет, а в личном настрое.    … Expand
  15. Cech
    May 16, 2017
    8
    Главная фишка dark`а: НЕопциональный хардкор и я это одобряю, но есть множество игр сложнее геймплейно, чем эта: как слешер тот же ведьмак даст больше челленджа. Дарк Соулс на фоне других игр в плане сложности слабоват.

    Чем ещё игра у меня не в почёте? Так это тем, что если убрать карту из любой игры - она станет хардкорной, да и во многом более хардкорной, чем ДС Боссы 40% боссов    Главная фишка dark`а: НЕопциональный хардкор и я это одобряю, но есть множество игр сложнее геймплейно, чем эта: как слешер тот же ведьмак даст больше челленджа. Дарк Соулс на фоне других игр в плане сложности слабоват.

    Чем ещё игра у меня не в почёте? Так это тем, что если убрать карту из любой игры - она станет хардкорной, да и во многом более хардкорной, чем ДС

    Боссы
    40% боссов убил с первой попытки, на одного босса ушло 11-18 попыток, на "шикарное" "Ложе", что не является боссом ушло около 10 попыток, на остальных ушло до 5 траев, чаще всего вторая и третья были удачными (Оргазм от победы испытал за всё прохождение 1 раз, в остальном было "каменное лицо")

    Локации
    Мне больше всего понравился лес, а меньше всего анусы подземелий в которых ничего не видно. Проще говоря, неплохо, но можно и лучше

    Персонажи
    Колоритные NPC и забавные враги, я влюблён в людей-грибочков, из-за которых я когда-то купил эту игру

    Игра меня научила
    Многих эта игра чему-то научила, точнее научила не совершать ошибки. Бред. Все ваши ошибки в этой игре можно пофиксить фармом. Уверен, что никто не выполнил "фёрст левел ран". Игра учит основам "Защиты древних" выфарми - победи

    Графика
    Каки мамонта, особенно для 2012 года, а сейчас то - УХ!

    Сюжет
    Его нет, просто забейте. Если вы уверены в том, что он есть - вы ретард

    Отмечу слова своего коллеги о том, что многие путают термины хардкорность и нудность, да, нудности тут больше, чем нужно, а появление телепорта между кострами в последней трети игры (и то не на все костры) - абсурд, телепорт должен был быть изначально.

    Возможно обзор будет дополняться мыслями, на момент релиза игра могла тянуть на 7/10, сейчас это твёрдая 5

    Жаль, что игра отказывалась работать тогда, когда я её купил из-за гейсфорвиндовса и не только. Игра не хотела работать как на вин7, так и на вин8.1, и как здорово, что вышла 10ка, на которой всё работает

    Всеми руками рекомендую в этом жанре не следующую часть соулс, а Lords of the Fallen

    UPD. Через нескоько месяцев я понимаю, что от игры осталось очень хорошее послевкусие, так что повышу оценку до 6.5/10

    UPD2. Без стороннего вмешательства в файлы игры и скачивания оных - неиграбельный кусок кала

    7.5/10    … Expand
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. Hostani
    Mar 1, 2017
    8
    Отличная игра и, наверное, моя лучшая покупка за 6 рублей. Отбилась по эмоциям за каждую копеечку. Жаль, что хреновая оптимизация, обилие багов и мыльные текстурки в 480p не позволяют поставить оценку выше.
  19. vzlaDavid
    Mar 4, 2017
    8
    To start this review, I must say that I have not played the console versions, so unlie probably many reviews I will not judge it by comparing it to the console versions. Well, to begin with the actual review, this game is beautiful in almost all aspects. The difficulty curve the game has is nice and feels very natural once you learn the basics of the game, giving my example, I tried reallyTo start this review, I must say that I have not played the console versions, so unlie probably many reviews I will not judge it by comparing it to the console versions. Well, to begin with the actual review, this game is beautiful in almost all aspects. The difficulty curve the game has is nice and feels very natural once you learn the basics of the game, giving my example, I tried really hard to beat the Taurus Demon my first time playing since I did not even get any time to get used to the game; then the Gargoyles didn't take as much tries, and the rest of the game, while difficult, was not as difficult as those two fights, so once you get used to the game, it becomes easier and much more enjoyable. You just have to persist! Anyways, the boss fights for the most part of it are really well thought-out and are difficult enough such as to not feeling overpowered against most bosses no matter your gear (especially Ornstein and Smough) (f**k bed of chaos though), not to mention their AMAZING soundtracks that will definitely help make the atmospheres for their battles. The level design is also made in a way that your first time playing you will most probably miss a couple of secrets, which is good, since the game really rewards for exploring the world. Not to mention that the world really feels natural and alive. Now, on the technicals ide of things, the optimization and controls with keyboards are a commonly criticized point of this port, but luckily they can be fixed with the mods DSFix and KB+M mods in general. I have never tried to play with a controller but it sure felt nice to play with a keyboard with those mods installed, but I still felt some issues with the controls that were more the fault of the game rather than the mods. The graphics are not outstanding but the game really stands out on some parts (specifically Lost Izalith and Anor Londo), and there are also a couple of bugs out there, but the game is very good nonetheless. 8/10: it's not perfect but it doesn't need to be to give hours ands hours of playtime though.… Expand
  20. Glacialangel
    Feb 11, 2018
    8
    While it isn't as difficult as people like to make it out to be, Dark Souls is tough but fair. When a meaty challenge is overcome, the feeling of accomplishment makes it all the better. The story is intriguing and mysterious, even if it's pretty convoluted and hard to find(you have to read many of the in-game descriptions of items in your inventory, plus there's a bit of guesswork involvedWhile it isn't as difficult as people like to make it out to be, Dark Souls is tough but fair. When a meaty challenge is overcome, the feeling of accomplishment makes it all the better. The story is intriguing and mysterious, even if it's pretty convoluted and hard to find(you have to read many of the in-game descriptions of items in your inventory, plus there's a bit of guesswork involved to patch the bigger picture together). The DLC is okay, but not nearly as good as the base game. It also doesn't really add much, and the Artorias fight in particular was boring(even though many love it for the "anime" elements it has, though those don't add anything to the fight itself). Definitely recommended, regardless of my nitpicks.… Expand
  21. 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
  22. amazingmold46
    Feb 17, 2020
    8
    Although there are numerous problems with the pc port of Dark Souls, they are easily alleviated with dsfix. Dark souls still has the best world design in the series 8 years later. Sadly though the lock of rolling to 4 directions does make the combat feel rough around the edges. As well, the run back to a certain boss being quite absurd, and Lost Izalith being unfinished. The game is stillAlthough there are numerous problems with the pc port of Dark Souls, they are easily alleviated with dsfix. Dark souls still has the best world design in the series 8 years later. Sadly though the lock of rolling to 4 directions does make the combat feel rough around the edges. As well, the run back to a certain boss being quite absurd, and Lost Izalith being unfinished. The game is still host to some of the most iconic boss fights in history though and proved that there still was a commercial interest in difficult games. It is most definitely one of if not the most important game in the last decade.… Expand
  23. 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.
  24. BaldursThones
    Apr 14, 2022
    8
    I love this game more than the other entries in the series just from the world design. The combat might be clunky but the connection to fire link shrine is epic.
  25. Shedfreak
    Feb 28, 2022
    8
    A classic, it has an awful port on PC but the simple mod called DSfix fixes everything and also improves a lot to the point you can make your own Remaster.
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. Aidelweiss
    Dec 5, 2022
    8
    great game, you really wanna take it slow. the multiplayer meta is a bit dependent on a single build
  29. 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.
  30. murut87
    Aug 25, 2012
    7
    It means to be playable using Controller,if playing Keyboard Controller,its freaking impossible.Worst Console Port Ever,with Lack of Tweaks,Capped FPS and Frustratingly Hard-To Play this game.But the game core is good on every possible so,i don`t recommend this game if you wanna play using Keyboard+Mouse because its all messed up....I really wanted to play this game because it looks fun toIt means to be playable using Controller,if playing Keyboard Controller,its freaking impossible.Worst Console Port Ever,with Lack of Tweaks,Capped FPS and Frustratingly Hard-To Play this game.But the game core is good on every possible so,i don`t recommend this game if you wanna play using Keyboard+Mouse because its all messed up....I really wanted to play this game because it looks fun to play even through its Difficulty was way impossible...… Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PC Game of 2012
10
#10 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
20
#20 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 42
  3. Negative: 1 out of 42
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    72
    The irony is that the PC version could have been much better than the PS3/360 ones, with higher resolutions to make the textures look better, a cornucopia of mods and/or an active (in theory at least) community. But FROM ruined it all (with the assistance of Games for Windows Live). It’s a shame really, if we at least had just a decent port (or a better infrastructure for a less appalling multiplayer mode), Dark Souls could have been one of the best RPG for the PC. [November 2012]
  2. GameFocus
    Nov 19, 2012
    80
    Not often do you see a game that is equally rewarding as it is frustrating; and it's not because the game is unfair.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 29, 2012
    80
    Dark Souls returns the hardcore elements back to action RPGs – heavy focus on uncompromising fight mechanics and absolute freedom in hero profiling. The price of this game is not for everyone. [Oct 2012]
See all critic reviews »