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. BinaryStylus
    May 30, 2014
    10
    Stick with it if you get a bit frustrated!

    This game is the most original and inspirational action RPG I've ever played. I love it. It gives you everything. But can be daunting for people new to the game. Please stick with it - it is rewarding and fun. Use the Wikis for it if you get stuck - there are three very good ones. But most importantly don't let yourself be put off by    Stick with it if you get a bit frustrated!

    This game is the most original and inspirational action RPG I've ever played. I love it. It gives you everything. But can be daunting for people new to the game. Please stick with it - it is rewarding and fun. Use the Wikis for it if you get stuck - there are three very good ones. But most importantly don't let yourself be put off by frustration, especially that born of the PvP and being invaded early in the game.

    Cheating by PvP'ers who invade is a toxic problem, (And this isn't people who twink gear down to lower levels which although it is insurmountable for new players [and is thus in and of itself frustrating] it isn't actually cheating). The problem is that people can fix their game so they have high resists, high health, high damage, and more. . . http://www.usgamer.net/articles/cheating-more-than-death-in-dark-souls.

    The game is great - but if you are just getting into it - just be mindful of the state of Cheat Engine usage - and disable (with firewall rules) GFWL till you get more comfortable with the game and it's mechanics. The sure fire method of enjoying the game is to simply Alt F4 when you are told you are being invaded, (read the Wiki to know when NPCs are invading as you will want to fight them). Then once you are backing up your save games, (called save scumming), and are comfortable with the game, then give PvP a try if you are invaded - But expect to encounter someone who has a frozen health bar, or unlimited stamina, or a weapon that reduces your stats to 25% and teleports you to Anor Londo, (see the article), or some other impossible ability - And expect them every third person who invades.    … Expand
  2. Gwydiian
    Nov 20, 2012
    8
    This game is not for everyone. It's incredibly frustrating at times, it's difficult, it punishes mistakes with dire consequences and it's full of players who are willing to put hours of work into making your game experience miserable. All that being said, I freaking love this game.

    The game isn't difficult because it has a high learning curve or requires lightning reflexes as much as    This game is not for everyone. It's incredibly frustrating at times, it's difficult, it punishes mistakes with dire consequences and it's full of players who are willing to put hours of work into making your game experience miserable. All that being said, I freaking love this game.

    The game isn't difficult because it has a high learning curve or requires lightning reflexes as much as it demands patience and learning. Every enemy has his weakness, whether it be to a particular tactic or a particular weapon. Your job is to die enough to learn those weaknesses, while also learning which weapons and play-styles fit you. You see, what makes this game so much fun to play is how much it makes you perfect a playstyle you enjoy. It doesn't hold your hand or pidgeon-hole you into a class role. It gives you a vast amount of choices and lets you experiment with them until you find what you like best. The setting for the story is grand and cryptic, the visuals haunting and beautiful, the characters mysterious and memorable, and the boss fights nothing short of terrifying.

    Overall, this game is a gem that will never be delved into very deeply by many players because of it's frustrating difficulty, but don't let that stop you from trying it out. After a few dozen deaths you'll find that enemies that used to stop you in your tracks become routine. It's true that half the fun of this game is watching your own progress as you master the combat.    … Expand
  3. Rolento
    Mar 29, 2014
    9
    Port issues and me being late to the online party this was supposed to be... apart, this game is what many games should strive to be. The game is a real challenge, as you may have heard, since it's pretty much its selling point, but even if it's so hard I think it still manages to do so being absolutely fair, with a good mix of trial and error and literally testing your reflexes (unlessPort issues and me being late to the online party this was supposed to be... apart, this game is what many games should strive to be. The game is a real challenge, as you may have heard, since it's pretty much its selling point, but even if it's so hard I think it still manages to do so being absolutely fair, with a good mix of trial and error and literally testing your reflexes (unless you are not dodging). But oh, is this game so much more. Save for a few forgettable exceptions, the intro and the endings, this game is a constant stream of gameplay never interrupted, that doesn't "tell" you any story, but rather makes it happen as you exist in its world, at times so indirectly that you may miss parts of it! It has solid theming: the duality of life and death contained in the element of fire, recurring throughout the game as a source of both of those things. Atmosphere and graphics: well crafted and beautiful, almonst inseparable from the setting itself for how well they are integrated. As for the gameplay itself, I don't think I'm able to explain very well the genre other than saying it's an action RPG, but here's some things that are damn worth mentioning: farming doesn't make the game easy; farming is still a challenge and therefore shouldn't even be called like that, apart from some of the initial weapons no gear in this game is "useless" or just for the early game; almost literally everything is viable in PvE (in PvP I can't really tell, I'm pretty sure it's at least better than any other overcentralized metagame given the variety I've seen, but certainly not everything is recommended) thanks to the scaling and upgrading system, thus avoiding that typical rpg situation in which you keep dropping useless things with a grey name that don't help neither for vendors nor immersion and no one likes to see in their inventory; every type of weapon is a different playstyle and there's tons of space for customization (see viability)! Add to all of this incredible package a gimmicky, original online mode that will keep you connected to the internet without actually using it except at random intervals to make the player sessions interact with each other to either help (through warning messages you can leave on the ground, summoning players for cooperation) or for added difficulty, in the case of being "invaded" by a player that will hunt you down for a reward. It's just amazing on so many levels that, as you can see, the only way to say how good it is is to actually say what the game is! Talk about self explanatory.… Expand
  4. Reshish
    Feb 7, 2014
    10
    Nb: I'm using the fan patch, and 25hrs in (about 40% though)
    I've experienced no technical problems, no crashes (despite frequently tabbing out), 1680/1050.
    I find this game perfectly fine to play with keyboard+mouse, though it takes a little getting used to at first. I've enjoyed this game immensely so far, it feels very deliberately crafted and smartly made, for instance, a new player    Nb: I'm using the fan patch, and 25hrs in (about 40% though)
    I've experienced no technical problems, no crashes (despite frequently tabbing out), 1680/1050.
    I find this game perfectly fine to play with keyboard+mouse, though it takes a little getting used to at first.
    I've enjoyed this game immensely so far, it feels very deliberately crafted and smartly made, for instance, a new player will have to stumble through the world essentially following the developer's intended path and rate of progression, overcoming increasing obsticles while they become stronger and more experienced.
    Whereas familiar players can (deliberately) skip swaths of areas and obtain powerful items very early if they wish.
    in addition, experienced (or researched) players can also take advantage of the crafting system and multiple new-game+ modes.
    Despite being told the contrary, I have not found this to be a difficult game, it is instead a very punishing game. If you play recklessly and make a mistake, you will be punished for it, but if you play smart, you can easily defeat anything this game puts in your path.
    The best comparison I have experienced is WoW Heroic raiding where there is very little room for error and a single mistake can cause your death (and often wipe the raid).
    Some people mention the old-school Shinobi in reference to difficulty, which doesn't really do Dark Souls justice, as where old games required lightning reflexes to overcome, the deliberate unbreakable animation system in dark souls (which some refer to as unresponsive and clunky) allows for more leniency in response times,
    ie. if you dodge or block, the enemy will be stuck in that animation for the duration, during which you can safely strike back (and the same applies when you fail an attack)
    because of this, the game is not restricted to 'twitch' players, which in turn makes it perhaps one of the more 'open' games, though not quite 'turn-based'.
    A healthy grandmother/father would likely have no more trouble at playing this game than anyone else.
    I've heard this game was buggy upon launch, all I can say to that is get the fan patch which will make it perfectly fine.
    At this point I can think of no reason not at least try playing Dark Souls.    … Expand
  5. TSB
    Mar 12, 2014
    8
    Good game in general .
    THE GOOD : Great gameplay- very good boss fight - challenging game - world design is nice .
    THE BAD : bad port you will need DSfix to get better res and texture - the story telling is not good - almost no sound track .
  6. StaticSpine
    Apr 26, 2014
    10
    To be honest I can't really name any things that are made bad or even mediocre in this game. The visuals are very nice and stylish (just use DSCfix), the music and sounds are great, the battle system is very well balanced and simply awesome, the lore and is fantastic (though you need to dig through side materials like wiki pages, but it's worth it), the atmosphere is really depressing, theTo be honest I can't really name any things that are made bad or even mediocre in this game. The visuals are very nice and stylish (just use DSCfix), the music and sounds are great, the battle system is very well balanced and simply awesome, the lore and is fantastic (though you need to dig through side materials like wiki pages, but it's worth it), the atmosphere is really depressing, the controls are good (BUT only if you use a gamepad). The game is pretty hard, everyone knows that, but it is not impossible, you just need to have some skills in it, if you learn on your mistakes - you will be victorious in Dark Souls. Well, there are some minor details I didn't like - for example - you can kill or be killed hitting through a wall. But overall, the game is great, I understand all the hype and praise it gets. The sloppy port was greatly fixed, so the gamers rank here is way too low.… Expand
  7. faceless-1
    May 16, 2016
    8
    Dark souls have a lot of megative parts in it. For start PC version is broken **** port that needs mods to fix mouse and keyboard controlls to be even playable. The another proble what people have with this game is that dark souls are really **** in many areas (no NPC development and bad story), but it is par of what this game is. It is an old school dungeon crawler. On first look it looksDark souls have a lot of megative parts in it. For start PC version is broken **** port that needs mods to fix mouse and keyboard controlls to be even playable. The another proble what people have with this game is that dark souls are really **** in many areas (no NPC development and bad story), but it is par of what this game is. It is an old school dungeon crawler. On first look it looks like skyrimish game, but in fact it is something like Legend of Grimrock. The game it self is not that hard if you know what to do. Gameplay wise it is almost a puzzle game (The boss and large mobs work in a way as bosses from painkiller, they got specific movement set and vounerable places, if you find a way to exploid/learn these things they will die very fast, but if you dont they will erase you in few moments (until you leveled up)).

    PS: If you mod it, mouse and keyboard are even better than controller, but you need DSFix

    As a whole is it torment like TES arena? (no no way that difficult), but it is that level of games. Dark Souls is not a modern RPG it is old school dungeon crawler. No tutorial, no map, no holding hand. But also no NPC development, no grand story, no dialoges (well almost (yes/no does not really count)).

    If you wana another skyrim Stay away from this. If you like games like grimrock and dont mind Legacy of kain combat and need of modding it, you will love this game.    … Expand
  8. Theraxel
    Mar 17, 2014
    10
    My experience is a perfect 10/10. Loved the game on Xbox and for me having a PC port is brilliant as it opens up all sorts of options like a HD texture pack and just generally better performance and graphics. I understand other people whinging about it being a bad port - and I guess it is, a controller is recommended and when you get past the Windows Live integration it's FINE. But for me,My experience is a perfect 10/10. Loved the game on Xbox and for me having a PC port is brilliant as it opens up all sorts of options like a HD texture pack and just generally better performance and graphics. I understand other people whinging about it being a bad port - and I guess it is, a controller is recommended and when you get past the Windows Live integration it's FINE. But for me, I loved everything about it. :)… Expand
  9. f3doraman
    Oct 6, 2012
    7
    To get this out of the way early: yes, the port is terrible. It's a direct port which had little work put into its PC controls and settings, and it suffers from it. However, the only reason it was made in the first place is because of a large movement of gamers asking for it. The lack of resources into its port is mostly a result of the company not knowing how safe an investment itTo get this out of the way early: yes, the port is terrible. It's a direct port which had little work put into its PC controls and settings, and it suffers from it. However, the only reason it was made in the first place is because of a large movement of gamers asking for it. The lack of resources into its port is mostly a result of the company not knowing how safe an investment it would be, though they were nice enough to throw in the DLC for free. Hopefully, if DS is successful on the PC, it will get more developers to focus more resources to making proper PC ports.

    All that being said, this is still a great game, one of my favorites. The combat is brutal and challenging, which fits perfectly into its dark and imposing story. While there is a leveling system to the game, it's not really necessary; I've read forums of people challenging themselves by not leveling at all. If you can't get past the poor controls, or have a gamepad available, at least try this out for the console. Dark Souls does a lot of things very well, and it's worth giving a try.    … Expand
  10. Kydos
    Sep 1, 2013
    10
    Forget about playing with keyboard and mouse, you just have to accept with this one that it's designed to be played with a controller. Once you get over that little stumbling block, then you're in for a world of wonder. There's not much I can say that hasn't been said but I will say it all again anyway because this game is something else in today's market. It takes today's crop ofForget about playing with keyboard and mouse, you just have to accept with this one that it's designed to be played with a controller. Once you get over that little stumbling block, then you're in for a world of wonder. There's not much I can say that hasn't been said but I will say it all again anyway because this game is something else in today's market. It takes today's crop of hand-holding games and throws that philosophy out the window. Games like the Fable series and the later Elder Scrolls series (IV and V) offer no real challenge. The Fable games are quite fun (the first one anyway) but you breeze through them in mere hours and can easily complete them without dying. I gave up on Skyrim after it became just a routine of blasting through dungeon after dungeon like the unstoppable destroyer you so easily become. You know a game is doing something wrong when a dragon appears in the sky and all you do is roll your eyes thinking "another nuisance." With Dark Souls you start sweating when you see something as big as a dragon appear because the game is difficult. The first time you run through this game everything is more difficult than it should be and the reason is because you are liable to die at any time. The first enemies you kill when you first get a weapon can still challenge you hours into the game if you're not careful. Yes you can cut through them like butter at that stage but you still need to maintain concentration and take them out efficiently because even a bunch of lowly Hollows can take you down quickly if you let them swarm you. The beautiful thing about this is when you're exploring a new area and haven't a clue where you are, everything terrifies you because everything can kill you. And when your health bar is at about two thirds and you're unable to heal, have no idea where the next "checkpoint" is and you're carrying a whole lot of souls that you so desperately don't want to lose but you don't know what's waiting around the next corner, then you will start to feel your blood rush and I don't know about you but a game hasn't made me feel like that in a long long time. One of the neatest things about this game is the shortcut system built into the world. With limited loading screens the game does well in immersing you into the experience but the clever shortcuts prevent endless trekking around and also serve as a slight reward in that you are spared from going through some of the tougher parts of the game more than once as you can cut out the bulk of journey. Of course the shortcuts themselves are kind of cheesy in that they're usually just doors that only open from one side for some reason or elevators that have to be activated from the top first before they work properly but the way the world is all interconnected gives a nice feel to the game. Of course the world is quite huge and later the teleport system can be deemed almost necessary if not as immersive as the shortcut system. The story of the game is best judged as an accumulation of all the subplots rather than just the main quest line. That being said this game has some fantastic lore which you have to tease out bit by bit through item descriptions and sparse NPC dialogue but I've spent a lot of time just reading up on the different NPC's and their backgrounds as you'll find nearly everyone in Dark Souls has a very interesting story. What I like about this is that while you're clearly the strongest dude around and the so-called "main character," not everything revolves around you and some NPC's couldn't care less about who you are. Again it adds to the immersion that everyone has their own agenda and aren't just waiting around doing nothing until you come along to do some mundane task for them so they can get on with their lives. Nothing breaks immersion like the almighty Dragonborn having to make house calls because some dame has got a problem with some rats. I should point out in conclusion that the Elder Scrolls and Fable series have their own merits and I am a fan of them, but Dark Souls offers an entirely different and even though this word is always used rewarding experience. It is not, as some claim, difficult for the sake of being difficult. It is difficult for the sake of being real. It is one of the best experiences in gaming that's out there and you'd be doing yourself a favour if you picked it up, even if you only make it to Blighttown.… Expand
  11. Archimedesx
    Sep 12, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls is a very unique game. For one, It has a very rich and detailed story with many characters, but it's told to you in a way that is indirect. You either have to figure out what's happened to this desolate world by talking with people in it and noticing clues, or you'll be left in the dark. Their are many choices to be made as well, like what covenant to join or which direction toDark Souls is a very unique game. For one, It has a very rich and detailed story with many characters, but it's told to you in a way that is indirect. You either have to figure out what's happened to this desolate world by talking with people in it and noticing clues, or you'll be left in the dark. Their are many choices to be made as well, like what covenant to join or which direction to go or what weapons to use, and there's no one right answer for every playthrough you might do. Finally there's the notoriously unforgiving combat and dungeons. While not being too complex, it's refined enough to give you many options for different situations to get you through the game.
    All these things tied in with the beautiful graphics, atmosphere, story, and boss battles make Dark Souls a unique experience you will not soon forget. While the online and co-op aspects of the game are somewhat lacking, the other aspects more than make up for it.
    This isn't going to be a game for everyone, but if you're the typical gamer that craves a challenge, then you should definately hit Dark Souls up.    … Expand
  12. Basem101
    Dec 29, 2013
    10
    not that good port to pc not much graphic option xbox 360 controller mapping and still i give this game a 10/10 2011 we had the witcher 2 m skyrim and this legendary RPG i was hesitant to play this game but i decided to give a try and am glad i did because for the 7 next days i fell in love with it and couldn't stop playing this game this game is not for everyone it is foe hardcorenot that good port to pc not much graphic option xbox 360 controller mapping and still i give this game a 10/10 2011 we had the witcher 2 m skyrim and this legendary RPG i was hesitant to play this game but i decided to give a try and am glad i did because for the 7 next days i fell in love with it and couldn't stop playing this game this game is not for everyone it is foe hardcore gamers only of you play games for fun then this game is not for you… Expand
  13. vegemonsta
    Nov 5, 2017
    10
    The single most important game of last generation. It's difficulty is not the true focus. That's just stupid marketing. Near perfect in most regards. I will change this review to add more detail at a later date.
  14. smahlt
    Jan 20, 2023
    9
    This is a very good game. Fantastic beginning of the Dark Souls series, and the best of the three.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. GAGMR
    Mar 10, 2016
    9
    This is one of those games that I thought I'd never beat. I kept saying, "This game sucks!" or "This game is bogus & unfair!" But I couldn't stop playing it. I kept getting that itch to come back & play it. After several occasions of quitting & coming back, one day it just finally clicked. This game is amazing & one of the best 3rd person action adventure RPG's I've ever played. If I wasThis is one of those games that I thought I'd never beat. I kept saying, "This game sucks!" or "This game is bogus & unfair!" But I couldn't stop playing it. I kept getting that itch to come back & play it. After several occasions of quitting & coming back, one day it just finally clicked. This game is amazing & one of the best 3rd person action adventure RPG's I've ever played. If I was given a choice to spare just one game in my collection over all the others it would be Dark Souls.

    Just make sure you download the DSfix & Watchdog mods because the PC port is pretty bad so you need DSfix to get decent performance & to fix some issues & there are hackers in PVP so you'll need Watchdog to kick them when you run into them.

    PROS
    -Large Open World to Explore
    -Tough but fair challenge
    -Multiple Character Customization Options
    -Custom Classes (play how you want)
    -Great Atmosphere
    -Great Boss Fights
    -Online Co-Op & PVP
    -NG+++

    CONS
    -Bad KB/M controls (DSMfix helps)
    -Might be too hard for some people (Git Gud)
    -Has hackers in PVP (Watchdog helps)
    -It's a bad port (DSfix helps)

    GAMEPLAY

    The gameplay is actually fairly simple to learn but hard to master. It gets easier the more you play it. If you've ever played a 3D Zelda game you'll probably feel right at home here as the controls seem like they were inspired by the combat in those games. The best way to describe it is every fight is like fighting an Iron Knuckle. You get hit & you're gonna feel it. The best way to fight enemies is to either keep up your guard & wait for an opening or actively dodge & then attack. Or, just stack poise & plow through everything in your path.

    As you defeat enemies you will gather souls. Souls are your everything. They are your EXP, Currency, your upgrades. Everything! You use souls to level up at bonfires, repair equipment, buy items from shops & to upgrade equipment. When you die you lose all your souls & humanity & you only get one chance to reclaim them. Their will be a bright green glowy spot near where you died that contains them but if you die before regaining them then they will be lost forever.

    Your character plays how you want them & how you build their gear/stats. If you want to be a caster you're gonna need an item to do it with & a build that compliments it. If you want to just run around & smash things then you can do that too. You wanna wear light armor & backstab everything in your path, well some enemies can't be backstabbed but most can.

    That leads me to the advanced moveset of backstab & parry. Backstabs are performed by being up in your enemies butt & hitting the R1 button which should initiate a short animation that makes you immune to all damage during it. If it doesn't happen you done it wrong. Parry is similar but involves much more precise timing & equipping a proper item in the left hand. With proper timing you will see a slomo effect occur in which case you should hit R1 to perform a lethal counter attack. Not all attacks can be parried & it requires precise timing with some memorization to do it effectively.

    The boss fights are where this game shines the most. It's also where a majority of it's difficulty lies. They all hit like trucks & they're all usually big & take up half of the screen. It's also where Co Op shines the most but that also makes them fairly easy if you get players who know what they're doing. If not it's still gonna be quite a challenge.

    As you play through the game just keep in mind that death is inevitable & you will suffer many deaths on your first playthrough. Eventually it will just click. You will get better at the game. You will eventually beat it's challenges & you will feel good while doing it. Once you GIT GUD the game is a blast, alone or with co-op.

    OVERALL

    When I first played Dark Souls I thought it was one of the hardest & most challenging games I've ever played. I quit out of rage a few times but I always kept coming back. Trust me when I say this game is worth putting time in to GIT GUD. There isn't really any other game like Dark Souls on the market. After you beat it every other game will feel tame by comparison. Honestly, even with all it's flaws, the bad overall quality of the port & the lack of official anti-cheat support, this is now my favorite game on Steam & is worth playing through to the end at least once no matter how long it takes.    … Expand
  18. Smilingcookie
    Jul 29, 2016
    9
    Not perfect, but still a masterpiece. Dark Souls offers a unique experience. Great exploration, the best combat available at the time of it's release and an amazing atmosphere. This one is a bit of a different beastie than it's sequels in the way that it's more geared towards exploration than only towards combat. You need to walk long distances between bonfires (checkpoints) and thoseNot perfect, but still a masterpiece. Dark Souls offers a unique experience. Great exploration, the best combat available at the time of it's release and an amazing atmosphere. This one is a bit of a different beastie than it's sequels in the way that it's more geared towards exploration than only towards combat. You need to walk long distances between bonfires (checkpoints) and those paths can be hard to find and perilious. When you need an item you could only get in one place, you need to track back a long way to go and get it. Dark Souls has great world connectivity though, and this makes up for the lack of fast travel in the first half of the game. The levels interconnect beautifully once you unlock certain shortcuts. What you see in the distance are places you can actually get to later in the game. The individual levels are imaginative and varying, though at times a bit empty. Great weapon, armor and enemy variety. Armors are not just for show, but give a very different feeling to your movement. I.e. the Elite Knight Armor gives a truly heavy and clunky feeling, but gives you high momentum and defense which is an enormously satisfying combination. Some interesting NPC's to meet along the way and a world that tries it best to kill you again and again. A classic that offers some real beauty if you persist and master it!

    Sidenote: Highly recommended to play with an xbox 360 or Xone controller and to install DS fix to get the framerate at 60 fps.    … Expand
  19. AndySwaggly
    Nov 17, 2015
    9
    I absolutely loved Dark Souls Prepare to die edition, **** awesome game, some of the best gameplay mechanics a game has to offer, when I finished it I immediately went back into playing it, I found this game remarkably fun I literally couldn't stop playing it until I finished it. Overall the story was a bit meh, I wasn't invested I just wanted to screw stuff up, and the framerate dropsI absolutely loved Dark Souls Prepare to die edition, **** awesome game, some of the best gameplay mechanics a game has to offer, when I finished it I immediately went back into playing it, I found this game remarkably fun I literally couldn't stop playing it until I finished it. Overall the story was a bit meh, I wasn't invested I just wanted to screw stuff up, and the framerate drops were bad until I installed dsfix which if you haven't YOU MUST DO. All in all a solid game, loved it so much.… Expand
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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!!!
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. 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.
  29. Senden_Wh
    Jun 1, 2022
    9
    Так, игра имеет много проблем с механиками и их исполнением. Если бы не они, игра было бы идеальна
  30. 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
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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

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]
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