Dark Souls

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2451 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,188 out of 2451
  2. Mixed: 103 out of 2451
  3. Negative: 160 out of 2451
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  1. xXThanatosXx
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    I absolutely love this game, even when I'm screaming in frustration. The sheer joy of beating a boss that has killed you over and over again is incredible. The world is so dark and foreboding that it can be unbearable at times, however it is also beautiful and sometimes peaceful. The art style and creature design is superb and the music is wonderful. There are a few negative things that II absolutely love this game, even when I'm screaming in frustration. The sheer joy of beating a boss that has killed you over and over again is incredible. The world is so dark and foreboding that it can be unbearable at times, however it is also beautiful and sometimes peaceful. The art style and creature design is superb and the music is wonderful. There are a few negative things that I think lower the score for Dark Souls though, such as frame rate problems ( especially in Blighttown where I swear there were times when it was in the single digits) and some camera issues ( I found that the environment was constantly obstructing the camera view, especially in Blighttown). Hopefully they will release a patch in the future that will resolve these issues. I highly recommend this game to any RPG fan. Just don't let the difficulty discourage you.… Expand
  2. BOSTONJOHN32
    Oct 4, 2011
    9
    lol, well with such a giant demand of precise attention and reflexes/controls it would be nothing less than a unfair review to rate this long journey after only taking a few steps, w/ over 50 hours of gameplay i will tell you what ive seen in the few steps into this dark suicide mission part II. first of all the design and detail is noticed right off the rip. there is no doubt that this islol, well with such a giant demand of precise attention and reflexes/controls it would be nothing less than a unfair review to rate this long journey after only taking a few steps, w/ over 50 hours of gameplay i will tell you what ive seen in the few steps into this dark suicide mission part II. first of all the design and detail is noticed right off the rip. there is no doubt that this is demon souls , but back w/ a make over. visually i cant express how intimidating this world looks, and thats just part of it. the feel of an "open" world is very present giving me the feeling that i will be creeping inch by inch through a much bigger and more demanding world, dark souls. and for those who havent played demon souls well fear not, if you enjoy a game which will challenge you until you want to scream UNCLE! then this is just for you.

    it seems to pick up right where it left off but w/ more focus on combat and counter striking and let me tell you "counter" is the key word. back to demon souls, if you did not play it then it will not render your exp whatsoever , in fact it will be a pleasant surprise for die hard rpg fans. if thats you then this game should be in your console at some point or another. you will have plenty of choices, weapons,armor,shields and magic to play with, and you will learn that sometimes thinking outside the box is useful in this game. the camera angles are sometimes a bit awkward in regards to positioning but its not been an issue as of yet but it is there.

    you chose a class and start your journey, tempo has yet to be slowed by cutscenes or long interactions w/ npc's . a perfect balance so far. i will say that the online "co-op" style of unified combat is very much desired rather than a black phantom or other player coming into your game and crushing you w/o much notice. it seems that the help from one another is not only USEFUL but encouraged. i thought this game would just be demon souls w/ a splash of new , but i was wrong, this is dark souls w/ a reminder of demons souls intensity. its menu/inventory is simple and replicates the predecessor but other than that its darker and angrier. you will have fun reading and writing hints. and when in a jam, summon!

    bonfires make great "checkpoints" rather than the nexus which was demons souls "navigation" point. i love the bonfires and the way they were inserted , nicely done from software.

    combat system is more precise and the enemies are less forgiving. from shooting bows to sword strikes , upgraded from a system which was seemless to begin with.

    this is for the strong willed, ones who enjoy a challenge and let me say the trophies are very rewarding in this game, these are earned to say the least.

    great time so far, i have no complaints.. DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU OWN A PS3/360 OR P.C. and it doesnt matter if you did or didnt play demon souls, just make sure you play this. all thats required is a craving for an exp which doesnt come very often in games. a challenging and rewarding exp.. great job from software    … Expand
  3. JPoppaWUSC
    Oct 4, 2011
    10
    Back in 2009, I spent 120+ hours of my life on Demon's Souls, and since then, I have not found its equal. As dark, challenging, and repressive as the game was, Demon's Souls still managed to feel like a breath of fresh air in the staling game market, throwing back to classic mechanics that were left in the 80s and early 90s with 8-bit, 16-bit, and arcade games. I find it interesting thatBack in 2009, I spent 120+ hours of my life on Demon's Souls, and since then, I have not found its equal. As dark, challenging, and repressive as the game was, Demon's Souls still managed to feel like a breath of fresh air in the staling game market, throwing back to classic mechanics that were left in the 80s and early 90s with 8-bit, 16-bit, and arcade games. I find it interesting that Demon's Souls was far better received in North America than in its native Japan (790,000 copies in NA to Japan's 300,000, many of which were sold after the game's subsequest success overseas), as the game reflects more western RPG conventions and D&D-esque styling than the increasingly common anime-styled games that get labeled as "JRPGs." Dark Souls is a spiritual successor in the purest sense of the over-used phrase. Its controls are identical to Demon's Souls, yet they are even more precise than before. The artistic style, starting classes, soundtrack, and multiplayer options are all quite similar as well, but again, they have been tweaked to be a bit superior to that of Demon's Souls. The graphics are more detailed and crisp than ever, running in 720p or 1080i on PS3, making it one of a small handful of PS3 games that can display in 1920x1080. But the biggest change here is the open-world structure. Unlike Demon's Souls, which had the Nexus serve as a hub between several more fragmented worlds, Dark Souls has interconnected areas that form one gigantic, seemless world. It's also at least three times the size of all of Demon's Souls' areas combined, and the zones are still diverse and well-conceived. The linking of various zones works kind of like classic Metroid or Castlevania maps, where shortcuts to previous areas can be unlocked, making exploration valuable and rewarding to the overall mission. Instead of the Nexus hub zone, players can rest at bonfires, where they can also upgrade weapons and armor, among other things. Combat is also enjoyable and very deep, and enemy mobs are more varied than in Demon's Souls. In short, Dark Souls improves on every aspect of its predecessor, and with the new open-world structure, Dark Souls can easily stand up to the industry's western-developed heavy hitters (like Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls). In fact, I can honestly say that Dark Souls could steal some serious thunder from Skyrim by offering a more fresh yet hardcore approach to the genre. I also think that it's astounding that developer From Software could make lightning strike twice - it would have been far too easy for some developers to misinterpret Demon's Souls overwhelming success in North America and try too hard to tweak the subsequent formula to cater to American tastes. Instead, From Software stayed true to its original form, even deciding to increase the challenge for Dark Souls. And as one final point, let me also say this: Anyone who has not tried Demon's Souls or Dark Souls should not let the now-legendary difficulty of the series discourage them. The challenge that these games offers is not the same kind of hard-for-the-sake-of-hard frustration that some games fall victim to. Even if you are normally frustrated by difficult games, it's usually because of cheap mechanics and the feeling of having to fight the controls or poor design, and none of that is an issue with the Souls games. They just demand a little more observation, a bit of strategy and thought. From Software trusts that its gamers are intelligent, diligent, and skilled enough to handle that challenge, and that's what makes every victory in Dark Souls feel like a real achievement. The game may not be for everyone, but I would at least encourage every PS3 or XBox360 owner to try it.… Expand
  4. MrFpeas
    Oct 5, 2011
    10
    If the game is as good as it is right now, 10/10. This game has shown that a company is willing to give it's audience a real challenge. While Demon's Souls was just 'unforgiving', Dark Souls is down right hard. And in this current day and age of gaming, that's what we need. If you did not heed the warning of "Prepare to die", you prove yourself another fool of our gaming society.
  5. lionofjudah
    Oct 4, 2011
    10
    @sony360gamer
    while rating a game 0 because it is not to your taste might seem like a cool move (given that it's your sole contribution to this site) but it only reveals you to be a complete non-contributor. Demon's Souls is my favorite game of this generation, and Dark Souls is a strong continuation of the basic Demon's Souls concepts. Tight, challenging gameplay, frequent deaths, and    @sony360gamer
    while rating a game 0 because it is not to your taste might seem like a cool move (given that it's your sole contribution to this site) but it only reveals you to be a complete non-contributor. Demon's Souls is my favorite game of this generation, and Dark Souls is a strong continuation of the basic Demon's Souls concepts. Tight, challenging gameplay, frequent deaths, and deep exploration. Not for those who prefer hand-holding.. this game does everything it can to make you feel alone, and hopeless in a demon infested world.. hence the whole 'role playing' thing. Probably the two most fully realized games of this generation... not to mention, for a gamer like me, two of the most satisfying. Walk slowly, exercise extreme caution, and you will be fine. If that does not work for you, then I'd definitely suggest trying a different game, but why come here and rate the game 0? foolish, and completely unhelpful trollerific nonsense that only serves to muddle the conversation. If you don't like a game, try to give a rational explanation of what doesn't work for you, and a score that your comments justify.. a 0 is nonsense, particularly for one of the best games of this generation.    … Expand
  6. abcdefg
    Oct 5, 2011
    10
    Really nothing wrong except for frame rate drops occasionally and textures could be a bit better. Story is very in depth IF you look for it. The gameplay snd combat in this gmae is stellar. Easily the best combat in any action RPG for a while.
  7. JK23
    Oct 4, 2011
    10
    omg awesome game im a huge fan of demons souls n this game is amazing not for everyone but for the few real gamers its deep and worth every penny looks lke another 2 years of my life
  8. Wendigo2064
    Oct 18, 2011
    6
    Like my poor wanderer after the hundredth death at the hands of undead, I'm split in two over Dark Souls. On one hand, it is challenging, beautiful, complex, and a worthy sequel to Demon's Souls. On the other hand, the game's glitchy hit mechanics, dropped frame rates, and broken targeting system make a near perfect challenge feel like a mistake. Don't get me wrong - I'm about 60 hours in,Like my poor wanderer after the hundredth death at the hands of undead, I'm split in two over Dark Souls. On one hand, it is challenging, beautiful, complex, and a worthy sequel to Demon's Souls. On the other hand, the game's glitchy hit mechanics, dropped frame rates, and broken targeting system make a near perfect challenge feel like a mistake. Don't get me wrong - I'm about 60 hours in, and enjoying every minute of the fight. Even the cursed frogs in the game's depths, growing in their infamy with every angry gamer on the web, only felt like a welcome side adventure to explore an underwater city filled with previously impervious ghosts. But when an AI skeleton suddenly falls through a wall, a self-healing dragon miniboss glitches to its death with one arrow, and I can't see how close that poison blowdart is to my skull because the frames have dropped yet again, the challenge feels lopsided. Dark Souls is purposeful in every unfair death, up to the point where my PS3 seems incapable of handing the evil and freezes yet again.

    I almost want to make the argument these glitches are part of the gaming experience, that the designers of From Software wanted to throw us abused players a bone with every enemy who doesn't notice the archer shooting from out of their AI radius. This is probably not the case, but one can hope. All the programming mistakes aside, I could say Dark Souls is the most involved action RPG since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, with every corner hiding a secret and a battle system that has no end to its variety. There is no perfect weapon combination or stat build for your character, only a giant field of possibility to get you through the next seemingly impossibly area. A poisonous swamp? I be there's some poison resistant shadow clothes somewhere. A lava field? Hmm, how can I walk through fire...

    The storytelling, though scarce in dialogue, comes mainly from your own actions, making a hero's journey that other games can't match. Most games borrow heavily from other mediums, like film, to tug at your heartstrings or amp up the excitement. Most of Dark Souls' quests are self chosen - try to infiltrate the dark forest or delve into dangerous caverns first? Should you join this NPC's covenant and define how the next 8 hours will be spent, changing the outcome of a drastically long game? "Heavy Rain" tried, somewhat successfully, to force your empathy for predefined characters by giving you loose control of an 8 hour film, pushing the player onwards no matter what mistakes they made. Dark Souls makes you py for those mistakes, making them feel like real consequences. The adventure is imposing and up to you - and its excellent battle system keeps it exciting every deadly step of the way.

    Almost. In a game this unforgiving, every moment must be calculated, and it's hard to do that when you can kill difficult enemies from afar or glitch out their AI. It's cheating a great system. Conversely, if my sword is nowhere near that wall yet still bounces back, I'm being cheated. I'm giving this game a mixed review, with the acknowledgment of my love for it. I'll plow on, mistakes aside, through my second quest, because I know it has more depths than the mariana trench (or a certain new elder scrolls game with a placid difficulty curve and blandly familiar game experiences). If you can see past the problems, through the dropped frames, you'll find the greatest game of this year.    … Expand
  9. hy6e
    Oct 9, 2011
    4
    This is undoubtedly not a game for everyone, as I discovered. I read all the warnings about the difficulty, and the unforgiving gameplay, but figured it still sounded like my sort of game. It just isn't, and I'll tell you why. This is a game where you die a lot, and each time you do you'll redo a lot of the stuff you've just spent 30 minutes doing. And whilst you're redoing it for theThis is undoubtedly not a game for everyone, as I discovered. I read all the warnings about the difficulty, and the unforgiving gameplay, but figured it still sounded like my sort of game. It just isn't, and I'll tell you why. This is a game where you die a lot, and each time you do you'll redo a lot of the stuff you've just spent 30 minutes doing. And whilst you're redoing it for the second time, you'll probably die again, meaning you'll have to do it all again. And then you'll probably die again. And so it goes on.

    None of this would be a problem if I felt I was being rewarded for my time spent playing - but you just don't. In fact each time you die you have less to fight with the second time round. And this ties into my biggest problem of all. I keep reading about "the hardest game ever made", maybe so, but isn't gaming meant to be fun? This game quite isn't. I turn on my PS3 for escapism, whether it's for 10 minutes or 4 hours - all Dark Souls offers is frustration, the 4 or 5 hours I spent playing were some of the most miserable I can remember.

    A huge amount of effort has gone into this game, it looks absolutely stunning and generates an incredible atmosphere, but that's not enough for me. My advice? Rent before you buy - I've already traded my copy in.

    I know this review will get marked as unhelpful, but I think it would be to someone who isn't already a Demon Souls fan, as I can see so many of the people leaving high-scores on here are.    … Expand
  10. GrumpyReviewer
    Oct 30, 2012
    2
    Let's be honest for a second, here. Seriously. Ask yourself: "do I really like this game?" or "am I really enjoying this?". I think Dark Souls is the perfect example of Psychological Marketing. Developers and the media MADE US believe that suffering exhaustively with some sort of "do it again until you get good at it" business is something nice, something we want, the ideal gamingLet's be honest for a second, here. Seriously. Ask yourself: "do I really like this game?" or "am I really enjoying this?". I think Dark Souls is the perfect example of Psychological Marketing. Developers and the media MADE US believe that suffering exhaustively with some sort of "do it again until you get good at it" business is something nice, something we want, the ideal gaming experience. It's not. Dark Souls is, no question about it, a beautiful game, challenging and well crafted. That being said, the difficulty level is just way, way too high - to a point that there's not fun at all to play it. But we do, we play, we suffer, because "they" made us believe this was the best gaming experience ever. I gave up on Dark Souls as soon as I realized that I just don't have time for this. Being a gamer in my 30s, I have pretty much 1 hour per day to play games. And I don't want to spend these precious hours hating myself or hating a game because I cannot have any fun, because of frustration. I'm no masochist, sorry. For me, the ultimate gaming experience is HAVING FUN. And there's [almost] no fun to be had in Dark Souls, sorry.… Expand
  11. KhaaL
    Oct 12, 2011
    4
    To start with let me start by saying that I love a good challenge. I like hardcore roguelikes and I enjoy dwarf fortress regularly - which is known for its difficulty. The challenge in Dark Souls consists of learning by doing - you have to test your way forth. The tutorial is minimal and the character attributes do not come with an explanation. This is brutal, considering that there is noTo start with let me start by saying that I love a good challenge. I like hardcore roguelikes and I enjoy dwarf fortress regularly - which is known for its difficulty. The challenge in Dark Souls consists of learning by doing - you have to test your way forth. The tutorial is minimal and the character attributes do not come with an explanation. This is brutal, considering that there is no way to "un-level" and once you blindly raise a stat, there's no way back. The gameplay reminds of "oni", with the character moving towards the direction you point with the stick on your controller. The combat requires exact reaction from the player, the time window in order to execute moves is miniscule. Add actions that stack and are executed once the character recovers from his stamina loss/long fall/etc, you'll get a confusing control to add to the games "difficulty" layer.

    I haven't enjoyed this game since I don't see the point of wasting my time without making any progress. I like the idea of challenges being hard, but since this games difficulty consists of giving the player minimal information, grind through long distances through same enemies several times once your die (you can't respawn near bosses) in order to recover your souls and demands flawless execution of actions which is not entirely without technical faults, this game is not challenging - It's just tiring.

    Understand me correctly, I think it's silly that many of todays games hold your hand through the story (for example, FPS games that let you recover health just by hiding behind an obstacle or RPG games that shows you where the destination to your quest is on a map with a pin), but this game is trying the wrong way to give a challenge. Which is a pity, because this games visuals is truly beautiful to behold.    … Expand
  12. TheAlgerian
    Oct 27, 2022
    10
    Best game ever made (Tied with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mass Effect Trilogy).

    Do you remember these old Choose Your Own Adventure books? For those of you who did, this is basically that, but in videogame form, so basically a dream come true. Check out the size of my Steam library, so you can understand what I mean when I tell you this hands down the best game I ever played. Fair    Best game ever made (Tied with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mass Effect Trilogy).

    Do you remember these old Choose Your Own Adventure books?
    For those of you who did, this is basically that, but in videogame form, so basically a dream come true.
    Check out the size of my Steam library, so you can understand what I mean when I tell you this hands down the best game I ever played.

    Fair warning:
    You might hate it at first if you're used to sub-par games (like recent Assassin's Creed games for instance). I know I did, I hated Dark Souls for three years after my initial purchase of the non-remastered version. But when it does click, you can't go back.

    I got Assassins Creed Odyssey the other day for 10 bucks, and I had to get a refund because it feels so poorly made when you're used to Souls games.    … Expand
  13. CzarSquid
    Feb 20, 2022
    10
    It feels like a souls-like game and it borrows way too much from the source.
  14. Gabitoxico
    Nov 10, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. JOYAAAAA Realmente me encantó el juego. FASCINANTE LA AMBIENTACIÓN Y LA JUGABILIDAD… Expand
  15. hector_bcn98
    Nov 10, 2022
    10
    From Software vio la historia de los videojuegos y dijo: ahora me toca a mí. Esta vez sí.
  16. MetalGearLiquid
    Aug 15, 2022
    10
    People say that your first souls game is your favorite one in the series this may not be the case for everyone but it's definitely true with me. I know how much this game is flawed but for me, this game is the closest one to a masterpiece out of the souls-borne games. I will start with the flaws. Firstly, lost Izalith just terrible level design boring enemies, and a majorly disappointingPeople say that your first souls game is your favorite one in the series this may not be the case for everyone but it's definitely true with me. I know how much this game is flawed but for me, this game is the closest one to a masterpiece out of the souls-borne games. I will start with the flaws. Firstly, lost Izalith just terrible level design boring enemies, and a majorly disappointing boss battle at the end of it. Secondly, blight town I dreaded every time I had to go through it everything that you hate about the souls game is present at this place poison, frame rate drops, a simple mistake and you fall to your death, flying enemies that are extremely hard to hit, and believe me I could keep going. The last flaw for me is magic it's just too op it's like playing on normal difficulty in this game. Now moving to the great things about this game. The level design is amazing for the most part. Firelink shrine is the best hob world in the series. Just like what we expect from fromsoftware amazing boss fights. I think that dark souls showed companies and game devs that people still enjoy really difficult games and those games could go mainstream. A truly game changer that is a must-play.… Expand
  17. The_D4RknesS
    Jan 6, 2023
    10
    I never had the patience and never will to play a fron software game, but this game is very good. I don't have the patience to play but I had to watch the entire campaign on Youtube
  18. ZangBang
    Oct 24, 2022
    8
    85/100
    Dark Souls is undoubtably the best game of the seventh console generation. The fallen kingdom of Lordran is a both terrifying and beautiful corpse that perpetually enchants with its twisted, atmospheric ruined landscapes. The journey through its dilapidated castles, mystical forests and infernal caves constantly surprises and keeps you on your toes challenging in constantly    85/100
    Dark Souls is undoubtably the best game of the seventh console generation. The fallen kingdom of Lordran is a both terrifying and beautiful corpse that perpetually enchants with its twisted, atmospheric ruined landscapes. The journey through its dilapidated castles, mystical forests and infernal caves constantly surprises and keeps you on your toes challenging in constantly shifting ways your sense of direction, observational skills and combat prowess, with a ruthless challenge that only on rare occasions becomes truly unmanageable. The bedazzling, sheer variety of locations, with everchanging ambience, level structure, environmental hazards and enemies, makes the experience delightfully heterogeneous as the player finds its own way in the masterfully constructed map of Lordran, beautifully interconnected as it intricately branches and twists around itself with superb level design as exploration is constantly rewarded with branching pathways, countless shortcuts to unlock, secret pathways to open and hidden areas to discover. Many NPCs throughout the map can also be found and befriended, as their storylines provide a nice, moody narrative breather to exploration while also providing insight to the game's hidden lore. Sadly, the beauty of the level design doesn't last the entirety of the experience as it dwindles in the second half of the game, where the map structure isn't as brilliant and often lacks that same depth. Combat, on the other hand, mantains the same level of quality all the way throghout, with amazing enemy variety and depth of systems all the way throghout, as the player is provided with a plethora of different weapons, armors, tools and mechanics to suit their playstyle or experiment, and enemies continuously change their attack patterns challenging quick reflexes and adaptability, while progression demands thoughtful healing resource management, but even upon failure the game gives you the chance to learn from your mistakes offering you the possibility to reclaim your lost EXP if reaching your place of death, making for an extremely rewarding, gratifying experience. Bosses are the ultimate test of skill of the game, and their quality is somewhat fluctuating. The majority are amazing, beautifully stimulating duels with varied attacks and interesting twists that demand quick thinking and mindful positioning, while the others are less polished, with simple repeated, dull attack patterns and/or a faulty technical side, namely claustrophobic arenas or a confusing camera. The greatest flaw of the game is a decisively lacking balancing, as the overpowered magic build makes the majority of the game dramatically easier.    … Expand
  19. VitamineC
    Jul 31, 2022
    10
    A very hard game. The mechanics are great. The history is very good. You have to learn the mechanics if you want to progress. The most bosses are great. It's a very good action game and a great RPG game.
  20. SilentLev
    Aug 31, 2022
    10
    Если в Sekiro глубже боевая система, в Bloodborne сильнее стиль, лор и атмосфера, в DS3 лучше боссы и саундтрек, в Elden Ring грандиозней мифология и мир, то в первой DS есть всего от этого понемногу, плюс самое впечатляющее строение мира и наиболее трогательная история. Единственная игра Миядзаки, титры которой я встречал со слезами на глазах. И, к счастью, это не от техническогоЕсли в Sekiro глубже боевая система, в Bloodborne сильнее стиль, лор и атмосфера, в DS3 лучше боссы и саундтрек, в Elden Ring грандиозней мифология и мир, то в первой DS есть всего от этого понемногу, плюс самое впечатляющее строение мира и наиболее трогательная история. Единственная игра Миядзаки, титры которой я встречал со слезами на глазах. И, к счастью, это не от технического состояния проекта или его хардкорности.… Expand
  21. Crimson9
    Nov 28, 2022
    10
    The most impactful game of its generation and a game that From Software still has not exceeded.

    Interestingly, it is Demons Souls, and not Dark Souls, that invented the Souls genre. Dark Souls merely polishes every aspect of Demons Souls design. In terms of atmosphere, gameplay, sound design and lore, this is a magnificent game. But in one aspect it is far beyond any other game, and    The most impactful game of its generation and a game that From Software still has not exceeded.

    Interestingly, it is Demons Souls, and not Dark Souls, that invented the Souls genre. Dark Souls merely polishes every aspect of Demons Souls design.

    In terms of atmosphere, gameplay, sound design and lore, this is a magnificent game. But in one aspect it is far beyond any other game, and that is level design. No game has ever done it better, and From Software have yet to replicate the incredible feeling of loneliness when your character is stuck far away from Firelink Shrine. Linearity and fast travel have taken that feeling away from From Software games, as the games have become more focused on action than adventure.

    And so, this remains the best Souls game, and probably the best game of all time.    … Expand
  22. willianscerque
    Nov 4, 2022
    10
    Um dos melhores jogos que já joguei, sem dúvida merece ser o melhor de todos os tempos. Nunca será esquecido.
  23. saggio_grillo
    Nov 24, 2022
    10
    a true masterpiece, it revolutionized the world of video games by inventing a new genre, it has inspired and continues to inspire everyone. the gameplay is extremely satisfying and the level design is the best that has ever been seen in the entire history of video games
  24. Inokimca
    Dec 9, 2022
    10
    A classic. That I have enjoyed more after it first came out, I think, I didn't understand how good it was because I had not played anything like it before.
  25. Strifefair600
    Jan 15, 2023
    8
    This is a great game with a great difficulty it says on the back prepare to die and which I was prepared I don’t how I beat this game 10 years ago unfortunately I lost my copy but about 2 weeks ago I went to a video game store and said to myself I should get dark souls again it was pretty easy to find because I found it after 2 minutes and I wasn’t even looking for it at that time overallThis is a great game with a great difficulty it says on the back prepare to die and which I was prepared I don’t how I beat this game 10 years ago unfortunately I lost my copy but about 2 weeks ago I went to a video game store and said to myself I should get dark souls again it was pretty easy to find because I found it after 2 minutes and I wasn’t even looking for it at that time overall I think you should get the remastered version I only got the PS3 version for nostalgia both are pretty good but if you’re looking for an elden ring experience get Dark Souls 3 or stick with Elden ring… Expand
  26. klaaz
    Jan 26, 2023
    10
    From Software's masterpiece that partly redefined the video game industry..
  27. Grashlom
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    This game is stunning both in presentation, game mechanics, and controls. A spiritual successor to 'Demon's Souls', this game improves upon nearly every aspect of the former game (which was also a fantastic game). Let's talk difficulty - yes, it's tough. Really tough. But, it is also in most all cases fair. The game requires you to invest yourself into it in a way most games do not. YouThis game is stunning both in presentation, game mechanics, and controls. A spiritual successor to 'Demon's Souls', this game improves upon nearly every aspect of the former game (which was also a fantastic game). Let's talk difficulty - yes, it's tough. Really tough. But, it is also in most all cases fair. The game requires you to invest yourself into it in a way most games do not. You need to be observant of both your surroundings and enemies attacks. You need to manage what you are wearing and what is equipped at all times as different areas require different strategies and defenses. That being said, you have many options on how you want to build your character depending on your play style. The sense of accomplishment you get upon each new area you have mastered or boss you have defeated is glorious. You will die. Often. But, in this game, what does kill you - makes you stronger. You learn from each defeat and come back a little wiser and eventually a little stronger. When you come back to enemies later in the game that you thought were so difficult and now dispatch them easily, it's an awesome feeling. Do not miss this game and do not fear the challenge. It is worth all your efforts and is easily a game you can sink dozens of hours into (I'm 70 hrs in). The graphics and atmosphere draw you into a beautiful and terrifying world unlike any other. What's around that next bend...dare I look? Enjoy this instant masterpiece.… Expand
  28. madmajinnman
    Nov 1, 2011
    10
    This is, quite simply, one of the most stunning and beutiful games ever created. Dark Souls is a very hard game, but, as with any game perserverance prevails. As you play through, you will find the game does actually give the player some respite ( like obvious level up spots) and isnt as punishing as first thought. The combat to be fair, is a little tricky to start with, but is easy to getThis is, quite simply, one of the most stunning and beutiful games ever created. Dark Souls is a very hard game, but, as with any game perserverance prevails. As you play through, you will find the game does actually give the player some respite ( like obvious level up spots) and isnt as punishing as first thought. The combat to be fair, is a little tricky to start with, but is easy to get used to. Those who complain about the combat and aggresive AI, and rated it low for those reasons, simply are not good enough to play Dark Souls, therefore its a problem with the player and not the game. There are some glitchy AI moments ( like enemies falling off cliffs ect) but thats a good thing given the game is punishing at times. Overall, if you even remotely like the style of this game, then be prepared to be blown away with ecitement, frustration and relief in one rollercoaster of emotions, with gaming moments you will never, ever forget. This game is far beyond the reach of its pretenders.… Expand
  29. Leram504
    Feb 16, 2012
    10
    Amazing game. Sunk 80 hours on first play through and there's no fat. Great combat, amazing atmosphere and some of the most rewarding moments playing a game. It's very difficult but in a good way--not hard like we just throw a ton of enemies at you--more like "it's a dangerous place out there and we warned you." Definitely pick up this game!
  30. Guit88man
    Jul 9, 2013
    10
    Da ya prosto shatal etu igru, i luchnikov Anor Londo tozhe shatal, i Kalameeta tozhe shatal, i tolstogo s tonkim shatal, i svoyu komandu v lole ya voobshe ezheminutno shatal, a vot Priscillu ne shatal ona mirnaya :3
  31. arcazeronus
    Oct 26, 2013
    10
    Yes, it might be difficult. But it won't prevent this game from being a masterpiece. Every single place has it's own storyline, the music is awesome and the gameplay is improved from Demon's Souls. Many people complain about the graphics, but it's great, imo.
    Only bad thing about this game is frustrating multiplayer PvP system. Servers might get cheesy and it gets even more frustrating.
  32. Avadon
    Nov 21, 2011
    7
    Having solo'd my way through Demon's Souls and NG+ several times in the past, I find the experience presented by Dark Souls rather disappointing. The game seems to be much more co-op dependent this time around, and I wouldn't recommend going through it alone to those who don't like ruining a game's atmosphere by facerolling through it with 4 people or don't like facing the danger ofHaving solo'd my way through Demon's Souls and NG+ several times in the past, I find the experience presented by Dark Souls rather disappointing. The game seems to be much more co-op dependent this time around, and I wouldn't recommend going through it alone to those who don't like ruining a game's atmosphere by facerolling through it with 4 people or don't like facing the danger of disconnecting or lagging. Unfortunately, you will be pretty much forced to do that.

    There also seems to be much more emphasis on what is known as "bullshit deaths" in Dark Souls, which wasn't so in Demon's Souls. Stuff that you can't possibly notice on your first go will instakill you many, many times and cause you a lot of frustration. The solution again is to be online and read help notes. If you don't do that, expect to take 3 times as long to finish the game. There are also fundamental design faults early in the game. For example, if you get poisoned by the first pack of rats after Taurus (and they pretty much instapoison you unless you get really lucky), you might as well reload, you are practically dead and have not yet had access to anything that cures poison with most of the classes.

    They also have done absolutely nothing to improve the cryptic nature of the first game, in fact they made it even worse. Reading hours and hours of wiki articles just so I can understand the basics of the new things they introduced is not something that is fun for anyone. Not explaining your mechanics to the player is not challenge, it's laziness. Having to start 3 new characters before reading up that you absolutely must get the Master Key gift if you are a sane person, and then having to delete them all and start over is not good.

    The game is also really glitchy, especially the pathfinding is pathetic, and people who claim this is a "feature" to be abused to increase your odds are just being idiotic fanboys. Enemies teleport everywhere, leap up winding flights of stairs in one animation and backstab you, and even bosses may leap to their own deaths and leave you standing there and facepalming. As for the new combat mechanics, kick doesn't break enemy shielding so it's kinda pointless and the leap attack is too stamina intensive and 99% of the time will hit the air and leave you open to an instakill.

    I also really hate the new magic system with limited charges, magic is now to be used only in extreme emergencies and making a pure intelligence character is pretty much suicide. Why not have the option to play as a magic user normally, I don't understand. They limited their own game because clearly they thought that magic users are homos. Ridiculous.

    The level and monster design is much better than Demon's Souls, well done there.

    In the end, I feel that Dark Souls is unpolished and approaches challenge in the wrong ways sometimes. You also pretty much need to co-op it or you will go insane, but co-op destroys the difficulty entirely. What a glorious battle Allant was in Demon's Souls on NG+ if you were solo... I haven't found anything that great 60 hours into Dark Souls, only bugs and frustration. If you played and loved Demon's Souls, I recommend you rent this and check it out before buying.    … Expand
  33. DeckardPain
    Aug 16, 2012
    10
    This was pretty much the best game to come out of 2011 all together, and let's be honest this is NOT a game for everyone. The fact that the game does not tell you where to go from the beginning gives you a sense of feeling lost or confused, but that also sparks an adventurous side of the player inspiring exploration of the game world. The boss fights were phenomenal, and the experienceThis was pretty much the best game to come out of 2011 all together, and let's be honest this is NOT a game for everyone. The fact that the game does not tell you where to go from the beginning gives you a sense of feeling lost or confused, but that also sparks an adventurous side of the player inspiring exploration of the game world. The boss fights were phenomenal, and the experience this game leaves you with upon completion is unmatched. Overall Dark Souls is uncompromising in its challenges and yet fair in its approach.… Expand
  34. Tophatcat
    Oct 18, 2011
    9
    Not as hard as some of the folks here are saying, while it does have its "difficult" moments, all that's required to overcome those is simply being patient enough to study attack patterns. It has just the right amount of challenge to keep players interested but in the end it's kind enough to let you through most of the challenges with just a little bit of trial and error, assuming you'reNot as hard as some of the folks here are saying, while it does have its "difficult" moments, all that's required to overcome those is simply being patient enough to study attack patterns. It has just the right amount of challenge to keep players interested but in the end it's kind enough to let you through most of the challenges with just a little bit of trial and error, assuming you're not just blindly rushing forward.… Expand
  35. Gabranth
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    One of the most challenging games I have ever played, this game is hard, and you will die a lot if you do not learn from your errors, you need to adapt to your enemies techniques, and balance the the use of evasion movements, defensive approaches and attack patterns.///////////Enemies have their own, add they use to hide and make ambushes, cornering you and making you pay any recklessOne of the most challenging games I have ever played, this game is hard, and you will die a lot if you do not learn from your errors, you need to adapt to your enemies techniques, and balance the the use of evasion movements, defensive approaches and attack patterns.///////////Enemies have their own, add they use to hide and make ambushes, cornering you and making you pay any reckless behavior you can make, luck will save you a couple of times, but mostly, your skills and speed of learning will give you an edge to beat this game.///////////Mistakes are paid dearly but once you nail an enemy, you become stronger, not only you character, the game have some items that make you life easier, this bring up something very important, all in this game matters, that little herb, a little knife, all of them have their purpose and can make you have advantage over enemies and certain situations, spells, miracles, some may seem useless, but they can save your life in daring situations//////This brings up this game is not hack and slash as you may already guess, most times you will be attacking, but defending, hiding and running will make your day also.////////There is a deep character customization, as first glance is not noticeable, but you will learn that specialization is a good bet, you scale your stats, and some weapons scale with the stats you have the most, but others with stats you scale the less making them less effective, for instance, a knife can be more lethal in an assassin built than in a warrior one, there is no advantage of one class over another, the skill you have with them will make win online matches as well as in the single player.//////Music and graphics are average, but design is superb, scenery and enemy design are awesome, you feel there is a sense of uniqueness in each one of them, as for the story, it is lessen, there are not big cut scenes and long dialogues, almost everything is explained though the menu, where you can read the story of each item you have, this will not stop you from understanding the world you are playing in, each character as a real meaning history and an air of mystery you will have to research.////////////This game is part of the history of gaming, you can decide if you will be part of it or not.… Expand
  36. mrnice
    Dec 1, 2014
    7
    Overall, a nearly great game to spend 50 hours on (which it takes to complete). But after the last boss fights, it felt as empty and meaningless as any of the game's fights. The big takeaway never came. It's about the journey, not the ending cutscene. And the journey often felt like a grind. When I triumphed, it was rarely because of devious thinking, but because of brute-force. Leaving anOverall, a nearly great game to spend 50 hours on (which it takes to complete). But after the last boss fights, it felt as empty and meaningless as any of the game's fights. The big takeaway never came. It's about the journey, not the ending cutscene. And the journey often felt like a grind. When I triumphed, it was rarely because of devious thinking, but because of brute-force. Leaving an impossible area to grind somewhere else, and after that the impossible area is as easy as any in the game. The only time where I felt like I finally outsmarted the game was when I put on some lightweight armor to keep up with a fast boss. The secrets and the solutions are often readily available as soon as you find the right location. And that's where Dark Souls could have been something more. Letting the player reach goals fast by solving a problem. Instead, it's a bunch of largely linear paths that you MUST 'brute force', you only get to pick more or less convenient routes out of the bunch. This goes for both choice between areas and choice between for example two corridors. No matter what corridor you choose in Dark Souls, you will probably have to come back and examine the other one.… Expand
  37. mattlarkin
    Oct 11, 2013
    10
    Dark Souls, like its spiritual predecessor Demon Souls, has a reputation for punishing difficulty. This reputation kept me from trying it for a long time. I don't enjoy frustration. Then I found some friends online raving about its atmosphere and story, and I raised the issue. My friend said something along the lines of, "you know, it's not really all that hard, you just have to beDark Souls, like its spiritual predecessor Demon Souls, has a reputation for punishing difficulty. This reputation kept me from trying it for a long time. I don't enjoy frustration. Then I found some friends online raving about its atmosphere and story, and I raised the issue. My friend said something along the lines of, "you know, it's not really all that hard, you just have to be careful."

    So I figured, why not? The game was cheap now, so I ordered it. And my friend was right. There was only one place in the game I felt the difficulty was frustrating (a platforming section in Sen's Fortress that went too long between bonfires).

    The first thing you're going to notice about Dark Souls is its atmosphere. It is dark, creepy, and does a good job of making you paranoid about what lurks around the corner, especially at first. It is wonderfully atmospheric. Now I personally would not praise its story--while it does seem to have a compelling dark narrative, this is presented so sparsely, and in such an indirect manner, you can complete the game without really understanding what's going on. What's an indirect manner? Imagine piecing together the story if you should so happen to choose to read the detailed description on different pieces of armor you may get. Only a handful of NPCs have more than a few lines to say to you, and these lines only hint at what's going on.

    Normally, this would irritate me, but somehow the compelling game play, thick mood, and awesome leveling system kept me coming back for more without ever truly feeling I was missing something.

    In Dark Souls you can start the game as a number of classes, but this only effects your initial gear and stats. From here, you can level your character however you want by spending souls of your fallen foes at a bonfire to raise stats. Each stat you raise increases your character level, which increases the number of souls needed for the next level. You also spend souls to buy gear or enhance your weapons and armor. The trick, however, is not to carry around more souls than you need. Because when you die you lose your souls. You have the chance to reclaim those souls, but only if you can get back to your body without dying again. Sometimes this is easier said than done.

    Almost any monster in the game can kill you if not treated like a threat. In groups, monsters can easily overwhelm you. But this difficulty, famously punishing, can be overcome by practice, or simply by going out to get better gear and/or level up a bit. That I can deal with. The ease with which you can plunge to your death I found a bit less fun, but there was only that one spot that really pissed me off. And by that point in the game, I was immersed in the experience, I couldn't walk away.

    Combat is responsive and rewards timing and planning over button mashing (a quick way to die against stronger enemies). Combined with the leveling system I mentioned, where it always feels like, just one more level might make the difference, creates a highly addictive play experience.

    And did I mention the beautiful, gothic world? It seems partly inspired by Welsh mythology, but infused with a perpetual sense of dread and inevitable decay. You know the world is dying, but to know more than that requires some serious digging beyond the narrative presented to you.

    If you like action RPGs and have patience to learn the game, and the caution to approach challenges slowly, I highly recommend Dark Souls.    … Expand
  38. 1falcone
    May 4, 2014
    10
    Edge magazine listed this as a retrospective 10/10 in a recent article along with games like n64 goldeneye, and they are correct, I spent the same amount of time trying to crack this one, unmissable.
  39. DemonSoul
    Dec 18, 2013
    10
    Wow, what a game. Do yourself a favor and play Demon's Souls before you start this game. I promised you'll thank me for it. Has the best combat and an amazing atmosphere with a perfectly balanced difficulty from the days of old like the castlevania on the NES. A masterpiece realized.
  40. Xplaced
    Nov 15, 2013
    10
    What an awesome game. It makes the player feel like they are living in a dream world and experiencing awesome environments and challenges the whole way. The combat is great, and the level design is excellent. The DLC for it is awesome as well and really worth it. Just an overall great game. I rank this on up evenly with Skyrim as one of my top 3 favorite games of all time.
  41. BioAniz
    Dec 20, 2013
    10
    This game gives you everything you want; fun,story,challenge etc. Especially the story part but you'll probably don't get the half of the things that happened in the Dark Souls universe. If you want to learn this great story, you'll better off watching the lore videos on Youtube or if you want to learnt it by yourself, you can always check the item descriptions etc. So yeah, as i said,This game gives you everything you want; fun,story,challenge etc. Especially the story part but you'll probably don't get the half of the things that happened in the Dark Souls universe. If you want to learn this great story, you'll better off watching the lore videos on Youtube or if you want to learnt it by yourself, you can always check the item descriptions etc. So yeah, as i said, this game gives you everything you want. So what else do you want from it?… Expand
  42. smerickson89
    Jan 2, 2014
    10
    Will likely remain my favorite game for a long time to come. I couldn't get the online component to work for me when it first came out. That being said, nothing elated me more then unlocking shortcuts or defeating a boss without a summon.
  43. Ghost105
    Feb 4, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls is a unique experience, what it's predecessor Demons Souls tried to do Dark Souls did amazingly. To the casual crowd, this game will be extremely hard and terrifying, resulting in a rage quit. But a more experienced group of gamers, this game will be a diamond in the rough. Featuring a dark and disturbingly beautiful world where just about everything can and will kill you, aDark Souls is a unique experience, what it's predecessor Demons Souls tried to do Dark Souls did amazingly. To the casual crowd, this game will be extremely hard and terrifying, resulting in a rage quit. But a more experienced group of gamers, this game will be a diamond in the rough. Featuring a dark and disturbingly beautiful world where just about everything can and will kill you, a creative mix of exp and currency called souls and a dark and detailed lore coupled with detailed mechanics and stats this game offers an unforgettable adventure that you can play time and time again.… Expand
  44. Pmstz
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    masterpiece

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  45. mystere3
    Oct 4, 2011
    9
    Really enjoying the game. I have to agree with aspentitan though, I was expecting a hard copy of the mini-guide w/ the preorder. I happen to work in a studio where i could mock up a perfect bound copy of the mini-guide but it was quite a bit of work and i'm a little nuts that way. Really weird page sizes though.
    anyway, I'm not about to lower the score for the game though... Rugged game,    Really enjoying the game. I have to agree with aspentitan though, I was expecting a hard copy of the mini-guide w/ the preorder. I happen to work in a studio where i could mock up a perfect bound copy of the mini-guide but it was quite a bit of work and i'm a little nuts that way. Really weird page sizes though.
    anyway, I'm not about to lower the score for the game though... Rugged game, as advertised. tempted to give a 10, but its against my own personal game rating code.    … Expand
  46. Ezzekhiel
    Oct 13, 2011
    10
    If you played and loved Demon's Souls, don't bother reading the rest of this message and get Dark Souls NOW. For the rest of you, let me say I read A LOT of reviews and I'd like to point out a few things, as objectively as I can.
    The game is not difficult in itself, it has very clear mechanics, and the players are given options to counter these mechanics. It's not "Ninja Gaiden" difficult,    If you played and loved Demon's Souls, don't bother reading the rest of this message and get Dark Souls NOW. For the rest of you, let me say I read A LOT of reviews and I'd like to point out a few things, as objectively as I can.
    The game is not difficult in itself, it has very clear mechanics, and the players are given options to counter these mechanics. It's not "Ninja Gaiden" difficult, where you need to memorize gazillions of combos and execute them in an instant. It's more of a "watch your opponent closely, observe his movements, how he holds his weapon, and if you make a wrong decision/move you die" difficult.
    If you know/have played EvE Online, well then DS is to other RPG's what EvE is to MMOs. You don't spam skills after you built up your character talent tree, you choose your armor and weapon based on "realistic" weight/damage/armor ratio. A two handed weapon and a plate armor makes you tough and hard hitting, but moving will be a problem (and in DS you want to be mobile).
    Pick a Sword, and your attack will be a swinging slash. Pick a Spear, your attack will be a thrust forward. In a narrow corridor for example, equipping a sword will be a problem, whereas wielding a spear will be more indicated. A blunt weapon will do more damage to skeletons and constructs then other damage types. That's how the game is built. Choice of weapon is yours, pick the right one for the right challenge. Magic does not deplete your mana bar like it's predecessor. Instead you have a limited number of uses (reminds me of old time pen&paper D&D).
    Bosses are sometimes cruel, sometime easy, depending on your build (magic vs. melee, but you can have a bit of both) and reflexes. If you get your ass kicked too easily in a zone, then you should probably try to go elsewhere first and come back later.
    The only little flaws i can point out are: Inventory could have been improved a bit (for example, to consume souls in your inventory you still have to open it again for each soul), the fact that the amount of souls required to level up is not shown anymore is annoying (you'll need a mix of good memory and guessing to plan a safe trip back to a bonefire), and sometimes the camera angle is really at your disadvantage, especially when you have an enemy locked. But that's not enough to stop me from giving this game a 10 (9.5 would have been perfect, but 9 is not enough).    … Expand
  47. Wayward_Demon
    Oct 5, 2011
    8
    Very similar to Demons Souls which is a little dissapointing. in some sense, i notice similar attack patterns and just a lot of the same thing. but there are new things too like the ability to leap from a sprint. but the world and story are brand new which i really like. bonfires act as checkpoints, tho there are few.
  48. Sceptic
    Oct 5, 2011
    10
    Beautiful,brutal,exciting,frustrating and satisfying are just a few words describing Dark Souls.The tightest controls I can think of and the amazing design leave me almost breathless.It has some of the best 'levels' and enemies ever seen in a game.Is it tough?Oh yes indeed,and too hard in a few places as well.Skill and perseverence are at the forefront here and this game is not for theBeautiful,brutal,exciting,frustrating and satisfying are just a few words describing Dark Souls.The tightest controls I can think of and the amazing design leave me almost breathless.It has some of the best 'levels' and enemies ever seen in a game.Is it tough?Oh yes indeed,and too hard in a few places as well.Skill and perseverence are at the forefront here and this game is not for the weak or impatient.A true test of your gaming skills and destined to be remembered.A must have!… Expand
  49. Loonknight
    Oct 6, 2011
    10
    This game is amazing. It challenges you to actually think about what you are fighting look at the AI and see how they behave and then react to it. There are tons of improvements to the game play, and lots of fun changes. The AI is aggressive, cheap, and very zombie-like, meaning if you can goat them they will fall off cliffs trying to get at you. My favorite thing to do with them is toThis game is amazing. It challenges you to actually think about what you are fighting look at the AI and see how they behave and then react to it. There are tons of improvements to the game play, and lots of fun changes. The AI is aggressive, cheap, and very zombie-like, meaning if you can goat them they will fall off cliffs trying to get at you. My favorite thing to do with them is to just kick them off a cliff watching a zombie spartan fall to their doom. The only downsides for me are that the blood stains no longer give you a red shadow of the player, and that you gave to use items to leave messages for other players instead of just writing and recommending them. You must experience this game if you are up for a challenge.… Expand
  50. Mixalis
    Oct 5, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dark souls and Demons souls are the best rpg games ever made,if you want something very very strong here is the chance.But you must know that these game are very dificult games.… Expand
  51. Aerich
    Oct 6, 2011
    10
    I hope they never stop creating this kind of games. It's the rebirth of a genre and it's the best of it's kind. The toughness, the strategies, the possibilities, the graphics, the enemies, the combat, everything is as superior as you can get.
  52. WarriorOfLegend
    Oct 7, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is Hard. Very Hard but even though I've died over 100 times. I never thought my deaths were cheap and I always learned from my mistakes.
    This game is unbelievably addictive and the combat is flawless.
    the Graphics are beautiful and the online component is unique and well executed , What more is there to say? In my eyes Dark souls is a perfect game and if you;re up for the    Dark Souls is Hard. Very Hard but even though I've died over 100 times. I never thought my deaths were cheap and I always learned from my mistakes.
    This game is unbelievably addictive and the combat is flawless.
    the Graphics are beautiful and the online component is unique and well executed ,

    What more is there to say?
    In my eyes Dark souls is a perfect game and if you;re up for the challenge it's a must have    … Expand
  53. refdxf
    Feb 10, 2012
    10
    A paradigm of game design, though challenging. You will die, so a word of advice, spend those souls before you lose them. Read the Dark Souls wiki, it will help a lot.
  54. TheDarkSoul
    Jan 5, 2012
    10
    What can I say? It's just epic! No game has ever been more frustrating but that works in Dark Souls favour. My favourite game of 2011 and a proud part of my PS3 collection.
  55. FrEaKsHoW73
    Jan 7, 2012
    10
    So, I accepted the challenge. The gauntlet was dropped with the term "prepare to die". We shall see, I scoffed. After all, I research games well before I buy 'em and I am pretty picky when it comes to my games collection. Having never played the first one (demon's) my initial thoughts were that it's a more beautiful Onimusha. Thump. The skeletons lance ended my killing spree like aSo, I accepted the challenge. The gauntlet was dropped with the term "prepare to die". We shall see, I scoffed. After all, I research games well before I buy 'em and I am pretty picky when it comes to my games collection. Having never played the first one (demon's) my initial thoughts were that it's a more beautiful Onimusha. Thump. The skeletons lance ended my killing spree like a marshmallow at a boy scout 'bonfire' picnic... fast forward. I have just finished the iron golem boss. I am totally hooked. Days flow into one another. I eat, dream, sleep Dark Souls, I strategize while nodding and staring blankly at my girlfriends banter. I have managed to find a seller of the original Demon's Souls (un-opened he says!). This is what gaming should be like. Should I switch on the internet? Nah, I'll wait for NG+, those souls and humanity were far to hard gained to risk it playing online with those robbers and thieves... for now.… Expand
  56. tombo
    Feb 1, 2012
    10
    As an artist an ardent RPG gamer, I want to commend and thank the developers of Dark Souls. Many reviewers have praised the stellar combat; enigmatic suspense; level of challenge; memorable, strategic boss fights, etc. Perhaps there has not been adequate comment on the lovingly-crafted art design. This is a beautiful game. Locales consistently contain both wondrous grandeur andAs an artist an ardent RPG gamer, I want to commend and thank the developers of Dark Souls. Many reviewers have praised the stellar combat; enigmatic suspense; level of challenge; memorable, strategic boss fights, etc. Perhaps there has not been adequate comment on the lovingly-crafted art design. This is a beautiful game. Locales consistently contain both wondrous grandeur and meticulous natural and architectural detail. My favorite definition of art was by a renowned philosopher,"Art reflects reality but transcends it." Surely, evocative, beautiful games are art. 10 Tombo… Expand
  57. youngzen69
    Feb 7, 2012
    10
    Dark Souls is simply one of the best and one of my favorite RPGs of all time! That said its not for the faint of heart. Those players that like playing games on easy and zipping through the game, this game is not for you. Patience is defiantly a virtue when it comes to Dark Souls.
  58. vanhaver
    Feb 18, 2012
    10
    I don't quite remember when I've enjoyed a game this much! The sheer terror of creeping around a corner, moving around with extreme care, the total enjoyment of sniping an enemy from afar with your bow inflicting critical damage and seeing him drop with an arrow through the eye. Never before have I cared so much about my character and what happens to him. This game is a masterpiece, andI don't quite remember when I've enjoyed a game this much! The sheer terror of creeping around a corner, moving around with extreme care, the total enjoyment of sniping an enemy from afar with your bow inflicting critical damage and seeing him drop with an arrow through the eye. Never before have I cared so much about my character and what happens to him. This game is a masterpiece, and punishes players who are impatient...at the same time teaching patience, as it is the only way to survive.… Expand
  59. JudgmentJay
    Jul 23, 2013
    10
    After putting almost 500 hours into Dark Souls, I decided to rewrite my review (for a 3rd time).

    The first thing I'll touch on is the world itself. The level/world design is outstanding. The elimination of a hub world in favor of an open world was a good choice. A seamless world feels much more alive. The way the areas interweave themseleves into each other is genius. I do, however,    After putting almost 500 hours into Dark Souls, I decided to rewrite my review (for a 3rd time).

    The first thing I'll touch on is the world itself. The level/world design is outstanding. The elimination of a hub world in favor of an open world was a good choice. A seamless world feels much more alive. The way the areas interweave themseleves into each other is genius. I do, however, wish that Firelink was a bit more interesting. As a hub it doesn't compare to the atmosphere of the Nexus. The game puts a bigger emphasis on exploration than Demon's Souls did, and there are plenty of nooks and crannies to uncover. Along your journey you might find hidden paths, areas, and even bosses waiting for you. Also worthy of note is the fact that Fromsoft did an amazing job in telling the story of Lordran through level design alone. Item placements, enemy placements, enemy design, etc all have meaning.

    While the graphics are showing the PS3's age, the aesthetic is amazing. Each area is unique and varied and there is plenty of eye candy to keep you interested. Anor Londo is especially breath-taking. The world has more color and doesn't feel as bleak or lonely as Demon's Souls'. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on the individual. Sound and music is top-notch. From epic orchestrated boss scores to the near absolute silence of a pitch black cave, you'll find your state of mind completely in sync with the game world.

    Combat is similar to its predecessor, though I find it slightly tweaked and optimized. Many of the weapons have unique movesets which is a nice touch. Overall, the controls feel a tad more responsive compared to DeS.

    The story is minimalistic, but the lore is deep. If you actually take the time to read item descriptions, listen to what NPCs have to say, and "listen" to what the environment can tell you, you can piece together the very interesting backstory of the world of Lordran. I like this method of storytelling. It's there if you want it and invisible if you don't.

    Like Demon's Souls, Dark Souls is a dark and challenging dungeon crawler with a minimal story (but deep lore). If that's your thing, you can't go wrong.    … Expand
  60. MikeyMo
    Oct 5, 2011
    9
    This game is extremely fun, but in my opinion it's a game that has to suit your personality. I am a stubborn person; if its winter and I'm cold and wet, then screw it I'm fine. If I don't get a goal this game, then I'll get a goal and an assist the next one. This is why Dark Souls is great! It's for people like me where, if you fail (which you will) you will get back in the ring for roundThis game is extremely fun, but in my opinion it's a game that has to suit your personality. I am a stubborn person; if its winter and I'm cold and wet, then screw it I'm fine. If I don't get a goal this game, then I'll get a goal and an assist the next one. This is why Dark Souls is great! It's for people like me where, if you fail (which you will) you will get back in the ring for round two...three...ten! You will master this game eventually, eventually you will make this game your **** not the other way around. You have fun getting your ass handed to you, but then later that boss will be no match for you. Controls are as responsive as they should be. Motions like 'sprint' and 'roll' are 1:1, which is perfect because those will be your best friend. The art style is amazing, and the level design is very seamless. Although every area is distinctly different, they still have a similar style where you know you are in the same world. I am docking one mark off and giving it a 9/10 because the menu is inferior to Demon's Souls and I am far slower with it. Also some audio just sounds cheap. SOME! It is mostly good, but somethings like grass for example sounds like you are rubbing two winter coats together.

    This game is not for the faint of heart - but it is full of heart - you will lose a lot, possibly get a bit frustrated, but once you get good (even DS vets will have a bit to get used to) its just an amazing action JRPG.    … Expand
  61. Andrew122189
    Oct 4, 2011
    10
    After an hour of game play from picking up this beautiful game at midnight, I have nothing but positive things to say. The graphics are amazing, the controls are much more precise than Demon's Souls were, and the enemies are no joke. An early warning for those who haven't played Demon's Souls; You are suppose to die, learn from your mistakes, and die again. I'm proud to say that I diedAfter an hour of game play from picking up this beautiful game at midnight, I have nothing but positive things to say. The graphics are amazing, the controls are much more precise than Demon's Souls were, and the enemies are no joke. An early warning for those who haven't played Demon's Souls; You are suppose to die, learn from your mistakes, and die again. I'm proud to say that I died only twice in my first hour, but without my previous experience with Demon's Souls, I would've died at least 10 times. I have a feeling that some Xbox360 players will be frustrated with Dark Souls more often because most of them didn't get a chance to play Demon's Souls. After work today, I plan on wasting my entire evening exploring Dark Souls, and possibly the next few months will be spent mastering this game as well :)

    I have this game for the PS3, so if anyone wants to join up, just send me a friend request (PSN username is the same as this one here). Remember to have fun. Good luck to all, you're gonna need it.    … Expand
  62. vankwisha
    Nov 4, 2011
    10
    Near perfect game, not as hard as demon souls though which is a little disappointing but other than that This is one of the best games out this year and everyone should pick this up.
  63. Wolfram
    Oct 17, 2011
    9
    Simply awesome. I can't say enough about the level design. It is truely in a class of it's own. No warp system as seen in Demon's Souls, but instead you end up opening clever shortcuts so eventually you can get most anywhere in a matter of minutes. Also, plenty of out-of-the-way places to explore and find items/souls. The combat is exactly like Demon's Souls. Once you learn an enemy'sSimply awesome. I can't say enough about the level design. It is truely in a class of it's own. No warp system as seen in Demon's Souls, but instead you end up opening clever shortcuts so eventually you can get most anywhere in a matter of minutes. Also, plenty of out-of-the-way places to explore and find items/souls. The combat is exactly like Demon's Souls. Once you learn an enemy's moves it's more a matter of patience than anything, although bosses require perfect timing as well. They added tons of new armour, weapons, and items compared to Demon's Souls and they got rid of the 1/2 HP thing if you're not in body form. Now it's "Hollowed" and "Human" form. The only difference is you need Human form to summon/be summoned/invade. They also did away with the "world tendancy" mechanic of Demon's Souls which is great. Basically it's a simplified game compared to DS, yet retaining all the challenge and adding a lot more awesomesauce. Tons of mini bosses and unique enemies.

    Only complaint is terrible framerate drops, especially in Blighttown.    … Expand
  64. EhRaD
    Nov 4, 2011
    10
    I read everything about Dark Souls. After my Demons Souls Platinum, I thought it would be another clone. Developers said Dark Souls would be hard, much harder than its predecessor. They were right. You heard this a lot of times but this game is brutal. This game is not a refreshing thing to do when you are tired in the end of your workday. Youll be punished every time that your shield isI read everything about Dark Souls. After my Demons Souls Platinum, I thought it would be another clone. Developers said Dark Souls would be hard, much harder than its predecessor. They were right. You heard this a lot of times but this game is brutal. This game is not a refreshing thing to do when you are tired in the end of your workday. Youll be punished every time that your shield is down, every time that you decided to take that dark route instead staying in your way. Youll be nervous. Much more stressed than silent Hill, Resident Evil or any other game in your life. If you are a trophy hunter (like me) youll NEED to do a plan before playing this. A single error will force you to do a whole new playthrough, you will be punished (again). If you think you cant stand this, dont try, save your money. Most of people will never call this a game. Dark souls is always challenging you. Youll have to fine tune your coordination, you intelligence, your ability to overtake the AI. Do you like exploits? Youll find it, but be warned: youll still die even at maximum level. Almost finishing this game I can look behind to see how my reflexes evolved, how I am able to do certain things in this game that I never imagine before. In my real life some works seens very simple to me, compared to how difficult is to cut a Dragons tail (Seath). But dont get me wrong, this game is beautiful, the music is unmatched and the combat is the best I have ever seen in my whole 35 years of gaming. If you have time, coldness and enough ability try this, but if not, please, dont waste your time depreciating something that you should not have chosen.… Expand
  65. Moganza
    Oct 13, 2011
    9
    If you liked Demons' Souls then u will no doubt like this game as its more of the same but really improved. I wanna keep this short as i mainly wanted to argue points made by the negative reviews of this game. This game is without a doubt hard. It's meant to be hard. You are meant to die! If you make it through this game without dying then you're the messiah of the gaming world. This gameIf you liked Demons' Souls then u will no doubt like this game as its more of the same but really improved. I wanna keep this short as i mainly wanted to argue points made by the negative reviews of this game. This game is without a doubt hard. It's meant to be hard. You are meant to die! If you make it through this game without dying then you're the messiah of the gaming world. This game is all about patience and persistence, for those of you who haven't played Demons' Souls then it may take a while to get along the flow of the game. This game tries to be realistic, in a lot of games you can just run up to most enemies (even ones you've never encountered before) and just hack it to death. In this game you really have to be highly cautious, you gotta go in shield up and ready to dodge many attacks. This game is without a doubt trial and error but that doesn't necessary mean you have to die. You just have to play defense A LOT. I agree this game can be frustrating when it comes to bugs but as long as you're always cautious they dont cause too many problems. As for the guy who said the skeletons teleported ????? Maybe I haven't got to them yet but are you sure it wasnt just the fact that you have a poor internet connection. Anyways this game is really great and if you fancy yourself a good gamer and want a real challenge I would highly recommend it. Oh I would also like to say the visuals are very unique and pretty. I would say the one fault the game has is its story as there's a very simple plot. I guess the designers thought it better to just let the player immerse themselves into the game.… Expand
  66. kesley4884
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best RPGs I've ever played. This is one of the best games I've ever played. I love this game for it's deep game play and immersive atmosphere. It's quite a long game despite the fact you will die a lot. It is very challenging but incredibly rewarding when challenges are met. It kind of has an arcade feel as well with enemies respawning and trying to find patterns andThis is one of the best RPGs I've ever played. This is one of the best games I've ever played. I love this game for it's deep game play and immersive atmosphere. It's quite a long game despite the fact you will die a lot. It is very challenging but incredibly rewarding when challenges are met. It kind of has an arcade feel as well with enemies respawning and trying to find patterns and weaknesses of enemies. I call this game and Demon's Souls the Mega Man of RPGs. I can honestly say this is one of the best games I've ever had the pleasure of playing.… Expand
  67. 35310c0
    Oct 17, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls separates boys from girls as its predecessor Demon's Souls did in 2009. The DS series aren't made for everybody and that's a fact. If you're new into the franchise I suggest you to read about DS gameplay, mechanics, the basics, tips, the guide, etc. It's going to help you a lot. You can also watch reviews, walkthroughs, gameplay, etc on youtube if you want to cheat a bit whenDark Souls separates boys from girls as its predecessor Demon's Souls did in 2009. The DS series aren't made for everybody and that's a fact. If you're new into the franchise I suggest you to read about DS gameplay, mechanics, the basics, tips, the guide, etc. It's going to help you a lot. You can also watch reviews, walkthroughs, gameplay, etc on youtube if you want to cheat a bit when you're stock. If you don't find a lot of info about Dark Souls visit http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/. The structure and game are pretty similar. Read about "Soul form" vs"Body form" / "Undead" vs "Humanity" in these game and you'll understand it better. There is a reason for all this. Unique multiplayer experience is amazing and so helpful. Sorry dear gamers, if you all cry because you all die a lot in a video game like DS, well... that's because you got used to "easy" games. Everything has a consequence in here... DS doesn't forget... So if you decide to attack the first NPC that is on your way, don't expect him to forget it when you re-spawn. C'mon this is not the first time that games do that kind of stuff... Don't blame the game dude... Also, if you find extremely difficult to pass an area maybe it's because you shouldn't be there in the first place: Go somewhere else... Don't **** ask for a map... Just explore DS world. This game is really awesome!!!… Expand
  68. Triangle
    Oct 24, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is a masterpiece. While the game is exceptionally brutal and demands an equivalent discipline from the player, it rewards you handsomely for your efforts and, most of all, your patience and willingness to learn. Every two steps forward are accompanied by one step back as you crawl your way, painfully and slowly, through the gloomiest, most hellish environment ever created.Dark Souls is a masterpiece. While the game is exceptionally brutal and demands an equivalent discipline from the player, it rewards you handsomely for your efforts and, most of all, your patience and willingness to learn. Every two steps forward are accompanied by one step back as you crawl your way, painfully and slowly, through the gloomiest, most hellish environment ever created. Dark Souls pits you against yourself, not the game, demanding that you set aside your pre-conceived notions of gaming fun and, instead, embrace an insane difficulty and all the failure that goes with it. Once you do, the game sucks you deep into its abyss, swallowing your waking hours as you wander, hunted and afraid, with nowhere to go but further into hell. Make no mistake, Dark Souls will punish you time and time again but if you can accept death you will find the game open up before you like a yawning chasm, drawing you relentlessly inwards and onwards. Easily the best game I have ever played on the 360, Dark Souls is like a digital nightmare where, sometimes, jut often enough, you figure out how to master and crush the demons.… Expand
  69. Gus89
    Oct 14, 2011
    10
    This game is not for everyone, but it should be reviewed on what it promised to deliver and it did deliver, a ruthless RPG unlike any other(exception Demon Souls) with a unique online expierence, amazing visual enviroment and sound.
  70. Fredovich
    Oct 24, 2011
    10
    This is one of the few games that has come out recently that actually challenge you, definitely worth a 10. If you are going to buy only one game this year, then this is the game.
  71. MrChristopher
    Nov 16, 2011
    7
    Are you ready to die? Are you ready to throw your controller across the room in nothing but pure frustration? Dark souls is the game for you! The game has a dark fantasy like setting and does good things for the general feel of the game. As I mentioned before, the game can be frustrating at times. Some enemies are quite hard to kill, and it only makes it harder when you're ganged up on byAre you ready to die? Are you ready to throw your controller across the room in nothing but pure frustration? Dark souls is the game for you! The game has a dark fantasy like setting and does good things for the general feel of the game. As I mentioned before, the game can be frustrating at times. Some enemies are quite hard to kill, and it only makes it harder when you're ganged up on by 4 or 5 of them you didn't even see coming. The game can feel cheap at times, the game can feel unfair and unforgiving too, but this is where it draws its sense of accomplishment from. Believe me when I say nothing feels better then FINALLY beating that boss you've been trying for the last hour, or figuring out how to bypass a group of enemies you can't kill on your own. The game has some cool online features too. If you're connected to the PSN while playing (or XBL for xbox) You'll see blood splatters on the floor, going up to these and pressing the action button will show you the last few moments of another persons death. These short moments can sometimes be the key to getting past an area you've never been to before. in addition to these blood spots, players can leave messages on the ground for other players to see. This again is also very very helpful, sometimes you'll be given a warning of a super tough enemy ahead, and other times you'll be told where a secrete passage is. But try and take them with a grain of salt, if a message says "jump off cliff" Chances are its somebody playing a joke on you. the third online feature is that players are able to invade and and be summoned to other players worlds. when a player invade you then fight them, the winner gets the other players souls and some humanity. You can also summon other players to help you with boss fights or difficult areas. You don't necessarily HAVE to be invaded, for these things to happen you have to be in human form, and you can play much of the game in non-human form to avoid being invaded. You'll still see the messages/blood on the floor when playing in non-human form too, so if you really don't want to deal with losing your souls and humanity, playing in non-human form is an option. Its overall a very fun game, I recommend it for anyone after a challenge but keep in mind it can mess with you at times.… Expand
  72. Genesis
    Nov 17, 2011
    10
    What does your GOTY a 10/10 game? Epic Story?
    Wonderful Graphics?
    Great Sounds?

    I would say Max Adrenaline Rush!.

    I simply Love Dark Souls from start to finish. No doubt that in my book, Dark Souls i this years GOTY Nothing less then 10/10
  73. ReSultZ
    Dec 2, 2011
    10
    Simply point you have NEVER played a game like them as Dark Souls and Demon's Souls are on another level. The bad news is these games are so long and good, they ruin other games.
  74. silentherosct
    Nov 26, 2011
    10
    I love this game, and I didn't think I would.

    Let me explain. When this game was released, each review followed a similar pattern: praise the game, but warn people they may not like it. It's a fair warning--this game is difficult, and it ostensibly wasn't made for gamers like myself. I'm entering middle age with a demanding job and newborn daughter to whom I can't help but want to    I love this game, and I didn't think I would.

    Let me explain. When this game was released, each review followed a similar pattern: praise the game, but warn people they may not like it. It's a fair warning--this game is difficult, and it ostensibly wasn't made for gamers like myself. I'm entering middle age with a demanding job and newborn daughter to whom I can't help but want to devote all my time. So when one critic warned, "If you just play games for fun, this isn't for you," I dismissed this game as unreservedly being not for me.

    But something kept nagging at me. Maybe it was nostalgia for the days when I'd spend hours playing Ninja Gaiden, or Castlevania (for the NES). I remember honing my skills every play through, perfecting the timing on jumps, memorizing the location of enemies, figuring out boss patterns, all to die for the third time and have to start over at the beginning. Sounds sadistic, I know, but my friends and I had so much fun trading tips and secrets (I was the first on my block to find the upward thrust in Adventures of Link--no one believed me). And when someone beat a game, we'd all go racing to his house to see him repeat it. Out of adversity came triumph. I think in the end I wanted to experience this feeling again.

    And that's exactly what I got out of Dark Souls.

    Yes, this game is difficult, but I cannot stress enough how fair it is. Each time I die I truly feel like it was my fault. Plus, if you stick with it things do get better. The first few hours may seem impossible, but gradually you'll learn to play the game. Enemies that seemed impossible become remarkably easy. On more than one occasion I died in a boss battle several times before getting the pattern down just right. Once I learned the bosses timing and attack cues, I beat the it without getting hit--easy! And let me stress something--I am not very good at videogames. Seriously! I'm not! I think I used to be, once upon a time, but I just don't play games enough anymore. Yet, despite a lack of time and skill, I've been progressing through this game at a pretty fast pace (relatively speaking, of course). To be fair, having spent an entire childhood perfecting games like this is an advantage, but nothing compares to having time and total devotion. What I'm saying is that if I can succeed at this game, you can too.

    The critics were right--Dark Souls isn't for everyone. But if, like me, you cut your teeth on the NES, and the only thing holding you back from getting this is a lack of time, you may want to go ahead and give the game a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.    … Expand
  75. MWesthoff
    Dec 1, 2011
    10
    I finished Dark Souls and then wandered around in Skyrim for a while before I developed this profound respect for From Software. I may not have enjoyed either one of them too much but at least I feel like I accomplished something after completing Dark Souls...like I broke through a major plateau and finally gained a personal level in gaming that I have been stuck on for years. I beatI finished Dark Souls and then wandered around in Skyrim for a while before I developed this profound respect for From Software. I may not have enjoyed either one of them too much but at least I feel like I accomplished something after completing Dark Souls...like I broke through a major plateau and finally gained a personal level in gaming that I have been stuck on for years. I beat Dark Souls offline with no spoilers (for me that's good). My left eye twitches a little bit every time someone who hasn't played Dark Souls mentions how majestic Ornstien and Smough look....BUT I BEAT IT!!!! I rerolled three characters just to get through Andor Londo but in the end I magicked their fat and skinny asses to death then sat in the corner giggling hysterically before proceeding to finish the game. If the two games (Dark Souls and Skyrim) were thought of as a music concert; Dark Souls just set the piano on fire and rocked the house leaving Skyrim with a very awkward silence for an introduction. Everyone's going to say, "you can't compare....you can't compare". They are correct, you can not compare perfection with mediocrity...it's apples and oranges. (Dark souls 10) (Skyrim 7).… Expand
  76. PALAIFYTIANOS
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    READERS....BE CAREFULL...EXTREMELE ADDICTED GAME....This game is a brilliant surprise...with unforgetable enemies.., amazing landscapes..i dont have words to describe it.i ll say that the only negative for me,i think that graphics are very good but not excellent..
  77. EmAnYyYyy
    Jan 28, 2012
    10
    Dark Souls is a fantastic beautiful dark fantasy action role-playing game that requires patience and time to progress. The satisfaction you'll get from killing difficult enemies is unlike anything in any other game. The visuals and art design are detailed to the max and if you played the previous Demon Souls then you'll be surprised by the huge graphical overhaul this game has. Before IDark Souls is a fantastic beautiful dark fantasy action role-playing game that requires patience and time to progress. The satisfaction you'll get from killing difficult enemies is unlike anything in any other game. The visuals and art design are detailed to the max and if you played the previous Demon Souls then you'll be surprised by the huge graphical overhaul this game has. Before I end this review.. It's my strongest opinion that this game should of beat Elder Scrolls for the best RPG of the year.. Just Sayin'… Expand
  78. xxx_Joe_xxx
    Aug 27, 2015
    10
    PLEASE DO PLAY THIS GAME!!!!

    Or at least, give it a second chance, like I did. I bought this game in 2011, played some hours and hated how much difficult it was. I could not understand why the enemies were respawning, why the bosses were so hard, why I had to keep dying... And I could not understand why so many people liked it. Then this Summer, I decided to give it a second    PLEASE DO PLAY THIS GAME!!!!

    Or at least, give it a second chance, like I did.

    I bought this game in 2011, played some hours and hated how much difficult it was. I could not understand why the enemies were respawning, why the bosses were so hard, why I had to keep dying... And I could not understand why so many people liked it.

    Then this Summer, I decided to give it a second try... and now I am loving it!!!

    It is so damn fun to go around, scared by death to die because you have lots of souls in your bag and the next bonefire is god-knows-where, and you simply do not know what to expect next. Then you get invaded by some badass player that backstabs you before you even understand what's happening. You bite the dust, and there you are back up again. You learn from your mistake, and it is hard to describe the pleasure when you win your first PVP game, or when you kill a damn boss.

    And yes, you die. A lot. but thrust me, it is really fun, you just have to watch it from the right angle.

    (by the way, even if this game starts to be old, there is still quite a lot of people playing online. I guess this will change with Dark Souls III next year, so hurry up!!! Without PVP and CoOp I guess it is half as fun!)    … Expand
  79. alexp76
    May 8, 2012
    10
    I have been playing this game for 60 hours nearly, level 79. I love this game. Frustrating? Yes. Difficult? Yes. Rewarding? Yes. Atmospheric? Yes? And, easier than Demon's Souls? Yes. But still brilliant, a must-play for this generation of consoles.
  80. Raksoris
    Nov 18, 2012
    9
    Great and challanging game.
    One of the best games offering awesome atmospheres and gameplay this generation.
    Running through Dark Forrests and castles fighting against bloodthirsty monsters is a old concept but was very well made in this game But its not as good as the prequel Demon's Souls. The PvP fights are horrible buged and suffer through the badly implemented Netcode. And the    Great and challanging game.
    One of the best games offering awesome atmospheres and gameplay this generation.
    Running through Dark Forrests and castles fighting against bloodthirsty monsters is a old concept but was very well made in this game

    But its not as good as the prequel Demon's Souls.
    The PvP fights are horrible buged and suffer through the badly implemented Netcode.
    And the Framerateissues in few areas in this game.    … Expand
  81. isthatabigknife
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    Man, i love this game. I read on the net that this game is very hard, and yea, hell hard. I didn't play Demon's Souls so for me is a bit difficult. In the first level, you are playing and you think that is easy, but only that level. After, the game gets more hard and the game starts there. Graphics are acceptable, the environment and the world is dark and beautiful. Game is very addictive,Man, i love this game. I read on the net that this game is very hard, and yea, hell hard. I didn't play Demon's Souls so for me is a bit difficult. In the first level, you are playing and you think that is easy, but only that level. After, the game gets more hard and the game starts there. Graphics are acceptable, the environment and the world is dark and beautiful. Game is very addictive, hard but addictive. The sound is good, without problems. Gameplay is damn nice, roll is better than use the shield to dodge enemies, and the enemies are hard if they hit you. There's different spells of each class. Example the piromantic has fire spells, the cleric casts healing miracles, and the sorcerer have soul sorceries. The bosses are hard, some bosses are very hard and you need help of others players online to kill him. Online is unique, if you are connected to PSN, some ghosts from other people playing appears, but they can't do nothing. There's a special item to summon others players that help you. Also you can fight against players, and take theirs souls. Conclusion: If you have patience to die, die, an die, and if you like or love RPG'S, BUY this game. If you are a good player, the game will be more easy.… Expand
  82. melchaios
    Nov 4, 2012
    10
    Not a full 10 score, but pretty close. Overall a nice step up from demon's souls, the open world is great, I also like the adition of covenants to mix things up in pvp, design is top notch as always, and of course ambientation, production values, depth,etc, etc. But what shines above all is the gameplay, the souls games have probably the best combat mechanics I have ever seen, they areNot a full 10 score, but pretty close. Overall a nice step up from demon's souls, the open world is great, I also like the adition of covenants to mix things up in pvp, design is top notch as always, and of course ambientation, production values, depth,etc, etc. But what shines above all is the gameplay, the souls games have probably the best combat mechanics I have ever seen, they are intuitive, brutal, vast and full of depth; each weapon has it's own animations, and they all feel different. It's not a perfect game, it has rough edges here and there, graphics feel dated, framerate goes to hell on some locations, and sometimes controls are not as responsive. In terms of tools available for combat, some spells and miracles are overpowered, and prone to abuse; this makes some pvp matchups frustrating as the opponents use cheap tactics over and over again. Weapon refinement (wich was spot on in demons souls) is uneven and feels a little lacking; there is no longer a str/dex weapon upgrade path, so str/dex builds are doomed to stick with weapons you find in the environment that naturally scale with such stats, don't get me wrong, they are good, but sometimes I would like to have let's say a str scaling spear instead of another ultra weapon. All in all, this game may not be for everyone, but if it clicks with you then like me you will find one of the best games ever created......… Expand
  83. Mohammad22
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    Dark Souls is the BEST RPG GAME THIS GEN!!! the only reason some people hate it is becasue its Hard.. Otherwise its a really great and fun game. You MUST by it if you have a PS3 or Xbox 360
  84. Loldude12
    Apr 29, 2012
    10
    To anyone that loves a good hardcore challenge, Dark Souls is the game for you, entering yourself a sadistic world where enemies are unforgiving and show no mercy to kill. The story line has an interesting detail to it, the combat mechanics is for people to learn, when you die, you lose some of you humanity and turns you into an undead, you can also try and assess the enemies location,To anyone that loves a good hardcore challenge, Dark Souls is the game for you, entering yourself a sadistic world where enemies are unforgiving and show no mercy to kill. The story line has an interesting detail to it, the combat mechanics is for people to learn, when you die, you lose some of you humanity and turns you into an undead, you can also try and assess the enemies location, find what weapon is best for killing them and how to approach them. From Software wanted to make a game which is really really hard for people, they have made it difficult for people because they didn't want to make a game which is too easy for people to play, it has 100 hours of gameplay and includes multiplayer, multiplayer can't be chosen, if you are signed in to PSN or SEN (they are the same thing, only named differently) you will have access to play with others, other players are phantoms, so they are with you, only they are a phantom. You can have an option to either help each other out on a hard situation and you can both become rewarded or you could become as sadistic as the NPC's and you could raid another person's session and kill the players that are there, you could become rewarded with a Black Phantom Soul, when you kill the player, they would try to strike you back, before you leave, make sure you forgive yourself from kill the player by talking to the person you see (not the player, the NPC character), if you struggle, there is a good advantage of having a PSN or SEN, you can write messages to others from your game, these messages can be read as advice and tutorials, you could rate these messages to recommend to others by rating them. Overall if you have money that you saved up and you want to get a RPG for the PS3, Dark Souls is recommended for you. And to say it once more, they have made it hard on purpose.… Expand
  85. Dezuuu
    May 11, 2012
    10
    This game is as hard as it is amazing. Awesome and deep combat, great bosses, a great art style and very, very rewarding. Difficulty may turn some people off, and the camera can be annoying at times. Everybody looking for a challenge should play this.
  86. hollowfication
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    this is best game ever i would like to play it once finish all off design so cool action so great i would get stucked into game with action design i hope this game will get another game like these
  87. jbonz
    May 15, 2012
    10
    It's been a long time since a game drew me in and made me want to play for hours, days, weeks...you get the point. FROM renewed my faith in gaming and I hope other developers are taking notes.
  88. Aegrus
    Jun 28, 2012
    10
    Pros:
    It is open world, with roughly equal graphics and frame rate to Skyrim. However, Dark Souls has no load screens. It's all seemless. Characters are graphically worse than Skyrim, but lighting and textures are generally better. LOD is much better in Dark Souls. Never any pop-in anywhere.
    The characters are all killable, even the important ones. Some people might consider this    Pros:
    It is open world, with roughly equal graphics and frame rate to Skyrim. However, Dark Souls has no load screens. It's all seemless. Characters are graphically worse than Skyrim, but lighting and textures are generally better. LOD is much better in Dark Souls. Never any pop-in anywhere.

    The characters are all killable, even the important ones. Some people might consider this a con, but I prefer realistic consequences and choices. It adds a new sense of urgency, caring, and caution that most games don't have. Voice acting is consistently good, and most npcs have informal, subtle quests attached.

    There are multiple endings, but the chocies that lead you to the endings are hard to find and complex. There is both co-op and pvp online. Both modes are very fun, and take place in the seemless open world.

    Variety- Dark Souls has a lot of it. Everything is unique. There are some very breathtaking set pieces, but everywhere in the game is a pleasure to look at in art direction and detail. Nothing is copy-pasted. Hidden areas- there are a lot of them, and they add replayability to the game, and stop backtracking from getting stale.

    Unique loot- Most weapons and armor sets in the game are unique, and very hard to get. This makes getting things feel very rewarding. Much of the gear also has interesting special affects. For example, the heavy attack of the gargoyle tail ax makes the blade curve in 360 degrees all the way around your character.

    Covenants- Basically online guilds that you can join (if you can find them in their hidden areas), they offer unique equipment and abilities in exchange for your services. Their special abilities are amazing. For example, one of them lets become a weird dragon-human hybrid thing and breath fire.

    Crafting- you can craft and upgrade many weapons along branching upgrade trees using a variety of items which you can find, or take off of dead enemies. Multiple styles of play- You can play as a melee character, an archer, assassin, mage, etc. The weapons and spells are all very unique. Dual wield is possible. Inversely, you can choose to use a one-handed weapon in two hands to improve its affectiveness. You can block or dodge as well- blocking is useful for tanks, dodging more so for lighter characters.

    No level restrictions- some items require you to have certain stats to use them well, but no items have actual level restrictions. If you get it, you can use it.

    Realistic equip burden- Equipping heavy items without sufficiently high strength will slow all of your actions down progressively more, making it harder to run and dodge if you're wearing a ton of things.

    Banking items- you can bank as many items as you want thanks to unlimited storage at bonfires. All bonfire storage areas are linked, so you can access anything from any bonfire.

    No glitches- never, in all my time playing Dark Souls, have I seen a gltich. Apparently there were a few at first, but they got patched out in about a day after release.

    No memory leaks- you can play for countless hours, and your frame rate will not lower due to memory leaks. Nice soundtrack- Music is rare in Dark Souls, but the music that there is is well-composed and never annoying. It conveys the intended moods perfectly. Great atmosphere- Tons of sound effects, small details, consistent colors, a great and unified art direction, and great lighting, and fluid animations on everything make the world seem vibrant and alive, even when everything is dead or trying to make you dead. :P

    It's a long game- On average, it takes 80 hours to complete, but completionists may spend upwards of 120 hours on each playthrough, and it's not possible to get all the content on one playthrough, because some choices open up some areas or items and close others. New game+ :You keep all your level ups and items, and restart the story from the beginning as many times as you want. Enemy variety- there are tons of different enemy types- far more than in any competing rpg. All of them require different strategies to beat.

    Optional bosses- Eight of the game's many bosses are optional, and some will even help you as long as the correct choices are made, but the game never tells you how to get out of fighting them. Neutral (Could be good, could be bad)

    No "real" quests- There are quests in Dark Souls, but none of them are journalized, so many people think there are none. You'll have to remember things, or write them down. Quests are very informal- they're more of requests from npcs than anything else. However, they are epic.

    No map- There is no map for Dark Souls. This would be a con, excepts, everything is so unique and the LOD is so good, you never get lost anyway. The game is VERY difficult, but never unfair.

    Cons:

    Pvp is quite laggy. (Co-op is fine.)    … Expand
  89. Gow
    May 28, 2012
    10
    Don't let this game's reputation for "extreme difficulty" discourage you! I've never been a fan of very difficult games, but Dark Souls is one of the best PS3 purchases I've ever made. The combat is reactive and fun, but this is the sort of game where offense really isn't the best defence -- if you don't keep your shield up or dodge an incoming attack, there's no forgiveness. Even standardDon't let this game's reputation for "extreme difficulty" discourage you! I've never been a fan of very difficult games, but Dark Souls is one of the best PS3 purchases I've ever made. The combat is reactive and fun, but this is the sort of game where offense really isn't the best defence -- if you don't keep your shield up or dodge an incoming attack, there's no forgiveness. Even standard minions might take you down a few times, but the feeling of mastery you get in this game is rarely found in others. As others have stated, you do feel genuine pride after taking down some of the harder bosses (but don't worry, they're not all that daunting).

    On the aesthetical side, the graphics and creature/weapon/stage design are all top grade. The story of the game is told with little direct exposition, but fits well in the game world which really does feel very solid.

    My first playthrough took me close to 40 hours, most of which was exploration and doing optional side bosses. It's definitely doable in far less time, but there's so much well-designed content and fun little quirks in this game that putting in some extra hours is definitely worthwhile.    … Expand
  90. mondieu12
    Jun 16, 2012
    10
    It's really, really good. Combat extremely hard, but incredibly satisfying; parry repast takes a lot of practice, but once you have it down, nothing makes you feel more suav. Loads of classes for easy customisation, you can truly be whatever you want! Bosses grotesque and huge, again very, very difficult, but each death spurs you on to try again (last boss took about 8 tries)! Armour looksIt's really, really good. Combat extremely hard, but incredibly satisfying; parry repast takes a lot of practice, but once you have it down, nothing makes you feel more suav. Loads of classes for easy customisation, you can truly be whatever you want! Bosses grotesque and huge, again very, very difficult, but each death spurs you on to try again (last boss took about 8 tries)! Armour looks incredible, as do high-end weapons, amazing graphics, fantastic atmosphere, and the boss soundtracks are second to none. Just watch out for the four kings!… Expand
  91. Arti
    Jul 18, 2012
    10
    First of all i have to say that the story is not that good or epic. But the game play and the atmosphere is epic. First you have no clue where to go or what to do. No NPC that says go there kill X come back and then bla bla. You have all the choice's to make. The fight system is skill based so its very rewarding for skilled players and very punishing for lesser skilled people, but you getFirst of all i have to say that the story is not that good or epic. But the game play and the atmosphere is epic. First you have no clue where to go or what to do. No NPC that says go there kill X come back and then bla bla. You have all the choice's to make. The fight system is skill based so its very rewarding for skilled players and very punishing for lesser skilled people, but you get into it really quick. All in all its very good game for people who like this genre.… Expand
  92. SILENT_harrison
    Aug 14, 2012
    10
    First things first this game is as difficult as people have been saying but never in my life have i found a rpg or even game quite like this not only i don't rage every time i die i learn from my mistake and overcome like at the start a powerful armoured knight was guarding something i died going head on but then i found out if i lure him to the building with the ladders i could safelyFirst things first this game is as difficult as people have been saying but never in my life have i found a rpg or even game quite like this not only i don't rage every time i die i learn from my mistake and overcome like at the start a powerful armoured knight was guarding something i died going head on but then i found out if i lure him to the building with the ladders i could safely bombard him with firebombs and arrows i am loving this game so far and recommend this as a must buy for rpg enthusiast's or gamers who like a challenge… Expand
  93. bronyexecution
    Aug 15, 2012
    10
    This game is a HARD 10, there is no other series like the souls series in terms of smart, connected level design, brooding ambiance, and consistent controls. I cannot stress the quality of the controls enough, they are absolutely perfect. This is a game that makes no concessions for BAD PLAYERS. Repeat, if you are a bad player who has been spoiled by the glut of hand-holding, cooing sissyThis game is a HARD 10, there is no other series like the souls series in terms of smart, connected level design, brooding ambiance, and consistent controls. I cannot stress the quality of the controls enough, they are absolutely perfect. This is a game that makes no concessions for BAD PLAYERS. Repeat, if you are a bad player who has been spoiled by the glut of hand-holding, cooing sissy games that let you save anywhere without any consequences whatsoever, then GO AWAY. I wish I could stuff you all into a box and launch you into the sun, unfortunately that box would have to be **** huge considering that the majority of gamers seem to consist of these sissy man-children.

    This game takes PATIENCE. There is no sprinting through levels, jumping around like a ****ing idiot collecting rings or coins or whatever, if you want to play one of those games, take your pick of the ump-dillion sonic and mario clones out there, this is a game for real people, this game will kick each and every poser's ass until they cry about it on metacritic about why they are such bad players.

    NOTE: In the beginning, you WILL suck at this game, but if you are smart, you can get up to speed in just a few hours of play. It is extremely helpful to watch a few videos on how experienced dark souls players play the game. Remember, patience is the key. When traversing a new area, WALK. Dont sprint like an idiot, there could be curse basilisks around the corner or some other variety of ungodly horror's waiting to eat your souls.

    Now if you'll excuse me, I'm busy finding out what lurks within the depths of this dark tomb.    … Expand
  94. MrRPG
    Aug 15, 2012
    10
    An amazing game, I've put in at least 500 hours into multiple different character builds, there is so much to do, so many little things to see, and so many different character builds to master..
    Although the Pvp is little broken, it's still great if you find a fair fight..
    Pve offers much more in the way of community play, item trading, Ng+ and regular game cross over (beware).. I've    An amazing game, I've put in at least 500 hours into multiple different character builds, there is so much to do, so many little things to see, and so many different character builds to master..
    Although the Pvp is little broken, it's still great if you find a fair fight..
    Pve offers much more in the way of community play, item trading, Ng+ and regular game cross over (beware)..
    I've got plenty of games, but this one keeps bringing me back to play it over and over again..    … Expand
  95. alexaxa
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    This game is definitely not for everyone. It's hard, it's unforgiving but i like every minutes of it ! The boss fight are all epic and challenging and you'll keep wanting for more. One of my greatest PS3 game.
  96. Skals
    Jan 6, 2013
    10
    Dark Souls is a true masterpiece, in my eyes the best game of this decade so far.
    The game is notorious for it's difficulty, and a lot of people seem to down rate it just because they become frustrated whilst playing it. When playing Dark Souls, you need to be in a set of mind that the game is SUPPOSED to be difficult, in this game, clearing an area or beating a boss is a true    Dark Souls is a true masterpiece, in my eyes the best game of this decade so far.
    The game is notorious for it's difficulty, and a lot of people seem to down rate it just because they become frustrated whilst playing it. When playing Dark Souls, you need to be in a set of mind that the game is SUPPOSED to be difficult, in this game, clearing an area or beating a boss is a true accomplishment, it's something you worked hard to achieve... And whilst it is true that Dark Souls is very difficult at first, it is never unreasonably difficult, if you are dying on a boss, it's because you are doing something wrong, not because the game is too hard. Each boss requires a certain strategy, there's never an enemy that's a pushover. This is a game, where you need to use your brain to progress, the weakest enemies in the game can kill a character that's cleared the game with only a few strikes, but then that wouldn't happen, because you would have learned to evade them so well. It's a game where you're constantly forced to say, what if I tried this, or what if I dodged this way instead, till eventually you figure out the proper way to defeat an enemy or boss.
    The difficulty in Dark Souls lies not in overwhelming enemy stats or bad balance, it lies in the level of skill required to play it; the game is perfectly balanced.    … Expand
  97. iOFTHESTORM
    Jan 7, 2013
    10
    In my opinion as a gamer one of the best crafted games of all time... classic solid action/rpg gameplay with a slightly retro feel, inspired worlds, characters, and lore. Tough challenging gameplay which never feels cheap, repetitive, or unfair. Brilliant pacing, hidden boss encounters, awesome loot will keep you exploring. This is a game for the true gamers, there's a reason why this gameIn my opinion as a gamer one of the best crafted games of all time... classic solid action/rpg gameplay with a slightly retro feel, inspired worlds, characters, and lore. Tough challenging gameplay which never feels cheap, repetitive, or unfair. Brilliant pacing, hidden boss encounters, awesome loot will keep you exploring. This is a game for the true gamers, there's a reason why this game is still top 10 most discussed games on GameFAQ's folks. That being said, this game isn't for everyone, to put it simply, this game is hard and requires good patient pacing to play effectively. If you die you're returned to the nearest bonfire you rested at,which acts as a minimalistic hub of sorts and allows you to access some of the games features like level up which aren't available while roaming, bonfires also restore HP and relieve most status ailments amongst other things. Catch is that resting at a bonfire resets the world around you, so all the monsters you just killed? They're back. Leveling up requires souls, which are collected throughout the world mostly by killing enemies and bosses, say you've accumulated 5,000 souls, you're ready to level up, but you can't until you reach a bonfire, say you lose before you reach a bonfire, you will be returned to the previously rested at bonfire with 0 souls and you must travel all the way back to where you died to retrieve your souls. If you die a 2nd time before retrieving your souls then they're gone forever. So as you can see, the game can be pretty darn grueling. The game punishes you for making mistakes and you might find yourself cussing up a storm once or twice (I know I did), but for those wiling to endure the trials and to anyone who likes being challenged and immersed- If you're ready for it, Dark Souls is ready for you.… Expand
  98. mbx
    Jan 9, 2013
    10
    This game is not meant to hold your hand. There is a plethora of strategy and fun to be found in this game, even while you are trudging your way along bowels of the world. It's lonely, yet it's not - the co-op and pvp make you feel like there is always somebody else struggling along, and the boss fights are simply amazing. This game is all about survival, and if you do survive, the gameThis game is not meant to hold your hand. There is a plethora of strategy and fun to be found in this game, even while you are trudging your way along bowels of the world. It's lonely, yet it's not - the co-op and pvp make you feel like there is always somebody else struggling along, and the boss fights are simply amazing. This game is all about survival, and if you do survive, the game rewards you and makes you feel like a true champion. Quite simply this is one of the best games ever.

    Controls - 10
    Story - 10 (if you can piece it together (check out EpicNameBro's vids on youtube))
    Gameplay - 10 (tailored to your playstyle, 100%).    … Expand
  99. dxxiii
    Feb 21, 2013
    10
    Don't be fooled by people who give this game a low review, or anyone who said they played this game once through and where done with it. Anyone who has stuck with this game til the end knows that this game is a masterpiece deserving nothing less than a 10. Also note it is impossible to play it once and be done, because of new difficulty and how many things you will miss in one playthroughDon't be fooled by people who give this game a low review, or anyone who said they played this game once through and where done with it. Anyone who has stuck with this game til the end knows that this game is a masterpiece deserving nothing less than a 10. Also note it is impossible to play it once and be done, because of new difficulty and how many things you will miss in one playthrough (I am talking who new areas with bosses, covenants and equipment) not to mention also the multiplayer.… Expand
  100. Aedrone12
    Feb 7, 2014
    10
    I give this game a 10 due to the fact that it satisfied my need for a new, challenging, and role-playing video game. Although this game exceeded my hunger for difficulty, it is still the best RPG game I've set my sights one. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a crazy, awesome, and difficult RPG video game to play with your spare time throughout the day. Good luck and I hope thisI give this game a 10 due to the fact that it satisfied my need for a new, challenging, and role-playing video game. Although this game exceeded my hunger for difficulty, it is still the best RPG game I've set my sights one. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a crazy, awesome, and difficult RPG video game to play with your spare time throughout the day. Good luck and I hope this review helped!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PS3 Game of 2011
6
#6 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
4
#4 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 6, 2012
    80
    It would be foolish of us to pretend that Dark Souls is a game for everyone. It's perfect at what it does, but a big part of what it does is make you suffer for your mistakes. It is a harsh, uncompromising task master and you will have to work to win its approval, because it certainly won't work to win yours. [Dec 2011, p74]
  2. RPGamer
    Jan 5, 2012
    90
    At the end of the day Dark Souls succeeds in producing a game that is both incredibly challenging and fair.
    Read full review
  3. Gamer Limit
    Nov 29, 2011
    85
    All in all, Dark Souls is a more difficult, but less enjoyable (and less accessible) Demon's Souls.
    Read full review
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