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. Du7Ra
    Feb 16, 2022
    10
    It was elected the best game of all time for a reason. The best gameplay that you can find is right here.
  2. Taulf
    Feb 24, 2022
    10
    Primeiro jogo da from que joguei lá no meu antigo ps3 , nossa que jogo maravilhoso adorei o estilo e a dificuldade que ele tinha, as lutas contra os boss são epicas , ele tinha seus bugs lá no ps3 mas nem ligava , a lore também é demais!!
  3. DarkwingSchmuck
    Mar 14, 2022
    10
    Dark Souls takes the ambitious and challenging design of Demon's Souls and expands on it in every way imaginable. With one of the most ingenious interconnecting map designs, brilliant and deliberate combat, and exciting boss battles, Dark Souls is one of the greatest 3D games ever made.
  4. Dajoint187
    Mar 6, 2022
    10
    One of the greatest rpgs of the last decade,this game has it all from hardcore boss design to good story.
  5. DragoonC71
    Mar 27, 2022
    10
    Dark Souls is the Dark Souls of games
    Spent OVER 600 Hours on PS3
    One of the best games, EVER
  6. LEH00100
    Mar 31, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. القصة شرحها الطريقة المشاهد القليلة الشخصيات الطريقة الغريبة القيم البلاي المختلف الي قدم شي خرافي ما اكول شي غير Dark Souls Best Game… Expand
  7. zach_grech
    May 6, 2022
    10
    One of my all time favourite games ever. The world is the best I have ever experienced. Difficulty feels challenging but fair. The locations are varied and unique (world feels very believable as well). This game has changed my life forever, a fantastic experience.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. MaxieZeus
    Sep 2, 2022
    10
    A genre defining masterpiece with excellent combat and challenging enemies and bosses. A must for for people who like to be challenged.
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. klaaz
    Jan 26, 2023
    10
    From Software's masterpiece that partly redefined the video game industry..
  17. ReviewsAreBS
    Feb 15, 2023
    10
    The best souls game and hardest (after Sekiro). The entire game world is mostly self-contained and interconnected like a dollhouse.

    There are flaws: The sidequests are non-intuitive and pretty random. Crafting is really annoying and tedious. Some levels were clearly rushed. But even with these flaws, it is the only souls game you need to play, all the sequels (except for Sekiro) are    The best souls game and hardest (after Sekiro). The entire game world is mostly self-contained and interconnected like a dollhouse.

    There are flaws: The sidequests are non-intuitive and pretty random. Crafting is really annoying and tedious. Some levels were clearly rushed.

    But even with these flaws, it is the only souls game you need to play, all the sequels (except for Sekiro) are just rehashing more of the same.    … Expand
  18. RyanBehemoth
    Feb 17, 2023
    10
    Dark Souls 1, simplesmente maravilhoso e uns dos melhores games da década passada! e o melhor jogo "Souls" pra mim ao lado de Elden Ring e Demon's Souls!
    foi o game que mudou minha vida pra sempre e se tornou uns dos meus favoritos de todos os tempos ao lade de Ocarina of Time e Super Metroid.
  19. Jerg4n
    Mar 20, 2023
    10
    Few games hit as hard as Dark Souls when the end credits roll. This game was a journey. A very deep, personal journey full of danger, death and darkness, but overcoming those obstacles gives you the strength to move forward. It might not be for everyone, but those who triumph in the hostile world of Lordran will cherish this experience as something truly special.
  20. TheBigTicket
    Jun 28, 2023
    10
    Best level design I have ever seen and I dont think it has been topped yet. Atleast the part until Arnor Londo.
  21. agq
    Jul 28, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the closest any game will ever come to in terms of true art. The story is told through rare bits of NPC dialogue, descriptions of items, and the world around you. The enemies, bosses and world design feel intricately designed in a way that makes the world feel real and lived in. This game-play can go from dreadful to fearless depending on where you are, the trip into the Depths and down to Blighttown always gives me a unique sense of dread that not even a horror game could give me. But you persist and move on through the game, unveiling the ending leaving you thinking that you have played the greatest game ever to be created.… Expand
  22. Funkymonk
    Oct 9, 2011
    9
    If you ever hear anyone complaining about games being too easy these days just ask them to play this!Although not everyone will "get" Dark Souls, any game that dares to do something different to the norm (and succeeds) deserves respect. In many ways it's a throwback to the old school arcade games from years ago where genuine skill and concentration are required to progress. Yes it'sIf you ever hear anyone complaining about games being too easy these days just ask them to play this!Although not everyone will "get" Dark Souls, any game that dares to do something different to the norm (and succeeds) deserves respect. In many ways it's a throwback to the old school arcade games from years ago where genuine skill and concentration are required to progress. Yes it's difficult, and you'll die a lot but it's never cheap. If you're honest with yourself you'll always know where you went wrong. To be frank this wasn't made for people who get frustrated easily or those with short attention spans. If your willing to put the effort in though you'll discover a game that gives a payoff like no other. You'll be screaming with frustration one minute and then punching the air in celebration when you finally get past that difficult bit/boss.
    If you consider yourself a serious gamer then you owe it yourself to at least try this game.    … Expand
  23. Wade_VC
    Jul 14, 2014
    9
    Just a great game for those willing to spend the time to take things slow. If you are a "Hack & Slash" type gamer, or someone lacking in patience or simply hunting trophies, Dark Souls will eat you alive.

    As a general rule, if one enjoys solid game-play, great graphics, a good story-line and something that makes you think and keeps you on your toes, this RPG will offer that and more.    Just a great game for those willing to spend the time to take things slow. If you are a "Hack & Slash" type gamer, or someone lacking in patience or simply hunting trophies, Dark Souls will eat you alive.

    As a general rule, if one enjoys solid game-play, great graphics, a good story-line and something that makes you think and keeps you on your toes, this RPG will offer that and more.

    You will die, a LOT
    You will loose all your stuff, a LOT
    You will start all over, a LOT

    ...and if you love a challenge, you will like this game, a LOT.    … Expand
  24. Isaac
    Nov 5, 2011
    9
    After taking my time with Dark Souls and understanding the gameplay mechanics, the design choices and killing a bunch of bosses, I could safely say that Dark Souls is a great game. But somehow, I am dissapointed. Yes I knew the game would be hard, and yes I knew it wouldn't be as innovative as Demon's Souls, but the game feels in a way, a copycat of the first game, only more annoying. I'mAfter taking my time with Dark Souls and understanding the gameplay mechanics, the design choices and killing a bunch of bosses, I could safely say that Dark Souls is a great game. But somehow, I am dissapointed. Yes I knew the game would be hard, and yes I knew it wouldn't be as innovative as Demon's Souls, but the game feels in a way, a copycat of the first game, only more annoying. I'm not talking about difficulty, but rather on the technical issues that show up constantly. If you played and loved Demon's Souls, this game has about the same experience. Add a few new bosses, make an open world, add a big bunch of framerate issues and stupid design choices and you get Dark Souls. the game looks amazing and is very deep and satisfying at times, but the more I play it the more I realise that it's just TOO much to bear. The game is so big, you will always feel like you are clueless and barely feel a sense of progression. It is also why the game is vastly Longer, and explains the never ending framerate issues. Don't get me wrong, this game is brilliant in a ton of ways, but it feels like a step backwards for me. It seems like ''From Softwere'' rushed the game out because there was high demand for it, and even though it is certainly one of the year's best, it's not a classic game and rather outclassed by it's ''spiritual ancestor'' which was more original, more polished, and more balanced in ways that Dark Souls could never thrive to be.… Expand
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. Headcrusher
    Nov 5, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Demons Souls became one of my favorite games - to me its real old school - it reminds me of the really old school top down video games where you have to make your way through an endless maze and if you make a wrong turn you blow up - you have to memorize every step to win. Of course this is done in 3D with a third person perspective.

    Dark souls is really similar to Demons souls and I've already put many hours into it and am enjoying every death. I wish the multi-player was more crowded so I could get and give help more often -and there is some noticeable lag when the area gets crowded and the battles fierce - otherwise I'd give it a 10. I can understand why players may not appreciate the level of attention, thought, and persistence required to beating the different areas and bosses, it can be extremely frustrating at times, but thats what makes the victories so rewarding. Another thing I like is you can build any type of character - a tank with sorcery, pyromancy and healing spells is just not possible in most other games.I'd really like to see them turn this into a cooperative MMORPG! it would be a hit - Kudos to the developers!    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. fanbanta1
    Oct 8, 2011
    9
    When i was heading to town to pick this up i thought it can not possibly be as hard as they say and still fun well guess what they are all correct get this game sod rage get this
  31. crw051089
    Oct 11, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After extensively playing Demon's Souls (100+ hours) and extensively playing Dark Souls (50+ hours, and counting) I would rate Dark Souls somewhere between a 9 and a 10.

    The game itself is quite challenging, obviously. But not challenging as in requiring insane reflexes or with unfair enemy tactics, of which I have to say are few and far between. For the average boss fight, all that is required for the most part is knowledge. Knowledge of the boss' tactics, knowledge of the best ways to avoid them, and the best ways to deal damage, safely, utilizing the aforementioned knowledge. Taking the words from another reviewer, death in Dark Souls is a learning tool, not a punishment. If you died, there was most likely something you did wrong that, if you had reacted differently, wouldn't have lead to your death. If you had pulled that enemy away from the ledge you wouldn't have been knocked off. If you had split the enemies up you wouldn't have been overwhelmed. If you had blocked instead of attacked, you wouldn't have been chain-hit by three enemies. If you had run from the dragon rearing back instead of swinging, you wouldn't have been burned to a crisp. None of these instances require twitch reflexes, just a knowledge of what to do and not panicking enough to execute it properly. The only fight I can think of requiring actual, sincere luck, is a boss named Capra Demon. This fight is a demon twice your height wielding two large swords, and by himself, he is a pushover. However, thrown into this fight is also two small mobs. Two dogs. If you don't eliminate them quickly, you will be overwhelmed by the boss' two large swords and the two dogs repeatedly wailing on you. But once the dogs are down, the fight becomes simple. The luck doesn't even play a part for every type of character, just my own, a squishy little dagger-wielding rogue. A solid brick-wall of a shield would eliminate the group as a threat, something my rogue can't wield without serious concessions in mobility, if at all.

    Compared to Dark Souls, this game has a few major changes:

    It's open world. Exploration has become much more key, not just in finding items, but in finding shortcuts to cut down on travel time, and finding bonfires to cut down on time spent running back to your corpse, slaying the very things that slayed you. There is no Nexus, the only "safe hubs" in the game are bonfires, or any place you feel you have safely cleared out.

    No more grass. The main method of healing is a Flask that defaults to 5 drinks per visit to the bonfire. You can "kindle" the bonfire, requiring a rare currency called Humanity, to allow you to leave a specific bonfire with 10 drinks. Essentially you have 5-10 heals to get to the next bonfire, or you'll quickly be either backtracking, or dieing.

    Pyromancy, a magic that doesn't require any amount of stat investment, making it a magic that any character may fall back upon. Much more weapons, therefor much more options. Daggers are viable. Scythes are viable. Faith and Magic based characters have bows to fall back upon. Crossbows don't suck anymore. Parrying is made a bit easier, resulting in more characters relying on counter-attacks. (Most) all armor can be upgraded. If you like the way a set looks, upgrade it. Assuming its stats weren't complete crap, it should be viable. This applies to weapons as well.

    After a certain level, your defenses (Blunt/Slashing/Piercing) stop going up with every point investment. There is a new stat governing JUST defenses, called Resistances. HP and Defenses are no longer rolled into a single stat.

    Covenants. I look at them as ways to obtain phat loots, be it weapons or armor, or even spells. They are also an excuse to make other players' lives a living hell, or to get revenge on other players for doing so. As a member of the Forest Covenant, by wearing a ring I submit myself to being summoned whenever another player, in their own game, wishes to attack the forest's denizens. By defending the forest and slaying them, I increase my favor with the Forest Covenant, and in turn receive loot.

    You do have a path to which you must follow to inevitably conclude the game, but the methods to which you follow that path are, for the most part, up to you. I have a character right now that could challenge three separate bosses, normally falling into a specific order, but I skipped two bosses on the "Linear Path" to beat the area of the third boss, so that I could obtain some phat lewts. A katana and a ninja-esque looking set, specifically. Overall, I rate the game as a VERY enjoyable experience with tons of hours of playtime. I'm 50 in and haven't beaten the game. Your mileage may vary :) I'm just taking my time.    … Expand
  32. Dani061094
    Oct 8, 2011
    9
    I just got this game a few days ago and have been very much enjoying it. I have played some of demon souls previously and dark souls is much of the same, with a few improvements. The balance is just right, you will get frustrated but it wont stop you from wanting to continue and defeat the boss thats pissing you off and the satisfaction is great if you do. My only problem with the game isI just got this game a few days ago and have been very much enjoying it. I have played some of demon souls previously and dark souls is much of the same, with a few improvements. The balance is just right, you will get frustrated but it wont stop you from wanting to continue and defeat the boss thats pissing you off and the satisfaction is great if you do. My only problem with the game is that if you accidentally attack a NPC they become hostile and you cannot talk to them unless you start a new game. I also find it difficult to find summon signs while in human form. However these are only small gripes and the game is still brilliant. I would defiantly recommend this game to competent gamers. Prepare to die!!… Expand
  33. Caestus
    Mar 9, 2014
    9
    The bonfire system is an improvement to the nexus system from demon´s souls, which I did not like that much. The frame rate drops, especially in Blighttown, are annoying but the battle system plus the dark and intense atmosphere are really well-made and the soul of Dark Souls itself.
  34. Nubblecakes
    Jan 4, 2012
    9
    This game is simply amazing and is the purest game I've ever played. From Software didn't cut corners, and provided us with an experience like no other.

    I feel that Dark Souls has one of the best melee combat systems ever. You don't just fight enemies, you duel them to the death. Every little mistake can be crippling or even fatal, which creates uniquely tense moments as you're fighting    This game is simply amazing and is the purest game I've ever played. From Software didn't cut corners, and provided us with an experience like no other.

    I feel that Dark Souls has one of the best melee combat systems ever. You don't just fight enemies, you duel them to the death. Every little mistake can be crippling or even fatal, which creates uniquely tense moments as you're fighting enemies. Every new area has a treacherous feel to it, and the further you get in to the game, the worse it gets (in a very good way). The game is true to itself and holds no punches in the difficulty. There is no difficulty to choose from, and you are simply tossed in the world. The only tutorial you are given consists of the basic controls via readable messages laid on the ground in the beginning of the game. After that, you are absolutely at the mercy of the of the game's brutal world.

    Your character's level doesn't determine your combat prowess, it depends more on your equipment. You have to equip your character according to the area you are in, or what boss you are about to fight. There is a HUGE selection of weapons in the game with a pretty extensive upgrade system to back it all up. If you gear up right, you can save yourself a lot of grief (but you will still probably die a few times).

    The learning curve for Dark Souls is very unforgiving. New players will often be frustrated and give up after dying over and over, but it never hurts to take a break. That's the most provocative thing about this game for me; despite its brutal difficulty, I always want more.


    While Dark Souls is a very challenging game, there are a couple of aspects in the game that create "unnecessary" difficulty. Extremely wonky player collision often causes you to fall to your death over the stupidest reasons, and the occasional unresponsive or delayed input during fights tends to get you killed. The recent patch to the game claims to have fixed the issue of delayed input, but as far as I can tell it just made it worse. Though it's been mentioned in probably every other review, there are also some areas in the game that experience nasty framerate drops which can detract from the experience at times. Blighttown and Lost Izalith are the most notable suspects for bad frame rates, but it's tolerable. I've seen a lot of console games that have slight frame rate drops in very complex areas, like Halo Reach, but they're not as noticeable.


    The lack of tutorials isn't missed in my case, but others will be at a total loss when trying to figure out character parameters like strength, dexterity, etc. Certain weapon types require a specific parameter. Large weapons like great swords require a higher level of strength, whereas spears and halberds (and bows) require higher dexterity to wield. There are even a few weapons that need some in both. Lastly, spells need intelligence, and miracles need faith. There's a lot to examine when looking at weapon/armor stats and your character's stats, but you will pick it up in time. You can actually hit the select button when in a menu and it will highlight elements in the menu and give a simple explanation for what it means. I highly recommend you use that if you're confused.


    The only real issue I have with this game is the PvP. I honestly hate the fact that you can be invaded at any given time by other players if you've reverse-hollowed. 99% of the time I get invaded by someone who has WAY better gear and is WAY higher level than me and I just get rolled. There's no level-matching involved so someone with the best gear can invade someone who is just starting. It wouldn't be as bad if back stabbing wasn't so frustratingly buggy due to latency. I've been backstabbed when the person invading me was standing directly in front of me, and another occasion, they were 10 feet behind me and magically teleported behind me and back stabbed me and killed me. They honestly should have completely disabled backstabbing in PVP in my opinion. It doesn't help that there was a glitch in the game originally that allowed players to duplicated souls and max out their character and upgrade their gear all the way, so now there's all these level 500+ players in their first playthrough running around with incredible gear and spells, invading other players and destroying them.


    Anyway, this game really isn't for everyone. It's a hardcore RPG rather than an action-rpg like Dragon Age. If you just game to have a little fun, then don't buy this game. If you want a rich experience that's really challenging and rewarding (yes, it is rewarding, despite what the negative reviewers say), then Dark Souls is your game.

    And if Dark Souls is too easy for you, then play Demon's Souls. It's much harder, and arguably better. It's too bad they're shutting the servers down for Demon's Souls later this year.    … Expand
  35. BiggyT
    Oct 21, 2011
    9
    I'm gonna write this review in pros and cons.

    Pros: +Very challenging +Very Satisfying +Visually Stunning +Great combat mechanics Cons: -Occasional frame-rate drop -Matchmaking currently broken (going to be patched) This has seriously been one of the most entertaining games ever for me. I enjoy reading the few bad reviews out there because its obvious that they don't enjoy challenges,    I'm gonna write this review in pros and cons.

    Pros:
    +Very challenging
    +Very Satisfying
    +Visually Stunning
    +Great combat mechanics

    Cons:
    -Occasional frame-rate drop
    -Matchmaking currently broken (going to be patched)

    This has seriously been one of the most entertaining games ever for me. I enjoy reading the few bad reviews out there because its obvious that they don't enjoy challenges, and can't handle being killed.    … Expand
  36. CriticalAndy
    Oct 15, 2011
    9
    One of the best RPG's available deep and engaging, punishing but fair. The combat is satisfying and the open world is atmospheric. It would be an easy ten if it weren't for the frequent frame rate issues and graphical oddities.
  37. moviesfan
    Oct 26, 2011
    9
    This game is **** king. It shall give you a boner if you finnaly killed a boss and you can go further on the other way it lets your dick shinks because its **** hard and it it gonna eat you dick off. Firts of the graphics are really good for a open world RPG. Lighting shines beautefull at your armor and the environments are really detailled and different from each other. You need toThis game is **** king. It shall give you a boner if you finnaly killed a boss and you can go further on the other way it lets your dick shinks because its **** hard and it it gonna eat you dick off. Firts of the graphics are really good for a open world RPG. Lighting shines beautefull at your armor and the environments are really detailled and different from each other. You need to survive in scary caves or fight trough enemies at an abandon castle where dragons and other creatures are now boss. Also the enemies are verry differtent and detailled that you never got boring to slice these **** if you succed ofcourse:P. The gameplay is also fluwed and how your character swings the sword or cast magic is verry realistic. it is also a long game and it cost you at least 50 hours if your take your time and enjoy the wordl and not as that **** that completed the game in 90 minutes LOL. The only flaw that was iiritated me that sometimes enemies are dumb and fall of cliff or different. Also irritated but verry well done is that your souls are important so dont lose them if you die. A masterpiece and im gonna play now LATER .… Expand
  38. Scottgun
    Oct 10, 2011
    9
    First off: I never played the original, so other reviews that claim that only fanboys of the original could love this game are hereby officially refuted. This ain't no beat-'em-up game; even the trash mobs will stomp your guts out if you are not careful. Rather, this game harkens back to the 8-bit days when developers still had the arcade philosophy of making games hard but compelling inFirst off: I never played the original, so other reviews that claim that only fanboys of the original could love this game are hereby officially refuted. This ain't no beat-'em-up game; even the trash mobs will stomp your guts out if you are not careful. Rather, this game harkens back to the 8-bit days when developers still had the arcade philosophy of making games hard but compelling in order to vacuum quarters out of kid's pockets. If you are like many players that have become jaded about how dumbed-down games have become, get this as you will either love it as I do, or concede that you didn't know what you were wishing for and go back to the usual games of casual ten-hour jaunts through eye candy.… Expand
  39. 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
  40. 2Guapo
    Oct 11, 2011
    9
    Remember Bushido Blade? It's alot like that, where the enemy can kill you in one hit, but so can you. Patience is key. As for the game's difficulty, yes it is there, yes it is punishing, but ultimately rewarding. If all else fails, you can cheat and summon other players to help you out. If not for the graphical stutters, this game woulda been perfect.
  41. jacobuj
    Nov 4, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I waited until I could fully digest the game to give it a review. Rather than a knee jerk review based on the sense of adoration I've felt for the game since the start or the frustration that some of the levels provide I wanted to give it a fair shake. After fully playing the game I feel it was an adventure well worth taking. On one hand I don't think it is harder than Demon's Souls, but easier at points thanks to the well thought out Bonfire system. Later in the game, however, there is one area (Tomb of Giants) that is utterly frustrating. Having to swap out a shield for a lantern in a tomb filled with giant skeletons that deal quite a bit of damage is just sadistic. This is the only portion of the game that I felt could have been designed better.

    The graphics are improved upon and the world is a pleasure to explore. The overall design of the world reminded me of the intertwining levels of a Metroid or Castlevania game. In Blighttown I did notice a considerable frame rate drop however. It didn't kill the momentum, but it was frustrating when having to fend off numerous and annoying mosquitoes.

    The controls still feel just as tight as in Demon's Souls. I never had a problem with the combat mechanics. The targeting option is still just as finicky though sometimes leading me to my own doom much the same as it did in Demon's Souls. After plenty of practice with it you should be fine, but it can lead to disappointing deaths especially in areas where you are in combat on very small ledges.

    All that being said I enjoyed my time with the game quite a bit. Between the wonderfully designed world to the myriad of combat options I had a blast finding a combination of weapons and magic that suited my play style. There are a few sections of the game that stand out as some of the most gorgeous and rewarding levels in any game let alone any released this year. Some people may fault the game for it's minimalist approach to preparing you for the challenge lying ahead, but that's where the fantastic Dark Souls community comes in. Much as I did for Demon's Souls when I reached a point I could not figure out for the life of me I went to find the answer online and I found it with the help of other intrepid Dark Souls players. While for most gamers this may be considered a travesty because I found answers for my questions outside the game understand that this is not the same type of game most people have grown accustomed to recently. There are no arrows pointing you to your next objective. No minimap with little icons for all the npcs. And certainly no little exclamation points above their heads for new quests. It's a breath of fresh air in an industry catering to the masses by holding your hand throughout the entire game. To some this may seem like a reversion to an older state of gaming, but it is one I welcome as most games move toward a very short and easy campaign sacrificed in the name of monotonous multiplayer. I'm already on my second play through and I'm still not bored. I can't wait to see what From Software has in store for us next.    … Expand
  42. 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
  43. OhTheDerp
    May 29, 2012
    9
    The ONLY reason I didn't give this a full ten is due to the online game-play not being "perfect enough". Slight latency problems, not always easy to connect and nobody seems to understand in what level ranges you can summon/be invaded in (There are guesses and theories, but no one actually knows). Other than that, this is nothing short but my absolutely favorite game since the SNES days.The ONLY reason I didn't give this a full ten is due to the online game-play not being "perfect enough". Slight latency problems, not always easy to connect and nobody seems to understand in what level ranges you can summon/be invaded in (There are guesses and theories, but no one actually knows). Other than that, this is nothing short but my absolutely favorite game since the SNES days. There is no one I can not recommend this game to. It's just purely fantastic.… Expand
  44. Billyheel
    Oct 12, 2011
    9
    Dark Souls does what Demon's Souls meant to, two years ago; perfect the RPG experience. This game is phenomenal, taking everything from the previous game and making it bigger and better. The game is quite expansive, spanning large environments that are littered with enemies. "Prepare to Die" is the catchphrase for this game, and it lives up to that. You will die, and die a lot. But,Dark Souls does what Demon's Souls meant to, two years ago; perfect the RPG experience. This game is phenomenal, taking everything from the previous game and making it bigger and better. The game is quite expansive, spanning large environments that are littered with enemies. "Prepare to Die" is the catchphrase for this game, and it lives up to that. You will die, and die a lot. But, there is a difference between dying in Dark Souls, and mostly every other game. In other games, when you die, it can be for various reasons: glitches, AI being overpowered and impossible to beat, etc. But, when you die in Dark Souls, it's because you made a mistake and you were punished. And, there is more than enough incentive to play through Dark Souls multiple times: i.e. multiple paths, collectibles, and alternative customization. Definitely a game for the hardcore, and an almost perfect game.… Expand
  45. spac3m0nkey
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Next to the Elder Scrolls Oblivion this is THE best RPG you can get on PS3. The combat system is flawless and unique. Weapons carry a real feeling of weight and impact. New enemies send a chill up your spine and give you a good challenge, but are easily defeated at higher levels (like any solid RPG). Immersive, creative, damn near flawless fun. However some frame-rate issues in blight-townNext to the Elder Scrolls Oblivion this is THE best RPG you can get on PS3. The combat system is flawless and unique. Weapons carry a real feeling of weight and impact. New enemies send a chill up your spine and give you a good challenge, but are easily defeated at higher levels (like any solid RPG). Immersive, creative, damn near flawless fun. However some frame-rate issues in blight-town (maybe patched in the future) and little to no documentation of core game mechanics (except for user wikis) are both factors that hold this game back from its full potential.… Expand
  46. 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
  47. Murugan
    Oct 20, 2011
    9
    Dark Souls shines in its dreariness, but a few minor quibbles mar a chance at perfection. The gameplay in Dark Souls is spot on, and requires both memorization and skill to effectively conquer the game's numerous challenges. Combat is crisp and inspired. The level design, aside from one late game area, easily warrants an award in and of itself. The developers raised the bar for every gameDark Souls shines in its dreariness, but a few minor quibbles mar a chance at perfection. The gameplay in Dark Souls is spot on, and requires both memorization and skill to effectively conquer the game's numerous challenges. Combat is crisp and inspired. The level design, aside from one late game area, easily warrants an award in and of itself. The developers raised the bar for every game from this point on. Each world and area interconnects with the others, eliminating the need for jarring fast travel systems. The music is subtle, but appropriate, and the graphics are a major advancement form the previous installation. The one area, though, where the game loses points is, unfortunately, technical prowess. It stutters at points and lags in certain areas, adding an unneeded difficulty and jarring the otherwise brilliantly crafted suspension of disbelief. Do not let this frighten you, though. Dark Souls is brilliant and frustrating, challenging and rewarding, and you owe it to yourself to experience this ride.… Expand
  48. DocThompson
    Oct 21, 2011
    9
    Love the atmosphere of this game. Very immersive. I wish the character advancement was a little quicker. For me, most of the difficulty results in forcing me to play carefully and learning what is going to happen through trial and error which can feel a bit tedious and repetitive at times but also pretty satisfying when I successfully get past a difficult scenario.
  49. Atlas777
    Oct 25, 2011
    9
    Awesome game, exactly like demons souls to the point where this could be the 6th archstone and you'd never notice it was a different game.
    I'm about 120 hours of playing time in and am about half way I'd figure, this is mostly due to the fact that I try not to seek out hints or tips on the internet and try to figure out the mechanics and secrets myself (I find this is one of the most    Awesome game, exactly like demons souls to the point where this could be the 6th archstone and you'd never notice it was a different game.
    I'm about 120 hours of playing time in and am about half way I'd figure, this is mostly due to the fact that I try not to seek out hints or tips on the internet and try to figure out the mechanics and secrets myself (I find this is one of the most enjoyable parts about this game since there is almost no explanations without diving right in).
    The difficulty rating everyone is talking about is a bit exagerated, I don't count myself as a great player but with a little soul farming, learning from your mistakes, understanding game mechanics and weaknesses of enemies you can make it through fairly easily.
    Some say it is much harder than demons souls, I'd say that it is very similar in difficulty. If you find the game too hard then you are going the 'wrong' way.
    One of the things often not mentioned about this game are all the little secrets thrown in, tons of secret weapons and items, interactions with npcs and actions will affect your game in many ways you dont understand until later, you can fight and kill any npc in the game kill the wrong one and literally the sun will die and the world will go dark forever.
    Interactions with other players is unique with the ability to write messages on the ground from a huge list of hints and tips, you can invade another persons world or help them which is an awesome way of showing off your equipment and skills to other players.
    I'm giving this game a 9/10 for one reason...I think I've accidantally killed half the npcs in this game by swinging my weapon at the wrong moment and it is very frustrating that they dont de-agro or come back lol but seriously other than that it is an awesome must-have game, and demons souls too if you haven't played it.    … Expand
  50. the_holy_toast
    Oct 25, 2011
    9
    A good open ended RPG with a solid story, that improved on its predecessor in every way, if you can take the emotionally abusive relationship and rare bug (soon to be patched).

    There is nothing really bad to be said about the direction of the game and every aspect feels very professional. The only complaints I can muster is 1) yes, it can be absurdly hard 2) there is the occasional bug,    A good open ended RPG with a solid story, that improved on its predecessor in every way, if you can take the emotionally abusive relationship and rare bug (soon to be patched).

    There is nothing really bad to be said about the direction of the game and every aspect feels very professional. The only complaints I can muster is 1) yes, it can be absurdly hard 2) there is the occasional bug, which they have obviously been patching, and 3) some enemy's life bars are far too large and makes some sections tedious. That said, this game is one of the years best.    … Expand
  51. HellFireUSMC
    Nov 1, 2011
    9
    I just don't understand.
    People that are hating on this game should just go return it. If you did not see any of the trailers your a dumb ass for not doing so. In the trailers it says "PREPARE TO DIE". If you can not handle how tough it is then you should go back to your own style of games because this game is not for you. EX.)Horrible. That is the best way to sum up this game. Extremely    I just don't understand.
    People that are hating on this game should just go return it. If you did not see any of the trailers your a dumb ass for not doing so. In the trailers it says "PREPARE TO DIE". If you can not handle how tough it is then you should go back to your own style of games because this game is not for you. EX.)Horrible. That is the best way to sum up this game. Extremely difficult to the point of complete insanity. Make one mistake and you have to repeat an hours worth of play to get back to the same area. No story line what-so-ever. No explanation of what different symbols, stats, etc mean on your character. The game was definitely banking on previous reputation. Controls are very buggy with multiple button combos almost pointless because you can never get them to work.

    Posted by Neian

    Well if you actually pay attention there is a story line to the game and you can call your self a dumb ass if you can't figure out what each of the stats does. It does get buggy when online because of people invading and getting companions takes up a lot of bandwidth. It also gets buggy when you have a giant area that takes up a lot of data. EX.) I had fun setting up my character, and starting thru the tutorial... That's about it. After I escape the first dungeon, I meet a knight and decide to fight him and take his soul (I'm a thief in the game after all...). He kills me in 3 hits... Fine, try again. Respawn/reload the game, he kills me again! The fighting is so lame... He hits me, and my character has to go thru this delayed reaction/animation, realizing he's getting hit, and by the time I regain control, I'm hit again, then dead... again. Fine, can't fight him, I'll reload the game and run away. Nope, he just follows me no matter where I go, and how far I run. My hits are so weak, they barely register, and of course, he has no slow down from my hits, just continues thru his attack motion as if I'm not hitting him multiple times. 9 Deaths later, and screaming at he TV, i quit. Not fun. Why not at least "reset the scene" if the player is killed? If it was a mistake to fight the first character I meet, why not let me learn that, and leave him be. Do i have to restart the whole game, and go thru the tutorial dungeon all over again? How many similar situations would ruin my evenings if I decided to keep this torture session disguised as a video game? I would have loved to play with a friend to help me, why restrict me from doing so? Muliplayer i random and can't be coordinated. Not fun. I gave it a rest and tried again the next day, still not fun. At all. Trading it in for Batman Arkham City. Posted by KletassVanDam

    Well you sir are a dumb **** for trying to take on one of the hardest enemies in the game. If you think you can just run in there and expect to kill him instantly, I think you should go back to CoD. This game requires skill and patients, and not just a mass killing.    … Expand
  52. titanicpenguin
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    This game shocked me so much. Its probably the hardest game i have played since some of the old side scrollers but dont let that put you off. the game is never unfair and is always fun. there is no other game out there that is as rewarding as Dark Souls
  53. Zyco
    Nov 9, 2011
    9
    Great all around game, its a throw back to a time when games just challenged you and didnt have 5 difficulty settings so you can just walk thru the game like watching a movie. This game will teach you how to play it better by killing you every time you make mistakes. I still prefer Demons Souls for some reason, I cant explain it .. but Dark Souls is a wonderful game and a 9/10 in my book.
  54. JiggyJoe
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Great game, definitely not for the faint of heart or those looking for someone whose looking for a quick pick up and play game. Great art style, game play mechanics, and implementation of online makes this game stick out amongst the other great games of 2011.
  55. ciaranh
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Deceptively simple controls but devilishly difficult to master. Sure you will die, a lot. But the charm of Dark Souls is in learning from your mistakes and overcoming the enemies that the game puts in your way. When you finally do beat one of the bosses it feels like a real achievement and it's been a while since a game has made me feel that way about overcoming an enemy. The game has it'sDeceptively simple controls but devilishly difficult to master. Sure you will die, a lot. But the charm of Dark Souls is in learning from your mistakes and overcoming the enemies that the game puts in your way. When you finally do beat one of the bosses it feels like a real achievement and it's been a while since a game has made me feel that way about overcoming an enemy. The game has it's faults the rag-doll corpses can be extremely distracting and the amount of work that needs to be put into levelling up can put off a lot of players. But this is a game that is worth every one of the many deaths that you will inevitably encounter.… Expand
  56. Runfocovah
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    I didnt played demon souls but Imust say Dark Souls its one of the best games i have played ever... It took me back to my childhood when I started playing videogames in 1986 because I didnt wanted to stop playing. This game will suck you in, kick your ass and live you wanting more. Yes its hard but cheap hard, you always learn more.. What to do, what not and how. Im 100+ in it on my 2ndI didnt played demon souls but Imust say Dark Souls its one of the best games i have played ever... It took me back to my childhood when I started playing videogames in 1986 because I didnt wanted to stop playing. This game will suck you in, kick your ass and live you wanting more. Yes its hard but cheap hard, you always learn more.. What to do, what not and how. Im 100+ in it on my 2nd playthrough and hat to put it aside to leve time for other games (and my wife).… Expand
  57. BrotherHorus
    Nov 11, 2011
    9
    After completing an import version of Demons Souls i was in love.It was a modern game in the style of games back in the 16 and even 8 bit era. Where careful progression and trial and error resulted in massive satisfaction at nailing a section flawlessly and defeating a boss that had given you so much trouble, that when you finally plunged your weapon into his evil soul, it results inAfter completing an import version of Demons Souls i was in love.It was a modern game in the style of games back in the 16 and even 8 bit era. Where careful progression and trial and error resulted in massive satisfaction at nailing a section flawlessly and defeating a boss that had given you so much trouble, that when you finally plunged your weapon into his evil soul, it results in physical elation. Dark Souls in my opinion, grows on this massively. The atmosphere, scenery and level design keep you hanging on a knife edge of survival and fight or flight decisions. The enemy design is unparalleled, with each new encounter forcing you to change your tactics and weapon set to overcome the seemingly unsurmountable challenge before you. For the uninitiated this may seem unfair and/or frustrating but careful study of your enemy and a considered approach will eventually end in victory. At times it is disheartening and the loss of tens of thousands of souls that you wanted to spend on whatever your right hand is wielding is crushing but, i kept on and it just keeps on keeping on. You will get there and when you do victory will be all the sweeter. In an age of games that hold your hand, tell you where to go, what to do it is difficult to describe how important a game like Dark Souls is. It does have its glitches, mine seem to be either complete freeze, forcing a hard reset or a delay in button press to action taking place which at the time, in a game based on split second attack or defend mechanics, can be wretched. And as everyone says, framerate issues, especially in Blighttown. I still keep playing though, and for me there's not anything that even comes close to it in modern gaming. Well done From Software, youve made winter bearable.… Expand
  58. EvillivE
    Nov 16, 2011
    9
    Oh my frickin' God! I love the hell out this game. I think that a lot of video games now are becoming too "casualized". Allow me to explain. When I say casuallized, I mean that games are becoming more focused on making things easier for the player just so the casual gamers can feel accomplished after spending a few hours on a game and beating it. This game seems to look at theseOh my frickin' God! I love the hell out this game. I think that a lot of video games now are becoming too "casualized". Allow me to explain. When I say casuallized, I mean that games are becoming more focused on making things easier for the player just so the casual gamers can feel accomplished after spending a few hours on a game and beating it. This game seems to look at these people and say "I dare you to play me," and most will run away screaming like little girls (I would be a bit scared if a game box started talking to me too). The game has some pretty awesome controls and handles very well. The graphics are damn near amazing at times and are only hindered by a few drops in frame rate. Demon's Souls was an amazing game, so naturally this game is in the same league as it's predecessor. The only issues are with the lock-on system and the rediculous difficulty. Demon's Souls had a very capable lock-on mechanic that allowed you to switch between targets on the fly. Dark Souls requires you to unlock-on to your target and lock-on again just so you can target a different enemy. This is extremely frustrating when enemies are constantly moving and getting infront of each other and you want to attack the closest one, but your locked-on to the one that's in the back. The game can be extremely punishing at times, throw multiple enemies at you in a small space. Demon's Souls emphasized taking enemies one at a time and this game doesn't. But it almost works to this game's benefit in a way, because the game is still just as fair as Demon's Souls, it's just harder. But when the player can go through the entire world he/she has explored and kill every enemy without using a bonfire to replenish estus flasks, it should be obvious that the game has taught you something. If nothing else, it is a worthy edition to this franchise and can't recomend it enough (just make sure you aren't afraid to die... a lot).… Expand
  59. tchunak
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Ok first time at the site.

    So i really enjoy dark souls i grow attached to the characters and would like more info about them but ok. the gameplay is great but there is sometimes you will not agree with your death for some lag input or some **** jumping enemy that changes his direction on mid-air. but i like the jooly cooperantion thing and invading is where the real fun is. hate mail    Ok first time at the site.

    So i really enjoy dark souls i grow attached to the characters and would like more info about them but ok.

    the gameplay is great but there is sometimes you will not agree with your death for some lag input or some **** jumping enemy that changes his direction on mid-air.

    but i like the jooly cooperantion thing and invading is where the real fun is.

    hate mail all day.    … Expand
  60. Edgar210
    Jan 16, 2012
    9
    Let me start off by saying, I never played Demon Souls, but I certainly plan too after I'm finished with Dark Souls. I'm really enjoying this game I have invested easily 40+ Hours and I just got it 2 weeks ago. Now let me get in depth. This game drops you off in the beginning teaching you the basics of the game by orange messages on the floor. After the tutorial other players will leaveLet me start off by saying, I never played Demon Souls, but I certainly plan too after I'm finished with Dark Souls. I'm really enjoying this game I have invested easily 40+ Hours and I just got it 2 weeks ago. Now let me get in depth. This game drops you off in the beginning teaching you the basics of the game by orange messages on the floor. After the tutorial other players will leave messages making them vital, messages are really helpful they tell you whose ahead, if there's a treassure, a bosses weak spot, etc. but you also got your trollers telling you there's a bonfire(get into that in a lil), or a treassure ahead and it ends up being a black knight chasing you half way across the map. This game doesn't hold your hand one bit. In the tutorial you face a boss right away whose 20x's your size! And there is no way point, you need to invest some time exploring and farming a couple of souls. I honestly don't think this game is as hard as some people say it is, it's just challenging and a learn curve. I believe people say its hard because this generation of gaming developers hold your hand too much. This game does have some flaws which made me drop it a point. In a city named blight town the frame rate drops alot because of the city's environHment, I don't wanna give any spoilers so that's all I will say. But I recommend this as a must buy if your into RPGs. This should be scored a 9.0-9.5 easily… Expand
  61. Jensen2023
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Improves upon the fantastic template set by Demon's souls in almost every way. Only for seasoned gamers who can commit to a challenge.

    Very satisfying.
  62. 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
  63. Jacarda
    Nov 22, 2011
    9
    Great game, expands on Demon Soul's in just about every way possible. Expect it to be difficult and unforgiving, only issue is the online multiplayer, it is very difficult to find others to play with and invading is not scaled well.
  64. DeLuv
    Nov 26, 2011
    9
    Great game and although a hard game, it is playable... if you are an old school gamer you will not have any hard time with Dark Souls, you may die a few times but nothing out of ordinary, don't listen to the plethora of new school gamers who arent used to playing a challenging game... those ducks will die constantly as this game requires patience for things to work out and they are allGreat game and although a hard game, it is playable... if you are an old school gamer you will not have any hard time with Dark Souls, you may die a few times but nothing out of ordinary, don't listen to the plethora of new school gamers who arent used to playing a challenging game... those ducks will die constantly as this game requires patience for things to work out and they are all brainwashed in playing fast paced action games like GTA, Modern Warfare, Gears of War, Uncharted or God of War.… Expand
  65. yheferson
    Dec 7, 2011
    9
    This is an amazing game with great combat and well designed encounters. Most boss fights are an extreme challenge and I enjoyed the equipment upgrade system. I'd say the only flaw is the lack of ability to reliably co-op with friends. The co-op system is weird and the messaging system seems to be completely broken. That keeps my score from being a 10.
  66. TerryMBlake92
    Dec 28, 2011
    9
    This game is very good with many play styles and weapon choice as well as armor and spells/ pyromance. Now their are some bad point the frame rate drops in blight town and various other places sometimes make the game difficult or easy depending on the circumstance, but in no way or there cheep death you. You may get ganged up on you may get over whelmed by something your not ready for. ItThis game is very good with many play styles and weapon choice as well as armor and spells/ pyromance. Now their are some bad point the frame rate drops in blight town and various other places sometimes make the game difficult or easy depending on the circumstance, but in no way or there cheep death you. You may get ganged up on you may get over whelmed by something your not ready for. It is the player actions that cause his or hers deaths. The online system is innovative and very well thought out as well but it is very hard to communicate with other players this can become a problem when in a area like the catacombs. Over all this game is one of the best i have played this year… Expand
  67. are2dude
    Apr 6, 2012
    9
    It's a tricky game. It truely is. But it's not too hard. I have red too many reviews telling this game is too hard. It's not. You just have to use some common sense to approach each situation and learn from your mistakes. If you are new to video games in general this may not be the best starting game but it is doable. Even a bad player can complete the game with help of some moreIt's a tricky game. It truely is. But it's not too hard. I have red too many reviews telling this game is too hard. It's not. You just have to use some common sense to approach each situation and learn from your mistakes. If you are new to video games in general this may not be the best starting game but it is doable. Even a bad player can complete the game with help of some more experienced players.
    The way different stats are displayed in Dark Souls is a bit confusing in the beginning and it takes some time to get used to. The game doesn't do very good job explaining what different attributes mean. Things like damage scaling, bleed, divine and occult damage and critical hits are never explained. That is left for you to figure out. Some use of wiki is adviced to clear those things out. Once you get the hang of those you start liking the presentation.
    Dark Souls has also multiplayer aspects to it. Players can leave messages to help each other or to troll other players. This system is only needed during the first playthrough since you already know everything in new game+. The summoning and invading system is a great concept and a lot of fun. Nothing beats summoning 2 decend players to beat a difficult boss down after several attempts. Invading and PvPing is also a lot of fun. It's cool to test your skills and your build against other players. Most fights start with players politely bowing to each other. This reflects the amazing community Dark Souls has. The lore in Dark Souls incredibly epic and interesting. It is by far my favorite. The sad part is that many players completely miss the whole story. The setting is told in 4 minute long intro cinematic and the story progresses by listening to NPCs. A lot of background in the story are told in item descriptions which is a bit odd. Not only is the gameplay hard but the story is as well. It's annoying to read short pieces of text just to get the story. The best thing in my opinion in this game is the vertical level design and connectivity. They didn't just make a flat map with different areas like in skyrim for example. Everything is well thought out and the feeling blows your mind when you realize that the end of the first area is directly above the starting area. Even though most of the environment is build or it otherwise makes you run in pipe-ish areas there are still several ways to get from point A to point B and that is amazing.
    SUMMARY: To sum this all up I'd say that the positives are: level design, lore, challenge, community and unique multiplayer aspect only shared by the previous Souls game Demon's Souls.
    Negatives are: Beginner unfriendly stat presentation, lacking explanation of various game mechanics and unnecessarily well hidden story.
    I love this game. 60+ hours in and enjoying every second of my adventure. It's always a challenge.    … Expand
  68. neoncritic
    May 17, 2012
    9
    From Software delivers another gloriously dark fantasy gem with Dark Souls. It may not be quite as impactful as Demon's Souls but this game is bigger and features a more accessible interface and outlook. Dark Souls also has more to offer on the multiplayer front, introducing Covenants you can join to help or hinder your fellow online adventurers. What remains the same is the punishingFrom Software delivers another gloriously dark fantasy gem with Dark Souls. It may not be quite as impactful as Demon's Souls but this game is bigger and features a more accessible interface and outlook. Dark Souls also has more to offer on the multiplayer front, introducing Covenants you can join to help or hinder your fellow online adventurers. What remains the same is the punishing difficulty, once again it is possible for any enemy to kill you if you let your guard down for even a second, regardless of character level. But with great challenge comes greater rewards and Dark Souls is immensely satisfying when you kill a huge boss, or save someone in co-op. A highly recommendable and engrossing world to explore and conquer in your own unique way.… Expand
  69. Tecneek
    Jun 26, 2012
    9
    Dark Souls is a nice improvement over its predecessor and stays true to its original formula and takes you on an epic ride through a dark and beautiful world that will have you hooked for weeks. If you loved Demon's Souls then there is no reason for you to miss out on this fantastic game. Prepare to die my friends.
  70. hydaway1
    Jan 9, 2012
    9
    A welcome change. I enjoy a good challenge. This is a hard game, I played demons souls but didn't really like it cause it was more annoying than challenging, this game fixes most and is a welcome change from games being scared to offer challenge. It also doesn't try to be like a movie! Which I really liked. Even death means victory cause you learn about that opponent, how he fights and hisA welcome change. I enjoy a good challenge. This is a hard game, I played demons souls but didn't really like it cause it was more annoying than challenging, this game fixes most and is a welcome change from games being scared to offer challenge. It also doesn't try to be like a movie! Which I really liked. Even death means victory cause you learn about that opponent, how he fights and his strategies. You'll always feel powerful, well at least I did, especially after upgrading my character. The co op and pvp works great (see other reviews for more info) The world is vast and feels never ending (in a good way). If you like challenges buy this game. This game doesn't like when it says "Prepare to Die" it means it. But this is an awesome game and I hope we see a third entry to the franchise.… Expand
  71. mschri
    Feb 15, 2012
    9
    This game is just breath taking with the amount of creativity that has been put into it. Outstanding fighting system that will keep you engaged in every enemy encounter. The only down fall is the story for which it doesn't really provide you with one except that your a chosen hollowman who has a chance in gaining humanity. Definitely worth checking out.
  72. gigacorona
    Mar 12, 2012
    9
    Dark souls is my personal game of 2011, superb combat, deeply immersive environments, singular online functionality more then outshine its sometimes inconsistent technicals. Exploration and challenging combat in this dark medieval setting is not to be missed.
  73. prinny
    Mar 18, 2012
    9
    i find it impossible not to compare dark souls to demon's souls, and find it ultimately falls short - but only just. still got some great gameplay and music - but i found the game's atmosphere feels less spooky. still better than 99% of the games out there, just a little duller than the "prequel"
  74. Beefycougar
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    First to note, DO NOT GET THIS GAME IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE IN FOR. This game is already established to be astoundingly difficult, and rightfully so, it can claim to be one of the most difficult games in modern era gaming. Someone who is looking for a good time, a good story or just to have fun will put this game down after just a few hours. The beginning of the game is like runningFirst to note, DO NOT GET THIS GAME IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE IN FOR. This game is already established to be astoundingly difficult, and rightfully so, it can claim to be one of the most difficult games in modern era gaming. Someone who is looking for a good time, a good story or just to have fun will put this game down after just a few hours. The beginning of the game is like running into a brick wall, but after you get to the first bell ringing, the game begins to open up to become a much larger, much more enjoyable RPG. The combat is one of the most solid, fluid and challengingly simple battle systems I've seen on an action RPG. The careful micromanagement of your health, your stamina. And finding the right window to parry, block, attack and dodge is probably one of the most engaging things you could do. Every enemy is unique, and has their own little quirk that's key to taking them down as gracefully as possible. The bonfire system is a unique aspect, though also a somewhat frustrating one at the same time. Giving you checkpoints you head to so you could level up, and manage your items to prepare for the next step. Currency and experience is shared in a total pool listed under "souls" and while an interesting aspect. Time and time again you do need to see yourself grind to get a couple of your stats up high enough, if it's just to wear new and better weapons or equipment, get a new spell, or just get a small advantage against your adversaries. While more skillful players can progress while keeping grinding to a minimum. Less skilled players will be found doing this because it has less risk than going up against a powerful enemy, getting splattered on the ground somewhere and being forced to start over, going back to pick up the pieces of all your lost experience and coin.

    The graphics? They're pretty good for a modern game, but to call them great or even the best would mark me as a liar. The facial models are horrible. God awful. When you're making your character. You have to spend time shaping their face and it makes me cringe about how deep into the uncanny valley these models sink into. The environment is both varied yet slightly repetitive. The above ground segments and level design is just brilliant. Making it feel like you're going forward, yet when you find a new path, it leads to a familiar area. It feels extremely well planned and very well thought out. Though at other times you'll just wonder how big this giant sewer you're in actually is as you spend time in it for hours and hours on end. The enemies in the game are.. well how do I put it? They can beat your ass. Every single enemy can take you out in just a few good hits, even with you wearing solid armor. They never let up OR go easy on you. You'll need your A game at all times to even consider beating them every time. If you get lazy or tired, these enemies you fought before can get the best of you. Making you rather angry you died to something you've beaten before. The boss battles are obviously both the most exhilarating aspect of this game, when the epic music begins to swell as you behold your behemoth sized foe, tossing about in an ever lasting game of david vs goliath. You with your slingshot, taking every chance you have at dealing a solid hit. It's just pulse pounding once you get past the 2 or 3 times they end up crushing you like a bug. If you do extra well, you even get special items.

    PVP is just a blast to play sometimes. When someone invades your game and you spend minutes going toe to toe to see who is really best. Fighting off another person just made me smile in joy afterward. After hours of frustration for minutes of epic reward. This game is great but it still has a few flaws. It doesn't explain enough for people not familiar with this game type. The controls are slightly awkward to handle, and can be a bit clunky before you master them. It can piss you off at times with the fact it always has a brand spanking new way to piss you off. And because it clocks in at over 50 hours of you doing THE BARE MINIMUM during your first run. It can feel like you're making no progress for hours on end of repetitive combat. The plot is nonexistent, and made me disappointed they did not improve on the meat of the game, the force that drives you to set onward, a hope for progression and a feeling of closure that isn't there. Without the plot, it feels like there's no journey, just one big awesome dungeon crawl and the quest to find more loot. You'll find yourself here for hours as you try new and different characters, builds and equipment, so it has plenty of replay value on it as well.

    Now you are asking yourself, Should I buy this game? My question is, why shouldn't you? One day this game will be seen as a classic, because it should be. I love it even if it hates me.

    So yeah, go out there and get it if you found this review convincing!    … Expand
  75. ChrisF2112
    Jul 10, 2012
    9
    Dark Souls is a fantasticly deep, brilliantly designed game. It is difficult, but if you've played Demon's Souls you should have no problems as it is no more difficult. The clear best part of the game is the combat. The sheer depth of the combat in Dark Souls is incredible. Want to wear heavy armor and wield massive hammers and axes? They have that, but you'll be sacrificing speed andDark Souls is a fantasticly deep, brilliantly designed game. It is difficult, but if you've played Demon's Souls you should have no problems as it is no more difficult. The clear best part of the game is the combat. The sheer depth of the combat in Dark Souls is incredible. Want to wear heavy armor and wield massive hammers and axes? They have that, but you'll be sacrificing speed and mobility for it. How about an assassin who backstabs his foes into submission? You can do that to. The frame rate issues have been well documented, but they are in no means game breaking. I had them occur in area only, and only when fighting one enemy (Blightown, giant bug things). Everywhere else in the game ran flawlessly, and looked beautiful.… Expand
  76. javierich0
    May 17, 2012
    9
    This game is a lot of fun and it has a great combat system. The boss fights are epic, you will easily find yourself playing this for dozens of hours. On the other hand, the controls feel unresponsive at times and the game has some camera problems, specially during boss battles.
  77. X19
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Great game. Requires skill and not stats. A truly superb game in a time of very easy and non rewarding games. The game doesn't adapt to you. There is not an objective marker or map, you are on your own.
  78. Noollab
    Jun 18, 2012
    9
    My first (westernized) Japanese-published game, and I was completely blown away. After having accepted my fate of countless deaths due to clever traps, incredibly exciting bosses and monsters in general, I understood the world that is Dark Souls. This game will test you, and punish you for mistakes. You're going to be both laughing and crying as a result of the many, many deaths, but it'sMy first (westernized) Japanese-published game, and I was completely blown away. After having accepted my fate of countless deaths due to clever traps, incredibly exciting bosses and monsters in general, I understood the world that is Dark Souls. This game will test you, and punish you for mistakes. You're going to be both laughing and crying as a result of the many, many deaths, but it's all apart of the process.
    This game is really a gem, with choices that MATTER, being final and in many cases irreversible, and a multiplayer system that's completely different from what I was used to, but still fun and creative, allowing for both cooperative play and PvP.

    I bought this game purely because of the fact that it had been described as the "hardest video game" (or at least the spiritual successor to just that), and I have NOT been disappointed!

    I had to take one score-point off the perfect ten, because of the poor performance in Blight Town, which was a bit of an annoyance.    … Expand
  79. Gompster
    May 30, 2012
    9
    I would prefer to give this game an 8.5. Great game. Love the multi-player component to it. It seemed more difficult than its predecessor, Demon Souls, to summon people however. I love that the story line was simple, diverse enemies and the look and feel of the game.
  80. Silverbow
    Dec 22, 2012
    9
    I had this game for 14 months, in that time I played it on and off for 8 hours total game time. Something kept bringing me back to it, but 30 mins into a session I would rage quit without fail. Then I spent some time online and read every single last piece of advice on the game. Where do I find the best armor, where do I find a good starting weapon (drake sword), where is the firstI had this game for 14 months, in that time I played it on and off for 8 hours total game time. Something kept bringing me back to it, but 30 mins into a session I would rage quit without fail. Then I spent some time online and read every single last piece of advice on the game. Where do I find the best armor, where do I find a good starting weapon (drake sword), where is the first blacksmith (upgrade your starting weapon ASAP), how do I kill this dude... you get the idea.

    I went back to it this weekend. On Friday evening Havel must have killed me 40 times, but eventually he fell :)
    It's been a joy ever since, this is quite possibly the best game I've ever played. You just need to be patient and use your brain, read advice on the net and open your eyes while playing. And NEVER panic.

    In the past I often felt that I would never get that feeling of power from this game. In something like Diablo 3 it is sooo easy to feel powerful, but that's because of your character and your gear, a blind monkey can play D3 if the character has good gear. The beauty of dark souls is that gear takes you only so far, it's your skill level (yes you on the couch fatty) that determines your success, and that is awesome.

    I hardly die at all anymore, unless I'm facing off against a proper boss, the mini bosses don't even scare me.

    The world design is fantastic, there is so much to explore in such a small area. The interface is terrible, but after a while you get things done very quickly, it's just not what we've come to expect from modern game interfaces.

    The heavy feel that combat has to it is so addictive, I think that's what kept me coming back. How I wish Skyrim felt like this.

    I love this game, but I don't recommend it to everyone. It's unforgiving if you are impatient or unwilling to learn from your mistakes. As stated earlier, it's your skill that makes you succeed, not your character stats or your gear. Sure, those things help, but you make the difference.    … Expand
  81. jeef1523
    Dec 14, 2012
    9
    This game takes the difficulty and challenges in a very different level, although it's not good for some people, that find the idea of learning with your mistakes over and over again disturbing, the challenges offered can make many other people dive into the greatness that the game offers.It's nothing but a shame that not everyone can play it and enjoy it the same way, it's not a game forThis game takes the difficulty and challenges in a very different level, although it's not good for some people, that find the idea of learning with your mistakes over and over again disturbing, the challenges offered can make many other people dive into the greatness that the game offers.It's nothing but a shame that not everyone can play it and enjoy it the same way, it's not a game for everyone, but it does a very good job entertaining those that are fit for it.… Expand
  82. MDG397
    May 4, 2013
    9
    I love a good challenge in a video game, but this game is not a challenge. It's an attempt to drive you insane by making you feel like you're nothing. People argue that the extreme difficulty will make you feel satisfied when you beat a hard boss or a hard level, but I didn't feel satisfied once while playing this game. I did maybe for the first thirty seconds after beating a boss, butI love a good challenge in a video game, but this game is not a challenge. It's an attempt to drive you insane by making you feel like you're nothing. People argue that the extreme difficulty will make you feel satisfied when you beat a hard boss or a hard level, but I didn't feel satisfied once while playing this game. I did maybe for the first thirty seconds after beating a boss, but that didn't last long because you're forced into another hard level afterwards. The game isn't even fun, mainly because of its combat system and level system. When you level up, your stats are hardly even increased, and you need a lot of souls(currency) to level up. Let me add that once you die, all of your souls are gone, but you can get them back by going back to where you died. If you die again without getting your souls back, they're just gone forever and there's no way to get them back. I know that your equipment is more important than your stats, but to play the game and not die every five minutes you'll need some really good equipment, and that's not easy to find. The combat system is seriously among the worst that I've ever seen in any video game, and it gets really repetitive. Block, attack, block again, attack again, repeat. Progressing in this game is a nightmare, it's entirely composed of trial and error, which is a horrible way to make a game. Needless to say, with constant trial and error and constantly dying, the game is no fun at all. The online features are also bad and completely unnecessary, you can either summon someone to join your game, or someone will just join your game automatically and mess everything up for you. Being allowed to let someone else join your game to help you is a nice feature, but just having someone butting into your game without you wanting them is just a terrible decision, and I really can't stress that enough. They'll just try to kill you, and mess everything up. They'll most likely have the best equipment and kill you like nothing, like the game wasn't already terrible enough without that feature. As an attempt to make the game a little easier, the developers put in a feature where you can leave messages to help other people, but most of the time what the messages say isn't helpful at all. Most of the time the messages I saw said "praise the sun!" which isn't the slightest bit helpful. I also saw things like "jump" at an edge of a big drop. I also saw stupid things like "I did it!" in random places, none of those things are helpful at all. The game is also completely absent of a story. So to summarize, the game has an unfair, brutal difficulty, terrible combat, poor level system, bad and unnecessary online features, progression that consists entirely of trial and error, annoying messages, gameplay that just isn't fun, and a nonexistent story. The one online feature that actually works is letting other people into your game to help you, which is the only reason I gave it a 1 and not a 0. Dark Souls is possibly the most overrated game of this console generation.… Expand
  83. Anarchy_Reaper7
    Mar 24, 2013
    9
    This is the best game ever hands down! The difficult of this game remind me of what old school games in the 80s and 90s used to be like including Castlevania, Contra, Ninja Gaiden, etc. The people who gave this game a low score must be casual gamers that want every game to be easy like Call of Duty for example. This game may not be for everyone but it mostly for hardcore gamer like me,This is the best game ever hands down! The difficult of this game remind me of what old school games in the 80s and 90s used to be like including Castlevania, Contra, Ninja Gaiden, etc. The people who gave this game a low score must be casual gamers that want every game to be easy like Call of Duty for example. This game may not be for everyone but it mostly for hardcore gamer like me, that want a challenge and the long length of the game and that are sick of modern games going water down and give us 4-6 hours single player length and getting rip off from 60$ games. This game has everything what hardcore gamer want. If you want a hard enemies, then you have it. If you want hard bosses, then you have it also. Struggling to see what items or weapons that is useful to you, then you have it. I love the dark atmosphere of this game. It make you feel like that there is no hope and everything want to kill you. After killing the boss that you have hard time on, it feel satisfies and rewarding. Anyone who never played Demon Souls like me, you haven't missed a thing but it take time to get used to the control and the game play. If your hardcore gamer like me who looking for a challenge, i would highly recommend to pick this up and also pick up the DLC of this game.… Expand
  84. infamaniac23
    Feb 20, 2013
    9
    This is the absolute best RPG of this generation. Story the story is very interesting and deep, it isn't told to you, you have to discover it by yourself, which increases the replay value by a lot. gameplay absolutely amazing if I were to explain everything now it would take way too long. Graphics on an artistic view beautiful on a technical view ok. Sound voice acting is fine but nothingThis is the absolute best RPG of this generation. Story the story is very interesting and deep, it isn't told to you, you have to discover it by yourself, which increases the replay value by a lot. gameplay absolutely amazing if I were to explain everything now it would take way too long. Graphics on an artistic view beautiful on a technical view ok. Sound voice acting is fine but nothing special but the music is just amazing from boss themes or just laying around a bonfire it's subtle and epic at the same time. Overall easily a 10/10… Expand
  85. MisterNoodles
    Apr 2, 2013
    9
    This game is very fun and well designed. It is the first time I have ever died in a long time. Sadly most recent games like Skyrim or Fable 3 are far too easy. When I walk into a room I instantly know I can clear it. And just this morning when I was playing Skyrim I sat there being bored out of my mind as the same poorly designed and easy to kill NPCs charged at me. I than pulled out DarkThis game is very fun and well designed. It is the first time I have ever died in a long time. Sadly most recent games like Skyrim or Fable 3 are far too easy. When I walk into a room I instantly know I can clear it. And just this morning when I was playing Skyrim I sat there being bored out of my mind as the same poorly designed and easy to kill NPCs charged at me. I than pulled out Dark Souls and got killed within the first five minutes by a fire breathing dragon. This game is beyond hard which makes it so interesting. It may lack side quests and a main storyline, but I have rarely played a game where it actually tests your ability not to die. Most games these days make combat as simple as press one button. This is one of my favorite games and deserves some credit.… Expand
  86. KarjoTheCat
    Apr 26, 2013
    9
    I would like to start off with my positive thoughts of this wounderful game called Dark Souls. Firstly I am going to talk about the single player, Dark souls is very hard but a very easy game at the same time for you see that the game teaches you to play it very well, but punishing you if you don't try hard. My second point is about the story or lore of the game which is done in a goodI would like to start off with my positive thoughts of this wounderful game called Dark Souls. Firstly I am going to talk about the single player, Dark souls is very hard but a very easy game at the same time for you see that the game teaches you to play it very well, but punishing you if you don't try hard. My second point is about the story or lore of the game which is done in a good way, it makes the community work together to find the meaning by hind this dark story and how characters desive you to to their will ect. Thirdly is the gameplay which is spot on. Weapons sound and move like you would expect and the enemies are effect by you attack as you would expect. My last point is about the muilt player, there are two modes where one is to help another player though an area and the second is to kill them, they are both balanced and very fun. Unfortunately with all good games they have bad parts to them and Dark souls is no exception. Firstly is the terrible FPS lag in some areas of the game, and I am not going to lie and say I don't know why it is laggy there. Second point is that is very laggy online for Australians such as my self, but I do not know how it is in other places such as the USA or Japan. Due to the negitive points above I have to give Dark Souls a 9/10 but I recommend it to every one who has the rage suppression skills to cope with it. Thanks for reading, KarjoTheCat.… Expand
  87. CatsPawDigital
    May 19, 2013
    9
    Dark Souls, like Demon's Souls before it, is a truly wonderful game. There is (excluding Demon's Souls, of course) no other game out there now quite like it.

    That said, this game is not for everyone. Call of Duty and God of War this is not, and if you try to run through the game and mash buttons at your undead adversaries, you will have your behind handed to you in short order, and    Dark Souls, like Demon's Souls before it, is a truly wonderful game. There is (excluding Demon's Souls, of course) no other game out there now quite like it.

    That said, this game is not for everyone. Call of Duty and God of War this is not, and if you try to run through the game and mash buttons at your undead adversaries, you will have your behind handed to you in short order, and you'll deserrve it. If you have no patience, if you're easily frustrated, if you have a habit of throwing your controller when your character dies, this game is probably not for you.

    On the other hand, for those who can brave the game's challenges, the rewards are nothing short of amazing. I'm not talking about what the game gives you, although the souls of bosses can be used to make some pretty nice weapons and armor; I'm talking about about the truly wonderful sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering the games challenges, and the unparalleled bragging rights that come from finally beating the game.

    The story, such of it as there is, is forgetable, but this isn't actually a problem; you make the story yourself, going where you want and doing what you want, limited only by your ability to survive the denizens of whatever area you're exploring. This is actually a clever way to guide the player down a certian path; you are almost never limited in your choice of paths by the games scripting, its simply that unless you go a certian way you simply will not survive. This doesn't mean the game punishes exploration; quite the opposite, in fact, but it does require a change of tactics. Often a suicide run will reward players with a rare weapon or armor set, costing nothing but whatever souls the player happened to be carrying at the time. Death, you see, is never permanent in Dark Souls and you can even regain the souls you lost- provided you can fight your way back to your bloodstain and touch it.

    There is no challenge within the game that cannot be overcome with patience, skill and -like any good RPG- a little grinding. Or, if you play online, you can enlist the phantoms of other players to help you. You can join covenants to earn rewards- and sometimes be summoned to fight off or hunt other players. If you're feeling evil, you can invade another player's game as a black phantom and try and make off with that player's souls or humanity.

    There is no voice chat or messaging system in dark souls, and players may only communicate directly through gestures and this leads to a curious code of conduct where black phantoms bow to their defeated victims, a far cry from the indecencies and obscenities often directed at the vanqished in cames such CoD and Halo. Indirect communication is possible via an item called 'soapstone' which allows a player to leave a message in a certian spot that anybody playing online can see. Caution must be exercised, however, when one comes to a message that says something like 'treasure ahead' at the edge of a cliff. Not everyone is honest.

    Dark Souls doesn't try to be anything other than what it is, and what it is is an experience that (once again, excluding Demon's Souls) is quite like anything else you've played, an experience that you will either love or hate. But no game is perfect, and Dark Souls is not without a few glitches. During my first playthrough, two minor bosses simply committed suicide, one of them while was half of the in-game world away. An undead rat got stuck in a wall, pieces of broken boxes were left suspended in mid-air and sometimes the bodies of defeated enemies got stuck around my character's feet for a few seconds as if they were rag dolls. Victory in one particular boss fight, Bed of Chaos, although not a bug in itself seemed to rely less on skill than simple dumb luck (although I persevered and was eventually victorious) and I came close to throwing my controller myself.

    All in all, considering what Dark Souls is intended to be it is very hard to actually criticize it, and I loved every frustrating, agnoizing minute of it. And, in the end, if someone tells me "I beat Halo 4 on legendary" I'll reply "So?" But if they tell me they beat Dark Souls offline, their skills as a gamer will have earned my honest and instant respect.    … Expand
  88. TheFairCritic
    May 30, 2013
    9
    This game is truly a masterpiece. A modern classic if i can say so myself without sounding like a pretentious douche. It combines the oh so perfect controls with the monster slaying loot hunting action. The games main focus is on the "learn from your mistakes" pattern. The controls handle perfectly and i have not encountered any moments of "yanky" controls. Why this game has not been wellThis game is truly a masterpiece. A modern classic if i can say so myself without sounding like a pretentious douche. It combines the oh so perfect controls with the monster slaying loot hunting action. The games main focus is on the "learn from your mistakes" pattern. The controls handle perfectly and i have not encountered any moments of "yanky" controls. Why this game has not been well received by users and/or popular critics alike is because they think they are going to breeze through the content to see whats so hyped and fun about the game, but ends up laying face down in the mud due to lack of patience/concentration and then basically saying that the game is because they did not have patience enough to interpret the enemies actions and patterns. As long as you learn what that you are fighting is doing then the game suddenly becomes a cakewalk. I have beaten the game several times and even a couple without any armour and just a starting dagger.
    The reason the game does not get a perfect score is that in some parts of the game Blighttown in particular) the framerates drop on console. The multiplayer feature can also be buggy sometimes due to connections interrupting. Despite the bad reviews and the minor errors i give this game a solid 9.    … Expand
  89. Jellybean15
    Nov 13, 2015
    9
    Dark Souls is truly a unique experience. Releasing amongst a demographic of gamers who are used to playing games with little difficulty and little consequence for your failure, Dark Souls goes against the grain by not just making the player face tough obstacles and challenging gameplay, but also by punishing them every time they die or make a mistake. It takes you on a journey of pain butDark Souls is truly a unique experience. Releasing amongst a demographic of gamers who are used to playing games with little difficulty and little consequence for your failure, Dark Souls goes against the grain by not just making the player face tough obstacles and challenging gameplay, but also by punishing them every time they die or make a mistake. It takes you on a journey of pain but also great empowerment whenever you overcome its obstacles, and it’s certainly an experience I’ll never forget.

    Dark Souls gameplay is hack and slash in its nature, but it doesn’t bode well to play it like one. In a game where getting hit three times by a standard enemy can kill you, Dark Souls is less about fast paced reactionary gameplay and more methodical planned out strategy. Scanning your enemy for an opening, striking when the time is right, learning how many hits he’ll take, how he reacts and finding out how to react to his counter is all key.

    So many factors go into effecting your strategy as well. How resistant is your shield to physical and magical damage? Is it effective enough, or should you roll out of the way? Is the armor you're wearing light enough to allow me to dodge quickly but also strong enough to protect me? In Dark Souls unforgiving world, sometimes the only way of knowing if you’re strategy works or if you’re progressing is to go out into the world and see if you survive. In fact, in an area of three different branching paths, the only real way to find out which way is the correct way is to see which one doesn’t kill you within the first 60 seconds.

    But, when you do die, Dark Souls is not afraid to let you know that you messed up. Killing enemies grants you souls which acts as both your experience points and your currency for buying items and weapons. Die, and you’ll have to travel back to your dead body to retrieve the souls you lost. Die before that happens, and they’re gone forever.

    What makes Dark Souls so different is the game’s very own checkpoint system. Checkpoints are linked directly to fireplaces, which are your safe havens from your enemies. What I’m glad to see is that unlike Demon’s Souls checkpoint system of opening up shortcuts, Dark Souls’ fireplace system is so much more consistent. I never found an area where there was not a fireplace within two minutes running distance of another one, and often times, levels are smartly designed to incorporate shortcuts or opening paths previously locked off to you to make some fireplaces more accessible from multiple areas, and that’s the beauty of Dark Souls level design. Most of Dark Souls feels like one big cohesive level of multiple paths and areas, and by the end of it, you’ll easily have the whole map laid out in your head.

    However, Dark Souls is not without its caveats. Even things that seem purely beneficial usually have some draw back. Even fireplaces, which do keep you safe from enemies and refill your healing flask, also revive all of the common enemies. It’s not a game that will hold your hand. For example, you can go around and try to find weapons, but you’ll soon discover the only real way to make a truly descent weapon is to find one that fits your play style and find a blacksmith to improve it using found or bought materials. Most of the time, the only way to proceed in Dark Souls is to truly pay attention to its environment, what it tells you, and you must adapt.

    Overall, Dark Souls has it all. Challenge, unique gameplay, awesome boss fights, and smart enemy and level design which compels you to push forward despite your frustrations. So is the game perfect? No, it isn’t. Dark Souls does have its flaws that its fan base is all too quick to ignore. For example, one of the biggest annoyances is the lack of a pause feature. I understand Dark Souls intentions of removing this feature, but there were a few times during play, I had to get up immediately and walk out. A couple of those times I was in the middle of a battle and died as a result. From Software needs to realize that real life does get in the way of gaming sometimes, so a pause button is a must.

    The other real complaint I have is the game’s promise of being challenging but fair, and I do applaud From Software for accomplishing that feature most of the game. I’d say 95 percent of the deaths were my fault, but there was the occasional cheap hit or badly designed level piece that got me killed unfairly. The lock on for example, causes a lot of camera issues when up against walls or low ceilings, and makes seeing your enemies difficult. They’re rare occasions, but they do happen.

    However, any complaints I have don't dampen the experience and I did really enjoy Dark Souls. However I do conclude that it is not a game for everyone. It has its audience, and if you’re not into this kind of game and its particular style, that’s perfectly fine, but I – and a lot of other people – will remember Dark Souls for quite a long time as a really special game.    … Expand
  90. boshi
    Sep 30, 2013
    9
    a nearly perfect game. really challenging, in a good way, and the boss fights are incredible. there isn't much in terms of story, but you can learn about the world by reading the descriptions of items. it isn't much, but it's there. the only bad part of the game is, some areas lag, and in one area, the majority of the level is laggy. it's difficult, but a lot easier than demon's souls.
  91. nonchalantgamer
    Apr 27, 2014
    9
    At first glance i didn't like dark souls because i played demon souls at a friends house once and got demolished so much it turned me off but years later i gave this game a shot and im glad i did. this is one of the most challenging games ive ever played, and as a hardcore gamer i can appreciate that because the feeling of accomplishment you get from beating enemies and progressing forwardAt first glance i didn't like dark souls because i played demon souls at a friends house once and got demolished so much it turned me off but years later i gave this game a shot and im glad i did. this is one of the most challenging games ive ever played, and as a hardcore gamer i can appreciate that because the feeling of accomplishment you get from beating enemies and progressing forward is indescribable. i get a physical adrenaline rush when i finally take down a tough boss that killed me 10 times over and its so satisfying. there is plenty to do in this game to, with numerous places to explore and things to collect within the beautifully designed environment. overall this game is one of the best ive played with a extremely challenging but rewarding system with great mechanics and beautiful level design. death is the ultimate teacher, and im willing to learn from it.… Expand
  92. Legion455
    Feb 17, 2014
    9
    What can i say about Dark souls well its a excellent and tough game but the difficulty shouldn't be why you play this masterpiece, The lore,story and music are why along with its nasty multiplayer you always feel a rush when someone invades you in the middle of a horde of enemy, along with players helping with that tough boss or leaving messages that could lead to treasure or your doom isWhat can i say about Dark souls well its a excellent and tough game but the difficulty shouldn't be why you play this masterpiece, The lore,story and music are why along with its nasty multiplayer you always feel a rush when someone invades you in the middle of a horde of enemy, along with players helping with that tough boss or leaving messages that could lead to treasure or your doom is always fun

    The game is not for everyone so please take cation in buying it unless you like to practice the game alot to beat some of the boss's    … Expand
  93. fijiboy
    Mar 22, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. dark souls is incredible. It is a challenging game that will make you question why you are even playing it at times, but if you put the effort in to get through it, there are no other series out there as rewarding as the souls series. a lot of people love this game for its challenging and rewarding gameplay, but for me one of the biggest appeals for me is the cryptic visual storytelling that can be either a hit or miss for some players. If you take the time to look deeply at the themes of this game and how it is discovered through level design, music and item descriptions instead of dialogue, you may find this game to be an artistic statement on determination, loss, depression, desperation, and how all these themes some how become feelings that player will feel many times throughout the game, and truly makes this game a masterpiece. the only thing I have a problem with is some portions of the game are just straight up ridiculous and are simply there to really frustrate you( walking across a very narrow bridge while big nights shoot dragon slaying arrows at you to knock you off while they block your path on an even narrower ledge) and no longer feels fair. there are a couple situations like that in the game that keeps it being a 10 for me, but is still a masterpiece, a flawed masterpiece.… Expand
  94. MLP_Simta
    Aug 18, 2014
    9
    A really good game that needs time and patience to learn. The cover does not lie to you in your first playthrough you will die a lot. The game itself is enjoyable and has a great combat mechanic that is easy to get use to. The visuals are great for example when you ring the first bell you can see where you came from and what's still waiting for you and the light effect are awesome.
    The    A really good game that needs time and patience to learn. The cover does not lie to you in your first playthrough you will die a lot. The game itself is enjoyable and has a great combat mechanic that is easy to get use to. The visuals are great for example when you ring the first bell you can see where you came from and what's still waiting for you and the light effect are awesome.
    The storyline is there but if you don't take your time you will miss it, so bear in mind that the item description is not just about stats and you can find stroy elements just by looking the scenery.
    The DLC is a must have so if you wish to purchase the game go with the Prepare to Die edition.
    The online PVP for me for the most time is a lagfeast but the online PVE is fun.
    Oh and skip Blighttown that place just kills your FPS on Xbox360 the PS3 is just a few FPS better.
    On PC beware the **** port so on that platfrom so a controller is a must have and don't forget to download a few mods that help the FPS issues on the PC.
    Overall a great game a must buy if you can find it, but be patient. The game helps you but if you rush you gonna have a bad time.    … Expand
  95. sacredbear
    Sep 10, 2014
    9
    This game is near flawless. Dark Souls tells you everything you need to know about it without saying a word. It is the definition of "show, not tell". Everything from the level design, to the enemies, item descriptions, boss appearances, gives you clues and tells you more about this universe. You can tell the makers of this game paid extremely close attention to everything that wentThis game is near flawless. Dark Souls tells you everything you need to know about it without saying a word. It is the definition of "show, not tell". Everything from the level design, to the enemies, item descriptions, boss appearances, gives you clues and tells you more about this universe. You can tell the makers of this game paid extremely close attention to everything that went into this game. The gameplay itself is very solid, and extremely rewarding. The game's sound design is possibly the best I have heard. I believe that anyone who comes with an open mind and invests some time and effort will find that is was well worthwhile.… Expand
  96. MetaRogue
    May 22, 2021
    9
    While Demon Souls was the first to establish the core formula for the Souls series, Dark Souls was the follow-up that not only perfected, but solidified the series identity and appeal. This is THE ORIGINAL GAME that spawned a new genre of games: the Souls-like genre. This is a genre defined by gameplay systems that are immensely difficult, soul-crushingly frustrating and punishing in everyWhile Demon Souls was the first to establish the core formula for the Souls series, Dark Souls was the follow-up that not only perfected, but solidified the series identity and appeal. This is THE ORIGINAL GAME that spawned a new genre of games: the Souls-like genre. This is a genre defined by gameplay systems that are immensely difficult, soul-crushingly frustrating and punishing in every possible way - AND people love this sort of thing because "modern videogames are just too soft, easy and forgiving". While that previous sentence may seem sarcastic, I actually really appreciate what Dark Souls is and what it does - even if it sometimes brings me to my wits end and makes me question why I'm wasting my time trying to fun by playing something that was designed with the deliberate intention of being downright difficult and just plain UNFAIR.

    Beyond it's obvious difficult gameplay, Dark Souls has fantastic combat and world design - both structurally and narratively. In this regard, the game is peerless. The overall vibe and aesthetic is brilliantly oppressive and (you guessed it) dark. This makes Dark Souls feel like a survival horror game instead of a dark fantasy RPG.

    The only pitfalls of this fantastic genre establishing game is, of course, the gruelling difficulty. While not as difficult as its sequels and spiritual successors (and other games that pay homage to it), the original Soul-crusher is still mightily challenging, sometimes to its own detriment. There are moments in this game where it feels like FromSoftware implemented certain elements just to frustrate gamers with things that require more luck than skill OR unparalleled amounts of patience.

    Nevertheless, this is (somehow) revered as a modern classic and the ones who persevere through this experience with great skill receive nearly equal amounts of reverence. Alas, I am not one of them because I not only think that videogames should be played for fun, but also because I'd prefer not to waste my time, and potentially risk my mental wellbeing, by trying to play something that is deliberately designed to frustrate me.

    Here's to you, Dark Souls - the darkest rose with the largest thorns.    … Expand
  97. Megaben02
    Jun 16, 2015
    9
    For a long tine i had this game sitting on my shelf waiting for me to play it. But when i did, i knew there was no going back. Right off the bat this game does feel like a old school hard rpg. This is most evident in the games tutotial which serves as the test. It will make or break the game for you. Once you escape the tutorial, you are free to explore this game's open world. WhileFor a long tine i had this game sitting on my shelf waiting for me to play it. But when i did, i knew there was no going back. Right off the bat this game does feel like a old school hard rpg. This is most evident in the games tutotial which serves as the test. It will make or break the game for you. Once you escape the tutorial, you are free to explore this game's open world. While exploring you are likely to find shortcuts to a boss, this serves as the games "checkpoint" system, allowing you to quickly get back to the boss with having to go through the level entirely. But the difficulty is where this game shines, gence the feeling of emmense satisfaction after finding said shortcut. The bosses will punish you if you dont take the time to learn their attack patterns. Even the low level enemies, when in a group, can easily overpower a player ten levels ahed of them. This games multiplayer is simple, if you are in human form you can summon another player to help, or if you are human and decide to take a stroll you might find yourself invaded by a red shade. Now, lets talk about this game's graphics. Even in 2015 the graphics still don't look to bad especially when going in the more visually stunning areas of the game, like Anor Londo, or The Painted World. But, the only problem with this game is the framerate. The framerate commonly drops below 15 when i play, especially in places like Blighttown or during the Great Grey Wolf, Sif boss battle. But besides that if you pay attention the Dark Souls lore is great, however you REALLY have to pay attention as this game tends not to blurt thing out like Demon's Souls did to an extent. So in the end the only things that really makes this game sink are the framerate drops and the way to the story is hidden in tems details to the point where it feels almost overdone. But aside from that, this game as you probably figured out, get a solid 9 out of 10.… Expand
  98. JuanLuisGG14
    Nov 19, 2016
    9
    Awesome game
    Atmosphere here may turn you down at first: it's really punishing.
    Level design is masterful and mechanics feel really fresh.
    However, i can't give this game a 10 cause of technical problems and poor level design near the end of the game
    For the first half of the game it's a 10/10
    At last it can be a 6/10
    Average: 9/10
  99. MushyBird
    Jul 4, 2015
    9
    Don't be fooled by all of the people saying the game is difficult, it's really just a matter of comfort. Dark Souls takes a bit to get used to, but once you've got the controls down and you've figured out how to dodge, parry, and so on, the game turns into a straight up amazing RPG. Once you've gotten comfortable with Dark Souls, the only thing you'll be worrying about is what build you'llDon't be fooled by all of the people saying the game is difficult, it's really just a matter of comfort. Dark Souls takes a bit to get used to, but once you've got the controls down and you've figured out how to dodge, parry, and so on, the game turns into a straight up amazing RPG. Once you've gotten comfortable with Dark Souls, the only thing you'll be worrying about is what build you'll be making for your next play through.

    The level design is top notch, as is the atmosphere. The world is incredibly well built, with everything making geographical sense. Not to mention, there's nary a single impossible space in this game.

    My only real complaint, and a very light one at that, is that the lore and story may be TOO well hidden. Don't get me wrong, both the plot and lore of Dark Souls is great. I still find myself tearing up over Artorias and Sif. However, the only reason I know the plot and lore of this game is because of dedicated Youtube uploaders such as EpicNameBro, TeraMantis, and VaatiVidya (Pre-Patreon, that is...). Although I guess that just goes to show the amazing community around this game.    … Expand
  100. Pasifull
    Sep 21, 2016
    9
    Dark soul's problems - of which there are many - get washed away in the torrent of euphoria that comes with each victory, whether minor or major. An excellent game that should be of no interest to most gamers, but the core it's designed to engage with won't be able to look at other games in the same way again.
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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

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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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