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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. pissedoffgamer1
    Jan 5, 2013
    1
    I played this game and hated it the first time I played it, then the second time, then the third and even fourth time. But when i played a fifth time it got a little better. It isn't so hard to get used to the controls even if they do suck so bad they want to make your face explode. I did yell "What the FREAK!!!" quite a few times when I died from pure lack of good controls, and I did hateI played this game and hated it the first time I played it, then the second time, then the third and even fourth time. But when i played a fifth time it got a little better. It isn't so hard to get used to the controls even if they do suck so bad they want to make your face explode. I did yell "What the FREAK!!!" quite a few times when I died from pure lack of good controls, and I did hate the fact that the pretty backgrounds were just that, pretty backgrounds. The internet play sucked the story line sucked, but once you got used to it, it was ok. Definitely not my favorite game though. Ive played worse. What made me the most angry was that you couldn't pause it. It just expects you to play forever. Put the game back in and if it is still too hard to get used to a new game play style then you are a noob.… Expand
  2. saradush
    Jan 4, 2013
    10
    No doubt this is one of the best game I've ever played in a very long time.

    But be ready to throw in at least 10+ hours before you could feel the beauty of it
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. w_underwood
    Dec 12, 2012
    10
    It's hard for a sequel to be better than the original but Dark Souls does. The open world set up is different than Demon's Souls but I actually found that to be a better experience. Bosses are just as difficult, and I would have to say much more challenging. Anybody who calls themselves a gamer needs to at least give it a shot.
  6. smellymetal
    Nov 23, 2012
    8
    (UPDATED REVIEW) This game immediately reminded me of the good old Fighting Fantasy roleplay gamebooks by Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone. I've been hooked by the sound/music, the dusty/muddy dungeons and the atmospheric landscapes. Monsters (especially bosses) look awesome. Just too bad about the lag sometimes (yes this game looks like it could have benefit more development time - that's(UPDATED REVIEW) This game immediately reminded me of the good old Fighting Fantasy roleplay gamebooks by Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone. I've been hooked by the sound/music, the dusty/muddy dungeons and the atmospheric landscapes. Monsters (especially bosses) look awesome. Just too bad about the lag sometimes (yes this game looks like it could have benefit more development time - that's why it's a 8/10 for me, too much technical issues take away from an otherwise perfect experience) however Dark Souls is about FEAR, it makes you feel like you have to fight to survive, and think about "strategy" too; just like real life situations - it may be a fantasy world, but the game succeeds to make you feel a real sense of DANGER. People who say this game is too hard probably didn't own systems in the 80's-90's. Dying 5-6 times an hour? Fine. Just try Contra III (SNES) on HARD for a change...You won't count the number of lives and 'continues' spent. No really, anybody can play Dark Souls and get used to it, but it's up to you to accept the challenge or not. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. In fact I'm already going back to it... Wish me luck =)… Expand
  7. Theguyoffire
    Nov 18, 2012
    8
    Extremely hard and frustrating yet addictive and fun. It is a much better game then skyrim.
  8. 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
  9. Duekiller
    Nov 4, 2012
    1
    Dark Souls start out in a similar manner to Demon Souls, but unlike Demon Souls - Dark Souls is rife with frustrating deaths and cheap mechanics that lock the player to play the game the way the designers intended instead of being open ended like its predecessor. No longer does the play have the choice of which challange to tackle next, instead we have an RPG on rails due to the designDark Souls start out in a similar manner to Demon Souls, but unlike Demon Souls - Dark Souls is rife with frustrating deaths and cheap mechanics that lock the player to play the game the way the designers intended instead of being open ended like its predecessor. No longer does the play have the choice of which challange to tackle next, instead we have an RPG on rails due to the design scaling enemies by area. Thus if the player is stuck in a specific area he or she can no longer try a different challenge instead the game forces you to try the same long sequence over and over, which can lead to frustration and annoyance. When you have to run the same 15 minute sequence in order to fight that boss that you keep dying with no option of game progression, the game become an exercise in repetition instead of exploration and progression.

    Also, a year after release the game is still rife with frame rate drops, graphical tearing, enemy glitches, and bad clipping. It is incredibaly frustrating when fighting a single skeleton and the game locks up or a two ghosts and the game drops down to single digit fps causing you to miss that roll. The worst though is enemies hitting the player through foliage or solid objects that should be impenetrable.    … Expand
  10. Smartranga
    Nov 4, 2012
    10
    To say the least, get the combat of a action game with a few neat innovations, and without the combos. Get the character creation, customization and limitation, with every point counting from a tactical RPG.
    Get the world a large book series, complete with hidden intricacies, plots and characters and make people read between the lines to find out more. Then mash them together and remove a    To say the least, get the combat of a action game with a few neat innovations, and without the combos. Get the character creation, customization and limitation, with every point counting from a tactical RPG.
    Get the world a large book series, complete with hidden intricacies, plots and characters and make people read between the lines to find out more. Then mash them together and remove a tutorial. Take the hardest difficult, put it on steroids then repeat a few times. Prepare to die.
    This game then takes what a action RPG should be, and makes it perfect. Every fight, whether against a dragon, knight or un-dead feels challenging and worthwhile. Combat is about combining precision, tactics and execution. Lure out enemies so you don't get over whelmed, bunch them together for a fireball, all while watching your supply of potions and spells decrease. You shape your character how you want, with the story even offering flexibility its progression, as well as about 10 different stats to focus on for development (in comparison to certain RPG's with 2-3 development stats).
    But there's the beauty of the game. As you traverse the beautifully crafted areas of the world, you play as you character. And that's what makes it satisfying when you kill a normal enemy, sub-bosses releasing great happiness. After your character figures out how to beat a boss after dying to them a bazillion times you receive a sense of satisfaction and ecstasy that no other game can provide. And that's why you play dark souls.    … Expand
  11. melchaios
    Nov 4, 2012
    10
    Not a full 10 score, but pretty close. Overall a nice step up from demon's souls, the open world is great, I also like the adition of covenants to mix things up in pvp, design is top notch as always, and of course ambientation, production values, depth,etc, etc. But what shines above all is the gameplay, the souls games have probably the best combat mechanics I have ever seen, they areNot a full 10 score, but pretty close. Overall a nice step up from demon's souls, the open world is great, I also like the adition of covenants to mix things up in pvp, design is top notch as always, and of course ambientation, production values, depth,etc, etc. But what shines above all is the gameplay, the souls games have probably the best combat mechanics I have ever seen, they are intuitive, brutal, vast and full of depth; each weapon has it's own animations, and they all feel different. It's not a perfect game, it has rough edges here and there, graphics feel dated, framerate goes to hell on some locations, and sometimes controls are not as responsive. In terms of tools available for combat, some spells and miracles are overpowered, and prone to abuse; this makes some pvp matchups frustrating as the opponents use cheap tactics over and over again. Weapon refinement (wich was spot on in demons souls) is uneven and feels a little lacking; there is no longer a str/dex weapon upgrade path, so str/dex builds are doomed to stick with weapons you find in the environment that naturally scale with such stats, don't get me wrong, they are good, but sometimes I would like to have let's say a str scaling spear instead of another ultra weapon. All in all, this game may not be for everyone, but if it clicks with you then like me you will find one of the best games ever created......… Expand
  12. alexaxa
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    This game is definitely not for everyone. It's hard, it's unforgiving but i like every minutes of it ! The boss fight are all epic and challenging and you'll keep wanting for more. One of my greatest PS3 game.
  13. GrumpyReviewer
    Oct 30, 2012
    2
    Let's be honest for a second, here. Seriously. Ask yourself: "do I really like this game?" or "am I really enjoying this?". I think Dark Souls is the perfect example of Psychological Marketing. Developers and the media MADE US believe that suffering exhaustively with some sort of "do it again until you get good at it" business is something nice, something we want, the ideal gamingLet's be honest for a second, here. Seriously. Ask yourself: "do I really like this game?" or "am I really enjoying this?". I think Dark Souls is the perfect example of Psychological Marketing. Developers and the media MADE US believe that suffering exhaustively with some sort of "do it again until you get good at it" business is something nice, something we want, the ideal gaming experience. It's not. Dark Souls is, no question about it, a beautiful game, challenging and well crafted. That being said, the difficulty level is just way, way too high - to a point that there's not fun at all to play it. But we do, we play, we suffer, because "they" made us believe this was the best gaming experience ever. I gave up on Dark Souls as soon as I realized that I just don't have time for this. Being a gamer in my 30s, I have pretty much 1 hour per day to play games. And I don't want to spend these precious hours hating myself or hating a game because I cannot have any fun, because of frustration. I'm no masochist, sorry. For me, the ultimate gaming experience is HAVING FUN. And there's [almost] no fun to be had in Dark Souls, sorry.… Expand
  14. jeffreycallahan
    Sep 24, 2012
    10
    Possibly the greatest game I have played in a long long time. The game play is so deep that you literally feel like you are fighting for your life. The graphics are amazing (some beg to differ) and the game seamlessly connects to every other area in the game without loading screens. Every boss fight is like a 1 on 1 death match, its him or you, leaving you the sweet taste of victory or thePossibly the greatest game I have played in a long long time. The game play is so deep that you literally feel like you are fighting for your life. The graphics are amazing (some beg to differ) and the game seamlessly connects to every other area in the game without loading screens. Every boss fight is like a 1 on 1 death match, its him or you, leaving you the sweet taste of victory or the bitter taste of failure. Every piece of armor/shield/weapon changes how your character moves around and attacks based on your play style. Its worth the 30 bucks for sure, but be warned, this game is not for the faint of heart. At times this game can be brutally hard and can seem downright unfair. 10/10… Expand
  15. Gabranth
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    One of the most challenging games I have ever played, this game is hard, and you will die a lot if you do not learn from your errors, you need to adapt to your enemies techniques, and balance the the use of evasion movements, defensive approaches and attack patterns.///////////Enemies have their own, add they use to hide and make ambushes, cornering you and making you pay any recklessOne of the most challenging games I have ever played, this game is hard, and you will die a lot if you do not learn from your errors, you need to adapt to your enemies techniques, and balance the the use of evasion movements, defensive approaches and attack patterns.///////////Enemies have their own, add they use to hide and make ambushes, cornering you and making you pay any reckless behavior you can make, luck will save you a couple of times, but mostly, your skills and speed of learning will give you an edge to beat this game.///////////Mistakes are paid dearly but once you nail an enemy, you become stronger, not only you character, the game have some items that make you life easier, this bring up something very important, all in this game matters, that little herb, a little knife, all of them have their purpose and can make you have advantage over enemies and certain situations, spells, miracles, some may seem useless, but they can save your life in daring situations//////This brings up this game is not hack and slash as you may already guess, most times you will be attacking, but defending, hiding and running will make your day also.////////There is a deep character customization, as first glance is not noticeable, but you will learn that specialization is a good bet, you scale your stats, and some weapons scale with the stats you have the most, but others with stats you scale the less making them less effective, for instance, a knife can be more lethal in an assassin built than in a warrior one, there is no advantage of one class over another, the skill you have with them will make win online matches as well as in the single player.//////Music and graphics are average, but design is superb, scenery and enemy design are awesome, you feel there is a sense of uniqueness in each one of them, as for the story, it is lessen, there are not big cut scenes and long dialogues, almost everything is explained though the menu, where you can read the story of each item you have, this will not stop you from understanding the world you are playing in, each character as a real meaning history and an air of mystery you will have to research.////////////This game is part of the history of gaming, you can decide if you will be part of it or not.… Expand
  16. isthatabigknife
    Sep 3, 2012
    10
    Man, i love this game. I read on the net that this game is very hard, and yea, hell hard. I didn't play Demon's Souls so for me is a bit difficult. In the first level, you are playing and you think that is easy, but only that level. After, the game gets more hard and the game starts there. Graphics are acceptable, the environment and the world is dark and beautiful. Game is very addictive,Man, i love this game. I read on the net that this game is very hard, and yea, hell hard. I didn't play Demon's Souls so for me is a bit difficult. In the first level, you are playing and you think that is easy, but only that level. After, the game gets more hard and the game starts there. Graphics are acceptable, the environment and the world is dark and beautiful. Game is very addictive, hard but addictive. The sound is good, without problems. Gameplay is damn nice, roll is better than use the shield to dodge enemies, and the enemies are hard if they hit you. There's different spells of each class. Example the piromantic has fire spells, the cleric casts healing miracles, and the sorcerer have soul sorceries. The bosses are hard, some bosses are very hard and you need help of others players online to kill him. Online is unique, if you are connected to PSN, some ghosts from other people playing appears, but they can't do nothing. There's a special item to summon others players that help you. Also you can fight against players, and take theirs souls. Conclusion: If you have patience to die, die, an die, and if you like or love RPG'S, BUY this game. If you are a good player, the game will be more easy.… Expand
  17. VidsRule
    Sep 2, 2012
    10
    I remember being in the 'demon souls club' (I just made the up), the days following the release of the game. Awestruck by its greatness. And now countless other get to enjoy the gameplay of Souls. There is no other game,gameplay, atmosphere, and world better than dark souls. It stands alone in numerous areas. Most games can't even stand alone in one. Although Demons Souls will still be theI remember being in the 'demon souls club' (I just made the up), the days following the release of the game. Awestruck by its greatness. And now countless other get to enjoy the gameplay of Souls. There is no other game,gameplay, atmosphere, and world better than dark souls. It stands alone in numerous areas. Most games can't even stand alone in one. Although Demons Souls will still be the game that I was most immersed in in 25 years of video gaming, Dark Souls beats it in most ways. And the difficulty is high, but that's part where the immersion comes from. I still go back to it, and once again I'm perfectly happy playing the same section over and I've again once again. One of the best games ever made. One rule: you must be a hardcore gamer.… Expand
  18. hollowfication
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    this is best game ever i would like to play it once finish all off design so cool action so great i would get stucked into game with action design i hope this game will get another game like these
  19. 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.
  20. Greenmachine126
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    What a glorious experience. This game is the first to make me feel surprised, clueless, exhilarated, terrified, anxious, depressed, frustrated, unbelievably pissed off, ecstatic, gleeful, immensely relieved, and utterly content all in the span of an hour. Often all these feelings happen in the exact order listed above and make for a pretty unforgettable experience. If you don't mindWhat a glorious experience. This game is the first to make me feel surprised, clueless, exhilarated, terrified, anxious, depressed, frustrated, unbelievably pissed off, ecstatic, gleeful, immensely relieved, and utterly content all in the span of an hour. Often all these feelings happen in the exact order listed above and make for a pretty unforgettable experience. If you don't mind dying often, chasing down your fallen corpse only to die along the way and lose all your experience, and having to learn fights the hard way then this is the game for you. Dark Souls is an epic experience with incredibly streamlined and functional controls, a rich and immersive world, awesome enemies and bosses, and way more to do and explore than you could possibly figure out on your own. It also features a constant auto-save feature and will not let you make multiple saves of one character. The saving is functionally identical to WOW's save system, anything you do is permanent. This means no saving before a boss and loading it for a quick rematch. It also means no saving before killing or talking to an npc to ensure you make the right choice. You also cannot save before crafting or spending your souls (the game's experience and currency) to make sure you don't screw up. This causes you to really think and debate about simple decisions like whether or not to make a special weapon; you may after all find that special weapon worse than the base weapon used to make it. Ultimately it makes you emotionally invested in your character and what you do, something very few other games manage to accomplish. Bottom line, if you can handle dying repeatedly and some pretty severe subsequent frustration, you will experience an incredibly immersive world and intense satisfaction only the hardcore games of the past could bring (for example Super Mario bros, Mike Tyson, and Megaman).… Expand
  21. DeckardPain
    Aug 16, 2012
    10
    This was pretty much the best game to come out of 2011 all together, and let's be honest this is NOT a game for everyone. The fact that the game does not tell you where to go from the beginning gives you a sense of feeling lost or confused, but that also sparks an adventurous side of the player inspiring exploration of the game world. The boss fights were phenomenal, and the experienceThis was pretty much the best game to come out of 2011 all together, and let's be honest this is NOT a game for everyone. The fact that the game does not tell you where to go from the beginning gives you a sense of feeling lost or confused, but that also sparks an adventurous side of the player inspiring exploration of the game world. The boss fights were phenomenal, and the experience this game leaves you with upon completion is unmatched. Overall Dark Souls is uncompromising in its challenges and yet fair in its approach.… Expand
  22. MrRPG
    Aug 15, 2012
    10
    An amazing game, I've put in at least 500 hours into multiple different character builds, there is so much to do, so many little things to see, and so many different character builds to master..
    Although the Pvp is little broken, it's still great if you find a fair fight..
    Pve offers much more in the way of community play, item trading, Ng+ and regular game cross over (beware).. I've    An amazing game, I've put in at least 500 hours into multiple different character builds, there is so much to do, so many little things to see, and so many different character builds to master..
    Although the Pvp is little broken, it's still great if you find a fair fight..
    Pve offers much more in the way of community play, item trading, Ng+ and regular game cross over (beware)..
    I've got plenty of games, but this one keeps bringing me back to play it over and over again..    … Expand
  23. bronyexecution
    Aug 15, 2012
    10
    This game is a HARD 10, there is no other series like the souls series in terms of smart, connected level design, brooding ambiance, and consistent controls. I cannot stress the quality of the controls enough, they are absolutely perfect. This is a game that makes no concessions for BAD PLAYERS. Repeat, if you are a bad player who has been spoiled by the glut of hand-holding, cooing sissyThis game is a HARD 10, there is no other series like the souls series in terms of smart, connected level design, brooding ambiance, and consistent controls. I cannot stress the quality of the controls enough, they are absolutely perfect. This is a game that makes no concessions for BAD PLAYERS. Repeat, if you are a bad player who has been spoiled by the glut of hand-holding, cooing sissy games that let you save anywhere without any consequences whatsoever, then GO AWAY. I wish I could stuff you all into a box and launch you into the sun, unfortunately that box would have to be **** huge considering that the majority of gamers seem to consist of these sissy man-children.

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

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

    Now if you'll excuse me, I'm busy finding out what lurks within the depths of this dark tomb.    … Expand
  24. SILENT_harrison
    Aug 14, 2012
    10
    First things first this game is as difficult as people have been saying but never in my life have i found a rpg or even game quite like this not only i don't rage every time i die i learn from my mistake and overcome like at the start a powerful armoured knight was guarding something i died going head on but then i found out if i lure him to the building with the ladders i could safelyFirst things first this game is as difficult as people have been saying but never in my life have i found a rpg or even game quite like this not only i don't rage every time i die i learn from my mistake and overcome like at the start a powerful armoured knight was guarding something i died going head on but then i found out if i lure him to the building with the ladders i could safely bombard him with firebombs and arrows i am loving this game so far and recommend this as a must buy for rpg enthusiast's or gamers who like a challenge… Expand
  25. platguy4
    Jul 25, 2012
    10
    This is how to do a sequel..... All the core mechanics of dark souls have been tweaked and tuned and the experience is an in depth, highly complex and rewarding experience. The atmosphere is beautiful and bleak, creating a game that makes you feel like you are truly alone, with no hand-holding guidance from the developers. Evolving the Demon Souls formula of a central hub into an openThis is how to do a sequel..... All the core mechanics of dark souls have been tweaked and tuned and the experience is an in depth, highly complex and rewarding experience. The atmosphere is beautiful and bleak, creating a game that makes you feel like you are truly alone, with no hand-holding guidance from the developers. Evolving the Demon Souls formula of a central hub into an open world experience has worked perfectly, allowing the player to experiment with the world rather than be tied to any linear quests. That said, the online mechanics remain fairly similar, relying on other players on similarly lonely quests to help you through the game. Here the multiplayer does an excellent job of allowing players to interact and help each other out through a novel and understated set of game mechanics which are perfectly suited to the Dark Souls world. Without giving too much away, the multiplayer is a must for this game,since without the hints and occasional help from friendly phantoms your experience could be a very frustrating one.
    For some players this will be a confusing and irritating experience. With no guidance and an exceptionally high difficulty level I can imagine controllers being thrown through TV screens. However, this is a game of patience, endurance and reward - something that is rare in console gaming of late.    … Expand
  26. Arti
    Jul 18, 2012
    10
    First of all i have to say that the story is not that good or epic. But the game play and the atmosphere is epic. First you have no clue where to go or what to do. No NPC that says go there kill X come back and then bla bla. You have all the choice's to make. The fight system is skill based so its very rewarding for skilled players and very punishing for lesser skilled people, but you getFirst of all i have to say that the story is not that good or epic. But the game play and the atmosphere is epic. First you have no clue where to go or what to do. No NPC that says go there kill X come back and then bla bla. You have all the choice's to make. The fight system is skill based so its very rewarding for skilled players and very punishing for lesser skilled people, but you get into it really quick. All in all its very good game for people who like this genre.… Expand
  27. Jacktheripper99
    Jul 14, 2012
    5
    A game that demands a lot out of, but doesn't really give you this sense of reward people keep yapping on about. It's highly recommend that you play Demon Souls first, seeing how the tutorial isn't really that helpful or good here, which it should be, seeing how this isn't a game that suppose to hold your hand at all, and suppose to be hard, which it is. There are also a lot of cheap, andA game that demands a lot out of, but doesn't really give you this sense of reward people keep yapping on about. It's highly recommend that you play Demon Souls first, seeing how the tutorial isn't really that helpful or good here, which it should be, seeing how this isn't a game that suppose to hold your hand at all, and suppose to be hard, which it is. There are also a lot of cheap, and harder enemies across the board now, and you will die a lot, which is the point of the game (trial and error). And the boss battles can be incredibly hard, if you don't know the strategy behind defeating them, or you can simply keep dying, and running back until you get it right, and this is of coarse with enemies you previously kill respawning back, Fun! The graphics have improve a bit, but not to much. There still no worth while story, which isn't the selling point with these games. And the music is fantastic, and better than the first.

    Overall I did beat DS (without soul glitching), and just didn't really fun with this game. DS1 felt right, this DS is pushing you to the limit of frustration, which isn't for me. If you love intense challenges, and constantly getting beat down, with no advantages insight then this is for you. You'll get you money worth if this is your cup of tea.    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. Aegrus
    Jun 28, 2012
    10
    Pros:
    It is open world, with roughly equal graphics and frame rate to Skyrim. However, Dark Souls has no load screens. It's all seemless. Characters are graphically worse than Skyrim, but lighting and textures are generally better. LOD is much better in Dark Souls. Never any pop-in anywhere.
    The characters are all killable, even the important ones. Some people might consider this    Pros:
    It is open world, with roughly equal graphics and frame rate to Skyrim. However, Dark Souls has no load screens. It's all seemless. Characters are graphically worse than Skyrim, but lighting and textures are generally better. LOD is much better in Dark Souls. Never any pop-in anywhere.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Cons:

    Pvp is quite laggy. (Co-op is fine.)    … Expand
  30. 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.
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

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