User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2451 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Jan 11, 2020
    9
    Dark Souls 1 é, antes de qualquer coisa, revolucionário. Criou um novo de gênero de jogo (o dos ''Soulslike"), e não apela pra dificuldades pífias para atrair todo tipo de público pra sua obra. Não, Dark Souls é uma obra onde você se adapta ao jogo, e não o jogo a você, e isso por si só já o faz distante de vários outros grandes jogos que, apesar de grandes obras, não inovam, apenasDark Souls 1 é, antes de qualquer coisa, revolucionário. Criou um novo de gênero de jogo (o dos ''Soulslike"), e não apela pra dificuldades pífias para atrair todo tipo de público pra sua obra. Não, Dark Souls é uma obra onde você se adapta ao jogo, e não o jogo a você, e isso por si só já o faz distante de vários outros grandes jogos que, apesar de grandes obras, não inovam, apenas expandem, não desafiam e não testam seus limites. A arte é incrível e a história é contada nas entrelinhas, mas a lore é rica e é bem explorada ao longo da franquia. É um dos 3 jogos da década passada, ao meu ver, pelo seu caráter inovador e pela bravura de testar os limites dos seus jogadores. Expand
  2. May 1, 2016
    9
    The first in the dark souls series and arguably the best one because of its amazing visuals, fantastic soundtrack, amazing areas, great NPCs and heart beating mind blasting kicking your ass gameplay. The wide, expansive and interconnected world will cause you to explore every nook and cranny, and take note: what ever you look at in the world, most likely you can go there. Weapons lists andThe first in the dark souls series and arguably the best one because of its amazing visuals, fantastic soundtrack, amazing areas, great NPCs and heart beating mind blasting kicking your ass gameplay. The wide, expansive and interconnected world will cause you to explore every nook and cranny, and take note: what ever you look at in the world, most likely you can go there. Weapons lists and design are great although demon souls had a better line up. Boss fights are 5 times harder than demon souls and you will most likely break your controllers but gain 5 times the satisfaction for when you beat that piece of s***! If you have problems beating a boss you can call for backup, other people playing the game can be called to help you to beat the boss to lay the ultimate beatdown on the boss or vice versa. If this is your first souls game then you are in for a treat but be warned that in order to truly enjoy what this game has to offer you must first get past the learning curve. CASUAL GAMERS BEWARE Expand
  3. Feb 15, 2019
    9
    Loved the game. Like all the Dark Souls games, this has an amazing world to explore with plenty of fun and challenging bosses. Some technical glitches and certain areas hold this game back from getting a 10 in my opinion. Everyone complains about Blight Town, but they are right to complain about it. That area can be incredibly frustrating.
  4. Aug 25, 2016
    9
    Dark Souls is an action role-playing video game developed by FromSoftware and published by Namco Bandai. A spiritual successor to FromSoftware's Demon's Souls.

    + Good Gameplay
    + Epic Bosses Fights
    + Online
  5. Mar 23, 2017
    9
    Few games have tested my patience, focus, and willpower, to the point of psychological despair.

    Fewer games have done all this, only then to unexpectedly reward me with far more elation, than I had ever anticipated. Dark Souls did not simply entertain me in my idle time. It forced me to examine my human potential for perseverance. And it gave me the strength to rise above my
    Few games have tested my patience, focus, and willpower, to the point of psychological despair.

    Fewer games have done all this, only then to unexpectedly reward me with far more elation, than I had ever anticipated.

    Dark Souls did not simply entertain me in my idle time.

    It forced me to examine my human potential for perseverance.
    And it gave me the strength to rise above my mental limitations.
    Expand
  6. Jun 25, 2017
    9
    I absolutely adore this game, It is hands down one of the most thrilling games to experience. So If you haven't played this gem of a game, I implore you to go out and buy a copy of this game.

    That being said although I enjoy this game to the ends of the earth. I cannot give it a 10/10 that is just lying to myself and to everyone else. This game has its fair share of problems for
    I absolutely adore this game, It is hands down one of the most thrilling games to experience. So If you haven't played this gem of a game, I implore you to go out and buy a copy of this game.

    That being said although I enjoy this game to the ends of the earth. I cannot give it a 10/10 that is just lying to myself and to everyone else. This game has its fair share of problems for example.

    - Blighttown/ Lower Anor Londo frame rate issues
    - The constant clipping of enemies through pillars and or walls
    - Some gimmicky fights that really have no place being in this game (ie. Bed of Chaos)
    - And trying to connect to other people online is practically impossible.

    But it being one of my favorite games with all these issues should show you why this game is a must have. So when you do go pick up a copy all I can say is, "Prepare to Die."
    Expand
  7. Mar 21, 2018
    9
    I had never broken a game with my own hands, there is always a first time :)
    Wonderful hateful game that will pass to history
  8. Apr 26, 2020
    9
    This spinoff of the PS3 exclusive "Demon's Souls" is a hardcore RPG that will kill you 1000 + times. It's certainly not for the casual gamer, but for those who like a serious challenge. The game rewards patience and practice. Each enemy poses a serious threat as they can eviscerate the player in just a few seconds. Your guard must always be up as combat is based on defensive stances. YouThis spinoff of the PS3 exclusive "Demon's Souls" is a hardcore RPG that will kill you 1000 + times. It's certainly not for the casual gamer, but for those who like a serious challenge. The game rewards patience and practice. Each enemy poses a serious threat as they can eviscerate the player in just a few seconds. Your guard must always be up as combat is based on defensive stances. You must learn enemy attack patterns and time your own moves just right. There are several strategies to memorize and upgrades you must make before you get into the groove. Presentation-wise, the game is solid with superb level design and good graphics. The game opens with a "Lord of the Rings"-esque cutscene before setting you on a long tough journey without much story. "Dark Souls" is not for the easily frustrated. Repetition is what this game is about. You'll have to learn again and again, but once you get into the groove, things will seem possible. It may not be for everyone, but if you like dungeon crawlers or high fantasy novels, you'll love this. I would rate it with a 9.1 out of 10. Expand
  9. Nov 30, 2017
    9
    OK, this one took a very long time to beat. But not necessarily gameplay time wise (about 105 hours). It took a long time (more than 6 months) because it was too depressing to keep playing for long hours. Before writing about my impressions, I want to make it clear that I am a Demon's Souls fan. Demon's Souls is in my opinion, the best PS3 game ever made. It took me to a different world,OK, this one took a very long time to beat. But not necessarily gameplay time wise (about 105 hours). It took a long time (more than 6 months) because it was too depressing to keep playing for long hours. Before writing about my impressions, I want to make it clear that I am a Demon's Souls fan. Demon's Souls is in my opinion, the best PS3 game ever made. It took me to a different world, gave me a unique gameplay experience, made me feel very awkward emotions. It was fantastic. So according to almost everyone's opinion, Dark Souls is the better game in every sense. Not for me, it is not. Let me tell you why...

    First of all Demon's Souls was the amazing game that no one played. Dark Souls is the amazing game that everyone played. So it is perfectly understandable that the newcomers had a unique experience with Dark Souls which they simply cannot forget. I think it is like how everyone's favorite MMORPG tends to be the first one they have played. So Demon's Souls/Dark Souls series gives you that feeling. It punches you in the face and tells you there is nothing like it out there. True.

    My main problem with Dark Souls -in comparison to the first game- was the photographic memory requirement. The level designs are genius and are all connected to each other in a remarkable open world labyrinthine fashion. Imagine something like ICO but much more complex. However, if you don't have a photographic memory, you will forget. You will not remember the shortcut to a specific level. You will try to get there using the 10 times longer route just because you totally forgot about the shortcut. To overcome this, you will consult walkthroughs and gameplay videos (there are basically 1000s of videos on youtube showing how to get from X to Y. Talking about walkthroughs, this is not a game where they are supplementary. Walkthroughs are absolutely necessary to beat Dark Souls. In order to understand how to benefit from your weapon, you will have to check the different upgrade path outcomes of many different players... And how they worked/did not work on a specific boss.

    The second thing I liked less was the emotional perfection of the bosses. The game is really improved in the sense of boss combats since cheating your way out of a boss fight is usually not very possible in Dark Souls. However, in Demon's Souls, I remember fighting bosses with a lot of empathy. Demon's Souls made me feel I am a horrible person for swinging my sword. Whereas in Dark Souls, I was more aware that this was a video game and did not really care about who I am killing.

    I am not going to talk about all the good things about Dark Souls, which you can find in any review you read. But you should at least know that there are things this series simply perfected. It is the only game series in which backstabbing an enemy makes you feel like you are holding the knife in your hand and really stuck it into someone's back. There is a great deal of realism in terms of how you move and fight. You are really holding the shield on your left hand and the sword on the right. The game lore is pretty good, if you pay attention to details. Everything is designed to make you feel in that hopeless depressing environment. All the NPCs are hopeless. You are hopeless. The environment, NPCs, player, music are all in perfect harmony of enormous hopelessness.

    Do I recommend Dark Souls? Hell yes! But it is not a perfect game. I did not enjoy the entire over a 100 hours I have spent on it with a mixed feeling of depression, masochism and satisfaction. I did not enjoy playing it simultaneously checking a youtube gameplay video. But it is a great game nonetheless and highly recommended.
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  10. Jun 2, 2020
    9
    Dark souls
    ................................................................
  11. Mar 22, 2018
    9
    dark souls tem sido por anos o game que mais joguei ele me traz 1 misto de frustaçao e sentimentos de satisfaçao e a consepçao maxima do faça por merecer e aprenda com seus erros qualquer jogo tenta nos pássar a sensaçao de que e nos que estamos jogando e nao assistindo poren em dark souls vc simplesmente nao avança se nao nao aprender da forma mais bruta e crua que vc nao e 1 deus nao edark souls tem sido por anos o game que mais joguei ele me traz 1 misto de frustaçao e sentimentos de satisfaçao e a consepçao maxima do faça por merecer e aprenda com seus erros qualquer jogo tenta nos pássar a sensaçao de que e nos que estamos jogando e nao assistindo poren em dark souls vc simplesmente nao avança se nao nao aprender da forma mais bruta e crua que vc nao e 1 deus nao e invencia que vc nunca estara a salvo que vc deve andar com cuidado e evoluir vc e nao seu personagem pois mesmo no lv maximo 1 discuido e vc vera die na sua tela enfim e 1 jogo que desafia sua perseverança e vontade de chegar ao fim so os forte sobreviven e os casuais jamais saberao o sabor de vencer 1 artorias ou 1 manus com 10 de hp apos 30 mortes seguidas. Expand
  12. Oct 10, 2018
    9
    rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll
  13. Oct 14, 2018
    9
    dr r a lots of agresiv creturs but u r d unic who steal nd dstroy d scenario nd dis autorepairs making u out of d game xprienc, u r inmortal nd can farm infnitly so d game s no hard s tedious nd boring,artificial dficulty nd duration etc.. but wiz al dis s stil one of best games wiz personality gud dsign nd moments dat u dont forget
  14. Nov 2, 2018
    9
    Amaizing combant and in game mechanisims plus a deep a rich story and wolrld but has multipul broken section in game
  15. Nov 15, 2018
    9
    Aparte de ser el mejor juego para iniciarse en la saga, no por el lore, si no por la curva de dificultad progresiva. Este es un juego que te hará ver el mundo de forma distinta una vez acabado.
  16. Sep 18, 2019
    9
    Over 100 hours of playtime in Dark Souls. The level design and map design still amaze me when I think about it. The boss battles will always be iconic. So many aspects of this game are classic. Firelink Shrine, O&S, the music, Gwyn, Artorias. I'm not giving this game a perfect score because the hit detection is broken. Arrows hit invisible walls where there shouldn't be anything. EnemiesOver 100 hours of playtime in Dark Souls. The level design and map design still amaze me when I think about it. The boss battles will always be iconic. So many aspects of this game are classic. Firelink Shrine, O&S, the music, Gwyn, Artorias. I'm not giving this game a perfect score because the hit detection is broken. Arrows hit invisible walls where there shouldn't be anything. Enemies hit you through solid walls. That part is just broken. Expand
  17. Dec 11, 2019
    9
    Es una autentica maravilla hecha videojuego. Todo lo que pueda decir es poco, el juego envejece super bien, tiene una construcción de escenarios espectacular, unos personajes muy carismáticos y bien construidos, un Lore a libre interpretación brutal y la jugabilidad un 10.
  18. May 25, 2020
    9
    Dark Souls is a truly iconic game that needs no introduction. Apart from one... IT'S HARD, IT'S REALLY REALLY HARD. Now, I played Bloodborne and Sekiro before I bought this one so I did not think it could be too difficult, just a fun challenge. Nope, it kicked my ass but that does lead into the single criticism I have.

    Accessibility is extremely important for getting more people to
    Dark Souls is a truly iconic game that needs no introduction. Apart from one... IT'S HARD, IT'S REALLY REALLY HARD. Now, I played Bloodborne and Sekiro before I bought this one so I did not think it could be too difficult, just a fun challenge. Nope, it kicked my ass but that does lead into the single criticism I have.

    Accessibility is extremely important for getting more people to experience the game. I adore difficult games, that's the main reason I bought it. But, the game does seem to blur the line between: Actual Difficulty that is possible on the first go if your reflexes are quick, (those parts include Ornstein and Smough, Priscilla and Sen's Fortress.) and random crap you couldn't see coming from a mile away, (those parts being Tomb of the giants, Bed of Chaos and Gravelord Nito). It does make the game quite frustrating at times and it isn't always your fault. But, overtime you accept this and end up surviving anything the game throws at you. But what's good about Dark Souls? EVERYTHING ELSE!

    The music is almost non-existent and only in a few areas which makes those moments with it way more effective. The final boss has my favourite music in a video game at the moment.

    The visuals are mysterious and have a really dis-heartening atmosphere which stirs up a lot of emotion within the player. The character designs are mostly great but it does have some moments when the visuals do not look pretty at all like in the Centipede Demon fight and some characters have some odd lighting in certain areas but I shall pass it over as the game is almost a decade old.

    The lore of the game is something I don't really go out of my way to find, but I have done research on each of the character's story lines and it is unbelievable that they achieved this all with game play. Just like in Bloodborne.

    The level and boss design is a mixed bag. It is awful at worst but perfect at its best. There isn't a lot I think I can say about this section. I find it a very difficult to talk about them without spoiling what's in them.

    Finally, the game play itself. It's really fun. The combat is solid with some nice little tweaks such as being able to parry and use magic. It can be really fun with invading other people's worlds ,which is okay, to practice before fighting a boss.

    An RPG focuses on story but finds it hard to not sacrifice the game in play. Dark Souls beats this by a long shot and really should be experienced by anyone looking for a good challenge. Just be prepared and praise the sun.
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  19. Sep 3, 2019
    9
    Dark souls es fantástico tanto a nivel mecánico como narrativo. Con un combate exquisito y profundo a la par que difícil, haciendo que una vez logres el desafío impuesto, la sensación de victoria sea inigualable.

    Es un videojuego en el que la inmersión la jamás se perderá gracias a su diseño de mecánicas, haciendo que hasta la muerte, sea diegetico dentro del mundo en el que se
    Dark souls es fantástico tanto a nivel mecánico como narrativo. Con un combate exquisito y profundo a la par que difícil, haciendo que una vez logres el desafío impuesto, la sensación de victoria sea inigualable.

    Es un videojuego en el que la inmersión la jamás se perderá gracias a su diseño de mecánicas, haciendo que hasta la muerte, sea diegetico dentro del mundo en el que se desarrolla.

    Sí tenéis la oportunidad de comprarlo, hacerlo, ya que se que con un poquito de paciencia, os enamororara
    Expand
  20. May 5, 2021
    9
    El juego que mas disfruté sin multijugador de Xbox 360. Lo terminaba una y otra vez intentando sacar todos los logros... y lo consegui !
  21. Jun 20, 2020
    9
    Decidí jugar sabiendo que seria un reto, pero no pensé que cambiaria mi manera de ver los juegos y por consiguiente mi vida. Simplemente Excepcional.
  22. Jul 30, 2020
    9
    I keep coming back to it. Kind of clunky mechanics when compared to the third installment, but retains a huge replayability value.
  23. Jul 16, 2020
    9
    Uno de los descubrimientos más importantes para mi en los videojuegos. El primer Dark Souls es una joya. A pesar de que la historia no se cuenta de una forma narrativa, la vas descubriendo a través de diálogos con los personajes del mundo y los diferentes objetos. La idea básica la sabes, eres un hueco que tiene una misión: avivar la llama del mundo que se está apagando, si no el mundo seUno de los descubrimientos más importantes para mi en los videojuegos. El primer Dark Souls es una joya. A pesar de que la historia no se cuenta de una forma narrativa, la vas descubriendo a través de diálogos con los personajes del mundo y los diferentes objetos. La idea básica la sabes, eres un hueco que tiene una misión: avivar la llama del mundo que se está apagando, si no el mundo se sumirá en la oscuridad. Podemos personalizar a nuestro personaje con un editor sencillo y elegir una clase. A partir de aquí es avanzar por los escenarios eliminando enemigos y consiguiendo sus almas para así subir de nivel. Conforme vayamos subiendo de nivel, podremos llevar ciertas magias o armas más potentes y pesadas. Los enemigos te pueden aniquilar en un par de golpes si no tenemos cuidado. A esto hay que sumarle el plataformeo en algunas zonas y, por supuesto, los jefes que ponen al jugador en un aprieto por su exigencia. Dark Souls es un juego exigente que requiere habilidad por parte del jugador. Dado que es el primero de los tres Souls, se nota lo lento y ortopédico que es manejar a nuestro personaje. A nivel visual y artístico, los personajes, enemigos y escenarios son muy buenos y a día de hoy, recuerdo perfectamente los escenarios. Se te quedan en la mente. Son inolvidables. A nivel gráfico es un juego de la anterior generación por lo que no es nada del otro mundo. Si te gustan los desafíos, no lo dudes. Juégalo. Expand
  24. Sep 1, 2020
    9
    Dark Souls stands for rock-heavy gameplay with fascinating visuals. Sure, it`s difficult but after some hours into the game, you`ll realize it`s always fair. Besides you get one of the most intense gaming experiences of the last decade! I recommend the Prepare To Die Edition.
  25. Nov 27, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dark souls es de mis favoritos y la verdad no sabría de donde empezar ya que casi todo en este juego esta rozando la perfección pero preferiría empezar por los escenarios por que los escenarios escenarios de la saga Dark Souls son realmente hermosos y únicos que cada uno de ellos son realmente únicos y destacan por si mismos, y mas aun destacan sus armaduras que realmente son mas que únicos y hasta algunas como las de ornstein o la de artorias, el diseño de las armas en un videojuego es importante eso esta claro, y este juego sobresalta en ello con armas que tienen movimientos y diseños mas que excelente, jefes con diseños sobresalientes que para algunos son mas difíciles o mas fáciles para algunos por que alfin y al cavo Dark Souls es un juego que depende de tu habilidad, algunos se pasan Dark Souls con la espada rota o con nv1 y es que si algo me gusta de este juego es que es puramente habilidad y eso que no eh contado ni la mitad de sus virtudes,pero le doy un 9...... Dark souls es difícil y no por eso le bajo la nota si no por que aveces puede ser injusto y eso puede llegar a joder y bastante, me ah pasado mas de una vez el que un arma haga hit a la pared cuando si o si debería tocar el enemigo y el apuntado de los arcos es nefasto pero la abalanza de las cosas buenas y las cosas malas es 99-1 y es que las cosas malas casi ni se notan y las cosas buenas brillan por su ausencia de verdad vale muchísimo la pena por que no eh dicho ni la mitad de las cosas buenas de este video juego que para mi es el mejor se su saga y de los mejores de la década pero veran.... Dark Souls es de esos juegos que te gustan o los odias, en juegos como Dark Souls no hay punto intermedio, si eres de esos que juega para relajarse pues obviamente puede que Dark Souls no sea para ti y de eso estoy un 99,37% seguro pero si eres de esos que quiere algo distinto, algo que no se sienta igual a lo demás, querer algo mas fresco para jugar en vez de jugar los shooters o battleroyals que salen cada 10 horas, puede que te guste si eres de esos que no les importa mucho la dificultad pues no pierdas tu tiempo y agrégalo al maldito carro YA YA YA! o te parto las jodidas piernas! de verdad vale muchísimo la pena Expand
  26. Jun 13, 2023
    9
    The beginning of a legend! Since the first part, I'm hooked to the series. Played the Prepare To Die Edition. Overall rating: 9.3.
  27. Apr 19, 2021
    9
    Um aprimoramento e polimento do que já conhecíamos em Demon's Souls, oferece um desafio elevado e tem muitos chefes marcantes.
  28. May 20, 2021
    9
    Mi juego favorito, el que hizo que me enamorase de los juegos de rol. Gameplay muy bien hecho y muy entretenido, zonas impresionantes, enemigos y bosses icónicos y una gran historia, aunque seguramente tengas que ver vídeos y leer mil descripciones para enterarte de esta. Tiene sus defectos como la segunda mitad del juego que baja un poco la calidad o los gráficos que creo que hanMi juego favorito, el que hizo que me enamorase de los juegos de rol. Gameplay muy bien hecho y muy entretenido, zonas impresionantes, enemigos y bosses icónicos y una gran historia, aunque seguramente tengas que ver vídeos y leer mil descripciones para enterarte de esta. Tiene sus defectos como la segunda mitad del juego que baja un poco la calidad o los gráficos que creo que han envejecido bastante mal. Aún así es un juego que le recomiendo a todo el mundo. Expand
  29. Apr 2, 2022
    9
    This is the first souls game that I played, and my second favorite after dark souls 3. There are certain aspects of this game that are very good, and that I wish they kept in the later souls games, such as the perfect level design. The interconnectedness was much more prevalent here than the later souls games, and it felt very special. There are other factors that cause me to rate DarkThis is the first souls game that I played, and my second favorite after dark souls 3. There are certain aspects of this game that are very good, and that I wish they kept in the later souls games, such as the perfect level design. The interconnectedness was much more prevalent here than the later souls games, and it felt very special. There are other factors that cause me to rate Dark Souls 3 higher, but in my opinion, there are several superior features in this game that are lost in the later games. Expand
  30. Aug 9, 2021
    9
    juegazo 20/10 y god, ya en serio, el juego tiene varios jefes muy zzzz y armas muy zzzz, pero los que son los buenos jefes estan geniales y son de los mejores de la saga, decente banda sonora, armaduras bien, lore espectacular, yo le pondria un 9/10
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 52 out of 54
  2. 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. Jan 5, 2012
    90
    At the end of the day Dark Souls succeeds in producing a game that is both incredibly challenging and fair.
  3. Nov 29, 2011
    85
    All in all, Dark Souls is a more difficult, but less enjoyable (and less accessible) Demon's Souls.