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. Bloodborne233
    Nov 22, 2020
    10
    One of my favorite games of all time. DS has one of the coolest boss designs ever, it's so dark and mystical world that i have hard time describing it, you just have to try it. Absolute 10/10.
  2. Callly
    Mar 27, 2021
    10
    One of the most, if not the most important video game of all time. Just like Super Mario Bros. In 1983, Dark Souls Saved gaming back in 2011.
  3. soahknam
    Jan 18, 2021
    10
    Epic game !!! a must play.

    Story: 8
    Gameplay: 10
    Music: 10
    Visuals: 10

    Personal score: 10 a master piece !!
  4. DEMONSTAR-K
    Dec 26, 2020
    10
    Eines der besten Videospiele aller Zeiten. Miyazaki und co. haben mit dem ersten Dark Souls-Spiel ein zeitloses Meisterwerk geschaffen, dass die Videospiellandschaft nachhaltig verändert und in Sachen Atmosphäre, Schwierigkeitsgrad, Gameplay, World-Design und Lore neue Maßstäbe gesetzt hat. Auch wenn es kleinere Schwächen, insbesondere in der zweiten Hälfte gibt ist dieses Spiel ganz obenEines der besten Videospiele aller Zeiten. Miyazaki und co. haben mit dem ersten Dark Souls-Spiel ein zeitloses Meisterwerk geschaffen, dass die Videospiellandschaft nachhaltig verändert und in Sachen Atmosphäre, Schwierigkeitsgrad, Gameplay, World-Design und Lore neue Maßstäbe gesetzt hat. Auch wenn es kleinere Schwächen, insbesondere in der zweiten Hälfte gibt ist dieses Spiel ganz oben im Olymp der Videospiele und man kommt nicht darüber hinweg, jedes Videospiel, was auch nur ansatzweise Parallelen zu Dark Souls hat damit zu vergleichen. Doch dieses ganz spezielle "Dark Souls Feeling" vermisst man in den meisten Spielen, Dark Souls hat dieses Feeling nicht nur im Überfluss, sondern hat es auch erfunden. Praise the Sun (and Dark Souls)… Expand
  5. michealmyles
    Jan 20, 2021
    10
    Very challenging game. Demands of the player a high level of focus and timing. The world layout is all interconnected with bonfires as checkpoints. The multiplayer aspect of the game is one of the most interesting mechanics I've ever seen in gaming. The four-way rolling system is a bit antiquated. I recommend playing the game at 30 FPS, the reason being is thats the intended design.Very challenging game. Demands of the player a high level of focus and timing. The world layout is all interconnected with bonfires as checkpoints. The multiplayer aspect of the game is one of the most interesting mechanics I've ever seen in gaming. The four-way rolling system is a bit antiquated. I recommend playing the game at 30 FPS, the reason being is thats the intended design. Changing the framerate to 60 (in my opinion) takes away from the cinematic effects that give the game its nuance. I recommend this game. Its frustrating, challenging, and rewarding. Its not for everyone but if you have even a slight interest, I think it is well worth your time. Good luck out there.… Expand
  6. thetruesaucer
    Feb 6, 2021
    10
    This game is a true classic that still holds up to even today's standards through creativity, gameplay, playstyle, and other aspects like scenery an example being at the drop-off spot of Anor Londo. The rewards and satisfaction for beating a boss you struggled with for hours upon hours heavily fills what Dark Souls was meant to be. The amount of weapons, armor, magic, etc. that you can mixThis game is a true classic that still holds up to even today's standards through creativity, gameplay, playstyle, and other aspects like scenery an example being at the drop-off spot of Anor Londo. The rewards and satisfaction for beating a boss you struggled with for hours upon hours heavily fills what Dark Souls was meant to be. The amount of weapons, armor, magic, etc. that you can mix and match with to create your perfect vision of a character either for lore wise or PvP wise. One of the huge aspects of Dark Souls is the online system of either being the host or the different phantom factions which is an excellent and creative way to build an actual online mode. With things like invaders or actual difficulty, there comes the generic stereotypical game critic that tries to tear Dark Souls apart by saying "waaah this game is too difficult!!!" when it's literally a simple solution of just "git gud", with their entire purpose being to just get people to stay away from the game and treating it like some sort of hellspawn. The skill and gear scaling of invaders is one of the only actual flaws this game has, which you could just flat out avoid by not playing online mode, "twinked" invaders could have stuff ranging from overly upgraded weapons, armor, or just use dark magic and essentially one-shot every host at a decent level range. The OST throughout most of the game is absolutely superb but lacking at a very few spots of the game. The design of most bosses is something you'd slightly expect from the genre Dark Souls comes from, but other than that, the design for the bosses and even some enemies in general look flat out spectacular from unique designs to some really good coloring. The whole lore and story part of Dark Souls is unique which you can learn portions of it through NPC dialogue and looking at the description of some weapons or just flat out beating certain parts of the game. Which brings back to the stereotypical game critic who tries to bash the game in by just flat out being too lazy to take anything in or explore the game for themselves and only uses the people that unironically read their reviews to spread their opinion as a crutch to continue hating on a "TOO HARD" or a "TOO BLAND" game when Dark Souls in reality can be taken as something insanely simple to something incredibly complex and deep. This also branches the online community into sections, examples being the new (or ganking) host and the jack-of-all-trade phantoms who could extremely vary in skill or equipment. These sections can also be broken down into either nice, ruthless, or the generic crybaby who'll cry until the world itself ends. With all of these game aspects in mind, this game is a complete masterpiece in the eyes of the people who spend enough time, dedication, and thought.… Expand
  7. G0jiman
    Mar 12, 2021
    0
    I ate this game up like an anchovy free pizza when it was released back in 2011.
  8. AndyF
    May 14, 2021
    10
    No BS, only fun! Pure, exciting and mesmerizing game play from the beginning to the end with exeptional game play mechanics. No extensive cutscreens and unnecessary storytelling. Just great old school gaming!
  9. Soupplate
    Mar 18, 2021
    10
    Fromsoft's masterpiece still today. Later titles are more polished, but no world has stacked up in quality to the original. Most interesting lore of the franchise, and incredibly memorable. Every nitpick I have for the game isn't enough to drop it from a 10. (Lost izalith and Bed of Chaos suck though. Really bad area.)
  10. RTCWFAN
    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.
  11. TheLastOfRich
    Jun 13, 2021
    10
    Story and Lore: 10/10
    Gameplay: 10/10
    Graphics: 9/10
    Multiplayer: 10/10
    BOSSES: 11/10

    GG EZ
  12. tharikleo
    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.
  13. Kau24
    May 6, 2021
    10
    My favorite game in my opinion dark souls 1 has the best lore the best story the best npc the best voice acting the best music the best Music k the best World
  14. Superbolonio
    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
  15. Empidonax
    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
  16. punipuno
    May 28, 2021
    3
    ah yes, the infamous game dark souls, the one outdone by all of its sequels, I played the second one before playing the first, and it's clear where this game is dated, it's slow, rolling is clunky, and constant frame drops,blighttown was a complete nightmare at 15 fps, it's easy to get lost in general, and limited fast travel is inconvenient, if your going to play this game, play it firstah yes, the infamous game dark souls, the one outdone by all of its sequels, I played the second one before playing the first, and it's clear where this game is dated, it's slow, rolling is clunky, and constant frame drops,blighttown was a complete nightmare at 15 fps, it's easy to get lost in general, and limited fast travel is inconvenient, if your going to play this game, play it first so ds2 feels like an actual improvement… Expand
  17. Slxdge02
    Apr 23, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Story :
    The current scenario in the game is not really incredible, no long cinematics to explain the Story except the first one which is very enigmatic, the game takes place in the kingdom of Lordran, we play as the "Chosen Undead" our goal is to link the fire so the world won't be consumed by darkness, or we have the choice to let the world be devoured by darkness and abyss, the reason why i'm saying that the game is so particular is because it doesn't give all the pieces of the puzzle, if you want to know more about the Story/Lore you need to explore the world by yourself, reading item's description, talking with npc's and give attention to the incredible environment, the Lore is so profound and fantastic.
    in Dark Souls everything have a meaning, like Dying and Respawning and the Healing system everything is explained, it makes the game so much stunning and it makes it stand out from all the other Games.

    Gameplay :
    the Gameplay is tough and challenging, also simple but effective, its a Dark Fantasy Action RPG yes but the Game also created its own genre the Souls-Likes, with the Stamina bar that you have to manage, the Parry and Backstabs, its not only a roll simulator like people say the Gameplay is very diversified, you can play with many classes you can also start with a Mage and end up playing as a Knight, the replay value is really good there are many weapons with their unique move sets.
    Let's talk now about the Bosses which is something well known of Dark Souls, they are awesome they are all unique, well there are some trash Bosses like Bed of Chaos and Capra Demon which are only a pain in the ass, but some of the trash ones got a very sad and good Story.
    Time for the Level/World Design, clearly its easily the strongest point of the Game, everything is connected and its not only connected its skillfully and intelligently done, from Firelink Shrine you can see like 4 Areas of the mid/late game, and you can go to like 9 Areas from Firelink Shrine its just so **** awesome.
    Talking about the Areas everyone of them offers something new and irreplaceable, some of them are gorgeous and other are... trash like Tomb of Giants, but in this Game you always have option to make something easier, or to directly skip an Area many things can be optional its up to you and your choices, even if the Game isn't an Open World you have a lot of freedom like you can kill the Four Kings in the early Game or kill Pinwheel to have the ability to kindle to 20 Estus Flasks, you have the choice to start wherever you want and that's amazing for a non-Open World Game.
    The fact that the player feels like he's lost and worried makes the experience so special, you must play the Game in solo to feel this of course.
    There's also the Humanity system which allows you to be human(lol), add more Estus Flasks and do many more tasks with Npc's
    You also have the ability to reclaim your lost "Souls" after dying, its your in-game "money" but be aware if you die a second time without reclaiming them, they'll be lost forever.
    And finally before i end this category i wanted to talk about the happiness and the appeasing feeling that you have after finding a hidden bonfire or winning a Boss Fight that you've been struggling against for many hours, its a feeling rarely matched in the Gaming history, Hidetaka Miyazaki wasn't trying to make the player suffer, he wanted him to experience a feeling of success.

    Sound Track :
    in Dark Souls there is only 4 places with music except for Boss Battles, and everyone of the 4 areas is important to the world, in your journey you'll only hear your footsteps, armor and your orgasms, and in my opinion it reinforces the immersion.
    Its a secret for no one the Bosses Ost's are **** epic some are sad for particular Bosses like Artorias, Gwyn or Sif, but in general they are all good.
    The Voice Acting is phenomenal without any doubt, it serves the immersion in a engraved world of sorrow and hopelessness.

    Graphics :
    Dark Souls got good Graphics it maybe not the greatest aspect of the Game but its playable, just don't wait for a very high budget AAA Game, but still the Game looks pretty and can charm you with its incredible Art Direction.

    Bugs & Problems :
    The Game have issues, it got Bugs it wasn't a big problem for me but yeah, it has some collision problems like there's no wall in the game, the hitboxes are sometimes "trash" against Black Dragon Kalameet or with Ceaseless Discharge.
    Dying because its my fault i can accept it, but dying because of some Bugs or **** Hitboxes is just Frustrating, but i assure you i mainly die because of my mistakes these **** Bugs aren't the main reason and happen very rarely.

    Conclusion :
    Hard, ruthless, entertaining and satisfying, Dark Souls oblige us to reach our limits for a pleasing feeling in the end, its definitely a must play if you go    … Expand
  18. baldasianman
    Jul 14, 2021
    10
    The masterpiece that spawned an entire genre of games and inspired countless others. A masterclass in both worldbuilding, storytelling and gameplay. A test of one's endurance and patience that also makes you grow as a person!
  19. QilBoy
    Oct 13, 2021
    7
    If one has the guts to try out Dark Souls, the game that has a "brutal" difficulty as one of its main selling points, they will be greeted with not only a game that is much more fair than it is made out to be online, but also an amazing work of art that goes very much beyond a simple "hard game".
    Firstly, yes, Dark Souls is challenging when compared to the rest of the gaming landscape    If one has the guts to try out Dark Souls, the game that has a "brutal" difficulty as one of its main selling points, they will be greeted with not only a game that is much more fair than it is made out to be online, but also an amazing work of art that goes very much beyond a simple "hard game".
    Firstly, yes, Dark Souls is challenging when compared to the rest of the gaming landscape today, but it is almost never unfair.
    Enemies are deadly and aggressive, often catching you by surprise, and your attacks might be quite slow (due to a mechanic related to the weight you're carrying), so you can die extremely fast and often. But with just a little time and the patience to study your enemies and your timings, eventually every scenario, every foe can be mastered and faced with confidence. In Dark Souls, you will find yourself in many apparently impossible situations that will make you want to give up, but if you find the willpower to try over and over again, soon you'll realize that your enemy is much more predictable than you initially thought, and you'll slowly learn how to efficiently deal with every attack they throw at you, all the way to that satisfying victory where you overcome the struggle. That feeling, that satisfaction when your skill gets you to victory is where Dark Souls shines the brightest: fights are so masterfully crafted that you're always challenged but never aggressively. There's never need to grind levels because the game is an Action first and an RPG second: your skill alone can take you anywhere, no matter the level. But if you're really stuck in one place, then you'll surely be of the appropriate level for another area of the world, which leads us to the other thing that Dark Souls excels at: the Level Design.
    Exploring in Dark Souls is a true delight.
    Firstly, there's immense variety in how areas are structured: some have huge open spaces while others are claustrofobic labyrinths of stairs and ladders, some develop horizontally while other vertically, some have traps so you need to watch your step while others might require you to fight enemies on extremely scarce footing, risking to fall to your death.
    This variety maintains the experience fun all the way, making it feel like a real odyssey. Protagonist is the player, given full control of the adventure because the story doesn't point you in any specific direction: you are free to explore Lordran however you desire and carve your own path, deciding which road to take on first.
    The mechanic of losing EXP upon death and having only one chance to retrieve it it's also an extremely smart idea, providing an harsh punishment that raises the stakes but still offers a chance to players who have learnt from their mistakes.
    So this is was what Dark Souls does tremendously well, and defined it as a classic of the seventh generation. But there's also a side of the game that is not as pretty, and definitely not as brilliant. The dirtier, rougher parts of it.
    Starting with the technical stuff: slow combos and the input lag are deliberate design choices, and they make sense within this combat system, but the input queue that can generate doesn't, and gets a tad ridiculous at times. You might mash a little the attack button and then dodge, but if you pressed the attack button even one time too much, your character will still do the attack animation after dodging, even if one full second passed, leading to awkward frustrating situations that punish mashing excessively. Secondly, the game is simply badly balanced in regards of Magic. There's no other way to put it. Any veteran player will admit that the Magic Build is basically the "easy mode" of the game, removing not all but most of the challenge, particularly with bosses.
    Speaking of bosses, they are the highlight of the game as a whole. So when they fail they fail hard, and it's not a rare occasion.
    Be it too small arenas, a horrible camera that just can't handle huge enemies or boring movesets: the game has almost as many bad/plain bosses as it has great bosses. And there's nothing worst than having to do a long run from the checkpoint back to a bad boss each time you die, which is another issue: there's no benefit in putting the player through the tedious ordeal of doing the same path over and over again. Checkpoints closer to the boss or bigger shortcuts would've helped immensely.
    Last, but definitely not least: your swings can't go through walls... obviously. But your enemy's attacks can. For some reason. Go figure. Or, in other words: Dark Souls is an incredible experience that will test your reflexes and learning abilities with a fair challenge in a world that it's a joy to explore, rich of secrets and lore. While most of the experience is of extremely good quality, we can't ignore a substantial amount of mediocre or bad boss encounters, some very poor balancing and a couple of technical issues that leave an unwashable stain on this beautiful experience.    … Expand
  20. panconpaltaa
    Aug 30, 2021
    10
    praise the sun praise the sun praise the sun praise the sun praise the sun praise the sun praise the sun praise the sun
  21. Willos
    Jul 25, 2021
    10
    Amazing game, in depth review of Dark souls and the Remaster on my Dark Souls Remastered review,
  22. MortalShaw
    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
  23. WPB
    Sep 21, 2021
    9
    Amazing game, but too easy, very atmospheric and calming, didn't get stressed once while playing, very chill vibes, put me to sleep at night. Reminded me of games like animal crossing and Minecraft with its relaxing aura.
  24. AMJ1508
    Oct 12, 2021
    10
    Unfinished? yes. But perfect, probably the greatest video game of all time.
  25. rustyhe
    Oct 13, 2021
    10
    One of the greatest games of all time. Before playing any other souls game, start here, you will have an amazing time.
  26. Davidnotavailab
    Feb 18, 2022
    8
    Honestly got so bored after 4 hours. It s just grinding, the combat is pretty simplistic. The exploration is **** because ur only swarmed with enemies. I m not gonna give it a 0 as some people might like challening themselves but its definitely nothing for everyone and some might find it unplayable
    EDIT: IT S STILL EZ AND MOSTLY GRINDING BUT OPEN WORLD PRETTY WELL DONE I JUST FINISHED IT    Honestly got so bored after 4 hours. It s just grinding, the combat is pretty simplistic. The exploration is **** because ur only swarmed with enemies. I m not gonna give it a 0 as some people might like challening themselves but its definitely nothing for everyone and some might find it unplayable
    EDIT: IT S STILL EZ AND MOSTLY GRINDING BUT OPEN WORLD PRETTY WELL DONE I JUST FINISHED IT **** FOUR KINGS AND GWYN FIRST TIME    … Expand
  27. dingdong123
    Dec 24, 2021
    10
    Dark Souls was...

    - Winner of "Ultimate Game of All Time" at the Golden Joysticks Awards (2021)
    - Winner (1st) on Edge's special issue "The 100 Greatest Videogames" (2015)
    - Winner (1st) on GamesRadar's "The 100 Best Games Ever" list (2015)
  28. darksoulskorean
    Feb 6, 2022
    10
    Best game ever. Everything was impressive. I think FROM will remake this someday.
  29. Fortinbras14
    Mar 13, 2022
    8
    the game that started it all, although not perfect, but that is just enough to be listed as a must play
  30. 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.
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 »