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. Nizerifin
    Mar 26, 2013
    10
    This is the best game of this generation. It nails gaming on so many levels. Yes, it's difficult for new players, but it gives the best feeling of success once you finally finish. Then play it through 100 more times!
  2. sekko2
    Sep 1, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dark souls is the best game ever.You may need to learn some stuff before you understand that.Dark souls is not for those expect easy game that holds your hand.Dark souls is usually fair (expect for bed of chaos)so when you die it is usually your own fault.I always remember my first time playing dark souls or demon's souls,in my first demon's souls walk-trough i hol-ded my shield always up.The lore of the game is really good.I am looking forward to dark souls 2 it's looking even better than dark souls 1 (not only in graphical mind)… Expand
  3. Resist
    May 14, 2013
    10
    This is an absolute amazing game. The combat is revolutionary--with the required timing of a parry and a followup riposte, the satisfying jab of a backstab, and the excellent customization system. Additionally, the multiplayer aspect of this game is wonderfully unique with the ability to play with other friends cooperatively or to engage in one of the most intense and rewarding Player vsThis is an absolute amazing game. The combat is revolutionary--with the required timing of a parry and a followup riposte, the satisfying jab of a backstab, and the excellent customization system. Additionally, the multiplayer aspect of this game is wonderfully unique with the ability to play with other friends cooperatively or to engage in one of the most intense and rewarding Player vs Player experiences on the PS3. This game may seem difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, it is exhilarating! I would recommend this game to anyone.… Expand
  4. unluckydice
    Jul 4, 2014
    10
    A truly unique game, that throws you into this mysterious world with no guided quests, or waypoints, it just lets you fend for yourself, while cowering round every corner in fear not expecting what to expect, Newcomers to the franchise may think the Game is weak with story, but it actually is filled with TONS of Lore (if researched), The games flawless combat makes you actually fightA truly unique game, that throws you into this mysterious world with no guided quests, or waypoints, it just lets you fend for yourself, while cowering round every corner in fear not expecting what to expect, Newcomers to the franchise may think the Game is weak with story, but it actually is filled with TONS of Lore (if researched), The games flawless combat makes you actually fight instead of just button mashing. The games strongest features are it's game design, everything seems connected as in I could still see previous places i visited from a distance.

    A few issues were the menu's navigatation as you advanced further in the game it can get confusing    … Expand
  5. Andyr42
    May 27, 2013
    10
    I don't begrudge people rating this game as a 1 out of 10, I can completely understand why they would. It's hard, tricky and progress is very slow at first. But, then again, I wouldn't give a snazzy sports car a 1 out of 10 review just because I don't have a driver's license. Dark Souls is a very difficult game at first. If you've played Demon's Souls before it, then you shouldn't haveI don't begrudge people rating this game as a 1 out of 10, I can completely understand why they would. It's hard, tricky and progress is very slow at first. But, then again, I wouldn't give a snazzy sports car a 1 out of 10 review just because I don't have a driver's license. Dark Souls is a very difficult game at first. If you've played Demon's Souls before it, then you shouldn't have any troubles picking this one up as well as the game engine, combat and movement is more or less the same.

    I paid less than €20 for this as I bought it a year or so after it was released. I am still playing it to this day and have racked up an astronomical amount of hours during multiple play-throughs. There is a wealth of items, armour, weapons, magic, enemies, bosses and environments to discover and mixing this in with an intriguing online play option, you are looking at a minimum of 70 100 hours per play-through.

    Unlike in Elder Scrolls for example (which by the way I love as well), when you level up in DS the enemies don't. That gives you an incredible sense of progress, of becoming powerful, of slowly mastering the unrelenting world around you. You start to feel that those excruciatingly frustrating hours you'd put in have finally born fruit.

    It's a challenge and will take up a lot of your time. It is hard though, it isn't for casual gamers. Buy the game if:

    1 you want a unique challenge
    2 you want to experience a different kind of game to anything you've played before
    3 you have time and patience to invest

    Do not buy it if:

    1 you get frustrated easily
    2 you're looking for fantasy-themed hack n' slash action
    3 you're a casual gamer looking for something to pick up and play once in a while

    Best of luck and remember, Praise the Sun!    … Expand
  6. dorkwraith
    Jun 19, 2013
    10
    Dark Souls isn't just a contender for the best game of its generation (it wins that accolade by a significant margin) but also for the best game of all time.
    It would appear that the vast majority of game developers today think that the average gamer has the IQ of a glass of water. Games have over-long, unnecessary tutorials, on-screen objectives so we don't get lost, pointless and    Dark Souls isn't just a contender for the best game of its generation (it wins that accolade by a significant margin) but also for the best game of all time.
    It would appear that the vast majority of game developers today think that the average gamer has the IQ of a glass of water. Games have over-long, unnecessary tutorials, on-screen objectives so we don't get lost, pointless and immersion-breaking exposition via lengthy cut-scenes, bolted on multiplayer that most people ignore etc etc etc.

    Dark Souls is a game that not only refuses to hold your hand but one that pushes you, blind, into a hostile universe with help you actively have to search for (via messages and NPC dialogue).

    Dark Souls is a game that rewards careful, thoughtful and intelligent combat. It will severely punish the unwary, the over-confident and the unprepared.

    Dark Souls is a game that tells a story in a way unlike any other videogame before it. One needs to explore every location, talk to every friendly NPC and read every item description if you are to have any hope in unravelling the mystery of who you are and what your role is in the gameworld.

    Dark Souls is game with a brutal multiplayer mechanic. Players gain the ability to invade other players and when that happens to you as a beginner prepare to die. Fortunately the risk of invasion is tempered somewhat with the ability to summon other, perhaps stronger or better equipped or more skillful players for a limited time. Interactions are essentially randomized and the lack of voice chat means that friendships forged in Dark Souls are unique.

    Dark Souls is a hard game for beginners of this there is no doubt and it takes most mortals upwards of 30 hours to get to grips with the intricacies of combat. But patience is rewarded and, from what I've heard or read, it appears that players wo lack patience simply cannot cope. Their loss.

    The best game of the current generation? Absolutely. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING comes close to engendering the levels of emotion that Dark Souls does on a regular basis.

    The best game of all time? Maybe.    … Expand
  7. Laleksi
    Jul 24, 2013
    10
    Dark Souls is definitely one of the best games I've EVER played. Persuaded by few of my friends, I was a bit reluctant first. The thought of getting killed and frustrated over and over again didn't sound too exciting. I bought it, however, due to the fact that I was getting tired of playing Call Of Duty hours per day. And I gotta say that it was a good decision. That feeling after gettingDark Souls is definitely one of the best games I've EVER played. Persuaded by few of my friends, I was a bit reluctant first. The thought of getting killed and frustrated over and over again didn't sound too exciting. I bought it, however, due to the fact that I was getting tired of playing Call Of Duty hours per day. And I gotta say that it was a good decision. That feeling after getting killed by the first bosses many times resulted in many rage quits but that gloomy atmosphere and interesting way of telling about the lore made me keep going. After the completion of the game I started again and eventually even bought the DLC on the day it was released. Almost everything about the game is perfect and I'm really looking forward to the sequel. If there's something negative to say about this game, it is the somewhat common connection problems when trying to summon a friend. But, because I'm not much of a co-op-person, I have to give this game 10 out of 10.… Expand
  8. GlobalNightmare
    Aug 18, 2013
    10
    I feel sorry for some gamers. Its a shame that some people will shy away from this title because of its difficulty, because Dark Souls is one of the greatest video games ever made.
    Sure, Dark souls is difficult, but its only as difficult as you make it. You have to plan your movements throughout the world of Lordran with care and patience; if you charge through the world swinging your    I feel sorry for some gamers. Its a shame that some people will shy away from this title because of its difficulty, because Dark Souls is one of the greatest video games ever made.
    Sure, Dark souls is difficult, but its only as difficult as you make it. You have to plan your movements throughout the world of Lordran with care and patience; if you charge through the world swinging your sword like a maniac, you will be handed your backside over, and over again.
    Even the more hardcore gamer will die often, but that's a part of dark souls charm. It teaches a harsh lesson to the impatient and unprepared, but in return offers an overwhelming sense of achievement unlike no other game I can think of.
    You will cheer, you will laugh, you will scream at your television in anger, you may even cry a tear of frustration, but you will never forget Dark souls.
    With over 100 hours of gameplay, a unique multiplayer and communication system, solid combat and interesting locations to fight your way through in your quest to end the undead curse, do yourself a favour and pick this up and prepare to die.    … Expand
  9. TheTruePatriot
    Aug 12, 2013
    10
    One of the best RPGs I've ever played. After playing tons of boring RPGs designed for the "modern audience" this was a great break. That being said, this game really isn't that difficult. It's all about waiting for an opening and keeping your shield up basically. Some parts of it are a bit badly designed (Blighttown for the FPS problems) but I never found myself stuck on anything. ThatOne of the best RPGs I've ever played. After playing tons of boring RPGs designed for the "modern audience" this was a great break. That being said, this game really isn't that difficult. It's all about waiting for an opening and keeping your shield up basically. Some parts of it are a bit badly designed (Blighttown for the FPS problems) but I never found myself stuck on anything. That being said, the bosses were so much fun to fight and see. The combat is smooth and fun. And the controls are very tight. It's a great game and I'd recommend it to anyone.… Expand
  10. Rumblefish
    May 9, 2016
    10
    A turning point in the history of the modern RPG. Unparalleled atmosphere, character, environment, diversity and brutality. Simply put, one of the very greatest games that has ever been made on any platform.
  11. nosoupforyou
    Sep 12, 2013
    10
    Not as hard as it's hyped to be. People are just babies these days. This is the return of games that have an actual challenge that's all. Some people just can't handle having to eat for themselves.
  12. DudePakas
    Feb 25, 2014
    10
    Best game I've ever played in my entire life.You should play this.But remember: the game is harsh at the beggining,MAKE SURE TO PAY ATTENTION IN THE TUTORIAL
  13. JudgeMathew
    Mar 31, 2014
    6
    While there may be a lot more content and more action involving online aspects compared to Demon's Souls, there's the feeling that Dark Souls is an incomplete game, and this is due to the fact that almost a third of the game is completely rushed due to time constraints. The hyped up difficulty also seems to vary from person to person. Dark Souls is essentially a more opened world Demon'sWhile there may be a lot more content and more action involving online aspects compared to Demon's Souls, there's the feeling that Dark Souls is an incomplete game, and this is due to the fact that almost a third of the game is completely rushed due to time constraints. The hyped up difficulty also seems to vary from person to person. Dark Souls is essentially a more opened world Demon's Souls with a lot more content, though there are many issues involving frame-rate and glitching throughout the game. Although Dark Souls is a good game, it does not hold a candle to Demon's Souls.… Expand
  14. JohNathan_Drake
    Jan 10, 2014
    10
    This game took me 86 hours to complete!The first 10 hours of the game weren't very challenging so I haven't had any bad experience(losing many souls) .The next 20 hours were really challenging for me.I gave up the game for about 7 months because I was losing all the time.The reason that I couldn't continue the journey was especially my weapon(astora's straight sword not upgraded).When IThis game took me 86 hours to complete!The first 10 hours of the game weren't very challenging so I haven't had any bad experience(losing many souls) .The next 20 hours were really challenging for me.I gave up the game for about 7 months because I was losing all the time.The reason that I couldn't continue the journey was especially my weapon(astora's straight sword not upgraded).When I equipped another weapon and upgraded that weapon on a blacksmith I realised that the bosses weren't so difficult at all.So don't forget to visit the blacksmith and upgrade your weapon & armor in dark souls.And the best part of the journey was the next 40 hours.The game was simultaneously challenging and very exciting.The final 16 hours I was just farming for materials and playing online against other players.The 2 things that impressed me most in Dark Souls were the gameplay(very real and exciting) and the environment(when you hit the second bell you will understand what I mean) .I recommend this game to players with patience and some experience in rpg games.But before you begin the game just "prepare to die" (in the game of course).… Expand
  15. carlost
    Feb 8, 2014
    10
    El mejor juego que he jugado en años, al principio lo dejé, no entendía su dificultad, lo retomé al tiempo (después de leer cientos de artículos donde se elevaba a las nubes), puse una guía online a mi lado y se convirtió en la mejor experiencia de juego que he tenido en muchos años. Supongo que a su segunda parte jugaré sin guía, pero la primera vez que te enfrentas a un souls laEl mejor juego que he jugado en años, al principio lo dejé, no entendía su dificultad, lo retomé al tiempo (después de leer cientos de artículos donde se elevaba a las nubes), puse una guía online a mi lado y se convirtió en la mejor experiencia de juego que he tenido en muchos años. Supongo que a su segunda parte jugaré sin guía, pero la primera vez que te enfrentas a un souls la necesitas.… Expand
  16. SGT_HAM
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    Best RPG I've ever played. game has it all. Best level design, nice graphics, Multiplayer, even tho I didn't like it. weapon crafting system is the beast. a ton of weapons and items. I correct what I said. Best game I've ever played. thank you From Software for this work of game.
  17. LolTacoBell
    Mar 23, 2014
    10
    I can't even begin to express the level of intricacy this game has to offer. The level of exploration in this game is one-of-a-kind, with a high punishment/reward system you get into the groove of! This was the game I kept crawling back to, MONTHS and MONTHS after I had gotten the platinum trophy on it. You owe it to yourself to buy this title.
  18. Zulos
    Apr 12, 2014
    10
    This game is truly awesome when you play through the game your first few times but afterwards it gets boring very quickly. In comparison to Demon's Souls it doesn't really come close to how fun the PvE is but the PvP is what kept me playing Dark Souls for 2500+ hours. But after a couple years some **** stick created the "Mega mule" for PS3 and then everyone could make a character withoutThis game is truly awesome when you play through the game your first few times but afterwards it gets boring very quickly. In comparison to Demon's Souls it doesn't really come close to how fun the PvE is but the PvP is what kept me playing Dark Souls for 2500+ hours. But after a couple years some **** stick created the "Mega mule" for PS3 and then everyone could make a character without playing the game, basically taking the RPG element out of the game. And towards the release date of Dark Souls 2 hackers started coming out of the woodwork even though that is unheard of on PS3. Other than the fact that so many people ruined the PvP fun this game had really fun PvP and a good first time experience for the PvE aspect.… Expand
  19. Ragna_belmont
    Jul 9, 2014
    10
    THIS is what you call game, an old school unforgiving difficulty and totally rewarding, a vast connected world and cool boss fights, sure the story is simple and don't have much to say about but who cares when you get a game to PLAY rather than WATCH and get emotions, a very cool RPG game and one of the finest, totally worth my money, and yours :3
  20. cyclogenisis
    Sep 1, 2014
    10
    This game and Demon souls are the best games ever created. For ppl who can endure the struggle, it's worth the reward ten fold. I don't know any other game that can claim that.
  21. AlvaroMev
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls its a unique experience with all the tasty feel of reward that all we felt playing the classic action adventure games.
    Prepare to sweat; Dark souls is a difficult experience, but is not that hard, all you need is to be straight to surpass the learning curve, once you have dominated the gameplay, there is no boundaries to be the maximum undead in Lordran.
  22. deathschemist
    Sep 4, 2014
    10
    never have i played a more beautifully executed masterpiece- this game takes me right back to when games were difficult by default. i have sunk so many hours into both this and its sequel that it's invading my dreams, most of my thoughts pertaining to strategies, and how i'm gonna get through the next area, how i'm gonna fend off invaders and bosses alike and not since devil may cry 3 hasnever have i played a more beautifully executed masterpiece- this game takes me right back to when games were difficult by default. i have sunk so many hours into both this and its sequel that it's invading my dreams, most of my thoughts pertaining to strategies, and how i'm gonna get through the next area, how i'm gonna fend off invaders and bosses alike and not since devil may cry 3 has a game made me feel so good about getting that little bit further. it controls beautifully, encouraging careful play and varied tactics...
    there are only two problems i can think of with this game: framerate issues in blight town and oolacile township (DLC area) and poor multiplayer netcode, however, on the whole i would call this game near-perfect. a lovingly-crafted masterpiece of gaming, and it's a crying shame that the difficulty will turn some people off.    … Expand
  23. XxSoULxMaNxX
    Oct 24, 2015
    10
    One of my favorite games of all time, especially the PVP fight clubs on twitchtv and other community events. This review was long overdue.....................................................................
  24. mAceOfHearts
    Dec 4, 2014
    10
    Great graphics, great gameplay, great soundtrack, great story.
    One of the greatest games in the action-RPG genre, if not the best. Aside from a few issues regarding lag while fighting against other players and a few bosses being sub-par, I have no complaints. This game is amazing.
  25. HopelessVoice
    Jun 2, 2016
    10
    I'll give it a 10 although it isn't even my favorite in the Souls-series. It's really a great game and if you haven't played it I suggest you do so asap. The vertical level design is out of this world, as the game develops a V-shape of progression where the player starts at a sort of crossroads and then begins his haunting descent into the underworld, only to rise back again, now wiser ofI'll give it a 10 although it isn't even my favorite in the Souls-series. It's really a great game and if you haven't played it I suggest you do so asap. The vertical level design is out of this world, as the game develops a V-shape of progression where the player starts at a sort of crossroads and then begins his haunting descent into the underworld, only to rise back again, now wiser of things to come and stronger than ever. The dark medieval setting is intriguing and the bosses are probably the hardest and most interesting ones to fight in the whole franchise. There's no doubt that this will go down as one of the best games of its decade.… Expand
  26. BiribiriUC
    Mar 25, 2015
    10
    I LOVE this game, its fun, challenging and frustrating at times.
    And the replay ability in this is outstanding, A new build can sometimes feel like an entire different game
  27. PlatinumPlays
    Apr 17, 2015
    10
    The best of all the souls games, a perfect story for the perfect game. You just have to get over the amount of times you will die in this and all will be well.
  28. Be_Objective
    Sep 22, 2015
    10
    Simply a masterpiece. Some technical issues on certain areas are easily forgiven thanks to the addicting gameplay and a masterfully realised level design. Dark Souls is unlike any other game that came before it (except Demon's Souls of course) and a perfect example of what a game can do in terms of narrative that movies and books just can't. It's not for everyone and that's ok, but if youSimply a masterpiece. Some technical issues on certain areas are easily forgiven thanks to the addicting gameplay and a masterfully realised level design. Dark Souls is unlike any other game that came before it (except Demon's Souls of course) and a perfect example of what a game can do in terms of narrative that movies and books just can't. It's not for everyone and that's ok, but if you like role playing games and challeging gameplay then this is a must buy. Dark Souls is one of those games that you don't just "play" but you also "experience".… Expand
  29. Hardgames
    Sep 6, 2015
    10
    Positive:
    - Enemies variety;
    - Levels design;
    - Boss battles;
    - Hardcore experience;
    - NPCs;
    - Dark Story;
    - Soundtrack;

    Negative:
    -Framerate and Bugs (but the game is too good for negative)

    10/10.

    GOTY 2011.
  30. Nintolerance
    Nov 28, 2015
    10
    This game is truly exceptional. Characters, enviroments, levels, art, music and voice acting are great, but tied together with a weighty and hard-hitting combat system where positioning and timing are everything.

    The game's approach to story and multiplayer are innovative (and since copied), adding to the rich atmosphere of a world on the edge of collapse while offering glimpses of the    This game is truly exceptional. Characters, enviroments, levels, art, music and voice acting are great, but tied together with a weighty and hard-hitting combat system where positioning and timing are everything.

    The game's approach to story and multiplayer are innovative (and since copied), adding to the rich atmosphere of a world on the edge of collapse while offering glimpses of the world beyond each individual stage.

    Since release the PVP metagame has made Dark Souls a tough nut to crack online, but it's still an exceptional singleplayer experience and provides some fun and strategic PVP as well if you're willing to learn.

    Without a doubt, my favourite game of all time.    … Expand
  31. starburns
    Apr 22, 2016
    10
    Dark souls is gaming nirvana. The game is exactly what i would want from my perfect game. Not only the great combat, flowing level design, challenging but fair difficulty, and totally immersive environments, but the cultural impact this game has had on society is staggering. Giant dad, praise the sun and git gud all spawned from this game.

    This is a game that comes along once in a    Dark souls is gaming nirvana. The game is exactly what i would want from my perfect game. Not only the great combat, flowing level design, challenging but fair difficulty, and totally immersive environments, but the cultural impact this game has had on society is staggering. Giant dad, praise the sun and git gud all spawned from this game.

    This is a game that comes along once in a decade. The magical feeling you get from playing this game for the first time, overcoming your first hard boss and the rush of adrenaline that comes afterwards, and finally piecing together that one part of the of lore you never quite understood, all come together to form this wonderful masterpiece of gaming and a definite milestone for anyone who wishing to be considered a hard-core gamer.    … Expand
  32. HMolinet
    Mar 24, 2016
    10
    There is only one thing about this game: it is unforgiven. A must have, one that will define your type of gamer forever. And DLC adds a lot of story, difficult battles and great places to visit. PVP? Well one of the best systems ever created.
  33. DARKSOULSLOVER
    Apr 14, 2016
    10
    What an amazing game, wonderful landscapes, hard enemies, hardcore bosses.
    But is an unfair game, you should take care of your character if you want save all your souls.
  34. Grottenolm-84
    May 11, 2016
    10
    It's as if this game was made for me personally. It's just so unique. Everything is fascinating about this strange world and their ihabitants. Every aspect and game mechanic fits perfectly together. The atmosphere is just awesome like you have never experienced one. A great mix out of nordic mythology and medieval times. The gameplay is perfect and demands much concentration but is at theIt's as if this game was made for me personally. It's just so unique. Everything is fascinating about this strange world and their ihabitants. Every aspect and game mechanic fits perfectly together. The atmosphere is just awesome like you have never experienced one. A great mix out of nordic mythology and medieval times. The gameplay is perfect and demands much concentration but is at the same time so rewarding. This game is so full of dedication and creativity that you just have to experience it for yourself. Don't reduce this game to it's difficulty, like so many seem to do. It's an important part of the Dark Souls - Experience but it's only one aspect of this unique piece of art. For me it's definitely among of my all time favorites on the same level as Ocarina of Time was twenty Years ago.… Expand
  35. amateurcritic2
    May 30, 2016
    10
    i played a lot of demons souls and i did not expect the sequel to be better let alone this much better. I already gave demons souls a 10 and i would give this 11 if icould its genuinely one of the best games ever. Its is like demons souls in its narative it very mysterious and hard and thats the games appeal but that makes it only for certain people but once your into it its veryi played a lot of demons souls and i did not expect the sequel to be better let alone this much better. I already gave demons souls a 10 and i would give this 11 if icould its genuinely one of the best games ever. Its is like demons souls in its narative it very mysterious and hard and thats the games appeal but that makes it only for certain people but once your into it its very addictive. It does the same as demons souls errors with not so fun sections of the game but much less often.… Expand
  36. JrDouble
    Dec 7, 2022
    5
    I really tried to enjoy Dark Souls and made some decent progress over the time I played it. Unfortunately, the more I played it the less and less appeal the game had to me. Gameplay and progress are painfully slow there was little to no story to keep me engaged. I'm glad I tried it though as now I'll be sure to steer clear of FromSoft and Souls-likes moving forward.
  37. TomBcfc89
    Oct 4, 2011
    10
    Just dont even bother reading sony360gamer's review. He is in a tiny majority of 'child minded' people who dont understand that this game is meant to be hard, and be challenging. Not just your simple singleplayer game which you can breeze through in a couple of days (with your eyes closed). The concept of the now open world in Dark Souls is utterly brilliant allowing for the game to flow,Just dont even bother reading sony360gamer's review. He is in a tiny majority of 'child minded' people who dont understand that this game is meant to be hard, and be challenging. Not just your simple singleplayer game which you can breeze through in a couple of days (with your eyes closed). The concept of the now open world in Dark Souls is utterly brilliant allowing for the game to flow, the graphics are very nice indeed along with the extremely tight combat which you wont get in Skyrim. Even after all of that its the bosses that make the game for me, they are so unique and unbelievably hard to conquer on your first playthrough. Finally the way this game intergrates multiplayer into the singleplayer game is just brilliant (it was in Demons Souls too) as you can invade other peoples world, be invaded and also see blood stains from where people have died in their game. Overall this is my favourite game of all time and i severely hope there is another.… Expand
  38. VwKILLAGOOSEwV
    Oct 5, 2011
    10
    Brutal, intense, challenging yet equally immersive, beautiful, rewarding...Yes, this is a game that takes patience and determination to overcome even the most basic areas that would be considered "easy" in other games. I played 2009's Demon's Souls, and while I never completed that game, I was excited to play this one. Level design, character models, enemy design, detail in graphics andBrutal, intense, challenging yet equally immersive, beautiful, rewarding...Yes, this is a game that takes patience and determination to overcome even the most basic areas that would be considered "easy" in other games. I played 2009's Demon's Souls, and while I never completed that game, I was excited to play this one. Level design, character models, enemy design, detail in graphics and textures have all been improved. You owe it to yourself to enjoy this beautiful nightmare...… Expand
  39. Hugodastrevas
    Oct 6, 2011
    10
    Awesome game that's all. Hoping it becomes goty. great controls and enhanced graphics. i loved demon's souls and i really really really love this one.
  40. GameZoneXtreme
    Oct 7, 2011
    10
    WHAT A MASTERPIECE! To all of those that give this game a bad review, the only reason why you might give it one is because you are a weak little girl. This game is for MEN, not babies, and to those that cry because the game is brilliantly designed for master players, all I have to say is you should stay away. A truly wonderful experience. A PERFECT 10+!
  41. Gamingking007
    Oct 7, 2011
    10
    Having played demons soul before I must say this game just cant be a let down!!!sure it's not for the faint hearted gamer because it is extremely difficult and unforgiving!!! Also very frustrating but the rewards are endless and the game is just beautiful and fantastic!!!!
  42. MANU3L69
    Oct 9, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is a MASTERPIECE. It's dark, twisted, beautiful, incredibly imaginative and a true challenge. The sense of accomplishment in this game makes all of the hardship and failure totally and utterly worth it. When you finally beat the massive demon that took you 20+ tries or even when you kill a group of the undead, you will feel so amazingly accomplished. The skill, strategy andDark Souls is a MASTERPIECE. It's dark, twisted, beautiful, incredibly imaginative and a true challenge. The sense of accomplishment in this game makes all of the hardship and failure totally and utterly worth it. When you finally beat the massive demon that took you 20+ tries or even when you kill a group of the undead, you will feel so amazingly accomplished. The skill, strategy and patience involved is downright brilliant. The controls are tight and very responsive; even more so than Demon's Souls. The weapons, both old and new, are awesome and fun to upgrade. The armor is more varied and in some cases, makes your character look like a total badass. The leveling up lets you decide what to enhance, making you able to, for instance, wield a certain weapon, move quicker, have more stamina etc. The environments are absolutely breathtaking. Some areas are bright vistas full of light colors and some areas are dank, depressing and destroyed. The world adds to the feel. It really feels like you are in the immersive world of Dark Souls. If you like RPG's(It isn't even that complicated), mid-evil environments, smart combat, strategy and a truly satisfying challenge, then this game is one of the best and most engrossing games you will ever experience.… Expand
  43. BBLapz
    Oct 10, 2011
    10
    Having beaten Demon's Souls, I was very excited for this game, and it has not let me down. Having the bonfires placed around as quasi safe spots reminds me of the old resident evil days, when you were just waiting to find a typewriter. The atmosphere is much darker even though the color pallet is (in many places) much brighter. Can't wait to finish it!
  44. PaulCharles
    Oct 12, 2011
    10
    After reading bad reviews about graphical/system/bad pathing errors I was going to give the game a 9, but considering it has easily over 60 hours of gameplay, there is no way it deserves anything less than a 10. I purchased RAGE at the same time and beat that in a measly 12 hours on hard. This game has become an obsession that I can't let go of. After getting over the frustration ( IAfter reading bad reviews about graphical/system/bad pathing errors I was going to give the game a 9, but considering it has easily over 60 hours of gameplay, there is no way it deserves anything less than a 10. I purchased RAGE at the same time and beat that in a measly 12 hours on hard. This game has become an obsession that I can't let go of. After getting over the frustration ( I broke my ps3 controller in half ), I've come to absolutely love this game. I'm 36 hours in and not even half way done yet. Once you realize what this game is all about you should love it also.… Expand
  45. halo_on
    Oct 7, 2011
    10
    Grabs you by the throat from the first few minutes and never lets go! For every rushed-to-the-market, vomitous RPG out there (Dragon Age 2, any recent Final Fantasy title, etc.), all we can do is thank From Software for daring to create a game which doesn't cater to the masses. A game which punishes players for button mashing and instead rewards the careful patience of a tactician.Grabs you by the throat from the first few minutes and never lets go! For every rushed-to-the-market, vomitous RPG out there (Dragon Age 2, any recent Final Fantasy title, etc.), all we can do is thank From Software for daring to create a game which doesn't cater to the masses. A game which punishes players for button mashing and instead rewards the careful patience of a tactician. Consider if all the hours spent on dialogue trees and lengthy CG movies in other RPGs were instead funneled into a meticulous, challenging combat system and you have Dark Souls. Like its predecessor Demon's Souls, both will be remembered as two of the finest RPG titles from this console generation.… Expand
  46. Hoppsy80
    Oct 9, 2011
    10
    30 hours in and i've made very good progress into the game and its just stunning, As with demons souls you will level and eventually reach a breakthrough and the areas once thought impossible become easy, the difficulty is certainly ramped up although the boss battles i've found a lot easier. It has a super steep learning curve so if your playing this for the first (never played demons30 hours in and i've made very good progress into the game and its just stunning, As with demons souls you will level and eventually reach a breakthrough and the areas once thought impossible become easy, the difficulty is certainly ramped up although the boss battles i've found a lot easier. It has a super steep learning curve so if your playing this for the first (never played demons souls) time be prepared to invest some time in playing the same sections and levelling your character, if you do this you will not be sorry. clearing an area is one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming today.

    Best game of the year so far.    … Expand
  47. Zarmi
    Oct 8, 2011
    8
    Dark Souls is generally a good game with very few flaws. If you liked Demon's Souls, you owe it to yourself to pick it up. However, there are a few minor concerns about Dark Souls as it stands right now. First of all, there's some wonky hit boxes, which means that if you try to fire an arrow from a tower, you will have no chance of success, because the walls got much larger hit boxes thanDark Souls is generally a good game with very few flaws. If you liked Demon's Souls, you owe it to yourself to pick it up. However, there are a few minor concerns about Dark Souls as it stands right now. First of all, there's some wonky hit boxes, which means that if you try to fire an arrow from a tower, you will have no chance of success, because the walls got much larger hit boxes than they actually show. I've personally had tons of arrows get stuck in the air because of this, and this counts for spells too.

    A second concern is that some enemies will randomly clip into walls and get stuck there, only to teleport back out again at a random time and completely wreck your face while you are unprepared. The game itself is not as punishing as Demon's Souls was, as there's more shortcuts to the checkpoint-bonfires, and when you die you aren't thrown as far back as you were in Demon's Souls, which is really excellent as it limits the frustration from the game. However, you will still die cheaply many times, either because of a stupid camera angle or simply because your character stumbled back after being poked by a rat, and then fell over a cliff. To top it off, the bosses feel repetitive and just.. not boring, but not as exciting and dangerous as they did in Demon's Souls. They will still onehit you, but they got very predictable patterns.

    If you go for a speed build, you can easily dodge everything they throw at you, which leads to the last problem with the game; frame rate. The frame rate will randomly take HUGE hits at the worst of times, simply because there sometimes will be too many polygons at the screen at once. An example is when any monster breathes fire, that will basically right down **** up the frame rate.

    Overall, a very good game that rewards a careful approach and smart mind, but there are some failures in the game that will put the really hardcore off. However, besides these small failures, the game is more or less perfect at what it tries to achieve, and being generally (in my opinion) more forgiving than Demon's Souls, it's easier for new players to get into as well.    … Expand
  48. Maggeus
    Oct 10, 2011
    8
    I was waiting a lot for Dark Souls. And I'm not dissapointed, to say the least. Dark Souls retained all of its predecessor ambience, while increasing the difficulty even more. Then, is Dark Souls really that fun ? Isn't it too hard ?...
    If you want a challenge, this is a game you want. If you lived 10 years in a monastery, and you can only buy one video game, you should simply take it.    I was waiting a lot for Dark Souls. And I'm not dissapointed, to say the least. Dark Souls retained all of its predecessor ambience, while increasing the difficulty even more. Then, is Dark Souls really that fun ? Isn't it too hard ?...
    If you want a challenge, this is a game you want. If you lived 10 years in a monastery, and you can only buy one video game, you should simply take it. Because you will have enough experience to endure it.
    Trust me, there are three things that's gonna happen if you play this game : you will love it, you will hate it, or both at once. I hate it and love it.    … Expand
  49. yloquen
    Oct 18, 2011
    10
    This game claimed my soul and did not let go of it, until I finished it. Dark Souls is a true dark fantasy with very evocative and haunting game world. There are amazing places to be seen and gruesome monsters to be fought. Light on story, the game concentrates on combat, which is relatively slow paced, but still requires split second timing of your actions in order to hit that opening inThis game claimed my soul and did not let go of it, until I finished it. Dark Souls is a true dark fantasy with very evocative and haunting game world. There are amazing places to be seen and gruesome monsters to be fought. Light on story, the game concentrates on combat, which is relatively slow paced, but still requires split second timing of your actions in order to hit that opening in an enemy's defense. The combat has impressive physics â… Expand
  50. A_SilentK
    Oct 12, 2011
    10
    This game is NOT for casual gamers. For anyone the played From Software's first title Demon's Souls you will know what to expect from DS. For newcomers however you are in for a surprise. This game is extremely demanding and does not mess around. This is a good thing .The visuals are second to none in the genre and the gameplay is as fine tuned as ever. A simple yet elegant control systemThis game is NOT for casual gamers. For anyone the played From Software's first title Demon's Souls you will know what to expect from DS. For newcomers however you are in for a surprise. This game is extremely demanding and does not mess around. This is a good thing .The visuals are second to none in the genre and the gameplay is as fine tuned as ever. A simple yet elegant control system makes combat smooth and satisfying. Yes, this game is extremely difficult. You are meant to learn from your mistakes. Deaths in DS do not feel cheap, you must be cautious going around EVERY corner. This is as hardcore as they come. And I have never played a more satisfying RPG. 60 bucks could not be spent on anything better!… Expand
  51. buddashak
    Dec 29, 2011
    10
    A fine champagne of a game. I describe it as being kind of like Ocarina of Time with the difficulty of Zelda 2. Steep learning curve and requires a level of finesse that is missing from most games. You will die. It's no big deal. You will lose souls and "progress". Some gamers will turn the game off at this point. If this is you, don't bother with Dark Souls. To Dark Souls your concept ofA fine champagne of a game. I describe it as being kind of like Ocarina of Time with the difficulty of Zelda 2. Steep learning curve and requires a level of finesse that is missing from most games. You will die. It's no big deal. You will lose souls and "progress". Some gamers will turn the game off at this point. If this is you, don't bother with Dark Souls. To Dark Souls your concept of progress is illusory... the only progress that matters is the progress of your skills.… Expand
  52. JackyBeans
    Oct 10, 2011
    10
    Excellent Game. Gameplay sucks you in.. It's challenging, combat is extremely precise and meticulous, and for an Action-RPG nothing gets better.. No to complicated inventories/menus/reading/etc... Straight to the action/combat!

    No holding-hand, you have to discover everything by yourself just like the old days (that's the essence of gaming, how it all started) and most importantly once    Excellent Game. Gameplay sucks you in.. It's challenging, combat is extremely precise and meticulous, and for an Action-RPG nothing gets better.. No to complicated inventories/menus/reading/etc... Straight to the action/combat!

    No holding-hand, you have to discover everything by yourself just like the old days (that's the essence of gaming, how it all started) and most importantly once you start, it 'sucks' you in.. Maybe it isn't for everyone, since not all have the patience but what is for sure is that every time you die, its definably, always, your fault...

    Few issues such as random 'freezes' can occur while you are connected online but nothing alarming and with a patch it can all be fine-tuned..

    If you give it a try, this game will change you.. It will inevitably change your perception of gaming as a whole, and it will alter your pleasure when it comes to gaming in general.. I have played and beat demon's souls... and it had a big impact on me..
    Dark Souls, while not a revolution but an evolution of Demon's Souls, will have a deeper one...

    Everyone should give it a try.. It's special and unlike anything today in the Video Gaming Industry...    … Expand
  53. Funkymonk
    Oct 9, 2011
    9
    If you ever hear anyone complaining about games being too easy these days just ask them to play this!Although not everyone will "get" Dark Souls, any game that dares to do something different to the norm (and succeeds) deserves respect. In many ways it's a throwback to the old school arcade games from years ago where genuine skill and concentration are required to progress. Yes it'sIf you ever hear anyone complaining about games being too easy these days just ask them to play this!Although not everyone will "get" Dark Souls, any game that dares to do something different to the norm (and succeeds) deserves respect. In many ways it's a throwback to the old school arcade games from years ago where genuine skill and concentration are required to progress. Yes it's difficult, and you'll die a lot but it's never cheap. If you're honest with yourself you'll always know where you went wrong. To be frank this wasn't made for people who get frustrated easily or those with short attention spans. If your willing to put the effort in though you'll discover a game that gives a payoff like no other. You'll be screaming with frustration one minute and then punching the air in celebration when you finally get past that difficult bit/boss.
    If you consider yourself a serious gamer then you owe it yourself to at least try this game.    … Expand
  54. R-e-n-n-a-t
    Oct 9, 2011
    10
    Well, don't listen to the people saying that there is no skill involved. It's ALL skill. Not even kidding, I started playing, and beat the first boss an hour later without dying once. Exlain that, if it's all trial and error. This game requires caution, a sharp wit, and sharper reflexes, but there is NO luck, and trial and error has almost nothing to do with Dark Souls. Guess what? SomeWell, don't listen to the people saying that there is no skill involved. It's ALL skill. Not even kidding, I started playing, and beat the first boss an hour later without dying once. Exlain that, if it's all trial and error. This game requires caution, a sharp wit, and sharper reflexes, but there is NO luck, and trial and error has almost nothing to do with Dark Souls. Guess what? Some games, the best games, like Dark Souls, require more than bloodlust and Monster Energy drinks to beat.

    In most rpg's or action games when I find a new shield, I think "huh, a shield" and it goes into my pack to sell later. In Dark Souls and Demon's Souls when I find a new shield I think "OMG! Yes! A shield! I'll keep it forever!" This game demands that you acknowledge that you're weak, and that you can only win with tactics and critical thought:

    "Huh? There's a giant metal boar-demon-thing guarding the gate? Maybe instead of trying to run up and smack it (hint, your sword will bounce, and it will skewer you), you should try luring it away, then sprinting for a hidden door!

    The thing most people don't mention is just how amazing and beautiful the environments are, especially in HD. Every fricking brick and plank looks awesome, and this game has some of the most breathtaking vistas I've ever seen in a sandbox game. And everything is so wonderfully gothic and depressing looking, it never ceases to amaze. The controls are even better than in Demon's Souls (no small feat, seeing as the original DS was very polished as well), and you'll find a slew of subtle easter eggs for long-time King's Field and Demon's Souls fans.    … Expand
  55. nbozification
    Oct 8, 2011
    10
    this game is amazing, the graphics are great the combat is interesting and although the story is basic the amazing gameplay pulls you through and is a lot of fun.

    i personally really enjoyed the fact that the combat with a block, light, heavy and deflect attack is always interesting. while one may say that the game is one big grind. and you would be right partly. although it is a big    this game is amazing, the graphics are great the combat is interesting and although the story is basic the amazing gameplay pulls you through and is a lot of fun.

    i personally really enjoyed the fact that the combat with a block, light, heavy and deflect attack is always interesting. while one may say that the game is one big grind. and you would be right partly. although it is a big grind the combat is always new and never gets old

    the game itself heralding back to dungeons and dragons captures the universe and world with the amazing graphics and enemy designs one would expect after demon souls

    i would recommend this game to everybody and warn them about the amount of time you die but it is still amazing    … Expand
  56. Firecomb
    Oct 7, 2011
    10
    My favorite game of the year so far, played demon souls but Dark Souls is so much better so far. Awesome environments, art style, the addition of bonfires, humanity, covenants, and so so much more. I am level 22 cleric now and dying to play when I get home even if I just scratch away at the rest of game. Skyrim can wait until I complete Dark Souls its that good.
  57. Urthiel
    Oct 10, 2011
    10
    It's been long, really long since any game had me captured me to such a point where... "addiction" is no longer a metaphor - I simply cannot stop thinking and living my undead life in this game. That art design, those places, creatures, characters, the setting, combat mechanics, this incredible, dreadful and yet fascinating atmosphere... I just..can't...stop...!
    You just need patience and    It's been long, really long since any game had me captured me to such a point where... "addiction" is no longer a metaphor - I simply cannot stop thinking and living my undead life in this game. That art design, those places, creatures, characters, the setting, combat mechanics, this incredible, dreadful and yet fascinating atmosphere... I just..can't...stop...!
    You just need patience and experimentation with every aspect of this game - you must test it's every feature to be able to pass it's huge challenge. Also - don't be afraid to use co-op - it's a really great relief to some parts of this game.
    It's a pity though that you can't coop with a friend - that would be a great addition to the game.    … Expand
  58. EMelo01
    Oct 11, 2011
    10
    This Game is NOT for everyone. I suggest a rent before you buy. If your up for a frustrating, time consuming challenge, you'll love this game. It has a different style of game play and pace. It takes patients and maybe a few controllers. I like this game because of its originality. Don't expect to play this thinking your the King of Video games and you'll fly through it. Its not actuallyThis Game is NOT for everyone. I suggest a rent before you buy. If your up for a frustrating, time consuming challenge, you'll love this game. It has a different style of game play and pace. It takes patients and maybe a few controllers. I like this game because of its originality. Don't expect to play this thinking your the King of Video games and you'll fly through it. Its not actually the game that is hard, its the system that is used when you do die. there are no continues, no re-tries, no mulligans. Just start back at the beginning and try again, like trial and error. The actually enemies are easy to beat, but do you have the patients to kill them 100 times until you finally make it through. Give it a try and maybe you'll enjoy it too.… Expand
  59. JDnator
    Oct 16, 2011
    10
    Its as simple as this. not a **** like swords and stuff? if so then this will be your choice for game of the year. UTTERLY fantastic! ......................................................................................................................................
  60. crw051089
    Oct 11, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After extensively playing Demon's Souls (100+ hours) and extensively playing Dark Souls (50+ hours, and counting) I would rate Dark Souls somewhere between a 9 and a 10.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    You do have a path to which you must follow to inevitably conclude the game, but the methods to which you follow that path are, for the most part, up to you. I have a character right now that could challenge three separate bosses, normally falling into a specific order, but I skipped two bosses on the "Linear Path" to beat the area of the third boss, so that I could obtain some phat lewts. A katana and a ninja-esque looking set, specifically. Overall, I rate the game as a VERY enjoyable experience with tons of hours of playtime. I'm 50 in and haven't beaten the game. Your mileage may vary :) I'm just taking my time.    … Expand
  61. Dani061094
    Oct 8, 2011
    9
    I just got this game a few days ago and have been very much enjoying it. I have played some of demon souls previously and dark souls is much of the same, with a few improvements. The balance is just right, you will get frustrated but it wont stop you from wanting to continue and defeat the boss thats pissing you off and the satisfaction is great if you do. My only problem with the game isI just got this game a few days ago and have been very much enjoying it. I have played some of demon souls previously and dark souls is much of the same, with a few improvements. The balance is just right, you will get frustrated but it wont stop you from wanting to continue and defeat the boss thats pissing you off and the satisfaction is great if you do. My only problem with the game is that if you accidentally attack a NPC they become hostile and you cannot talk to them unless you start a new game. I also find it difficult to find summon signs while in human form. However these are only small gripes and the game is still brilliant. I would defiantly recommend this game to competent gamers. Prepare to die!!… Expand
  62. Rewiinded
    Oct 8, 2011
    8
    This game is a huge improvement over Demon's Souls. It has a lot more content and they removed the (in my opinion) annoying system of world tendency. In place is a humanity system which increases drop rates and affects various other things in the gameplay.

    HOWEVER The multiplayer aspect of the game has become much, MUCH worse. You have to be in human form in order to see summoning    This game is a huge improvement over Demon's Souls. It has a lot more content and they removed the (in my opinion) annoying system of world tendency. In place is a humanity system which increases drop rates and affects various other things in the gameplay.

    HOWEVER
    The multiplayer aspect of the game has become much, MUCH worse. You have to be in human form in order to see summoning signs/get invaded. This already makes sure there is not a lot of online action, because there are no real benefits of playing in human form rather than in Hollow form. In 50 hours of playing I haven't been invaded once, and summoning often fails. Furthermore you rarely see summoning signs/blood stains from other players. Reason for this is the change from a server to P2P online. People are put in lobbies and can only interact with people from that lobby. Your lobby changes when you log out and in. This means that if you play for quite a long time at once chances are you are alone in your lobby which results in no multiplayer for you. Also, this makes grouping up with friends (like in Demon's Souls, putting down your soul sign in a certain place) near impossible. It is not strange for people to literally try HOURS before finally being able to group up.

    What a shame, From Software/Namco Bandai, the multiplayer mess up changes this grade from a 9.5 to an 8, since it is one of the biggest aspects of the game.    … Expand
  63. austenite
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is like candy for my brain. Unlike many mainstream games these days, Dark Souls will NOT let you progress unless you actively learn and adapt. If you lose your patience and try to rush into encounters Dark Souls will make you pay AND make you regret it. Dark Souls delivers a solid and fair rule set and it's sheer joy clawing your way through it's brutal passageways.
  64. Robbie111222
    Jan 26, 2012
    10
    Darks souls is by far one of the greatest action RPGs to grace the home console, it's not for the fainthearted either, ruthlessness lies deep within the experience, as you will soon notice. What kind of game welcomes you open armed, with a good pummelling, and hair shredding enemies, it's not long before your reminded mentally with the words "prepare to die", oh right yes the warnings onDarks souls is by far one of the greatest action RPGs to grace the home console, it's not for the fainthearted either, ruthlessness lies deep within the experience, as you will soon notice. What kind of game welcomes you open armed, with a good pummelling, and hair shredding enemies, it's not long before your reminded mentally with the words "prepare to die", oh right yes the warnings on the box, and it seems many didn't go down the avenue of digging the info, before trekking deep into this mammoth ass kicking world. Dark souls is vast itch great, mythical, dark, yet beautifull dreamed up locales, as you deeper, and deeper, your greeted by campfires that offers little salvation than to level up, heal, upgrade weapons, and a deep breath from the achievement that fact that you waged to advance forward, after an attack from the fearless beasts, and gigantic hordes. The game s huge,and rewarding, and implements a new direction for rpg lovers, it boldly steps up the antics, and can't wait to see what's next. Giving it 10 because t truly deserves it, yes theirs always niggles for some, but after playing many games, the niggles are minuscule.… Expand
  65. Crext
    Nov 7, 2011
    10
    This game is like it predecessor beautiful and challenging. Even for veterans of Demon Souls most of the monsters and bosses are completely fresh and innovative. It is hard, but not something most adults can handle with enough trial and error, and if you can you get the ability to summon other people relatively early, after second boss counting the tutorial one, thus gives yourself andThis game is like it predecessor beautiful and challenging. Even for veterans of Demon Souls most of the monsters and bosses are completely fresh and innovative. It is hard, but not something most adults can handle with enough trial and error, and if you can you get the ability to summon other people relatively early, after second boss counting the tutorial one, thus gives yourself and opportunity to cheat yourself true the game if you don't think your good enough, or need a guide. Also the bonefires makes progressing a lot easier as you don't have to redo as much as in the previous game. Looking at the negative comments the conclusion from these is eider that the people are too young, too impatient or simply one of the very few who can't complete hard content after enough trials, which is rather puzzling as the two first bosses has easy ways to beat them in less than 1 min. However, for veterans from Demon Souls, one can quickly adjust and rush parts of the game because it's many similarities, but the new environment and at times puzzling layout makes it just as much a mind game as a combat game, making those "old types of mobs" feel like a part of the puzzle.… Expand
  66. plinq
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Brilliant game -- if you like challenges, enjoy action RPGs, you should not miss this or its predecessor. Between the wide options of character design and PvP, should provide 100s of hrs of fun.
  67. GlenAllenHill
    Jun 16, 2012
    10
    My all-time favorite game, but not without flaws. Dark Souls is deep, and immensely rewarding, even after 400+hours. The combat is weighty and strategic. The atmosphere is dark and foreboding. And no game offers such a sense of satisfaction as your advance through each level and boss. However, there are a few flaws. 1) Online suffers from lag, which rears its ugly head in the formMy all-time favorite game, but not without flaws. Dark Souls is deep, and immensely rewarding, even after 400+hours. The combat is weighty and strategic. The atmosphere is dark and foreboding. And no game offers such a sense of satisfaction as your advance through each level and boss. However, there are a few flaws. 1) Online suffers from lag, which rears its ugly head in the form of lagstabs during PvP. This can get frustraing. 2) Sometimes your attacks get queued at the worst moments (Your press "Attack" button, only nothing happens. A few moments later, your attack finally registers at the worst possible time, leaving you open for counter.) 3) Camera can get janky and lead to deaths, although this can be fixed in the settings. 4) Bed of Chaos.... enough said. Overall, the lag is my biggest complaint to an otherwise fantastic game.… Expand
  68. IronGuy410
    Feb 4, 2012
    10
    Many people in their reviews talk about how these games' (Dark Souls and Demons Souls) difficulty take them back to an older age of gaming, when every game was either nearly impossible to beat or simply never ended. In many ways this is true. But these two games, and especially Dark Souls, harken back to that time in more ways than just their difficulty. They don't pride themselves onMany people in their reviews talk about how these games' (Dark Souls and Demons Souls) difficulty take them back to an older age of gaming, when every game was either nearly impossible to beat or simply never ended. In many ways this is true. But these two games, and especially Dark Souls, harken back to that time in more ways than just their difficulty. They don't pride themselves on their complicated stories or their beautiful graphics or their hyper-realism like some games do. They take you back to a time when you didn't need millions of dollars worth of graphics and cutscenes to enjoy the simple pleasure of just playing through a videogame. They give you a short movie explaining the backstory of their world and the premise of the game, they let you create an avatar of your ideal character, be it someone who looks just like you or completely different, they present the basic gameplay mechanics and controls that you'll need, and then they take you to this dark, beautiful world they've created and just let you play. And for that reason this is, in my humble opinion, one of the best examples of videogaming as an art form. It is a game that you can immerse yourself in for hours, simply because of the joy of playing, and exploring a new world completely unlike your own, without constant interruptions by NPCs and cutscenes trying to shove more of the plot down your throat. In short, this is a videogame, and a damn good one.… Expand
  69. TheReaper
    Nov 9, 2011
    10
    Casual gamers stick to prancing around your living rooms with your girlie Wii games because this game requires you to seriously MAN UP and is a must buy for any Hardcore RPG fans .Dark Souls gives you nothing, tell you nothing and shows you nothing at the beginning but persistence and determination reaps rewards and satisfaction like you wouldn't believe..... love it. ( hate it sometimes)Casual gamers stick to prancing around your living rooms with your girlie Wii games because this game requires you to seriously MAN UP and is a must buy for any Hardcore RPG fans .Dark Souls gives you nothing, tell you nothing and shows you nothing at the beginning but persistence and determination reaps rewards and satisfaction like you wouldn't believe..... love it. ( hate it sometimes) ... Masterclass… Expand
  70. Makaveli
    Jun 7, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok, I will start with that Dark Souls is defiantly not perfect. But I can't seem to give it a lower score than a 10. I guess maybe it's because any game that can keep you indulged for over 300 hours is worth a 10 in my book. The game isn't all THAT hard, it's just people are use to easy ass games that we have today. The game is challenging that is for sure. You can't just mash the R1 button and get away with it. You will die. Some parts of this game ARE cheap however. These parts are not difficult but very cheap. But for the most part it's just difficult with some cheap areas. You will never truly feel powerful in this game no matter if you are level 1 or if you are level 600 hundred. I'm not sure but I killed an online player and I got like 300 million souls and it was weird because I leveled my character with these souls and the enemies seemed to be just as strong if not stronger than they were before. I tested this as well. I made a new game and leveled up only to level 13 and I fought Orinstein and Smough and it seems to me that the first time I fought them I was level 40 and when I was level 13 it felt the same. Another thing I don't like is when you kill someone online and receive millions upon millions of souls, it was because they cheated to get those souls, and when you kill them and get those souls it kind of breaks the game, because it's not like you are going to not use the souls that you received, and this kind of pissed me off because it happened to me many times where I'd kill someone online and receive a ridiculous amount of souls that when I leveled my level 50 character I was able to level him from 50 to like level 300 hundred and even one time I received the max souls for killing on online person so now i'm at like level 6 hundred and something. But the funny thing is that, even though my character is almost maxed out, it is still a hard game. Ever since I spent these souls and almost maxed out my character, it seems enemies can kill me in like 2 hits. So in a way it's actually harder than it was when I was at level 50. Leveling up to me doesn't really do much. The best way is to level up your armor and weapons, because leveling yourself up seems to make the game harder. Which is good. The only thing that matters is if you have enough strength to even hold a certain weapon that you like and upgrade it. People say the Drake sword is good.. yeah it is, but not for long. The Drake sword actually sucks even if you max it out. On New Game+ the Drake sword is useless. But by the time you are at New Game+you should have way better weapons anyway. The enemy that I hated the most was those skeleton wheel things. They aren't so bad in the catacombs but in the painting of aramis(or whatever) they are a real pain in the ass. I'm not going to lie this game WILL at some point frustrate you, and you will hate it, but it's a hate that you will love ( yes that makes sense) I don't know how many times I wanted to throw my PS3 controller, but then you laugh at how mad this game will make you. Like I said there ARE cheap deaths in this game, but for the most part it's just challenging. Don't go into Dark Souls and think you are tough **** The first time you get cursed you will feel like killing yourself.lol. That's what I like about this game though. In other games you get cursed or something and it doesn't really matter because it will wear off. If you get cursed in this game you are actually cursed... You will get only half of your health bar until you find a cure. This can be a **** because if you kill the guy in New Londo ruins ( to get the key early) he's the only one in the game that can heal your curse, and you can buy purging items from the guy at the first bell, but he only has 4 items that will release this curse. there is also a ring that you wear that if you die it will undo the curse. But if you kill the new londo guy and run out of curse items, then you will have to do the rest of the game with only half of your health bar... So yes the game will punish you if you do stupid things. which is good. If you haven't played the game yet I suggest to you that if you DO play it to not kill any of the NPCs the first play through because you might regret it... I killed the first merchant in undeadburg because I thought he was weird, and I regretted it because I couldn't buy the things that I needed to. Defiantly don't kill any blacksmiths because that you will no doubt regret.
    The story itself is amazing, that is if you read item descriptions ( they don't hand the story to you) However both the endings of this game are weird, because it doesn't explain much, but you may understand it if you take the time and read and listen to NPCs. The first play through I didn't know what was going on. The 2nd play through I understood almost everything.. You have to buy this game just to experience it. it is an amazing game that is no doubt a great experience...    … Expand
  71. lionalio
    Feb 1, 2012
    8
    A very good game, actually in this year, you can hardly find such a game like this with an awesome gameplay, epic boss fights, tough enemies, and more over, just one mistake and you are dead man! If you don't care much about the storyline (which is ambiguity), only care about fighting and wander around, this game is your type. But another thing: If you are seeking for a casual game, thisA very good game, actually in this year, you can hardly find such a game like this with an awesome gameplay, epic boss fights, tough enemies, and more over, just one mistake and you are dead man! If you don't care much about the storyline (which is ambiguity), only care about fighting and wander around, this game is your type. But another thing: If you are seeking for a casual game, this is definitely NOT for you.… Expand
  72. MrFlankster
    Oct 23, 2011
    10
    Coming from a person that really only likes FPS, I have to say... for me, this is the greatest game of all time! This is a major step up from Demon Souls. I have never played a sequel that absolutely squashes the first game in every way. MUST BUY!
  73. eulogy
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This game really is as difficult as they say, but it is fair. It reminds me of games on the NES, obviously with much prettier graphics. The story is there, it's just not handed to the player - you have to piece things together yourself which is a very unique way of story-telling not often seen in video games. For any true gamer, this game should be a very strong contender for Game ofThis game really is as difficult as they say, but it is fair. It reminds me of games on the NES, obviously with much prettier graphics. The story is there, it's just not handed to the player - you have to piece things together yourself which is a very unique way of story-telling not often seen in video games. For any true gamer, this game should be a very strong contender for Game of the Year. I put over 200 hours into the game in just a month of it being out, and I generally don't spend that much time playing on console. This game alone justifies owning a console, even as a PC gamer.… Expand
  74. EastonReviews
    Mar 12, 2012
    7
    A game that requires no skill, concentration, and very few tactics, just a lot of deaths and picking some right moves. You learn nothing over your 100s of deaths, but you keep trying 'till you get it right. So it's simple; this game is not for everyone. If you are someone that loves a challenge and something more like classic Castlevania, then this is for you. You will notice the beautifulA game that requires no skill, concentration, and very few tactics, just a lot of deaths and picking some right moves. You learn nothing over your 100s of deaths, but you keep trying 'till you get it right. So it's simple; this game is not for everyone. If you are someone that loves a challenge and something more like classic Castlevania, then this is for you. You will notice the beautiful graphics and creativitey. Aswell as some excellent settings. But, as pretty polished as it is, remember that it might not be worth your 40 bucks if your anticipation for a challenge and sheer diffculty runs down quickly. Also take notice that the game itself will not have a lot of time invested in it as there are very few great moments in the game.
    However this review is mostly positive, as I still enjoy the challenge and idea of the game. That takes us to the plot, which in some state, beats Skyrim's, which is a game I praised.
    So if your a big RPG fan or even a casual gamer looking for something new, this is for you. If someone how enjoys more Skyrim like RPGs, prepare to be dissapointed. But the majority of you will be satisfied with this clever, original game.    … Expand
  75. CriticalAndy
    Oct 15, 2011
    9
    One of the best RPG's available deep and engaging, punishing but fair. The combat is satisfying and the open world is atmospheric. It would be an easy ten if it weren't for the frequent frame rate issues and graphical oddities.
  76. LogantheRunner
    Oct 19, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is one of the best games ever - sure its challenging - but better balanced than Demons Souls - Demons Souls had me stuck on the opening fight scene for three days until I learnt how to play properly - but in both games the reward is a fluid and satisfying combat system that takes patience and intelligence and good reaction times. The game can be slow to start, but there isDark Souls is one of the best games ever - sure its challenging - but better balanced than Demons Souls - Demons Souls had me stuck on the opening fight scene for three days until I learnt how to play properly - but in both games the reward is a fluid and satisfying combat system that takes patience and intelligence and good reaction times. The game can be slow to start, but there is still progression. The reward is greater than most 'easy' games for kids -Dark Souls is rated for mature audiences for a reason.
    If you are looking for an easy ride, look elsewhere, but for real oldschool gamers, this is like a throwback to the old days when games posed a challenge and only the finest could clock them!    … Expand
  77. Rawsquid
    Nov 6, 2011
    10
    There's a type of atmosphere that exists in Dark Souls and Demon's Souls that I have yet to feel in any other game I've ever played. This atmosphere is difficult to define but I think it's a result of the bleak and twisted, awe-inspiring, almost surreal-like environment that you trudge through in Dark Souls. There are certain moments in Dark Souls where my jaw literally dropped inThere's a type of atmosphere that exists in Dark Souls and Demon's Souls that I have yet to feel in any other game I've ever played. This atmosphere is difficult to define but I think it's a result of the bleak and twisted, awe-inspiring, almost surreal-like environment that you trudge through in Dark Souls. There are certain moments in Dark Souls where my jaw literally dropped in amazement, and for this reason alone this game is a gem in my book. For example, when I was first brought up to Anor Londo (one of the later areas) for the first time I put down the controller and stared at my TV screen in utter marvel as I observed the most amazing view I had ever seen in a video game before. There are quite a few of these, but this one really stood out to me. The scope and size of Dark Souls is unbelievable, and nearing the edge of a cliff or walking across a narrow beam at the very top of a gigantic church while trying to fend off assassins gives you that "fear of heights" feeling. The shortage of guidance, friendly characters and story gives you the somber hopelessness that most modern-day survival horror games fail to convey. Dark Souls is extremely reward-oriented, often throwing daunting challenges at you, but if you overcome them you will get something worth the effort. It could be a sweet set of armor, a powerful weapon, a ring, a bunch of souls, or just a really useful item (which there are hundreds of). In my opinion Dark Souls in superior to Demon's Souls for a few significant reasons. The biggest I think is the interconnection of all the areas, making Dark Souls one huge world, instead of a couple level portals in Demon's Souls. I thought that seeing the transition between an undead church and a dark forest was much more natural and immersive than entering a portal in the hub-world which teleported you to that level. Dark Souls also requires the player to think hard about different routes to take to a destination and forces the player to map out the world in their head which is appealing to some RPG exploration fans. Another difference and huge improvement is the diversity in environments. Demon's Souls lacked any great diversity, consisting of mainly the undead and meloncholy themes, whereas every area in Dark Souls is something completely different, whether its a modern looking castle in an orange sunset, a dark forest, ruins flooded with lava pools, caverns, etc.

    I consider Dark Souls more of an action-adventure game than an RPG, and for a game of that genre Dark Souls is massive. If you are a player of average skill and intelligence it would most likely require at least 60-70 hours for the first playthrough, and these are all quality hours, not fill-in hours. Dark Souls is very open-ended, with very little guidance, or idea of what to do next. There are a few limitations that guide the overall game (such as not having access to later areas in the beginning), but for the most part the player chooses their own play style and goals. Dark Souls isn't perfect, however. Low framerates seems to be a pretty widespread issue, significantly affecting one specific area of the game. I had some issues with button responsiveness, which is rare but when it happens it's usually really inconvenient timing. For example (sometimes my character wouldn't immediately drink the potion after pushing square, he might wait 2 or 3 seconds). Also, I've come across 2-3 glitches in my 70 hours of play so far (each time killing me). I found the combat system, camera, controls, lock on system, and most other technicalities to be fair, so death is usually the player's fault, not a faulty system. Dark Souls does so much right, overshadowing any flaws it might have. It brings you into its twisted world and punishes you until you master it. It's immersive, addictive, ominous and unforgiving, challenging, diverse, and dismally beautiful. If you give it the patience and time it deserves, you'll find yourself with one of the most enjoyable, rewarding, and gripping games this decade has to offer.    … Expand
  78. Kemchimikemkem
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    This game took me by surprise. From the other reviews I was expecting a very tough game with mediocre content, with no one admitting the content was mediocre because hey, if you don't like hard games, you're a pansy. Boy was I wrong. It's a very tough game with EXCEPTIONAL content. The art direction, atmosphere, creature design, combat, levels, items, unique multiplayer, every gameplayThis game took me by surprise. From the other reviews I was expecting a very tough game with mediocre content, with no one admitting the content was mediocre because hey, if you don't like hard games, you're a pansy. Boy was I wrong. It's a very tough game with EXCEPTIONAL content. The art direction, atmosphere, creature design, combat, levels, items, unique multiplayer, every gameplay aspect is exceptionally polished. Triple A, must play game.

    Almost ironically, Dark Souls is empowering. Most games coddle you, pampering you with replenishing health, soothing you with infinite lives, but this one kicks your ass and tells you jack squat about how to do anything, forcing you rise to the occasion, learn it yourself, and feel like someone for whom these kinds of challenges are meant. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And it is challenging. Boss fights typically range from ten to twenty tries before you memorize the weaknesses and play without messing up, sighing with relief as you watch whatever fatty (in joke) evaporate into souls.

    I haven't rapped it yet, about forty hours in and level thirty-five, but I highly recommend Dark Souls. It's one of the few games that feels rewarding because you actually have to earn the rewards. The only must play of the year so far for me, and I'm a jaded gamer. Expect a bit of an adjustment period as you get used to the game's pace and difficulty, and I recommend checking out IGN's guide which shows you how to get the Drake Sword and recommends the Master Key gift for your character (get it). Dark Souls is awesome. If you like RPGs at all and enjoy a challenge, can't get a better bang for your buck.    … Expand
  79. warmax
    Oct 24, 2011
    10
    Dark souls is a very deep and intense unique game. A truly must experience game or at least try it out a few hours , you will not regret the moment you start playing it you will start to feel something you have never experienced before in gaming, truly awesome i don't even need to tell you how amazing it is , but I'm sure you will not regret even trying it out since it's just uniquelyDark souls is a very deep and intense unique game. A truly must experience game or at least try it out a few hours , you will not regret the moment you start playing it you will start to feel something you have never experienced before in gaming, truly awesome i don't even need to tell you how amazing it is , but I'm sure you will not regret even trying it out since it's just uniquely different and awesome. Too lazy to review but really just give it a try you will not regret. : )… Expand
  80. chado1980
    Oct 25, 2011
    10
    Personally I'd like to thank From software for giving us a gem in an era of regurgitated, mindless crap. Not since I was a kid 25 years ago have I been so moved to press on after hours of repeated death and failure. When I die, I always know exactly what I did to get myself killed, and the rush of learning (THINKING) your way to success in such an awesome real-time combat system isPersonally I'd like to thank From software for giving us a gem in an era of regurgitated, mindless crap. Not since I was a kid 25 years ago have I been so moved to press on after hours of repeated death and failure. When I die, I always know exactly what I did to get myself killed, and the rush of learning (THINKING) your way to success in such an awesome real-time combat system is unparalleled IMO.

    If you like a good challenge and put depth and precision of gameplay (combat) far above all else, you have to play this game.

    I've been looking forward to nothing but Skyrim for over a year, and am pleasantly surprised to find myself thinking that Bethesda will have to pull off a miracle to make my game of the year. First time in years that I did not want my $65 back after a week.    … Expand
  81. Ralphi3
    Oct 26, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is the definition of a hardcore game. This separates games from real games. If your a man and are tired of story driven games and lame characters and a stupid plot and ending along with how easy a game can be, check this game out! it has none of those! There is not even a story, you get thrown into an area and can do whatever you want, its a well thought out and addictingDark Souls is the definition of a hardcore game. This separates games from real games. If your a man and are tired of story driven games and lame characters and a stupid plot and ending along with how easy a game can be, check this game out! it has none of those! There is not even a story, you get thrown into an area and can do whatever you want, its a well thought out and addicting dungeon crawler that takes skill to master. And you will die, the games slogan does not lie about that. But you never feel like your deaths were unfair, you understand why you died and how you can fix it. I recommend also getting the guide, dark souls is a rough and amazing adventure, and to do well and know everything about the areas you are in feels awesome. i have already invested about 30 hours of gameplay and beat the game, and starting a new game with your same level and items makes you waste even more of your time in this one of a kind world. Truly one of my favorite games of all time!yet i didnt really care for demon souls that much haha… Expand
  82. Ruvaire
    Oct 28, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is a great game. Tight combat that punishes mistakes. Gorgeous visuals and atmosphere. Fun, challenging boss fights. A few bugs and glitches, but nothing game breaking. I give Dark Souls a 10.
  83. Ps3blaze22
    Feb 20, 2012
    10
    BEST RPG game ever!, sooooo underrated too, i mean how the **** can an AMAZING game like this get a 7 or 8 while other **** games like Skyirm get 8 and 9, believe me.. you MUST buy this game.. Its so much fun, the story is also AMAZING! You will really like this game, I highly recommend this game to everyone with a PS3
  84. Anton9090
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls, a game not for the weak!. This game can be really hard for new comers, hard as in you will not have a fun time in the first few hours or days, you will need to practice a lot if you want to be good here. While it can be hard at first, it is totally worth it, this game has been such a great experience, you cannot pass out on this one.
  85. titanicpenguin
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    This game shocked me so much. Its probably the hardest game i have played since some of the old side scrollers but dont let that put you off. the game is never unfair and is always fun. there is no other game out there that is as rewarding as Dark Souls
  86. Zyco
    Nov 9, 2011
    9
    Great all around game, its a throw back to a time when games just challenged you and didnt have 5 difficulty settings so you can just walk thru the game like watching a movie. This game will teach you how to play it better by killing you every time you make mistakes. I still prefer Demons Souls for some reason, I cant explain it .. but Dark Souls is a wonderful game and a 9/10 in my book.
  87. thatfool
    Nov 9, 2011
    10
    Dark Souls is a classic hack&slash game with RPG elements. Its most defining characteristic is that it tries really hard to be more than your typical modern walk-in-the-park RPG. This game celebrates death, especially yours, and preferably as often as possible. Even if you don't know its predecessor, Demon Souls, you'll love Dark Souls if you loved the challenging games we used to have oneDark Souls is a classic hack&slash game with RPG elements. Its most defining characteristic is that it tries really hard to be more than your typical modern walk-in-the-park RPG. This game celebrates death, especially yours, and preferably as often as possible. Even if you don't know its predecessor, Demon Souls, you'll love Dark Souls if you loved the challenging games we used to have one or two decades ago. The satisfaction to be gotten from finally beating a hard boss, or even a hard normal mob, after two hours of trying different strategies is something that most modern games can't offer. Technically, the RPG elements vary between very strong (character development via skills and equipment) and fairly weak (not that much story, not that much choice beyond "do I kill this NPC or do I let him live" and "which boss do I take on next or do I prepare some more"). Combat is very well implemented. In many RPGs, melee combat feels like you're just standing in front of the enemy and waving your sword around in the air. Not so in Dark Souls. It's genuinely fun to figure out how to use your weapon efficiently and watch the hit animations when you manage to pull it off. Dark Souls is also an open world title, unlike its predecessor. The world isn't entirely open, you won't find many large open spaces. Instead, you'll find a non-linear maze of twisted passages, not at all alike, and each a challenge to get through. The checkpoint mechanic is somewhat different from most similar games in that resting at a checkpoint revives all enemies (except bosses). This makes each section between two checkpoints a puzzle where you actually have to figure out how to survive through to the end, you can't just run in with metaphorical guns blazing, die, and continue from where you died. Unlockable shortcuts that lead you back to earlier checkpoints make traveling easier once you have solved a section, but until you do, each next bonfire is almost on par with a boss fight in how satisfying it is to reach them intact. The death mechanic is fairly strict but not frustratingly so: You only lose souls, the game's currency for which you buy skill upgrades or items, and stored humanity, a currency for some more exclusive things. Your equipment remains intact, not breaking the flow of the game, you can immediately try again with no major maintenance required. You have one chance to make it back to the location of your death to reclaim the dropped souls and humanity; if you fail, they're lost forever. This makes it very satisfying to make it back, and is a strong incentive to play carefully as opposed to rushing through.


    Multiplayer is kind of nice, but works different from most other multiplayer games I've been playing lately. I really enjoy reading the messages other players can leave in my world (by choosing from combinations of specific words, so no immersion-breaking language there). Receiving and leaving hints works very well and is a nice touch. Another other side to multiplayer is invasions. When certain conditions are met, you may invade other players' worlds and slay them to gain their humanity. This is actually more varied than it sounds right now, since there are many different reasons the game gives you to do this based on choices you make, e.g. which covenant you join and so on. Yet another side to mp is that you can offer help to other players by putting down a summoning sign in your world. Other players who are in human form can then summon you before taking on a boss.


    One last point: The art direction and overall design is fantastic. Especially if you're like me and have played a lot of western RPGs. Dark Souls's dark atmosphere and brilliantly executed level design is a very rare gem in the post-Tolkien-movies world we live in today.    … Expand
  88. JiggyJoe
    Nov 20, 2011
    9
    Great game, definitely not for the faint of heart or those looking for someone whose looking for a quick pick up and play game. Great art style, game play mechanics, and implementation of online makes this game stick out amongst the other great games of 2011.
  89. ciaranh
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Deceptively simple controls but devilishly difficult to master. Sure you will die, a lot. But the charm of Dark Souls is in learning from your mistakes and overcoming the enemies that the game puts in your way. When you finally do beat one of the bosses it feels like a real achievement and it's been a while since a game has made me feel that way about overcoming an enemy. The game has it'sDeceptively simple controls but devilishly difficult to master. Sure you will die, a lot. But the charm of Dark Souls is in learning from your mistakes and overcoming the enemies that the game puts in your way. When you finally do beat one of the bosses it feels like a real achievement and it's been a while since a game has made me feel that way about overcoming an enemy. The game has it's faults the rag-doll corpses can be extremely distracting and the amount of work that needs to be put into levelling up can put off a lot of players. But this is a game that is worth every one of the many deaths that you will inevitably encounter.… Expand
  90. sh1nigami
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    I have put in over 180 hours into this game and I am still loving it. I beat it once already and I am about half way through my second play-through. I really struggled on my first play-through, this is a hard game, but is also extremely rewarding to conquer. The second time through is much easier and is fun in a different way. I can solo most of the bosses at this point. It is stillI have put in over 180 hours into this game and I am still loving it. I beat it once already and I am about half way through my second play-through. I really struggled on my first play-through, this is a hard game, but is also extremely rewarding to conquer. The second time through is much easier and is fun in a different way. I can solo most of the bosses at this point. It is still hard, but easier. I plan to beat it at least 3 times and I hope that it keeps getting easier. It is rewarding to completely dominate an area/enemy that you really struggled to get through the first. I love this game, it is the best RPG I have ever played.… Expand
  91. docgonzo
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Best game of all time period! In my mind I feel like I'm getting a similar feeling that when I first played Zelda back in nes days.... You are left on your own and you have a vast world to explore with tons of secrets... Multiplayer adds infinite value to the game. The game truly not as hard as they say if you learn from your mistakes.... Mainstream games dev should take notes and tryBest game of all time period! In my mind I feel like I'm getting a similar feeling that when I first played Zelda back in nes days.... You are left on your own and you have a vast world to explore with tons of secrets... Multiplayer adds infinite value to the game. The game truly not as hard as they say if you learn from your mistakes.... Mainstream games dev should take notes and try tto come up with new originals ideas in the future !… Expand
  92. Runfocovah
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    I didnt played demon souls but Imust say Dark Souls its one of the best games i have played ever... It took me back to my childhood when I started playing videogames in 1986 because I didnt wanted to stop playing. This game will suck you in, kick your ass and live you wanting more. Yes its hard but cheap hard, you always learn more.. What to do, what not and how. Im 100+ in it on my 2ndI didnt played demon souls but Imust say Dark Souls its one of the best games i have played ever... It took me back to my childhood when I started playing videogames in 1986 because I didnt wanted to stop playing. This game will suck you in, kick your ass and live you wanting more. Yes its hard but cheap hard, you always learn more.. What to do, what not and how. Im 100+ in it on my 2nd playthrough and hat to put it aside to leve time for other games (and my wife).… Expand
  93. dmendo0137
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    great game didn't play the first one but I'm gonna pick it up today , and it.s not that hard you just have to be play carefully. I am on my third play trough and I'm still enjoying it.
  94. ManOfHokuto
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    After completing the game twice and starting multiple other characters all adding up to a playtime of about 140 hours I believe I am ready to write a review. Let's begin with the graphics: they truly are beautiful. From the terrifying demons to the dark fantasy setting, everything looks simply awesome and completely fits the game. The controls are precise and easy to understand and veryAfter completing the game twice and starting multiple other characters all adding up to a playtime of about 140 hours I believe I am ready to write a review. Let's begin with the graphics: they truly are beautiful. From the terrifying demons to the dark fantasy setting, everything looks simply awesome and completely fits the game. The controls are precise and easy to understand and very responsive. Gameplay is simply fun in its great variety and multiple playthroughs of the game always feel different if you go for over character builds. The story is told rather subtly but is definitely there and very interesting if you decide to dig a little deeper into the game. Online interaction is a lot of fun, though there are connection problems sometimes at the time this review was written. However Fromsoftware is working on patches to fix such problems.
    This game is a definite and full recommendation for people who truly love games. Every success you have will make you feel great and you will be craving for more. Your first playthrough will last you about 70 hours and replay value is huge. In my opinion a possible GOTY.    … Expand
  95. freddyvito
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    This game it the best rpg ever! So much fun, and it's so challenging. It never gets old. I haven't finished it yet, but the bosses have been very creative and intense.
  96. lucaspb
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    Best game ever!!! Loved Demons Souls and i am loving dark souls. Really good game, full of new things to explore and improve. Its not like games today that you just go and win, you HAVE to improve your skills, to chage strategy, to discover new ways to beat the game.
  97. MoAjam
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    I started off playing this game and hating it. I constantly compared it to Demon's Souls, which was not the proper way of looking at it. When I realized that the game instantly started getting more enjoyable. The start was a little slow and uninteresting, but once you start finding newer and better gear, it becomes far more enjoyable. The boss fights are generally simple and will mostI started off playing this game and hating it. I constantly compared it to Demon's Souls, which was not the proper way of looking at it. When I realized that the game instantly started getting more enjoyable. The start was a little slow and uninteresting, but once you start finding newer and better gear, it becomes far more enjoyable. The boss fights are generally simple and will most likely require you to fail the first time, but once you pick up what to do it becomes very simple. I didn't enjoy some bosses as I found some strategies spoiled them i.e Repeatedly performing plunging blows (an attack that requires you to jump from a height and stab the enemy, dealing enormous damage). Regardless of that, the majority of boss fights were tedious in a good way.

    The weapon system in the game was very annoying at the start. I had to restart because I built dexterity high and I hadn't come across ANY weapon better than the drake sword (a strength requiring sword you get at the 2nd area) after completing 4 (4 areas) bosses. I was dissatisfied that I couldn't build dexterity and only ended up building my strength for melee. That probably would of had me lower my score, but Dark Souls is meant to be a challenging game and I can't consider something more challenging to lower its score. I was satisfied with the adjustments they made to magic and miracles from the previous game. In Demon's souls miracles were good, but they were nowhere near the abilities of magic. Magic was an easy way out of game, but in Dark Souls magic has been split to sorcery and pyromancy. Miracle s can now be some competition for them. That's not the only thing though, miracles have a much larger variety of spells to select. It was disappointing to find a small variety in pyromancy flames, because it ended up having no cons with no competition for other flames.

    The gameplay is well done, but has some small tedious issues. Locking-on a target is risky and can cause you to die. If you are locked on, you may ending up walking back and falling off a ledge to your death. If that is not the case, you may end up being swarmed from behind and find it hard to escape. Other than that, the controls are perfect and the reaction times are well done. The game looks amazing and has possibly the greatest textures I have seen on console. No doubt they are better than many of it's competitors for RPG of the year i.e Skyrim. The environment really immerses you into the game and it feels dark all the way through. The animations for the player are excellent. There are a different variety of weapon animations for the same type of weapon i.e Some greataxes will swing differently. The bosses also have good animations and really help with you with your timing in understanding there attacks.

    There was no real compelling the story in the game. There is only some plot at the start and some in the last third. It was very disappointing that none of the 4 lords and final boss spoke, but I knew I wasn't buying the game for the plot.

    Although there were flaws, the pros outweigh them tremendously. If I bought the game unaware of what I was getting I would probably rate it 9/10, but I already knew there would be no compelling story.    … Expand
  98. ChestyLaRue
    Dec 28, 2011
    10
    After playing Demon's Souls nothing could quite match it for its difficulty and solid game mechanics. Until now. Dark Souls takes everything I loved about Demon's Souls and just makes it that bit better. The combat is just as good, the graphics are much improved and the bosses are even more imaginative. This game isn't for everyone, it is difficult, extremely difficult, but only difficultAfter playing Demon's Souls nothing could quite match it for its difficulty and solid game mechanics. Until now. Dark Souls takes everything I loved about Demon's Souls and just makes it that bit better. The combat is just as good, the graphics are much improved and the bosses are even more imaginative. This game isn't for everyone, it is difficult, extremely difficult, but only difficult because people underestimate it. Most games nowadays just require a random mashing of buttons to defeat enemies but in the case of Dark Souls if you rush into combat you're more than likely dead already. The game rewards patient play and that's they key to getting through the game. Studying the opponents moves and not rushing into it.

    Overall it's an incredible game but buy it with the knowledge that you will struggle and die on many occasions but that's not a reason to at the very least rent this game and see what it's all about.    … Expand
  99. Simonidas
    Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Super dalsia game for two years juhuuuuuuuu: D: P but the inac paradne hard to me when I skip paci cour game of skill: D so I will. This year the vysli and also vydu vela dobrych critici's games fest esta I mat tazke: D.
  100. kdcoke
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    A great game, very addictive, will keep you entertained for hours if you have the patience, it can be frustrating at times but this game is hard not impossible. just dont around killing everyone like i did..
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

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