Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition PC
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 873 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 590 out of 873
  2. Mixed: 49 out of 873
  3. Negative: 234 out of 873

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  1. Zanadar
    Aug 24, 2012
    5
    An excellent game, marred by a sloppy, horribly executed console port. Even if we were to dismiss the graphical issues, low FPS, locked internal resolution and the technical problems on some hardware like crashes and freezes, we're still left with one plain and simple fact. Dark Souls is designed to be played with a gamepad. No effort was made to alter that fact in any way. As a result the keyboard and mouse settings are clunky, unwieldy and imprecise, the camera a cruel mistress at the best of times. Any fan of this title knows that precision is key to success and the mouse controlled camera affords none whatsoever, whereas the attempting to use solely the keyboard results in a rather awkward realization that an additional hand would be necessary to accomplish anything at all. It's unfortunate this port is such a disaster, as this is by far one of the best RPGs (if we are to define "RPG" in the "Diablo" sense of the term as opposed to say, the Baldur's Gate sense) to have come out in a good decade.… Expand
  2. aksu113
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Bad Pc port and hard controls but still i really enjoy of this game
  3. Noolah
    Aug 24, 2012
    3
    I'm wishing I'd spent my money on Darksiders II instead. This game is just dire. The story is let down by graphics that wouldn't have looked out of place on my original Xbox. Yes, I can set the resolution to 1920 x 1080, but it's obviously still intended to be played on a big screen. Don't get me started on the control system; if I'd wanted to use a gamepad to play a game, I'd have bought it for my 360 instead. You can customize the keyboard controls and even use a mouse (mouse support is just terrible), but all of the on-screen prompts assume you're using a game pad. So you're left either mashing keys until you get the right one, or having to look it up on the cheat-sheet you've probably had to print out to stand any chance of even being able to press the correct button. The camera controls are also extremely annoying. TL;DR - If you want this game, get the console version.… Expand
  4. Q8eZy
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Pc gamers give pc gamers a bad name. One of the best games of all time down voted because it is the exact same as the console (not entirely true, extra content + durante's rez fix + better frame rates make this the ultimate version). Just goes to show that PC gamers dont actually like great games, they like epeen things like $1000 video cards and 3-monitor setups. Meh, their loss.
  5. voathun
    Aug 25, 2012
    3
    I don't mind that there are no PC exclusive high res texture options. Dark Souls isn't about graphics. I don't mind GFWL. Annoying, but whatever. I don't mind the 30 fps frame lock. The gameplay experience is smooth enough. I don't mind the limited resolution. On the first day someone already provided a fix for that. .. but what I do mind is the fact how insulting the implementation of the controls are. Wake up. This PC version isn't a love-letter from the developer to the PC community. No, the management looked at the 100'000+ petition and thought... wow, easy money. Lets do a port with the least effort possible!

    The result is, that they didn't even bother do remove the windows mouse cursor from the screen while in game! The ingame hints are based on the xbox controller layout and cannot be changed. The keyboard / mouse control method is next to useless. You need to play it in order to see how abysmal the controls actually are.

    "So what? Get a gamepad!" some may cry. The default PC peripherals are mouse and keyboard last time I checked and if you own a gamepad then the chances are pretty decent, that you also own a console. So whats the point of a PC version in the first place? The Dark Souls DLC is coming to consoles later this year anyway.

    But if you already own a gamepad or you're willing to invest into one, then ignore the user ratings, because with a gamepad the gameplay experience is as it should be. Read the official critic reviews, hype yourself up and enjoy one of the best mature RPG experiences that there is out there.    … Expand
  6. kappamerc
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Due to the bad port, I'd give this 8/10. However, adding the graphical mod and using a controller make both of my main issues with the game a non-issue. Since there are people out there giving 0's I am making this a 10.

    Assuming you are playing with a controller (first time I've ever hooked my xbox controller up to my PC but totally worth it)
    -The controls feel great.
    -The graphics     are good once modded.
    -The gameplay is solid, not once did I die and think, "Well that was unfair."
    -Combat has weight and strategy.
    -The world is dark medieval fantasy at its best.
    -Boss fights are grand, epic, challenging, and rewarding once taken down.
    -Armor is interesting.
    -Weapons look neat and feel distinct.
    -Difficulty is just right.
    -Death is an expected teaching mechanic. -You are punished for making bad decisions but through those decisions you come up with new ideas. -This game punishes you with death for making bad decisions but it rewards you for playing smart.
    -Each encounter is consistent, deliberate, and gives the player plenty of opportunity to make the right decisions.

    At the end of the day, Dark Souls delivers the same experience as consoles but with some extra content, a faster framerate, cheaper price point, and the potential to pickup a mod for higher resolution textures.

    Play this with a USB controller, my xbox controller had no issues syncing up for this game. I highly recommend people play this game on any system they can get their hands on. Just make sure your have a controller if you get the PC version.    … Expand
  7. JMILTON
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    This has got to be the worst PC port I ever had a displeasure to endure. The graphics are horrible, combat controls are clunky at best, non responsive at worst, there is no real story attached to this game and the game difficulty that has been heralded as the savior of the challenging gaming is nothing but an over inflated trial and error garbage. To make things even worse it's not even that difficult. I killed the first boss by dying once, and the whole "combat" experience could be described as just being tedious. Avoid at all costs, watching plants grow is more fun than this overhyped trash of a game.… Expand
  8. kitoro
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    It's Dark Souls, on pc and it's a 10. It's an exact port of the best console game/ game of this generation. Seriously ignore the high pitched girlyman resolution/keyboard/mouse/gfwl/consoleportomfgshtuup background whine and just buy an xbox gamepad. I really really wish i could be playing it again for the first time just to experience it with fresh eyes. It has a game world full of weird mystery, memorable characters and some of the most awesome and imaginative bosses and combat ever. It hints where other games crap exposition over you, and a winding twisting design to the levels that really impresses once you understand what is going on.

    There is nothing remotely close to this on pc.    … Expand
  9. Stormcrow666
    Aug 24, 2012
    4
    This easily could have been made into one of the better computer games this year, instead it is a terrible port that need a lot of work. The graphics are just plain terrible. 30fps limiter with dips to 20fps is just atrocious. This game uses approximately 10% of my gpu power. The camera is shaky and annoying. The controls are obviously ported. I was smashing buttons trying to figure out how to do simple things like access my inventory. It is a real shame since this game could have been something so much better than this poor port. I understand that the console version is great but sometimes ports are not meant to be ported unless there is additional work done to make it a better experience for the PC user.… Expand
  10. TSB
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    Terrible port this game should be out in 2005 or something the graphics is so bad with no PC setting 720p native resolution and with 30 FPS locked . The gameplay is not smooth at all and starting with broken sword is so idiot thing to have in game the difficulty of this game is u having some **** weapon in close tight area it is not about skill when ever u rest u will have the same enemies you already killed this game is really one of the worst games I ever played there is nothing fun about it .… Expand
  11. JosephR
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    To all people who are downrating it because the game because it is a port. I have to ask, what did you expect, Fromsoftware is an EXTREMELY small company who barely had the manpower to make the game for ps3 and xbox. If they wanted to make a perfect pc port, they would have had to rewrite the entire code for the game, by themselves, which would have been impossible. Fromsoftware gave the information that it would be a port from xbox before it was released and anyone who didn't know this, or rather is downrating because of it, shouldn't be a little **** about it… Expand
  12. Tata
    Aug 24, 2012
    8
    It's all Bulletstorm again, where GFWL ruins an otherwise great game. Now, add the console port issues to that and you've got one of the biggest mess of a game this year. If I had to rate the vanilla game, I'd give it a 0 or 1. They absolutely took ZERO time to make this run better on the PC. What's funnier, a group of game developers (console experts or not) can't do, what a modder can do in 23 minutes, at all. The game itself is good, though the combat is almost identical with The Witcher 2's difficulty and combat, it's just as enjoyable. Cinematics are good, so is exploration and character customization, but god, the menus and the tutorials are atrocius. The guy who had the idea to make the End button the one which brings the menu up instead of Escape should be fired. I actually had to Alt+Tab and search how to open the menu, just like the inventory menu in Skyrim.
    To make this short, it's a great game, but GFWL and the issues I mentioned make this game very unfriendly. If you are patient enough to wait until modders fix the game or the developers use the modders' works as patches, then wait. If you're completely fed up with GFWL, I suggest pirating is the way to go. I swore that Bulletstorm will be the last game I buy that uses GFWL, and sadly, I had to keep this promise, since there is no DRM free version. It's sad that Namco Bandai choose to go EA's way, meaning the DRM and no optimization.    … Expand
  13. Ezekial
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    This game is a direct console port. They didn't even remap the Xbox buttons to interact with things. But that's ok, they still released a PC version by community request. I highly recommend playing this game with a Xbox controller, or a PS3 controller using MotionJoy DS3 Tool to emulate a Xbox controller--this is what I do, and it plays perfectly like the PS3 version. Next thing I recommend is to get the community made resolution fix located here: http://blog.metaclassofnil.com/?p=108

    The difference is unbelievable, and will make your game look phenomenal.    … Expand
  14. cmoyano
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    the game is amazing. amazing enough to get a 9 or 10. the port is crap, but the resolution fix from durante has saved form software from a catastrophe and it may as well make them some money. i have seen plenty of people double dipping just because of this resolution fix. myself included. if thats what it takes to get this game to have good sales, thats fine. maybe we can all hope about a good next game in the series coming to pc. dark souls gets a 10. port gets a 5.… Expand
  15. switchback
    Aug 28, 2012
    9
    TL;DR: Use a controller, and the graphic fix and this game is awesome. --- I have never given a review on Metacritic before but felt it was important to review this game due to all the surrounding "controversy". THE GAME itself is AWESOME. THE PORT was HORRIBLE (depending on your expectations). It's a 1:1 direct port to PC. Everyone wanted to play this game on PC and now you can, with a few caveats.

    IMPORTANT:
    To enjoy this game you MUST use a controller. The game goes from a horrible, unplayable, direct port. To a fun, exciting, easy to control game. Also, it is imperative that you download the graphic fix. Before this fix the game felt like it was straight out of 2000. With the fix, while it's no Skyrim, the graphics get a much needed boost, and become quite beautiful.

    PRE controller/graphics rating: 1
    POST controller/graphics rating: 9

    I wanted to do this to help people who are on the fence about this game, because while it is a direct port (some may say a lazy port) the ONLY things you need to do are a very minor graphic fix, and use a controller... I don't think thats too much to ask to enjoy a game of this caliber.    … Expand
  16. Donkaban
    Aug 24, 2012
    2
    Bad port. No bindings for mouse, bugs and graphics flickers. From console developers to console boys.
    Resolution is capped, FPS are capped, keyboard and mouse controls are a nightmare, video options are inexistant ... I think is damn timemachine from Skyrim to dark 2005 ages
  17. LtVanzi
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    The game itself is a great RPG, it is however quite difficult - the combat system will get you killed pretty often, the boss fights are tough (assuming you play without reading spoilers), there are also no maps in game and every death puts you back at last checkpoint while also respawning all monsters. Now, keep in mind this is a CONSOLE PORT. It was meant to be a console port and it is a console port. You need a gamepad (I used Razer Onza) to really enjoy the controls. Also make sure to get the Durante's mod that unlock internal buffer size - it's a must have! Out of the box the game looks horribly on 1080p screen, after switching the buffer size to 3840x2160px it's a completely different game!… Expand
  18. Dimuscul
    Aug 24, 2012
    2
    Worst port ever. Resolution is capped, FPS are capped, keyboard and mouse controls are a nightmare, video options are inexistant ... in general it make me feel like I'm playing on a PS2 emulator.
  19. Mathute87
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    LOL at those giving it a bad score just because you suck at it. Ungrateful PC players trashing a game that the DEVELOPERS THEMSELVES already said that they weren't fully developing for PC. It's a decent to bad port, but plays just like on console with a Xbox Controller. Areas where frames used to drop don't drop anymore (Blighttown, Demon's Ruins),

    Just because you're bad at the game, a    nd because it isn't shiny, don't whine. Ungrateful PC players :) as usual. Go play Battlefield 3 or Skyrim (easy games that hold your hand and have a no-need-to-think gameplay). You weren't even supossed to get this game. Ever. Now I hope next time you don't get nothing at all. Whine some more.… Expand
  20. Bledwings
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Its strange that this game was release in only 720p, a shame really.... don't let that discourage you though.
    you see this game is still just as amazing as before and the new content is every bit completely worth it! although im obviously not going to spoil that.
    Let me add that there is a patch that puts this game into 1080p and i have to say the game looks amazing now that Ive applied     this patch hopefully the developers will release it as an official patch now that its been created.… Expand
  21. Buhehe
    Aug 25, 2012
    0
    I tried this game today and all I can say is: I AM GLAD I PIRATED IT! It's probably the worst console porting I've ever seen. Resolution blocked at 1280x720 is plain ridicolous (there's a non-official fix for it, by the way, which I used). Almost non existent video / audio options, the commands are just HORRIBLE, mouse thumb buttons / wheel are not recognized. In all the menus and during gameplay, suggestions about commands are showed for CONSOLES: yep, you'll keep seeing "Press A to do this, Press B to do that", where A & B are for Xbox controllers.

    As if all of this wasn't enough, the windows mouse cursor (yes, the white arrow) is ALWAYS present while playing, which is extremely annoying to me. There are ways to remove it but they are a bit complicated for the average user and involves installing of third party software.

    I've uninstalled the game after playing for 10 minutes, I was just frustrated about everything.

    My vote is 0 ZERO because every positive aspect of this game are simply drowned by the absurd amount of **** concerning bugs, crappy interface and command management.

    I can't believe how a software house can ship such a BAD product which, to me, seems like in early beta stage. Whoever shipped this product should feel ashamed.

    My advice: PIRATE THIS GAME BEFORE BUYING IT!    … Expand
  22. Kriv
    Sep 7, 2012
    0
    I can believe that last week this game has a total of 400 hundred negative reviews and now there are only 145. The user score was in 3.0 or something like that. Come on be honest about this game. The game was not ready to be deliver to PC. Lack of graphics , terrible controls from mouse and keyboard and also using a controller. The story is not a big deal and the character classes look more like super Nes type. Most of the positive comments are from the developer… Expand
  23. Groshonee
    Aug 24, 2012
    9
    Well, us PC gamers asked for it and we got it. Dark Souls - Prepare to Die is just as fun as the original console game, with the added bonus of several hours worth of new content. However, it's dragged down somewhat by quality of the port. Granted, this is the first ever PC port From Soft has attempted, so they ported it with the intention that it was to be played with a PC gamepad. Keyboard and mouse controls are kind of clumsy, but still tolerable.… Expand
  24. aaaaaaa
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    The atmosphere of this game is amazing, with a minimalistic plot everything in the world is excessively dark. I can't imagine Dark Souls being less difficult, unforgiving, it teaches you that life is more suffering than pleasure, more failure than success. But if you are persistent enough you will be awarded with a pure sense of jubilation. Nothing else in gaming compares to this experience.
  25. Pierson
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    For those coming from the shiny generic tale of Diablo III, Dark Souls takes an approach to story in the same vein as Diablo II: The world has been created and populated with a great background, but it is up to you to find it, instead of it being shoved into your face with endless cut-scenes and minutes-long exposition. The game itself is strict but fair; any mistakes made will be punished severely but the game will never cheat. Similar to Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, you will get to the end of the game not by brute-forcing it, but by becoming a better player. It is one of the most rewarding games to play on PC.

    It is just a shame that such an amazing game has been let down by one of the worst ports in memory, regardless of the player-made fixes available.    … Expand
  26. drwebs
    Aug 25, 2012
    0
    This is the worst port ever, talk about a crap game that stacks on hype and a steaming pile of nasty ports. This game was supposed to kill diablo 3, what a joke. The developers failed at their life
  27. kofelovr
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Great game with a basic port. It is well worth whatever minor inconvenience the port poses to be able to play this unbelievably great game. Personally, i just got a gamepad and all problems were solved. Thanks so much to the developer for bringing this to the PC platform.
  28. Chapa9dj
    Aug 24, 2012
    4
    Overrated, uninspiring and boring. So this is the game that my friends pictured to me as the ''Panacea of Gaming'' and turned out to be completely wrong. The gameplay is clunky as hell, especially when you engage in a boss fight.. The map design feels bland and very empty, not to mention that the graphics are downright terrible. Is this 2012 or 2004? Ok, continuing with this, its not open world as some people told me, its completely linear and boring and the character lacks personality and charisma. Also, it has GFWL. That is enough for anyone to stay away. I don't even know why companies still use this. I'm glad i got it as a birthday gift, but sometimes i wish my friend didn't have to spend that amount of money. I'm not ungrateful, on the contrary, but this game is definitely not my cup of tea. Definitely one of the most disappointing games of 2012.… Expand
  29. seuche
    Aug 25, 2012
    0
    im playing games since years and sometimes portations from the consoles to the pc are cheap and annoying, but this game.... this is the most terrible portation i have ever seen in my life! everything is just so cheap portated and without concideration of the requirements of the pc plattform, that it kills the whole game experience. everything there fails - the ui, the controlls, the graphics, the settings, everything. its so poorly done, that even a random guy from the street was needed to improve the graphics a bit. tl;dr
    ITS A PURE RIP-OFF!    … Expand
  30. fickett
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    This has to be the worst pc port ever. The only reason they shelled this out is because pc gamers petitioned for it and they gave us a bad quality product. This is going to lead them to believe that if you make a pc port then pc gamers won't buy it but in reality pc gamers won't buy bad quality products.
  31. Figomor
    Aug 25, 2012
    1
    And I thought that Resident evil 4 console port was horrible.This is much much worse. By far the worst port I have ever played, and I play videogames almost twenty years. Please do your self a favor and do not buy this game, which is possibly great on consoles, but horrible on PCs. Do not support lazyness of its developers.
  32. raidet
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    Disgracefully blatant score-bumping from the developer/publisher here. As every other legitimate customer is saying - this port is dire. Given the enormous control issues, It's not in a playable state. I am not happy.
  33. Xen-Masta
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    This is exactly what we were promised. If you are disappointed, then that is your fault. The game looks and basically plays the same as it did on the 10 year old console hardware that it was originally developed for. Of course it doesn't look like a new state of the art PC game. Also, if you came into this thinking that you were going to play on a keyboard, and are now complaining about the controls...you're an idiot, straight up. Did you know/read nothing about this game before purchasing it? Thanks to From-Software for listening to it's consumers and actually releasing this.… Expand
  34. Getterac7
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    Dark Souls has been one of the worst PC game experiences I've had in years.

    First off: all help messages are given for the Xbox360 controller, even though I don't have a controller plugged in. I spent 5 minutes mashing every key on the keyboard trying to figure out how to get to the options menu before finally hitting "End" to open the options. What the hell? End? Really? Couldn't     use the Escape key like EVERY OTHER GAME?

    So I find out the D-pad corresponds to the arrow keys, then when I pick up my sword and shield, it tells me to use the left and right on the D-pad to switch to my sword, so I hit left and right arrow keys a few times and nothing happens. I have to dig through some inventory menus to equip my sword first I guess. Why not tell me that?

    While we are on the topic of controls: I use a non-QWERTY keyboard, so where the W key should be, is actually a comma. I tried to remap the move forward key and it would not let me set the W key (which is the comma character). Why on Earth would it not accept the comma character is beyond me. This is the first game I have EVER encountered (of the hundreds and hundreds I have played) that wouldn't let me do that.

    Let's get to the menus. They are absolutely not friendly to a mouse pointer at all. Some widgets you can click, some you can't; you never know what's going to happen when you try to click on something. The only reliable way to use the menus are with the arrow keys.

    Playing through the first area I noticed the camera felt pretty difficult to control and then it hit me: the camera is not moving based on how far I move my mouse! Moving the mouse simply makes the camera move at a fixed speed. Excuse me? I feel like I'm trying to play Doom 1 over here. While we're talking about the mouse: I constantly see my Windows mouse cursor over top of the game and it is incredibly distracting.

    Sound: I have a 5.1 sound system, but I play using headphones at night out of respect for my neighbors and roommates. There are no audio options to switch to stereo mode, so with headphones I could not hear any voices in the game, even while subtitles were playing.

    Graphics: I can accept the 30 fps cap and I can accept the 720p upscaling, but come on, this is 2012. At least try.

    So all in all I rate this 0/10 because, although it may have a cool story and fun gameplay, I couldn't experience it because of the shoddy nature of the port.    … Expand
  35. necropsie
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    This is the holy grail of all console ports to the PC: The worst of it all. Trust me, it is that bad. Default key mapping is a joke. Graphics are **** even 5-6 year old games look much nice. Sound effects are so simple and bad. And controls.. Oh, controls. They are.. stupid. Yep. Dont waste your time even with a pirated version, i think this gives an idea of how bad this game is. It isn't even worth of pirated download..… Expand
  36. Carrot556
    Aug 24, 2012
    2
    There is no excuse for this port. Not a one. At first glance it seems like something someone at Namco ported this during a lunch break. There are bad PC ports where the game menus are keyboard only and are rough around the edges, and then there is this. In my first minutes of playing the game I ran into several problems. Right off the bat there is the FPS lock, the 720p resolution, the lack of options in to "options" menu. The options menu has a grand total of five options. Resolution, refresh rate, full screen, AA, and motion blur. What about texture quality or MXAA or particle effects? Jumping into the game there is a prompt to "press 'a' to pick up dungeon key". Now unless the use key is actually bound to the "a" key there is no reason to have the xbox key prompts instead of actual keys. "Press 'Start' to open menu and arms icon". After impotently face rolling my keyboard, I discovered "end" was the start key. Not escape. End. People claiming that this was meant for a game pad are delusional plain and simple. The majority of people who play on PCs use a keyboard and mouse and expect to have indicators that can be easily understood. That isn't entitlement, that is a fundamental right for a gamer. It would be just as surprising to me if an imported game was still in the native language and considering this port I'm surprised it isn't , in fact, in Japanese. There was no excuse to pay for a port as poor as this. After seeing how well crafted and great Dark souls was, I patiently waited for this port. It is such a shame such a beautiful gem was weighed down by such abysmal work in a port rendered this game frustratingly bad.… Expand
  37. dopehat
    Aug 25, 2012
    0
    This is the worst port I have ever played in my entire life - Yeah, I am not kidding. They didn't even bother changing the ingame hints from keybinds from the Xbox controller to PC keyboard, so every time the game asks you to press a key to loot, open a door or whatever, its showed as if you were using an Xbox controller, and lets you sit and guess which botton that was again. - Camera swings around horribly annoying when using the mouse. I cant believe this game was ever, and I mean ever released for the PC, I would feel ashamed as a developer here. I can't believe people are poking this to a anywhere near positive rating, it's unacceptable to release a game that cant run with decent controls unless gamers invest in an xbox or playstation controller, - if players wants to use that, they would have gotten the game for their consoles. Wake up people, this is not acceptable. - I was stuck at some point trying to figure out how to open the main menu to check my controls, but I never found it after pressing every damn key on my keyboard. - Don't support this - Don't buy this game...… Expand
  38. roboticsun
    Sep 2, 2012
    3
    Overall this game is just a quick xbox360 build with optional key binds and additional content (they do not bother changing the on-screen key markers). To be frank, I played Demon's Souls as well as Dark Souls on PS3 and they both played and looked much better than this sloppy PC version. I know a lot of reviews here are biased because it is an amazing game, but it's really unfair to new comers. If you are a new player who do not own a console then you need to buy a gamepad first to make the game playable and enjoyable, then hassle for a while with the third party fan-made patch to make it look as nice as console version. I do not think those hassles should be placed on an average gamer. If you want to try this beautiful game on pc then I'd say wait it on sale for $10.… Expand
  39. PC-Gamer-Fan
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    Superb game & decent enough port what are you waiting for buy it now. PC version is way better than the console versions its the definitive version of this superb game. There is a lot of misinformation about this being a poor port its not at all. Its certainly not the best looking game ever made but also with the upscaling graphical mods (check the neogaf forums) now available it looks very good in places & is very well optimised on PC. The higher resolution alone makes it look a lot better than the console but throw in the mods, AF filtering, instant load times, vsync & smooth FPS combine to make it a decent enough technical experience. Its designed around the MS 360 gamepad & wokrs very well with that. KB+mouse is not the best way to play this but still possible. This game has superb atmosphere, art direction, voice acting & creature/work designs. One of the best games ever made & also one of the hardest its not an easy game but also not as challenging as others its more about exploration & making the right choices. GFWL works very well here but most of the time you will not even notice its present apart from the achievements appearing onscreen (you can even disable these notifications if you do not want to break atmosphere). Ignore the BS & hate campaigns against this game its one of the best ever made & just has a unique & superb atmosphere. Only a 3.7GB install as the game is so well optimised & the textures highly compressed. No pointless lengthy FMV here or dialog to waste disc space its so the install size is small but the game world is still pretty large.… Expand
  40. xXMETALxGEARXx
    Aug 25, 2012
    1
    Despite the provided community fix in a mere >23 minutes, Dark Souls on PC doesn't really add anything to the already successful console version of the game. The developers didn't bother to remap the k+m keybinds, no graphics options and on top of all it uses GFWL for the online play that consists of people invading you and leaving meaningless messages at key points. A certain waste of money for me.… Expand
  41. Lysh
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    This game is not a great port, but it's not a terrible one either. Despite what some people would have you believe, you don't have to have a controller to play this PC game. Having analogue sticks would certainly make controlling a bit more precise, but I've had no problems playing with keyboard alone. The default config is working fine for me, but the keys are completely remappable in-game, so there's really no excuses to complain about the controls. It's true that the in-game prompts don't display the keyboard keys, but if you can't even be bothered to read the manual and see what the controls are before playing a game you're not qualified to write a review for it in my opinion. Despite the minor issues I feel this game is fully deserving of a 10/10 based on the gameplay alone. This is the sort of thing all games should aspire to be.… Expand
  42. johndoe0
    Aug 26, 2012
    3
    First of all why all these bad review with a 10 score??? Btw I had a really high expectations for this game. I love play games on hardnightmare, so this sounded like a good challenge for me. After few minutes bad graphic (late ps2 like), choppy frame rate(cheap console port style), bad pad mapping, made an hard game an impossible one! So im really disappointed. I don't suggest this even on sale, too much frustration!… Expand
  43. CriticoDubioso
    Aug 27, 2012
    7
    The game itself is simply terrific, but the port is abyssmal. Especially considering how a simple mod released on day 1 by a fan fixes 2 of the most glaring technical issues, namely the native resolution buffer and DOF. That's simply inexcusable. Just a little more effort on FROM's part would have avoided most of the moaning by PC users and gave the game a better rep.
    Now with the fanfix    , the game looks absolutely stunning, much better than it ever did on consoles. Only problem remaining is the 30 fps lock, that sometimes drops to 15 fps for whatever reason. I hope the modder can fix this as well, because the devs likely won't.
    As for the game it's unlike anything I've played before, and most importantly the antithesis to all modern games that want to be as easy, casual, and cinematic as possible. DS shines in world design, combat mechanics, and an unforgiving but rewarding difficulty. Worth a shot for anyone who likes action RPGs.    … Expand
  44. LestatV3
    Sep 11, 2012
    10
    You should definitely play this game. But remember, when you play you have to want to get better or you'll only frustrate yourself.

    Don't be afraid of the children raging about the controls just because they couldn't lower the camera sensitivity on the options menu. Several people already played and beaten this game on full keyboard and keyboard+mouse controls. Some even preffer not us    ing a controler.

    Some people rage about the game being unfair and stupid while they try to play the game without learning the basic combat mechanics, without blocking, without locking target or trying to rush everything spaming the attack button on a game where you have a stamina bar. Enough said, the game expects you to analize your sorroundings before proceeding, to take one enemy at time, to learn how to deal with each enemy and each location and to learn from your mistakes, something that some people just can't.

    Expect to die. That's part of the game not the end of it. That's how you learn to play the game: by dying and experimenting; observing enemy patterns, learning to parry attacks or when desperate calling help from other players online. Talking to the community, wanting to learn how to play the game and upgrading your gear is also for the best. If you have doubts, don't hesitate to ask. All veteran have once suffered before.    … Expand
  45. alien5
    Aug 25, 2012
    2
    Worst port I've seen this gen by far. You don't release a game on a new system without supporting the controller. This is bonkers, and more insulting given From KNEW they had a market before doing the port. Ugly, entirely unoptimized, and terribly KB&M controls. Going to have to wait for people who actually care about quality to fix this mess.
  46. Elsje
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    Do not buy this game.

    The game starts out with a terrible intro which reminds me of games from the 90's and from there everything gets progressively worse. The menu interface is bad and lacks mouse settings. Even on the lowest dpi-setting, my mouse moves too fast. When you start the game you get cues for which games to press.. on a gamepad. No idea what to press on my keyboard. The grap    hics are really ugly and worst of all.. the game runs jittery on my core i7 980X w/ Geforce GTX 570. When I encountered the first enemy, I died because apparently the character hitbox extends beyond the visible body.… Expand
  47. MrImmoli
    Aug 24, 2012
    0
    Wow. This game. FPS is locked at 30 (same as on console), which by itself isn't a HUGE problem, but throw in FPS drops due to the engine and suddenly you're looking at much lower framerate in two areas (maybe more if the new content adds any). Naitively the game does not support resolutions higher than 1024X720 (though that was somewhat fixed by some random guy in about...23 minutes. Apparently 23 minutes is just too much time for From to put into the game. Keep in mind he had no experience with the game nore a source code). And the controls. The windows mouse arrow is in the middle of the game screen. That is just pathetic. Oh and instead of the mouse controlling the camera (like, ya know, practically all other PC games with a moveable camera) the mouse only acts to control a virtual joystick, and this virtual joystick move the camera slower than it is moved on the PS3 or 360 version. Mouse accerlation (which is a bad thing already) was reveresed and as a result if you move the mouse quicker it actually slows down the camera. And then the game uses GFWL...

    This port is just horrible. It is **** Do NOT buy it you would be wasting your money on a pile of **** and telling developers and publishers "Hey, I'm cool if you release broken **** I'll still eat it up nom nom nom!" The people giving it 10 stars or anything higher than a **** 5 are either fanboys or marketers being paid to do so. Hell, the two "professional reviewers" gave this **** an 92 and 89. I bet you almost anything they happened to get a little gift from Namco or FromSoft, that are the reviewers themselves are fanboys. Now, port aside. This game really is great, it is unfortunate that the port is such utter **** If you have a PS3 or 360 or if the PC version gets fixed then I do highly recommend you buy the game, but do not buy this port so long as it is a steaming pile of ****    … Expand
  48. SleepingDog
    Aug 30, 2012
    0
    Just uninstalled it, this game is the worst port I've ever played. The controls are terribly clunky, and cause of that you will die many times, hence the name 'Prepare to Die'. Difficulty in any game should be caused by mechanics, not lousy and broken gameplay.
  49. donki
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    All the complaints about the bad keyboard & mouse controls infuriate me. This game is MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH A CONTROLLER. I too, hate the fact that the PC controls suck... But this is a non-issue if you plug in a controller. I would give this game 11 / 10 just to make up for the low ratings from people who are to dumb to plug in a controller. This is the best. gaming. experience. Ive. ever. had. When playing Dark Souls, I feel like being young again and sitting in front of the old Zelda titles, immersed in the game. I just want to say thank you to the developers... Thank you.… Expand
  50. aceofspades1944
    Dec 28, 2012
    6
    I first played this game on the xbox 360 and it was amazing. I loved everything about it. Once I bought the computer version I was disappointed. The game is still great but the port to PC was terrible. All the instructions it gives you on how to attack and interact with the game world are still showing up as controller commands (ie hit RB to attack). Also, the original windows 7 cursor is still in game but you can't use it for anything. It just sits there and reminds you how much better this game is on a console. If you want to play this game and PC is the only option I highly recommend buying a controller.… Expand
  51. Masterhummel
    Aug 24, 2012
    9
    Well, i was also a little bit disapointed by the stright port. But to be fair, From Software communicated it months ago: Get a controller. Now i'm playing the game with the resolution fix and my ps3 controller and i have to say it really, really looks amazing and runs pretty stable. However, i have a nvidia card. Ati user maybe experience other circumstances.
  52. Spurlz
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is a love-letter written in blood to us sadistic fans of old-school "kick my butt and I'll ask for more" gamers who are getting tired of every game holding our hand, and in some cases, offering to just... you know, beat each level for us (Here's lookin' at you, Super Mario 3D Land!).

    If you own this on PS3 or Xbox 360 already, it is still fully worth p    urchasing for PC.

    By default the framerate is locked at 30FPS (which strangely somehow works just fine for the game) and the resolution is locked at *GASP* 720p.

    Never fear, my fellow videophiles - an online hero who goes by the alias "Durante" released a fix for the game that unlocks the resolution, removes the low-quality fog, and overall makes the game... just... beautiful!
    (Durante's fix can be found here: http://blog.metaclassofnil.com/?tag=dsfix)

    Also, for the few out there who care - this game looks AMAZING in 3D.


    Well? What are you waiting for?!? Go ahead, get the game, and Prepare to Die!

    (NOTE: this game was never meant for mouse + keyboard. The game style just doesn't lend itself to that. Get yourself a wired Xbox 360 controller, or a PS3 controller + Motionjoy to enjoy all this game has to offer!)    … Expand
  53. victorRic
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    Great game, not a great port but the PC community will come with mods and high res packs. its way cheaper than console, DLC comes for free, runs better and there is already a mod to fix resolution and textures day one, you can't go wrong.
  54. cataplasia
    Sep 26, 2012
    9
    When I first got this game, I was so frustrated by the camera and the lack of easily understandable computer controls. For some reason I kept cracking at it and found the diamond underneath. The good points of the game are that it is punishing and the world usually presents you with multiple unbeatable situations. The reward of leveling up and hanging onto dear life when fighting large bosses is a rush. The game provokes you on to the eventual victory achieved. The bad is the camera is shaky but you get used to it with the locking on feature. The controls were literally the hardest part of the game and take alot of online research to understand them. All and all a real masterpiece once you get by the orginal frustrations. And whatever you do not kill any of the talking npc's (especially weapon smiths) they DO NOT come back which can cripple your progress in the game.… Expand
  55. p0x0rz
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    One of the greatest games of our generation. As for those complaining about the PC port, let me quote the Eurogamer review for you:

    "In general, the arguments are wearying and all that needs to be said is this: Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition does not come with the technical options you would expect from a well-engineered PC game, because it's a port of a console game, and that's al    l From Software ever promised to deliver. Anyone who passes up Dark Souls for this reason is cutting off their nose to spite their neckbeard of a face."

    If you pass up Dark Souls because you have to patch it to unlock it's resolution or because you might want a gamepad, you're denying yourself one of the best gaming experiences in years for easily overcome technical reasons. That's like skipping an amazingly cooked dinner because you have to drive to a friends house to eat it.    … Expand
  56. Scrove
    Aug 30, 2012
    4
    This is an excellent game that is screwed over by a horribly executed console port. With the Resolution fix that was provide the same day as release by a user the game is playable and gets bumped up to a 6 or 7, but due to the massive amounts of technical problems, low fps, graphical issues and the sticking point of them not putting any effort at all into controlling the game with key board and mouse I can't rate it any higher than this, especially since they haven't bothered to announce fixes for anything.… Expand
  57. Carnifex
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    Action RPG's are a dime a dozen these days. Most tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to what they will toss at you. The developers don't want to alienate customers by making a game that might be *gasp* too challenging. Dark Souls brings the challenge in spades but does it without feeling unfair or overly cheap. You'll get punished. then adapt, and actually feel like you have achieved something. Unlike most games which reward you for accomplishing next to nothing. It's gameplay is Dark Souls' greatest strength, in how it ties everything together (much like a fighting game) with logical solutions so that you always know you can overcome whatever challenges you are facing, no matter how difficult. I wish more developers focused on gameplay first and everything else second. --- Technically speaking the game performs very well, however, this is a straight from console "no frills" PC port. It was a game that wasn't supposed to be on the PC after all, and the way the port was handled does show signs of inexperience and hesitation on the part of the publisher/developer to give PC support. The game must be played with a controller, m+kb support is limited as was stated by the developers months ..ahem ..months ago. Also the resolution is set way too low but there is already a fix for that and I'm sure more tweaks to come (gotta love the PC modding community). People want to label the game as a "bad port" but honestly this is still the best version available as far as performance is concerned. --- Darks Souls is all about stellar gameplay and a high degree of challenge. I'm not sure this game is for eveyone and will be a pretty easy target for critics and trolls, but for me who normally likes things sleek and shiny, Dark Souls is one hell of a rough gem.… Expand
  58. GAAAAAAAAABE
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    Great game, knew it would be a bad port from the start since From can't do PC. And GFWL doesn't bother me since all you need to do is sign in. All the bad reviews are stupid entitled PC gamers.
  59. ozorxoron
    Dec 30, 2012
    0
    Awful port, it's like you're punished for trying to play with mouse and keyboard. Unless you have or are willing to buy a controller, avoid this. I had this on the 360 and it was a favourite of mine, was hoping to get some joy out of it on the PC too, but I'm not buying a controller just to play this mess of a port. Glad I got this in a sale and didn't waste too much money on it.
  60. Jackiel
    Aug 24, 2012
    7
    The game is definitely worth playing, but sadly it's a really lazy port to the PC platform. The camera control is horrendous whether you are using the keyboard or mouse. If you are using mouse, the camera just jitters around which makes you miss your normal attacks sometimes, or even lead you to drop in a dead pit. If you use the keyboard, well it feels more smooth, just like when you are using analog sticks, but then it's too slow to sway the camera to a correct angle to do anything (console players can probably be good at this, but as a pure PC gamer, I simply can't stand it). Movement control wise, it feels a lot better than the camera, but still suffers from random problems, such as sometimes my character would just execute some actions which I completely did not order him to do so, like random rolls, random jump attacks, random stab towards a completely reversed direction, but I do not know if it is the game or is it just me not being used to this controlling scheme. Besides the control problems and several other port problems, the game itself is actually quite amazing, and definitely one of the most challenging yet rewarding games these years. The art style and the graphic rendering just completely fits with the setting and the tone of the world, and the combat system is also very complicated and worth exploiting, plus intelligent level design and enemy AI configurations, with those HUUUUGE epic bosses, so overall, it's a great game, but badly ported.… Expand
  61. shingouki
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    For all the users that are complaining about Keyboard and Mouse not working ideally for this game, let me lay this on you for a second, because this is how you guys sound:

    You have a box of nails you want to hammer into the wall. (Dark Souls) You have measuring tape. It has a flat side. (Keyboard)
    You don't have a hammer. (Gamepad)
    Instead of going out and buying a hammer to hammer in     the nails, you start hammering nails with THE MEASURING TAPE.
    You then start complaining "Holy crap these nails suck. They don't work well with the measuring tape. This is so difficult!"
    "Screw nails! Nails are terrible! I'm gonna write a review about how bad these nails are because they dont get hit into the wall well with my MEASURING TAPE."

    The reasons you guys don't have hammers, is probably because you're either broke, or you're lazy, or you have some personal vendetta towards hammers. BUT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NAILS. It's not the nails' fault you are too lazy, broke, or have developed some deep racism towards hammers. That's on you! The nail is made for hammers! Hammer it in with a hammer and stop complaining!

    So really you guys giving it a 0 for not playing perfectly with keyboard is really unfair. I can give maybe half a point for it not matching up with the keyboard controls and using xbox icons, but that's about it really. It's made to be played with a gamepad. So play it with one, and stop giving this game a low score because of your own personal issues with gamepads.

    ----------------------------


    Dark Souls is a console port. From Software said that. They made it very clear when the game was coming out. "This is mostly a console port. No surprises!" That means the game is structured from the bottom up in a console fashion. Why would it be so different from what was promised? So that means, you run it with a console controller, it plays at a console resolution with a console speed, with hopefully better console performance. That's what was promised, and that's what From Software delivered. I personally don't see anything wrong with that. PC Fans requested a game that was console exclusive and got it on their platform. It works! It's non buggy! It looks like the console version! It's just as great as it originally was (Fantastic and amazing game!) What else is there to say? It's a great game. I love it. The graphics are amazing, the frame rate is BETTER than console. The story is incredible, the gameplay is on point and very responsive. The game isn't choppy or has hiccups, or anything like that. Game plays smooth like butter at 30 FPS. Honestly, it plays better than most PC games I've messed with lately with twice the frame rate.

    Plus Durante modded it recently to increase the resolution past the initial renderer limit, so that's just the icing on the cake. This is a great game and I'm glad this game is finally on PC!    … Expand
  62. Chesanita
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    This game is great, graphics problems already solved with 3 hotfixes and controls with keyboard/mouse are OK, it just takes little time to get used, so i dont regret for the money ive spend.
  63. Species
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    i dont understand people which rate this game low due to worst keyboard mouse control ever. It suck and it is fact. Bad graphics? Not the edge of technology but playable. I tell you Mount and Blade is bad graphics not this one. The main thing is that there are no glitches freezes and so on what usually people call bad port. it works fine. It is great game indeed. And be honest - you low rate this game not cause of port, you do it cause you dont like it overall :) but as always this game doesnt care… Expand
  64. ayman03
    Aug 29, 2012
    3
    the worst pc port i have ever seen in my life
    locked resolution at 768?really
    stupid key mapping for keyboard and mouse
    tutorial with xbox controller keys
    frame rate issues
    menu is unfriendly unplayable
  65. murut87
    Aug 25, 2012
    7
    It means to be playable using Controller,if playing Keyboard Controller,its freaking impossible.Worst Console Port Ever,with Lack of Tweaks,Capped FPS and Frustratingly Hard-To Play this game.But the game core is good on every possible so,i don`t recommend this game if you wanna play using Keyboard+Mouse because its all messed up....I really wanted to play this game because it looks fun to play even through its Difficulty was way impossible...… Expand
  66. Galnospoke
    Aug 28, 2012
    0
    100% mistake. Terrible port. We have AD 2012 and max 30 FPS?! No resolution?! Lags on fast computer?! What the f*ck! And bad camera, only MS Pad supported, Windows Live system. Piece of junk!
  67. cryocore
    Aug 26, 2012
    3
    Game is great, brilliant in fact. Port is appalling. Crashes, stutters, drop frame rate, no control options outside of a controller (that may or may not work), no graphics settings, and a locked frame rate make it impossible for me to enjoy this. No one should support a developer who releases sub par dross like this.
  68. Serious00
    Aug 26, 2012
    0
    This review is about the port, not the game itself. This game is genuinely inferior on PC. If you want to play this game, buy it used for a few bucks and play it on your console. The developer should *not* be compensated for doing D grade porting. If you're interested in the special PC content, wait a few months for a new console edition to come out with that said content. You've been warned.
  69. Blackcompany
    Aug 26, 2012
    0
    Automatic Zero. Why? It uses Games for Windows Live. That's reason enough to rate any game Zero. Avoid it or get it in some other way. Preferably a way that allows you to play it without the aggravation suffered by paying customers at the hands of this awful DRM scheme from Microsoft.
  70. Azurim
    Aug 28, 2012
    1
    The game is simply not playable on the PC. 1. Did not launch. To launch had to reinstall windows live, reinstall the game, run in XP compatibility mode. Took me several hours to find out what needs to be done. 2. Outdated graphics (and I did not find a way to improve it any way through settings or by forcing)
    3. Terrible interface.
    4. Awful controls. I was unable to figure out how to use     spells. Still don't know how to do it. These are the cons, I can't figure out any pros. Results: was really looking forward to play, but un-installed after 15 minutes of torture. The game was actually so bad I even decided to make an account here to write about it to save some people their money. Don't buy the game on PC. If you want to play the game, get it on PS3, maybe it doesn't suck there.… Expand
  71. xree
    Aug 28, 2012
    1
    The controls are awful. They ruin the pleasure of story by doing such "GREAT" job with the controls. Either they do it over for PC, or this is just some total waste of time this game. DO NOT BUY IT.
  72. Darkhunter
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    In general, it's a very lazy port never meant for PC. The game was programmed in such a way that changing the FPS from 30 to anything else is impossible, and changing the native resolution of the game is impossible as well without a mod.
  73. astorademon
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    Bad Pc port and hard controls but still i really enjoy of this game, he game is amazing. amazing enough to get a 9 or 10. the port is crap, but the resolution fix from durante has saved form software from a catastrophe and it may as well make them some money. i have seen plenty of people double dipping just because of this resolution fix.
  74. DrVarsims
    Aug 31, 2012
    0
    If you like incredibly difficult games that make you redo the same crap 100 times because you aren't "hardcore" enough then this game is for you; seriously, why can't I just make the game easier it is so frustrating. Graphics are terrible, game runs slowly, combat is slow and boring, controls are meh, and in general nothing is very exciting or intuitive about this game.
  75. SwoopTrust
    Aug 31, 2012
    4
    For this review I'm going to split it in three parts. Technical aspects, controls and the game itself.

    Technical aspects:

    I expected more of this port on the technical side. First off, I want to say that the art direction is amazing. Now, 30fps are fine, I don't mind, but 60 would have been awesome. What I do mind, however, is the **** 1024x720 internal resolution which gets upscaled    , making it look like a blurry goddamn mess at 1080p. A fix corrects this and lets you see the surprisingly high-res textures.
    Another thing I absolutely hate was that the on-screen buttons are 360 buttons and not PC keys, which just screams "LAZY". What in the **** were you thinking, From? do you think all of us own Xbox 360 controllers? I do, but still, that's some goddamn **** On the PvP part things aren't happy either. Items are client-side, which is a problem due to the game being easily broken with Cheat Engine and trainers, and also the online play uses P2P.
    P2P in a game like this is absolutely unacceptable. Also, this uses that GFWL mess, so pray to the sun that your saves don't get ****ed up.
    To resume online play, you're better off playing offline unless you like australian lagstabs. Controls.

    Game is unplayable with Mouse & Keyboard. I'm dead serious. If you don't get a pad, you're ****ed.
    Now, to top that off, the mouse camera control is basically emulating an inferior input option such as the analog. Using a 360 pad makes this point go from **** to gold, but I'm judging the port itself and not the mumbo jumbo I have to go trough to actually play.

    Gameplay.

    After you get past the absolutely abysmal Keyboard + Mouse controls replacing them with a 360 controller, and after you can actually see what the hell is going on on the screen using DSFix 0.6, the gameplay is nearly perfect. The difficulty is just right and you really feel progression and power building up in your character with every level up or weapon upgrade. Seeing bosses fall is very satisfying, and every time you die you feel like it's your fault.
    It's a complex game, you can make lots of builds and try a lot of combinations. It's fun to try some new things or make already existing things better. AI is pretty smart and WILL **** you up if you're careless.
    Backstabs are a bit weird to perform.

    Technical aspects: 2/10 - Good art direction, surprisingly high-res textures, **** default internal resolution, horrid online, GFWL is always a minus, Xbox 360 on-screen buttons.

    Controls: 1/10 - Unplayable without a gamepad, which is unacceptable for PC. But hey, at least it gives you the "option" to use a 360 pad.

    Gameplay: 9/10 - Satisfying all around. Backstabs could use better hit detection, tough.

    Overall: 4/10. Get it on a sale, use those fixes and a gamepad, and you've got yourself a pretty good game.    … Expand
  76. Makaveli
    Oct 24, 2012
    4
    This game originally is one of my favorite games of all time. The PC version is crap though. I wanted to also comment about those sissy "gamers" giving this a bad score because there is no story or that if you get killed you lose all your souls. First off you are the type of people that make gaming worse. First off, they do not hand the story to you, you have to read item description etc to get the story.. Besides that whocares, you are playing a game. You do realise that early games didn't have stories either but they still were great games. This game has a unique way of telling a story and you idiots complain about it. You guys **** and complain and that is why most games today have no creativity or anything unique about them. How about you shut your mouth and stop playing video games all together, we don't need only 1 type of game to play. Yes I gave this PC port a bad review, that is because the PC port sucks. The console versions are masterpieces. You people complaining about the difficulty and making excuses are just sissies. You are the reason why games today hold our hands. Quit being a pansy ,grow some balls. You want a story? Have your mother read you one before you go to sleep at night. This game has a story but retards that don't no how to read or have A.D.D will not understand it. This is an REAL RPG that requires you to read, and has difficulty. Next time read the back of the box, somewhere on there it will say you will die a lot. Oh I forgot that you guys don't know how to read...my bad..This review will get a bad score but atleast it's the truth. And whocares if it runs at 30 FPS and 720 RES, that should of been expected from a company that said clearly that they are not good with PC games... Next time do some research on the game before buying it.....Opps my mistake again, you don't know how to read.. So have your mom read you Snow White, quit your whining,go buy a console ( there cheap now) buy Dark Souls and shut the **** up and be a man. I'm aware of the grammar mistakes and spelling but I'm writing really fast, and I figured since you guys do not know how to read that it shouldn't matter anyway.. Oh and for you people complaining about the difficulty and making excuses, how about you have your little sister play the game for you or perhaps your grandma, I'm sure they would **** less than you guys do. From Software gave the PC gamers what they wanted, the petitioned and From said they were not good with PC games but you guys still asked for it, and you guys got an inferior version of it. That's all.… Expand
  77. StavrosDim
    Aug 26, 2012
    5
    I got this game because of all this hype I heard from its fans,that it's a super-duper game that is very challenging and rewarding. Unfortunately I can't say I like it.
    It suffers from frame rate issues in AMD graphics cards too much. I have an AMD HD 6850 Vapor X edition that allows me to play Crysis and Battlefield 3 at Ultra,yet I get frame drops lower than 30fps with this game which i    s rediculous. I have a better frame rate playing Metro 2033 at High settings with DX11 on,than in this,which is crazy.
    Its controls are broken,and I'm not talking about the console button prompts or the mouse support.
    I play it with Xbox360 controller,and I can't say it controls well. Often the actions have latency so I might press the button to attack but my character will stay staring at the enemy for many moments,and when he will finally decide to attack it will be too late because the enemy will already have gone to another direction,have approached me,and attacks me the moment the attack animation is finally initiated.
    The game's lock-on system is broken. It rarely locks the enemy you want,because if there are many enemies on the screen it locks on random target,so there might be an enemy standing 1 foot away from you and another one 100 feet away,and the game lock to the enemy 100 foot away while the enemy 1 foot away slashes me in pieces. If you already have locked on the wrong enemy and you press the lock button again,sometimes the lock turns completely off and other times it locks on the other enemy,so you can never know what will happen,and once I got killed because I wanted to lock a different enemy and instead the lock function was turned off meaning my character also stopped backpedaling and instead turned his back to the enemy,and other times I wanted to stop having the lock function on 'on', so I can sprint away from an enemy I couldn't block with my shield,but instead the game locked to another enemy and I died again.
    In this game you are not fighting the monsters,which are not really that big deal,but you are fighting the controls.
    These broken controls make playing the game more like a chore and less like entertainment.
    I wouldn't have a problem with a game that would offer pure genuine and fair challenge,but this is beyond rediculous,getting killed because the game's mechanics sometimes work and some don't isn't exactly fair or intriguing. It's so bad I don't know if I will ever finish it. I will give it one more try,but I'm not sure.    … Expand
  78. rattlehaed
    Aug 26, 2012
    5
    Terrible port, the graphics are abysmal, using the mouse for camera control is not smooth at all, and the instructions for the game use xbox 360 controller buttons, WHY!?
  79. koroshiya_ichi
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    Game of the decade.

    The port isn't bad per se, rather, it's a 1:1 conversion from the console version but it requires a gamepad. Resolution-lock can be easily disabled, and the resulting upscale shows a game which looks better than the likes of Skyrim and Mass Effect, despite being made on a far smaller budget and originally developed for consoles, not PC.

    As for the game itself, tig    ht combat, immense replay value, deep gameplay mechanics, once again, best game of the past 10 years.… Expand
  80. Kanti
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    I'm shocked by all the negative feedback this game as been getting. Sure, it's obviously a port, no surprise there, but it's completely playable with keyboard alone, and the keys are completely rebindable. Bottom line, this is an amazing game, and despite the relatively minor issues it has, I feel it fully deserves a 10 out of 10 based on the quality of the gameplay.
  81. Sammiches
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    Dark Souls is a shining example of a game that was never intended to be ported to the PC, but due to overwhelming demand got the developers attention and was made so. Despite problems with the port (and their solutions) that I will be covering near the end of this review, the core game is absolutely fantastic and without a doubt one of my personal favorite games of this entire gen. From its inspired and gritty fantasy setting to its incredibly complex combat and RPG mechanics, Dark Souls has the tools to keep you absolutely immersed - but only if you're willing to submit to its ever present difficulty with patience and the motivation to learn and adapt. It's no surprise to anybody that Dark Souls is known for its punishing difficulty, and some players will tell you that these games are simply cruel, executing you at every turn. From the moment control is given to you, you're thrust into a boss battle, and after that, you're navigating a world with constant dangers outside of the central hub of firelink shrine. Though there is an intended line of progression through the various interconnected environments, especially in the early parts of the game, the game gives you the freedom to go almost anywhere within it - it can be daunting at first, but you will soon figure out which areas you should and should not be progressing to. A very important factor in this game is exploration. You should talk to every NPC and listen closely to what they have to say. If you can purchase items from them using souls, the universal currency, which is also used to level up your character, you should see what they have in stock. Not only are there powerful items, upgrades, and magical abilities to be found, there are also achievements tied to discovering them. Important items are littered throughout the environment in chests and on corpses, on ledges near and far, and you should keep an eye on every single one of them. In fact, you should keep a keen eye to all events in this world. Every enemy poses a challenge to you, and unlike in other RPGs where enemies scale to your level, or you gear yourself to a godlike, almost immortal status, each and every single enemy in this game carries a significant hazard or status ailment that if not evaded will hurt, and hurt a lot. You will die a lot in Dark Souls, and to be fair, some areas can seem unfair, but the truth is that there is always a solution, and if you're good, one that involves taking not a single point of damage. Being in Human form as opposed to soul form, especially in online mode, is the more risky way to play, as you have the chance to be invaded by other human players who are looking to kill you and steal your humanities. Invading and co-operative play are a big part of this game and a strong deterrent to piracy, as other players are more than willing to help you by leaving helpful messages inscribed on the ground that can tip you off to enemies, hidden loot, and sometimes asking for help to defeat a boss, which is made easier in co-op. Another helpful ability you gain in human form is the ability to summon certain NPCs you've met to help you during boss fights, the latter of which are another point of complaint. Marked by a very large health bar and the boss' name above it, these enemies are very intimidating but each have their own strengths and weaknesses. There is a significant learning curve to each one, and you should make it a priority to learn their move sets before you tackle them in head on combat - each of them is possible to beat without taking a single point of damage. There is so much more I would like to say about progression in this game, how you level up your character and their weapons and abilities, how attributes synergize and stack with weapons and items, and so much more. The truth is that there is simply too much information to take in at once, and that's all part of the steep learning curve. Though it doesn't take a korean supergamer to master this game, just remember that if you do, you'll be one of the few who can actually say that they got through Dark Souls without a hitch.
    Now, as for the PC version, I would highly recommend installing a very tiny mod that unlocks the internal rendering resolution of the game by means of placing a d3d9 file and its configuration settings file within the DATA folder of the games' installation directory. It is also highly recommended that you play this game with a wired Xbox 360 controller or a wired controller of some kind, because there are simply too many functions and commands for a keyboard control scheme to be viable. This game does not require a very powerful system to run well, but even given my powerful PC with the internal resolution set to 2560x1440 and running at 1920x1080 (I did this to supersample), there was one specific area which caused pockets of noticeable framerate drops from the locked 30Hz cap. 9/10    … Expand
  82. Kamiko
    Sep 20, 2012
    10
    While maybe it could have been more pretty or polished, the minor issues with this PC port do not detract in any way from the enjoyment of it's gameplay.
  83. Hyperwolf
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    This is an amazing game let down by reviewers wanting things the company never promised. Basically don't buy this game unless you have an Xbox 360 controller or will buy one to play the game. Use Durante's great fix to allow the graphics to run at 1080p and super sample and with any decent graphics card you are going to love this game. It's brutally hard, and very beautiful. The manual is not great and you'll undoubtedly get a little frustrated at first, but great things await anyone with a modicum of intelligence and a desire to play a unique and challenging RPG.… Expand
  84. refdxf
    Aug 28, 2012
    10
    THE CONTROLS ARE SPOT ON. ANYONE WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT CONTROLS IS JUST A NOOB. The game is excellent. I use a Razr Onga which is extremely good. Being able to play Dark Souls anywhere I go on my laptop is something I have been waiting eagerly for ever since I heard about the release.
  85. mikeblackney
    Aug 26, 2012
    10
    The new content is fantastic. Dark Souls was wonderful before now, and now it's mind-blowing.

    Get a gamepad, yes. Get a resolution patch. Then dim the lights and prepare yourself for one of the most engrossing and rewarding experiences you will have in your life. Dark Souls.
  86. l3wdandcr3wd
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    Definitely worth buying if you haven't played it yet. I would recommended getting a a gamepad and using montioninjoy. I emulated one of my ps3 controllers as an xbox controller and it is working flawlessly. I also downloaded a resolution fix to enhance the graphics, still haven't encountered any problems from that. I am using an nvidia card, I heard ATI cards are having some issues with the game. Money well spent 10/10 for me.… Expand
  87. getsomepie
    Aug 25, 2012
    9
    The game is amazing and very, very playable. The graphics/framerate "issue" is not a problem to me.

    My only gripe is that you have to use a controller to play the game.
  88. DrLlama
    Sep 17, 2012
    8
    So the controls aren't the best, and the graphics can be a mess, but both are mitigated using a controller and the very easy patch. Besides that, I've encountered no bugs or technical difficulties. The game itself is absolutely amazing, challenging while satisfying, and is without a doubt worth your time - buy it!
  89. Onix24
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    Forget the porting problem. It's all fixable... If you can see past the technicall issues you have one of the best games ever made. Download DS fix from Dante and plug in the controller and you will see, that its not that bad of a port if you use this fix and a controller. If you are looking for a challenge and rewarding very good fighting system, then this is the game for you. Bosse's are just amazingly done and the souls concept of the game really adds an interesting gameplay. If you die you're gonna want to get the souls back and you probably will die alot as the title say's :). I love that there are still some deep adult rpg's and not just hack and slash **** Diablo 3 can eat Dark Souls dust... I really urge you not to listen to the whining that it's a bad port. The game itself with the fix and an xbox controller is just amazing. Really recommend it!… Expand
  90. OspreyB
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    Don't let the PC Elitist's complaints keep you from giving Dark Souls a try. I've reviewed it before, and my opinion remains the same; It's one of the best games that have come out in the past few years and console-level graphics and low resolution textures can't take that from it. The PC gamers aren't being treated any worse than the console users, and they shouldn't be giving this game negative reviews because they expected their high performance computers to be forced to work at their full potentials. It's been called a lazy port, and that's understandable, but it wasn't just a port; it came with new content that the rest of us won't see for two months. From Software is not a PC developer, and they did what they could to appease the masses. Does no one realize that they would have had to recreate all the animations in the game from the ground up to run at 60 fps? Dark Souls wasn't designed for PC and it's optimized for running at 30 fps. If From Software had rebuilt the game for PC optimization, it would have taken months or years to be released. I guarantee that all of the negative reviews are due to complaints about the keyboard and mouse controls and the "bad port." Both are irrelevant to the quality of Dark Souls. Give it a shot or wait until it's released on October 26 on Xbox 360 and PS3, but don't give it a negative review without putting more thought into what went into making the game.… Expand
  91. YelowDragon4
    Aug 26, 2012
    10
    For some games like Ghost Recon Future Soldier or Prototype 2 I was complaining about crappy-ass port, but not for this game!People asked developers for port despite the developers have not much experience on pc programing I just want to play this game on my PC so far the experience and atmosphere is great
  92. Un0va
    Sep 3, 2012
    4
    Dark Souls is definitely an incredible game, but it had the misfortune of getting one of the worst PC ports of this generation. If you want it, play it on PS3 or 360.
  93. DeckardPain
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    DO NOT listen to people complaining about graphics being sub par. There was a graphics 'patch' form a 3rd party 23 minutes after the game was released. Some googling can find it in less than a minute, these people who are complaining about graphics should stop writing reviews if they can't use google to find the patch. Just like the other Souls game, this one is amazing. The new content is challenging, and the new zones are quite large and have lots of items to scavenge. Upon completion, just like the other Souls games, it leaves you wanting more. The Prepare to Die edition now also comes with 1v1, 2v2, and 4 player FFA deathmatch style arenas. It may force you to use games for windows live, which I thought was going to be a downside, but it really isn't that bad. Don't let that be a breaking point on your decision.

    The resolution + frame rate fix can be found by googling "metaclassofnilblog" and downloading the files. It is fully explained how to install it in the readme, and it is literally as simple as dragging and dropping 2 files, no overwriting files either. If the other people reviewing this game can't manage that, they shouldn't be reviewing games on this site.    … Expand
  94. Phantom66
    Aug 31, 2012
    9
    It takes some time to get used to the controls and u HAVE to dl the fan made patch, but after all this is done u gonna have the best time in a (finally, wake up bioware ffs!) well crafted RPG. As a hardcore RPG(er?) dating back to Baldur's gate and PS:T i can honestly say that this is one of the best RPG's i played in a loong time.. (including ME123 DA12 Witcher2 )
    If u really like this     style u wont let a crappy control thingy get in ur way. and btw for those who have a hard time with the keyboard (after much bashing): esc = menu navigate= page up / down enter = space going back = backspace more info = ins and del. happy Titanite hunting!… Expand
  95. Peterpantsless
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    I'll start with the negative:

    Everyone knows that this was a bad port. The controls are terrible if you intend to use a keyboard and mouse. The camera control is pretty bad. The resolution and fps lock (resolution lock has since been fixed) are also very bad. And, worst of all- the game says "press the start button", etc. It was a very lazy port, indeed.

    That being said, all of that     did not stop me from enjoying the hell out of an absolutely amazing game. I sincerely hope that FromSoftware comes to their senses and develops for PC, as well as consoles for the next game in this series.

    The controls with a gamepad are absolutely fantastic and fluid.

    The art direction is great, and while some armor is way over the top, I really enjoy most of the armor design for this game as well.

    There are many different weapons, and unique weapons on top of that. They put a lot of work into the animations of this game.

    The online is simply brilliant, it is a blast to invade, help other players out, and vice versa. I can't say anything bad about this game other than the lack of effort put into the port.

    If the port was done right I would give this game a 10/10.

    With the port being the way it is, I'd give it a 8/10.


    I will, however, be giving this a 10/10 anyways to combat the ridiculous 0 scores people are giving it.    … Expand
  96. Invictus2104
    Aug 25, 2012
    8
    The PC port isn't amazing, but the game itself is. I easily found a mod to make it look massively better (hooray PC!). I would recommend using a 360 pad rather than mouse and keyboard, since the keyboard controls seem very convoluted even when looking at them (fully rebind-able at least).

    This is a 9 or 10 if they fix a lot of the issues from porting it, like the low graphical fidelity     overall compared to what it should be for a gaming PC.… Expand
  97. mrmursu
    Aug 26, 2012
    10
    Exactly the same GREAT game as it was on consoles, with better frame rate, sharper graphics and new content. Easily one of the best games in recent years, like it was on consoles. Being somehow old school and refreshing at the same time this game gives tons of excitement if u are willing to learn it. The port it weak, but not even near as pathetic that GTAIV was. It has and console-like shoddy graphics and locked frame rates, but it also runs on ancient machines..so the trade of is at least fair in my opinion. Thanks to Durante the low resolution was fixed before the official launch and it's pretty good looking with the fix. It's not perfect, but still great enough for 10 compared to modern "blockbuster" games that were quite disappointing everyone (i.e. Skyrim, Diablo 3 etc.).

    All-in-all:
    If u are on graphics and/or "everything should be easy" gamer (a real pansy) this is not for u, but if u like a great challenge with lots of replay value and hidden things to find. This is one of the best games u can buy. Definitely worth every coin from your wallet.. Easily in my all-time top 3.    … Expand
  98. RichyRoo
    Aug 26, 2012
    10
    Okay it isn't the best of ports, but this is still a fantastic game. The key port issue for me was the resolution and this has now been corrected. A unique, compelling experience. Highly recommend.
  99. Anotherandomnes
    Aug 27, 2012
    10
    First, I'm not giving this port a 10 to offset low scores. That's what I actually think the port deserves. It doesn't have many graphical options (though it has more than Darksiders 2 or Rage), but honestly the game is so easy to run you won't need many options. My GTX 460 768MB and 3.2Ghz Phenom II max it easily and keep it above the cap at all times. The 30fps cap, btw, is way smoother than any 330fps cap I've ever seen. Borderlands at 30fps hurts my eyes, whereas a stable 30 in Dark Souls is smoother than a stable 60 in most games. It was made to run at 30 fps, the animations were recorded at 30 fps, and the cap is totally stable. It doesn't create minor inconsistancies like capping with Fraps (or any 3rd party program), so it's way smoother.

    On graphics, at 720p this looks better than Skyrim on ultra at 1080p. If you download the simple resolution uncapper mod (it installs in literally 4 seconds), Dark Souls has amazing graphics. They're truly gorgeous at 1080p; dynamic rays radiate from the sun, the water flows and ripples around your legs with full mesh reflections, baked ambient occlusion makes the landscape look great, and the textures are ultra HD. The people saying they're low quality textures are forgetting that the game is forcing what looks like awful trilinear texture filtering by default. Switch to at least 8x Anisotropic in your video card drivers, and these textures are amazing. The game is optimized amazingly; a 9800 will give you PS3 performance, while my 460 blows it away completely. Anything higher just adds more room for forced SSAO through your drivers, and graphics mods.

    On my 460 with the modded resolution uncapper allowing true 1080p instead of the fake effect that's in by default, Dark Souls looks comparable to The Witcher 2 and runs better. I'm not joking, this is just amazing. That one simple mod changes everything. To people who say you can't rate a game for mods, what about Skyrim? Without mods Skyrim's barely playable on the PC with the imprecise UI and heavy-handed aim assist.

    People who say this is not optimized are no doubt looking at their graphics card as the culprit, but because it saves and loads constantly you need a strong cpu rather than a strong graphics card. This is why some people are getting low framerates with 660's; if you have an Intel Pentium at 2.3 Ghz your graphics card doesn't matter. A dual core i3 at at least 2.5Ghz should handle it fine, but my Phenom II at 3.2Ghz is above and beyond. An i5 at 3.0Ghz or an i7 at almost any speed would be above what you need. I rated Skyrim well, because of mods, and I rate Dark Souls well partially because of that one resolution uncapper. It's so simple and easy to install there's absolutely no reason not to have it.
    I will say that you NEED a gamepad to play this. The keys can be rebound (contrary to what some people posted here without even bothering to check), but mouse controls just aren't meant for this game. I love my gaming mouse for shooters and precision, but a gamepad just works way better in Dark Souls. You can use most PC gamepads and all 360 controllers. PS3 controllers also work great if you download a program like Motion Joy to allow your PS3 controller to work with a PC.

    Aside from the port, the game itself is top-notch. Dark Souls is a perfect 10 in gameplay, style, lore, and just about everything else. I saved that for the PS3 review page, so I'm not going to fully cover it. It just has everything you could possibly want. Dark Souls has120+ hours of gameplay without touching New Game+ or the awesome online (btw, the online is now totally lag free if you have a decent internet connection). If you walk in snow, you leave footprints. You can dual wield or single-hand any weapon on the fly, and the dodging is superb and fluid. Capes flow in the wind, ambient sound effects and intense dark fantasy music add atmosphere, and nearly every clutter item can be shattered into individual boards and shards. A spindly chair or vases can be rolled through and crushed, while a heavy oaken table may require a full dive or an attack to break, but it all breaks dynamically. This makes the combat visceral and intense, and means that you have zero annoyances while dodging and diving around. The animations on all the unique enemies are amazing and sinuous, the art style is perfectly dark, and it's all skill. People say it's cheap because you're just as weak as the standard enemies you're fighting, but all that really means is you need more skill. The game is totally seamless, and virtually never loads once you start it up. It's so immersive it's breathtaking, and the spells, bows, and melee are all just fun and really smooth and responsive to use. The game lets you roam with quite a bit of freedom, and if you can see something you can walk to it eventually.

    The new DLC is also great. It's all as high-quality as the best moments from the base game, so it's just peerless.    … Expand
  100. Claark
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    This game is the best I've ever played, period. I'm pretty patient when it comes to graphics, so I don't mind it looking like an obvious console port. Personally I think people are being a little too harsh in that regard. As for the controls, just get an xbox controller. For a game like this it's really worth having full and easy control of the mechanics, and you'll get your time's worth out of it, creating multiple characters and what not. This game is definetely not meant to be played on a keyboard, but you can't blame From Soft. I can't imagine how they would make fluent keyboard controls for this game.… Expand
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 42
  3. Negative: 1 out of 42
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    72
    The irony is that the PC version could have been much better than the PS3/360 ones, with higher resolutions to make the textures look better, a cornucopia of mods and/or an active (in theory at least) community. But FROM ruined it all (with the assistance of Games for Windows Live). It’s a shame really, if we at least had just a decent port (or a better infrastructure for a less appalling multiplayer mode), Dark Souls could have been one of the best RPG for the PC. [November 2012]
  2. GameFocus
    Nov 19, 2012
    80
    Not often do you see a game that is equally rewarding as it is frustrating; and it's not because the game is unfair.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 29, 2012
    80
    Dark Souls returns the hardcore elements back to action RPGs – heavy focus on uncompromising fight mechanics and absolute freedom in hero profiling. The price of this game is not for everyone. [Oct 2012]
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