To start with let me start by saying that I love a good challenge. I like hardcore roguelikes and I enjoy dwarf fortress regularly - which is known for its difficulty. The challenge in Dark Souls consists of learning by doing - you have to test your way forth. The tutorial is minimal and the character attributes do not come with an explanation. This is brutal, considering that there is no way to "un-level" and once you blindly raise a stat, there's no way back. The gameplay reminds of "oni", with the character moving towards the direction you point with the stick on your controller. The combat requires exact reaction from the player, the time window in order to execute moves is miniscule. Add actions that stack and are executed once the character recovers from his stamina loss/long fall/etc, you'll get a confusing control to add to the games "difficulty" layer.

I haven't enjoyed this game since I don't see the point of wasting my time without making any progress. I like the idea of challenges being hard, but since this games difficulty consists of giving the player minimal information, grind through long distances through same enemies several times once your die (you can't respawn near bosses) in order to recover your souls and demands flawless execution of actions which is not entirely without technical faults, this game is not challenging - It's just tiring.

Understand me correctly, I think it's silly that many of todays games hold your hand through the story (for example, FPS games that let you recover health just by hiding behind an obstacle or RPG games that shows you where the destination to your quest is on a map with a pin), but this game is trying the wrong way to give a challenge. Which is a pity, because this games visuals is truly beautiful to behold.… Expand

omg awesome game im a huge fan of demons souls n this game is amazing not for everyone but for the few real gamers its deep and worth every penny looks lke another 2 years of my life

This is undoubtedly not a game for everyone, as I discovered. I read all the warnings about the difficulty, and the unforgiving gameplay, but figured it still sounded like my sort of game. It just isn't, and I'll tell you why. This is a game where you die a lot, and each time you do you'll redo a lot of the stuff you've just spent 30 minutes doing. And whilst you're redoing it for the second time, you'll probably die again, meaning you'll have to do it all again. And then you'll probably die again. And so it goes on.

None of this would be a problem if I felt I was being rewarded for my time spent playing - but you just don't. In fact each time you die you have less to fight with the second time round. And this ties into my biggest problem of all. I keep reading about "the hardest game ever made", maybe so, but isn't gaming meant to be fun? This game quite isn't. I turn on my PS3 for escapism, whether it's for 10 minutes or 4 hours - all Dark Souls offers is frustration, the 4 or 5 hours I spent playing were some of the most miserable I can remember.

A huge amount of effort has gone into this game, it looks absolutely stunning and generates an incredible atmosphere, but that's not enough for me. My advice? Rent before you buy - I've already traded my copy in.

I know this review will get marked as unhelpful, but I think it would be to someone who isn't already a Demon Souls fan, as I can see so many of the people leaving high-scores on here are.… Expand

@sony360gamer
while rating a game 0 because it is not to your taste might seem like a cool move (given that it's your sole contribution to this site) but it only reveals you to be a complete non-contributor. Demon's Souls is my favorite game of this generation, and Dark Souls is a strong continuation of the basic Demon's Souls concepts. Tight, challenging gameplay, frequent deaths, and deep exploration. Not for those who prefer hand-holding.. this game does everything it can to make you feel alone, and hopeless in a demon infested world.. hence the whole 'role playing' thing. Probably the two most fully realized games of this generation... not to mention, for a gamer like me, two of the most satisfying. Walk slowly, exercise extreme caution, and you will be fine. If that does not work for you, then I'd definitely suggest trying a different game, but why come here and rate the game 0? foolish, and completely unhelpful trollerific nonsense that only serves to muddle the conversation. If you don't like a game, try to give a rational explanation of what doesn't work for you, and a score that your comments justify.. a 0 is nonsense, particularly for one of the best games of this generation.… Expand

Back in 2009, I spent 120+ hours of my life on Demon's Souls, and since then, I have not found its equal. As dark, challenging, and repressive as the game was, Demon's Souls still managed to feel like a breath of fresh air in the staling game market, throwing back to classic mechanics that were left in the 80s and early 90s with 8-bit, 16-bit, and arcade games. I find it interesting that Demon's Souls was far better received in North America than in its native Japan (790,000 copies in NA to Japan's 300,000, many of which were sold after the game's subsequest success overseas), as the game reflects more western RPG conventions and D&D-esque styling than the increasingly common anime-styled games that get labeled as "JRPGs." Dark Souls is a spiritual successor in the purest sense of the over-used phrase. Its controls are identical to Demon's Souls, yet they are even more precise than before. The artistic style, starting classes, soundtrack, and multiplayer options are all quite similar as well, but again, they have been tweaked to be a bit superior to that of Demon's Souls. The graphics are more detailed and crisp than ever, running in 720p or 1080i on PS3, making it one of a small handful of PS3 games that can display in 1920x1080. But the biggest change here is the open-world structure. Unlike Demon's Souls, which had the Nexus serve as a hub between several more fragmented worlds, Dark Souls has interconnected areas that form one gigantic, seemless world. It's also at least three times the size of all of Demon's Souls' areas combined, and the zones are still diverse and well-conceived. The linking of various zones works kind of like classic Metroid or Castlevania maps, where shortcuts to previous areas can be unlocked, making exploration valuable and rewarding to the overall mission. Instead of the Nexus hub zone, players can rest at bonfires, where they can also upgrade weapons and armor, among other things. Combat is also enjoyable and very deep, and enemy mobs are more varied than in Demon's Souls. In short, Dark Souls improves on every aspect of its predecessor, and with the new open-world structure, Dark Souls can easily stand up to the industry's western-developed heavy hitters (like Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls). In fact, I can honestly say that Dark Souls could steal some serious thunder from Skyrim by offering a more fresh yet hardcore approach to the genre. I also think that it's astounding that developer From Software could make lightning strike twice - it would have been far too easy for some developers to misinterpret Demon's Souls overwhelming success in North America and try too hard to tweak the subsequent formula to cater to American tastes. Instead, From Software stayed true to its original form, even deciding to increase the challenge for Dark Souls. And as one final point, let me also say this: Anyone who has not tried Demon's Souls or Dark Souls should not let the now-legendary difficulty of the series discourage them. The challenge that these games offers is not the same kind of hard-for-the-sake-of-hard frustration that some games fall victim to. Even if you are normally frustrated by difficult games, it's usually because of cheap mechanics and the feeling of having to fight the controls or poor design, and none of that is an issue with the Souls games. They just demand a little more observation, a bit of strategy and thought. From Software trusts that its gamers are intelligent, diligent, and skilled enough to handle that challenge, and that's what makes every victory in Dark Souls feel like a real achievement. The game may not be for everyone, but I would at least encourage every PS3 or XBox360 owner to try it.… Expand

I absolutely love this game, even when I'm screaming in frustration. The sheer joy of beating a boss that has killed you over and over again is incredible. The world is so dark and foreboding that it can be unbearable at times, however it is also beautiful and sometimes peaceful. The art style and creature design is superb and the music is wonderful. There are a few negative things that I think lower the score for Dark Souls though, such as frame rate problems ( especially in Blighttown where I swear there were times when it was in the single digits) and some camera issues ( I found that the environment was constantly obstructing the camera view, especially in Blighttown). Hopefully they will release a patch in the future that will resolve these issues. I highly recommend this game to any RPG fan. Just don't let the difficulty discourage you.… Expand

Really nothing wrong except for frame rate drops occasionally and textures could be a bit better. Story is very in depth IF you look for it. The gameplay snd combat in this gmae is stellar. Easily the best combat in any action RPG for a while.

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+!

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!!!!

After an hour of game play from picking up this beautiful game at midnight, I have nothing but positive things to say. The graphics are amazing, the controls are much more precise than Demon's Souls were, and the enemies are no joke. An early warning for those who haven't played Demon's Souls; You are suppose to die, learn from your mistakes, and die again. I'm proud to say that I died only twice in my first hour, but without my previous experience with Demon's Souls, I would've died at least 10 times. I have a feeling that some Xbox360 players will be frustrated with Dark Souls more often because most of them didn't get a chance to play Demon's Souls. After work today, I plan on wasting my entire evening exploring Dark Souls, and possibly the next few months will be spent mastering this game as well :)

I have this game for the PS3, so if anyone wants to join up, just send me a friend request (PSN username is the same as this one here). Remember to have fun. Good luck to all, you're gonna need it.… Expand

From Software has changed access on the collectors edition so I'm re-evaluating this game. Make it clear that I do think this game deserves an 8 and I'm extremely pleased with my purchase but I also have some flaws in this game I would like to point out. First off Demon's Souls was almost a solid 10. It was that well done. Perhaps this is Dark Souls misfortune though because any design derivation in the sequal probably would have some negative consequences and I certainly do think that Darks Souls has missed the mark a bit by going away from what really was perfect execution gameplay wise in Demon's Souls. The critical thing here is Demon's souls was extremely cruel but at the same time extremely fair. You could learn by your mistakes. This is not the case in Dark Souls. The designers went overboard and into the area of being borderline cheap and consequently unlike in Demon's Souls where there were many little ways to wiggle your way through an area this is not the case in this game. It is almost programmed that you have to beat an area or boss with very little choice in how to beat it. The game demands precise awareness of bosses for example rather than allowing the player to craft their own personal strategies around a particular problem. In other words I find Dark Souls a bit on the scripted side. Paths are very tight and narrow restricting choices to the player. To advance the difficulty almost every area is a narrowing trap without room to navigate or hide. So, in effect and consequently it is difficult to start the game as anything other than heavy melee. This is a huge fault considering the style of game is RPG. Concepts such as bleeding and poison for example are brought into the game before the appropriate counter abilities are well introduced. This all translates to grind grind grind. Some people enjoy this, but I think as a design this is flawed as it will alienate players away from the game. But in the end it is a workable problem not a insurmountable software problem which would be a real mistake. Another peeve is that they made magic lesser with only 30 charges. Really they just forced you to become less of a magic player- also a problem as this is an RPG and if your fantasy is magic use then why do you have to only play as someone more well rounded? This is forced upon you just because of online PvP but for offline solo this is just a bad restriction. Not to mention you can grind and buy 99 firebombs so what is the point if you can work around the difficulty that way and still be cheap with the firebombs online? Also lost in this game is atmosphere. There are cool visuals but I feel the ambiance from the soundtrack is not nearly that of Demon's souls as is the medieval feel of the surrondings- something seems lost or lesser although still very nice. Let's not also forget that if the design of the game was to be made harder the screen centering and magic casting also should have been tighted up and they aren't. Again we see spells cast into nowhere despite target lock and terrible screen centering causing many unintentional deaths. All this being said the game is as advertised and I will be there until I finish no matter how much as I just appreciate difficulty and the fantasy provided. But make no mistake this game is much much more demanding than Demon's Souls. Still a fantastic purchase as you can expect at least 100 hrs per each character. That still remains strong.… Expand

Beautiful,brutal,exciting,frustrating and satisfying are just a few words describing Dark Souls.The tightest controls I can think of and the amazing design leave me almost breathless.It has some of the best 'levels' and enemies ever seen in a game.Is it tough?Oh yes indeed,and too hard in a few places as well.Skill and perseverence are at the forefront here and this game is not for the weak or impatient.A true test of your gaming skills and destined to be remembered.A must have!… Expand

If the game is as good as it is right now, 10/10. This game has shown that a company is willing to give it's audience a real challenge. While Demon's Souls was just 'unforgiving', Dark Souls is down right hard. And in this current day and age of gaming, that's what we need. If you did not heed the warning of "Prepare to die", you prove yourself another fool of our gaming society.

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 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

Like my poor wanderer after the hundredth death at the hands of undead, I'm split in two over Dark Souls. On one hand, it is challenging, beautiful, complex, and a worthy sequel to Demon's Souls. On the other hand, the game's glitchy hit mechanics, dropped frame rates, and broken targeting system make a near perfect challenge feel like a mistake. Don't get me wrong - I'm about 60 hours in, and enjoying every minute of the fight. Even the cursed frogs in the game's depths, growing in their infamy with every angry gamer on the web, only felt like a welcome side adventure to explore an underwater city filled with previously impervious ghosts. But when an AI skeleton suddenly falls through a wall, a self-healing dragon miniboss glitches to its death with one arrow, and I can't see how close that poison blowdart is to my skull because the frames have dropped yet again, the challenge feels lopsided. Dark Souls is purposeful in every unfair death, up to the point where my PS3 seems incapable of handing the evil and freezes yet again.

I almost want to make the argument these glitches are part of the gaming experience, that the designers of From Software wanted to throw us abused players a bone with every enemy who doesn't notice the archer shooting from out of their AI radius. This is probably not the case, but one can hope. All the programming mistakes aside, I could say Dark Souls is the most involved action RPG since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, with every corner hiding a secret and a battle system that has no end to its variety. There is no perfect weapon combination or stat build for your character, only a giant field of possibility to get you through the next seemingly impossibly area. A poisonous swamp? I be there's some poison resistant shadow clothes somewhere. A lava field? Hmm, how can I walk through fire...

The storytelling, though scarce in dialogue, comes mainly from your own actions, making a hero's journey that other games can't match. Most games borrow heavily from other mediums, like film, to tug at your heartstrings or amp up the excitement. Most of Dark Souls' quests are self chosen - try to infiltrate the dark forest or delve into dangerous caverns first? Should you join this NPC's covenant and define how the next 8 hours will be spent, changing the outcome of a drastically long game? "Heavy Rain" tried, somewhat successfully, to force your empathy for predefined characters by giving you loose control of an 8 hour film, pushing the player onwards no matter what mistakes they made. Dark Souls makes you py for those mistakes, making them feel like real consequences. The adventure is imposing and up to you - and its excellent battle system keeps it exciting every deadly step of the way.

Almost. In a game this unforgiving, every moment must be calculated, and it's hard to do that when you can kill difficult enemies from afar or glitch out their AI. It's cheating a great system. Conversely, if my sword is nowhere near that wall yet still bounces back, I'm being cheated. I'm giving this game a mixed review, with the acknowledgment of my love for it. I'll plow on, mistakes aside, through my second quest, because I know it has more depths than the mariana trench (or a certain new elder scrolls game with a placid difficulty curve and blandly familiar game experiences). If you can see past the problems, through the dropped frames, you'll find the greatest game of this year.… Expand

Really enjoying the game. I have to agree with aspentitan though, I was expecting a hard copy of the mini-guide w/ the preorder. I happen to work in a studio where i could mock up a perfect bound copy of the mini-guide but it was quite a bit of work and i'm a little nuts that way. Really weird page sizes though.
anyway, I'm not about to lower the score for the game though... Rugged game, as advertised. tempted to give a 10, but its against my own personal game rating code.… Expand

After putting almost 150 hours into Dark Souls, I decided to rewrite my review. Most of it will stay the same, but I have a few additional thoughts/observations. I'm also going to make more direct comparisons to Demon's Souls (henceforth known as DeS). The first thing I'll touch on is the world itself. The level/world design is outstanding. The elimination of a hub world in favor of an open world was a good choice. A seamless world feels much more alive. I do, however, wish that Firelink was a bit more interesting. The game puts a bigger emphasis on exploration, and there are plenty of nooks and crannies to uncover. Along your journey you might find hidden paths, areas, and even bosses waiting for you. While the graphics are showing their age, the aesthetic is amazing. Each area is unique and varied and there is plenty of eye candy to keep you interested. Anor Londo is especially breath-taking. The world has more color and doesn't feel as bleak or lonely as DeS. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on the individual. Sound and music is top-notch. From epic orchestrated boss scores to the near absolute silence of a pitch black cave, you'll find your state of mind completely in sync with the game world. Combat is similar to its predecessor, though you'll find it slightly tweaked and optimized. Many of the weapons have unique R1/R2 attacks which is a nice touch. Overall, the controls feel a tad more responsive compared to DeS. Despite my praises, there are a few things I dislike about the game. One is the difficulty. Don't misunderstand. I think many of the bosses are too easy. I was able to kill many of them on my first attempt, and I am by no means anything but an average gamer with average skills. I enjoy a challenge, and I feel disappointed when I kill a boss so easily. Directly related to difficulty, I have gripes with a few of the items in the game. First and foremost is the Drake Sword. This item makes the first ~1/5 of the game far too easy. Fortunately I didn't know about this weapon on my first playthrough. Without it, Bell Gargoyles were a challenge. With it they were a joke. To a lesser degree, Ring of Favor and Protection provides a similar result. Both of these items are obtainable very early in the game and provide an incredible advantage. I'd call them game-breaking. The same can be said for Pyromancy. Pyromancy simply does too much damage and trivializes many of the boss fights in the game. If you read my review before playing, take my advice and don't use any of these items if you want the true Dark Souls experience. You'll thank me later. One final note regarding the difficulty, I felt that there were too many bonfires. My second complaint is the quality of the NPCs and bosses in the game. Compared to DeS, I found them to be far less memorable. There were a few gems (Quelaag/Quelaan, Ornstein/Smough, Sif, Gwyn, Reah), but for the most part they were generic and forgettable. Finally, many people are complaining about low FPS areas such as Blighttown, but I don't particularly mind it. It's not game-breaking in the slightest, but it's there. In conclusion, I'm probably in the minority when I say I prefer Demon's Souls to Dark Souls, if only by a slight margin. Overall, Demon's Souls was a more memorable experience for me. I would give Dark Souls a 9.5 if I could, but since this site only allows scores in increments of 1, I'll round it to a 10 since it's vastly superior to most of the slop out there. If you were a fan of Demon's Souls, or are a fan of action RPGs in general, you owe it to yourself to play one of the best.… Expand

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

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 and textures have all been improved. You owe it to yourself to enjoy this beautiful nightmare...… Expand

If you played and loved Demon's Souls, don't bother reading the rest of this message and get Dark Souls NOW. For the rest of you, let me say I read A LOT of reviews and I'd like to point out a few things, as objectively as I can.
The game is not difficult in itself, it has very clear mechanics, and the players are given options to counter these mechanics. It's not "Ninja Gaiden" difficult, where you need to memorize gazillions of combos and execute them in an instant. It's more of a "watch your opponent closely, observe his movements, how he holds his weapon, and if you make a wrong decision/move you die" difficult.
If you know/have played EvE Online, well then DS is to other RPG's what EvE is to MMOs. You don't spam skills after you built up your character talent tree, you choose your armor and weapon based on "realistic" weight/damage/armor ratio. A two handed weapon and a plate armor makes you tough and hard hitting, but moving will be a problem (and in DS you want to be mobile).
Pick a Sword, and your attack will be a swinging slash. Pick a Spear, your attack will be a thrust forward. In a narrow corridor for example, equipping a sword will be a problem, whereas wielding a spear will be more indicated. A blunt weapon will do more damage to skeletons and constructs then other damage types. That's how the game is built. Choice of weapon is yours, pick the right one for the right challenge. Magic does not deplete your mana bar like it's predecessor. Instead you have a limited number of uses (reminds me of old time pen&paper D&D).
Bosses are sometimes cruel, sometime easy, depending on your build (magic vs. melee, but you can have a bit of both) and reflexes. If you get your ass kicked too easily in a zone, then you should probably try to go elsewhere first and come back later.
The only little flaws i can point out are: Inventory could have been improved a bit (for example, to consume souls in your inventory you still have to open it again for each soul), the fact that the amount of souls required to level up is not shown anymore is annoying (you'll need a mix of good memory and guessing to plan a safe trip back to a bonefire), and sometimes the camera angle is really at your disadvantage, especially when you have an enemy locked. But that's not enough to stop me from giving this game a 10 (9.5 would have been perfect, but 9 is not enough).… Expand

This game is stunning both in presentation, game mechanics, and controls. A spiritual successor to 'Demon's Souls', this game improves upon nearly every aspect of the former game (which was also a fantastic game). Let's talk difficulty - yes, it's tough. Really tough. But, it is also in most all cases fair. The game requires you to invest yourself into it in a way most games do not. You need to be observant of both your surroundings and enemies attacks. You need to manage what you are wearing and what is equipped at all times as different areas require different strategies and defenses. That being said, you have many options on how you want to build your character depending on your play style. The sense of accomplishment you get upon each new area you have mastered or boss you have defeated is glorious. You will die. Often. But, in this game, what does kill you - makes you stronger. You learn from each defeat and come back a little wiser and eventually a little stronger. When you come back to enemies later in the game that you thought were so difficult and now dispatch them easily, it's an awesome feeling. Do not miss this game and do not fear the challenge. It is worth all your efforts and is easily a game you can sink dozens of hours into (I'm 70 hrs in). The graphics and atmosphere draw you into a beautiful and terrifying world unlike any other. What's around that next bend...dare I look? Enjoy this instant masterpiece.… Expand

This is, quite simply, one of the most stunning and beutiful games ever created. Dark Souls is a very hard game, but, as with any game perserverance prevails. As you play through, you will find the game does actually give the player some respite ( like obvious level up spots) and isnt as punishing as first thought. The combat to be fair, is a little tricky to start with, but is easy to get used to. Those who complain about the combat and aggresive AI, and rated it low for those reasons, simply are not good enough to play Dark Souls, therefore its a problem with the player and not the game. There are some glitchy AI moments ( like enemies falling off cliffs ect) but thats a good thing given the game is punishing at times. Overall, if you even remotely like the style of this game, then be prepared to be blown away with ecitement, frustration and relief in one rollercoaster of emotions, with gaming moments you will never, ever forget. This game is far beyond the reach of its pretenders.… Expand

Inferior to the original in every way. After the initial "tutorial" area (which is reminiscent of the original and well-executed), I ran into a multitude of problems. Within a span of five minutes, I got stuck in a tombstone, attacked by teleporting skeletons (not INTENTIONALLY teleporting skeletons, which I'd be cool with), had my vision blocked by a giant crow, encountered massive slowdown and fell through a flight of stairs causing the game to lock up (and after restarting the system the game proceeded to berate me for turning it off without saving). I plan on changing this review if/when a patch comes out, but the game is completely unplayable for me at the moment. It's like trying to play Super Meat Boy with a trackball. I've tested 2 copies of the game on 3 separate PS3's, so it's not an isolated issue. Whomever was responsible for QA should be fired.

Also, judging by other people's comments, it seems like user reviews are being pulled from the site...? What kind of crap is that?… Collapse

This game is amazing. It challenges you to actually think about what you are fighting look at the AI and see how they behave and then react to it. There are tons of improvements to the game play, and lots of fun changes. The AI is aggressive, cheap, and very zombie-like, meaning if you can goat them they will fall off cliffs trying to get at you. My favorite thing to do with them is to just kick them off a cliff watching a zombie spartan fall to their doom. The only downsides for me are that the blood stains no longer give you a red shadow of the player, and that you gave to use items to leave messages for other players instead of just writing and recommending them. You must experience this game if you are up for a challenge.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dark souls and Demons souls are the best rpg games ever made,if you want something very very strong here is the chance.But you must know that these game are very dificult games.… Expand

I hope they never stop creating this kind of games. It's the rebirth of a genre and it's the best of it's kind. The toughness, the strategies, the possibilities, the graphics, the enemies, the combat, everything is as superior as you can get.

This game is extremely fun, but in my opinion it's a game that has to suit your personality. I am a stubborn person; if its winter and I'm cold and wet, then screw it I'm fine. If I don't get a goal this game, then I'll get a goal and an assist the next one. This is why Dark Souls is great! It's for people like me where, if you fail (which you will) you will get back in the ring for round two...three...ten! You will master this game eventually, eventually you will make this game your **** not the other way around. You have fun getting your ass handed to you, but then later that boss will be no match for you. Controls are as responsive as they should be. Motions like 'sprint' and 'roll' are 1:1, which is perfect because those will be your best friend. The art style is amazing, and the level design is very seamless. Although every area is distinctly different, they still have a similar style where you know you are in the same world. I am docking one mark off and giving it a 9/10 because the menu is inferior to Demon's Souls and I am far slower with it. Also some audio just sounds cheap. SOME! It is mostly good, but somethings like grass for example sounds like you are rubbing two winter coats together.

This game is not for the faint of heart - but it is full of heart - you will lose a lot, possibly get a bit frustrated, but once you get good (even DS vets will have a bit to get used to) its just an amazing action JRPG.… Expand

Dark Souls is Hard. Very Hard but even though I've died over 100 times. I never thought my deaths were cheap and I always learned from my mistakes. This game is unbelievably addictive and the combat is flawless. the Graphics are beautiful and the online component is unique and well executed , What more is there to say? In my eyes Dark souls is a perfect game and if you;re up for the challenge it's a must have… Expand

Amazing game. Sunk 80 hours on first play through and there's no fat. Great combat, amazing atmosphere and some of the most rewarding moments playing a game. It's very difficult but in a good way--not hard like we just throw a ton of enemies at you--more like "it's a dangerous place out there and we warned you." Definitely pick up this game!

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.

Very similar to Demons Souls which is a little dissapointing. in some sense, i notice similar attack patterns and just a lot of the same thing. but there are new things too like the ability to leap from a sprint. but the world and story are brand new which i really like. bonfires act as checkpoints, tho there are few.

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

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'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

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? 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

Let's be honest for a second, here. Seriously. Ask yourself: "do I really like this game?" or "am I really enjoying this?". I think Dark Souls is the perfect example of Psychological Marketing. Developers and the media MADE US believe that suffering exhaustively with some sort of "do it again until you get good at it" business is something nice, something we want, the ideal gaming experience. It's not. Dark Souls is, no question about it, a beautiful game, challenging and well crafted. That being said, the difficulty level is just way, way too high - to a point that there's not fun at all to play it. But we do, we play, we suffer, because "they" made us believe this was the best gaming experience ever. I gave up on Dark Souls as soon as I realized that I just don't have time for this. Being a gamer in my 30s, I have pretty much 1 hour per day to play games. And I don't want to spend these precious hours hating myself or hating a game because I cannot have any fun, because of frustration. I'm no masochist, sorry. For me, the ultimate gaming experience is HAVING FUN. And there's [almost] no fun to be had in Dark Souls, sorry.… Expand

I picked this up yesterday not knowing what to expect. I read all the reviews, I heard all the hype. I decided to give this game a shot. Never played Demon's souls, but I know it recieved similar praise and I wanted to know what was so great about these games that sounded so frustrating. Twenty hours of game time later and I am here to tell you that this is one of the most original games I've ever played. Not since the very first Zelda on the NES have I played something so unique and uncompromising in its design. Full of secrets and easter eggs, tons and tons of cool weapons and armor, and beautiful art design. It's totally true the game is unflinchingly hard. Every section of the game is built around the concept of learning from death. I spent the first twenty minutes or so in the game dying over and over again only to realize I needed to equip a different weapon to deal with different enemies. Once I did so I walked right through them. It all started to click. There is almost always a solution to the situation your stuck in, you just have to use your brain and figure it out, and when you do you feel like a total badass. The controls take a bit of getting used to as you cant just mash the buttons fable style and expect to get anywhere. You really have to carefully plan each strike but again when you learn the enemies attack patterns and weaknesses you smash right through them. I can't reccomend checking this game out enough to those sitting on the fence. If your tired of the same old crap over and over again this was made for you so don't cry about games being repetitive and full of sequels if you don't pick this up. If you consider yourself a hardcore gamer you owe it to yourself and the industry to have this in your collection-no excuses! In over 20 years of playing games this is one of the finest experiences I've ever had with a game not only because the game is great but because it "gets" the psychology behind what makes gamers tick and uses that to keep you playing even when it feels like the odds are 100 percent against you and then rewards you when you do finally overcome them amplifiying your emotion to the point where you feel like you just won the world series when overcoming a difficulty you never thought you were good enough to handle. Nothing else in gameing compares to this experience-period!… Expand

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

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.

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

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!

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 ( 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

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

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 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

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

First off: I never played the original, so other reviews that claim that only fanboys of the original could love this game are hereby officially refuted. This ain't no beat-'em-up game; even the trash mobs will stomp your guts out if you are not careful. Rather, this game harkens back to the 8-bit days when developers still had the arcade philosophy of making games hard but compelling in order to vacuum quarters out of kid's pockets. If you are like many players that have become jaded about how dumbed-down games have become, get this as you will either love it as I do, or concede that you didn't know what you were wishing for and go back to the usual games of casual ten-hour jaunts through eye candy.… Expand

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

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 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

Not as hard as some of the folks here are saying, while it does have its "difficult" moments, all that's required to overcome those is simply being patient enough to study attack patterns. It has just the right amount of challenge to keep players interested but in the end it's kind enough to let you through most of the challenges with just a little bit of trial and error, assuming you're not just blindly rushing forward.… Expand

There is a great deal of difference between being challenging and being unfair. This game is simply unfair, and, as someone said, this is the kind of game that you play just to say you played it. There is nothing to like here: is just a struggle, like putting yourself on diet, or working your biceps to exaustion at the gym. I could play this game for a wage, not for free. And if I think I even payed for this one, well, I can just blame myself...… Expand

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 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

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. the combat is really fun and well done but the enemy AI almost ruined this game for me. They are hyper aggressive (which is the worst form of AI because they just stare at you while you point your bow at their face) but when you get near them they go apesh!t on you. The archery portion of the game sucks balls. like literally is terrible beyond belief for such a high end game combat game. you'll end up trying to snipe an enemy from atop a ledge and the arrow will get stuck in mid air. When entering the depths for the first time you'll be on the stairs leading down to the room with the butcher guys. well the first enemy you see is just staring at you as usual and wide open to a nice arrow in the face. well you shoot and the arrow gets stuck in mid air. and its not even close to any walls or ledges. there is a 10 foot gap of free space where your arrow will get stuck when you try to shoot someone. terrible terrible archery in this game. as for everything else its pretty refreshing. i like the swordplay alot and it is satisfying as hell when you get that parry kill because instead of just pressing a button after you've already weakened them they make you work for a killing move which is awesome. most of the AI when not staring at you is pretty good when in actual combat. you'll die cheap deaths and some are unavoidable when you're going through your first play through. the bosses are epic some of the best in any game i've ever played. over all a 7 is a fair score in my opinion i couldn't in any respect give a game with this many flaws higher than a 7. when you're making a game thats whole purpose is to challenge you its very important that all the combat aspects of the game are solid. sadly they are not. was a very fun game though.… Expand

Demon's Souls was/is 1 of the best games I've ever played. the balance between frustration & reward was perfect. every death was your fault. I have never put so many hours into a game.
as spiritual successor, dark souls lacks the same balance & polish the graphics are an improved, however the character animations are a step backwards - my deprived runs like a legless chicken. the levels in DS were tight, the game was about itching forward. in going more 'open world' ds loses the focus that DS had. o
the combat feels sluggish in comparison, & there's a noticeable lag betwixt button press & action. every time, bar 1, I've died in my short time with dark souls, I felt it was the game at fault, not me.
I score half what I give Demon's Souls minus 1 for disappointment.
Return game to shop, back to Demon's Souls, maybe get Skyrim?… Expand

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

Horrible. That is the best way to sum up this game. Extremely difficult to the point of complete insanity. Make one mistake and you have to repeat an hours worth of play to get back to the same area. No story line what-so-ever. No explanation of what different symbols, stats, etc mean on your character. The game was definitely banking on previous reputation. Controls are very buggy with multiple button combos almost pointless because you can never get them to work.… Expand

I had fun setting up my character, and starting thru the tutorial... That's about it. After I escape the first dungeon, I meet a knight and decide to fight him and take his soul (I'm a thief in the game after all...). He kills me in 3 hits... Fine, try again. Respawn/reload the game, he kills me again! The fighting is so lame... He hits me, and my character has to go thru this delayed reaction/animation, realizing he's getting hit, and by the time I regain control, I'm hit again, then dead... again. Fine, can't fight him, I'll reload the game and run away. Nope, he just follows me no matter where I go, and how far I run. My hits are so weak, they barely register, and of course, he has no slow down from my hits, just continues thru his attack motion as if I'm not hitting him multiple times. 9 Deaths later, and screaming at he TV, i quit. Not fun. Why not at least "reset the scene" if the player is killed? If it was a mistake to fight the first character I meet, why not let me learn that, and leave him be. Do i have to restart the whole game, and go thru the tutorial dungeon all over again? How many similar situations would ruin my evenings if I decided to keep this torture session disguised as a video game? I would have loved to play with a friend to help me, why restrict me from doing so? Muliplayer i random and can't be coordinated. Not fun. I gave it a rest and tried again the next day, still not fun. At all. Trading it in for Batman Arkham City.… Expand

If you think Silver Surfer is the greatest game of all time, and that difficulty means out-of-nowhere deaths that require psychic abilities to avoid, Dark Souls is for you. Everyone else, stay away.

One of the most challenging games I have ever played, this game is hard, and you will die a lot if you do not learn from your errors, you need to adapt to your enemies techniques, and balance the the use of evasion movements, defensive approaches and attack patterns.///////////Enemies have their own, add they use to hide and make ambushes, cornering you and making you pay any reckless behavior you can make, luck will save you a couple of times, but mostly, your skills and speed of learning will give you an edge to beat this game.///////////Mistakes are paid dearly but once you nail an enemy, you become stronger, not only you character, the game have some items that make you life easier, this bring up something very important, all in this game matters, that little herb, a little knife, all of them have their purpose and can make you have advantage over enemies and certain situations, spells, miracles, some may seem useless, but they can save your life in daring situations//////This brings up this game is not hack and slash as you may already guess, most times you will be attacking, but defending, hiding and running will make your day also.////////There is a deep character customization, as first glance is not noticeable, but you will learn that specialization is a good bet, you scale your stats, and some weapons scale with the stats you have the most, but others with stats you scale the less making them less effective, for instance, a knife can be more lethal in an assassin built than in a warrior one, there is no advantage of one class over another, the skill you have with them will make win online matches as well as in the single player.//////Music and graphics are average, but design is superb, scenery and enemy design are awesome, you feel there is a sense of uniqueness in each one of them, as for the story, it is lessen, there are not big cut scenes and long dialogues, almost everything is explained though the menu, where you can read the story of each item you have, this will not stop you from understanding the world you are playing in, each character as a real meaning history and an air of mystery you will have to research.////////////This game is part of the history of gaming, you can decide if you will be part of it or not.… Expand

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 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

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! ......................................................................................................................................

This game is amazing and extremely difficult. if you do not enjoy challenging games, like that of the NES era, then you will not appreciate the learning curve of this game. If you want a balls to the wall, hardcore 3rd person RPG, then dark souls if for you. Would highly recommend the strategy guide

Simply awesome. I can't say enough about the level design. It is truely in a class of it's own. No warp system as seen in Demon's Souls, but instead you end up opening clever shortcuts so eventually you can get most anywhere in a matter of minutes. Also, plenty of out-of-the-way places to explore and find items/souls. The combat is exactly like Demon's Souls. Once you learn an enemy's moves it's more a matter of patience than anything, although bosses require perfect timing as well. They added tons of new armour, weapons, and items compared to Demon's Souls and they got rid of the 1/2 HP thing if you're not in body form. Now it's "Hollowed" and "Human" form. The only difference is you need Human form to summon/be summoned/invade. They also did away with the "world tendancy" mechanic of Demon's Souls which is great. Basically it's a simplified game compared to DS, yet retaining all the challenge and adding a lot more awesomesauce. Tons of mini bosses and unique enemies.

Only complaint is terrible framerate drops, especially in Blighttown.… Expand

When i was heading to town to pick this up i thought it can not possibly be as hard as they say and still fun well guess what they are all correct get this game sod rage get this

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 in an enemy's defense. The combat has impressive physics â… Expand

This game is very unique in the RPG-genre and can't be missed by (real) hardcore players. It's for players who accept a real challenge and discovers you'll have to be patient and learn the attacks of your enemies to proceed in the game. Once you accept that dying is a big part of the gameplay, you can experience the very strong atmospheres of the game. This is one of the things in the game I appreciate the most, because imagine you're all alone, dying is almost inevitable, you got so much souls to waist, the enemies are strong, the soundeffects scare you all the time. The worlds are very varied and there are many enemies with different attacks to study. In fact, the world is enormous and there are no loading times like Demon's Souls. Each part of the world has its own atmosphere and unique enemies. To get access to another part of the world, you'll have to beat a boss, which can be very strong but simple as well. How more you proceed, the more shortcuts and Bonfires (checkpoints) are to discover. All the parts of this forgotten world is connected beautifully so you don't have to travel so long. Of course, no game is perfect. Demon's Souls had some moments of framedrops. However, this wasn't that much of a dealbreaker. Dark Souls suffers more from this issue when exploring some big worlds. Expecially when you have much going on on the screen. There was one beautifull world but the framedrops seriously damaged the experience. Still, it wont be a big factor when reviewing this game.
This game is not made for those who play games only for fun. I mean those types who like interactive movie-games which only focus on graphic and cinematic experiences. This is a real game and only focusses on the most important element of any game: gameplay. Want to discover what kind of gamer you are? Buy Dark Souls. Prepare to die!

(Oh, and I can't explain the amazing feeling when you find a Bonfire)… Expand

Dark Souls does what Demon's Souls meant to, two years ago; perfect the RPG experience. This game is phenomenal, taking everything from the previous game and making it bigger and better. The game is quite expansive, spanning large environments that are littered with enemies. "Prepare to Die" is the catchphrase for this game, and it lives up to that. You will die, and die a lot. But, there is a difference between dying in Dark Souls, and mostly every other game. In other games, when you die, it can be for various reasons: glitches, AI being overpowered and impossible to beat, etc. But, when you die in Dark Souls, it's because you made a mistake and you were punished. And, there is more than enough incentive to play through Dark Souls multiple times: i.e. multiple paths, collectibles, and alternative customization. Definitely a game for the hardcore, and an almost perfect game.… Expand

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 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

This was pretty much the best game to come out of 2011 all together, and let's be honest this is NOT a game for everyone. The fact that the game does not tell you where to go from the beginning gives you a sense of feeling lost or confused, but that also sparks an adventurous side of the player inspiring exploration of the game world. The boss fights were phenomenal, and the experience this game leaves you with upon completion is unmatched. Overall Dark Souls is uncompromising in its challenges and yet fair in its approach.… Expand

A paradigm of game design, though challenging. You will die, so a word of advice, spend those souls before you lose them. Read the Dark Souls wiki, it will help a lot.

From Software makes games the way they think they should be and they don't listen to complaining fans. And I'm glad they do it this way. This game is the ultimate in percision and thinking of how your going to overcome your opponent. Each enemy is a challenge and a puzzle. Demon Souls is a great game, and I appreciate how the percision in Dark Souls is more critical then it was in Demon Souls. This game scares me, makes me jump, pisses me the heck, and it is totally worth the $60 dollar price tag, and the $30 dollar new controller price tag that comes with throwing the controller in complete frustration when you get powned by 15 of the weakest enemies in the game. The world is different in demon souls and encourages exploring, however I'm discouraged to go further and die. This game is great and will easily zap 100 hours of your life away and more. Graphics, sound, and mechanics are great in my opinion. I have nothing bad to say except the game should come with a controller to replace the broken one, because this is a game worth losing a controller by throwing it across the room. BEWARE: BUTTONS SMASHERS WILL HATE THIS GAME. IT TAKES CONCENTRATION AND PERCISION TO PLAY THIS GAME.… Expand

I read everything about Dark Souls. After my Demons Souls Platinum, I thought it would be another clone. Developers said Dark Souls would be hard, much harder than its predecessor. They were right. You heard this a lot of times but this game is brutal. This game is not a refreshing thing to do when you are tired in the end of your workday. Youll be punished every time that your shield is down, every time that you decided to take that dark route instead staying in your way. Youll be nervous. Much more stressed than silent Hill, Resident Evil or any other game in your life. If you are a trophy hunter (like me) youll NEED to do a plan before playing this. A single error will force you to do a whole new playthrough, you will be punished (again). If you think you cant stand this, dont try, save your money. Most of people will never call this a game. Dark souls is always challenging you. Youll have to fine tune your coordination, you intelligence, your ability to overtake the AI. Do you like exploits? Youll find it, but be warned: youll still die even at maximum level. Almost finishing this game I can look behind to see how my reflexes evolved, how I am able to do certain things in this game that I never imagine before. In my real life some works seens very simple to me, compared to how difficult is to cut a Dragons tail (Seath). But dont get me wrong, this game is beautiful, the music is unmatched and the combat is the best I have ever seen in my whole 35 years of gaming. If you have time, coldness and enough ability try this, but if not, please, dont waste your time depreciating something that you should not have chosen.… Expand

If you liked Demons' Souls then u will no doubt like this game as its more of the same but really improved. I wanna keep this short as i mainly wanted to argue points made by the negative reviews of this game. This game is without a doubt hard. It's meant to be hard. You are meant to die! If you make it through this game without dying then you're the messiah of the gaming world. This game is all about patience and persistence, for those of you who haven't played Demons' Souls then it may take a while to get along the flow of the game. This game tries to be realistic, in a lot of games you can just run up to most enemies (even ones you've never encountered before) and just hack it to death. In this game you really have to be highly cautious, you gotta go in shield up and ready to dodge many attacks. This game is without a doubt trial and error but that doesn't necessary mean you have to die. You just have to play defense A LOT. I agree this game can be frustrating when it comes to bugs but as long as you're always cautious they dont cause too many problems. As for the guy who said the skeletons teleported ????? Maybe I haven't got to them yet but are you sure it wasnt just the fact that you have a poor internet connection. Anyways this game is really great and if you fancy yourself a good gamer and want a real challenge I would highly recommend it. Oh I would also like to say the visuals are very unique and pretty. I would say the one fault the game has is its story as there's a very simple plot. I guess the designers thought it better to just let the player immerse themselves into the game.… Expand

This game completely took me by surprise, I thought it would be an decent game a very small group of people would like but I was way off. The game looks great with slowdowns here and there, the combat is satisfying and visceral, and the enemy types are so varied that I never got bored with fighting (I'm about 35 hours in). The bosses can be a pain, and at times feel a little cheap but then when you eventually figure out the attack pattern, find there weakness, get a friend, or just power though them you feel invincible. The Items feel good, and there is a lot of them but what I like most about the items is they feel like they are worth something. Let me explain, in most RPGs I've played I would find a divine sword of great justice +5 and don't get me wrong I like that feeling too but it feels like and item, something I could find two steps over if I killed enough angry pigs. In dark souls though I feel like every item (save a couple, like the generic long sword) feels like it has a history, that it was actually forged and used by a legendary warrior before you. All this together makes this one of my favorite games and the best so far this year and even after 35 hours I feel cravings to play all day.… Expand

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.

Dark Souls separates boys from girls as its predecessor Demon's Souls did in 2009. The DS series aren't made for everybody and that's a fact. If you're new into the franchise I suggest you to read about DS gameplay, mechanics, the basics, tips, the guide, etc. It's going to help you a lot. You can also watch reviews, walkthroughs, gameplay, etc on youtube if you want to cheat a bit when you're stock. If you don't find a lot of info about Dark Souls visit http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/. The structure and game are pretty similar. Read about "Soul form" vs"Body form" / "Undead" vs "Humanity" in these game and you'll understand it better. There is a reason for all this. Unique multiplayer experience is amazing and so helpful. Sorry dear gamers, if you all cry because you all die a lot in a video game like DS, well... that's because you got used to "easy" games. Everything has a consequence in here... DS doesn't forget... So if you decide to attack the first NPC that is on your way, don't expect him to forget it when you re-spawn. C'mon this is not the first time that games do that kind of stuff... Don't blame the game dude... Also, if you find extremely difficult to pass an area maybe it's because you shouldn't be there in the first place: Go somewhere else... Don't **** ask for a map... Just explore DS world. This game is really awesome!!!… Expand

this game is incredible, the challenge initially made me very nervous but after trying to do one thing over and over makes you good enough to pass the harder levels. there isn't much of a tutorial so i had to figure out several things on my own, but once i did, the game got even more fun. i played multiplayer once, so i can't really say how good or bad it is.

Remember Bushido Blade? It's alot like that, where the enemy can kill you in one hit, but so can you. Patience is key. As for the game's difficulty, yes it is there, yes it is punishing, but ultimately rewarding. If all else fails, you can cheat and summon other players to help you out. If not for the graphical stutters, this game woulda been perfect.

Dark Souls is a masterpiece. While the game is exceptionally brutal and demands an equivalent discipline from the player, it rewards you handsomely for your efforts and, most of all, your patience and willingness to learn. Every two steps forward are accompanied by one step back as you crawl your way, painfully and slowly, through the gloomiest, most hellish environment ever created. Dark Souls pits you against yourself, not the game, demanding that you set aside your pre-conceived notions of gaming fun and, instead, embrace an insane difficulty and all the failure that goes with it. Once you do, the game sucks you deep into its abyss, swallowing your waking hours as you wander, hunted and afraid, with nowhere to go but further into hell. Make no mistake, Dark Souls will punish you time and time again but if you can accept death you will find the game open up before you like a yawning chasm, drawing you relentlessly inwards and onwards. Easily the best game I have ever played on the 360, Dark Souls is like a digital nightmare where, sometimes, jut often enough, you figure out how to master and crush the demons.… Expand

The ONLY reason I didn't give this a full ten is due to the online game-play not being "perfect enough". Slight latency problems, not always easy to connect and nobody seems to understand in what level ranges you can summon/be invaded in (There are guesses and theories, but no one actually knows). Other than that, this is nothing short but my absolutely favorite game since the SNES days. There is no one I can not recommend this game to. It's just purely fantastic.… Expand

Incredibly deep and utterly rewarding gameplay runs deep in From Softwareâ

I'm giving this a TEN! Why? Because I haven't played a game that was actually this challenging in a very long time. No, I haven't played Demon Souls, and no, I'm not a "fanboy". The game gives a nice presentation visually, it sets you in a dark word with danger around every turn. Sure, it has it's share of slow down and glitches here and there, but I haven't encountered that too much. Yes the game can be VERY frustrating, but I believe THIS is the most challenging game of this generation, if you want to truly test yourself as a gamer, and as a person, this game will do so like no other game you have ever played before. "Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated." ~Sun Tzu… Expand

Having solo'd my way through Demon's Souls and NG+ several times in the past, I find the experience presented by Dark Souls rather disappointing. The game seems to be much more co-op dependent this time around, and I wouldn't recommend going through it alone to those who don't like ruining a game's atmosphere by facerolling through it with 4 people or don't like facing the danger of disconnecting or lagging. Unfortunately, you will be pretty much forced to do that.

There also seems to be much more emphasis on what is known as "bullshit deaths" in Dark Souls, which wasn't so in Demon's Souls. Stuff that you can't possibly notice on your first go will instakill you many, many times and cause you a lot of frustration. The solution again is to be online and read help notes. If you don't do that, expect to take 3 times as long to finish the game. There are also fundamental design faults early in the game. For example, if you get poisoned by the first pack of rats after Taurus (and they pretty much instapoison you unless you get really lucky), you might as well reload, you are practically dead and have not yet had access to anything that cures poison with most of the classes.

They also have done absolutely nothing to improve the cryptic nature of the first game, in fact they made it even worse. Reading hours and hours of wiki articles just so I can understand the basics of the new things they introduced is not something that is fun for anyone. Not explaining your mechanics to the player is not challenge, it's laziness. Having to start 3 new characters before reading up that you absolutely must get the Master Key gift if you are a sane person, and then having to delete them all and start over is not good.

The game is also really glitchy, especially the pathfinding is pathetic, and people who claim this is a "feature" to be abused to increase your odds are just being idiotic fanboys. Enemies teleport everywhere, leap up winding flights of stairs in one animation and backstab you, and even bosses may leap to their own deaths and leave you standing there and facepalming. As for the new combat mechanics, kick doesn't break enemy shielding so it's kinda pointless and the leap attack is too stamina intensive and 99% of the time will hit the air and leave you open to an instakill.

I also really hate the new magic system with limited charges, magic is now to be used only in extreme emergencies and making a pure intelligence character is pretty much suicide. Why not have the option to play as a magic user normally, I don't understand. They limited their own game because clearly they thought that magic users are homos. Ridiculous.

The level and monster design is much better than Demon's Souls, well done there.

In the end, I feel that Dark Souls is unpolished and approaches challenge in the wrong ways sometimes. You also pretty much need to co-op it or you will go insane, but co-op destroys the difficulty entirely. What a glorious battle Allant was in Demon's Souls on NG+ if you were solo... I haven't found anything that great 60 hours into Dark Souls, only bugs and frustration. If you played and loved Demon's Souls, I recommend you rent this and check it out before buying.… Expand

This game is not for everyone, but it should be reviewed on what it promised to deliver and it did deliver, a ruthless RPG unlike any other(exception Demon Souls) with a unique online expierence, amazing visual enviroment and sound.

Dark Souls shines in its dreariness, but a few minor quibbles mar a chance at perfection. The gameplay in Dark Souls is spot on, and requires both memorization and skill to effectively conquer the game's numerous challenges. Combat is crisp and inspired. The level design, aside from one late game area, easily warrants an award in and of itself. The developers raised the bar for every game from this point on. Each world and area interconnects with the others, eliminating the need for jarring fast travel systems. The music is subtle, but appropriate, and the graphics are a major advancement form the previous installation. The one area, though, where the game loses points is, unfortunately, technical prowess. It stutters at points and lags in certain areas, adding an unneeded difficulty and jarring the otherwise brilliantly crafted suspension of disbelief. Do not let this frighten you, though. Dark Souls is brilliant and frustrating, challenging and rewarding, and you owe it to yourself to experience this ride.… Expand

This is one of the few games that has come out recently that actually challenge you, definitely worth a 10. If you are going to buy only one game this year, then this is the game.

This game just doesn't have quality like I guess I'm used to. The idea that a full screen announcement comes on to tell me that "You Lit The Bonfire" as if it was a significant achievement confuses me, especially since the game hides some much other information that is crucial for understanding how to play the game. The character classes are obscure and magic is pretty much a joke as everyone has to engage in melee combat due to the restrictive amount of spells that exist in the first 6 hours I put in the game. Since there is a heavy reliance upon melee combat and health is so crucial the game becomes even more difficult if you pick a lower vitality, magic strong class. And the game is difficult, but the difficulty comes not from the game itself but from the horrible UI and controls. I died more from fumbling my controls than I ever did from underestimating my enemy and the heavy fog of ignorance the game keeps you in that hides some of the games mechanics is the other side of the difficulty. I don't know why people enjoy a game that makes it hard for you to enjoy its many aspects but this game succeeded. I mean, the starting gift you choose, what could be more obscure and then overly useless than blindly picking an item from that list. I would have rather it not existed at all since the item I picked was never useful for me.

The online aspect of the game is usually most prominent in messages left on the ground, many of them stating this: "I'm tired of this"

How useful. I died to a boss because I rolled off a cliff, unintentionally, I didn't want to roll my hand just happened to mash down R3. I died to a simple skeleton archer because I accidentally unequipped my shield in the midst of battle when trying to quickly switch to the healing potion from some bombs I was using. Bad controls should not be the main contributor to a games "difficulty" level. The targeting system also needs some help...which is another part of, I guess, the difficulty. Fix the controls, sloppy controls are never fun, fix the targeting, and provide more information about items and the overall why for running around in the world so I can enjoy the world you created and I'd rate this game much higher.… Expand

What does your GOTY a 10/10 game? Epic Story?
Wonderful Graphics?
Great Sounds?

I would say Max Adrenaline Rush!.

I simply Love Dark Souls from start to finish. No doubt that in my book, Dark Souls i this years GOTY Nothing less then 10/10

Ok first time at the site. So i really enjoy dark souls i grow attached to the characters and would like more info about them but ok. the gameplay is great but there is sometimes you will not agree with your death for some lag input or some **** jumping enemy that changes his direction on mid-air. but i like the jooly cooperantion thing and invading is where the real fun is. hate mail all day.… Expand

What can I say? It's just epic! No game has ever been more frustrating but that works in Dark Souls favour. My favourite game of 2011 and a proud part of my PS3 collection.

So, I accepted the challenge. The gauntlet was dropped with the term "prepare to die". We shall see, I scoffed. After all, I research games well before I buy 'em and I am pretty picky when it comes to my games collection. Having never played the first one (demon's) my initial thoughts were that it's a more beautiful Onimusha. Thump. The skeletons lance ended my killing spree like a marshmallow at a boy scout 'bonfire' picnic... fast forward. I have just finished the iron golem boss. I am totally hooked. Days flow into one another. I eat, dream, sleep Dark Souls, I strategize while nodding and staring blankly at my girlfriends banter. I have managed to find a seller of the original Demon's Souls (un-opened he says!). This is what gaming should be like. Should I switch on the internet? Nah, I'll wait for NG+, those souls and humanity were far to hard gained to risk it playing online with those robbers and thieves... for now.… Expand

As an artist an ardent RPG gamer, I want to commend and thank the developers of Dark Souls. Many reviewers have praised the stellar combat; enigmatic suspense; level of challenge; memorable, strategic boss fights, etc. Perhaps there has not been adequate comment on the lovingly-crafted art design. This is a beautiful game. Locales consistently contain both wondrous grandeur and meticulous natural and architectural detail. My favorite definition of art was by a renowned philosopher,"Art reflects reality but transcends it." Surely, evocative, beautiful games are art. 10 Tombo… Expand

Dark Souls is simply one of the best and one of my favorite RPGs of all time! That said its not for the faint of heart. Those players that like playing games on easy and zipping through the game, this game is not for you. Patience is defiantly a virtue when it comes to Dark Souls.

I don't quite remember when I've enjoyed a game this much! The sheer terror of creeping around a corner, moving around with extreme care, the total enjoyment of sniping an enemy from afar with your bow inflicting critical damage and seeing him drop with an arrow through the eye. Never before have I cared so much about my character and what happens to him. This game is a masterpiece, and punishes players who are impatient...at the same time teaching patience, as it is the only way to survive.… Expand

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.

Superb in every way, it takes everything good that was in Demon's Souls and makes it better and more impressive. Stunning visuals, unparalleled sense of discovery (nothing feels quite like stumbling upon a boss or a shortcut or any other secret game have) and absolutely massive amount of content makes it one of 2-3 top games of this generation.

After taking my time with Dark Souls and understanding the gameplay mechanics, the design choices and killing a bunch of bosses, I could safely say that Dark Souls is a great game. But somehow, I am dissapointed. Yes I knew the game would be hard, and yes I knew it wouldn't be as innovative as Demon's Souls, but the game feels in a way, a copycat of the first game, only more annoying. I'm not talking about difficulty, but rather on the technical issues that show up constantly. If you played and loved Demon's Souls, this game has about the same experience. Add a few new bosses, make an open world, add a big bunch of framerate issues and stupid design choices and you get Dark Souls. the game looks amazing and is very deep and satisfying at times, but the more I play it the more I realise that it's just TOO much to bear. The game is so big, you will always feel like you are clueless and barely feel a sense of progression. It is also why the game is vastly Longer, and explains the never ending framerate issues. Don't get me wrong, this game is brilliant in a ton of ways, but it feels like a step backwards for me. It seems like ''From Softwere'' rushed the game out because there was high demand for it, and even though it is certainly one of the year's best, it's not a classic game and rather outclassed by it's ''spiritual ancestor'' which was more original, more polished, and more balanced in ways that Dark Souls could never thrive to be.… Expand

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 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

I remember being in the 'demon souls club' (I just made the up), the days following the release of the game. Awestruck by its greatness. And now countless other get to enjoy the gameplay of Souls. There is no other game,gameplay, atmosphere, and world better than dark souls. It stands alone in numerous areas. Most games can't even stand alone in one. Although Demons Souls will still be the game that I was most immersed in in 25 years of video gaming, Dark Souls beats it in most ways. And the difficulty is high, but that's part where the immersion comes from. I still go back to it, and once again I'm perfectly happy playing the same section over and I've again once again. One of the best games ever made. One rule: you must be a hardcore gamer.… Expand

Simply one of the best games ever made. Its beautiful, its brutal, its fun, its unforgiving, its satisfying, its everything you can desire from a game. Dark Souls deserves all the praise it gets.