Dark Souls
Game » consists of 14 releases. Released Sep 22, 2011
A quasi-sequel to From Software's action-RPG Demon's Souls, set in a new universe while retaining most of the basic gameplay and the high level of challenge. It features a less-linear world, a new checkpoint system in the form of bonfires, and the unique Humanity system.
Short summary describing this game.
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5 (29) 4 (5) 3 (1) 2 (1) 1 (0) 4.7 starsAverage score of 39 user reviews
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Demon's Souls 2...er, I mean DARK SOULS!!! 0
Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls which was a Playstation 3 exclusive created by Japanese game developer From Software and was released in late 2009. Dark Souls is yet again developed by From Software and is HEAVILY influenced by Demon’s Souls. In a perfect world you might be able to review Dark Souls as though Demon’s Souls had never existed, but frankly we don’t live in a vacuum in which Demon’s Souls never was. In truth, Dark Souls must be held not only to the absent but ...
11 out of 13 found this review helpful. -
Are you prepared to die? 0
Things are grim in Dark Souls. The undead roam the world, looking for warm bodies to tear asunder, and here you are, just trying to figure out why everything wants to kill you so badly. It does not take long for you to stop wondering about the why's and wherefores, because survival instinct has kicked in. Staying alive is all you're worried about anymore, and to do that you'll need to kill almost everything and everyone in your path. No easy task.Of course, the difficulty of Dark Souls and Demon...
5 out of 5 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls is a genre-defining experience on so many levels. 7
Dark Souls is the very epitome of "hardcore" – here is a game that doesn't hold your hand and one that will mercilessly punish you for even the slightest error. Because in Dark Souls, you'll succumb to one untimely demise after another, but for every horrific death you'll suffer through and for every bit of progress lost, there's always a reward waiting for you. When you topple that boss that's been giving you trouble for hours upon end or when you manage to clear out that one area that...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
The gamer's game 0
I loved Demon’s Souls. The way it completely ignored many of gaming’s modern trends to create a gripping, demanding, yet rewarding adventure was refreshing, and I’m happy to report that Dark Souls follows firmly in its footsteps. This is an epic RPG that is in many ways bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor, making for an equally special experience. Any fan of a deep and challenging RPG should look no further than Dark Souls.If you've heard one thing about Dark Souls you’ve probably hea...
4 out of 4 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls hates you. But you love Dark Souls 0
Why are you so mean to me Dark Souls? I give you so much of my time and all you do is throw me to the ground, kick me in the nuts not once but twice and wait for me to get back up so you can do it all over again. Believe it or not, this is why Dark Souls is such an amazing game. The risk/reward and satisfaction is unmatched compared to any game on the market. If you can suffer through the nasty swamps of Blighttown, or risk a valley filled with dragons, you might just love Dark Souls too......
3 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Prepare to read the obvious 1
So, first things first. This review is written by someone who absolutely loved Demon's Souls. It's one of the most immersive experiences I've had on a console. The game appeals to me in the same way ArmA and flight sims do. You mess up, you die. What you're left with is a game that makes you feel stupid every time you get killed. It's not a game that uses cheap tricks to kill you - it penalizes your for being impatient. This adds to the atmosphere of the game, which is absolutely fantastic. When...
5 out of 7 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls is with out a doubt punishing, but it's also one of the most rewarding games you'll ever play. 1
I've always found the Souls series to be interesting. That being said, I never thought I would actually have the patience to play through an entire game. Dark Souls is undoubtedly worth experiencing, and those who persevere are in for one of the most rewarding journeys that the PS3 has to offer.Dark Souls takes place in a land called Lordan. The game is incredibly rich as far as it's story goes, but it is not presented in a typical manner. Rather than being filled with cutscenes, Dark Souls deli...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Death is not failure here. 0
I was arrogant when I started Demon's Souls. I ignored the warnings of those who had come before me and pranced through the first level without dying once, laughing in the face of man and God alike.But check the dates of my trophies and you'll see a pretty clear story being told: My arrogance lasted about a month and a half before I finally got stuck and quit until eight months later when an insomnia-driven decision at 4 a.m. got me back in. I overcame my roadblock, fell asleep, then woke up and...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls: A Retrospective 0
When first presented with the idea of Dark Souls the concept was captivating. Creating a game that was meant to be more then just a challenge, it was meant to test someone to the very limits of what they are willing to take in order to complete a journey. For a majority of said journey the player is meant to feel like failure is the first option. Every encounter from the mundane to the monumental tests every skill a player has picked up through years of gaming. Muscle memory and reflexes meld to...
2 out of 2 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls, but Harder 0
*MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW*Players familiar with Dark Souls won’t notice much of a difference besides a few lines of new NPC dialogue, at least until they reach Darkroot Garden, a shadowy valley beneath the Undead Parish. From here there are three tasks that must be accomplished in order to open the way to the DLC, after which a giant hand covered in eyeballs and teeth appears to snatch you into the brand new realm of Oolacile.One of the most genius aspects of Dark Souls was the world map. Every are...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls: Prepare to at first cry, then fly high 0
Some games leave a lack of mystery and wonder. They clearly spell out what to do, where to go and how to do it. Dark souls stands at the counter opposite of that and for the most part stands firm in keeping its mouth shut. The player is dropped into the game with only the knowledge that you’re a cursed being who will eventually succumb to the unfortunate fate of turning hollow, and that you now have to set out on a journey to ring two bells. One high above the land and the other to the very dep...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
A masterpiece that embraces less-is-more philosophy 0
Dark Souls is a parasitic game. With a cold opening to a world that is not so much in media res as it is hanging by a thread for survival, Dark Souls tells you the mechanical basics and the barest of information to set you on your quest. This quest sticks with you long after you turn the game off for the night. You replay scenarios in your mind and you obsess over an obtuse, but immensely rewarding lore. It grows like a shadow in your mind over your thoughts until the final release of completio...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
A Difficult, Yet Rewarding Masterpiece of Gaming 0
When Demon’s Souls first arrived back in 2009, few expected it to be such a surprise hit. Aside from its appealing aesthetics, ingenious level design, methodical combat, and numerous customization options, it boasted a brutal yet rewarding difficulty level the likes of which haven’t been seen since the days of the NES, and never did a game feel it did so as fairly as Demon’s Souls. Now, Dark Souls, its spiritual successor, seeks to take those same positive traits and add onto i...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls - Artorias of the Abyss Review 1
If there even is a proper word for the confusing mixture of emotions I felt in the first 30 minutes of booting up the long-awaited add-on to last year's utterly exhilarating Dark Souls, it's not in my repertoire. What I do know, is I was immediately struck with a very profound childlike excitement that had me giddy, all due to the fact I was simply doing something new. Having spent well over 200 hours exploring the dense, beautiful and wholly unique world FromSoftware had granted me last year, I...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Game of the Decade (2010-2020) 0
You know how people were still playing Starcraft until Starcraft II came out? And how people were still playing Diablo II until III came out? Yeah, Dark Souls is another one of those games. I bought Dark Souls upon release with little to no background or expectations.I played it for two weeks, gave up. I liked the mechanics, had a decent support group around and we were all feeling our way around in the darkness, but eventually I gave up. Got really into Skyrim (I now laugh that I thought that...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Embrace The Darkness 0
I’ll start of this review with an admission. Before I played Dark Souls, I thought even the very idea of it was awful. The idea of a game that hid away basic concepts, had barely any visible story and was punishing in seemingly vindictive ways sounded like a clear-cut example of shoddy programming.Even then, a morbid curiosity drew me to this odd game until I finally took the plunge and decided to give Dark Souls a try through the lovely people at my local Blockbuster.A spot of jolly cooperation...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
They Warned Me Right In The Title... 0
Here’s a simple test to see if you should play Dark Souls. When games required incredibly precise movement and death was just one slip away (think MegaMan, Contra), did you enjoy that? Ever play an RPG that threw a lot of complicated stats and items at you with virtually no explanation? Was that fun? Was there ever a moment you got stuck on in a game and died again and again? Do you remember the rush when you finally beat it?If those conditions don’t apply to you, prepare to be very frustrated ...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Light Prevails 0
You probably suck at Dark Souls.That's not a boast or an attempt at provocation; it's a statement of fact. Unless you've played a lot of Dark Souls, you'll probably do very badly. In fact, even if you have played a lot of Dark Souls, you'll probably embarrass yourself. It's an unforgiving game, famously so, and it expertly dispenses rope enough to hang yourself (figuratively) again and again. The PC release tells you up front what to expect: "Prepare to Die".It's usually the right kind of diffi...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Putting the ROLE back into role-playing games 1
It is easy to write about why Dark Souls is technically excellent -- its art and presentation creates highly atmospheric medieval dungeons; its gameplay mechanics, combat system and controls are solid; it expands upon the same interesting online concepts that its predecessor introduced, such as leaving messages for other players, invading their worlds to duel, or teaming up for its unique brand of co-op. It is also easy to criticise some of its low points, like no tutorial system, little explana...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
no pain, no gain. 0
when I grabbed Dark Souls for the first time, I was quite unconvinced of what I would find in this game. The reviews were great so I gave it a shot but form the previews, nothing seemed really appealing to me.But a few minutes down the track, I understood that DaS was a UFO of a game and here is why: 1) the physics, the weight and the poise...it took me quite some time to realize the importance of this game mechanics names poise that no other game that I am aware of ever had implemented: THE POI...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Rewarding as they come 0
This review was also posted on my podcast website Three Nerds in a Basement. Check us out, at the time of this review we just had our 1 year anniversary.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In 2009 the release of Demons Souls was supposed to be a niche hit, those who love hardcore sadistic games would love it and others would just admire it from afar. But the game ...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Review: Why Dark Souls Hates You & Why You Love it Back 0
Developed by From Software, Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to the PS3 exclusive Demon’s Souls, an action RPG, renowned for its difficulty and trial-and-error approach.Dark Souls will not hold your hand throughout its lengthy campaign, in fact it will slap you in the face and kick you while you are down for good measure.Over the 12 hours I have spent with Dark Souls so far, it is not uncommon to have played over 2 hours in a single sitting and to have made little to no progress at all. Dar...
1 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
A Refreshing Game in a Sea of Mind numbing Easy games 0
This game is a bit tricky. Well worth your time if your an old school gamer who remembers when games were hard. No hand holding. No Relent. Just straight up gameplay that will make you sad and happy in the same hour. If you consider yourself a Action-Rpg Fan hit this up. Dont give up on it and you will be rewarded with a well rounded detailed world with lots of secrets. Watch your back and keep your sheild up!...
1 out of 3 found this review helpful. -
Artorias of the Abyss 0
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. After a year of being slaughtered from everything from dragons to trees, FROM software releases a expansion-level DLC to their child to bring even more things to maul you to death. Adding a whole new chapter into the game, players are plunged back in time to the once wonderful kingdom of Oolacile to save Princess Dusk and cease the spread of the evil Abyss. Along the players journey they will encounter the legend himself, Artorias. Once a proud knight of Gwyn alongsi...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
I don't think there will be another for me 0
I really like this game. It's punishing but boy is it rewarding. I never played Demon Souls so this is my first "Souls" experience. (Lets just pretend the GFWL and DSfix stuff never happened, it runs great)Going through this blind the first time, it was literally one of the most nerve racking and scary games I've ever played (scary in the sense of losing everything you've earned thus far in a single instance.)What I really enjoyed about it was that it feels similar to how rogue-likes are played ...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
most satisfying and rewarding pieces of digital entertainment 0
The transition from consoles to PC has been a mixture of ups and downs for Dark Souls. After the initial console release, PC fans wanted to experience the game as well, setting up a petition to Namco Bandai that actually pushed the company into porting the game to PC. After the publisher confirmed the game was coming (to much appraise), things did not go so well.It started with the announcement that Dark Souls would come with Games for Windows Live support, which many hardcore PC gamers seem to ...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
3D Castlevania done right. 0
Dark souls is a gorgeous, intricately constructed and tightly honed game. The combat is fantastically balanced, and the world is a mysterious and confounding joy to explore. A massively replayable game, with so much depth, detail and ability to effect the world and characters around you in often small but fascinating ways. It presents itself fully formed, unwilling to compromise, and this works incredibly well. The infamous difficulty of the game is certainly there to some degree, but is certain...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
Pleasant Dread. 0
It is hard to pull off being both beautiful and genuinely frighting at the same time. Where everything you see is ravishing, yet unnerving. In Dark Souls, From Software's spiritual successor to the cult hit, Demon's Souls, you are constantly scared of what awaits you around every corner- yet, you become absolutely engrossed in the games thick atmosphere that you are compelled to push on.You play as the chosen undead; a character with an unknown past that is seemingly picked at random to fulfill ...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
One of the most respectable games of this generation 0
There are games that make you forget the passing of time and fill you with joy and the hope of seeing another day to continue playing them. It doesn’t matter what’s their genre, release date or critical score. But we know that they have a place among our favorite games. Dark Souls can easily fall into this category for people who manage to get into it. It happens a lot when you get incredibly angry or annoyed with a certain obstacle, but the feeling you get after overcoming it can’t be described...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
More Demon's Souls...Hurray! 0
I had a 100+ hour affair with Demon’s Souls back in 2009, so I was elated when a second game was announced. There was a lot of high talk about how Dark Souls was the “spiritual successor” to Demon’s Souls rather than a true sequel, but the first gameplay trailer made such hair-splitting unnecessary—except maybe to SCE’s copyright lawyers. Dark Souls is Demon’s Souls 2. And like any sequel should be, it is bigger, harder, and more impressive than the original. Is it better? I’m not sure, actually...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls Review - A Well Designed Gem 0
I purchased Demon's Souls in the summer of 2010 after hearing about how much people enjoyed it. That was the summer before I started college. I played it for about an hour until I got stuck at the first boss. I never played Demon's Souls again until a few years later. Fast forward to fall 2011. A week after my birthday, I went and picked up Dark Souls. It was my birthday gift to myself. Thinking back on it, why would I buy the spiritual successor to a game I could barely get past the beginning o...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
challenging as an action game but unrewarding as an RPG 0
Dark Souls has some interesting ideas in terms of world design, and is a rather immersive game. This however, gets buried in a game that ultimately feels rather shallow, overly monotonous, and unrewarding.Let's start with the positives:The game-world is unique with its interconnectedness, it's not something you see in most action-RPGs. You can do different zones in different order, although some do require you to have completed a specific one beforehand. Still, it's very impressive how it's all ...
1 out of 1 found this review helpful. -
The Benchmark 0
Dark Souls is a Game. It is a game for gamers. The things we love about games; gameplay, challenge, reward, story, spectacle and enjoyment, Dark Souls has it all, refined to an astonishing degree. (Well, perhaps not enjoyment for some...)GAMEPLAY is refined, precise and effective. There is enough variation in the weapons, both for ranged and close quarters combat, as well as an easy to use, but perhaps shallow, magic system. The lock-on system functions perfectly and complex timing for attack an...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
A personal favorite 0
I've beaten this game over 10 times and haven't gotten bored. There are so many weapons, armor, and other accessories to collect that game takes days to accomplish. There is only one difficulty; really hard. Once you learn the basics it's pretty simple though. Bosses and enemies are challenging. Areas are massive and take really long to explore. Leveling up can take a while and eventually doesn't do a lot for you. This game requires you to learn enemies attack moves and weaknesses. If you don't ...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Dark Souls: Less is more 0
Dark Souls by Japanese developer From Software is a idiosyncratic journey into frustration which offers grand sights, engaging combat and enviable bragging rights to those who choose to brave it. After an avatar creation screen and an incredibly measly tutorial, the player is shoved into a world without any concrete idea of where to go or what to do. This, for all of us who have been following a low dangling carrot in 90% of the most popular games today, is exploration. The world is a gigantic m...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Instant Classic 0
If you know what dark Souls is then you probably have more than just a casual interest in games. While the rest of the world drools over Battlefield 3 and MW3, Dark Souls rewards the diligent with an amazing world, combat, customization, and level of accomplishment that can only be felt after hours of frustration.In a era of soft games Dark Souls refuses to coddle the player. From Software assumes two things: that you know your way around a controller and that you can figure things out for yours...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
An Ambitious and Challenging Adventure to Remember 0
These are just my thoughts and opinions about Dark Souls after 100+ hours of playing this game in the past few weeks. When I think of Dark Souls i think of it as an experience, there has been no other game that has given me so many emotional high's and low's, where one minute I'm telling the game to "F**k Off!" and the next minute I'm in complete jubilation because i just defeated a boss I was stuck on for about an hour. Dark Souls is sort of a throw back to old school game design where you h...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
the mystery is back 0
My favorite part of games from the past was the sheer mystery of finding new things. Exploring. Talking about some mysterious location found by friends with other friends. Being overcome with sheer joy of unlocking something I never knew existed.Well, in Dark Souls this game mystery comes through again, and has reawakened my longing for finding out what comes next. Demons Souls, while scarier than many games out there, and simply the one game that made me finally purchase a PS3, was quite an ama...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful. -
Thank you sir may I have another? 0
Dark Souls is an amazing game, but not in the traditional regard. it is a hard as hell RPG where literally every enemy in the game has the capability to kill you. Even the tag line on the box is "Prepare to die".. and you will, alot.Graphics - 6/10The graphics are good for a PS3 game, textures and environments for the most part are great looking. Why this gets a 6 is the frame-rate, it slows to almost a crawl in some areas, and this is only a PS3 issue, the 360 maintains smooth frame-rate throug...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful.
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