Dark Souls - Review Roundup # 3

Here are some more reviews of Dark Souls Prepare to Die.
Destructoid does not really have a review but share their impressions.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of Dark Souls — the ability to summon other players and invade their worlds, which nicely complements the brutal, cryptic setting of Lordran — is less than ideal here. The community seems pretty solid already (with the occasional follow-up "thank you" message on Games for Windows Live after a successful boss run), but "summoning failed" is all too common a sight.

Gamespot has a video review.
TechZed has a review without a score but don't list many of the shortcomings that have been reported elsewhere.

The graphics of this game are wonderful. The Darkroot Garden present in the game is so green that you will feel as if the air around you has gotten warm. The surreal shores of Ash Lake are as if you are walking in some kind of dream. All of the locations are finely detailed, and they are able to stay in the minds of the players. Everything has a sense of beauty, which can’t be ignored, and it’s all because of the attention given to the graphics of the game.

Slimgamer rates it with 4 out of 5 stars.

Now, I say that Dark Souls is a ‘well made’ game – I am of course referring to the original build of Dark Souls which came out on console back in 2011 – the PC (Prepare to Die) edition has been created solely through fan outcry that there was not a PC version. From Software have basically taken their console version of Dark Souls and pushed that square peg against the round hole long enough until it finally fit into place and then pushed it out of the door. Normally this would be a critics dream playground, a shoddy port from console to PC seems to be the ‘in’ thing these days but From Software have openly said that this is all the fans asked for so it’s all that they delivered – I can’t really blame them for that.

And finally the Bellingham Herald with no score but a positive tone.

"Dark Souls" is harmonious - a rare quality which often separates good games from great ones. The artwork, gameplay mechanics, and level design all work together to support the uncompromising, oppressive feel of the game. The new content in the PC release fits right in. While connection issues are still a problem, it's a minor complaint when compared with the staggering number of things "Dark Souls" gets right. "Dark Souls" is a modern masterpiece - a confident title that stands above its contemporaries with much larger budgets. While it wasn't designed with PC inputs in mind, and should be played with a gamepad, "Dark Souls" is every bit as magical on the PC as it is on consoles. If you haven't experienced "Dark Souls" yet (or even if you have), this new edition is well worth the asking price.

More information.

i'm happy to see no bullshit from the critics

From Software have openly said that this is all the fans asked for so it’s all that they delivered

If memory serves correct, no one asked for a game locked to 1024x720 resolution.

Originally Posted by CountChocula
If memory serves correct, no one asked for a game locked to 1024x720 resolution.

Nope, but fans asked for a PC version. From software always said it would be nothing but a straight forward port. So I guess the resolution on the Xbox 360 was also 1024x720?

Regardless, control over the ini file and some nice and friendly modders make the PC game a sort of a gem and since most PC's have more power than the console you can get away with it as well.

I'm having a blast with this game so far.

Originally Posted by basharran
Nope, but fans asked for a PC version. From software always said it would be nothing but a straight forward port.

Exactly, we weren't expecting the moon and the stars, DX11, high res texture packs, etc., simply a proper port to the PC platform. Locking the resolution like that is certainly not a straight forward port. On the contrary, it was a very strange choice on the part of Namco and From, quite unlike every other port.

Never heard of any other PC port within the past ten years which locked a game's resolution to 1024x720. I'll wait to see if they fix this with a patch in the future, or perhaps pick up the game when it drops below $5 in a Steam sale.

This game isn't a proper PC port and is why I won't buy it. However, to their credit, From Software never promised anything more than a straight port and for that I applaud them for the honest disclosure beforehand. I will remember their honesty when it comes to deciding whether or not to purchase future titles.

Not buying the game because "it is not a proper PC port" despite being interested in it really is cutting your neck to spite your face (or how the saying goes), especially when the fix is out since release day that makes the game glorious on PC. And the game is fantastic.

Originally Posted by TheMadGamer
This game isn't a proper PC port and is why I won't buy it. However, to their credit, From Software never promised anything more than a straight port and for that I applaud them for the honest disclosure beforehand. I will remember their honesty when it comes to deciding whether or not to purchase future titles.

I feel strongly in favour of this game and therefore I would say it is indeed a proper port; it worked from day one supporting keyboard, mouse and gamepad, it works on all hardware configurations (even modest ones) and I have yet to hear anyone having any crashes with this game. The resolution problem was fixed from day one and the same modder is tweaking his/her code for improvements not to fix anything that is broken.

This game is a deep, action rpg with strategy and choice in an open world that I have not seen before. The mouse camera movement and resolution fix are negligible issues compared to this well designed piece of brutal art.

Originally Posted by SpoonFULL
The mouse camera movement

Speaking of which, there´s now a mod for that as well, downloadable from here:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~petska/
I´ve only checked it briefly, but after upping mouse sensitivity in the mod´s ini it seems to work well and it works with Durante´s fix.

And yeah, the game is great. A bit of initial hassle is well worth the 60+ hours of entertainment the game offers .

Originally Posted by SpoonFULL
I feel strongly in favour of this game and therefore I would say it is indeed a proper port; it worked from day one supporting keyboard, mouse and gamepad, it works on all hardware configurations (even modest ones) and I have yet to hear anyone having any crashes with this game. The resolution problem was fixed from day one and the same modder is tweaking his/her code for improvements not to fix anything that is broken.

Have there ever been any other PC ports in the past ten years locked to 1024x720 resolution? It was a very strange choice to do this, and I have a hard time understanding the decision making process at Namco and From Software.

In my case, I have no interest in playing any game where the pixels are stretched like that to fit my 1920x1080 LCD display. This makes any game look like crap.

If Namco ever decides to fix it with a patch, I'll be among the first to buy a copy; otherwise I simply don't find the game interesting enough to justify buying, especially when I already have a huge backlog and I'm still playing Skyrim, nearly a year after release. Maybe if Dark Souls drops below $5 on Steam at some point, I'll pick it up.

Can someone explain to me why this game is so great? No sarcasm; I mean that sincerely. From the reviews and such I've read, and admittedly it hasn't been a ton, here is what I gather: The game primarily is about boss battles in which you die many times in order to figure out the proper pattern to beating him in twitchy combat.

Now, I'm not at all opposed to dying many times. I can enjoy it. Difficult games don't scare me much. However, twitchy boss battles don't hold much interest for me. Figring out which tentacle to slash in The Witcher 2, for example, makes my eyes glaze over a bit. Speaking of tentacles, the end fight in Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines was theworst part of the game. I'm not big on puzzles in games, and this is just another kind of puzzle. I guess all games are puzzles of a sort, but I prefer a character-devlopment kind of puzzle or tactics that don't involve which rock to jump on or dodge Tentacle 1 and 2, before slashing Tentacle 3.

So, would anyone care to tell me how mistaken I am in my impression of this game, which is admittedly ignorant of first-hand knowledge? I'm hoping I'm wrong. The setting and style, which are quite important to me, do sound interesting.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by CountChocula
In my case, I have no interest in playing any game where the pixels are stretched like that to fit my 1920x1080 LCD display. This makes any game look like crap.

Why do you keep ignoring the existence of Durante´s fix?

I mean,

Nice shots. That looks freakin awesome!

The game looks very good with the fix.

Originally Posted by Capt. Huggy Face
Can someone explain to me why this game is so great? No sarcasm; I mean that sincerely. From the reviews and such I've read, and admittedly it hasn't been a ton, here is what I gather: The game primarily is about boss battles in which you die many times in order to figure out the proper pattern to beating him in twitchy combat.

It's not that great imo. I can understand why fans of this type of game like it, but I haven't been overly impressed in the short amount of time I've spent with it, and I doubt further play is going to change my opinion.

I don't get how any PC gamer can think it's above average in regards to the visuals. I'm using version 1.1 of the resolution patch and playing at 1920x1200, and to me it looks like a PC title from around 2006.

Originally Posted by Capt. Huggy Face
Can someone explain to me why this game is so great?

Here are my reasons why this game is unique and wonderful after playing for around 20 hours with two characters:

1) Focus on problem solving: through management of character attributes/gear/item/weapons using souls, through combat techniques and strategy.

2) Freedom and choice: you almost have infinite possibilities of achieving targets (clearing an area, reaching bonfire point, killing a boss, acquiring unique items/weapons); you can grind like nobody's business near a bonefire point and farm souls to increase your level to progress; or you can rely on your combat skill and weapon combination; you have many paths through the game as it is not linear if you can't progress. Even death and grinding are welcome as you would be able to level up, discover more secrets and become more powerful.

3) Discovery: There are many hidden passes/pathways/doors/drops that are all interlinked in a beautiful way to reveal many secrets/treasures/merchants in the game. There NPCs are all interesting and offer something unique. There are many combat moves and shortcuts that I continue to dicover (no button mashing). Finding out the right strategy to kill a certain enemy is very exciting. To give you a tiny example (tip): I have killed the first big fat boss in the Asylum the first time I saw it in my second charater with some black bombs that I got as gifts, and he dropped a 'BIG' surprise that I picked up that will be very useful later on - you would not get this if you killed him after escaping the first encouter. There are magnificent monsters and enemies to dicover and enjoy learning how to kill.

You also have the ghosts in the game and other players invading (if you are not hollow) which gives a sense of mystry and magic to the place, as you don't feel alone which is a unique experience.

4) The combat: is very realistic and depends on the weapons you carry and your gear (from heavy to light); you have melee and ranged combat in addition to magic; you can combine all these techniques and can dual wield if you like; you can back stab, dodge, roll kill, and many other manouvers that I have not found in other games, and weapons and armour do have weight to them.

5) The art

These are just some of the few things on top of my head and I am sure others would be able to add to this. I think that you need to learn more about this game and give it time to see through all of these aspects.

Originally Posted by JDR13
I don't get how any PC gamer can think it's above average in regards to the visuals. I'm using version 1.1 of the resolution patch and playing at 1920x1200, and to me it looks like a PC title from around 2006.

Have you looked at the details of the enemies and bosses? Have you looked at the detail of weapons and armour? They are much much better than Skyrim and any recent game that I played. Have you noticed the physics of the character and environment?

Originally Posted by SpoonFULL
Have you looked at the details of the enemies and bosses? Have you looked at the detail of weapons and armour? They are much much better than Skyrim and any recent game that I played.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBUliA0e_a0

yeah the art direction is great, especially the bosses, just like in Dragon's Dogma they're the strong point (graphics wise). Armors and weapons are nice too. Ofcourse you have to look beyond texture resolution (it's far from everything when it comes to art).

Nice that we now have texture tools for DS, gonna start making some textures later today.

Originally Posted by JDR13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBUliA0e_a0

I hope not , I thought that the graphics and resolution (with the fix) are amazing. Keeping going through the game and you will see what I mean (the red dragon is a nice example), and pay attention to the details.