Dark Souls - Two More Reviews

Two reviews for Dark Souls: Prepare To Die have showed up, both positive.
RPGCodex:

All things considered, I cannot say I'm disappointed with the product. Sure, "out of the box" the quality of the port is atrocious, but unlike most of its competitors Dark Souls: Prepare to Die only requires two small fan mods to bring out its full potential. The new content is also really good and on par with (or sometimes even better than) the main game, even if it rarely brings anything substantially new to the table.

So, should you buy the PC version or get the console version and wait for the DLC? The PC is definitely the superior singleplayer option (as befits the Master Race) with its superior performance, eye candy and mod potential and thus provides the ultimate Dark Souls experience. But if you already own a console version of the game and/or you are mostly into PvP, you are better off waiting for the DLC to arrive on consoles or at least for a Steam sale. Praise the Sun!

Dusty Cartridges gave it a 10:

I’m going to get a little personal here – there is a good chance that I am way too close to this game to review it for newcomers. I’ve poured anywhere between 90-120 hours into this game. Aside from magic builds and sorceries, I know this game back to front, and trying to describe it, in all of its wonderful glory as a game and as a truly complex, sublime piece of art, is incredibly hard. I could talk about the new armour set I found is great because it gives very similar protection to Havel’s armour but without the weight, or how useful the new pyromancy skill is when dealing with shield bearing enemies, or how Prepare to Die turned Artorias from a simple legend into a character that you couldn’t help but admire and despair over. But that is another article for another time.

More information.

I find it hilarous that the codex reviews this game and is positive about it. You would think it goes against everything they like about RPG's. It is after all an action game.

Originally Posted by rune_74
It is after all an action game.

Is it only? With all this significant amount of character development and 'implicit' clever and complex quests and freedom?

It´s an action RPG, period.
Also, it lacks most of the current mainstream sensibilities.
Good to see the initial issues with the port didn´t stop most of the reviewers from appreciating the game.

Originally Posted by rune_74
I find it hilarous that the codex reviews this game and is positive about it. You would think it goes against everything they like about RPG's. It is after all an action game.

I find it hilarious that you think of the codex as a single entity. If some random member produces a review it will be posted and there are plenty of action gamers there.

Originally Posted by SpoonFULL
Is it only? With all this significant amount of character development and 'implicit' clever and complex quests and freedom?

Granted it has a grueling combat system, but I didn't see any of the rest of the things you mentioned. I played maybe 10 hours into the game but it felt very much in a corridor like game with the illusion of freedom of movement. As for character development I thought it was limited in that stats and equipment, not conversations developed your character. I guess your mileage my very, and a lot of people love it…I didn't hate it, I just didn't get drawn in like so many did.

Originally Posted by rune_74
I played maybe 10 hours into the game but it felt very much in a corridor like game with the illusion of freedom of movement.

I think this is the problem, you have not seen much of the game yet and how complex and interlinked the world is, with freedom to move away from tough fights and areas to be opened through other routes to progress through adventure. As far as armour and equipment, from my 50 h in the game (not yet finished ofcourse) I have seen so much armour and weapons with different stats and attributes that I lost count in my inventory (probably even more than Skyrim if one wants to use as a reference). Just look in the videos on youtube on Dark Soul gameplay and you will hardly see any two similarly looking characters in these videos, because of the large variaty of armour and weapons.

man, and the mystery , that immersion .. wow

Originally Posted by DeepO
Also, it lacks most of the current mainstream sensibilities.

Which is exactly part of what makes it good.

Originally Posted by Tuco
Which is exactly part of what makes it good.

Yep .

I'm on the fence on this one, it looks too actiony for me and I have a backlog of games. I might get it once it drops in price.

Originally Posted by Saxon1974
I'm on the fence on this one, it looks too actiony for me and I have a backlog of games. I might get it once it drops in price.

Same boat here. If there are a couple mods that fix the glaring issues in the PC port, then perhaps I'm in. Concerned about the difficulty level however. Dying over an over and replaying similar scenes are aspects that make me stop playing a game.

Originally Posted by mbuddha
Concerned about the difficulty level however. Dying over an over and replaying similar scenes are aspects that make me stop playing a game.

It is part of the game design and needed for progression, therefore dying it is not boring nor difficult, it is exciting and gives player the confidance and chance to explore and become stronger.

Originally Posted by rune_74
I find it hilarous that the codex reviews this game and is positive about it. You would think it goes against everything they like about RPG's. It is after all an action game.

Not really. Certain action games with actual good gameplay like Dark Souls, Severance: Blade of Darkness…are well thought of there actually. It's just that the mindless button mashers/shooters they don't like. Take a shooter like Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, say, def well regarded.

It just so happens that most all action RPGs don't really deliver on the 'action' part.
Lets face it, the standard of combat isn't very high in action RPGs, but on the other hand there are rarely deep RPG mechanics in them either. It's like the (bad) RPG mechanics are sort of an excuse for the bad combat and vice versa.

And no, I'm not calling Severance an RPG.

EDIT: And where's the thread for Chaos Chronicles, btw ?