85
All in all, Dark Souls is a more difficult, but less enjoyable (and less accessible) Demon's Souls.
90
Just as any masochist will tell you, with great pain comes great rewards. Dark Souls is the gaming equivalent, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
80
Extreme difficulty, online interaction and totally absorbing atmosphere – you will hate and love Dark Souls to death but you will not be able to quit...for a very long time. [Nov 2011]
9
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
10
Dark Souls 1 isn't perfect. Too many of the boss fights have one-off gimmicks similar to Demon's Souls. Sometimes, the character can't attack because the weapon bounces off the wall. The checkpoints are really far apart. And new players might accidentally venture into areas that are scaled for the end of the game. However, I give Dark Souls 1 my highest recommendation because of the things it got right. The soundtrack is ICONIC. The world design has branching paths that connect back together in ways you won't see from other games. Dark Souls 1 is when they really set the tone for accepting inevitable decay while still appreciating the beauty of humanity. And finally, the quicker parries and the refillable Estus Flask healing mechanic are still used in newer games to this day.
10
Do i need to say something? the gameplay is really good, the ambiance and the level design is CRAZY, the story has stunning morality and make you think on lot of things, just pure happiness to play this game. (iazalith part is awful but this game is so good that it is forgettable)
Dark Souls
Released On:
Oct 4, 2011
Metascore
Generally Favorable
89
User score
Generally Favorable
8.5
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
89
97% Positive
64 Reviews
64 Reviews
3% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Nov 5, 2011
100
Dark Souls is a neat, die-hard and time-consuming game – aside from its predecessor the only one of its kind. This game is not for everyone – that's not a flaw, but a virtue.
Oct 21, 2011
95
Dark Souls is a game for many hours and one of the most intriguing journeys this year. But unlike most games, it's not a trip to a lovely holiday resort where all your whishes come true. On the contrary - From Software's game doesn't want for you to get to know it. But after some hard work and battling all the odds you get to the end. And then you know: it's an experience that will stay in your memory for a long time.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.5
84% Positive
2163 Ratings
2163 Ratings
8% Mixed
198 Ratings
198 Ratings
8% Negative
206 Ratings
206 Ratings
Jun 4, 2026
10
Dark Souls 1 isn't perfect. Too many of the boss fights have one-off gimmicks similar to Demon's Souls. Sometimes, the character can't attack because the weapon bounces off the wall. The checkpoints are really far apart. And new players might accidentally venture into areas that are scaled for the end of the game. However, I give Dark Souls 1 my highest recommendation because of the things it got right. The soundtrack is ICONIC. The world design has branching paths that connect back together in ways you won't see from other games. Dark Souls 1 is when they really set the tone for accepting inevitable decay while still appreciating the beauty of humanity. And finally, the quicker parries and the refillable Estus Flask healing mechanic are still used in newer games to this day.
May 14, 2026
10
Do i need to say something? the gameplay is really good, the ambiance and the level design is CRAZY, the story has stunning morality and make you think on lot of things, just pure happiness to play this game. (iazalith part is awful but this game is so good that it is forgettable)
Oct 9, 2011
91
On a deeper level, Dark Souls' audacity at shoving you into an adventure, giving you a colossal world to explore, and forcing you to earn every speck of progress is downright exhilarating.
Oct 17, 2011
90
I expect Dark Souls will sell more copies than its predecessor, but I'm sure many won't know what to make of this curious title. It harkens back to the days when our parents bought us a game and we played it all summer.
Oct 3, 2011
90
Dark Souls is a epic adventure-RPG for hardcore gamers. This game is hard, sometimes a little bit frustrating. But, when you do make it and kill a boss it gives you such satisfaction that no other game can give you. With some fantastic online options, atmospheric worlds, haunting game concepts and mechanics and an unconventional control scheme, Dark Souls is a little jewel.
Nov 15, 2011
80
Extreme difficulty, online interaction and totally absorbing atmosphere – you will hate and love Dark Souls to death but you will not be able to quit...for a very long time. [Nov 2011]
Oct 3, 2011
70
Hard is hard. Though greatly satisfying at times, Dark Souls consists of many hours of pure frustration.
May 1, 2026
10
Great game. Fantastic little experience with some genuinely immersive setups.
May 30, 2025
7
The game is good but not great a lot of problemthe game is generaly more boring than other souls games just go play bloodborne
Aug 8, 2024
7
disgustingly overrated. the movement is clunky, the bosses are bad, the second half of the game (and some part of the first half) is bad, build variety is limited, weapons and spells are unbalanced.
Nov 17, 2020
4
Absolutely horrendous frame rate. Some areas are borderline unplayable. Such a disgrace coming from the spiritual successor of Demons Souls. Not sure how this game is rated so high
SummaryProject Dark (Working Title) is a brand new dark fantasy RPG designed to completely embrace the concepts of tension in dungeon exploration, fear in encountering enemies, the joy of new discoveries, and a high sense of achievement in progressing. The game is set in a dark fantasy world filled with decadent atmosphere, with a heavy emphasi... Read More
Rated Mfor Mature
Platforms:
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox 360
Initial Release Date:Oct 4, 2011
Developer:
Publisher:
