Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition Reviews
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Eurogamer, 9/10.
There are some few entertainment experiences that rise above mere amusement, and the world of Lordran is one of them: an endless feast to be chewed over and digested, each morsel swallowed with lip-smacking relish before returning eagerly for the next. It shows what games are capable of by making its players show what they are capable of. And that is much, much more than you might think.
IncGamers, 10/10.
Champions are always emulated. Aspects of From Software's Souls games are already beginning to creep into other titles and be referenced in interviews for forthcoming releases, influencing the design choices of yet more developers. This, not niggles about monitor aspect ratios, will be the lasting legacy of one of this generation's defining titles. Praise the sun.
Metro, 8/10.
This PC version isn't a disaster but it feels like watching your favourite movies on an old VHS tape instead of on a Blu-ray, it's still the same content and it may even have a few deleted scenes as extras but it's really not the best way to enjoy the experience.
Perhaps the PC modding community will improve the game further, since they've arguably already done a better job than From, but as it stands at the moment we'd advise caution and to prepare for disappointment. And for once we're not talking about your chances against one of the game's enemies.
Cheat Code Central, 4.0/5.
With its high difficulty, punitive checkpoint system, and trial-and-error gameplay, Dark Souls isn't for everyone. But with the Prepare to Die Edition, PC gamers finally have a version of Dark Souls to call their own, and longtime fans of the game have some new content to work with. Graphical hiccups aside, that makes this port a success.
Atomic Gamer, 7/10.
It's unfortunate that I have to attach so many caveats and if-thens in order to recommend Dark Souls on PC, but those that meet the requirements (and I'm not talking about computer specs) will find this one of the deepest and most enjoyable games they've played in quite a few years. If you think you've got what it takes to find fun in this difficult but brilliant game, go for it. I said in my review of the console versions that many game design lessons can be taken from Dark Souls - both cautionary tales and big success stories - and the PC port brings a new one, which is that you really should know your audience better than this before you go and perform in front of them. It seems doubtful that this port of an already inhospitable game will make many new fans, especially with the kind of treatment it got in the conversion to PC, but there will be some that will swear by it as one of the best games made in a very long time. If you think there's any chance at all that you'll be one of those people, then you owe it to yourself to drop the cash and find out.
