Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

100 or More Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Highly addictive"

Dark Souls is a very interesting game, and a good example that contrary to popular believe, games don't need to be easy,and have KotH, Deatmatch, Capture the Flag multiplayer matches, and outstanding edgy graphics, to be successful and very good games.
The game concept is strong and in itself turns the game in a strong quality title.
That's what's briliant in Dark Souls.It's concept.
It's hard, but not an impossible hard. Actually,more than hard, it's demanding. Demands from players something they the latest generations are not used to see, and from the older generations, something they haven't seen in a while. Demands respect for the chalenge ahead, demands absolute concentration during that chalenge, and demands patience, both in the combat action, and in scouting ahead to devise strategies to beat the chalenges it presents. Contrary to the the general trend in the latest years, Dark Souls won't take you by the hand in a flashy visual cinematic ride. It points you in a direction, and demands that you prove yourself worthy of getting there.
If the concept it's briliant, the technical execution it's average. From Software know they have a pearl on their hands, and they do enough to capitalize it with competence. But the dated engine takes it's toll. The graphics are somewhat dated,you will find frame rate problems in some areas, controls are not 100% responsive in a game that requires it, considering every mistake means dying. On ocasion , your character won't respond to your press of a button until 2 seconds later, after all the background processes complete. You will find ocasional glitches, like falling trough the ground and out of the map into your death. Or missing NPC's. Or an enemy boss who dies when it shouldn't. Your weapon will ricochet against walls, but your enemies weapons will traverse that same wall and kill you.
despite these examples,those problems are not nearly enough to damage an outstanding experience in gaming. A must to anyone who enjoys a chalenge an a good action game with RPG elements.