Final thoughts and rating
Aside from combat, exploration is also part of the experience. Though Dark Souls isn't the best-looking game on console, it's rewarding to stray off the beaten track to find treasures that can immeasurably help you in the battle ahead. Locations are multi-tiered and battle grounds change frequently, from open mountain pathways to cramped, dingy dungeons. There's no fixed path to follow, no map to show you where to go, or no hint at what awaits you around any corner. It's this feeling of being completely lost and helpless that serves to keep you on edge throughout, immersing you in its overwhelming sense of darkness and despair.Without a shadow of a doubt Dark Souls is a breath of fresh air in a sea of games that take you by the hand and give you as much help as possible to get you to the end quickly and in one piece. As a result, it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and there's likely to be just as many people who turn it off than stick to it through thick and thin. Those who embrace it fully, however, and know what they're getting themselves into from the outset, will live the experience and feel totally fulfilled by its unique blend of fear, challenge and reward, and will be motivated by the undying community spirit to succeed.
Note: Dark Souls does have a storyline, but at time of publishing we don't feel we know enough about it to pass judgement, despite the fact that we've played the game for 30-plus hours. Play it and you'll see what we mean!
The Good
Immersive game worldImmensely challenging
Innovative, persistent online world
The Bad
Will be too difficult for some
HEXUS Rating
Dark Souls
HEXUS Where2Buy
Dark Souls is available at Play.com .
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
