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Here's the hardware required to run Dark Souls 2 on PC
Yesterday, Bandai Namco revealed that the PC incarnation of Dark Souls 2 will arrive on April 25. Today, the publisher offers a rundown of just how powerful your gaming PC will need to be to properly render the morose action game. The bare minimum requirements for Dark Souls 2 include 2GB of RAM, 8GB of free hard drive space, an AMD Phenom II X2 555 dual-core processor at 3.2Ghz or Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo E8500 at 3.17Ghz and either an NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT graphics card or an ATI Radeon HD 5870. Dark Souls 2 supports a range of Windows operating systems dating back to Windows XP, and obviously, a functional Internet connection is required for online play. Any sort of sound card will do, as long as it supports DirectX 9.0c or a later version of the de rigueur API. Those hoping for the "recommended" Dark Souls 2 experience will need 4GB of RAM, 8GB of hard drive space and the same sound card technology mentioned above. For processors, Bandai Namco suggests either an Intel Core i3 2100 at 3.10GHz or an AMD A8 3870K at 3.0GHz. As always, players will benefit by using the most powerful graphics card they can afford, but the game's official specs recommends nothing less than an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 or ATI Radeon HD 6870. Full details on the PC incarnation of Dark Souls 2 can be found on Club Namco, along with information on pre-ordering the game and a handful of images depicting what the adventure should look like if your computer is up to snuff. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Watch Dark Souls 2 as a radical refugee from the 80s cartoon lineup
Between the faux VHS tracking, fetishistic synthesizer use and art style that's equal parts lazy anime and Trapper Keeper doodles, this amateur reimagining of Dark Souls 2 as a cartoon from the Reagan era would fit seamlessly between Saturday morning episodes of MASK and Jem And The Holograms. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Joy is a distant illusion in latest Dark Souls 2 trailer
There's a sort of dark, oppressive beauty to the imagery found in Namco Bandai's latest Dark Souls 2 trailer that reminds me of Dungeons & Dragons – if that pen and paper stalwart were reimagined by Steven Morrissey on a particularly bad day.
Dark Souls lead developers resistant to mobile version due to controls
Dark Souls series publisher Namco Bandai is interested in a mobile adaption of the punishing action RPG, but From Software's leads aren't sure altering the game's controls would be such a good idea. In Digital Spy's interview with Namco Bandai's Alex Adjaj, director of global strategy for mobile, Adjaj explains the difference in vision between the publisher and developer. "We'd like to bring Dark Souls to mobile, but it's very difficult because the guys at From Software are very much console oriented," Adjaj said. "To change their mind about it, it takes quite a while." Adjaj also said he thought that in regards to a mobile version, "there is a need to redesign the way you reroll in the game to make it a bit more casual, so with shorter sessions." While Adjaj mentions the existence of peripherals for mobile devices to add buttons and thumbpads, he concedes that device manufacturers want the primary control method to be touch-oriented. We can just see it now - Dark Souls players on trains and in cafes, silently seething as they lose thousands of souls, definitely never swearing or throwing their phones.
Dark Souls 2 DLC 'not really being considered'
Producer Takeshi Miyazoe has no plans to release downloadable additions for Dark Souls 2, instead opting to deliver to players a game that needs no extra content. "For Dark Souls 2, we don't even expect any additional downloadable content because we want to deliver a full game, the full experience, to fans who purchase the package from day one," Miyazoe told Edge. "We did do additional content for Dark Souls, but generally downloadable content for Dark Souls 2 is not really being considered. Buy the package and you'll get the full experience, and you'll have as much fun as anybody else." Continuing to buck modern gaming trends, Miyazoe also took a moment to deny the possibility of a free to play Dark Souls entry. "Spending a couple dollars on certain items does not help the experience. So no free-to-play yet!" Dark Souls 2 makes its PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC debut on March 11, 2014.
PSA: Blood Dragon puts the Cyber into Xbox's Cyber Monday sale
There are no surprises in the Xbox Cyber Monday sale, with today's deals lining up as announced last week. That said, there are at least a couple of offers worth highlighting, including one for the most appropriate game this Cyber Monday: Far Cry 3 - Blood Dragon. The standalone follow-up to Far Cry 3 is at 75 percent off, meaning you can gorge on all its 80s cyber-cheddar for $3.74. That's the standout deal to us, but the excellent Dark Souls at just $5 is not far off it. Other nods go to Red Dead Redemption, The Witcher 2, and L.A. Noire, each of those going for $7.49, and to co-op beat-em-up Battleblock Theater, which is down to $4.94. For the full list of one-day-only cyber-discounts, head over to Xbox.com.
Soul Sacrifice goes free on PS Plus tomorrow
Come November 26, the Vita-exclusive Soul Sacrifice joins the free games on offer to PlayStation Plus subscribers, and they won't even have to trade a limb for it. For those who missed Soul Sacrifice, think of it as a game of choices. You play a prisoner turned sorcerer in a world where magic requires sacrifices. Some of these are largely benign, but there are the massively damaging spells that ask you to literally give up an arm in exchange for that kind of power. The game's difficulty level is slightly less intense than that seen in Dark Souls, but it still makes a very worthwhile contender for anyone looking for a game that will mercilessly punish mistakes - and unlike Dark Souls, since Soul Sacrifice is a Vita game, you can get your fix on the go. As with all new PS Plus additions, the introduction of Soul Sacrifice means that something must be bumped off of the roster. In this case, the PS Plus Instant Game Collection is losing Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. If you want to pick up Capcom's endearing attempt at a Western-style, open-world role-playing game, today marks your last chance to do so via PlayStation Plus.
Dark Souls modder introduces first-person punishment
YouTuber Soul Slasher has come up with a way to make Dark Souls a more classic RPG experience in the vein of King's Field, by switching the player perspective from third-person to first-person. Soul Slasher explains in the video above that this effect was accomplished through the use of several third-party programs, including his own custom HUD mod. Unfortunately, this first-person mod isn't available to the general adventuring public. Dark Souls is an open-world action game developed at From Software categorized by its extreme difficulty and minimalist plot. Its sequel, Dark Souls 2, is slated to launch in March 2014.
Dark Souls art book wreaks beautiful havoc in October
If you survived long enough to appreciate the twisted, melancholy beauty of Dark Souls, maybe prepare to buy Udon's art book. After releasing Dark Souls: Design Works in Japan last year, the comic book studio is bringing an English version to North America in October. The 128 pages of the 8.25"x11.75" hardcover book span the game's worlds, characters, weapons, and monsters, including concept art and sketches. Design Works also features interviews with director Hidetaka Miyazaki and various From Software artists. If you're looking for something to tide you over until March 2014, Dark Souls: Design Works has a list price of $40, although at the time of publishing Amazon is selling it for $29. %Gallery-190281%
DarkStalkers Resurrection and Dark Souls for $10 on Xbox Live this week
The word of the week on Xbox Live is "dark," evidently, as both DarkStalkers Resurrection and the Games on Demand version of Dark Souls are heavily discounted until June 4. You can pick up either game for $10. The marketplace also has Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for $15, along with some discounted DLC for the tactical shooter. We realize that one doesn't have "dark" in the title, but it does have "ghost." Both DarkStalkers and Dark Souls have ghosts in them, so it makes sense, see? PSN is running a DarkStalkers Resurrection deal of its own as well. Pick up Resurrection for $15 and you'll get a free download of the excellent Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix. PlayStation Plus members can get the same deal for only $10.49. This promotion also runs until June 4.
Decaying Dark Souls and an interest killed with kindness
Welcome to The Level Grind, a column that asks questions about game design and industry culture from the perspective of a game player. A few weeks ago I wrote about Dark Souls and how my initial impression of the game was, for the lack of a better term, "wrong." I'd given the game another shot after some convincing from a friend, and since the fanatical position on the game's brilliance had transitioned from boil to simmer.It's easy to say I fell in love with Dark Souls, yet weeks have passed and I haven't played the game at all. Though my time was focused on other games for review, I wondered why the urge to delve deeper into From Software's complex world had subsided after my gushing editorial. What I've come to realize is that kindness is to blame.%Gallery-165957%
Dark Souls claimed nearly 2.4 million sales worldwide
2,367,000 people made good on their preparations to die in Dark Souls. As livedoor reports, From Software announced the latest global sales figures for the 2011 deathtrap at a recent press conference. Around half a million purchases came from Japan, the studio revealed, with the other 1.85 million or so made up from North America and Europe.Copies which included the 'Artorios of the Abyss' DLC released last year comprised just under 700,000 sales. As ShackNews reports, according to Namco Bandai VP Carlson Choi the PC version represents "over 300,000" of that figure.While Demon's Souls proved a surprise hit when Atlus brought it to North America, Dark Souls' sales performance may explain why its follow-up warrants a '2' tacked onto it rather than a new moniker. Even if it should be called Dragon's Souls...
Getting Dark Souls all wrong
This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again. When Dark Souls first launched in October 2011, I picked it up immediately. Though that statement may seem to be tied to my love of the game's spiritual predecessor, the truth is I've never touched Demon's Souls. It was the rampant fan excitement for a new entry in From Software's action-RPG that drew me in. But Dark Souls didn't resonate with me.It was a combination of elements that made it easy for me to shelve my copy: the continuous discussion of its incredible difficulty and the "if you don't like it, you don't get it" attitude from fanatics. I never planned to play Dark Souls again.Early this morning, I wrapped up my fifth hour of the game on Xbox 360, after putting three-plus hours in on the (only worth playing with fan-made fixes) PC version. Dark Souls' hooks are firmly embedded under my skin.%Gallery-130900%
Games for Windows Live issue kicks customers offline for four days
An issue with Microsoft's Game for Windows Live servers is preventing some customers from accessing games that use the software. The ever-growing comment thread on Microsoft's support forums repeatedly mentions difficulties with Dark Souls and Age of Empires Online, but that could simply be due to the popularity of those games."Starting from last night - some of our users are experiencing an issue connecting, in game, to games that they have previously had no issues with. We are aware of this issue and are looking into what is causing it and for a resolution," noted a Microsoft moderator prior to the weekend.Workarounds to the issue appear to be inconsistent, and don't seem to guarantee the problem will be resolved. We'll update if we hear about a resolution.
Dark Souls is $27 this weekend on Steam
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is the weekend deal on Steam, cutting the masochistic experience by 33 percent to $26.79. You may be used to Steam deals dropping game prices deeper, but consider the price punishment an appetizer for what's to come.The million seller franchise earned a spot in our Joystiq top ten for 2011 for being the Stockholm syndrome experience of the year.%Gallery-152982%
Persona 4 Golden takes an interesting page from Dark Souls
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. It's always around the month of May that I take a look at the lengthy list of daily decisions in Persona 4 and start to sweat a bit."Should I be going to the sports club so much? Shouldn't I be building my relationship with Yukiko?""Crap, I forgot to buy a book to read.""Exams are coming up and I still haven't hit the first Knowledge threshold. I'm screwed."More than most RPGs, Persona 4 is about the long game. It's set over the course of a full Japanese school year – from April to December – and there are important decisions to be made almost every day. Most of the time, you end up hanging out with various non-player characters, some of whom won't become friendly until you get to know a specific character. It's big, complicated, and stressful.%Gallery-167418%
Dark Souls PC on sale for $19.90 on Amazon
PC download codes for Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition are on sale for $19.90 on Amazon. The code includes the full version of the game along with the Artorias of the Abyss expansion.The Artorias of the Abyss DLC was recently made available on Xbox Live and PSN for $15. The Prepare to Die Edition PC code requires a Steam account for activation.
Dark Souls DLC lands on PSN/XBLM October 24 in Europe [update: October 23 for NA]
The Dark Souls 'Artorias of the Abyss' downloadable content is coming to Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network on October 24 in Europe and Australasia. The DLC contains the additional content of the Prepare to Die edition recently released on PC. It will cost 1200 MSP on XBLM, and $14.99 on PSN.For those who view downloads on the same level of an invading player robbing them of all their souls, a Prepare to Die retail edition for consoles is headed to Europe and Australasia on October 26. There remains no word on it being brought to North America.Update: We have an update on the Dark Souls Facebook page, albeit a confusingly worded one. When deciphered, it seems to indicate the Artorias of the Abyss DLC is coming to North America on October 23. It reads: DARK SOULS : Artorias of The Abyss Dark Souls®: Prepare to Die Edition™ is coming to consoles and will be available for purchase via digital download on both the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® on : October 23, 2012 in North America October 24, 2012 in Europe Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss will include sprawling new maps and environments, new boss characters, enemies, non-player characters (NPCs), an arsenal of new weapons and armor and additional challenging content for unrelenting heroes to face as they return to the deadly world of Lordran. Darkness born in the forests of Oolacile is expanding and engulfing the kingdom and all of its people. Only the strongest players will be able to stop the encroaching darkness. Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss will include an online match-making feature allowing console gamers to showcase their skills against other Dark Souls players around the world. October 24 matches up with the European date for the DLC. Given that, we think the update means to say the additional content from the Prepare to Die edition i.e. the Artorias DLC is coming to XBLM and PSN on October 23 in North America. Of course, we can't discount this being another nefarious Dark Souls puzzle designed to lull us into a false sense of security. So we're off to find a bonfire. Don't wait up. %Gallery-165957%
Namco: Dark Souls developer's 'easy mode' comments were mistranslated
After comments from Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki spread across the web like a Great Chaos Fireball, Namco appears to be doing some damage control. In an interview with Metro, Miyazaki's comments – as they were originally translated – hinted at the possibility of creating an easier difficulty mode for the notoriously tough Dark Souls, or at least doing a better job of helping players understand "the messages behind our difficult games."Namco contacted Metro saying that Miyazaki's quotes were mistranslated, and in fact he made no mention of decreasing the difficulty at all. According to Namco, what he actually said was, "I am thinking about how to make everyone complete the game while maintaining the current difficulty and carefully send all gamers the messages behind it." This, says Namco, was the "true intention" behind Miyazaki's statement.For its part, Metro admits (as it did in the original interview article) that the translation "wasn't very good." Still, the outlet states that "the sentence in question always seemed pretty unambiguous."
Dark Souls creator ponders easier mode, idea of satisfying gameplay
Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki says he wants his games to be described as "satisfying rather than difficult." Speaking with Metro, Miyazaki considers whether he should make another difficulty mode so everyone can complete the notoriously challenging game."However, I suppose gamers do not particularly prefer easy games. What they want is interesting and worthwhile games to play, so I think it is natural that hindrance or stress that does not attribute to such interesting and worthwhile elements will be removed in the end," says Miyazaki. "If the number of easy games is increasing nowadays, I guess it is because difficulty is not related to interesting and worthwhile game elements in many games among players."Dark Souls – despite or because of its oppressive difficulty – has sold over a million units globally and greatly contributed to Namco Bandai's fiscal fortitude.
