darksouls
Latest
Sony discounts tons of PlayStation games in its latest flash sale
Hot on the heels of its major Days of Play E3 sale and adding a bunch of games to its PlayStation Hits lineup, Sony is back at it with a Flash Sale on a wealth of PS4, PS3 and Vita games. As you'd expect, PS4 gets the lion's share. Among the more notable deals are Dark Souls II ($10), Just Cause 3 ($6), the full season of Life is Strange ($4), all episodes of Life is Strange: Before the Storm ($5.09) and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ($10).
‘Sekiro’ continues the work that ‘Bloodborne’ started
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice doesn't represent a seachange from the formula that Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki has been refining over the past decade, but it does take that blueprint in a welcome new direction. At Gamescom, I spent an hour or so wayfinding, tackling ever-more-threatening foes and dying, repeatedly. So far, so Souls. But the switch from a European Gothic aesthetic to Sengoku-era Japan is more than a palette swap.
‘Dark Souls Trilogy’ collection is coming to PS4 and Xbox One
The critically-acclaimed Dark Souls series is getting a three-disc bundle release for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 later this year. Dark Souls Trilogy will include the remastered original, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin and Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition. Publisher Bandai Namco is promising "all DLC content" too, making this a pretty definitive collection for fans of the FromSoftware franchise. It's an obvious move, though one that could rile some players — Dark Souls: Remastered was only released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in May, and the Switch version comes out on October 19th, the same day as Dark Souls Trilogy.
'Dark Souls: Remastered' arrives on Nintendo Switch October 19th
Dark Souls fans have eagerly been awaiting the release of the game on Nintendo Switch, and now we finally have a date for you. The remastered port and its matching amiibo will land on October 19th.
Action-RPG 'Code Vein' delayed until 2019
Just a month after Bandai Namco revealed a release date for the much anticipated RPG Code Vein, the company says it's now delaying the launch until next year. Originally expected to drop this September, Code Vein is a Dark Souls-meets-anime mash-up that's created a lot of excitement since its announcement in 2017, which according to Namco is the reason for its postponement. In a release, the company's vice president of marketing and digital Hervé Hoerdt said they made the decision in order to "further refine its gameplay in an effort to exceed the expectations fans already have of the title."
'Dark Souls' and anime merge in 'Code Vein' on September 28th
If you've been aching for Dark Souls-style combat but want everything through an anime lens, Bandai Namco's action RPG Code Vein will arrive on PC and consoles on September 28th. The game was announced a year ago, and from the start, it clearly took a page out of From Software's book with slower combat, gothic settings and lots of blood. But with a new trailer, we've got a peek into the game's story, too.
'Dark Souls’ on Switch delayed until summer
If you were all set to re-experience Dark Souls Remastered on Nintendo's flagship console, you'll have a bit longer to wait. Originally slated to come out on May 25th, the Switch port of the infamously difficult game -- as well as its paired amiibo -- have been delayed until later this summer. Lucky for everyone else, the remaster is coming out on-time for PC, PS4 and Xbox One owners.
Action-RPG 'Code Vein' hits Xbox One, PS4 and PCs next year
Bandai Namco released the first trailer for its upcoming action-RPG game Code Vein just last month, but it couldn't exactly let E3 come and go without spilling a few more beans now, could it? We're no closer to a concrete release date, with 2018 still as definitive as it gets, but we do now know what platforms the third-person, anime-esque title will be available on. Bandai Namco previously said Code Vein would be hitting "major home consoles" next year, but it's now clarified the title is headed to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PCs too, via Steam.
'Dark Souls' developer eyes possible PlayStation VR release
From Software has made it very clear that Dark Souls is over, so that means it's time to look forward to a new franchise. This could very well include a new IP to be released on the upcoming PlayStation VR.
The 'Dark Souls' franchise is over... for now
At what could be the height of the Dark Souls franchise's popularity, developer From Software is ready to move on.
The first 'Dark Souls 3' add-on doesn't hit until this fall
Given that plenty of folks went to impressive lengths to play FromSoftware's latest game early, I'm betting the following Dark Souls 3 news isn't going to sit well with them. Why? Because you'll have to wait until this fall to play anything beyond what's in the base game. That's according to UK enthusiast site Videogamer. And even then, that's only the release window for the first of two post-launch add-ons. Any other details are as scant as an Estus Flask when you really need it, but you can expect new bosses and enemies in addition to gear for your undead warrior.
Downloading 'Dark Souls 3' early makes the game even harder
Star Wars: The Force Awakens isn't the only thing hitting the internet ahead of its official release this week: The latest entry in FromSoftware's absolutely punishing Dark Souls series has as well. But rather than going to your torrent site of choice, all you need to do to access it is make a dummy account for your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One with Japan as its home region -- Dark Souls 3 launched there on the 24th. You'll still have to drop cash on the game, so if you were hoping for some nefariousness you're out of luck here.
Watch the cinematic opening for 'Dark Souls 3'
Dark Souls 3 is almost here, people of the internet. But while you patiently wait until April 12th, when the game's scheduled to launch, there's now a cinematic opening for it to keep your emotions at ease. In the video titled To the Kingdom of Lothric, you'll see cameos from Yhorn the Giant, Aldrich Saint of the Deep and Farron's Undead Legion -- characters you're set to encounter throughout Dark Souls 3. And if you haven't pre-ordered yet, From Software's new fantasy action title will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
'Dark Souls 3' is coming for your patience next April
Don't have a PlayStation 4 and Bloodborne but still want in on some punishing action by way of the folks at From Software? Good because Dark Souls 3 hits PC, PS4 and Xbox One next April -- right in line with the "early 2016" window we were teased with during E3 this year. And for those who need something to do between now and then, perhaps the recently announced "The Old Hunters" expansion for Bloodborne will whet your whistle come its November 24th release date. Here's to hoping you're suitably prepared to die evade peril by then.
The Big Picture: 'Dark Souls' gets creepy with 'Limbo'-like mod
The Dark Souls series might not be the game for those folks who lack patience, but what you see up above is something just about anyone can appreciate. Reddit user CystisomaMagna was fooling around with the Reshade mod for the game and happened across some settings that turned the world of Lordran into a monochromatic, but still absolutely dangerous, wonderland. The user notes that the Limbo-esque modification isn't just for show, and that it's even possible to keep the game's HUD intact with it active. It might not get you soft-banned, either. Wanna know how to activate it on your system? That's what the videos embedded below are for.
Using 'Dark Souls 2' mods on PC? That's a dealbreaker
The Dark Souls series' relationship with PC gamers has been contentious at best. The vanilla versions of the first two games weren't unplayable per se, but if it weren't for the enterprising community of modders around the franchise it'd look and run kind of, well, crappy. This apparently extends to the recently released Scholar of the First Sin as well. But there's a twist this time: Players installing the popular "DS2fix" softmod that addresses weapons durability glitches and save corruptions have found that they aren't able to easily summon other players into their game for help or adversarial combat. As Kotaku reports, the players aren't hacking in a nefarious way, they're just using a patch that makes the game work better on their platform of choice. Instead of pulling "undead" (how the series refers to its protagonists) from a general population, it's grabbing them from a comparatively smaller pool of other players that've been deemed cheaters for using DS2fix.
Recommended Reading: Designing a roller coaster that'll make you weep
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. How to Design a Roller Coaster That'll Make You Beg For Mercy by Jeff Wise Bloomberg Business When it comes to designing a roller coaster, there are any number of tools that can achieve that maximum thrill. At Carowinds, a theme park that borders North and South Carolina, the Fury 325 debuted this spring. The ride packs a 325-foot drop and top speeds of 95MPH. How does something like this come about? Bloomberg's Jeff Wise will take you for a ride to find out.
The Joystiq Show - 009: Dark Souls and the Dark Knight
Batman: Arkham City isn't quite on store shelves yet. If the wait isn't already torture enough, Richard, Chris and Griffin spend 40 minutes breaking it down for you -- and you just might be surprised by what you hear. If Dark Souls is more your speed, or you're just a connoisseur of varied experience like Richard and Griffin, make sure to stick around for a lengthy discussion with GamePro's Kat Bailey about the unique, and sometimes torturous, experience of From Software's latest. We dare you to listen to this and not want to at least give this game a chance. Part 1 (1:36) - Roundtable: Batman: Arkham City Part 2 (40:54) - Roundtable: Dark Souls Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes [Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Host: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM) Guest: Kat Bailey (@The_Katbot) Producer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily) Production Coordinator: Richard Mitchell Music: Trash80, Batman: The Animated Series and Dark Souls. Stream the show after the break.
MMO impressions from Eurogamer Expo 2011
Some of the industry's biggest names were at Eurogamer Expo last week, including BioWare, NCsoft and Trion Worlds. I was on the floor at the expo to get some hands-on experience with several upcoming MMOs and countless singleplayer games. Guild Wars 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic stole the show, with hands-on gameplay sessions and in-depth developer talks. BioWare also made the bold move of announcing SWTOR's official release date during its talk at the convention. In addition to promoting the heck out of RIFT, Trion showed off upcoming MMORTS End of Nations with a hands-on demo and encouraged attendees to sign up to the End of Nations newsletter. RIFT and World of Tanks were both playable on the show floor for the entire weekend, but nothing new was being shown. Hack-and-slash adventure RPG Dark Souls and the beautifully zen Journey both demonstrated incredibly innovative multiplayer aspects that I'll likely cover in my weekly Not So Massively column, but neither falls neatly into the MMO box. OnLive had a spectacular showing at the expo, giving away free home consoles to every attendee and demonstrating the system's surprisingly lag-free gameplay on the floor. We discovered that although there are no MMOs in OnLive's current lineup, this isn't due to technical infeasibility, so we may yet see MMOs launched on the service. Skip past the cut for my in-depth hands-on impressions of Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic and End of Nations from Eurogamer Expo 2011.
