Dark Souls On the PC

[Bravo Company]

After seeing a whole bunch of stuff about Dark Souls, and how difficult it is, I've become interested in playing it. I don't know a whole bunch about the game, but I like a challenging game. Plus sword fighting and whatnot is rather enjoyable to me.

However, I'm going to be playing it on my pc, so before I get it on the steam sale I wanted to know if its a decent PC port? Steam recommends having an xbox controller to play the game (which I do) but how required is it? Is the game optimized? I have a fairly powerful rig (i5 4670k, ati 5777, 8 gigs of ram). However, if the game isn't optimized and runs like rubbish then I wont have much fun with it.

Thanks

 

[Pink Gregory]

Probably best to wait until GFWL is patched out (or hope that it will be before it goes under), but otherwise it's not very well optimised in it's base state, you'll need the DSfix - http://www.nexusmods.com/darksouls/mods/19/?

 

[shrekfan246]

As the above post mentioned, DSFix is pretty much required. It unlocks the resolution and framerate of the game, as well as letting you apply certain effects like AA or Anisotropic Filtering. Not too difficult to set up either, so long as you know how to mess around with .ini files.

As far as the controller goes, you'll have a much better time playing with than without. Even with modding, the keyboard+mouse controls are fairly dire. But it plays perfectly well with a controller, and supports it out of the box (at least, I think. It's been a while since I set up the game or anything).

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

basically; the port is atrocious. It's a slap in the face to consumers. It's also completely unplayable without a pad. UNPLAYABLE. But the game itself is good enough to make me look past that and play it anyway. The fan-made patches fixes the worst issues and even on my 3 year old laptop it still ran a little better than the PS3 version. Just a little. Blight town still killed the framerate though

 

[JonB]

Probably best to wait until GFWL is patched out (or hope that it will be before it goes under), but otherwise it's not very well optimised in it's base state, you'll need the DSfix - http://www.nexusmods.com/darksouls/mods/19/?

I've not had any problems with the fixes mentioned above - they're fairly easy if you're familiar with how to use your PC.

However, you absolutely must own a gamepad for your PC. Most sale pages for the game tell you this. It's essentially impossible without one.

 

[Bravo Company]

As the above post mentioned, DSFix is pretty much required. It unlocks the resolution and framerate of the game, as well as letting you apply certain effects like AA or Anisotropic Filtering. Not too difficult to set up either, so long as you know how to mess around with .ini files.

As far as the controller goes, you'll have a much better time playing with than without. Even with modding, the keyboard+mouse controls are fairly dire. But it plays perfectly well with a controller, and supports it out of the box (at least, I think. It's been a while since I set up the game or anything).

So it comes with a resolution and fps lock unmodded? Why in God's name would they do that? I don't have any issues with playing around with .ini's. I usually go through and set things how I want them anyway, since most game's in-game options menus leave stuff out.

I don't have any issues with plugging in my controller so its not a problem, I was only curious on how it worked without one.

 

[shrekfan246]

As the above post mentioned, DSFix is pretty much required. It unlocks the resolution and framerate of the game, as well as letting you apply certain effects like AA or Anisotropic Filtering. Not too difficult to set up either, so long as you know how to mess around with .ini files.

As far as the controller goes, you'll have a much better time playing with than without. Even with modding, the keyboard+mouse controls are fairly dire. But it plays perfectly well with a controller, and supports it out of the box (at least, I think. It's been a while since I set up the game or anything).

So it comes with a resolution and fps lock unmodded? Why in God's name would they do that?

Mostly because it was their second PC port ever and they told the people asking for a port that they didn't know WTF they were doing.

Most people argue that they should've outsourced it, but I imagine that was a question of money more than anything else.

I don't have any issues with playing around with .ini's. I usually go through and set things how I want them anyway, since most game's in-game options menus leave stuff out.

The game itself still runs just fine and is relatively stable, considering the state of the port. You may get some performance drops in an area called Blighttown, which was poorly optimized even on the consoles, but for the most part with the DSFix you should be able to get a steady framerate anywhere between 30-60 FPS depending on the options you set up--It's worth noting that while the DSFix goes a long way toward making the PC version of the game better, there's only so much they could do with a poorly-optimized engine in the first place. If you can't steady the framerate you might want to elect to limit it at ~45 anyway if you don't like jumpy FPS in your games.

I was only curious on how it worked without one.

Hardly at all. Especially unmodded. The mouse cursor isn't even hidden by default.

 

[Rutabaga_swe]

The worst part is that they haven't really done anything aside from remapping the pad-functions to keys and mouse. The right stick on the pad controls the camera, but when locked on pressing the stick left or right also switches your locked on target. This is still true with the mouse, so your lock on will flip the f**k out unless you keep the mouse absolutely still. Locking on is vital to the game, and as such it's pretty much impossible without a pad and/or mods (never got the mouse fix mod to work myself).

 

[Bravo Company]

snip

Thanks for the infos, I'll put a litte more thought into it before I decide to purchase it or not, but everyone's input has definitely helped


We can only hope that since the new generation of consoles has an architecture closer to PCs we'll get better ports or even have games made primarily on pc and then ported over to consoles. Wishful thinking, but I can dream!

 

[thetoddo]

I think the days of PC first are gone for mainstream titles, it's just not where the money is. Dark Souls originally wasn't even going to be ported to PC, but From Software decided to respond to customer demand and was even nice enough to warn people the port wouldn't be amazing.

 

[thesilentman]

You should be fine just running the game. The game itself is just like the console version, but the issue is that it's for PC, and PC has a different standard as you know. Just get DSFix and you'll be fine. A controller is recommended, but DSFix should help you fix the mouse and keyboard opportunities.

All in all, enjoy if you get it. It's a wonderful game. =)

 

[Irridium]

It's a shit port. Absolutely terrible.

Great game, but absolutely terrible port. Also, considering we have no news on what From Software will do when GFWL dies next summer, there's a chance that the game itself will die when GFWL dies.

Oh, and don't bother if you don't have a wired 360 controller. The game is near-unplayable with a keyboard/mouse. And as for how it runs, there's plenty of issues without DSfix. Get that and most stability issues are fixed.

These are the most important things you should know before buying it. Don't get me wrong, I'm really loving it, but holy crap it has problems. And a chance it'll die when GFWL does. I'd recommend waiting until a statement is made on its future without GFWL (if there will be one).

 

[LaughingAtlas]

My advice? Be prepared to mod stuff, if you can manage. (It wasn't terribly difficult, as I recall, but still kindof a bother) Getting lock-on to do what you want it to might take some practice, but it's by no means 'unplayable' as some are saying. However, like the game in general, it can be very frustrating to deal with. I managed to get all the way through the game, nab pretty much every item from every difficult-jump-access-only ledge, beat every boss (Besides Priscilla, but only because she let me go in peace and I don't need a fancy bleed-damage scythe, thank you very much) and generally do everything I would have been able to with more agreeable controls.

This was with the mod that changed the Xbox controller button icons to look like their cousins on my keyboard, and even then I have vague memories of the icon of a button not changing to the one I set it to, so perhaps this should be taken with salt?

EDIT: In terms of Dark Souls on it's own merits, I hope you're the patient sort that can play without much risk of interruption, especially during the often dirt-cheap boss battles. For those of us that don't feel any smarter for throwing our free time at riddling out strategies, there are plenty of walk-throughs for things by this point.

Don't pay too much mind to those that say 'every death is the player's fault ALONE', it's easy to get used to knowing what to do, how to react, to see what a new player quite reasonably wouldn't.

Probably spend souls you gather as soon as possible, possibly on level-ups? I wouldn't worry about being Human, if the boss of the area isn't beaten, it does more to invite Dark Spirits into your game than keep you alive, slightly higher stats or not. Some of the signs on the floor will lie to you, mostly the 'jump here's, though even a few of those have merit, weirdly enough.

Good luck, though it probably won't be near enough, and I hope you have fun in Lordran if you do decide to get this game!
[sub] [sub]Praise the sun![/sub] [/sub]

 

[Sunrider]

Snip

I, like many of the posters before me, cannot stress how important the DSFix is, and a controller is heavily recommended. If you have a PS3, you can use that controller. Just download MotioninJoy, and you're all set.

However, while the port is a steaming pile of shit by default (as many have pointed out already), with the fix in place, it's VASTLY superior to the console versions, and anyone who says otherwise is a filthy liar.

The DSFix isn't perfect, don't get me wrong. Make use of the hotkey to turn the FPS unlock off whenever you're sliding down ladders. It doesn't happen often at all, but there is a small chance that you will clip through the floor, and if there isn't a second level below that to save you (or kill you), you will just keep falling and will be unable to continue with that character again.

Feel free to add me on steam if there's any questions you have about anything Dark Souls related.
Name is Sunrider, I have the same avatar on Steam as I do on The Escapist.
That goes for anyone here by the way, not just the OP.

 

[TheEvilCheese]

Don't bother playing it without a controller, but as you have one I would say buying Dark Souls is a fairly sound investment. The port is bad, but you seem pretty comfortable with what's required to make it superior to the console versions.

Dark Souls is a fantastic game with sub-par execution. It is well worth your time.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

1. While the port isn't the best, and leaves much much much to be desired, after the dsfix mod and plugging in a controller (I'm using the 360 PC controller), it plays just as good as the console version on a decent PC.
I own both (PS3 and PC) and there's not much difference once the fixes are in. However it does say something about From Software's dev team that they can release a port that sucks hard and have no, repeat NO patches for it to fix any of the issues. I honestly don't understand how they get praised for their "we don't do DLC" policy when its clear they also don't support their PC ports.
Other than that, I played a healthy dose of it today with no issues (other than getting ass-raped by the Bell Gargoyles). What can I say? I'm not great at the game, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

 

[Qvar]

Despite what many people have said, you can play it perfectly with mouse and keyboard if you install DSMfix (in adition to DSfix). You WILL notice the game wasn't intended to be played with M&K because the weird places they put the bindings at, put it isn't difficult. I've beaten the game twice and I'm hardly a hardcore of the genre.

 

[ThePuzzldPirate]

Despite what many people have said, you can play it perfectly with mouse and keyboard if you install DSMfix (in adition to DSfix). You WILL notice the game wasn't intended to be played with M&K because the weird places they put the bindings at, put it isn't difficult. I've beaten the game twice and I'm hardly a hardcore of the genre.

I can vouch for this as I did the same, I would still recommend a controller though just for ease sake, if you want to play with kb+m, be prepared to mess with setting for at least 15 minutes to set it up and another 45 tuning it to your comfort.

 

[lassiie]

OP, just so you are aware, it was a very poorly done port, but don't look badly at From Software, as they responded to consumer requests to make a PC port and never intended to do it originally. They also stated that they had never done such a thing, and were going to do their best. They are an awesome developer who have actually listened to their audience.

 

[Blacklight28]

I think the days of PC first are gone for mainstream titles, it's just not where the money is. Dark Souls originally wasn't even going to be ported to PC, but From Software decided to respond to customer demand and was even nice enough to warn people the port wouldn't be amazing.

It's good that they were honest about it, but it still isn't acceptable.