Edit this page Dark Souls Firelink Shrine crow screenshot / Sorry, we don't have accessible text for this image :( / Image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Dark Souls poster / Sorry, we don't have accessible text for this image :( / Image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Dark Souls

Dark Souls is a dark-fantasy action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware.

Company and staff credits

Publisher
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
Developer
FromSoftware logo / Sorry, we don't have accessible text for this image :( FromSoftware, Inc.
Publisher (Japan)
FromSoftware logo / Sorry, we don't have accessible text for this image :( FromSoftware, Inc.
Director
Hidetaka Miyazaki color portrait / Close-up colour portrait photo of Hidetaka Miyazaki, a Japanese man wearing glasses and a polo shirt. / Image credit: FromSoftware, Inc. Hidetaka Miyazaki
Producer
Hidetaka Miyazaki color portrait / Close-up colour portrait photo of Hidetaka Miyazaki, a Japanese man wearing glasses and a polo shirt. / Image credit: FromSoftware, Inc. Hidetaka Miyazaki
Artist
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Makoto Sato
Composer
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Motoi Sakuraba
Programmer
This is a fallback image. No image is available. Jun Ito

Platform comparison

Platform Released Local Online Interfaces Target FPS Video Sound
Xbox 360 22 September 2011
Japan
1 player
1—4 players
Single, vs., co-op
Standard 30 720p Surround 5.1
PS3 22 September 2011
Japan
1 player
1—4 players
Single, vs., co-op
Standard 30 720p Surround 5.1
Windows 23 August 2012
Australia and New Zealand
1 player
1—6 players
Single
Standard 60 1080p Surround 5.1
PS4 24 May 2018
Japan
1 player
1—6 players
Single, vs., co-op
Standard 60 3200x1800 [16:9] Surround 5.1
Xbox One 25 May 2018
US and Canada
1 player
1—6 players
Single, vs., co-op
Standard 60 3200x1800 [16:9] Surround 5.1
Switch 19 October 2018
Japan, North America, Europe
1 player
1—6 players
Single, vs., co-op
Standard 30 1080p Surround 5.1

Game details

Release dates
  • 22 September 2011:
    • PS3 (Japan)
    • Xbox 360 (Japan)
  • 4 October 2011:
    • PS3 (North America)
    • Xbox 360 (North America)
  • 6 October 2011:
    • PS3 (Australia and New Zealand)
    • Xbox 360 (Australia and New Zealand)
  • 30 October 2011:
    • PS3 (Europe)
    • Xbox 360 (Europe)
  • 23 August 2012:
    • Windows (Australia and New Zealand)
  • 24 May 2018:
    • PS4 (Japan)
  • 25 May 2018:
    • Xbox One (US and Canada)
    • PS4 (US and Canada)
  • 19 October 2018:
    • Switch (Japan, North America, Europe)
Also known as
  • Dark Race (working title)
  • Dark Lord (working title)
  • Dark Souls Remastered (official; Windows, Xbox One, Switch, PS4)
Genres

Development and pre-release

1

Working titles

The title Dark Ring was considered for the game, but was rejected according to director Hidetaka Miyazaki "because Dark Ring is slang for anus in England". Other working titles included Dark Race ("there was worry that it would be viewed as a racist expression overseas") and Dark Lord (the trademark could not be acquired).

Game technologies

2

Windows version issues

The Windows version was criticized at launch for problems including a fixed rendering resolution of 1024x720 and a frame-rate cap of 30 frames per second. In August 2012, a fan known as Durante released a mod called DSfix, which enabled higher internal rendering resolutions.

Sales

3

Sales success

Dark Souls had sold over 2.37 million copies by April 2013, according to developer FromSoftware.

Impact and influence

4

"The Dark Souls of..." meme

The notoriously high difficulty of Dark Souls led to a meme that transcended gaming, according to The New Yorker: “'The Dark Souls of X' is a meme used to describe any particularly onerous task. (A teetering pile of dirty plates? 'The Dark Souls of washing up.')".

References

  1. Dutton, F. (2011, February 8). Dark Souls almost called Dark Race. Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-08-dark-souls-almost-called-dark-race.
  2. Phillips, T. (2012, August 24). Unofficial Dark Souls PC mod fixes rendering resolution. Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-24-unofficial-dark-souls-pc-mod-fixes-rendering-resolution.
  3. Phillips, T. (2013, April 12). Dark Souls worldwide sales total 2.3 million. Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-04-12-dark-souls-worldwide-sales-total-2-3-million.
  4. Parkin, S. (2022, January 25). Hidetaka Miyazaki Sees Death as a Feature, Not a Bug. The New Yorker. Condé Nast. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/hidetaka-miyazaki-sees-death-as-a-feature-not-a-bug.

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