<s>
is	O
a	O
2011	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
FromSoftware	O
's	O
Demon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Souls	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
kingdom	O
of	O
Lordran	B-Application
,	O
where	O
players	O
assume	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
cursed	O
undead	O
character	O
who	O
begins	O
a	O
pilgrimage	O
to	O
discover	O
the	O
fate	O
of	O
their	O
kind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
port	O
for	O
Windows	O
featuring	O
additional	O
content	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Prepare	B-Application
to	I-Application
Die	I-Application
Edition	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
August	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
for	O
consoles	O
under	O
the	O
subtitle	O
Artorias	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Abyss	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
has	O
been	O
cited	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
success	O
led	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
two	O
sequels	O
—	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
2014	O
)	O
and	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
III	I-Application
(	O
2016	O
)	O
—	O
while	O
a	O
remastered	O
version	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
is	O
a	O
third-person	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
large	O
and	O
continuous	O
,	O
interconnected	O
environment	O
,	O
connected	O
through	O
a	O
central	O
hub	O
area	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
central	O
element	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
is	O
the	O
bonfire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
character	O
's	O
interaction	O
with	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
includes	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
of	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
magic	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
offensive	O
and	O
defensive	O
abilities	O
known	O
as	O
sorceries	O
,	O
miracles	O
,	O
and	O
pyromancies	O
,	O
player	O
characters	O
do	O
not	O
use	O
any	O
form	O
of	O
mana	B-Application
as	O
in	O
most	O
other	O
fantasy	O
RPGs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
they	O
gain	O
a	O
discrete	O
number	O
of	O
uses	O
for	O
each	O
attuned	O
spell	B-Application
when	O
resting	O
at	O
a	O
bonfire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
aspect	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
is	O
the	O
"	O
humanity	O
"	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
multiplayer	O
component	O
for	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
was	O
disabled	O
in	O
February	O
2022	O
,	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
a	O
security	O
threat	O
within	O
the	O
matchmaking	O
system	O
found	O
that	O
same	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2022	O
,	O
Namco	O
Bandai	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
Prepare	B-Application
to	I-Application
Die	I-Application
"	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
permanently	O
removed	O
due	O
to	O
aging	O
hardware	O
and	O
dwindling	O
fanbase	O
but	O
plan	O
to	O
restore	O
the	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
for	O
the	O
Remastered	O
version	O
sometime	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
employs	O
minimalist	O
storytelling	O
to	O
convey	O
its	O
plot	O
and	O
lore	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
opening	O
cutscene	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
establishes	O
the	O
premise	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
escaping	O
the	O
asylum	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
travels	O
to	O
Lordran	B-Application
to	O
ring	O
the	O
Bells	O
of	O
Awakening	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Artorias	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Abyss	I-Application
expansion	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
dragged	O
into	O
the	O
past	O
by	O
Manus	O
,	O
Father	O
of	O
the	O
Abyss	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
land	O
of	O
Oolacile	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
being	O
corrupted	O
by	O
Manus	O
after	O
the	O
people	O
awoke	O
and	O
angered	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
,	O
with	O
series	O
creator	O
Hidetaka	O
Miyazaki	O
directing	O
and	O
producing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
is	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
FromSoftware	O
's	O
2009	O
game	O
Demon	B-Application
's	I-Application
Souls	I-Application
,	O
published	O
and	O
owned	O
by	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Entertainment	O
was	O
chosen	O
to	O
publish	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
as	O
they	O
had	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
release	O
on	O
more	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
design	O
and	O
development	O
process	O
itself	O
involved	O
a	O
guided	O
freeform	O
approach	O
,	O
with	O
Miyazaki	O
steering	O
designers	O
while	O
allowing	O
them	O
latitude	O
for	O
creativity:The	O
design	O
ordering	O
process	O
for	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
can	O
be	O
divided	O
into	O
two	O
main	O
categories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
these	O
themes	O
we	O
added	O
the	O
special	O
concept	O
of	O
ancient	O
dragons	O
that	O
predate	O
all	O
life	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
formed	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
characters	O
and	O
world	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
contain	O
many	O
philosophical	O
and	O
folkloric	O
parallels	O
among	O
Greek	O
mythology	O
,	O
Japanese	O
mythology	O
,	O
French	O
existentialism	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
work	O
of	O
proto-existentialist	O
philosophers	O
like	O
Friedrich	O
Nietzsche	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
description	O
of	O
natural	O
cycles	O
that	O
the	O
world	O
experiences	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
designs	O
of	O
some	O
individual	O
characters	O
,	O
parallel	O
Japanese	O
and	O
Greek	O
myths	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
September	O
22	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Western	O
regions	O
in	O
October	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
2012	O
,	O
fans	O
started	O
a	O
petition	O
to	O
bring	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
to	O
PC	O
,	O
with	O
over	O
93,000	O
people	O
signing	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Re-branded	O
as	O
the	O
Prepare	B-Application
To	I-Application
Die	I-Application
Edition	O
,	O
it	O
came	O
out	O
in	O
August	O
2012	O
and	O
featured	O
new	O
content	O
,	O
including	O
bosses	O
,	O
enemies	O
,	O
equipment	O
,	O
and	O
NPCs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
content	O
,	O
subtitled	O
Artorias	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Abyss	I-Application
,	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
for	O
consoles	O
in	O
October	O
2012	O
as	O
downloadable	O
content	O
(	O
DLC	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
after	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
for	O
PC	O
would	O
use	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
–	I-Application
Live	I-Application
for	O
online	O
play	O
and	O
DRM	O
,	O
spurring	O
fan	O
backlash	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
15	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
–	I-Application
Live	I-Application
was	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
Steam	O
version	O
and	O
replaced	O
by	O
Steamworks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2016	O
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
became	O
available	O
on	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
via	O
backward	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
remastered	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
titled	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
:	O
Remastered	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
in	O
May	O
2018	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
on	O
October	O
19	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
runs	O
at	O
a	O
native	O
60	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
except	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
supports	O
a	O
4K	B-Architecture
resolution	I-Architecture
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
Pro	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
X	O
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
received	O
positive	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
reviewers	O
for	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
very	O
hardcore	O
dark-fantasy	O
[	O
role-playing	O
game ]	O
"	O
that	O
is	O
"	O
role-playing	O
right	O
down	O
to	O
the	O
roots	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
massive	O
field	O
map	O
and	O
powerful	O
enemies	O
serve	O
to	O
rev	O
up	O
both	O
your	O
sense	O
of	O
adventure	O
and	O
your	O
sense	O
of	O
dread.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Ben	O
"	O
Yahtzee	O
"	O
Croshaw	O
of	O
Zero	O
Punctuation	O
praised	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
for	O
its	O
deep	O
gameplay	O
and	O
immersive	O
atmosphere	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
"	O
disappointed	O
"	O
with	O
the	O
late-game	O
bosses	O
and	O
criticized	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
getting	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
critical	O
factor	O
in	O
turning	O
new	O
players	O
off	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
later	O
named	O
it	O
the	O
most	O
historically	O
significant	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
2010s	O
"	O
now	O
that	O
every	O
other	O
game	O
seeks	O
to	O
ape	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
media	O
calls	O
every	O
milk	O
float	O
with	O
a	O
slightly	O
stiff	O
brake	O
pedal	O
'	O
the	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
of	O
commercial	O
transportation	O
 '	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Croshaw	O
praised	O
it	O
for	O
"remind[ing]	O
us	O
that	O
games	O
are	O
games	O
"	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
"	O
cinematic	O
experiences	O
"	O
like	O
Uncharted	B-Application
,	O
with	O
"	O
their	O
own	O
strengths	O
:	O
depth	O
of	O
exploration	O
and	O
discovery	O
,	O
the	O
satisfaction	O
of	O
overcoming	O
meaty	O
challenges	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
Phil	O
Kollar	O
opined	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
frustration	O
in	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
arises	O
from	O
how	O
[	O
late	O
'	O
00s	O
and	O
early	O
2010s ]	O
games	O
have	O
conditioned	O
us	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamer	O
also	O
commented	O
on	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
port	O
,	O
stating	O
:	O
"	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
:	O
Prepare	B-Application
to	I-Application
Die	I-Application
Edition	O
does	O
not	O
come	O
with	O
the	O
technical	O
options	O
you	O
would	O
expect	O
from	O
a	O
well-engineered	O
PC	O
game	O
,	O
because	O
it	O
's	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
a	O
console	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
's	O
all	O
FromSoftware	O
ever	O
promised	O
to	O
deliver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Anyone	O
who	O
passes	O
up	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
for	O
this	O
reason	O
is	O
cutting	O
off	O
their	O
nose	O
to	O
spite	O
their	O
neckbeard	O
of	O
a	O
face.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
producers	O
of	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Takeshi	O
Miyazoe	O
,	O
responded	O
to	O
the	O
criticism	O
of	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
by	O
saying	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
:	O
Remastered	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Revolution	O
gave	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
the	O
Community	O
Choice	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Q-Games	O
'	O
Dylan	O
Cuthbert	O
and	O
Double	O
Fine	O
Productions	O
 '	O
Brad	O
Muir	O
chose	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
as	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Awards	O
)	O
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Role-Playing/Massively	O
Multiplayer	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
Digital	O
Spy	O
named	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
the	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
seventh	B-Application
console	I-Application
generation	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
Edge	O
magazine	O
named	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
the	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
seventh	B-Application
generation	I-Application
of	I-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
,	O
noting	O
that	O
while	O
some	O
may	O
initially	O
tire	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
"	O
We	O
've	O
yet	O
to	O
meet	O
a	O
single	O
player	O
for	O
whom	O
persistence	O
has	O
not	O
been	O
enough	O
to	O
transform	O
apathy	O
into	O
all-consuming	O
love.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2015	O
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
topped	O
the	O
Edge	O
special	O
issue	O
The	O
100	O
Greatest	O
Videogames	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2016	O
,	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
placed	O
fifth	O
on	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
"	O
Best	O
RPGs	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
"	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
has	O
been	O
cited	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
cited	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
influenced	O
by	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
include	O
Destiny	B-Application
,	O
Alienation	B-Application
,	O
Lords	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Surge	I-Application
,	O
Salt	B-Application
and	I-Application
Sanctuary	I-Application
,	O
Shovel	B-Application
Knight	I-Application
,	O
Titan	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
,	O
Enter	B-Application
the	I-Application
Gungeon	I-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Witcher	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Wild	I-Application
Hunt	I-Application
,	O
Nioh	B-Application
,	O
and	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
features	O
used	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
was	O
also	O
cited	O
as	O
an	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
television	O
show	O
Stranger	O
Things	O
.	O
</s>
