Dark Souls PC: Prepare To Sigh
VG247 has just run a slightly dispiriting dev interview/feature on the subject of brutal RPG Dark Souls' community-demanded PC version and... well, while we remain the lightest of souls about the fact it's happening at all, the news isn't quite what we'd hoped for. As well as the exasperating, bewildering matter of it including Microsoft e'er-temperamental Games For Windows Live matchmaking/copy-protection, it sounds as if this will be a straight source without many, if any, PC-standard bells and whistles applied. Details, plus screens'n'vid, are below IF YOU DARE.
The interface won't be redone, keyboard and mouse support will be minimal so gamepads are heavily recommended, and there won't be new graphics settings. From Software producer Hidetaka Miyazaki is paraphrased as saying the game being "a straight port" was publisher Namco's decision. There will be new content - enemies and areas and stuff like that - but while welcome I think we'd all agree we'd much prefer a well-optimised PC version rather than extra stuff. Here's a peek at some of the new bosses:
Specifically, the new things are these:
New Bosses – Including Chimera of Tomb, and more
PVP Online Matchmaking System – Quick matching for co‐op or PVP
New Areas – Including Oolacile Tomb, Old Ruins and more
New Enemies – Including Abyss Guard, Chained Prisoner and more
New NPCs – Including Hawkeye Gough and more
New Weapons and Armor – Equip some from the new bosses, enemies, and NPCs
The smart money would bet the new content is due for the console versions down the line, which might be why it was made at all, but no official statement on that as yet.
So, mixed feelings in Castle Shotgun really. It's fantastic to see a publisher sit up and take note of PC gamers' requests and interest, but now there's this great fear that the results won't be quite what we meant.
More positively, it sounds like there might be some modding support. If that happens, I'm anticipating mods to make it easier and mods to make it even harder in equal measure. Plus a few ponies.
On the matter of GFWL, just shy of 20,000 people have now signed a new petition asking for the bloated horror's removal from the PC version. Namco told VG247 that GFWL's inclusion was "still to be decided", so perhaps there is yet hope they'll opt for something else.
The game's out on August 24.