Dark Souls for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

Not for the faint of heart. Dark Souls, like Demon's Souls before it (PS3), is a dark, moody masterpiece. It's not the smoothest, sexiest RPG out there, but the gameplay is amazing if you take the time to master it.

Dark Souls is not the least bit interested in holding you by the hand, which will be off-putting for a lot of modern gamers who didn't grow up on the 'Three strikes and you're out' arcade games of old.

This is a game where playing smart matters, and a moment's carelessness is punished by the undoing of hours of work. A game where the money that can repair and upgrade your gear is the same currency you spend on upgrading stats and abilities. A game of consequences and rewards.

Personally, I love a game where the lowliest grunt can and will kill you if you let your guard down. A game where you will dodge yourself right off a bridge or a narrow ledge if you're not careful. A game where you have to be conscious of your surroundings at all times.

You will die. You will curse the game. You will swear vengeance upon those who created it. But when you finally come up with a strategy to take down the Black Knight, or finally hunt a dragon or slay the monster guarding the bridge you need to cross, it's the kind of fist-pumping, truly thrilling victory that not many games today can match.

A game this punishing and unforgiving is not for everyone, but if you are a bit masochistic and want to play a game that is as intent on beating YOU as you are on beating IT, you can't do better than this.