Gameplay consists of dungeon crawling in almost relentlessly hostile environments. The challenging nature of the game provides a foundation of achievement and reward, reinforced by penalties upon player death. Dark Souls takes place in a large and contiguous open world environment, with the player able to travel to and from areas and explore various available paths seamlessly. Bonfires are scattered throughout the world; these function as resting hubs for the player. Resting at a bonfire causes all non-boss enemies to respawn, but also refills the player's supply of estus flasks (healing items), sorceries, miracles, and pyromancies. The player can be in either undead form or human form, and death in human form reverts the player to undead form. In undead form, the player is unable to kindle bonfires or summon help from other players; at the same time, players in undead form cannot be invaded by other players. Death in either form results in the loss of all carried souls and humanity, both of which act as forms of currency in the world, though they are each used for different purposes. The player has one chance to recollect the souls and humanity by reaching the location of their death; failing this, the items are permanently lost.
System Requirements
OS: Windows XP , Windows Vista, Windows 7, or newer
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 GHz+ or AMD Phenom II X2 545 3.0 GHz+
Ram Memory: 2 GB
Hard Disk Space: 8GB
Video Card: GeForce 9800 GTX+ or ATI Radeon HD 4870+
DirectX®: 9.0c
Sound: Direct Sound Compatible
Additional: Online play requires software installation of and log-in to Games For Windows - LIVE
