Often considered one of the best games ever made and a hugely important title in the 7th console generation, Dark Souls is FromSoftware’s action RPG masterpiece from the mind of director Hidetaka Miyazaki. The title builds off of the foundation laid by 2009’s cult classic Demon’s Souls while also polishing up many of its gameplay mechanics. The Prepare to Die Edition of the game would arrive a year after the original’s launch in 2011. This version marks the first time that the title would be available on PC. Additionally, the Prepare to Die Edition includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC expansion.
Notably, the PC release would be host to several technical issues at launch. This would result in the Prepare to Die Edition receiving less than favorable user review scores on PC storefronts like Steam. However, FromSoftware would quickly roll out patches to the title, seeing player adoption steadily increase over time. Following the release of Dark Souls Remastered, the Prepare to Die Edition of Dark Souls would be de-listed from the Steam storefront. Players who already own the title can still experience the original, non-remastered version of the title, but it is no longer available for any player who did not purchase it previously.
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition Premise
©Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition gameplay – Original
In Dark Souls, players take on the role of a cursed undead. After waking inside of the Undead Asylum, a place for the cursed remnants of humanity languishing under the curse befalling the world of Lordran, the player soon discovers that they must rekindle the First Flame. The source of all life in Lordran, the First Flame must be linked to the Soul of a Lord, lest the world of Lordran fall into an Age of Darkness. This pilgrimage takes players across the world of Lordran, from the peaks of Anor Londo to the Kiln of the First Flame. Along the way, the cursed undead must defeat the four Lords and obtain their Souls for the kindling of the First Flame and the salvation of Lordran.
Like Demon’s Souls before it, Dark Souls is a third-person action RPG where players get to create a character and guide its progression through careful stat allocation and equipment selection. Combat is methodical, with players needing to study enemy movements and watch for openings rather than rushing in blindly. Defeating enemies rewards players with progression currency in the form of Souls, which players can use to level up at checkpoints taking the form of Bonfires. Dying will see players lose all currently accumulated Souls, but the game gives one chance to retrieve lost progression after death. If the player dies a second time before reclaiming their lost Souls, the currency is lost forever.
The game world of Lordran is divided up into several unique biomes, several of which link back to one another through hidden shortcuts. Within each part of Lordran are challenging boss enemies that players must overcome in order to proceed to the next area. Players can utilize the game’s unique incorporation of multiplayer to summon allies into these fights.
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition Main Characters
©Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition gameplay – Original
The story of Dark Souls uses environmental cues and item descriptions to convey most of its lore, leaving much of the game’s story up to the interpretation of players. That said, certain important figures in Dark Souls act as the game’s main characters. Aside from the player character, the cursed undead, there are the Lords whose Souls were used to kindle the First Flame and defeat the Dragons. Additionally, there are several side characters that players can link back to these Lords, each of whom forms an important link in the Dark Souls lore. The main characters include:
- Cursed Undead: The player character and protagonist of Dark Souls. As one of many undead beings suffering under a curse, the player awakens and undergoes a pilgrimage to rekindle the first flame, staving off an age of darkness.
- Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight: One of the original Lords of Cinder responsible for kindling the First Flame, Gwyn and his lineage (as well as his knights) would lead the charge against the Dragons and unite the world of Lordran under the kingdom of Anor Londo.
- Gravelord Nito: Another of the Lord Soul bearers, Nito holds power over death and rules the system of tombs and crypts in Lordran.
- The Witch of Izalith: The witch’s Lord Soul grants her power over fire, and her Daughters of Chaos are also masters of pyromancy.
- Seath the Scaleless: One of the ageless Dragons who previously ruled Lordran. Seath betrayed his own kind to ally with the Lords and survive the oncoming conflict.
- The Furtive Pygmy: The original ancestor of all humanity and one of the four Lords who defeated the Dragons.
Games in the Dark Souls Series
Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Dark Souls is arguably one of the most important games of the 21st Century, changing the landscape of gaming in a single generation and helping to inspire the birth of a brand new subgenre: the “Soulslike”. While it does owe quite a lot to the foundation laid by Miyazaki’s Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls is a much more approachable experience despite its challenge and obtuse storytelling. Over the course of three games, the Dark Souls trilogy has helped propel FromSoftware into the spotlight and made them one of the most talked-about developers working today. Games and DLC in the Dark Souls series include:
- Dark Souls (PS3, Xbox 360, 2012)
- Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss (PS3, Xbox 360, 2012)
- Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2012)
- Dark Souls II (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2014)
- Dark Souls II: Crown of the Sunken King (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2014)
- Dark Souls II: Crown of the Old Iron King (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2014)
- Dark Souls II: Crown of the Ivory King (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 2014)
- Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PC, PS3/PS4, Xbox 360/One, 2015)
- Dark Souls III (PC, PS4, Xbox One, 2016)
- Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel (PC, PS4, Xbox One, 2016)
- Dark Souls III: The Ringed City (PC, PS4, Xbox One, 2017)
- Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition (PC, PS4, Xbox One, 2017)
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition Cheats & Cheat Codes
Because FromSoftware and director Hidetaka Miyazaki intended Dark Souls to be a difficult game, there are no official “cheats” that players can use in the PC release. However, players who have access to a cheat engine such as WeMod can utilize the Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition trainer file. After downloading and installing the WeMod cheat engine, you will need to download the Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition trainer file here. This file will give players access to the following cheats:
Player Cheats
- Unlimited Health
- Unlimited Stamina
- Unlimited Attunement
Inventory Cheats
- Unlimited Souls
Stat Cheats
- Unlimited Vitality
- Unlimited Endurance
- Unlimited Strength
- Unlimited Dexterity
- Unlimited Resistance
- Unlimited Intelligence
- Unlimited Faith
- Unlimited Humanity
- Max Level
- Reset Stats
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition Cheat FAQs
How do you use cheats in Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition?
With no official cheats available, players will need to download and install a third-party cheat engine to use cheats in the PC version of Dark Souls. Note that the Prepare to Die Edition is no longer available on Steam and has been replaced by Dark Souls Remastered. After installing the cheat engine, players will be able to scan their game files and download the cheat trainer file for the game directly to the file directory. Choose which cheats you would like to have active before booting up the game.
What is the best starting class in Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition?
Players can ultimately choose any of the starting classes and be successful, but there are some that give early-game advantages. One of the better starting classes is Warrior, thanks to its strong starting stats. Alternatively, the Pyromancer is a great starting class for players planning on taking a magic/spellcasting approach to the game. The beginning stat differences are negligible when players reach a certain point in Dark Souls.
Does Dark Souls on PC have console commands?
Unlike many other RPGs or action RPGs on PC, the PC port of Dark Souls does not have console commands. Instead, players will need to download and use cheat engines and trainer files to gain an advantage.
What’s new in Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition over the original?
The initial PC release is more commonly known as the Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. This release includes both the base game and the Artorias of the Abyss DLC expansion. Additionally, this PC version of the game is the only version where players can apply cheats using a cheat engine.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition key art.