

The higher resolution and sharper textures give places like Sinner’s Rise and Huntsman’s Copse greater visual definition. Given the higher resolution and brisker frame rate, it should be no shock that the PC version of Dark Souls II looks better than the console versions. It would never have crossed my mind to press shift and tap a mouse button to interact with objects and open doors, for instance, though once you’re used to this unusual approach, you may not miss the controller. On the bright side, playing with a mouse and keyboard is absolutely viable, though you must dig around in the menus to come to grips with the default keybindings.

Unfortunately, the game still bombards you with Xbox 360 controller button prompts, even when you do not have a controller plugged in and are navigating with a mouse and keyboard. The game runs at a brisk 60 frames per second, even on modest PCs. When you set the resolution at 1920 X 1080, the image you see is actually rendering at that resolution, in contrast to Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. And so I bring some good news: Based on the preview copy I’ve been immersed in, Dark Souls II is a notably better port than the original Dark Souls was. It’s no surprise that PC enthusiasts should expect better-and that they remain wary of the impending release of Dark Souls II. Community members immediately set about rectifying the perceived slights, releasing modifications that unlocked the frame rate, increased the resolution, and added high-resolution textures that enhanced the original release while keeping the game’s spirit intact. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition was not welcomed by PC players with wholly open arms, given its low rendering resolution, limited frame rate, and poor mouse and keyboard support. If you’ve been looking forward to Dark Souls II on the PC, you're likely more than aware of what a troubled port its predecessor was.
