For more on Dark Souls, check out our full Dark Souls review. Or, for more of the best Xbox 360 games for an 11 year old, why not try our Family Game Finder
Dark Souls is a game that offers a challenge like few others. A dark fantasy role playing game, there's actually very little in the way of story behind the game, as you find yourself in a world attacked by all manner of undead creatures, and it's basically up to you to survive for as long as possible, as you explore the vast, dark world.
The thing that sets Dark Souls apart, and also makes it hard to recommend for children, is in its difficulty. Designed to be tricky, your child will find themselves dying, repeatedly, over, and over, and over again. If your child has a short temper, or is somewhat lacking in patience, then this certainly isn't the best suited game for them. Having to take on the same boss several hundred times is frustrating for most people.
Bonfires act as your checkpoints as you explore the game's world, but they're few and far between, and come with a series of trade-offs. Although they replenish your health and magic, they also bring any enemies you've killed so far during your game back to life.
On the plus side, though, if your child doesn't give up on Dark Souls too quickly, they'll find a game that encourages you to think strategically, and plan out each and every move you make in advance. Forcing you to constantly be on your guard, you'll have to be vigilant, and constantly have an escape plan in mind for when things go wrong.
Along with being an incredibly hard game, Dark Souls is also rather gory. Armed with all manner of medieval weaponry, from swords to maces and crossbows, as you defeat your undead/zombie foes, large spurts of blood will fly freely, adding a grizzly touch to the game's already dark styling.
There's also some minor nudity on display, as one of the game's bosses is a topless half-human monster, whose breasts are covered only by her hair.
Sadly, Dark Souls is probably best viewed as an entirely single player game, at least from a family perspective. While it does allow for online play, you can't invite a friend to join your game, forcing you to play with randoms - and even if you could, you'd still require two console, two copies of the game, and, in the case of Xbox Live, two gold subscriptions in order to play.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
