We keep Drangleic at arm’s length. We’re seeing Dark Souls 2’s derelict kingdom not from our own perspective, but behind the hero of the story. We are puppet masters, watching enemies from the safety of behind a knight or a sorcerer’s shoulder and then devising strategies to take them down.
Only, we don’t have to be. Like Dark Souls before it, From Software’s tricky sequel has now got its very own first-person mod. Contrary to the design though it may be, it’s an interesting shift in perspective, a new way to look this peculiar world.
Want more Dark Souls Here are the best Dark Souls PC mods.
Here’s what you need to do, if you want to look upon Drangleic with new eyes:
First, download Cheat Engine. But be aware that this is considered a wee bit naughty, and if you play online with it, you could end up with more than a slap on the rist. You might end up banned.
Then you’ll need to download this file, which is the mod itself, created by Benzoin-Gum.
After that, just follow these instructions from the mod’s creator: “[S]imply freeze the camera zoom value, equip a bow/binoculars and zoom in. the camera will stay zoomed, allowing you to roam drangleic in first person.”
Expect a bit of weirdness. Movement looks a bit jarring, which is okay if you want it to feel like King’s Field, which Benzoin-Gum was going for. And because the mod essentially just locks in the zoom when you’re using a bow or binoculars, it’s not true first person – the camera hasn’t changed, it’s just zoomed in.
There are a few issues, too:
- It might not work for Windows 8 users or those using an older version of the game
- There’s clipping
- FOV is wonky (you can edit the FOV to help with this)
- Character movement is not aligned with the camera, try to move forward as much as possible
- Bows and binoculars will likely cause issues
- Triggering a load screen can reset it
Here’s a fix if you’re having some problems with freezing the camera.