Not a bad game by any means, just one that I feel should not be classified as an RPG
This game is classified as an action RPG and it certainly earns the "action" part. The combat in this game is top-notch. Difficult, yes, but it is not difficult for cheap reasons such as poor combat mechanics or bosses that can only be defeated by extreme button-mashing. Fighting is handled in a tactical way that requires you to think how you should approach a particular boss, and every boss and combat situation is different. The adventure aspects of this game are also handled well. The world this game takes place in is creepy, scary, and beautiful. It is also huge and easily accessible which makes it successful in the adventure category. All of these elements come together to make it a great action/adventure game.
Unfortunately, this game does not really have the greatest RPG elements, which confuses me as it classifies itself as an RPG. There is character customization and item selection, but neither of these are deep enough to truly be an RPG, even an action RPG. You get to choose from 10 classes, and while these classes have different ways of fighting, they nonetheless all deal the same generic damage. Offensive magic never really feels different from a bow, and healing magic never really feels different from the healing potions that all characters can drink. And even though you initially pick a class which makes it feel more like an RPG, the leveling up is nothing more than distributing generic XP (or souls) that all classes can put in any attribute. Therefore, even though you started out a mage, you can end up wielding a sword as good as a knight, which kind of makes choosing a class pointless in the first place. As for any other RPG elements, they simply do not exist. There are very few choices to be made in this game, and pretty much every quest ends in fighting one way or another.
So as stated previously, Dark Souls is a great game. If you are simply looking for an exceptional slasher game, look no further. The combat is awesome and the world is fun. If this game were to be classified as a pure action/adventure game, I would definitely agree with a score of 9.5. However, I am sure others out there have seen that it claims to be an RPG and these are the gamers that may be disappointed. It all depends on what you expect when you see "RPG". So as an "action" game, I give it a 9.5. But as an "action RPG" I give it an 8.