Dark Souls: Remastered

Walk the path of your ancestors. The First Flame dies, and duty demands a sacrifice. Cast yourself into the embers, burn as kindling, and keep the Age of Fire alive. Arguably one of the best games I’ve ever played. It changes you as a person and teaches you about life.

[h1]Dark Souls Remastered — The Anime Was Never Going To Save You[/h1] [b]9/10[/b] I've played enough Dark Souls to know two things: This game is incredible. The fanbase will defend absolutely anything by saying "it's intentional." Dark Souls Remastered is still one of the greatest action RPGs ever made, but it is not flawless. Put the nostalgia goggles away. [h2]Lordran[/h2] The world design is still amazing. Firelink Shrine, Undead Burg, the Parish, the Depths, Blighttown, Sen's Fortress, Anor Londo — the way these areas connect through shortcuts is something modern games rarely replicate. Then you reach Anor Londo and suddenly the game goes: [i]"You thought you understood the scale of this world?"[/i] And then you meet Ornstein and Smough. Peak fiction. [h2]Combat[/h2] The combat is extremely simple compared to Bloodborne, Sekiro, or Elden Ring. And honestly, that's part of the charm. Spacing, stamina, poise, i-frames, weapon reach and enemy patterns are basically the entire game. Dark Souls doesn't make you powerful. It makes you [b]less stupid.[/b] At least, that's the idea. I still roll off cliffs. [h2]Bosses[/h2] Ornstein & Smough? [b]Classic.[/b] Sif? [b]Pain.[/b] Artorias? [b]Peak.[/b] Gwyn? [b]Amazing atmosphere.[/b] Bed of Chaos? [b]What happened here?[/b] I understand the intended strategy. I understand the lore. I understand the mechanics. I still do not consider it a particularly good boss fight. Four Kings can also become more of a damage check depending on your build. Not every boss is incredible, and that's fine. [h2]Blighttown[/h2] Yes, it is unpleasant. Poison, toxic darts, ladders, narrow platforms and the general feeling that you've wandered into the world's worst anime sewer arc. The Remaster improves the technical experience, but Blighttown remains Blighttown. And honestly? [b]Respectfully, I would like to leave.[/b] [h2]Builds[/h2] This is where the game becomes addictive. Strength? Unga bunga. Dexterity? Anime protagonist behavior. Pyromancy? Surprisingly powerful. Faith? Praise the Sun. You can make almost anything work, and finding a weapon you love and upgrading it feels fantastic. The downside is that the game explains almost none of this. Upgrade paths are confusing. Stats are poorly explained. A new player can easily make a terrible build without understanding why. That's old-school design. It's also questionable design. [b]Both can be true.[/b] [h2]PvP[/h2] Dark Souls PvP is one of the most memorable multiplayer systems ever made and also one of the strangest. Invasions create stories. Co-op creates stories. Getting invaded while carrying thousands of souls creates character development. Then some player named [i]xXAnimeFeetXx[/i] appears and demonstrates 900 hours of backstab knowledge. You learn. You adapt. You continue playing. [h2]The Remaster[/h2] The Remaster is not a remake. It is Dark Souls with a much nicer coat of paint. Better performance, improved resolution and a smoother multiplayer experience make it the best straightforward way to play the original game. But don't expect a complete overhaul. And honestly? [b]Good.[/b] I don't want Dark Souls turned into Elden Ring. I don't need an open world, 40 different combat systems and every NPC explaining their tragic childhood for ten minutes. Give me Lordran. [h2]Final Verdict[/h2] Dark Souls has questionable bosses. A strange camera. A dated UI. A weaker second half. Some areas that clearly received less attention than others. And yet it remains one of the most influential action RPGs ever made. Because when Dark Souls works, it works incredibly well. You go from: [i]"This game is impossible."[/i] to: [i]"Oh."[/i] [i]"I see."[/i] [i]"I made a mistake."[/i] And that is Dark Souls. [b]9/10. Praise the Sun.[/b] \[T]/

Too much has been said about this game. I'm just adding to the positive review count. I recommend playing it with friends through... A certain coop mod you should google... Shhh... You didn't hear it from me.