Dark Souls: Remastered is an attempt at making one of the most critically acclaimed action role-playing games ever even better. The Dark Souls series has been around since 2011 - well, 2009, if you count its PS3-only predecessor Demon’s Soul - and it has spawned two sequels[1], inspired PS4-exclusive Bloodborne[2], and created an entire sub-genre of games known as soulslike[3]. Despite garnering accolades for its gameplay, Dark Souls was far from perfect.
Both PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Dark Souls were ruined by crippling frame rates that would drop to single digits in the busier moments. The PC version fared slightly better, but wasn’t exactly a competent port, requiring a fan patch to allow changes to resolution and a better frame rate. Dark Souls: Remastered promises to change this with 60fps gameplay at 4K on the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, and 60fps 1080p on the regular PS4 and Xbox One. Does it make for a better game? Or does it join the ranks of needless remasters this generation? Read on to find out.
Firing up Dark Souls: Remastered for the first time you’re treated to a character creation screen that’s similar to the original. Too familiar, we’d say, as even your character model looks low-res here. Not a good first impression. Thankfully, in-game elements fare better.
From the opening Asylum area to the picturesque Anor Londo, the environments of Dark Souls: Remastered are a treat to look at. Gone are jagged edges that plagued the initial release. Textures and lighting have been amped up as well, making for a more immersive experience.
It’s not just the visuals that have got an overhaul. While playing the original Dark Souls, you often felt...