Dark Souls Remastered
Posted By Wynn Johnson Posted On

Dark Souls Remastered: A Worthy Return to Lordran?

The gaming world was captivated nearly a decade ago by Dark Souls, a groundbreaking action RPG that built upon the foundation laid by its spiritual predecessor, Demon’s Souls. Dark Souls became a benchmark, influencing countless action RPGs that followed. Unfortunately, the PC community initially experienced a subpar port, Dark Souls: Prepare to Die, plagued by graphical and control issues. Dark Souls Remastered, released across multiple platforms including PC, promised a revitalized experience. But does this remaster live up to expectations, rekindling the First Flame for veterans and newcomers alike, or is the allure of Anor Londo merely an illusion? This review delves into the enhancements and shortcomings of Dark Souls Remastered to determine if its $40 price tag is justified.

Notable Improvements

Remastering classic games has become a popular trend, allowing veteran players to revisit cherished experiences and introducing new players to gaming history. Unlike a full remake, a remaster typically focuses on visual enhancements and minor gameplay tweaks. Dark Souls Remastered follows this trend, offering a visually enhanced version of the 2011 classic.

Visual Upgrades

The original Dark Souls: Prepare to Die was locked at 30FPS and a maximum resolution of 720p, a stark contrast to the prevalence of 4K displays. PC players, in particular, relied heavily on mods to improve performance and visuals. Dark Souls Remastered addresses these limitations, boasting a 4K resolution and a smooth 60FPS, the standard for modern PC gaming. Furthermore, the remaster features improved textures, lighting effects, particle effects, and surface details. The lighting effects, especially in spells, have been significantly enhanced, creating a more visually stunning experience.

Dark Souls RemasteredDark Souls Remastered

The overall visuals are less harsh than the original, with a better balance between light and shadow. The remaster avoids excessive darkness and muted colors, resulting in a clearer and brighter presentation. The improved lighting and dynamic shadows create a more immersive atmosphere, highlighting the intricate details of the environments. The graphical improvements bring Dark Souls Remastered closer to modern standards, with a visual balance superior to the original even with mods. This is particularly evident in areas like Anor Londo, where the interplay of light and shadow creates a visually striking and atmospheric experience.

Dark Souls RemasteredDark Souls Remastered

While the improved textures and models are generally well-executed, some inconsistencies remain. The visual upgrades are not uniformly applied throughout the game, leaving some areas looking less polished than others.

Enhanced Multiplayer

Beyond visual enhancements, Dark Souls Remastered improves the multiplayer experience, a key aspect of the Dark Souls series. The remaster supports up to six players in a single world, two more than the original. Summoning is also streamlined, removing the level restrictions of Dark Souls III and instead scaling down the stats of higher-level players. Dedicated servers have been implemented, promising improved stability and a larger player base. This addresses the lag and latency issues that plagued the original’s online experience.

Lingering Issues

While Dark Souls Remastered introduces several improvements, it also suffers from a number of shortcomings that detract from the overall experience.

Graphical Inconsistencies and Bugs

Despite the visual upgrades, certain areas suffer from graphical glitches, including instances where entire sections of the environment disappear into darkness. Some textures appear overly polished and artificial, while others remain rough and unrefined. The inconsistent level of polish, coupled with animation bugs and other minor glitches, diminishes the overall visual presentation. The inclusion of HDR support, while welcome, forces the game to run at a locked 30FPS. Audio inconsistencies also exist, with music sometimes changing abruptly based on camera movement.

Dark Souls RemasteredDark Souls Remastered

Multiplayer Woes

Despite the touted multiplayer improvements, Dark Souls Remastered inherits some of the frustrating issues from its predecessors. The game employs a similar system of unwarranted bans and suspensions for using harmless video recording and streaming software. Furthermore, cheaters continue to exploit the Steam Family Sharing feature, while legitimate players, including those targeted by cheaters, are often unfairly penalized.

Dark Souls RemasteredDark Souls Remastered

Weapon balance adjustments have also caused frustration, with some once-powerful weapons rendered ineffective. Synchronization issues in online play remain, allowing players to attack summoned phantoms before they are ready.

Gameplay Glitches

Numerous gameplay bugs persist, including issues with attacks, locking on, dodging, and even bonfire warping. The infamous camera exploit near Sen’s Fortress remains unaddressed. The UI, while scaled down, offers no functional improvements.

Dark Souls RemasteredDark Souls Remastered

Conclusion

Dark Souls Remastered offers a visually enhanced and performance-improved experience compared to the original PC port. However, numerous graphical inconsistencies, gameplay glitches, and lingering multiplayer issues prevent it from being a truly definitive edition. While the improvements are welcome, the $40 price tag may feel steep given the remaining flaws. Ultimately, whether or not Dark Souls Remastered is worth purchasing depends on your tolerance for these issues and your desire to revisit Lordran with updated visuals and performance.

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