DARK SOULS™: REMASTERED

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 74,500 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
DARK SOULS™: REMASTERED Game Cover
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Dark Souls: Remastered is an action RPG that takes place in a grim, interconnected world. Players battle threatening enemies and bosses while leveling up and customizing their character. The game is known for its difficulty and intricate, interconnected world design, encouraging exploration and learning from past mistakes.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
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  • Windows
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Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 74,500 reviews
gameplay1,192 positive mentions
stability798 negative mentions
  • gameplay4,238 mentions

    The gameplay of Dark Souls Remastered is characterized by its challenging yet rewarding mechanics, requiring players to learn through trial and error. While many players appreciate the depth and intricacy of the combat system, some criticize the outdated mechanics and clunky controls compared to more recent titles in the series. Overall, the game maintains its reputation for difficulty and immersion, but new players may find the lack of guidance on mechanics frustrating.

    • “At its core, Dark Souls remains a paragon of challenging gameplay.”
    • “The refined mechanics and responsive controls ensure that every encounter feels fair yet punishing.”
    • “The gameplay is amazing, with in-depth combat and a large array of options for you to choose from, giving you the choice between small melee weapons, large melee weapons, ranged weapons, and even different schools of magic.”
    • “The mechanics of the game are not explained.”
    • “Spent more time hitting walls than enemies; just another cash grab with no real upgrade in textures, sound, or combat mechanics.”
    • “This game is awful; the gameplay is just awful.”
  • graphics3,432 mentions

    The graphics of "Dark Souls: Remastered" have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while there are some improvements in texture quality and lighting, the overall enhancements are minimal compared to the original game. Critics argue that the remaster feels more like a slight graphical upgrade rather than a true remaster, with some even suggesting that the original version with mods (like dsfix) offers a better visual experience. Despite these criticisms, the game maintains its iconic aesthetic and atmosphere, which many players still find captivating.

    • “Dark Souls: Remastered is a breathtaking revival of one of gaming’s most influential titles, bringing the legendary experience of its original release into the modern era with stunning visuals and improved performance.”
    • “The updated visuals and smooth performance make revisiting Lordran a treat for both veterans and newcomers.”
    • “The graphics are significantly improved, making the world of Lordran even more impressive and detailed with updated textures and lighting.”
    • “They could have made the graphics better; they could have made improvements in the actual graphic options, but instead it basically is a $40 slightly better dsfix mod.”
    • “The graphics aren't nearly upgraded enough to be a 'remaster'; all of the big flaws with ds1 before it was remastered are pretty much all there.”
    • “The graphics have aged incredibly, and the game looks awesome despite the low texture quality.”
  • story3,250 mentions

    The story of Dark Souls is often described as rich and layered, primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling, item descriptions, and cryptic NPC interactions, rather than traditional cutscenes or dialogue. Players appreciate the depth of lore and the challenge of piecing together the narrative, which reflects themes of despair, perseverance, and the cyclical nature of life and death. However, some find the storytelling approach frustratingly vague, requiring extensive exploration and research to fully grasp the plot, leading to mixed opinions on its accessibility and engagement.

    • “The lore is rich and layered, unfolding through environmental storytelling and cryptic NPC interactions.”
    • “Rather than spoon-feeding the plot, it encourages players to piece together the story themselves, which made it resonate with me on a much deeper level.”
    • “The story is interesting and told in a unique way, allowing you to decide how much you learn about the world of Lordran.”
    • “To sum up my whole feeling, it's just boring - none of the story is explained, main story things happen that are only maybe referenced vaguely in an item description, are hidden behind fake walls that you require a game guide to find ... the amount of the game that's like 'ok, so you have to do this obscure path like falling down right here, falling down over here ... that you would actually never find unless you looked it up - blighttown.... and major decisions that come down to a yes or no, that you only know the consequences of if you've already experienced them..... most of the game is failing so many times so you know what's in front of you, rather what you can react to, how you can react ...”
    • “The story is practically non-existent, and while the lore shows some promise, it doesn’t come close to the depth of something like Tomb Raider or even Mario DS.”
    • “The story is weak.”
  • music1,140 mentions

    The music in Dark Souls is widely praised for its haunting beauty and emotional depth, particularly during boss fights, where it enhances the intensity of the encounters. While the game features minimal ambient music during exploration, this absence is often appreciated for creating a sense of isolation and vulnerability, making the moments when music does play feel more impactful. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant aspect of the game's atmosphere, with memorable themes that resonate with players long after their journey through Lordran.

    • “The story is so well written and the soundtrack is fabulous.”
    • “The soundtrack is fantastic.”
    • “The music perfectly complements the desolate and foreboding world, further immersing players in the harrowing journey and adding emotional weight to every encounter.”
    • “The game does not have any ambient music, which will seem strange at first, but once you realize that music is only used for boss fights and some bonfires, you will appreciate it.”
    • “The music is non-existent while exploring; it gives a real feeling of vulnerability since you are startled by the smallest environmental noise.”
    • “Some can get lost in thought about what this world was like while exploring as you are left with only your thoughts from there being no background music, but that's boring so I played my own.”
  • atmosphere1,068 mentions

    The atmosphere of Dark Souls is widely praised for its dark, immersive, and haunting qualities, effectively drawing players into its richly designed world filled with lore and interconnected environments. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke feelings of dread and melancholy, enhanced by its minimalistic soundtrack and sound design that contribute to a sense of isolation and exploration. However, some criticisms arise regarding the remastered version's altered lighting and textures, which some feel detract from the original's atmospheric depth.

    • “The atmosphere is dark, mysterious, and immersive, pulling me further into its world with every step.”
    • “The atmosphere is rich and haunting, immersing you in a dark fantasy that feels both oppressive and intriguing.”
    • “The world you explore feels weathered and lived in, and with an atmosphere so strong you feel it throughout the entire experience.”
    • “I hate the atmosphere, I hate the characters, I hate the bosses and it didn't change my life for the better like that one video essayist said it did for them.”
    • “The remastered edition, on the other hand, introduces a lot of new bugs and has many places where the atmosphere of the game gets completely destroyed by extremely unfitting textures or even some missing ones.”
    • “A massive part of this game is its dark and grim atmosphere and the remaster ruins this by completely changing the lighting system which results in many areas of the game looking far brighter than intended which highlights the now aged 3D environment and textures.”
  • stability908 mentions

    The stability of Dark Souls Remastered has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while it runs at a stable 60 fps and has fewer crashes compared to the original, it still suffers from numerous bugs and glitches. Some players report experiencing game-breaking issues, particularly in multiplayer, while others find the glitches to be part of the game's charm. Overall, the remaster retains many of the original's flaws, leading to a consensus that it is a buggy experience, albeit one that can still be enjoyable for fans of the series.

    • “Stable framerate (though, only 60 fps), with no freezes or stutters.”
    • “The pc port is excellent with no glitches or frame rate issues to speak of, controls are correct.”
    • “The game runs great on my laptop now - not only with the constant 60fps, but I haven't experienced a single crash like with Prepare to Die + DSFix.”
    • “The entire game freezes after the cutscene ends and even after trying out multiple solutions from reddit and other sites, nothing has worked to fix it.”
    • “This game is unplayable, many bugs and glitches, steam won't help you, they'll just tell you to go contact the game developer, so with that said, steam will just take your money and run.”
    • “The game is still as buggy and looks as bad as it was the day the first game launched, and is absolutely awful for a remaster.”
  • optimization900 mentions

    The optimization of "Dark Souls: Remastered" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant improvements over the original "Prepare to Die Edition," particularly in terms of stability and frame rate, achieving a consistent 60 FPS in most areas. However, some users still report issues such as stuttering and frame drops, especially in demanding locations like Blighttown, leading to frustration among those expecting a flawless experience. Overall, while the remaster offers better performance and quality of life enhancements, it has not completely resolved all optimization concerns, leaving some players feeling that the original version with mods could still provide a comparable experience.

    • “The updated visuals and smooth performance make revisiting Lordran a treat for both veterans and newcomers.”
    • “The game has double the optimization which makes the gameplay so much smoother this time around.”
    • “Performance is vastly improved with 60 fps stable in every location of the game even on budget rigs, which is the biggest improvement in my opinion.”
    • “Another thing is that dodging is horribly optimized unless you're using a light load, which is pretty much impossible for newer players at the beginning.”
    • “This game with a remaster and all is still capped frame rate wise and the stuttering that exists in all FromSoftware games is not fixed.”
    • “Game isn't really hard at all, it's just a really unoptimized remaster that relies on bullshit instead of requiring actual skill to make the game hard.”
  • grinding612 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and time-consuming, with many players expressing frustration over the long runbacks to bosses and the necessity of farming souls and upgrade materials. While some players find satisfaction in overcoming challenges through grinding, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, labeling the experience as repetitive and frustrating. Overall, the consensus suggests that while grinding is integral to the game, it often feels excessive and can lead to a diminished sense of accomplishment.

    • “This means that you're not grinding for arbitrary levels or drops (although you still can do that if that's your thing), but instead each attempt pushes the game forward.”
    • “I can tell you right now it is one of the first RPGs I've felt isn't too grindy or repetitive to legitimately enjoy.”
    • “Sorry, but I'm not grinding for 20 hours just so I can reasonably survive a new section - the hallmark of a bad RPG is one that forces you to mind-numbingly grind the same stuff over and over anyway.”
    • “The game is tedious and you will get frustrated.”
    • “It's a boring, tedious grind of farming souls, learning moves/enemies and thinking what the author had in mind as there's no explanations anywhere.”
    • “The worst parts of this game is grinding for covenants and the horrible hit boxes lasting for 5 seconds.”
  • replayability424 mentions

    The replayability of Dark Souls Remastered is widely praised, with many players highlighting its near-infinite potential due to diverse character builds, challenging gameplay, and the engaging New Game+ feature. The game's intricate world design and various playstyles encourage repeated playthroughs, making it a favorite among fans for its depth and variety. While some players note that certain aspects can feel tedious over time, the overall consensus is that the game offers substantial replay value, often compared favorably to other iconic titles in the genre.

    • “This is the most replayable game I've ever owned, right up there with Path of Exile, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, TESV: Skyrim, Diablo II, Minecraft, and Factorio.”
    • “Dark Souls is one of the most replayable and enjoyable games you can find with a world designed like a 3D Metroidvania, letting you go almost anywhere you wish as long as you know where to find the entrance and never stopping you from growing your power to absurd levels.”
    • “The replayability in the game is insane, with different builds, different NPC storylines, New Game+, and many other things.”
    • “This game has so many issues that constantly and consistently make runs unbearable, making it almost entirely unreplayable. New Game Plus is just boring because bosses are still too easy and the architecture is so confusing that you often get lost.”
    • “The game essentially breaks after a certain point where you can kill any boss within a minute, making the actual fights trivial and not fun. It's disappointing to see how little replay value there is after acquiring powerful gear.”
    • “Amazing for the first time, but replayability is lacking.”
  • humor364 mentions

    The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of their deaths, the quirky NPC dialogues, and the game's dark sense of humor. Many find the ragdoll physics and unexpected glitches amusing, contributing to a lighthearted atmosphere despite the game's challenging nature. Overall, players appreciate the blend of humor and frustration, often laughing at their own misfortunes and the game's quirky design choices.

    • “It's not a big deal to me, I just think it's funny that someone thought doing rolly-pollies was a badass way to avoid a claymore to the face.”
    • “The amount of deaths I incurred because of the dodging just made me laugh.”
    • “Much of the humor comes from you as a player getting beat up in hilarious and improbable ways by the internal physics of the game, but there are also more subtle silly touches, like all the voice acting for NPCs with full face-covering being super muffled to the point of needing the subtitles to understand some of them, which never failed to make me laugh.”
    • “You're not funny!”
    • “Insignificant or contains humorous glitches.”
    • “You're not funny!”
  • monetization314 mentions

    The monetization of the remastered version of Dark Souls has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with many reviewers expressing disappointment over the lack of significant improvements compared to the original game. Players feel that the remaster offers minimal enhancements while charging a high price, especially since the original version was removed from sale, forcing fans to purchase this version. Despite the game's inherent quality, the overwhelming sentiment is that the remaster is a low-effort attempt to profit from nostalgia rather than a genuine upgrade.

    • “Besides the controversy caused by the removal of the original, and charging almost full price for a slightly improved version of the same, we are still talking about a masterpiece, made by a company who doesn't sell you DLCs at release, nor unfinished games filled with microtransactions. For me, the price is more than worth the value I got out of the game.”
    • “No microtransactions, no cut content DLCs, clean of toxic industry standards to this day.”
    • “Microtransactions don't exist.”
    • “This is a blatant cash grab and I am incredibly disheartened by it.”
    • “This remaster was clearly just a cash grab, as few improvements were made and therefore doesn't really qualify as a remaster.”
    • “Ruined one of my favorite games, this game is a cash grab version of the original with more bugs. First of all, they removed the original game from Steam so they can charge you an extra 20 dollars.”
  • emotional268 mentions

    The emotional aspect of Dark Souls is profoundly impactful, with players expressing a wide range of feelings from heartbreak to joy. Many recount personal connections to the game's narrative and characters, particularly in moments like the battles with Sif and Gwyn, which evoke deep sorrow and reflection. The game's atmosphere, lore, and challenging gameplay create a unique emotional rollercoaster, leaving players feeling accomplished yet vulnerable, often leading to tears and a lasting bond with the experience.

    • “Dark Souls was the first game I played following a devastating family tragedy that really made me feel something.”
    • “It's so incredibly tragic, heartbreaking, and sad yet so very beautiful.”
    • “This game has made me feel all kinds of emotions while playing.”
  • character development48 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the unique and creative character designs and the depth of lore conveyed through gameplay, some feel that the actual narrative and character progression are lacking. The game's atmosphere, world design, and combat mechanics are often praised, but there are criticisms regarding the limited storyline and character development, suggesting that the focus is more on gameplay than on character arcs. Overall, while the character design is celebrated, the depth of character development may not meet everyone's expectations.

    • “I especially loved the character development of the titular protagonist, John Dark Soul.”
    • “If it weren't for the fantastic lore, character development, and story... this game would be getting a zero.”
    • “The character development is also interesting, with lots of valid ways to play, though some play styles can be poorly suited to specific encounters, so it pays not to be too stubborn to try different things if you get stuck.”
    • “While some zone designs players have become nostalgic about, character development is sorely lacking.”
    • “There isn't a lot of storyline or character development, but it isn't a series of arenas either.”
    • “What Dark Souls lacks in polished cut scenes and character development, it makes up for with its incredible gameplay.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

39hMedian play time
222hAverage play time
11-200hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 188 analyzed playthroughs

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