It Has the Best Lore and Characters
If you’re completely new to the Soulsborne games, there truly is no better place to start than with the first game that catapulted the series into mainstream popularity. Dark Souls Remastered is the first game in the series (Demon’s Souls notwithstanding), and it’s the starting point of an epic fantasy journey that spans three separate games. Compared to the two sequels, Dark Souls Remastered also features a rather self-contained plot that’s relatively easy to follow, as long as you’re staying on top of all your item descriptions and making sure to explore every nook and cranny.
Not only that, this game features some of the best NPCs you’ll ever find in a Souls game. Solaire is one of the most iconic faces in the series, and there are several other characters that will give you the creeps when you first meet them. If you’ve been thinking about jumping into the series for some time now, Dark Souls Remastered will give you the framework required to better understand the lore in the latter two games, and you’ll also get to go on a journey with the most memorable characters in the series.
It’s Easier to Get Into
From a gameplay perspective, this is also arguably the easiest game to start with. There’s no problem with starting with a later game like Dark Souls III or Bloodborne, of course, but Dark Souls Remastered does provide a much gentler difficulty curve in comparison. The enemies in the Undead Asylum are easier to deal with, and even the tutorial boss doesn’t have too many complicated moves for you to get used to before you can take it down. Granted, if you’re completely new to the series, it’s still going to take some time before you get completely acquainted with the dodging and blocking mechanics, and the stamina system. But once you get the hang of all that, Dark Souls Remastered will get easier as you progress.
Yes, the game can be a little vague when it comes to player objectives and what you’re supposed to do next. In fact, once you reach Firelink Shrine, it becomes incredibly easy to do things out of sequence, and you might find yourself stuck in an area with enemies that are way too powerful for you. While it is true that dying and learning is part of the fun, here’s a quick hint for newcomers: head upwards from Firelink Shrine, don’t go downwards just yet.
It Has a Really Good PvP Scene
This one is a little debatable, as From Software has been making little tweaks and improvements to the PvP and co-op elements with each entry in the series. Most will argue that Dark Souls II was the best for PvP because of the sheer number of character builds you could play around with, but the player base has severely dwindled since. On the other hand, Dark Souls III still enjoys a decent player base, though the lack of PvP covenants, among other issues like host latency and being unable to punish Estus spamming, hold it back from being the best.
Though the game is pretty aged at this point, Dark Souls Remastered still offers some of the best PvP action you could ask for in a Souls game. There’s no power stancing (read: dual-wielding same weapons) in this game, but the build variety is still pretty solid. There are good PvP covenants, and now that invaders and co-op partners can actually drink Estus, this makes the PvP aspect even more competitive and exciting.
Quality of Life Improvements and Modern Fixes
Since the original release of the game on PS3 and Xbox 360, Dark Souls has truly come a long way. The Remastered version of the game brings about a ton of great quality of life improvements to update some of the more outdated mechanics, making it feel a little fresher as a result. For instance, if you’re intimidated by the game’s ‘difficulty,’ it’s now much easier for players to team up with their friends to go through the game as a co-op experience. The password matching system from Bloodborne has been brought over to Dark Souls Remastered, which means that you can summon your friends to your game if you are both using the same in-game password. In addition to that, co-op phantoms now get to consume their own Estus, making the experience a little smoother.
There are a few other elements that have been improved, such as being able to use up multiple soul items at a time, instead of having to pop them one by one. Dark Souls Remastered is looking better than ever, and now that most of its minor blemishes have been addressed, this game ends up being the best one to play, especially for newcomers to the series.
