This is a review of a game "Dark Souls Remastered". Before starting the review I just wanna tell you that I was a little busy and that's why I was not able to play games now I am back to gaming and will try to post reviews regularly. So, The game is available for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Dark Souls is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware's. You play as cursed who is unable to die instead upon death they get resurrected which eventually leads them to lose their minds. A process referred to as the hollowing. The action takes place primarily in the kingdom of Lordran where your cursed character must find their salvation. You can play the game solo or invite other players to your game world and there is a PvP element where unknown players can invade your game in a fight to the death for your humanity.
What is the game like to Play
You start out in an asylum which acts as a tutorial prologue. After this, you're taken to Lordran upon arrival you're greeted by a smug chap at a campfire who tells you to ring the bells of awakening and after that, you're on your own. One thing to note is that you don't have a map in dark souls so you have to explore and figure it out for yourself if you get lost the game does not hold your hand but you can use special items to teleport back to campfires if need be and the campfires are essential in dark souls once activated you can use these fires to regain your special potions level up your character and later in the game you can use it also to upgrade your wares.
So, let's talk about the combat every enemy you kill gives you souls. Once you collect enough souls you can level up your character's statistics whether that be strength endurance dexterity as well as many other things. The combat is difficult at first but once you get to grips with it it's a well-thought-out and strategic system. You can do light and heavy attacks use magic spells block parry or dodge and even wield weapons with one or two hands depending on your preference. It feels like a medieval knight simulator as the weapons are powerful weighty and every combat situation is filled with danger as one or two good strikes can kill you. And don't think the Monty python tactic of runaway will save you because these bastards will hunt you down so you have to pay attention especially when exploring new regions as there are many bosses and powerful foes all over the place but the highlight of the combat is definitely the boss fights themselves you'll be taking on dragons gargoyles and all sorts of monstrosities and at first some of these will seem insurmountable but stick with it because each boss has a pattern and in time you'll learn the best strategy to succeed.
The weapons and armor are varied and there's something there to suit all tastes. You've got large broadswords maces spears and even bows and projectile weapons. All weapons and armor have a durability rating and the more you use them the less effective they'll become but it's done in a realistic fashion so things last a long time but these can also be repaired. As well as weapons you have rings which all grant the wearer special augmented powers or abilities such as silent walking increased health or improved carry loads that's another factor to consider how much you're carrying. Carry too much and your movements will be sluggish which limits your combat speed but in time you can wear anything if you've leveled up enough.
What about the game world
Well, It's a dark and disturbing world full of dingy catacombs, creepy forests, and dangerous castles. It's a beautifully complex and interwoven design where every location is interconnected in some way. It's a fascinating experience exploring these unknown realms without a map as you really have to rely on your own memory and intuitive nature to figure out where to go next. The game has some friendly NPCs who sell you things craft items or just have a chat with you but some of these make almost no sense they do add some nice color to the game though and they're definitely quite tongue-in-cheek I'd say. Now one thing Dark Souls is famous for is the difficulty if you say dark souls people immediately think of an impossibly difficult game I'm not saying it's easy but it's not as hard as you've been made to think it is the game really is difficult at first because your character is weak but the more you level up the better your weapons and armor become the game gets a lot less intimidating But it does also lure you into a full sense of security you level up you get good then the game slaps you in the face hard
There are lots of disgusting moments here where you'll rage quit but give it a couple of hours and you will be back in there grinding away and it's the grind that really stands out in the mid-game as in you'll reach a ceiling when you're playing where you really can't go any further and the only thing you can do is fight enemies collect souls go to campfires level up and repeat that process for as long as you need to. But this is also one of the biggest downsides of the game these prolonged sections where you have to collect souls upon souls to become stronger. They really do get tedious eventually despite this it's ultimately a very rewarding game that keeps you coming back for more grinding more leveling up more exploration progression until you become an epic warrior who can kill enemies in one fell swoop just a final word on gameplay the online play I'd say it's okay. It's good to play with friends it's good to like leave your game open I wouldn't recommend playing online your first time around though because the game invaders are incredibly annoying especially when you're new to the game and you're trying to figure things out it's hard enough as it is without someone coming in killing you and ruining your day.
Graphically, the remastered version definitely improves on the original. The game looks good although it's still rough around the edges the character models are okay but the character creator is pretty poor in terms of the facial detail. Saying that the weapons and the armor do look great though. The music is pretty sparse most of the time you'll just be hearing ambiance and the clatter of your play armor as you explore the world. The combat effects feel strong and powerful and the limited voice acting is very twee and fits with the medieval type era but some of the voice acting audio quality isn't really that great.
What's Good and What's Bad
What's Good: The combat feels realistic and powerful even when you're getting your ass kicked. The character creator and customization options allow for some truly unique creations. The progression system gives every player the chance to complete the game. The map is intricate and complex it's a game that created its own genre and it's a truly unique gaming experience.
What's Bad: The game is very light on the storyline and after a while, you'll forget why you're even there. The action gets very repetitive and at times it reminded me of the grind you'll find in a survival game. The amount of backtracking you'll do is a little bit over the top and the collision detection in narrow corridors is really poorly optimized.
What's the Verdict
Dark Souls Remastered is a fantastic piece of design with an intricate and interesting game world akin to a disturbing labyrinth. The combat is in depth and strategic and every encounter is a genuine challenge that has to be taken seriously. It gives you complete freedom to create a unique character with your own special set of skills whether you be a mage warrior or rogue-like thief and whichever you choose you will be able to complete the game despite what everyone tells you. It is an attainable end game but one that takes a lot of time patience and fortitude think of it as a war of attrition with every little victory leading you to salvation but the war is brutal and the road is long. The only major downside of the game is the pretty light story and the way the story is told there's nothing really to make you care about what you're doing. You know you'll be grinding away for hours days weeks and months and you'll reach several moments where you'll say I literally don't even know why I am here which can be a bit of a like a game-breaker for some people who need to care about what they're grinding for. So, It's very repetitive and I'd say if you're into survival games then you'll be happy to live with that grind. In terms of leveling up repeating the same sections over and over however if you struggle with those things, I'd say dark souls will definitely not be for you. Dark Souls is at its best as an adventure game discovering new areas and a sense of danger that creates. When you reach a new zone you generally feel nervous because you have no idea what's coming it's in these moments the game really excels but after you've explored the same area 500 times the novelty does wear off you know people like Dark Souls because it's unique it's original and it challenges players in an era where games are pretty simple to complete. So, if you've never played dark souls is it worth trying? Absolutely but know this it's only for gamers who are willing to do the hard yards do that and you'll be rewarded with a very satisfying and interesting adventure that is thoroughly enjoyable but be prepared to die about 500,000 times.
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