Score Breakdown
- Masterful interconnected world design
- Deeply satisfying combat system
- Incredible atmosphere and environmental storytelling
- Rewarding exploration with meaningful shortcuts
- Lost Izalith and Bed of Chaos are still bad
- Minimal visual improvements for a remaster
- Some dated textures remain
- New players may find it punishing
Dark Souls Remastered is the same punishing, rewarding, meticulously designed game from 2011, polished for modern hardware. Still a masterpiece.
The Good
The interconnected world design remains unmatched. From Firelink Shrine, you can see Sen's Fortress in the distance, the depths of New Londo below, the parish up above. Every area connects in ways that reward exploration.
Then a shortcut opens. A gate lifts. An elevator descends. You're back at the bonfire, and the world clicks into place. These moments never get old.
Combat is deliberate. Every swing commits you. Every roll costs stamina. Every enemy can kill you if you're careless. What felt impossible on your first attempt becomes muscle memory by your tenth. The game doesn't get easier. You get better.
The Not So Good
Some areas remain unfinished. Lost Izalith is a lava-filled mess with copy-pasted enemies, and the Bed of Chaos is still the worst boss in the series. The remaster didn't fix these design issues.
The visual upgrades are minimal. If you wanted reimagined areas or new content, you won't find them here. This is a quality-of-life update, not a remake.
Verdict
If you've never played Dark Souls, this is the definitive version. Lordran awaits, indifferent to your suffering, ready to teach you that the only way forward is through.
Praise the sun.