Dark Souls REMASTERED?

Today we are reviewing Dark Souls Remastered for the Switch. I played the highly anticipated original release when it hit the Xbox 360 in 2011 but never made it to the finish. Now that From Software quickly remastered the game, I’ve decided now’s the perfect time to dive back in. The real question was: which console? The Switch version has had much debate on the internet as to whether or not if the game has actually been remastered in any way. I figured the PC version would be the safe bet in terms of best visuals, but I found the idea of playing Dark Souls on break at work to be intriguing. Is it worth it for both newbies and veterans alike? Let’s find out.

Souls Reborn

While most player’s experience with the Souls’ series began with Dark Souls; the true beginning of the series was Demons Souls:
an action RPG where you designed a character, navigated difficult dungeons, and fought intimidating bosses. Demons Souls was PS3 exclusive because Sony owned the IP for the Demons Souls series. For some reason we never saw a true sequel, and instead ended up getting a multiplatform spiritual successor which manifested itself as Dark Souls. It was so much so a spiritual successor that it may as well have been a true sequel in every sense of the word.

The main innovation with Dark Souls was the Castlevania-esque world map layout as opposed to the linear Megaman-esque structure of Demon’s Souls. Demons Soul’s flew under the radar and was considered sleeper hit earlier in the PS3’s lifecycle, despite sharing the same Metacritic score as Dark Souls. Dark Souls was From Software’s chance to try again and start fresh with the larger potential offered by having a multiplatform audience. Here we are now and Dark Souls receives a remaster before Demon’s Souls.

Block, Roll, Attack, Repeat

The Souls series has been known primarily for its gameplay above all. The often challenging and rewarding combat, particularly, is what has drawn in the game’s popularity over the years. There is a pretty wide arsenal of weapons and weapon styles offering a wide variety of melee playstyles. For those who are a bit shy and want to try something different and perhaps a little easier; there’s a variety of ranged options such a Pyromancy, Sorcery, Miracles, and archery.

Despite the large variety of weapons and magic options – the combat usually goes the same way. If you prefer melee, you will block or roll around (or into) the enemy while trying to stab their back. Backstabs are considered critical hits and will deliver significantly more damage. If you’re ranged, you will find yourself trying to save projectiles for tougher opponents so you can kite or cheese them; meaning to attack the enemy from a spot where they cannot reach you.

Ultimately all of the encounters (including most of the bosses) work within framework – depending on your stats and weapons. The overall feel of the combat is arcadey; which is refreshing when stacked up to games of today (ubiquitously using combat similar to the Arkham games for example).

Action or RPG?

There is a very intricate stats system in this game. If you’re invested in melee you’ll likely be investing your points into stats boosting HP, stamina, strength, and/or dexterity. The story is similar for the schools of magic and their related stats. Of course, you’ll be able to mix and match the stats to fit the playstyle of your choosing. Do you value being quick and being able to dodge with ease? Would you prefer being slower yet able to block incoming attacks with a shield? Or would you prefer to avoid being attacked altogether and launch projectiles from a range?

In the end it doesn’t matter much because the stats system is merely a way to limit the number of ways you’re allowed to tackle a situation. They could have just have easily designed the game in a way that removes the RPG mechanic. Instead they could grant you weapons, spells, and health as you progress through the levels. An example of this would be From Software’s latest offering: Sekiro.

The Switch Question

As usual, the Switch version of this multiplatform game offers portability at the expense of graphics, sound, and online multiplayer.

Most Switch owners by this point have culled their expectations when it comes to multiplats. The Switch is cheaper than its competitors and is handheld so it’s only fair to expect some downgrades. The real question is how significant are these downgrades – and is this version of Dark Souls even remastered graphically? The answer isn’t so simple. As someone who owns Dark Souls for the 360, I was able to directly compare myself. Docked or portable – the framerate was more stable on Switch. Not just that, but the dynamic resolution and sharpened textures gives the Switch version a cleaner look. Having said that, it’s no where near what you’d find on the PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, or the PC.

The sound takes the biggest hit. It’s clear that Switch’s low storage capacity SD cards forced the developers to heavily compress the sound. If you were you play portable you surely wouldn’t notice. But if you play docked with half-way decent sound system you’ll have a hard time not noticing. The sound is completely thin and lacking in any upper end detail. I could not help but wonder if the developers went too far with the sound compression. Was there really no better way?

Online Concerns

As you might expect, the online experience in this game suffers due to the Switch. It’s not god-awful – but it’s far from a smooth experience. Despite the Switch offering an Ethernet adapter peripheral, most players opt to use the Switch’s built in Wi-fi out of convenience. Many players you encounter will not be using low-latency 5Ghz WiFi nor will they be local to your region. Due to this the PvP is often a laughable experience. It’s not unusual players standing in front of you will instantly teleport and stab you in the back before you’re able to react.

Switch Master Race

There’s no mistake that if you’re looking for the highest definition experience – you’ll be picking this one up on Steam. On the other hand, if you value the Switch’s portability – it’s a sacrifice you might be willing to swing. Personally having completed Dark Soul 3 on PC last year – graphical or audio fidelity didn’t seem so important to me. On the other hand, I’ve never quite experienced an action RPG as rewarding or as satisfying as Dark Souls on-the-go.

If you’re able to make pragmatic and practical use out of the Switch’s portability (e.g. if you have time to kill at work), you’ll find yourself reaching for this game just to have another go at that boss you might be stuck at. To me, this offered a fresher perspective on the Souls experience than another retread with slightly better graphics in 4k (which you probably already experienced with Dark Souls 2/3 like I have).