Dark Souls Remastered Edition - PlayStation 4

This game has a reputation for being difficult so let's address that. Yes, from start to finish you will die playing this game many, MANY times. But unlike other games, it's structured so that death doesn't feel like a waste of time--it's always a learning experience. The game is 95% of the time, pretty fair with enemies' abilities being fairly clear. As I died, I could almost always pinpoint exactly what mistake I made that caused it. Death is also a challenge to get better, as you make your way back to the site of your last death to reclaim your Souls (money /EXP). It's a brilliant system that feels absolutely amazing when you get it right. Gameplay-wise, it's a solid action title, heavy on exploration with an amazing, interconnected world. As a fan of Metroid I was very pleased with the similarity there. Many weapons have their own unique moves, pros and cons which makes experimentation fun. Performance on my regular PS4 was excellent, 60 FPS almost all the time, which is very important in a game like this. Graphically, this is visibly an up-rezzed last-gen port with no major additions, but I think the lower price point reflects that. I never played the original, but I gather this runs much better and has a more robust online community. If you're interested in the series, this is absolutely the place to start and I hope you won't let the game's reputation scare you away. Just try it out at your own pace and you'll be ok. Praise the sun!!

Best way to play the original game on console. No notes

Time to play the original! The game still plays exactly like the original but the graphics are only slightly better and frame rates are faster (could have done a better job with this Fromsoftware.) It's the full game with DLC and the price is okay for all the content. It's not a game that you can beat and put down. Tons of content plus the PVP aspect will have you playing for HOURS! When you think you've been there done that, you can switch up your character up and cast spells, miracles, pyro and take on the game a completely different way. I will say that I've built a character using the Black Knight Great Sword that tears it up but you need 32 Strength 18 Dex min to single hand the weapon but wow.... I am using a QUALITY BUILD of strength, endurance, dexterity. You can power through the toughest bosses solo early on including the dreaded duo. Those who have played know. I would highly recommend this game to anyone that likes 3rd person RPG's like Nioh.

Content-wise this is the same game as the original PS3 version, but it runs at 60 fps virtually everywhere and looks crisp in 4K resolution, particularly if you run it on a PS4 Pro. If you've played the original game, you know every frame counts in this game which makes this a significant step up in terms of performance over the original. Other graphical effects have been added to elevate the original content, such as lighting and water effects that really add to the atmosphere of the game. Light sources like flames stand out like beacons in the darkness. If you've never played the original, take this chance at owning a perfect version of the first entry into the Souls series.

Dark Souls Remastered is an excellent remaster of a standout entry in the Souls franchise. Those who played the original will feel right at home, and will really appreciate the visual and technical improvements – particularly to Blight Town, which now runs at a butter smooth 60 frames-per-second. However, those that weren't there at the beginning may not appreciate the inferior visuals and general jankiness that later entries have all but ironed out.