Should I play Dark Souls original or Remaster?

Computerchairgeneral, 10 months ago

Honestly, you can play DS3 before DS1. Yeah, there is some lore stuff that won't hit as hard if you haven't played DS1, but it's not a requirement. If you're used to Elden Ring DS3 might be the easier game to get into. As for the Remaster vs. the original, I guess it comes down to how much you care about the multiplayer component since the Remaster probably has a larger player base.

feor, 10 months ago

Definitely the Remaster. I would go for DS1 first. Yes gameplay will feel odd but you‘ll get used to it. It‘s a fantastic introduction to the series and you‘ll see how much Fromsoftware learned and improved since then. Fair warning: DS1 might feel easier for you. DS3 on the other hand is more similar to ER.

sodiumbromley, 10 months ago

The original with DSFix will play more or less the same way as the remaster. The big thing you'll miss out on would be finding and summoning phantoms. The remaster will have a lot more signs to find these days.

As far as game selection, every souls game has its own "hook" that makes it the "best" game to different people.

Demon Souls - There's a lot different here from the rest of the series and some people don't include it in their lists. The big differences are no Estus flask, healing items are common and you can carry a lot of them; and World Tendency. World Tendency is weird to explain, but the short answer is defeating bosses makes the area easier and dying makes the area harder. Again, it's more complicated than that, but that's enough to start on.

Dark Souls - The game has jank and some balance issues, but the level design and interconnected world is the best in the series. I would say of all the games in the series, this is the game I would most recommend to find a guide if you're lost. This game has some arcane and bizarre next steps to take that would take hours of wandering to figure out. And if it's not too late, the best starting gift is the Master Key. The thief class also starts with this if there's a different gift you really want.

Dark Souls 2 - The black sheep of the series. In a few ways, it's a hybrid of Dark and Demon Souls. You have an Estus flask and common healing items. It's a great game on its own with a lot of great bosses, but there are some rough sections in this game combined with a lock and key system similar to Elden Ring's Stone sword keys that left me feeling like I was always missing out on something better. The DLC is great. Some people have strong opinions on whether the better version is the original release or the Scholar of the First Sin rerelease. I do not have an opinion. I played Scholar and had a nice time.

Dark Souls 3 - The best polish of the three Dark Souls games. I've played this the most because I have the most fun making new builds in this. It returns back to the general feel of the first Dark Souls, but irons out a lot of the painful little bumps that made the first game annoying. It's a fantastic game that makes nods and references to Dark Souls 1 a few times. Great game that isn't going to go out of style any time soon.

Bloodborne - I got a PS5 last week so I'm finally starting Bloodborne. Rolling is bad and shields are out. Bathe yourself in blood instead.

TL;DR Yeah play Dark Souls. DSfix and the remaster are basically the same if you're playing solo. Dark Souls 2 is shippable but is a great game if you have the time and energy. Dark Souls 3 feels the best, but Dark Souls 1 captured lightning in a bottle.

Lycist, 10 months ago

I enjoyed DarkSouls 1 far more than any other entry into the series.. The slow clunky movement felt perfect, the bosses hit different, loved everything about it - even the jank had its charm.

I recommend the original, not the remaster, and grab 2 mods for it - were you on PC? Didn't see mention of a platform...

If on PC, grab DSFIX and DSCM (Dark Souls Connectivity Mod by Wulf), these two mods will make the PC version infinitely better, the Connectivity mod, last I checked, still had 10-30 people running around on it, and multiplayer is so much fun in that game.

closure1170, 10 months ago

My play order so far as been Elden Ring -> Sekiro -> Bloodborne -> currently playing DS1 remaster.

DS1 is definitely my least favorite so far, although it's not bad. Much much slower, and the challenge is in slogging through the levels with less challenging boss fights than later entries.

termus, 10 months ago

I get sweaty just thinking about Sekiro. I may do it last.

DpwnShift, 10 months ago

Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3 are more accessible to new players, no doubt about it. But if you played (and enjoyed) Elden Ring, you're already "in" and would probably like any From Software game! And the Remastered version of DS1 is worth it because of the active online players.

In other words, try DS1 Remastered, IMO. If you don't like it, you could always play DS3 first (the way I was introduced to the series).

MonsieurHedge, 10 months ago

Doesn't particularly matter, and I'm saying this as someone with 10k+ hours on DS1 PS3.

OG has no online, which I argue is a negative, but there's a serious argument for it being superior visually in some aspects.

Remastered is no-fuss in setup in play. For ease of use, this guy.

sludge, 10 months ago

Bloodborne

Sizousho, 10 months ago

I'm still waiting for the PC release to be a thing....

sludge, 10 months ago

right? its kinda ridiculous they haven't ported it T-T

Sizousho, 10 months ago

I have watched speed runs, challenge runs, and the great play through by the lad Jacksepticeye. I LOVE the art style and would really want to play it truly for myself. I know just about everyone in my friend group is going to buy a copy if they ever release a remaster.

sludge, 10 months ago

there is the Bloodborne PSX demake tho its only a remake of the first hour or two, and the low poly graphics might be a turn off for some.

Sizousho, 10 months ago

To be fair, I fully love that era of graphics. All the high resolution, hyper-realistic stuff is neat, but it seems like that is a facade added to a wooden shack with a leaking roof half the time. I would much rather something look a bit worse, but have so much more to offer in other areas.

I knew about the demake, but haven't tried it myself. I was hoping that it would have more done by now since I heart about it a while back. I might still give it a go though.

Side note: I am so sad the the remakes of PS1 games don't have the option to play with the original graphics. Halo remaster had the option and it was great. Spyro remaster changed things about the games and then made the game feel almost plasticy.

Teali0, 10 months ago

I respect everyone saying you should play the first game before the sequels. But my goodness, it's a clunky game. FromSoftware really got much better with the later games. If you're not feeling DS1, it will not be a huge deal to play others instead. You may miss out on some fan service or references though.

GadolElohai, 10 months ago

For some reason, the clunkiness is exactly why I could enjoy it more than the sequels. I tried getting into both 2 and 3 and I just couldn't, while I completed Dark Souls 1 far enough for my satisfaction.

Eavolution, 10 months ago

The remaster is only different with bug fixes, a bit of optimisations, and including the DLC. It doesn't matter what you play, but the DLC is some of the best content.

chaorace, 10 months ago

Dark Souls 1 is 100% worth playing. I won’t be a purist and say that you need to play it before 3, because they’re mostly standalone experiences… but you might miss a handful of references if you play 3 first.

As for how to play: if money’s not a question, buy the remaster – you’ll get a better online experience that way.

If you’re on a budget, however, you could simply Install the DSFix mod and start playing with the adaptive controller as-is. There’s unfortunately no in-game rebinding UI, but you can still do remapping using either the Xbox Accessories app or directly in the Steam overlay (requires Steam to be in Big Picture mode).

termus, 10 months ago

I'm giving the first another shot with DSFix because I am a cheap ass, haha. So far so good. Definitely a little different learning curve but it kept my ass up until 3am playing. Managed to get to the boss on the bridge with the mallet. He flattened me after the archers spammed me to death. Good times.

MayonnaiseArch, 10 months ago

I think the original has horrible controller support, but I haven't tried it in a long while. Just be aware of possible issues

Kanped, 10 months ago

Play DS1 first if you can. There's some call backs and things that will land better in 3 if you do; not a requirement by any means, but I think it's worth it.

IMO if you already own the original, it's fine vs the remaster. The game is dated anyway but still very enjoyable and it will be largely the same (I think there is a mod called DSFix that does a lot of what the remaster does in terms of gameplay and control improvements as well). The remaster overall will probably be better and if you can get it then it might be worthwhile but what you have will give you mostly the same experience overall IMO.

popshabang, 10 months ago

On PC the remaster no question. It'll have the most active playerbase with a few quality of life changes that you'll wish you had (like crushing stacks of souls).

As for playing Dark Souls 1 or 3, it's up to you. Mechanically 3 will be more familiar, while 1 will feel clunkier and more dated but in my opinion has a certain charm that the later games miss.

chloyster, 10 months ago

Agreed on this. I know people who prefer the original PC version but if you want any of the online experience of dark souls you should play the remaster