How Dark Souls Remastered Was A Failure To Achieve Perfection (2024)

When the discussion of the most influential games of all time pops up, few can top the influence of Dark Souls. The game shaped the ideal gaming experience for many people who enjoyed overcoming adversity and crafting their own play style.

Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team very lovingly created Dark Souls, but the constraints and time limits put on them caused a large gap in quality from one area of the game to another. Dark Souls 1 reached really high highs and, unfortunately, some devastatingly low lows.

The Drop Of Quality

Let’s examine a clear example of the game’s inconsistent quality. In Dark Souls, the Bell Gargoyles present a challenging but manageable first major boss fight.

After defeating them, players typically progress to Blighttown and Sen’s Fortress, after which they encounter another bell Gargoyle in Anor Londo. With better equipped this time, they face another one shortly after when the central platform rotates.

Between encountering the Bell Gargoyles and Blighttown, players face the Capra Demon. Later, in the Demon Ruins, while pursuing the four Lord Souls, the area is swarming with Capra and Taurus Demons, scattered haphazardly instead of the usual mindful enemy placement typical of From Software games.

Souls games rarely play out well when you’re fighting multiple enemies at once, let alone multiple enemies that were their own boss at the start of the game.

The Remaster

With the game being debuted in 2011 to rocky reception, fans of the series were understandably excited for the 2018 remaster, which was to improve the performance and visual quality of the beloved Dark Souls 1, making it accessible to a wider audience.

When the day came for the release of the remaster, fans were mostly disappointed with what they got in return for their purchase. The remaster was so unremarkable that new players might be hard-pressed to understand the difference between this game and one from 2011.

Visual Differences

The remaster brought noticeable improvements in textures, clarity, and frame rate, jumping from 30 FPS to 60 FPS. These differences were hardly anything more than the bare minimum, with the original running horribly in some places like Blighttown.

Yet, there was a desire for more enhancements. While remasters typically maintain gameplay, adding omnidirectional rolling, extra Bonfires, and refining enemy placements could have elevated the game even further.

What Could Have Been

Dark Souls Remastered didn’t just update graphics; it also added a Bonfire near a blacksmith in the Catacombs for convenience. However, this minor change raises questions about the team’s commitment to enhancing the game further.

From Software had minimal involvement in the remaster, with QLoc managing the project independently. From Software’s focus on projects like Sekiro meant there was little collaboration between the two companies. This lack of teamwork was a missed opportunity to create a truly exceptional remaster, which could have addressed Miyazaki’s acknowledged shortcomings in the original game.

Disappointment in Dark Souls Remaster

Even setting aside these considerations, the Dark Souls Remaster falls short in comparison to other remasters like Demon’s Souls and Halo 2. These titles successfully revitalized their respective games for a new audience, highlighting the missed potential of the Dark Souls Remaster.

In conclusion, Dark Souls Remastered disappoints fans by failing to live up to its potential. Despite the opportunity for improvement and the legacy of the original game, the remaster ultimately falls short, leaving fans of From Software and gaming feeling let down.