The era of Elden Ring is upon FromSoftware fans, and Armored Core is about to return. However, the games that brought the company to this time of prosperity are still fresh in many players' minds. While Demon's Souls codified the Soulslike format and refined elements from FromSoftware's past, it was Dark Souls that gave its action-RPG subgenre mainstream attention. Dark Souls evolved with every new game, and the advances of related titles like Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice sprang forth from its original formula. At the core of Elden Ring’s even greater success, one can still find elements that first caught players’ attention all the way back in Dark Souls 1.

Said game is a bit harder to come by these days, as the original Dark Souls release and the enhanced Prepare to Die Edition are locked on PS3 and Xbox 360. Both versions have also been delisted, and as part of some recent emergency online patching, their multiplayer servers were permanently shut down. Fortunately, Dark Souls Remastered and its servers are still alive and well after five years, and remain a great experience on most modern platforms. Whether a Souls veteran wants to replay the game after Elden Ring or a newcomer wants to see how the smash-hit open-world title came to be, Dark Souls Remastered is still a fountain of innovation and fresh fun on every playthrough.

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Dark Souls Remastered Was Vindicated By History

First released in Japan on May 24, 2018, and dropping worldwide a day later, Dark Souls Remastered had a rough initial reception. While it did include significant bug and performance fixes, a few issues remained, the revamped lighting was widely disliked, and the Switch port was inferior to every other Dark Souls skew. Many also weren’t pleased by Remastered replacing the original game in digital stores, which made its lack of old mod compatibility even worse. Still, with Dark Souls Remastered occupying a later generation of consoles, it eventually became the primary way to revisit Dark Souls 1.

While not a perfect re-release, it's thanks to Dark Souls Remastered that the entire Dark Souls trilogy was able to become a single release on console for the first time. PC, PS4, and Xbox One players could easily jump between the three games, and nowadays, PS5 owners can experience FromSoftware’s entire Soulsborne catalog. Despite time gaps and technical issues, Dark Souls’ legacy has been preserved for many years to come, and its inspiring presence for many players and developers makes it something worth maintaining.

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How Dark Souls Remastered Remains Relevant

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Plenty of reasons still exist to boot up Dark Souls Remastered, and one of the biggest is appreciating how far Soulsborne design has come. Dark Souls 1 made the leap from the multiple linear areas in Demon's Souls to an interconnected world that unfolds in multiple directions. While some prefer the breathtaking sights of Majula or the eerie tranquility of the Hunter's Dream, Dark Souls 1's Firelink Shrine excels as a Metroidvania-esque hub thanks to how it connects many different areas. The gradual progression and rising difficulty are more appreciable now, especially since later games like the even more open Elden Ring subverted this by placing much tougher enemies in the player's main path.

It is true that to anyone who's made any progress in later Soulsborne titles, Dark Souls 1 feels slower and relatively easy in comparison. That makes it more convenient to revisit, although the mid-game still ratchets up the challenge and the integrated DLC provides Dark Souls 1 with a proper endgame where the Kiln of the First Flame once disappointed. Anyone coming in late to the Soulsborne genre will find that the trendsetter still holds value, and with plenty of memorable NPCs, sidequests, and secrets that can even facilitate new paths, Dark Souls Remastered is always ready for a fresh run.

Community Remains An Integral Part of Dark Souls Remastered

Dark Souls Remastered

The Souls fanbase feels the same way about it. Some of the best reasons to revisit older FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls Remastered is the active community, which players are able to interact with through online features. Playing in Online Mode on PC without proper precautions could lead to disaster, but the console ports still have enough messages, ghosts, bloodstains, and even cooperators to make the experience worthwhile. It helps that Dark Souls 1's NPC Solaire emphasizes the game's multiplayer component, fostering a supportive community that many games would kill to have.

And when the base game is no longer enough, fellow fans may once again step in to help. Dark Souls modding is popular for every entry, and while some mods have sadly been lost with the Prepare to Die Edition, Dark Souls Remastered has plenty. This includes anything from graphical overhauls and fixes for outstanding issues to major overhauls of the game, such as the brutally tough Daughters of Ash mod or the upcoming Nightfall fan sequel. It's also hard to go wrong with more lighthearted jaunts like randomizer mods, Floppy Souls, and Dark Souls Remasterer. The latter packs balance changes, secrets, and new multiplayer modes together with Among Us and Halo crossovers, which will definitely give any seasoned player a jolt.

Through a combination of the merits of Dark Souls 1, the remaster’s wide availability, and the support of its fans, Dark Souls Remastered carries on the legacy of Dark Souls to this very day. Even after the franchise was wrapped up and FromSoftware moved on to bigger and better things, the torch Dark Souls lit won't easily go out. As Dark Souls Remastered celebrates its fifth anniversary and over a decade of harrowing adventures in Lordran, now is as good a time as ever to remember what made Dark Souls' early days so special.

Dark Souls Remastered is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

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