Few games can spark discussion as quickly as Dark Souls. Most know it from its constantly referenced difficulty and lack of hand-holding. While these aspects are unique compared to most modern titles, it misses the point of the series.

RELATED: Dark Souls 3: The 10 Hardest Zones Ranked By Difficulty

Dark Souls isn't about dying. It's about perseverance. Each game handles this differently. The first game relies more on environmental storytelling and tone than the final game's reliance on mechanical mastery. They each provide different experiences that should be experienced, but many compare the first and third entries while arguing what's best. Here are 5 reasons why both Dark Souls Remastered and Dark Souls 3 are the best in the series.

10 Dark Souls Remastered: Perfect First Act

Dark Souls is a polarizing game in arguably a polarizing series for fans. The first game has the highest peaks and the deepest troughs out of any third-person action game someone will ever play.

Before obtaining the Lordvessel, Dark Souls has perfect pacing and a satisfying difficulty curve. The Asylum players start their adventure at is a perfect microcosm of the game. It is somewhat unfair but encourages players to keep their eyes peeled. Few games make users feel so uncomfortable yet inspired as Dark Souls can, and the first half of this game nails this aspect.

9 Dark Souls 3: Multiplayer

Multiplayer in the Souls series is peculiar, to say the least. Players must interact with signs other users carve into the ground to summon allies or foes. That doesn't mean this is the only way you'll face players.

Devious players can invade others at nearly any time to further their Covenant progression or to simply be rude. Dark Souls 3 takes this further than any game in the series. Custom arenas can be entered at Firelink Shrine for matchmade PvP. Levels in Dark Souls 3 overall feel better to fight other players in than the first Dark Souls.

8 Dark Souls Remastered: Methodical Combat

https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls/comments/174mab/til_sitting_at_a_bonfire_doesnt_reset_the_black/
Via: Reddit

Methodical is the best way to describe the first Dark Souls' combat. Every swing must be timed in between enemy recovery animations or players risk being hit themselves.

Animations are slow and damage is dished out in large quantities, forcing players to master the art of dodging or parrying. Enemies are slow in return to give obvious indicators of when they should be struck. It's a simple system when compared to most action titles but nothing fits Dark Souls better than its slow-paced action.

7 Dark Souls 3: Reactionary Combat

Take Dark Souls and combine it with Bloodborne's combat, and the end result is Dark Souls 3. This game is dramatically faster than the previous entries while maintaining the series' punishing gameplay loop.

RELATED: Ranked: 10 Most Powerful Weapons In Dark Souls 2

Some fans were alienated by this change, but those who adapted were in for a treat. Dark Souls 3 dramatically speeds up the attack animations of enemies and the playable character to make reaction times much more important in this installment. The removal of traditional poise from players and most enemies reinforces this aggressive behavior From Software is trying to encourage. This rhythm provides a different adrenaline rush that is just as satisfying as the first game's combat loop.

6 Dark Souls Remastered: World Design

Most players have heard of Dark Souls' masterful world design. Fans rave about its interconnectedness but few mention the brilliant transitions between these zones as well.

Most gamers that have played Dark Souls remember the first time entering the Undead Parish and feeling so far from Firelink Shrine. Players fight through the horde of Hollows and make their way to an elevator that leads them right back to Firelink. The fear of the unknown was replaced with relief and a sense of safety that is seldom felt in this genre. Players went from an abandoned church to the hub town in one elevator without the world feeling disjointed! Dark Souls 2 and even 3 have struggled to replicate these seamless transitions without suffering from incongruent environment changes as with Dark Souls 2 or Dark Souls 3's obsession with locked doors.

5 Dark Souls 3: Level Design

A Kingdom of Dark Souls 3

With that said, the individual levels in the first Dark Souls aren't as solid as the ones in Dark Souls 3. The world design is impeccable, but each level isn't as solid as DS 3.

Dark Souls 3 has a great mix of fodder enemies and tougher foes to chunk players down. Threats are usually clear before entering an arena, something Dark Souls struggled to do, with the Capra Demon and first Seath encounter being examples of this. Dark Souls 3 levels use a great mix of verticality and winding corridors to keep players on their toes. Each level also makes great use of naturally leading the player back to a shortcut next to a Bonfire.

4 Dark Souls Remastered: Nails Metroidvania Design

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXc-WEaWOZQ
Via: TheInfernoCommander (YouTube)

Describing Dark Souls to someone who hasn't played it can be difficult. Its clunky and obscure mechanics can make it difficult to get into, but the best genre to lump the Souls series into is Metroidvania.

RELATED: Dark Souls: The 5 Best Armor Sets In The Game (& The 5 Worst)

Metroidvanias focus on interconnected worlds with areas that are only accessible once the player is powerful enough or has certain items. This is exactly what Dark Souls does. Its interconnected levels can be explored through hidden passages, keys, or stranger methods like being flown back to Undead Asylum. No other game in the series, or any game by From Software, has captured the spirit of this genre as well as the first Dark Souls.

3 Dark Souls 3: Consistency

Every Dark Souls game is fantastic in its own way, but the first two games had serious issues with consistent quality. Dark Souls has a heartbreakingly rushed second half while Dark Souls 2 ranges between a boring main campaign to phenomenal DLC areas.

Thankfully, the final game in the series doesn't have this issue. Every zone in Dark Souls 3 is well crafted with mostly fair enemy encounters and a fair share of secrets. It takes the best of Dark Souls 1 and 2, sometimes literally, and combines it into a memorable experience. Dark Souls 3 is, for lack of a better phrase, a greatest hits album of the series in the best way possible.

2 Dark Souls Remastered: Tone

Few games use their challenge to accentuate a setting as well as Dark Souls. Players aren't a power-hungry god that slays everything with ease. Nobody cares about the playable character.

The first NPC in Firelink Shrine laughs at the players and calls them foolish. Enemies continue their shambling patrols after killing you. Dark Souls' apathy towards the player is the game's greatest strength. It encompasses the decaying state of the world and is easy to relate to. Yet, Dark Souls teaches players to brush off your mistakes and keep trying no matter the task. Its applicability to dealing with loss or depression proves video games are just as much an art form as other forms of media.

1 Dark Souls 3: Boss Fights

Taking inspiration from BloodborneDark Souls 3 has a large variety of bosses with quick and punishing attacks that require mechanic mastery to overcome. No Dark Souls game has the same quality of boss fights as DS 3.

Bosses in Dark Souls were either too easy like the Gaping Dragon or more experiments than proper bosses — The Bed of Chaos and Moonlight Butterfly being the best examples of this. Dark Souls 3 gives purpose to every boss, teaching or reinforcing mechanics. Irregular telegraphs from the likes of Dancer or Gael make for some nail-biting fights for veterans and newcomers alike. The scale of these fights has considerably increased as well, ranging from giant trees that destroy terrain to fighting a skilled knight during the end of the world.

NEXT: Ranked: The 10 Hardest Bosses In Dark Souls