The Nintendo Switch has played host to countless ports in the relatively brief 18 months it’s been on the market, but every so often one comes along that brings with it all the prestige and reverence that made it such a touchstone elsewhere. Last year, that game was arguably The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a port that was made all the more enchanting by the fact that it was its first foray into handheld territory.
And so it’s rather fitting that one of the next pieces of lauded software to join the ranks on Switch should be the other seminal action-RPG that launched in 2011, FromSoftware’s sublime Dark Souls. Much like Bethesda’s highly influential instalment in The Elder Scrolls saga, the original (and, let's be honest, best) instalment in the Japanese-made series is elevated by its support for handheld play - but that’s not the only reason you should be returning to Lordran, or making the pilgrimage for the very first time, for that matter.

Dark Souls - and, by extension, the impressively faithful polish-up job that is Dark Souls: Remastered - is a masterclass in video game design. If you're already a convert to its macabre charms, then expect to have your choir preached to here, but if you are new to the series, then forget all those stories you’ve heard about Souls being some impenetrable 'boys club' that revels in the difficulty of its mechanics. Granted, this is a game that will punish you countless times over, but every death you’ll endure at the hands of Lordran’s monstrous inhabitants will hurt a less if you’re willing to learn from it.
You’ll start with a character you’ve briefly created, but even then you’ll begin to suspect this is a game that has no desire to hold your hand or stroke your ego; the character classes you can choose from appear relatively obtuse in their definitions. Then you begin your adventure, locked inside a prison cell within the Undead Asylum. As you slowly emerge and follow its labyrinthine corridors, a series of bloodstains will gradually drip feed you nuggets of information. This is how you roll. This how you make a light and heavy attack. This how you dodge. Simple mechanics, and ones you’ve no doubt used plenty of times before.
You encounter the safe glow of a bonfire, then push open an imposing set of doors and enter a barren hall. You’ve got this, you tell yourself - only for a giant Asylum Demon to crash to the floor, a seemingly impossibly-sized creature with a mace practically dripping with malice. Do you run? Do you fight it? Can you even fight something that big? And why are you having to face a boss a few minutes into a game? If you do get away you’ll potentially find a sword, a shield and perhaps even a way to help even the odds.

Learn its attack patterns and the distance of its movements and it’s possible to beat it without taking a single hit. But even if you do die, you’ll know why you did. And you’ll rise again once more at the bonfire outside, ready to return to battle. When you finally vanquish it, you’ll be rewarded with a sense of hard-earned elation few other games can generate as you open a new set of doors and begin your journey into Lordran itself.
Few tutorials leave as much of an impact as this one, but that’s entirely intentional. Dark Souls is refreshingly spartan in its approach to all aspects of its gameplay. From the dark fantasy of its setting to the principles of its levelling up system, its uncomplicated nature doesn’t over-encumber you with new abilities and powers. Instead, it gives you a small repertoire of moves, ushers you through its doors and says, “Off you go,” with a knowing smirk.
This isn’t a world full of smaller enemies that serve as fodder to keep you entertained before each inevitable boss fight. Every encounter is designed to test you, to evoke the muscle memory that’s been engrained in blood, sweat and tears. Even something as simple as a shambling skeleton armed with a rusty sword and shield can be your undoing. There’s no gradual build-up to its roster of creatures, either. From undead archers to towering knights with an agility that defies their size, every battle is its own boss fight; a constant crucible that tests you with extreme prejudice.

Thanks to all the graphical improvements and technical overhauls to performance, Dark Souls: Remastered now resides on Nintendo’s hybrid platform in the best shape of its life (outside of the PC version, at least). The game’s purposefully obtuse lore may reveal a world that’s fallen into a spiralling state of entropy, but the game itself holds up remarkably well. Much of that is down to the cast iron rules of its world, where you don’t have to break these principles to beat the most imposing of enemies, but simply use them to your advantage. There are patterns to learn and methods to master, but each one will make you earn your victories in blood.
Having addressed many of the design issues that made its predecessor Demon’s Souls a little rough around the edges, Dark Souls was a breath of fresh air at the time, but after seven years it’s gradually starting to show its age. Textures have been cleaned up for the most part, and environments feature a little more detail. Framerate performance has been improved the most, with some of the game’s most notoriously broken sections - such as Blightown’s infamous framerate crashes - now running smoothly, but many of the game’s other bugs and exploitable flaws remain.

These blemishes are part of Dark Souls’ character, and it’s here you see that port studio Virtuos hasn’t attempted to ‘fix’ too much in favour of simply improving performance and visual fidelity in the name of console optimisation. It hasn’t addressed the inconsistency in difficulty found in its latter bosses, or how its focus on backtracking and shortcut creation is discarded in the second half of the game as you’re whisked off to multiple new locations. In that way, Dark Souls: Remastered is a time capsule that has simply had its exterior polished; Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 arguably solve some of these issues, even if they're perhaps not as good as the original as a whole.
As a port, Dark Souls: Remastered is another fine example of how a game should be brought to Switch. As we’ve mentioned, the framerate is consistent in both docked and handheld modes, with almost no slowdown, even when battling some of the game’s larger and more intricate bosses. Sure, it’s not the buttery smooth 60fps found on the PS4 and Xbox One versions, but 30fps (running at 720p in handheld) does the job considering the restrictions imposed by Nintendo’s hardware.
There’s support for amiibo, thanks to that brilliant Solaire of Astora model (which lets you use the ‘Praise the Sun’ gesture from the beginning of the game), as well as the ability to use motion controls to make gestures to communicate wordlessly with another player when playing co-operatively. Online play is, of course, supported on Switch and it benefits from all the much-needed adjustments Virtuos has made, including improving matchmaking, removing healing items from PvP (and limiting Estus Flasks) and much more.

The approach to menus is, to say the least, a little unintuitive in this version, with '+' opening an in-game inventory system that doesn't suspend the game while you're playing. Since it's running in a small window, it's often easy to try and control your character while not realising part of the menu is still open. Hitting the 'Home' button doesn't suspend the software either, which does take a little bit of the shine off its portability. The buttons are also partially reversed on Switch, with 'B' to confirm selections and 'A' to return. Expect to get them confused quite a bit, especially if you're new to the series and more used to the typical Nintendo layout.
Conclusion
While we’ve had to wait a little longer than those playing on PS4 and Xbox One, the wait has been more than worth it. Dark Souls: Remastered is a faithful remaster of a touchstone in video game design that improves overall performance while preserving all of the character traits that made the original such a memorable experience. While it’s no less forgiving - and its menus are a little fiddly - this slick Nintendo Switch iteration offers the only way to experience Lordran’s ultra-challenging odyssey in true handheld form. Praise the Sun, indeed.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Comments 226
Very much looking forward to this tomorrow! First time playing as well!
Tomorrow can't come soon enough 😂. I've been waiting for the Switch version. This will be my first Dark Souls experience.
I've had it preordered since before it was delayed and never cancelled it so I guess I'm still getting it. Have no idea when I'll be able to find the time for it now with all the other games I want to play but I'll get around to it eventually, probably, maybe.
"The buttons are also partially reversed on Switch, with 'B' to confirm selections and 'A' to return"
Wasn't this supposed to be changed in the final version ??!?!
Wish this would've been able to come out alongside the other versions, but glad it's finally here and that I waited to get it on the Switch.
Glad the port turned out so well. I don't care whether a game is 30 or 60 fps as long as it runs consistently and smoothly, which this seems to do. Like others, however, I hope they patch the audio eventually.
I've played Dark Souls 3 and never got past the 1st stage, while this game is not for me it is unbelievably gorgeous. Maybe if I find it later on sale I will give it a try. I just have to be in the right mindset and unbelievably calm LOL.
Amazon still shows the Solaire amiibo as unavailable. So has anybody who didn't pre-order it within minutes of pre-orders going live all all that ago, lost the chance to own it forever?
I’ll pick it up at some point but there should be an option to change the button layout
Every game is a 9 now?
@Dalarrun I'll also wait for a patch then. T_T
And I'm very angry at the numerous people who swore it would be possible to change the controls in the final release.
@Bulbatron I’ve got mine preordered. I just can remember where from lol
I was getting this before the delay. Now I'm on top of my hype a bit more and will wait to pick up a cheaper copy one day. Nothing about the look or description of this game makes me think I have to play it.
@RootsGenoa 2 patches have already been released this week.
Can't stress enough how great it felt playing this game handheld! The immersion was unreal, I have a feeling that Diablo 3 will be a similar situation.
I wouldn't play this game even if I got it free. This is an awful game.
Compressed audio, fiddly menus....sounds like a Nintendolife 9/10
I'll pass. Not a fan of Souls games for a variety of reasons. It's cool to see it on a Nintendo platform, though, and especially on a portable system!
I was going to say I'm waiting for the "harumph! typical Nintendolife high scoring review!" bedwetters but it seems I'm already way too late. If people don't like the scores on this site - why come here and cry about them? Go to a site where the scores tick your boxes and shut up.
Never played it before, looking forward to getting my butt kicked.
"This is how you roll."
Nice try Dom, you can't tell me how I roll!
@RootsGenoa I highly doubt it. This is the norm for third party AAA games for Switch. B is jump on Doom for example. They focus on making the button layout the same as it is on other systems as opposed to adapting it to a new Nintendo layout. Which I'm happy with to be honest, as a comfortable layout that matches the developers intentions is a lot more important than what the buttons are actually named.
@WiltonRoots Why are you in the comment section? People voice their opinions here, do you want everyone to be like sheeps nodding to everything NL says?
I just don't understand the appeal of extreme difficulty games like this. My gaming time is relatively limited and I like to feel I'm making progress in a title when I do play.
Cancelled my preorder already. Luigis mansion tomorrow for me!
I was just done beating DS3 on PC, which is my first Souls game. Incredible game, would love to see a port of it on the Switch as well.
That being said, can't wait to grab my copy of this.
Afraid this isn’t for me, I die frequently in Cat Quest sigh
I've considered this game several times, but I just don't think it's for me. Sounds more frustrating and tedious than rewarding.
@Retupmocnin I enjoy frequenting the comment section and I'm voicing my opinion as well. And in my opinion people get too worked up in here over the scoring system. This site has always been overly generous with their scores and I doubt it will change any time soon. So maybe in some ways that can also be used as a barometer - "well their score is somewhere between this extreme (9) and that extreme (7)".
When people say its really hard... genuinely does it have difficulty settings???
Pass! Got this for $15 on PS4 Tuesday. Gamefly FTW!
@PorllM But in Doom or Wolfenstein II for instance, you confirm with A on Switch! And you can actually change the button layout in Dark Souls, except for confirm/cancel buttons. : There is absolutely no excuse for that.
@Retupmocnin Did you miss the warriors orochi review?
To anyone getting upset about this getting a 9, just look at the reviewer... it's quite possibly a typo.
Cannot wait!!!
@RootsGenoa Fair enough, didn't realise that, sorry! Still a very minor thing for me personally though
WOOHOO! Can't wait.
Buying it first thing tomorrow.
Also: I've watched that Youtube video five times with various sound devices and I still don't hear anything wrong. At least nothing that makes me say "I'm not buying it."
Great game when I played it back on PS3 years ago. I tried the remaster on PS4 but found I didn't want to play through again, I actually prefer Bloodborne to return to.
I was one of the people who bought Dark Souls 2 at launch and the difference between the released game and the pre-release 'gameplay footage' kind of soured the series for me a bit I think, certainly towards its marketing. I did complete the sequel, but not DS3.
I'd recommend watching some gameplay if you are unfamiliar with the series, it can be frustrating unless you have a lot of time to spend with the game, exploring the world and the lore.
@Dalarrun Sadly I kept missing out on the test run by minutes, they kept putting it live at stupid times. I really wanted to give this game a try to see what the hype was all about...
A couple things:
-It isn't really THAT hard! It's more challenging than a game that holds your hand, yes, but it's like any other game of it's ilk: practice, grind, and know what's ahead of you. It's a game that rewards patience.
-Some of you are very negative, I've noticed. They're games, and you're allowing yourself to get so worked up that you're attacking other people? If you think the game sucks, then why are you here? Go play what you like.
Good port at a Discounted price. This is how you release a "Remastered".
Hopefully it will not get lost and do well.
You know even if games are cheaper on other systems, it doesn't hold a candle to the fact that this is a hybrid system that you can take with you anywhere.
So, the Home button doesn't suspend the software... is that only when you're in the midst of a battle, or is it permanently when playing the game? And, irrespective of that, surely you can press the Power button to make the Switch sleep instead? Would be good to get more detail on this as it is a pretty big thing in terms of being able to play the game truly portable... (I'm meaning in the context of being on the tube/train to work etc.)
I have already beaten this for my Xbone X.
I have completed Demons Souls, Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls 2 Scholar of first sin, Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne. I absolutely love this genre. Currently playin The Surge and looking forward to From Softwares new game Sekiro in Mars.
For you first timers: Have patience....lots of patience and take it slow. If you rush you are going for a very quick death.
And how I envy you, I have never felt the adrenaline rush after a bossfight from another gamecompany.
@Dalarrun yes, but what do you think of the audio?
One of the best games ever made.
I am definitely waiting for a patch. The audio is seriously disappointing
I had planned on picking this up, but I’m hopelessly addicted to Starlink at the moment. Dark Souls will have to wait.
@ekwcll
I don't play games on the go (Switch has a dock lock). So getting a portable version doesn't hold a candle to getting a cheaper superior version of the game on another system
Will get this tomorrow! Glad that it’s a good port!
Everyone waiting for this game to come out
@Dom Great review, glad to hear the framerate is consistent. You've put me at ease about my pre-order.
PS - think you're missing a word or have an extra one in the last sentence of paragraph 3: "will hurt a less if you’re willing to learn from it."
@PorllM it’s not really a “new” Nintendo layout since they invented the four button layout 28 years ago...
But I get the point. It’s definitely odd to get used to a different layout, myself included. Playing PS4 games for the first time means I mess up menu selection a lot.
As much as I’ve been looking forward to it, it pains me to say the bad audio is a dealbreaker. Sound is so important in an atmospheric game like this. What a shame they’ve treated the port so poorly
@Spoony_Tech I was just thinking: I’m so jealous for the people getting to experience this for the first time. - It’s a crazy brilliant game.
Guys 9 is an opinion. For him it felt the audio issues were negligible enough that it doesn't hamper his enjoyment of the game. Or possibly he would've given it a 10 if the audio was better 😂
Anyway I don't pay attention to the number as much as I do the content of the review. That's what matters.
Anyway to me the review was very positive but unfortunately between Starlink and some of my backlog I cannot commit to this just yet. Certain I'll be getting it at some point.
This is exciting and I can't wait to play it extensively!
just one question, its cross-platform to pc? y just wanna play it with some friends.
@SpottyBulborb It's a new controller scheme for the game when it's getting ported to it from another system, which is the context we're talking about. I get that the Nintendo button layout is older though don't worry, I've had every Nintendo system at launch besides the Virtual Boy, and PS3 was my first Sony console, so if anything i find the PS4 layout more strange to get used to.
@PorllM gotcha in any case, lots of selecting the wrong option
@GlutenFreeGamer Thanks dude
Dark Souls on a Nintendo platform at long last! The Gods have smiled upon us! The planets have all aligned!
...I think I'll pass.
"Hitting the 'Home' button doesn't suspend the software" - isn't this just a Switch OS feature? How can they not support suspending?
9/10 ? Wow, it's almost like whatever is the game, if it's on Switch even full of flaws... 9/10 ! o_O
30fps even not stable at 720p with an audio completely compressed... Yayyyy !
@Dalarrun is the sound really that bad? Because I'll be sneaking this in to work to play with headphones on.
@BanjoPickles . Figured id ask you as i always see you post good and well thought out comments. For a first timer(of any souls game) like myself, I don't mind hard games where you battle a boss 15-20( most recently, alwas awakening or hyper light drifter) times until you finally figure out the patterns and beat him. But, I've heard alot about this game punishing players and I'm hoping I dont give up on it like I did on hollow knight. My main gripe about hollow knight was after being killed by a boss you'd have to trek all the way back to them and hope you don't die on the way as there are no check points before a boss fight. Is DS like hollow knight in that sense where there's so much back tracking you feel like you're replaying the same thing over and over again? Or is this check points before major battles and you just have to learn the patterns of a boss and if you die , so be it but get better next time and jump right back in. Secondly, will I feel as I know where to head next or will i spend countless hours searching for the next thing I need to do? I have it preordered on Amazon for $32 and im trying to see if its worth my time. Looks great but I have zero clue as to what I should expect.
@Retupmocnin hahahaha. hahahaha. Ha.
Glad to see they're selling this remaster for $40 instead of trying to go full price like everyone else seems to be doing. The fact that it's a top notch port just makes it a must buy for anyone who is into this genre of games. Hope to see this one do well as they have actually done things right in my eyes..
Personally I never understood the appeal of this series, but it seems to have a lot of dedicated fans so more power to them I guess.
PC version the definitive one? My goodness I thought that was teribble. Needed a cray supercomputer to run on with graphics detail and they didn't even bother updating the buttons for the controller mapping from the console version.
So is the sound issues a big deal? This review makes me believe it is being overblown.
I'll wait to get it and see what audio problems are rumored before saying anything.
@NintenGuy being on a superior system doesn't mean that the game is better. It depends on the game itself. If Nintendo wanted to, they could have made a superior system, but they made one affordable, and that you can take with you.
@Cobalt I thought this game was 1080p docked.
@chardir
The game has never had a pause feature or able to suspend. Same with the sequels on other systems. Get somewhere safe or die.
@Mrtoad
It is 1080p docked. Don't take anything Cobalt says seriously, the dude is a known troll.
I'll just wait for the audio to be fixed, and I'll get it. Fantastic game.
@ekwcll Its better in the eye of the beholder. I like better performance, controls, audio, graphics & trophies (sony rewards ftw). You may like portability. So it's better for me on my PS4 pro for $15. 😁
@Dalarrun
I don't game on a PC I have no interest in it. I like millions others like the ease of console gaming. DSfix has some bad issues on PC anyways. Popped DSR in my console and instantly playing without a suspect patch is the way to go in my eyes. I think the hundreds of thousands who brought the game would also agree. Also im a "dark souls vet" I have the platinum trophy on PS3. Read my previous response about portability. I personally don't care about it. I'm enjoying the PS4 version it's the superior version in my eyes. I got it for $15 so obviously I didn't think it was worth the MSRP.
@nintendobynature I'm currently playing through Hollow Knight (40 hours). I agree that dying fighting a boss or anything for that matter sucks having to backtrack and get everything back. It made me want to quit the game many times lol. I figured out that you can save and quit the game right before you lose the last HP so you don't lose everything all over again. Rinse and repeat until you figure out how to beat each boss. I hope this helps.
No-one’s said it yet....PRAISE THE SUN! 🌞
@Dalarrun I have close to 200 hours into the PC version but it isn't the superior version, for sure. Without DSfix, the game runs pathetically bad. Are the servers even live again? Because when I played, they weren't.
@Dalarrun Also a DS1 vet who's played it on 360/PS3/PC. DSFix is excellent but mouse and keyboard is absolutely not the way to play this game. So I would say consoles have the leg up in control.
@Mrtoad No, the Switch version of DS use the same (not as bad) technique that Xenoblade 2 use... :/
"The Switch in portable mode can also exhibit noticeable frame pacing issues. Portable mode renders at a native resolution of 1280x720. Docked mode uses a dynamic resolution that switches between 1280x720, 1600x900 and 1920x1080."
@Dalarrun : If you don't know that the Switch use a dynamic resolution, too bad for you but it's not trolling, it's just true !
It's not 1080p from A to Z like you kind of said...
@Dalarrun Yeah, who doesn't right? But isn't it pathetic how you need to install a mod to fix a game?
I had preordered and eagerly awaited the May release, then feared it wouldn't arrive ever on Switch. I finally get to pick this game up tomorrow! I've never played any of the Souls games, but after trying the Switch network test vers. I know I'm going to love it and be praising the sun until Smash at least!
@Teksetter
Can't wait to see you there!
@Dalarrun and that's why @WiltonRoots criticism wasn't for people like you, it was for people like the purple haired resident troll. Your criticism is legit and comes from a good place as it's pretty obvious you're a fan of the game and obviously the audio issue should have been addressed
@gortsi
Yeah I understand, I just didn't want to be lumped in with all of these Switch bashers who spend a ridiculous amount of time on a fansite that mostly covers a product they don't like. The Switch version sounds like the only non-PC version worth getting because of portability, and aside from the audio it sounds like they did quite a good job. I read usgamers review and apparently Bandai told the reviewer that the game is getting a day one patch, so that alleviates my fears. If you're getting it, I hope to see you in Lordran!
@Dalarrun
Thanks Senpai!
Please don't invade and murder me too often 😆
I have no idea how the online multiplay works in the game really, but I hope to learn, and hopefully there are more allies than marauders.
@NintenGuy the handheld mode of PS4 is quite bad. I will pass
Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3 have consumed me since the summer. I now hold them in higher regard than any Zelda game I’ve ever played.
I have never experienced games that make you grow as a player like these do- and the sense of accomplishment when you beat that one...that one that’s been killing you for days- well there is nothing comparable to it in video games today. I vs t wait to be able to play this wherever I want and I’m guessing, for me, it will be the best gaming experience available on the Switch.
I cannot stress enough- if you haven’t before- be brave and buy it. Don’t let the quickness of dying put you off. You’re in for a hell of a journey if you don’t. 😘
@Dalarrun
"Again, those people that bought the remaster on console did so because they don't have options. You can get the original Dark Souls 1 dirt cheap on PC and DSFix is a widely used patch by Souls players. This was a lazy remaster in general and I can really only see it being worth the money if you're playing it on Switch or are a first time player."
Citation needed sir. You like using blanket statements. Hopefully you have data backing that claim. You have no idea why people bought the DSR or PS4/X1. Stop pretending like you do. The fact that you need a unofficial patch to make your precious PC version playable shows how pathetic your argument is
"It's just weird that you bring up controls, graphics and audio being superior on the PS4 when they're superior on PC. If you care about games being at their best technically, you should absolutely care about PC. Day one patches and huge installs are normal on PS4/Xbox One, so it really isn't any different than having to do that stuff on PC anyway. You can also hook a PC up to a living room TV (I do) and play your games with any controller you'd like. You have the most options on PC."
Console controls are better than mouse & keyboard for dark souls fact. The Dualshock 4 is superior to the Switch pro controller also. Yes day one patches are the norm for PS4. The big difference is that they are OFFICIAL patches unlike DSfix.
"If you prefer the PS4 version because you don't have a PC that's perfectly fine, but I think it's funny that PS4 owners act all high and mighty towards the Switch but then their only argument against PC is "I don't care about PC".
PC/Switch ftw."
Like I said I prefer the PS4 version because it superior to the Switch version in my eyes. I think it's funny that my comment triggered you enough that you resorted to bring up a shoddy PC port & unofficial patches. You're the only one that comes off high & mighty. If you would have taken the time & looked at my original post you would see I have a Switch & PS4.
PS4 Pro and Switch ftw.
@Krysta well said and I completely agree on every point.
@SetupDisk So you can suspend the game to switch games only at a save spot? If you want to stop playing at any given moment do you have to hard force the switch to shut off?
@Balta666
Sucks to limit yourself. I'll enjoy mine just fine bud
@Indielink
Yep. Out of the box the console versions are better. You can drop the extra cash for a DS4 for your PC though.
@Saego
Yep. Shows how bad his "argument" is
@NintenGuy
You don't have an argument as to why PS4 is technically superior to a high-end PC. The only argument you can make is that PS4 has exclusive games. If you're going to be a graphics guy, at least be one on the best platform for it. PS4/Xbox One are bootleg PCs, that's all they are. Feel good because your Sony pony friends upvoted you if you must. Ignored.
@darthstuey
Yeah, I never thought I'd play an action/adventure game that rivals Zelda. I would definitely put them on the same level. Zelda to me still has puzzles going for it, but I'll give pretty much everything else to the Soulsborne series. Bloodborne is my favorite game in the past ten years, hands down. I don't own a PS4, I played it on my fiance's, but if anyone asked me what the best game on PS4 was, I'd say Bloodborne hands down. I really hope we get us a good, solid community for Dark Souls on Switch. It's so exciting to be there for the launch of the original Dark Souls, I didn't get into the series until Bloodborne and went back and played DS1, 2, and then 3 on PC.
@DTfeartheBEARD exactly it just gets a little rough at times to keep on going. I think people sink so much time into hollow knight because of the check point system or lack thereof. It's not a bad game but i feel it gets over praised because of how inexpensive it is for the amount of gameplay to be had. Again, which is directly impacted by the amount of back tracking. I'll still go back someday and finish it and thank you for the tip. I'll give it a shot..
@Dalarrun "I just didn't want to be lumped in with all of these Switch bashers who spend a ridiculous amount of time on a fansite that mostly covers a product they don't like"
Don't worry you're not The thing is if these other devices they laud are so fantastic and the equivalent of gaming heaven, how in the hell do they find time to vent so much negativity towards something when they should be creaming themselves and be in the throes of rapture on their hypermagnificent "AAA" superboxes?
It should be "sorry. Can't post, too overcome with PS4 joy to form an opinion..."
@Dalarrun
Wow you're resorting to name calling? All because you don't have a argument on why the PS4 Pro version of DSR is superior to the Switch version in my eyes. I like how you keep attempting to move the goalpoast, but try to stay on topic bud. Sony pony friends? Really? You're better than that troll response.... or maybe you're not.
$15 PS4 DSR FTW
@WiltonRoots
Lmao, yeah they're definitely over compensating for something. Want to compare games on a console? Fine. But when you start talking about graphics and options and all of that but leave PC out of it because you know PC will win every time, that's just sad. I love Bloodborne and I'll probably go back to that game once a year for the next few years, but I haven't bought a PS4 yet because these modern consoles don't have any interesting gimmicks to set themselves apart. That's where the Switch comes in. Even if it didn't, though, I'm such a big fan of Nintendo games that I'd have readily bought a Wii U 2.
well during the stress test the game ran terribly, i hope it is fixed in the full version
@BlackenedHalo
Dang! Was it really that bad?
@NintenGuy I'll be honest I hate the DS4 controller. Much prefer my Switch Pro or I'd even go out and buy an old wired 360 controller.
@Indielink
That's understandable the DS4 isn't for everyone. The awful D-pad on the Switch pro ruins the whole controller for me. I'm not going to drop another $70 for a improved one when they should have been good day 1. I wish you could use the Wii U pro on the Switch. I love that one.
@Bulbatron it went up 3-4 times after - the last it was up, it lasted a couple hours. Use nowinstock.net to keep track of sort of stuff. Was the only reason I was able to get one. ANYWAYS WAIT IN LINE TOMORROW AT A GAMESTOP before they open and you'll absolutely get one.
@Teksetter
If you're in-game name is the same as your tag here, I'll look out for you and help you out!
@NintenGuy Get an 8bitdo usb receiver and synch a dual shock to it. It's the only thing I use on Switch for things like MM. Such a stupid shame that DPAD, cuz the ergonomics of the PRO controller are my fav of any controller ever.
Looks good! Might get it this weekend.
@Dang69
8bitdo controllers are great, I'm glad to see them rising in popularity! I'll agree that the Pro controller's d pad isn't great, but it's definitely my favorite controller for most games since the 360.
@Dang69
Yeah iv'e heard of that USB dongle. I need to look more into it. If I can play smash with a Wii U pro that would be the best. Thanks for the reminder
@NintenGuy well, that bad ....there is no reason to play it on the Switch if you have played the other versions
Not a fan of Dark Souls, but I still don't get why anyone would want to play a game like this on the go...
@Cobalt I also think that 9 is a bit to high too, but I find the sacrifices made to 'portability' with the switch generally put off my potential interest in the console for multi platform games. Its not a game I would want to play 'on the go', but thats generally true of more indepth games for me.
I realise this is a big plus for some people though, I guess it over-rides their interest to play a better presented version on the tv. Im also not a PC gamer myself, but if you are really into mobile gaming, guess this would be a version of choice.
@Lord Haha.. was just about to write something similar. You're funny! AND IT'S TRUE! Nintendolife = meh
@Dalarrun
Thanks! The help will be greatly appreciated.
I play online so little I'm not sure what my ID is. I'll try to PM you later.
@shani why wouldn't anyone wanna play on the go? The beauty is people have choices.
@Retupmocnin Neat. Why don't you go play Skyrim some more and leave Souls to us that enjoy it.
@Mrtoad it's a troll. Hit the ignore button on him.
I'm laughing at all the "this score is too high" posts. I mean it's a beloved game that's been praised, emulated, and cloned for years yet even its own sequels fail to hit the same praise as the original. I'm not sure how that isn't going to be a 9. It actually invented a genre. (Technically Demon's Souls did...but this kind of rebooted that.)
@shani Pick up and play is the only way I'll really play a game like this. It's a game that involves constantly try, try, try again. Often for such a game it's best to put it down, and then just pick it up and give it one more try for a minute. Often that's when I'll suddenly get that impossible boss in one go in games. I have DS2 and 3 on X1 but have been waiting for DS1 on Switch. I imagine DS1 will get played and 2 and 3 will rot barely touched. They're just not games that lend to hitting your head into the same brick wall for 3 hours.
@NEStalgia
Oh nice, I'm glad you're getting this as well. You're one of the cooler, more level-headed regulars here. Hope to see you in-game!
Can’t wait have it pre loaded ready to go
I'd imagine that a bunch of people that say Dark Souls sucks probably couldn't even get past the Asylum Demon. :^]
On a serious note, get Dark Souls 1. It's not terribly hard since every enemy has telegraphs so wide it's extremely easy to read and retaliate. I have a lot of problems with Dark Souls 1, mainly the second half of the game not being anywhere near as good as the first half while most of the bosses suck or are just average (haha Bed of Chaos haha Gravelord Nito cluster****) and some REALLY bad balancing (Dark Bead haha, Black Knight weaponry haha), but damn is Dark Souls still fantastic because the overall gameplay and world is that good. It's literally a 3D Castlevania and I'm all about games like Castlevania.
This will be my first souls game, loved the demo a month ago!
@Stocksy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVMib1T4T4
There's only one difficulty in the game, it's called "Git Gud or Git Rekt". Well, i suppose you could call "easy mode", to summoning other players to pass an area, or kill a boss, for you;
@EvilLucario
Same, Casltevania is one of my top five game franchises, and Bloodborne was the first Souls games that I got into because of the aesthetic. Now Soulsborne is even higher than Castlevania on my list. I would say that Dark Souls 1 has mostly good to great bosses, especially with the Artorias expansion.
Y'know, my hype for the Switch version died down quite a bit since it was delayed, but now that I've preordered the game, I'm getting more and more excited for it to hit midnight. Not just for me, but because I want to get my fiance to try a Souls game for the first time, and she's more likely to try it on my Switch than on my PC.
if you like roll simulators, I recommend this one 😜
@chardir It's the same as in the other platforms. You cannot pause this game, no matter what (unless you close the application). You are supposed to be always on danger, and being invaded at any time
@Filbert_Wang The remastered version works great on PC. It's the only dark souls game that displays the keyboard buttons configured, and even supports the DS4 controller, displaying the proper buttons.
@NEStalgia said "They're just not games that lend to hitting your head into the same brick wall for 3 hours"
The millions of fans that have purchased and loved the games on home consoles would disagree with that. That's a problem you just invented. 😏
@Dalarrun Artorias of the Abyss's bosses were all good (except for the optional double Sanctuary Guardian fight), but in the base game I didn't think too highly of them. Nearly all of them are extremely simple (Gaping Dragon, Pinwheel), annoying (Gravelord Nito, Centipede Demon), too easy (Ceaseless Discharge, Seath the Scaleless), literal copy-pastes (Stray Demon with Demon Firesage), or just plain bad (Bed of Chaos, Dark Sun Gywndolin). There's only a few base DS1 bosses I'd consider good, like Orestein & Smough, Great Grey Wolf Sif, and Chaos Witch Quelaag.
@gcunit Just writing to say that your comment made me laugh.
O and count me as a first-timer who is excited to start.
So you can't suspend the application with the HOME button, but Sleep mode definitely has to suspend, right? They didn't say Sleep mode didn't suspend, just that the home button didn't suspend. Obviously sleep mode has to suspend, just like it does on PS4 or Xbox one. Thankfully sleep mode is a simple press of a button. That's all I wanted- a way to pause at will.
@NEStalgia
It's because people are insecure about Switch getting great games, and therefore attack the score and try to rationalize why it's biased, so that they can feel better about themselves.
Sorry insecure fanboy Switch hating dudes, compressed audio isn't going to suddenly make the entire game score in the mediocre range. That's probably the only reason it isn't a perfect 10.
I saw one comment saying every game is a 9 now... and I'm left scratching my head because I swear I just saw Warriors Orachi get a flipping 5 out of 10 yesterday. But let's just ignore all of the low scores and pretend they only hand out 9s, so that we can claim they are biased and, therefore, claim the game isn't really as good as they say, so we don't get knots in our stomach from seeing this awesome console with another rockin classic that makes other console versions virtually irrelevant
I think that all people who are ps4 fans should be glad that Nintendo didn't make the switch as powerful, because if they did, they would have a powerful system that you can play at home and on the go. What would ps4 lovers say about that. But if Nintendo would've did it it would have been more expensive. That is why they made it so it can be affordable, even though it is less powerful, it still plays great games.
@Frendo he is a Sony spy.
@Frendo
Why do you let him get you so mad? Ignore him. Simple as that.
@NintenGuy
"I has Cobalt on the ignore list, but it doesn't hep because I can read what he wrote, thanks of the replies from the others....."
Considering I found Zelda too hard, I know this game ain’t my thang
I'm excited and scared about Dark Souls but it seems the game has a natural flow in its deep and unforgiving gameplay. I played the demo for 3 hours and started to feel this game was something special replaying that one area over and over again. I just wished I could level up to gain more character control and strength.
I just don't find this sort of high demand, high punishment game fun. It's not why I play games. I play games to relax and live out a fantasy, to enjoy a good story or play through fun mechanics and gameplay. Dark Souls just doesn't seem like that. Instead it seems like a chore. You've got to study and practice just to play it. And from what I have seen of it, you beat that boss after all that practice and your reward might be a mediocre weapon and a handful of souls which are apparently both currency and experience - another design choice I dislike.
I am also not a fan of the flavor. It feels like there are no protagonists and there is almost no story. You're just some inhuman jerk running around fighting other inhuman jerks and various monsters because you're all kind of jerks. And the dark, dreary setting, with its countless grays and blacks and only the occasional bit of color... Not very appealing after all of 12 seconds.
But all that said, I do see why other people love it so much, and I am glad a game like this is coming to the Switch. I still might pick it up anyway and see if I can change my own opinion.
@Schizor88 if you and lord dont like this site then leave no one is stopping you guys from doing that.
@PrincessBowsette blahblahblah. Everytime someone has something bad to say, some weirdo has to write those words.. :-/
@Rob3008 It's all about how you define 'progress'.
For some people, getting another item or another level done is progress.
For others, it's knowing that they got closer to getting another item or level done or beating a boss.
Time isn't much of an issue. If you enjoy doing something, you'll make time.
Lost interest after the long delay and was very glad about the test run demo. After about 10 minutes I was like, 'nope'. Don't have time for that kind of difficulty.
@Schizor88 dont start this bs man.
@Frendo those haters are hypcrites since playstation and xbox has way more ports over the switch.
@Frendo For your information :
https://www.resetera.com/threads/dark-souls-remastered-nintendo-switch-resolution-frame-rate-test-network-test.70192/
https://www.everyeye.it/articoli/recensione-dark-souls-remastered-della-versione-per-nintendo-switch-41216.html
I translate for you :
"The occasional increase in image blur in docked mode, in fact, suggests that Dark Souls Remastered exploits a dynamic resolution system on Switch, going from 720p to 1080p to avoid significant changes in performance, even adopting the "comfortable" solution of the 900p.
In the same way, although it is not possible to establish it with absolute certainty, it seemed to us that even antialiasing (probably TXAA 2X) is disabled when the system is under stress, with rather visible consequences on the cleaning of the contours.
Although solutions of this kind are certainly not new in the way of porting on Switch, bearing in mind the technical merit of the basic material, it is reasonable to expect greater solidity in terms of optimization, even by making more substantial changes to an engine that this point of view has never shone.
Even more so considering that the version for the Nintendo hybrid does not include some of the nicest additions landed on the living room cousins, which relate to the fielding of an advanced effect."
@PrincessBowsette One could argue that you started this bs. Some Nintendo fanboy with a sense a self-righteousness. Didn't start it but will end it with this last comment. Let's see if you can stop yourself from replying to this
You can tell this is a lousy Switch port:
The B button is the default select button, it's directly converted from Playstation (X button) without consideration for Switch users. When Switch system is on-screen (typing name) the A button became the default select button. This shows the dev does'nt care about the usability of the game for Switch players.
@DTfeartheBEARD Oh man you’re in for a treat.
@Schizor88 im not the one saying bad things about this site or treating others with disrespect like you re doing so if you want to continue then be my guess but the mods will surely deal with you sooner or later.
Do you fellas know if the game is launching at midnight?
@Dalarrun: It's already out.
@Dalarrun its alrdy out but if your talking about games coming out on launch date at midnight yes they do.
@SKTTR @PrincessBowsette
Sweet, I'm in! I'm having trouble getting online though, it's telling me that I failed to load the latest calibrations or whatever. Did you run into that issue as well?
Damn I must buy this but I also must buy Diablo 3 and play through Bloodborne.
Wallet low , time low.
@Cobalt I often wonder about this website. They seem to just give everything a minimum 7. I love Dark Souls as much as the next die-hard fan, but if the game has issues, what's wrong with calling it out on them? Otherwise, how will the devs know how to improve? Hopefully the bad audio gets rectified swiftly, as 720p I can live with.
@Frendo Cobalt actually is quoting an article that explains that the Switch version dynamically switches between 720p and 1080p, depending on the workload. That's not an inaccuracy. I saw a tech guru showcase it on YouTube, as well, though I'm blanking on the name of the channel at the moment. I know that you seem to have a sort of sibling rivalry with Cobalt, but I can assure you that he is not trolling, and is merely thinking for himself. Heck, I too, am weary of Dark Souls on the Switch. I love the game and I love the console, but I also don't trust From Software at this point to be able to deliver honesty, especially after how they treated people with Dark Souls 2.
@goggles789
1080p docked, 720p handheld. Don't drink Cobalt's kool-aid. Also, I was the first to complain about the reported audio problems here, but after playing the game, I can assure you that it's barely noticeable at all, and you really have to listen for it. It's getting patched anyway. The original Dark Souls is a masterpiece, of course it's going to be rated highly.
Also, From Software didn't port this version to the Switch.
@SKTTR
Nevermind, apparently the servers aren't up yet. Whew. I was worried that something was wrong with my install lol
@Saego Are you talking about Prepare to Die, or Remastered? Both games are run through Steam and they are P2P, so they should be up and running. However, there are less than 1,000 people in-game at the moment, so that could be why you aren't finding people. If you are using PTDE, are you using the free mod that improves multiplayer? It's in one of the top sticky threads in the forums.
@Dalarrun I knew about the dynamic resolution changes from here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBpzOORsL8I
I, like Cobalt, think for myself, and research. I'm just confirming what he is saying. That the game dynamically switches between 720p, 900p and 1080p, depending the workload of the system.
Can't wait for my copy to arrive, along with my amiibo. PRAISE THE SUN Y'ALL [T]/
@Medic_alert
So I've played for about two hours now, but before I head to bed I just want to say that the game runs well, looks good, and it's just so cool to have one of my all-time favorite games on one of my all-time favorite systems. It's definitely a good port and I can't wait for the servers to come online later so I can play with you guys tomorrow. The wait sucked, but it was worth it!
(B and A being switched for confirm/cancel was weird for like the first half hour, but I'm already used to it. It's really the only gripe that I have with the game and it's a very, very small one.)
@Dalarrun The Switch version actually seems to be the most superior version of the game because (assuming the day 1 patch fixes audio issues) it captures the original spirit of Dark Souls. The Remaster on ALL other platforms is both the only version worth playing in multiplayer (original is dead on all platforms now), but also worse-looking than the original.
The Switch retains the dark and gritty and hopeless look of the original, at the original framerate (remastered versions on at least pc and ps4 still get the old 60 fps bugs from time to time which just shows how bloody poor the remaster effort was), while all other versions use updated visuals with their sparkly and glowy effects which frankly turns the entire setting into a joke.
I got the remastered version for free as a review copy back at pc launch... I spent 10 hours speedrunning through areas to check up on the visuals, and it was absolutely horrendous. It was as if the entire feel of the game had gone hollow, with everything being brighter and less eerie.
Of course the game always reminds kinda eerie and "dark", but the visuals on the remastered versions on other platforms just don't match the original feel and look of the game at all.
@goggles789
You're absolutely right ! ^^
Now, you'll be treated like a troll only because you point true facts, so be careful dude.
It's just insane how some people can't just admit the reality when it's about their favorite brand, I never understood that.
I think the total opposite way, like I absolutely LOVE Xenoblade Chronicles X but I refuse to forget how the mixing between musics and dialogue is poorly executed.
I think there are a lot of young people here and it could explain why they are so capricious sometimes.
What is wrong to just talk about factual elements ?
To conclude, my personal thought is simple :
Dark Souls Remaster on Switch is a great thing because Ninty players can experience the game for the first time on their system.
Technically, the game can't handle 1080p/4K like the other versions but use a dynamic resolution from 720p to 900p to 1080p.
The same for the framerate, the Switch version can't support 60fps constant but 30fps with hiccups when it's too busy on screen.
Some effects are not present on the Switch version because that's too heavy to handle.
The sound FX and musics are downsampled to 22 kHz to fit a smaller cartridge size compare to the bigger size of a Bluray disc.
So, the Switch version for me is a "in between version", I mean the PS4/ONE/PC get a remaster and the Switch get "the missing link" in between the PS3/360 version and the PS4/ONE/PC one.
With all that said, I think the game deserve an honest 6/10 for the people who play "docked only" and a 7/10 for the people who play "handheld mode".
This is not the remastered version is it? It seems to have the same pathetic audiovisual quality as the original - which was terrible even for PS3 standards.
@Cobalt Except 6/10 and 7/10 aren't worthy ratings whatsoever for Dark Souls. It's not that people are blinded by it because they're huge fans or anything. The game is just as good as it used to be (which is rare nowadays), and the Switch version is actually the best version out there unless you're a resolution maniac (ps4/xb1/pc players COULD be, but I doubt that many care, even amongst players on those platforms).
The remaster upped the game to 60 fps but neglected to fix a lot of the issues that came with changing it to 60 fps from 30 fps. Something which DSFix actually managed to fix... Kinda makes the remaster seem like a joke on other platforms. The remaster also changed the visuals for the worse, removing the dark and gritty feel of the original and replacing it with brighter and sparklier textures which just feel out of place.
Now, which platform has neither of those HUGE issues? The Switch version. It uses the old visuals and runs the original 30 fps. Dark Souls 1 as it should be.
The audio issue was huge, but I heard the day 1 patch should fix it, can't comment on that yet though (got the game but haven't played it with audio yet, got up early only to find my earphones had stopped working, fml. So silent few hours of play in order to not wake the whole house).
The fact remains that as long as you're not too picky with resolution, the Switch version is the definitive edition of Dark Souls 1.
@Sculptor It isn't, no. It's a version that includes the features of the remastered version (multiplayer improvements etc), but retains the beautiful dark and gritty old visuals in favor of the atrocious new bright and sparkly bull that FromSoft included in the remaster on other platforms.
You might think it is ugly, and that's fair, but I'd pick ugly any day over "out of place", which is exactly how the remastered's visuals feel.
It's pretty much the definitive version, retaining the feel of the original, including multiplayer improvements, and running the original framerate which has far less issues than the 60 fps of the remaster on other platforms (original dsfix 60 fps issues are still present in the bloody remaster... dsfix even fixed those issues after a while, while the remaster fixed some, but far from all.)
The audio issues are huge, but apparently the day 1 patch should fix that. Resolution doesn't matter too much for handheld players like me, though it probably matters to many. Still, nearly every Souls fan I know dipped for the Switch version because the visuals on other platforms were garbage, and dsfix or other mods still haven't made it possible to revert the visuals.
@Blizzia
I understand your point of view even if I don't share it...
When you play docked on a 65" screen, let me tell you that the dynamic resolution that falls to 720p with disabled anti-aliasing makes my eyes bleed...
So talking about the definitive edition, it's a little to ingenuous for me...
*
@Cobalt Boy, a 65" screen? Jesus. I mean, good for you that you like playing on that big a screen, but I'd never buy such a monstrosity xD I've got 3 monitors that I use, + my 15.6" laptop screen at times, and that's about it. The monitors are 22", 24" and 27".
Anything above 32" is way too big for me, I feel like I'm missing half the game at all times then. I tried playing a few ps4 games on some curved 55" 4k TV at some point, it was bloody horrendous. Couldn't pay attention to all the elements in the game at all. I purposely don't buy TVs above 32" either - I have one in the bedroom and one in the living room atm, both 32". Anything bigger just feels weird.
All in all it just seems like you're having a mismatch with your preferences. If you prefer playing on that big a screen, anything not in 4k will probably look horrible, and it looks like you'd be better invested with just buying a xb1x or wtf they call it now, or a ps4 pro if you want to gimp yourself a bit but enjoy some exclusives - or well, just grabbing a beast of a tower pc and not downgrading yourself to consoles
I play handheld only most of the time, so all these games look bloody amazing. I also feel like the Switch screen makes the colors pop so damn well, so it's a joy playing on that screen.
@Blizzia
Don't get me wrong, I play HD/4K content on a big screen but I have 7 CRTs at home from 14" to 29" for SD content !
@Frendo 100% agree with you on the tank controls. It completely turn me off from the game.
Also I am laughing out loud to everyone that is shocked about them removing the home button feature as I mentioned it weeks ago that they could do just like on arms online and I was called crazy...
@Dalarrun
When I inserted the headphones I was like wtf. It’s bad, really bad. Sounds like audio from a cinema rip movie.
@Rob3008 The japanese game companies have diluted the difficulty of their video games for US and European markets since the 1980s. They simply like a hard challenge where mastery is the reward, not an instant gratification factory like your modern day unlock fests. Even good old Nintendo started diluting their games to the point where you can 'complete' Super Mario Odyssey in 10 hours. Dark Souls seems to be the exception. No quarter given. To overcome its challenges is to have earned mastery, and that is the progress. They do not hand cookies out for time spent, to give you a sense of progress. Go read a book then
Really enjoyed this review. Very eloquently worded.
I reviewed this game myself, my buggest review to date.
http://theswitcheffect.net/2018/10/review-dark-souls-remastered-nintendo-switch/
@gortsi yep pretty much nailed it...there's ways of writing things. Some people post their gripes on this site in a well-worded and level headed fashion, others just freak out all the time. I'm more likely to take the person who writes their posts rationally serious, over someone who goes on like Nintendo just took a massive dump on their lawn and kidnapped their family.
I tried this during the test run, and I admit, I didn't put my full heart into it. I didn't get mad either as every enemy encounter made me feel like I've always felt in any semi challenging game since the day I first picked up a game controller — Learn your enemies and get good. I didn't get far enough to really understand the mass appeal as difficult games don't entertain me as much as they did when I was younger. But if I clear some gaming time and backlog, I will GameFly this game and play it full on.
@RootsGenoa ive played Dark Souls for years. Im used to the button layout but for some reason when I played that Switch beta I could not wrap my head around A being cancel and B being select on my Pro Controller even though the placement is the same as my Xbox controller lol
@Dalarrun Just wanted to let you know that the update fixed the audio. It sounds just fine now.
@NOOGA Exactly. I've got a PS4 as well, so even though I still get confused sometimes (especially when I started playing Breath of the Wild - I had no trouble with the 3DS for some reason), I got used to it. But I think what makes it really difficult here is that the game is on the Switch, so even if you get used to it after a while, as soon as you exit the game and go back to the home menu, you've got to return to the usual convention... -_-
What I don't understand is that, once again, most AAA games do this right (but not the games by Inti Creates even though they're Japanese). To me it's a lack of respect.
@Dalarrun Of course I use a different name in-game, so you'll never know if I'm trolling you or not
(Spoiler: I suck at the Souls/Nioh games, so I won't be doing much trolling....they're addictive, but I definitely do suck.... )
@JaxonH Yeah the suspend thing is no big deal, you can still suspend with the sleep button, it's not like the feature doesn't exist. I think the suspend/home issue is an intentional feature because it's technically an always-online game. You can play it offline (though I don't know if it still doesn't suspend on Home when offline. I doubt @Dom tested that since the online is more or less the normal way to play?) But if it suspended, the game would disconnect you and have to log in again every time you pressed home to check your downloads, friends, controller settings, etc. IIRC Splatoon 2 also doesn't suspend on Home, and ARMS prevents you from pressing the home button entirely. Definitely a deliberate feature for a primarily online/connected game, and only slightly annoying if it does the same if playing offline the "wrong" way. Notice how I stopped to think of how the game runs and what it needs to consider why it operates that way rather than smashing my keyboard as hard as I can to rant how the game is broken?
LOL so true on the weird Switch insecurity! Dalarrun gets a pass on that as a legit audiophile that had created a dedicated thread on the topic of compressed audio on Switch. And yeah, he, myself and Ryu are the NL resident audiophiles and I can admit that when you're an audiophile compressed audio is grating. And Switch, as hardware definitely can produce quality audio, so it's on the developers/publishers of specific games that are compressing things with abandon for unknown reasons on their games (not always even to fit it on the cart which gets weird....it might be a memory bandwidth thing or something.) But yeah, it's a legit annoyance to have, and perhaps is worth docking half a star or so from the game since it's a Bamco decision that doesn't make sense. The game is 2.4GB, so they had tons of headroom for more audio on the cart...kind of an arbitrary decision on their part. Heck 4k textures would have fit. ) But most of the other whining is just plain freaking out. "How dare the game get a 9 when it's one of the most significant games of the last 8 years!"
@NintenGuy Nah, not a Souls specific issue, but a general one with "hard" games or games you really have to precisely do things by timing and learning telegraphs etc. That type of game just does really well on a handheld where you can put it down and pick it up with a fresh mind and whittle at it. It's not that you can't play them on other systems, but it gets a big bonus when you get to just pick it up without already being stressed out right before a boss battle when you're more focused, and just complete those tasks. That's been the case for me with many handheld available games. I got through the Rayman Origins post-game nightmare levels that way on Vita.....they were brutal and get you so tense and the more I play them the worse I get at them. But putting it down and then just picking it up, randomly, right before bed or such I could ace through the level in one go, to my own surprise. It definitely a plus with a game that has difficult challenges and made it worth waiting for the Switch version of this. THEN I found out all 3 games are coming to Switch.....Great for me and DS. Bad for my wallet and my existing X1 purchases.
Never played this before. Looking forward to it after work today!
according to blizza the audio has been fixed from a update.
@PrincessBowsette ok, your princess highness.
To my humble opinion, i find dark souls remastered very lazy as a port on the switch. taking into consideration more work was put into the ps4/xbo/pc versions. They had more enhancements and better framerate. It only seems like they slapped the xbox 360 version straight up without enhancing the experience by doing nothing more than cranking the resolution. Even the framerate on the switch has pacing issues and drops a couple of times. They could have done better than this, they just didn't want to try. These 5 months of waiting were not worth it imo.
@Cobalt Yep. It's weird! There's the "group think," where you aren't allowed to say things that go against the normal perceived ideas, i.e. "How could it POSSIBLY be anything LESS than 1080p?! He must be trollllllllololing!!!" I'm just noticing this trend in current games journalism, where they just...only say positive things, even if the game isn't good. Or, they'll slam the game for some major issues and then at the end go, "eh, it's an 8." Anyway, keep fighting the good fight, and keep thinking for yourself!
@goggles789
Again, you're absolutely right ! ^^
Some of the people here, they call me a Nintendo hater even if I already said several times that on my TOP 3 favorite consoles of all time list, there are 2 consoles from Nintendo.
I said several times how much I love Zelda BOTW, Xenoblade, MarioKart, Donkey Kong etc... but guess what, I'm a troll and a hater... LOL.
Basically, to be accepted as a "good guy", you have to say that everything is perfect, every game is a 9/10 or a 10/10 etc...etc...
I'm not and I won't become like that...
When something is bad, it's bad... and vice versa... ^^
@Cobalt Then use them for Dark Souls xD
@Cobalt @goggles789 Tbh, it's often not about what you say, but how you say it and whether you're blatantly trying to state something that the majority could either flat out tell you is wrong, or spend 5 seconds googling to do so.
As far as Cobalt goes, sometimes he(?) says it pretty bluntly or with a certain edge, and it seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way. Disagreeing is fine, but facts are of course penultimate.
Then there's opinions on things such as whether the Wii U was a failure or an amazing console, and how it fares vs the Switch. I'm not gonna get into that again (already had a discussion with you @Cobalt about that a while ago, and we disagree on a fundamental level so discussing it again would be pointless ), but the fact is that Switch is selling like hotcakes, and the Wii U sales equalled how many people would go buy already stale bread to eat the next morning. Not many. If someone states the opposite, they're gonna get eaten alive by facts and Nintendo fans. Mostly facts, but fans like to go bananas at the smallest things.
Personally I'm pretty gungho about the Switch because I simply like how it fits my lifestyle as a product, but I'm not blind to its flaws. They just don't matter to me.
Resolution is also another unpopular subject, mostly because people for some reason ignores "DYNAMIC RESOLUTION" as a whole, pretending it doesn't exist...
Because, you guessed it, it's not a widespread thing that people talk about like they do "4K! ULTRA HD! SO MANY PIXELS! MILLIONS OF COLORS!"... Why? Because while dynamic resolution is an amazing thing, nobody is going to say "hey, that's freaking cool" when you tell them "yeah, so this game is 4k, but when you move the resolution detects we can't run this thing higher than 1080p so it hits 900p, but we can sell it as a 4k game... But then when you stand still again IT HITS 4k BROTHA!".
It results in what is happening everywhere at all times, a majority that knows nothing about something, but acts as if they do. Now, this isn't always prominent within all areas, especially when it comes to Nintendo (we all know how trash they are at online, nobody bothers protecting it. I'm not paying for a sub because I like what they offer, but because I want to play online. That's it. Worth it? Yes. Why? I get to play online. And that is what I want.), but it does happen.
Either way, chances are that if you get known as a troll on a website, and I'm not talking one-time "omg this guy must be a troll" but literally having people ask where the heck the resident troll is, chances are you're blatantly wrong most of the time, or have VERY conflicting opinions with the majority of people visiting the website... Whether they be based on reality (facts) or common misconceptions (conjecture).
@Blizzia
You're the perfect archetype of a politician...
Awesome ! ^^
@Cobalt Strange, I've never been much for politics.
@Blizzia
Maybe you should consider it as an option for a near future !
@Cobalt I'd rather not, I have a feeling I'd be too good at generating enemies That, and I haven't witnessed a single politician go big without being dragged through the mud a while after because they had to resort to illegal shenanigans. I'll choose a safer path
@Cobalt
Basically, to be accepted as a "good guy", you have to say that everything is perfect, every game is a 9/10 or a 10/10
No, you simply have to not do the opposite.
Complaining about every single game that gets a 9 or 10, looking for any flaw able to dig up, then magnify it 100 fold and use as a reason to denounce a game as utterly worthless, mocking every single game that existed on another platform as if games that existed before have no value...
All you have to do to be a good guy, is not do that. That's it.
@NEStalgia
Oh ya, I can appreciate the complaint. What I can't appreciate is the overly-extreme response to it. Yes, it's a fact it's lesser quality. But we are literally talking about a few sound effects in the game for a few sparse moments here and there only sounding 90% as good... and if those sound effects are only happening for 5% of the entire game, and sound effects in general only account for 10% of the experience... if you do the math and multiply it out, it's still 99.95% of the full, unhampered experience. And that's just not something worth screaming and shouting about and pretending like you "dodged a bullet" by not buying the game.
As per usual, it's not that the complaint is invalid, it's that it's leveraged as ammo to try and discredit the game by those too insecure to deal with Switch versions of games relegating other versions as irrelevant relics of the past.
@JaxonH
Savage. Love it. Pointing out the audio quality is fine, but pretending it completing ruins the game is outrageous. These people saying they won't buy the game because of it weren't going to buy it anyway and don't like that other people don't care as much as they do.
@LOZ_Master95
I can assure you that the texture/lighting enhancements found in other versions of the remaster are not an improvement. They made the game look too clean and only hurt the game's identity/charm/grittiness. I'm not the only one who thinks so; a lot of diehard DS Soulsborne fans thought the "enhancements" made the game look worse.
As for 60 FPS? It's the only thing I think the remaster really improved on besides QOL stuff, and a mostly stable 30 FPS is absolutely fine for the original Dark Souls seeing as it's a very slowly paced game. The framerate/resolution in the Switch version is better than in the original, and to me that's good enough. Especially since Blighttown doesn't chug so much. I actually like the area better than Lost Izalith now that it doesn't play like crap.
If you want to argue that the remaster in general was a lazy cash grab on ALL platforms I'll absolutely agree with you, but for people who want Dark Souls on their Switch for portability or to experience it for the first time, it definitely does the job.
@Dalarrun
Well spoken all around, on all counts. Views presented rationally and calmly, grounded in logic. I love to see that.
2 years ago our idea of handheld gaming was playing 240p PS2-grade pixelfests with single analog. Today I look in my Switch play history, and I see Dark Souls. I see an exclusive Monster Hunter that's oh-so immaculate, I see Valkyria Chronicles 1 and Valkyria Chronicles 4, I see Dragonball Fighter Z, The World Ends With You, Starlink, Mega Man 11, Super Mario Party. South Park Stick of Truth and Fractured But Whole...
Handheld gaming is on another level now. And as I fired up Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U the other day to show my MHGU addicted brother who got into the series with World, I couldn't believe how bad it looked in comparison to Gen Ultimate. In my mind's eye it looked the same, and played the same, but framerate was unstable, moving was slow, game was lower res... funny how much better Switch games look than Wii U... which was already ahead of PS3.
I fired up Dark Souls on Switch, and it looks gooood. Like, it probably looks the same as how people remember it on PS3, but in actuality, PS3 games look considerably worse than Switch games, even if people remember them as looking as good as on Switch. The 1080p helps, the 720p on handheld has like 10x the pixel density as the PS3 version on a TV... that does wonders alone.
It may not be 100% up to scratch with a PS4 version but, when you've ended up in a place where minute difference of sound quality for a few effects is the contentious difference... we've made it. Compare Resident Evil Revelations on 3DS to the PS4 version... ya. THAT'S a significant difference. But Dark Souls on Switch? We're scraping the bottom of the barrel here. If that's the best argument that can be made against it... I mean look. People were willing to play RE Revelations on 3DS with several generations of a gap between PS4. I dont think bitrate of sound effects is even gonna move the needle.
@JaxonH
Exactly, I mean look at how big Breath of the Wild is, all without loading screens except for when you go into Shrines! We've got big FPS games like Doom and Wolfenstein running on a handheld, and you can literally go from planet to space to planet again all without loading screens in Starlink. The Switch is definitely the beefiest handheld yet and having so many of my favorite games in the past fifteen years (Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, Doom, Shovel/Hollow Knight, Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls, Skyrim, Mario Kart/Party, soon to be Pokemon, Smash, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, and Metroid Prime) is beyond amazing. The Switch is a fantastic device with fantastic games, and Dark Souls is another victory for its fans.
@NEStalgia your long post applies to normal console gaming. People can just as easily pick up & put down a controller when they get to a difficult part of a game. Lol! I don't experience stress while gaming, but I've seen those gamer rage videos on youtube so i know it's a thing. I'm glad you found a way to help yourself cope with difficult game though. 👍
@Blizzia I’d vote for you, assuming you live somewhere I can vote for you!! Lol!!
@goggles789 Haha, I appreciate the high praise I live in Denmark, but I don't think I'll be entering politics anytime soon, it's pretty rotten here
@NintenGuy convenience is the great beauty of handhelds. It's like impulse buys at the supermarket registers. Yours never buy the candy bar normally... But it's right there.
Sure i can suspend x1 with the game running. But.... Then i have to grab my headphones, or fire up the stereo. Set up the hdmi switches to the right input. And even if it's set up, i have to turn it on, sit in place, wait for the display to power in, wait for hdmi handshake that always seens to take longest when I'm in a hurry. All to try a 5 minute boss battle again. Switch, vita, 3ds it's just sitting in the table. Pick it up, give it a try, put it back down. Sounds like a little difference but it's big in practice.
@goggles789 About Prepare to Die. It's a few years ago and I didnt start it up recently, so I don't know if matchmaking is still shut down, but it was when DS3 came out. Read the following article:
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/20/dark-souls-multiplayer-offline/
@NEStalgia
If I'm in the mood to play a game I'm in the gameroom sitting in front of the TV anyway. I don't have impulse play sessions. I get the convenience of handhelds, but your example of turning one a console is a bit dramatic. Turn on tv & hit the home button to wake my console is less than a minute. Even if I had to change the source it would still be less than a minute. You don't have to grab head phones or fire up your stereo. Maybe it's just me, but I'm just not into handheld gaming anymore. When I'm away from home I don't play videogames. I have a ton of unopened DS & 3DS games that I honestly need to sell. Lol. If the Switch was strictly a handheld I would have passed.
@Saego You can still play PTDE online, with the help of a free mod. Check the steam forum for PTDE and you’ll see the mod in a sticky, but the player base is very low.
@JaxonH btw if you didn't notice, dark souls indeed does not support cloud saves . The site was right apparently. I can't imagine why since it supports it on other platforms.....
@NEStalgia
Gosh dang it...
You're right. I just checked myself. Well, when I hack my system later on in the gen, I'll take care of that immediately (right now I keep a designated separate system, but toward the end I'll just hack my main system, once it's undetectable if you don't send red flags online).
That sucks. Thanks for telling me though. I just assumed it was working, didn't even bother to check actually.
@JaxonH it certainly takes the shine off for me. It's just so bizarre though. Pokemon i get: pokebank. Minecraft i get:. Mc servers. Splatoon i get: apparently Forrest Gump designed the splatoon data management. Nba i get: obscenely sized files. But dark souls? Just.... Why? Tiny files, cloud saves on other platforms, no network issues with scumming. Just... Why?
@Dalarrun
Hey buddy, do you remember what I TOLD YOU ? And what you said about it ? I have a present for you and now tell me WHO'S the liar and the troll ? LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=147&v=JZdfO8ECwdo
@NEStalgia
The only thing that I can think of is you dropping a lot of soul consumables in a friend's world, then reverting back and doing it over and over again, then taking the dropped souls back from your friend and cheating. I still don't get it because you can do that on other systems.
@Dalarrun yeah that's the thing, it's already an issue on other platforms if it's going to be an issue. Excluding switch is just weird. It has to be bamco, and is decisions from them is nothing new.... But that's just baffling.
@NEStalgia
I'm really hoping there's work being done on the cloud saves/cheating issue, and they just aren't telling us that they're working on a fix yet. Right now I can live without cloud saves for a select few games, but if they release a new SKU next year or a couple years from now I won't want to upgrade my Switch if I can't bring all of my saves with me.
@NEStalgia
Im playing the game now. I started today and got to the 4th or 5th bonfire I think? My brother is a diehard Dark Souls addict. He loves Dark Souls like I love Monster Hunter. So I promised him I'd play the game if it came to Switch, and here we are...
And wow. WOW. I love it man. All that Monster Hunter is paying dividends. Dodging with proper frames, skill based combat, not getting hit and timing attacks, watching tells... it's incredible.
And SO good on Switch. It looks great and it runs great, and completely contrary to some complaints I've heard, it sounds great to me (and I'm using the 5.1 surround Arctis 3 with Bluetooth, as you know). It's just an all-around excellent Switch release.
And after playing some Wolfenstein 2 last night post update, which looks considerably better now, i'm just blown away with the caliber of video games being released on this portable hybrid system.
I look in my play history and I'm just blown away. Dark Souls Remastered (which may land in my all time faves list), Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (the best MH I've ever played at that- probably my new fave game of all time), Dragonball Fighter Z, Valkyria Chronicles 1 and 4, Wolfenstein 2, South Park Stick of Truth and Fractured But Whole, Starlink, Mega Man 11, The World Ends With You...
It's like holy crap man. Switch has really come around with the 3rd party support. I remember about a year ago when some were saying how not a single 3rd party game would be announced.
Anyways though. Ya. Dark Souls on Switch. Freaking phenomenal. Still can't get over having Dark Souls and Monster Hunter icons side by side on a portable console I can play in tabletop with detached controllers at work. I don't think that euphoria is ever going to wear off for me. Five years from now I'll still be just as giddy and excited for each and every third party game coming to the system.
Next stop... Diablo 3 and Civilization VI and World of Final Fantasy!
@Cobalt. He won't reply because he was wrong. Neither will the other people that trashed you. @Dalarrun came across as really trollish earlier in the thread.
@JaxonH Haha, I figured you'd like it! I suck at Souls, and I suck at MH, but that's one thing I've always known about Souls, is that it's cut from the same cloth as MH. The whole mindset always seemed similar to me.
Of course the addiction factor of MH is like with fighters and Splatoon, about mastering the intricacies of each weapon, where Souls doesn't really change much with different weapons. But the actual "monster hunting" aspect of it, yep, there's a lot in common.
Arctis, as a gaming headset, is going to be, in audio terms "forgiving" etc. it softens the edges of frequencies commonly associated with compression artifacting, knowing games often have compression artifacts and some low resolution audio. The audiophiles in the room are likely hooking it up to some unforgiving Beyerdynamics, or higher end speaker systems that articulate the edge on each and every artifact. Audiophile world problems...
I hadn't heard about the Wolf 2 patch until you mentioned it. I had no idea there was a thing. I'm curious now!
I'm still trying to get into MHW. I skipped XX only because my poor joycons don't need the abuse I'd dish out with that game
2017: Switch has no games. I mean yeah it has BotW, Odyssey, Splatoon, but it's never going to get 3rd party games!
2018: Switch has only ports. I mean yeah it has a boatload of day and date 3rd party and classic 3rd party games, but there's no first party games this year!
I'm still bummed about the cloud saves....this one game puts me back on the "which switch do I want to play this on" and I think I decided the other one so I had to start over again from the beginning....grrrrr.. But other than that, not much to complain about!
Diablo 3 seemed really exciting to play for the millionth time until all this other stuff arrived and I keep thinking "will I actually play it? I just bought Victor Vran!" Civ....ohh boy..... WoFF...actually where are the preorders for WoFF? I can't find them anywhere. Not even Amazon who lists preorders before they are a thing. Might go digital but it's not there either. I'm smelling delay....
@NEStalgia
Ya I wish it had cloud saves, but at the end of the day it's one game out of hundreds of games that do have cloud saves, and if my system by chance gets destroyed I think I can handle one game out of hundreds not being restored. Chances are I wouldn't even need it because I'd probably have moved on from the game by then anyways. The statistical likelihood something would happen to my system in the short time of span I'm actually playing this game is insignificant.
And honestly... I'll take the ability to pause/suspend instantly over a preventative backup I probably won't ever need (and even if I do, that I likely won't need for this particular game) any day.
As for audio, ya, it must be an audiophile thing because to me it just sounds normal. I don't know anything about edges or artifacts. I just know when someone talks it sounds like a human voice and when someone clings swords it makes a clanging sound 😁
@Spoony_Tech
There you are. No I didn't have you blocked. I just never received any notification that you were mentioning @ me. I found you on this article by Google searching and when I found your comment and tried to upload it it removed a heart so apparently I had already upvoted your comment in this article, which was recent. I just haven't seen you post anything directed to me in a while
Easy Soul Obtaining Glitch Exploiting Dumb A.I.!!!
If you run past the three troll just before Blight Town not far from the beginning of the game, entice them to follow you and run to the end into the wooden walkway and press 'B' to begin climbing down the ladder found on the right. Twist the camera to the right and, providing the trolls are still following you at a safe distance, and watch as they fall off one by one to their demise. You might have to go back to entice those you left behind. Regardless...Boom! 500 souls times... well, you do the math. That, coupled with the 300 souls accrued from spaying those feeble, half-naked, pink worshipping zombies types, is a nice easy slice of pie to ease the beginner's grind. If you brave down into Blight Town a tad further, (turning back from the toxic, arrowed archers sniping from afar if you're just starting out) you can add around another 800-1000 souls. That's potentially 2800 easily obtainable souls each and every run. Even killing the zombies and stupid trolls rings you up 1800 souls in super quick time. Head back up the lift, level up at the camp, then nab another mega easy 1800 before rinsing and repeating.
Side note: Also, sprinting just before the two trolls, press 'A' to jump in-between them, press it again as you land to roll away from potential hits, and one last time to roll again, easily avoiding the more violent end of the club's. Once past them, let the stamina bar recharge as you approach the third and final troll and repeat the above suggested gameplan.
I blame this game for getting me hooked back on Dragon Quest Builders.
So relaxing... So forgiving... Ahhhhh
I have this on Xbox one X but own it on Switch too. This is a very beautiful port. In some ways graphically I like the nintendo version better.
I don’t know how much this port was fixed in the past months since release, but I came here to say this is an absolute masterpiece on Switch. Looks good, plays smoothly and has online. First time playing it and I can’t put it down.
@Spoony_Tech Should I play this? I am new to Souls games
@anoyonmus If you like games with a sharp challenge if not then you might struggle to get into it. It has a satisfying curve when you beat a tough opponent.
Elden Ring is what got me originally interested in this series, but seeing as it's not on switch, I decided to try this. Hollow Knight and Metroid are two of my favorite games/series, and this sounds similar in all the best ways. Can't wait to start it!!!
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...