Dark Souls Remastered review - "Lose your souls on the go"

The Nintendo Switch is the console that just keeps delivering. In an intense bout of gaming, it's so easy to forget about the context you're playing a game in.

So often it's huddled away in a darkened room beside a giant glowing display, but sometimes it's awkwardly in the corner of an airport, or hiding away on a train seat.

Several times when playing Dark Souls Remastered on Nintendo Switch I had a mild revelation. "Cor blimey, this is a game I needed either a console or a PC for just a week ago. Now I'm playing on a handheld."

It's the gift that just keeps giving, and Dark Souls Remastered provides yet another tantalising experience for players who either want to double dip on games for portability, or those who are yet to delve into Lordran's depths.

Dark Souls Remastered

But if you've attempted to get along with the series in the past and failed, it's unfair to assume things will be different here. Dark Souls is, from the moment you hit Firelink Shrine, convoluted and esoteric.

The game never properly explains weapon scaling, or the stats you should level up in order to wield certain weapons, or even the direction you should head in from the starting area. It leaves all of this for players to discover or look up online, which doesn't get along with everyone.

As someone who has played through the game several times, it's hard to think back to when I started fresh, but the game really isn't the clearest when it comes to pointing players in the correct direction.

All that guides you is discovering which enemies aren't incredibly difficult to defeat, usually indicating that's the area you should be exploring.

And even that, like much of the rest of the game, requires trial and error. When so much of your time in the game feels like it's relegated to being a struggle to find your way, just by design, it can be frustrating.

Dark Souls Remastered

You can play, and actually feel like you've taken a step backwards compared to where you were an hour before, instead of making progress.

But that is Dark Souls' ethos. You fail, and take those lessons on board in order to succeed next time. It's not the gameplay loop many players want, but adapt to it and learn the lessons the game has to teach, and there's an incredibly satisfying adventure laying just beneath the surface.

You will slay monsters in an enchanted forest, break skulls in a deep catacomb, climb to the top of a trap laden tower, reach God's domain, and then extinguish the light that gives life to the land in order to start the cycle anew.

Every step of the journey and every area is incredibly memorable. The trial and error gameplay has ingrained the way enemies attack and level layouts into my muscle memory. Playing the game almost feels like a learned skill, rather than a passive activity.

And when you topple boss monsters for the first time you feel a wave of euphoria. Seemingly insurmountable tasks get toppled one by one, with enough dedication and patience. That alone is why Dark Souls is so popular.

And it really is that alone. When it comes to combat, graphics, and even the layouts of some levels, it can all feel substandard.

Dark Souls Remastered

Make no mistake, this remaster looks better on Nintendo Switch than the Xbox 360 or PS3 originals ever could, but it feels distinctly old and gritty. There are dozens of fair complaints to make about Dark Souls.

The final sections of the game, Izalith in particular, don't feel as well planned out as other sections, or are unfortunately unfinished.

There's still wonky hitboxes in places, and animations don't always look smooth. In addition to that, the combat in the original Dark Souls feels restrictive, with an 8-way rolling system that'll feel archaic compared to newer entries in the series.

Then there's a few Nintendo Switch specific issues. The sound quality is the biggest by far. Many sound effects have obviously been compressed to save space on the cart or download. It's noticeable - not deal breaking, but frustrating in comparison to other platforms.

There are also seems to be a problem with framerate or frame pacing, a problem made more obvious thanks to the 30FPS cap not present in other versions of the game. But in the grand scheme of things, it's a minor issue, and still works far better than the game does on the older 360 or PS3.

So is Dark Souls Remastered worth playing on Nintendo Switch? Unequivocally yes, but only for the right person.

Not everyone will enjoy playing this game, not everyone will experience the moment that the gameplay loop clicks with you personally, but if you manage to find your stride, it's one of the best action RPGs ever made.

Dark Souls Remastered review - "Lose your souls on the go"

It's still Dark Souls, but that still makes it one of the best action RPGs ever made and an unforgettable adventure
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Dave Aubrey
Dave Aubrey
Dave is the Guides Editor at Pocket Gamer. Specialises in Nintendo, complains about them for a living.