A few thoughts on Dark Souls: Remastered from a gay guy who usually plays cute games

I've been curious about FromSoftware's Dark Souls since it first made a splash all the way back in 2011.

I've even considered picking up the Xbox 360 version on a couple of occasions. I never went through with the purchase, though, because that system's spent more time tucked inside its box and hidden away in a closet than it's spent connected to our TV.

When publisher Bandai Namco announced it was prepping a remastered iteration of the game for the Nintendo Switch, however, I knew I had to get off my butt and give it a try. So, I pre-ordered a copy as soon as I could--and then rather impatiently waited for it to make its way to my doorstep.



Although it took me a few days to work up the courage to stick the Dark Souls: Remastered cartridge into my Switch, it didn't take me long to fall in love with the game that diminutive cart contains.

In fact, I've put more than 16 hours into Dark Souls: Remastered for Switch since I first booted it up. I'm not tremendously far into this unnerving adventure, I've got to admit--I just entered the Lower Undead Burg after spending a ton of time in the Undead Parish. Still, I'm having a blast, and that's all that matters to me with any game I play.

What does "having a blast" mean in this case? I thought you'd never ask. Here are some thoughts on my Dark Souls: Remastered playthrough so far.



It's not as tough as I thought it would be--Don't get me wrong, I've died a ton of times since I first started playing the game. But dying isn't a very big deal in Dark Souls: Remastered. Unless, of course, you bite it after you've accumulated a ton of "souls" and "humanity" and before you've saved at a bonfire. Even that's not the worst thing in the world, though. I guess what I'm saying here is I started Remastered expecting it to be completely overwhelming and instead found it to be surprisingly accessible.

I appreciate how its gameplay puts patience ahead of brute force--Although I'm sure with the right "build" you can brute force Dark Souls, too. I'm not skilled enough for that, though, so taking things slowly is the only option for me. Thankfully, Dark Souls seems as OK with that as I am. At the very least, I've never been punished for approaching a new area or enemy carefully rather than running in with guns blazing (or, um, with daggers swinging), and I think that's pretty cool.



I also appreciate how Dark Souls severely limits your ability to feel "safe"--Dark Souls: Remastered may not be as tough as I assumed it would be, but it's just as scary. Actually, I'd say it's scarier than I thought it'd be. Why? Because any time you're not squatting beside one of the game's few campfires, you're basically a sitting duck. I love that. It keeps me on my toes and even forces me to improve my abilities and tactics.

Playing this game while wearing headphones is both amazing and terrifying--Here's something I've rarely admitted here or elsewhere: I usually play games with the sound turned off. I do that because I often play games while sitting on the couch with my husband as he watches TV. I've bucked that trend while tackling Dark Souls: Remastered, though. What a game changer--pun intended. In particular, hearing the footsteps of nearby enemies when none are plainly visibly in front of you is unsettling, yes, but it's also beyond helpful (in terms of keeping you from racing into an ambush).



The ability to "cheese" certain enemies and even bosses makes me really happy--This may be the aspect of Dark Souls that's surprised me the most thus far. I honestly expected the game's developers to force players to win fair and square at every single turn. Instead, they went in the opposite direction. The result: you're free to "win" however you can--even if that means taking the easy way out. (Such as by luring a particularly tough baddie over the edge of a cliff rather than bothering to actually fight it.)

As much as I'm enjoying Dark Souls: Remastered, I have a feeling I'll never finish it--After the game first clicked with me, I was sure I would stick with it until the bitter end. Then Black Bird and Pokémon: Let's Go stole my attention away from it. Although I'm done with the latter and I'm only returning to the former every now and then, I've yet to pick up where I left off with Dark Souls. I hope to rectify matters in 2019, but even if I don't, I'm glad I learned this series isn't, as I initially feared, too hardcore for me.

Eight Nintendo Switch games I'm looking forward to playing in 2018

Although I am by no means finished buying or playing 3DS or Vita games, there's little doubt in my mind that most of the money I spend on this hobby in 2018 will be directed toward Switch titles.

The eight Switch games discussed here aren't the only ones I'm looking forward to playing this year, by the way. They're just the ones I'm most itching to experience.

As such, don't be surprised if I eventually publish a follow-up post to this one that details some of the other Switch titles I hope to tackle by the time 2019 rolls around.



Bayonetta 2--I wish I could tell you why I've yet to try the first Bayonetta title. I've had an Xbox 360 for years, after all. The best explanation I can offer up is Microsoft's second console has never quite clicked with me, and as a result I've rarely felt like buying games for it. (The only retail Xbox 360 game I currently own is Deadly Premonition.) Well, I'll soon have my chance to try both the original Bayonetta and its sequel, and you can bet I'm going to take advantage of it. Here's hoping I find the gameplay in these titles as fabulously appealing as their saucy protagonist.



Dark Souls: Remastered--Here's another widely heralded game I've long ignored because of my lack of love for the Xbox 360 (and my lack of a PS3, period). That's not a comment on my interest in the title, though. In fact, I've wanted to see what all the fuss was about since Dark Souls first made a splash in 2011. Thanks to Namco Bandai's decision to bring the recently announced "remastered" version of the game to Switch, I'll be able to do just that this coming spring. What do you think: will I enjoy it, or will it completely overwhelm me?



Dragon Quest Builders 2--I considered writing about the upcoming Switch port of the first Dragon Quest Builders here, but I've chatted about that game (which I pre-ordered as soon as Amazon allowed it) enough on line, so let's talk about its in-the-works sequel. To be honest, I don't know much about it at the moment. As long as Dragon Quest Builders 2 offers up a few new twists on the original's charming, Minecraft-esque gameplay, though, I doubt I'll regret my purchase.



Gal Metal!--What can I say? I tend to like music and rhythm games. I even enjoyed Wii Music, for crying out loud. That lack of taste (some might say, at least) may serve me well after my copy of this curious import arrives on our doorstep in a few weeks. Although there's little question Gal Metal! looks great, there are a lot of questions surrounding its gameplay, which appears eerily similar to the much-maligned Wii game mentioned earlier. Granted, the move-your-Joy-Cons-like-drum-sticks controls at the center of Gal Metal! should be far more accurate than the ones showcased in Wii Music, but that doesn't mean they'll be fun. Oh, well, even if the game disappoints, I'll still have a snazzy piece of cover art to ogle.

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Dark Souls edition)

From Software's much-anticipated sequel to Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, is still a few months away from release--Japanese PS3 gamers will get the first crack at this action RPG when it hits the streets on Sept. 15, while North American and European PS3 and Xbox 360 gamers will gain access to it on Oct. 4 and 7, respectively--but that shouldn't keep us from playing another round of "Which Box Art is Better?" right? (The correct answer is "no," in case you were wondering.)

Let's start with the box art that's being prepped for the Japanese PS3 release, shall we?

Next, let's check out the art that seemingly will appear on the cover of the collector's edition of the North American PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. (Pre-order the former here and the latter here.)

I have to admit that I'm not at all sure which of the following illustrations will grace the covers of the European PS3 and Xbox 360 iterations of Dark Souls. I mean, some folks are saying the box art below--which supposedly will appear on the standard editions released in North America, too--will be used for these versions of the game:

While others are suggesting European gamers should keep an eye out for this cover come Oct. 7:

Personally, I prefer the blue-tinged piece of box art that's possiblymaybe going to show up on European store shelves in a few months. I also quite like the moody illustration that will serve as the Japanese version's cover art, although I understand why the folks at Namco Bandai (the game's publisher outside of Japan) decided against using it in other territories.

So, that's my opinion on the matter. What do all of you think about the Dark Souls box-art options shown above? Don't be shy!

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts