Approaching this game as somebody who played the PS5 remake as my first version, and first souls game for that matter, I will say this version is clearly superior, and not by an insignificant amount.
It's hard to believe a console action RPG from 15 years ago can still feel so fresh, innovative, and genuinely experimental; though some is for the best and some is for the... Dragon God. Playing in the original aesthetic context compared to the bluepoint version makes areas such as the Tower of Latria and Valley of Defilement much more clear to their intentions and far easier to appreciate the change in gameplay style.
The PS3 sheen and incredible art direction bring such a sense of magic to the world, every area holds such a distinct visual presence only amplified beautifully with the haunting music. Definitely the best of the Souls games, it's a shame this was a more modest success compared to the massive runaway hit of Dark Souls, one of the most beautiful worlds of any video game, hopeless and bleak only briefly broken up by the (weirdly British) voices of those you encounter on your path.
Please give this game a try, it's far more than just a trial run for Dark Souls and holds so many unique ideas and strange quirks it will likely keep that experimental edge for even further years past it's release.
What a truly special game.
It's hard to believe a console action RPG from 15 years ago can still feel so fresh, innovative, and genuinely experimental; though some is for the best and some is for the... Dragon God. Playing in the original aesthetic context compared to the bluepoint version makes areas such as the Tower of Latria and Valley of Defilement much more clear to their intentions and far easier to appreciate the change in gameplay style.
The PS3 sheen and incredible art direction bring such a sense of magic to the world, every area holds such a distinct visual presence only amplified beautifully with the haunting music. Definitely the best of the Souls games, it's a shame this was a more modest success compared to the massive runaway hit of Dark Souls, one of the most beautiful worlds of any video game, hopeless and bleak only briefly broken up by the (weirdly British) voices of those you encounter on your path.
Please give this game a try, it's far more than just a trial run for Dark Souls and holds so many unique ideas and strange quirks it will likely keep that experimental edge for even further years past it's release.
What a truly special game.