Dark Souls Remastered is one of the original games in the series. Obviously, there was Demon’s Souls before it, but most people haven’t played it since the only place you can play it is on Playstation. When it comes to starting Dark Souls Remastered, keep in mind that it is much older than 2 and 3, so that means the gameplay won’t be extremely smooth.
If we had to choose a class and a burial gift for a new player, we would probably recommend starting as the Pyromancer Class. We would also recommend that you choose the Master Key since it allows you to enter later-game areas very early on. For Veterans, you will most likely choose the Deprived Class with the Master Key, since you will know where to go.
If this is your first Dark Souls game, it will probably be the most challenging since there are a lot of limitations and downsides to dying. Choosing the class and burial gift that will help make the game easier for new players is extremely important because if you aren’t having fun in the game, you probably won’t end up finishing it.
Before We Get Started
Keep in mind that the class you choose does not force you to stay that way the whole playthrough. The classes are there to give you certain starting stats and equipment, so it is up to you to determine how you want to build your character. If you start as a Warrior, you don’t have to stay the Warrior the whole time.
Also, every burial gift in the game can be found somewhere in the game. You aren’t locked out to never get these items, it just lets you get them early so you don’t have to waste time getting them. Choosing a class just helps you out a bit faster with specific builds, but do keep in mind that you can change it around however you want.
Class Selection
When you first boot up the game, you will see the menu options. Once you click New Game, then you will be taken to the character customization screen. This is where the “important choices” take place. You will then need to choose a class, starting gift, and character model. There is actually a decently big character customizer for those people who want to go all out with that.
Selecting your class can be extremely frustrating since you don’t really know what to choose. You don’t know how they each work, so if you are worried, we would recommend making multiple saves and testing out a few that look interesting. There is one class in particular that we will go over that is your best option if you are brand new to the game.
Beginners Best: The Pyromancer
As we said before, there is one really good class that you should start with if you are starting this game for the first time. It is the Pyromancer Class. Not only does this class start with a great melee weapon and a shield, but it also gives you a Pyromancy Flame and a Pyromancy Spell to go with it. Not only that, but the class has the highest stat distribution out of any other class.
This makes it a great option for new and Veteran players alike since you get a great start with weapon choices and it allows you to create any type of build that you want later on. Plus, Pyromancy is extremely powerful in this game. It will make your life a million times easier with the bosses in the game.
There really isn’t a bad reason to choose this class even if you aren’t going to use the Pyromancies with it. You can just use the melee weapon and be good for most of the game. If you want to stick with just Pyromancy, then that is a great option too, just make sure to level up your Endurance for even more casts.
Why Veterans Might Choose Deprived
Ok, this might be a hit-or-miss question, but how many people have actually tried using Deprived? We have played multiple playthroughs on Deprived and were pleasantly surprised at how fun it was. We actually played Dark Souls Remastered after Dark Souls 2 and 3 and found the game relatively easy. Most Veterans of the series also think this and enjoy using Deprived.
It is the most simple class in the game and it forces you to use whatever you can find around the world. It gives you a sense of happiness when you finally find something you enjoy using. It also feels very good to finally beat the final boss when you just started as a Deprived.
Starting this class is not something we would recommend to a new player unless you are ready to take on the challenge. There are people that say you should start with Deprived on a blind playthrough, but we would probably vote against this since it might make someone rage quit, especially if they are a new player.
Other Viable Choices
When it comes to choosing classes, it can entirely be up to the person’s opinion which class they choose. Obviously, Puromancer is the best option, but what if you don’t want to choose that class? Most of the other classes besides Deprived are good choices, it just depends on your playstyle. If you want to go for a full melee build, then Knight or Warrior might be a good option.
If you want to go for a magic build, then you will want to choose Cleric or Sorcerer depending on what type of magic you want to use. All classes can choose the same starting gift so that doesn’t really matter even if you choose specific classes.
If you want a pure Strength build, then Bandit will be your best option. If you want a full Dexterity build, then you will want to choose Thief. There is a class for every person so don’t be afraid to experiment with different builds either on one character or on multiple characters. There are soo many builds to create that the game has endless replayability.
Choosing Your Burial Gift
There are actually quite a few starting gifts and they all have their uses. Some speedrunners use the Black Firebombs to defeat the Asylum Demon right away to save time. Others use binoculars to see far in the distance. Everything has a purpose that most people won’t really use them for unless they know what to do.
There are 8 total starting gifts and it doesn’t really matter what you choose. There are a couple that we will talk about later that is better than the others, but it is ultimately your decision to determine which one you will want to use. The ones we recommend actually help you out in the long run.
Here are all the starting gifts in Dark Souls Remastered:
- Divine Blessing x3 – A consumable item that fully restores HP and clears negative status effects. Does not cure Curse.
- Black Firebomb ×10 – A throwable item that creates a powerful blaze, inflicting Fire Damage to those near the impact. They can be used to easily defeat the Asylum Demon when first encountered.
- Twin Humanities x1 – A consumable item that gives the player 2 units of liquid Humanity and fully replenishes their HP.
- Binoculars – Used to see distant threats, scenery, and other objects. This item can also be found in the graveyard, next to Firelink Shrine.
- Pendant – Can be used to trade with Snuggly the Crow for a Souvenir of Reprisal and is also obtainable if certain circumstances are met.
- Master Key – A reusable key that unlocks numerous areas earlier than usual. These include the Valley of Drakes, various doors in Undead Burg, and others.
- Tiny Being’s Ring – An accessory that gives the player a small boost in Health. Contrary to its description, it does not regenerate the wearer’s HP and can also be obtained later on in the player’s travels.
- Old Witch’s Ring – Allows the Chosen Undead to understand the words of Quelaag’s Sister. Can also be obtained later through an alternative method.
The Beginners Options
Now, moving on to your starting gift. This is a pretty important decision that doesn’t really seem that important, but it actually is. What we mean by this is whether you want something that you just use up easily or have something that will help you in the long run. Keep in mind that all the starting gifts can be obtained through gameplay.
The starting gift allows you to get one item at the beginning of the game. There are 8 total items that you get to choose from, but only 2 of them will help you out more than you know. The first starting gift we would recommend is the Tiny Being’s Ring. You can have 2 Rings equipped at once and this will give you 1 to equip right away.
This Ring will give you 5% more health. It doesn’t seem that good but believe me, it is actually helpful early-game. The second and most important item you should get is the Master Key. This is extremely helpful because it can unlock all basic locks in the game.
Well-Seasoned Antics
If you don’t choose the Ring or the Master Key, don’t worry. You will be able to find those in the game later on. None of the starting gifts will help make the game easier in any way, it will just help you out a bit through the most difficult areas. The Ring is good, but you will probably want to swap it out with something in the future.
The Pendant is another good item to start with if you are going to join the DarkWraith Covenant. Covenants are relatively hard to get into because of their PVP aspects to them. You can trade the Pendant for a Souvenir of Reprisal. This can be used to deepen your allegiance with the Covenant. So if you are going to join it, the Pendant is a good option.
The Old Witch’s Ring is for the people that want to talk to specific NPCs. Some NPCs don’t have dialogue unless you have a specific item. If you like the lore and want to be able to communicate with Quelaag’s Sister, then this is the starting gift to choose. It has no benefit on gameplay, so keep that in mind when choosing it as your starting gift.
The Master Key?
By far the most useful starting gift is the Master Key. Not only does it give you early access to Blighttown, but it also opens pretty much any door with a basic lock on it. You don’t need to find the keys for them. Keep in mind that if you choose the Thief, you will automatically start with them and you can choose a different starting gift.
If you don’t choose Thief or the Master Key, it can be purchased from Domhnall of Zena for 5,000 Souls. It is a lot for the beginning of the game so that is why we recommend you choose it as your starting gift. You can use those Souls for extra attribute levels. You are going to need all the levels you can get early on.