On PC the remaster no question. It’ll have the most active playerbase with a few quality of life changes that you’ll wish you had (like crushing stacks of souls).

As for playing Dark Souls 1 or 3, it’s up to you. Mechanically 3 will be more familiar, while 1 will feel clunkier and more dated but in my opinion has a certain charm that the later games miss.

Honestly, you can play DS3 before DS1. Yeah, there is some lore stuff that won’t hit as hard if you haven’t played DS1, but it’s not a requirement. If you’re used to Elden Ring DS3 might be the easier game to get into. As for the Remaster vs. the original, I guess it comes down to how much you care about the multiplayer component since the Remaster probably has a larger player base.

Definitely the Remaster. I would go for DS1 first. Yes gameplay will feel odd but you‘ll get used to it. It‘s a fantastic introduction to the series and you‘ll see how much Fromsoftware learned and improved since then. Fair warning: DS1 might feel easier for you. DS3 on the other hand is more similar to ER.

I played the original on PC, but had to use some mods to fix some stuff. Also, the framerate is horrible in certain places. I definitely recommend playing the Remaster unless you need an extra challenge.

I think the original has horrible controller support, but I haven’t tried it in a long while. Just be aware of possible issues

The original with DSFix will play more or less the same way as the remaster. The big thing you’ll miss out on would be finding and summoning phantoms. The remaster will have a lot more signs to find these days.

As far as game selection, every souls game has its own “hook” that makes it the “best” game to different people.

Demon Souls - There’s a lot different here from the rest of the series and some people don’t include it in their lists. The big differences are no Estus flask, healing items are common and you can carry a lot of them; and World Tendency. World Tendency is weird to explain, but the short answer is defeating bosses makes the area easier and dying makes the area harder. Again, it’s more complicated than that, but that’s enough to start on.

Dark Souls - The game has jank and some balance issues, but the level design and interconnected world is the best in the series. I would say of all the games in the series, this is the game I would most recommend to find a guide if you’re lost. This game has some arcane and bizarre next steps to take that would take hours of wandering to figure out. And if it’s not too late, the best starting gift is the Master Key. The thief class also starts with this if there’s a different gift you really want.

Dark Souls 2 - The black sheep of the series. In a few ways, it’s a hybrid of Dark and Demon Souls. You have an Estus flask and common healing items. It’s a great game on its own with a lot of great bosses, but there are some rough sections in this game combined with a lock and key system similar to Elden Ring’s Stone sword keys that left me feeling like I was always missing out on something better. The DLC is great. Some people have strong opinions on whether the better version is the original release or the Scholar of the First Sin rerelease. I do not have an opinion. I played Scholar and had a nice time.

Dark Souls 3 - The best polish of the three Dark Souls games. I’ve played this the most because I have the most fun making new builds in this. It returns back to the general feel of the first Dark Souls, but irons out a lot of the painful little bumps that made the first game annoying. It’s a fantastic game that makes nods and references to Dark Souls 1 a few times. Great game that isn’t going to go out of style any time soon.

Bloodborne - I got a PS5 last week so I’m finally starting Bloodborne. Rolling is bad and shields are out. Bathe yourself in blood instead.

TL;DR Yeah play Dark Souls. DSfix and the remaster are basically the same if you’re playing solo. Dark Souls 2 is shippable but is a great game if you have the time and energy. Dark Souls 3 feels the best, but Dark Souls 1 captured lightning in a bottle.

Dark Souls 1 is 100% worth playing. I won’t be a purist and say that you need to play it before 3, because they’re mostly standalone experiences… but you might miss a handful of references if you play 3 first.

As for how to play: if money’s not a question, buy the remaster – you’ll get a better online experience that way.

If you’re on a budget, however, you could simply Install the DSFix mod and start playing with the adaptive controller as-is. There’s unfortunately no in-game rebinding UI, but you can still do remapping using either the Xbox Accessories app or directly in the Steam overlay (requires Steam to be in Big Picture mode).

Bloodborne

My play order so far as been Elden Ring -> Sekiro -> Bloodborne -> currently playing DS1 remaster.

DS1 is definitely my least favorite so far, although it’s not bad. Much much slower, and the challenge is in slogging through the levels with less challenging boss fights than later entries.