In Dark Souls: Remastered, a reliable beginner routine is to rest at bonfires, check what a stat will do before spending souls, and keep an eye on the weight and requirements of everything you equip. Bonfires restore resources and save progress; they also provide character-management options as they become available. Your status and equipment screens help you check whether your stats support the gear you want to use.
What bonfires do—and why to use them
Resting at a lit bonfire restores HP, Estus Flask uses, magic uses, and status ailments, and automatically saves progress, according to FromSoftware’s Dark Souls: Remastered bonfire manual. You cannot rest at a bonfire until it has been lit.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4) | $38.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Dark Souls: Remastered (Nintendo Switch) | $43.79 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Dark Souls Remastered - PlayStation 4 | $22.19 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/B1QaL9g82CS._SL160_.jpg)
|
Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code] | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
A bonfire’s menu can also offer services such as leveling up, reversing hollowing, kindling, upgrading or repairing equipment, and attuning magic. Which options appear depends on your progress, so do not expect every service at the first bonfire.
Humanity and kindling
The bonfire menu lets a hollow character spend humanity to return to human form. Offering humanity to kindle a bonfire increases its available Estus uses; the Rite of Kindling allows further kindling. These are separate bonfire choices, so read the selected option before confirming.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
- DARK SOULS REMASTERED - Then, there was fire. Re-experience the genre-defining game that started it all. Return to Lordran in the beautifully remastered game in high definition, 60 fps with single-player or online multiplayer with dedicated servers. Includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC.
- DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN - Prepare to Die again. The second installment of the series includes the base Dark Souls II plus all three DLCs: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King.
- DARK SOULS III: THE FIRE FADES - Now only embers remain… Dark Souls III is the final journey in the series where players can fight through intense combat solo or team up for in co-op or PvP multiplayer. Includes the award-winning game and both DLC chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- ALL ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS - Visit the EP!C corner to download the music of the Dark Souls saga composed by Motoi Sakaraba and Yuka Kitamura. 110 tracks and more than 6 hours to listen and take back any Dark Souls fan to the intense boss fights and the best moments of their deadly journeys.
How to choose what to level
Leveling at a bonfire spends souls to strengthen basic stats. There is no universally best stat order established by the manuals: the useful choice depends on what your character needs next and what equipment you intend to use.
- Open the bonfire’s leveling option and review the stat changes before confirming.
- Choose a specific immediate goal, such as improving survivability, gaining stamina or equipment flexibility, or meeting a weapon or spell requirement.
- Compare the available stat increases with that goal, then spend souls only when the displayed effect is worth the opportunity cost.
For weapon use, first check its stated attribute requirements against your character’s stats. The Remastered equipment and status manual warns that equipment used without its required stats will not deliver its intended performance. The original Dark Souls PC manual likewise describes raising attributes to meet basic equipment requirements; that manual is for the original PC edition, not a substitute for platform-specific Remastered controls.
Rank #2
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armour, magic and crafting options to create your own play style and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategise freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
How to check stats and equipment
Use the status and equipment screens to review your current attributes, sub-stats, and equipped items. FromSoftware’s Remastered manual notes that on-screen help can explain the selected stat. Before investing souls toward a particular weapon, compare its listed requirements with those attributes; this ties a level choice to a concrete equipment goal rather than guesswork.
How equipment load affects your choices
The combined weight of equipped weapons and armor constrains character abilities. That means changing an armor piece or adding another weapon can affect the overall load, not just changing one item in isolation. Review the equipped setup after making changes and consider whether each piece is worth its contribution to the total.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesRank #3
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?
The surfaced Remastered manual does not establish precise weight percentages or roll-speed breakpoints. Treat weight as a real trade-off, but do not rely on an unsupported threshold from this guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Maintain the gear you rely on
Bonfire services include equipment upgrading with souls and specific items, as well as repair for souls, according to the Remastered manual. These are different functions: upgrading strengthens equipment, while repair addresses its condition. The available services and routes can depend on progress, so use the menu options that are actually present rather than assuming a particular upgrade path or service is available at a given point.
Rank #4
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?
A simple first-playthrough check
- At a bonfire, rest when you need to recover resources or save progress.
- Before leveling, name the immediate benefit you want and inspect the stat change shown in the menu.
- Before committing to a weapon, verify that your attributes meet its stated requirements.
- After changing weapons or armor, consider the total equipped weight of both.
- Explore the bonfire menu as new options appear, and distinguish repair from upgrading.
These mechanics and menu descriptions are from the PS4-language path of FromSoftware’s Remastered web manual; button prompts and inputs can vary by platform. The manuals do not prescribe a best beginner class, detailed stat soft caps, or a universal stat priority.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Recommended Free Tools
