Later today, Nintendo Switch owners will get their first opportunity to play Dark Souls Remastered courtesy of a free network test that will run for the next few days.
If you want to give the network test a try yourself, there are a few conditions you should be aware of. First, a Switch Online subscription is required so make sure you’ve subscribed before booting the network test up. Second, the test will be confined to Dark Souls’ Undead Parish area, an early-game location which is also deceptively expansive, allowing players to get a sense of not only the game’s combat and traversal mechanics but also its verticality and penchant for hiding secrets in tucked away places. Since the network test is online in nature, participants will likely be able to invade each other’s games, allowing them to experience firsthand the Dark Souls series’ unique take on competitive multiplayer.
As has been the case with previous Nintendo network trials, the Dark Souls Remastered network test will only be available during very specific timeframes. The test will be available to Nintendo Switch users in North America, South America, Europe, and Japan, and you can consult the below tables to find out when each test will be open based on your home region (Americas players should add three hours to the below times if they’re in an EST time zone):
The Americas:
- Period 1:September 21, 2018 at 5pm PST to 9pm PST
- Period 2:September 22, 2018 at 5pm PST to 9pm PST
- Period 3:September 23, 2018 at 5pm PST to 9pm PST
Japan:
- Period 1:September 21, 2018 at 19:00 JST to 22:00 JST
- Period 2:September 22, 2018 at 19:00 JST to 22:00 JST
- Period 3:September 23, 2018 at 19:00 JST to 22:00 JST
Europe:
- Period 1:September 21, 2018 at 17:00 UTC to 21:00 UTC
- Period 2:September 22, 2018 at 17:00 UTC to 21:00 UTC
- Period 3:September 23, 2018 at 17:00 UTC to 21:00 UTC
After the network tests are finished, the Nintendo Switch version of Dark Souls Remastered will launch in full on October 19. In the meantime, be sure to read about Dark Souls’ surprisingly complex fall damage mechanics, or how Dark Souls 2 is reportedly getting a Switch port as well.