Started playing this an hour ago on PS3, just got to Majula.
I'm really bothered by the whole torch business because it's clearly even more central to the game then I thought it was going to be. The ENTIRE starter/tutorial area is built around teaching you the value of using the torch and lighting sconces.
I didn't know you had a time limit on torch usage either, man, it really WOULD have given the game a survival horror feel. I'm seriously disappointed. All your ressources seem to be limited by design, including the amount of soul grinding/item farming you can do and amount of items you can purchase.
First side area that I check in Majula has a sconce right before the entrance, that place is supposed to be fucking pitch black with sconces that you permenantly light up on your first journey in there. This change is GIGANTIC, if we ever see a version of the game with the original lighting engine in place people will realize just how big of a deal this is.
I'm less than an hour in and the game feels heavily compromised already. The framerate is also really poor, Dragon's Dogma on PS3 is a very apt comparison.
Regardless, I'm enjoying the game and I don't necessarily regret buying it, but it's a truly sad state of affairs. One of the central core mechanics of the game has been rendered obsolete AND it makes alot of rooms/environments ugly as hell.
I'm even more disappointed because I can see just how special and unique this mechanic would have made the game feel compared to previous Souls games. It would have been fucking awesome! Sure some people wouldn't like it but whatever, the darkness was clearly an intrinsic part of the ENTIRE design.
If it's a technical issue then it's a real shame but we could atleast see the PC version bring back the game to its full potential. If it's a last minute backtrack based on feedback then they fucking blew it hardcore. Stick to your guns and if any issues arise find more creative solutions than gimping the entire experience.