Before Dark Souls and its sequels spawned an entire sub-genre of RPGs, Demon’s Souls started the entire phenomenon. I actually remember when it released on PS3 way back when, and while I didn’t know it then, I felt like it was on to something.
After all, there’s no shortage of games that will bend to your will or offer difficulties, but the punishing difficulty of a Soulsborne is unique to games like this one. With Bluepoint at the helm of the remake, we’re in for a gorgeous and wild ride. Let’s dive in.
A Faithful and Detailed Remake
Demon’s Souls releases alongside the PS5 on November 12th, and it comes to us from Bluepoint Games, who have been known for their excellent remakes and remasters. Their work on Shadow of the Colossus, for example, was absolutely amazing.
When Sony finally unveiled the Demon’s Souls remake for PS5, the gameplay footage blew everyone away, and rightfully so, as it looked like a true generational leap in terms of sheer detail and effects.
For those who aren’t familiar with Soulsborne games, the concept involves a dark fantasy setting, a lone fighter, and plenty of monsters and or demons to constantly challenge you to the point of constant death in some cases.
The gameplay comes down to a combination of timing and managing your stamina, which is drained by everything from attacking to blocking, and even dodging. The intensity here comes from the mystery of the world you find yourself in, but also from the knowledge that anything, even a common enemy, can easily kill you if you’re not careful.
Demon’s Souls is set in Boletaria, where the king has used a forbidden power that brouht back a demon known as the Old One. From here, the kingdom was covered in a thick fog that brought even more monsters into the world, ravaging the people of the land.
It’s the game that kicked off the genre as we know it, and while there have been plenty of titles since, it’s entirely possible that this remake will once again take the crown.
There is a standard and Digital Deluxe edition available, with the latter offering some helpful gear for the beginning of the game, but regardless of which version you pick up, the main draw here is the punishing difficulty that will never let up from the moment you hit the start button.
The Next-Gen Leap We’re Looking For
All it takes it a look at the footage to see that this game is truly a next-gen experience. We know the Demon’s Souls remake will offer two modes for resolution and frame-rate, but beyond the confirmation that resolution mode is 4K, it’s hard to say if the frame-rate mode will be something like 1440p with 60 FPS, or a different approach.
Personally, I think frame-rate matters a lot in this kind of game where responsiveness is key, but in other games I would opt for the higher resolution, if only to showcase the power of the new system.
Article by – Bradley Ramsey
Insert date – 10/16/2020