What a difference 11 years can make. When it launched way back in 2009, FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls was something of a whispered secret. Passed over by Sony for western release and subsequently picked up by a handful of adventurous importers, it was followed by word of mouth that soon escalated, and the chorus has been ringing out loudly ever since. It was nothing less than a phenomenon, and it’s hard to argue there has been any series as impactful, influential or downright exquisite this past decade.
Demon’s Souls reviewDeveloper: Bluepoint Games/SIE Japan StudioPublisher: Sony Interactive EntertainmentPlatform: Played on PlayStation 5Availability: Out November 19th on PS5
Five successors later, spiritual or otherwise (you can’t accuse the ever industrious FromSoftware of slacking) we’ve perhaps the series’ most high profile moment yet. No longer a cult curio, Demon’s Souls is the jewel in the crown of the PlayStation 5’s launch line-up, a dazzling, lavish remake of the original Soulsbourne at the forefront of Sony’s new generation of hardware. FromSoftware’s brand of hard-edged action has properly made it into the mainstream – even if the Japanese developer is not directly involved here at all.
Like 2018’s Shadow of the Colossus before it, 2020’s Demon’s Souls sees masters of the remaster Bluepoint Games take on a beloved modern classic. It’s not a remaster so much as a full-on remake from the ground up, though the fundamentals remain precisely the same – only here they’re served by cutting edge visuals and all the special tricks the new generation of PlayStation hardware can muster. It’s quite the thing.
Let’s Play Demon’s Souls PS5 Gameplay – NEXT GEN DEMON’S SOULS IS FINALLY HERE! Watch on YouTube
Inch up towards the gates of Boletaria and you’ll see the palace, made over in an entirely new architectural style, towering over you. You’ll see the individual expressions of each dregling in outrageous detail as they lunge out of cover to ambush you. You’ll hear the fizzle of their flame-lit swords through the PlayStation 5’s 3D Audio – elsewhere you’ll likely find yourself flinching as arrows zip by your ears, while you’ll feel the tension of the bow in the DualSense’s triggers should you want to fire off an arrow in return.