Demon's Souls is a game made by FromSoftware Games that took the world by storm in 2009. The game became an instant classic with a massive cult following and in turn spawned hundreds of games like it, from a wide array of developers, dubbed "souls-like" games.
Fast forward to 2020 and the gaming community is given a chance yet again to experience this amazing game with the added glory of next-generation capabilities. There are so many things we love about this remake, but no game is perfect.
10 Thing We Love: The Graphics
One of the amazing things about remakes is the fact that gamers will be able to play their favorite of all times with the glory of modern technology. The original Demon's Souls was a fantastic game all around but it was a little rough around the edges in terms of graphics, which is understandable considering it was limited by the technology of its time.
With this remake, Bluepoint Games went the extra mile with the graphical aspect of this game. Not only did they make it extremely faithful to the original game which the fans all know and love, but they also made it look extra incredible, worthy of a next-generation title.
9 Thing We Hate: Backstab Abuse
The world of Demon's Souls is unrelenting. It is therefore beneficial to employ whatever tactics and techniques players can use to gain the upper hand in this game. The backstab mechanic is one such helpful technique.
However, the backstab mechanic in Demon's Souls can be abused to an extent where it can be performed on a loop until the opponent is defeated. This doesn't work on every single enemy, of course, but it sort of ruins the combat mechanic players should strive to always do. This was a problem in the original game and it was something many expected Bluepoint to fix, but they ended up keeping it in the remake.
8 Thing We Love: New Animations
The remake Bluepoint Games did maybe very faithful to the original, but they did add a couple of things into the game to keep the game new and fresh. The animations are very clear evidence of this fact.
Everything from attack animations to facial animations is different in the remake, far better than they were in the original. The attack animations still have the same nuance as the original, like the amount of time it takes for an attack to land, hitboxes, and the like. The facial animations are more renounced in the remake too.
7 Thing We Hate: Fat Official Design
While it is appreciated by many that Bluepoint Games did a couple of changes to this remake to make sure it is fresh and new enough, not every single change they did was met with a positive reaction by fans. Case in point, the Fat Officials.
The new design for the Fat Officials is not necessarily bad, many people just somehow prefer the original one. The original design was much creepier and off-putting while the new one, while still a great design, just doesn't give off the same vibe.
6 Thing We Love: Grass Weight
Demon's Souls may be a difficult game, but players could cheese their way through the game by carrying an entire market's worth of healing items in their inventory. A lot of people took issue with this, especially when it came to PvP. Thankfully, Bluepoint Games found a way to amend this issue.
Healing items now have more weight, meaning players won't be able to carry way too many of them at once. Players will have to strategize and consider how many they'll bring as to not to compromise their poise.
5 Thing We Hate: Deluxe Items
If there's one thing players unanimously hate in every single game, it's DLC exclusive items. News, news, news, Demon's Souls Remake has them too. There are a couple of weapons and armor in the game only those who purchased the deluxe edition can access.
Bluepoint Games did find a way to make sure these items won't break the experience online for those who did not purchase the deluxe edition. While these items are incredibly helpful in the early stage, they are also not upgradable, meaning they won't do much in the endgame.
4 Thing We Love: Fast Load Time
The next-generation of gaming is upon us, and with it comes the rise of SSDs, giving gamers the highest and fastest loading times in games they've ever experienced. The SSD capability of the PlayStation 5 is highlighted really well in Demon's Souls Remake, much to the delight of fans.
The load time of Demon's Souls Remake on the PlayStation 5 is beyond spectacular. As players of Souls-like games know by now, the loading screen is something players will be seeing a lot considering how many times they'll die in the game. Thankfully, that loading screen will be reduced considerably.
3 Thing We Hate: Still No Sixth Archstone
The sixth Archstone is still broken and useless. It is very unfortunate. The sixth Archstone, or its absence, is something that was widely talked about in the original game. What was its purpose? Why was it broken? Is that an eventual access to a DLC?
Those questions are present in the game, but they remain questions still. No answers whatsoever. The gaming community still have their hopes up on whether or not the sixth Archstone will be an opportunity for a DLC. For now, it's just a reminder of unfinished work.
2 Thing We Love: The New Secret
Bluepoint Games are known for their remakes, but they don't simply copy and paste games and repackage them as a remake. Instead, they make it look gorgeous and they add a couple of their own touches, including a very massive and incredible secret.
Similar to Bluepoint Games' remake of the classic hit Shadow of the Colossus, the developer added a new secret in this game that sent gamers, casual and professionals alike, scrambling for ways to open a secret door. Lo and behold, through sheer will and dedication, the gaming community was able to accomplish the task.
1 Thing We Hate: The Unrelenting Difficulty
Alright, this aspect is more of a love-and-hate affair rather than a reason for anyone to despise the game completely. However, the difficulty of Demon's Souls is one of the reasons why so many people have spent so much time on it, and it is also responsible for breaking thousands upon thousands of controllers all over the world.
The game's difficulty has ripped many a hair strand and invoked decibels of screams from frustrated gamers. The players hate it, but the satisfaction it provides in the end is also the reason why people love the game, and others similar to it, love the game endlessly.