In an era that seems obsessed with remakes, studios are eager to take something that's beloved and classic, and bring it into the modern world with fresh eyes and new engines. Then there are the "demakes", which essentially do the opposite by taking a newer title and turning it into something that looks retro. One fan has shown what a SNES-style version of BioShock Infinite could look like, and then there's the Bloodborne demake, which is now finally out.
Lilith Walther, also known by the handle b0tster, has been working on the Bloodborne fan project for just over a year now, and has recently announced that her PSX-style version of the game is currently available to download. Along with the game itself, she's also unveiled a launch trailer, which shows off the visuals of the retro-looking action RPG. Fans interested in this demake can get hold of it on the creator's Itch.io page. On her Twitter, she thanked everyone who had shown her support over the last "13 months" of development.
The game has been on some fans' radars for some time, with gameplay footage of BloodbornePSX being released last October, to whet the whistles of potential players and to show off the impressive work that Walther had put into the game at that point. What's even better is the fact that, according to the download page, the game supports gamepad as well as PC controls, which does make sense given that the original game was exclusive to PS4, but it's certainly a nice touch from the developer to make it better suited to console players who perhaps are not used to playing with mouse and keyboard.
There were also some additional features that Walther put in, as well. Late last year, Bloodborne PSX had cheats added, as well as a fully-functional keyboard. It shows that the creator has been working hard to not only give the 2015 beloved game a retro look, but to implement numerous extras. It should be said at this stage, however, that this is not a demake of the full original game. Walther has said that her version represents the first few hours of the original, rather than it being the complete game.
Many modders and independent developers often find themselves in hot water, such as when Take-Two sued fans who reverse-engineered GTA games. It's understandable that people don't want to incur the wrath of the big wigs. It seems as though Walther's work will be seen by many as a fantastic tribute to the original.
Bloodborne PSX is available now on Itch.io, while the original Bloodborne is available on PlayStation 4.