Demon’s Souls is one of the few exclusive PlayStation 5 games at the moment. The game is a must for anyone who is not averse to a major challenge and wants to be overwhelmed by the performance of the new PlayStation.
In Demon’s Souls you play a hero in the land of Boletaria. Once a king made an unwise deal with a demon, after which a dense fog – and with it evil – entered the land. As a hero, you set out to rid Boletaria of the curse and restore the land. For this you wrestle yourself step by step through often dark and filthy worlds to defeat large demons.
The original version of Demon’s Souls Released for PlayStation 3 in 2010, it was praised for its high level of difficulty. As a result, the game did not initially reach a huge audience. But over the years, the game gained the status of a cult classic.
Only later it turned out Demon’s Souls the birth of a whole new genre: the Soulsgames. Developer FromSoftware then started on the now well-known Dark Soulsseries, but also made Bloodborne in Ax. These games are loved and sold well.
although Demon’s Souls is basically a ten-year-old game, it feels like new on PlayStation 5. The game has been redeveloped by Bluepoint Games and is therefore suitable for the new generation of Sony game consoles.
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Bosses in Demon’s Souls are sometimes full screen. (Image: Bluepoint Games)
Every fight is exciting
The first thing that strikes you is how smooth the game works and looks. In the new version Demon’s Souls stable at 60 frames per second. You notice this, especially because in the game a fraction of a second can mean the difference between life and death. As a player you try to analyze the attacks of enemies and then respond quickly. If you make a mistake, you will sometimes be killed with one blow.
When that happens, start again at the beginning of the level. You also lose collected souls, which you get by defeating enemies. You can pick up these souls from the place where you died, but you only get one chance for that. If you die again in the meantime, the souls are gone forever.
And that is often very painful, because those souls are the basis of everything you do in the game. You improve your existing weapons, buy new ones and trade them in to become stronger. Getting rid of them makes battles with any enemy thrilling. But this also means that you will regularly have to replay entire sections of levels. If you do that often enough, you notice that it is getting easier.
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The game is often dark and dirty. (Image: Bluepoint Games)
Slightly more modern, but still rock hard
Although the high difficulty level is unchanged, Bluepoint has made some minor adjustments to make the game feel a bit more streamlined. But the game remains tough: on descents you quickly fall to your death and you regularly bite yourself on difficult bosses, while looking for their weakness and trying to avoid attacks.
Because you determine the order in which you go through levels, it often happens that you end up in an area that you are still too weak for and are then mercilessly punished. Discovery sometimes pays off when it comes to finding items, but the game doesn’t take you by the hand telling you where to go. That can be frustrating for some players.
Conclusion
Demon’s Souls looked nice on the PlayStation 3, but on the PlayStation 5 the game has turned out to be one of the best games there is, without losing the atmosphere of the original. The lighting and the (gloomy) use of color make the environments grim and thanks to the ray-tracing technique of the PS5, the environment is reflected in puddles on the ground. It is a sight to behold.
Bluepoint has stayed close to the PlayStation 3 version, but has translated the game very well into 2020. The unforgettable moments from the original, where dragons fly over large castle walls and you fight against bosses who barely fit in the picture, again make an impression. It means a warm bath for old fans and a nice entry point for new players who are looking for a big challenge.
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