Demon’s Souls Remake has what it takes to become the PlayStation 5 best seller for years to come. The cult classic comes anew with some caveats, though, as not everything is perfect.
Still, with PS5-tech improvements and a new PvP mode, the developers are building greatness.
We’re going to check everything we know about the game: plot, gameplay, prices, pre-orders, release date, and improvements. By the end of the article, we’re going to know whether the game will be better.
Demon’s Souls Info
“Entirely rebuilt from the ground up, this remake invites you to experience the unsettling story and ruthless combat of Demon’s Souls™.”
| Platforms | Release Date |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | November 11, 2020 |
| Publisher | Developer |
| PlayStation Studios, Bluepoint Studios | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
| Genre | Action RPG |
Initially created by From Software as its own kind of action RPG, the PS5 release is one of the most awaited next-gen titles.
This time around, PlayStation Studios and Bluepoint Games are in charge of the classic. The duo rebuilt the game from scratch to overhaul the visuals and the performance.
The plot follows the 12th King of Boletaria, King Allant. On a power search, he channels the Soul Arts, an ancient form of magic. By doing so, he awakens The Old One, a demon older than time.
Allant’s actions unleash the fury of The Old One. The ancient demon covers the dark fantasy world with darkness, a fog that hides creatures from nightmares. These are souls of the insane, deranged, alone demon’s hunting those that remain sane.
Your job is to rekindle the light of the world and send The Old One back where it belongs.
“Venture to the northern kingdom of Boletaria – a once prosperous land of knights, now beset with unspeakable creatures and ravenous demons. Meet strange characters, unhinged and twisted by the world around them, and unravel the unsettling story of Demon’s Souls.”
How does the original game plays?
The plot doesn’t come easy, though. It doesn’t even flow. Instead of storytelling, we’re left with peace of lore the game handles to you scarcely.
Don’t worry, though. It’s just a dark fantasy like any other. You’re a lonely hero, and you take down the demons haunting the living.
The gameplay is what this is all about. The Demon’s Souls series made From Software famous because of its groundbreaking combat system. They practically invented the moves we’ve seen so many times now: heavy attacks, light attacks, dodges, parries, and counterattacks. Even The Witcher 3 relies on Souls’ system.
Needless to say, the game is punishing, especially for those who don’t master the parrying system. Moreover, you have to combat increasingly bigger and dangerous demons to win the game.
Killing foes reward your character with “Souls.” Souls make you stronger by raising your Soul level. They are also the game’s currency to buy new gear and upgrading existing equipment.
When you die, you lose all your souls, but you can still regain them by interacting with your bloody remains. However, you will lose them permanently if you day a second time before reaching the bloodstain.
Is the Remake going to be similar?
“Experience the original, brutal challenge, completely remade from the ground up. All presented in stunning visual quality with enhanced performance, this is the world of Boletaria as you have never seen it before.”
Even though From Software is not involved with the Remake, the new developers promise the same challenging gameplay and the same story. Missing a single swing could mean losing all of your progress, just as much as killing the strongest demons yields the best rewards.
Yet, the new developers are adding something most would consider against the series’ philosophy. We’re talking bout a Deluxe Edition that bundles pay-to-win items.
Which brings us to…
Demon’s Souls Remake: prices and pre-orders
The price of the Remakeis is $69.99. It represents the 20% price increase of next-gen AAA games.
The entry price is for the base game alone. You can pre-order the title from the PlayStation Store to get the Reaper Scythe weapon.
There’s also a Digital Deluxe Edition selling for $89.99, available at the PlayStation Store as well. The pricy bundle includes the items we discussed: weapons, souls, armor, and accessories to make your gameplay easier.
An optional online feature on Demon’s Souls Remake
Whatever you think about the Deluxe bundle can make things worse, considering there’s a PvP feature.
Imagine grinding the challenging Demon’s Souls monsters for hours to get your hands on a fair amount of souls. Then, you’re facing someone on PvP that bought the Deluxe Bundle and end up overpowered by the real-money items.
Then again, I dislike the idea of “grinding” within a game to make my character powerful. It makes games feel like tedious work rather than the relaxing entertainment I’m looking after my responsibility hours.
I don’t want to be a video-game puritan. My point is AAA game studios don’t need to increase the price by $10 on top of extra bundles, micro-transactions, loot crates, so on and so forth.
If you want to pay the extra money for the end-game gear, go ahead, it will save some in-game time. But it might also make Demon’s Souls meaningless, as the whole point of the game is mastering combat to master the souls.
Be that as it may, the optional PvP will allow you to play against other people’s characters.
It’s not the only online mode, though. You can also play co-op by summoning your friends to lend a helping sword to your campaign. That sounds amazing.
The online mode only works for PlayStation Plus members, who recently got their hands on Ghost of Tsushima online co-op.
Why is new on the PlayStation 5?
Now, the good stuff. The PlayStation 5 is adding severe features to the game. The power of the console’s exclusives alone is enough to drive millions of buyers to the console.
First of all, Demon’s Souls Remake looks stunning. The gritty world looks better than ever. Moreover, the game will handle 4K resolutions at High Frame Rate Mode, which will hit over 60 fps.
Naturally, the game will also enjoy the fast loading times of the console. The PS5’s SSD drives will take care of the feature and ease the loading screens every time you die. That will happen often.
Thirdly, we’ve got the 3D audio coming from the proprietary Tempest audio tech. It will deliver over 240 surround audio sources on compatible headsets and speakers. Aside from being immersive -and quite cool- it will allow you to pinpoint enemies better.
Lastly, the DualSense controllers are delivering heavy Haptic Feedback moments with the game. With the peripheral’s adaptative triggers, you’ll feel on your hands the weight of your blows and your weapons. Like so, the enemies’ clashes will become more real than ever.
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In Summary
Taking everything into account, I believe Demon’s Souls Remake is going to be a great game. It’s not going to be new, and, sadly, it’s not counting on From Software’s support.
Still, it’s going to respect the original game and rely on improving graphics and performance by tenfold. It’s a great way of bringing the classic title up to date for younger fans.
I would recommend staying away from the Deluxe Edition, though.
