The Demon's Souls remake may have been a PS5 launch game, but it's still one of the best looking games on the system. Or, frankly, on anything. Demonstrably better than even Elden Ring in terms of effects and fidelity, the reason is simple. The PS3 original is a smaller, shorter, more linear and more confined game than its FromSoft peers, most notably Elden Ring, and unlike that game, it doesn't have to run on various systems. This remake is pure PS5 through and through, and that means it's still a perfect showcase for what the console can do.
But even though the lighting, footprints in mud, textures, particle effects, and resolution are all technically superb, there's more here than just sheer technical prowess. The world of Demon's Souls is absolutely gorgeous from an architectural standpoint. Levels are designed with clever framing of noteworthy enemies, while also doing the opposite in allowing you to be ambushed by enemies hiding behind scenery, occupying cubby holes and leaping out from the shadows. This feeling of constant peril is exacerbated by the foreboding iconography of rusty metal, ruined stonework, and torn, bunched fabric lying on the floor.
Soul still burns
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Playing it today, it still feels new. Granted, your character's rather stiff movement isn't what we're used to with more modern third-person actioners, but a bit like the original Resident Evil, the cumbersome control is deliberate – requiring you to plan each action, taking into account animation time and using this knowledge to gauge whether you're going to land the first blow or not. Despite your awkward offensive swings, you’re actually rather mobile, with a neat, single-button defensive jump and an effective sprint button. As a result, combat is an organic, realistic encounter between two adversaries. And there will be plenty of times where you won't even want to engage. Better to run and live to fight another day, especially when you're carrying loads of souls.
Ah yes, the souls system. This is where it all began, as you rack up souls for every enemy bested, and carry them with you until you either make it somewhere safe to spend them or drop them when you die. The latter is the really heart-in-mouth moment as you must make your way back through the freshly repopulated game world to the point where you died, where you'll find your dropped souls glowing in a pile on the floor. If you die on the way to get them, they're gone forever. The risk vs reward of this system is still superlative and it's no wonder it spawned an entire genre of copycat wannabes.
Sure, the game isn't as slick as any of its successors, lacking the phenomenal storytelling of Bloodborne, polished perfection of Dark Souls, nor the sprawling open world of Elden Ring, but it doesn't really matter. The core gameplay here is absolutely on-point and, for many, its shorter run time is arguably a blessing. There's only so much difficulty that some folks can take.
There are a surprising number of incredible set-pieces.
Considering its age and its status as the first in the series, there are a surprising number of incredible set-pieces, not least the dragon attacks on the bridges near the start of the game. When the rest of the game has, to that point, played out in corridors against two-footed, humanoid enemies, suddenly it feels like anything is possible and the sky could literally fall in at any moment. And then it does, with a huge boulder falling on your head with ostensibly no warning.
It almost feels crass to talk about 'online integration' when the world building is so convincing it feels like an actual other place that exists somewhere outside the realms of video gaming noughts and ones. But it really is exemplary, not least with the message system whereby you can choose from set phrases and leave a note for other players to find along the way.
Demon’s Souls is one of those rare things: a game that works as a standalone product outside of time.
With the series' messages spouting memes all of their own like 'Time for rolling' when confronted with breakable pots you can roll through, 'snake' in front of ladders (lol), and the classic "Don't give up, skeleton" when you happen across skeletal remains, it's interesting to see how the experience changes depending on your internet connection. Without it, it’s a very earnest, serious and grim battle for your very soul (and body), with your personal actions affecting each game world thanks to the 'World Tendency' morality system but, when connected, it feels like you've got a whole gang of friends helping you along the way, joking as you go. It's an incredibly clever way of connecting different players when they're not in the same game world.
Demon's Souls is one of those rare things: a game that works as a standalone product outside of time. It's got the looks, brains, challenge, ambition and spectacle to match any games of the ensuing five years, and with the game's performance so rock solid, it's very likely to remain this vital and playable forever. In a world where console exclusives appear to be being phased out, this is absolutely a reason to buy a PS5, even five years after its release next to that shiny new console. Time for rolling.
Check out our best PS5 games ranking for what to play next!
