Demon’s Souls (2020) Video Game Review

details
Title: Demon’s Souls.

RELEASE DATE: 2020.
Console (played on): Playstation 5.
Mode(s): Single-Player and Online Multiplayer.
GENRE(S): ACTION, Adventure, fantasy.
Developer: Bluepoint Games.
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Director(s): Gavin Moore.
Producer(s): Teruyuki Toriyama.
Designer(s): Howard Tang, Sho Akimoto, Yoshimi Eguchi, Masashi Kudo, Kenji Tokumaru
Programmer(s): Toshitake Tsuchikura.
Artist(s): Puh, Adam Rehmann & Mark Skelton.
Composer(s): Shunsuke Kida.
Voice Actor(s): Evetta Muradasilova, Ella Funnell-Dale, Peter Marinker, and many more!

My Overall Rating:

Rating: 10 out of 10.
thoughts

Sometimes I wonder if I might not have some kind of deep-rooted masochistic personality. No, not the kind that involves any physical harm. The kind that occurs strictly on a psychological level. More often than not, I find myself adoring challenges that life throws my way but to also go to great lengths to self-inflict psychological pain by establishing self-created challenges that no one in their right mind would put themselves through. Back in 2009, developer FromSoftware created under the supervision of Japan Studio what turned out to be the beginning of the Souls games, the first one being Dark Souls. These games, reminiscent of classic video games back in the day, challenged players to insanely difficult world-roaming adventures that heavily relied on their skills, their patience, and their perseverance to complete the game. As part of the PlayStation 5 launch title catalog, developer Bluepoint Games remastered the critically-acclaimed game into what turns out to be once again another masterpiece.

What is Demon’s Souls about? Set in the kingdom of Boletaria, the world was once attacked by an entity known as the Old One who misused magic called the Soul Arts only to plunge everything in a magical Deep Fog with soul-eating demons. It is only when the Old One was put to sleep that the remained parts of Boletaria were spared and survivors known as Monumentals lived to warn future generations of the evil that resides in a profound slumber. In present times, the ruler Boletaria King Allant restored the Soul Arts and awakened the Old One and his evil army, leaving all hopes for the world to survive in an adventurer who unfortunately suffers a tragic death that sends him to the Nexus. This is where you meet the Maiden in Black who tasks the player to visit all five regions of Boletaria to kill terrifying and powerful demons and free those realms of demons and increase their own power to face King Allant.

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With a solid history of delivering successful remakes of beloved classic games, developer Bluepoint Games achieves another stunning project with Demon’s Souls. Remaining incredibly true to the original game, their subtle gameplay changes (notably through the inclusion of useful items that help complexify the healing mechanics) are a welcome addition to this purely technical remaster that fully profits from the PlayStation 5’s graphical powers and features, especially with its 4k resolution, 60 frames per second display, and the DualSense controller’s haptic functionalities. With the integrated photo mode, gamers are also offered the chance to stop, gaze, and photograph various regions of this fundamentally cruel world filled with breathtaking landscapes, horrifying creatures, and deadly surprises.

Similar to the original game, the gameplay remains intact in the sense that players still navigate through all five worlds through the Nexus and try to beat bosses at each level (around 3 each) before meeting the final boss. The game also maintains its exhilaratingly challenging yet beautifully frustrating combat mechanics that invite players to be timely in their attacks, dodges, and item management. However, no one should go into this game thinking that the learning curve is easy. Au contraire. This game is the living embodiment of a challenge, and caution and patience are needed at every step of the way if they are to survive the journey.

It is a lesson quickly learned that death is an integral learning function to a player’s progression. In fact, through each level, death will send players back to the starting point with every creature, except defeated bosses, respawned while also leaving your character in their soul form with reduced health and stamina. It’s all about learning from your mistakes and doing better each time. To slightly reduce the challenge, an online multiplayer option allows players to summon or enter other players’ worlds to help beat the bosses of each level. Unfortunately, attempting the multiplayer option also opens up your world to other players who can invade to try and kill you or the host and send you back to your world in your soul form.

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While this latest remake is a gem for veteran players who have gone through the torment of playing the original game on the PlayStation 3, it remains significantly more accessible to newer gamers intrigued by this classic and ready to embrace death in the Souls games as its refined graphics and mechanics makes it distinguishably addictive and appealing. Shunsuke Kida’s score for this game, remade in his style, is also exquisite and immersive from start to finish. There isn’t a moment throughout this game where you won’t have the hair on your backs raise in awe and thrill before the game pulls you back to its virtual reality only to suffer a frustrating death. As previously mentioned, this game demands perseverance and patience from players but also significant strategizing, whether it’s to solve the in-world puzzles, to defeat monsters, or outsmart bosses, if they are to overcome the countless bosses ready to obliterate you. One thing’s for sure. Once you beat a boss, you won’t ever find anything in life more satisfying. Trust me.

Demon’s Souls (2020) is a breathtaking remake capturing the immersive, exquisite, and deadly world that introduced fans to the Souls games.

EXHIBITA
Demon’s Souls (2020) is out on Playstation 5 since November 12th, 2020.
Have you played this game?
Will you? What do you think about it?
Share your thoughts with me!
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31 comments

  • I love your enthusiasm for this game – it’s contagious, and Demon’s Souls look amazing indeed! That said, I sincerely hope you’ll still find something more satisfying in life than this game, Lashaan! 😜

    Liked by 2 people

  • Great review! We are still playing on the ps2 & 3, so Dave got himself the original game last year. I don’t know how you guys do these… I would Not have the patience for it (also, I just smash buttons during fights, so I would suck at these ones where you have to time it well) 🙈

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’m really glad that he can go through some amazing classic games on the PS2/PS3! I’m sure that when it’s time for the PS4/PS5, you’ll both be incredibly amazed by the progress gaming has made over the past years! And yes. Demon’s Souls is no easy feat hahahah

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, man! I appreciate that a lot. I’m really happy about your recent purchase! It has been hell for many to get their hands on one these past few months but I’m glad you were able to enjoy Demon’s Souls though! It really does push you to do better and grind it out hahah

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah, was so pleased to finally get a PS5 after so many months of trying. Demon Souls is a real challenge, getting there SLOWLY! LOL! Found out how you did the multiplayer thing by accident the other day just as I was about to to the Tower Knight boss fight! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

    • In all honesty, it’s actually quite simple superficially but if you’re to beat it, you’ll indeed have to think carefully and long, and maybe die a bunch of times, before you get it right and get rewarded. Okay. Maybe it is complicated. 😛

      Liked by 1 person

  • I love the graphics! Glad to hear how much you’ve enjoyed this one, especially given it’s a remastered game it sounds like you’ve already played. It’s great to hear they were able to bring new life to it. How long have you spent playing this one?

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yep. The original Demon’s Souls was a beautiful and challenging discovery back in high school when I first played it! Being able to replay it in all of its graphical glory was such a thrill, especially almost 7 years later! According to the PlayStation statistics, I got around 50 hours poured into it and I’m currently, here and then, replaying it on NG+ (New Game +, which refers to a new playthrough where you maintain your items and upgrades and go up against slightly harder enemies and bosses again).

      Like

  • It looks amazing. Let’s just hope I’m fortunate enough to have a PS5 in the near future. Apologise, I don’t have time at the moment to read everything, but have you played the coop online?

    Liked by 2 people

    • Now that I have read the article 🤠:

      Yep! I remember now, buying Dark Souls 3 and the GameStop staff ohh-ing and ahh-ing. Little did I know I would almost throw the controller through the back of the LCD screen and into the neighbors house before getting more than 1 hour in. I humbly had to get my counterpart to beat the 1st boss, Iudex Gundyr, on her own ( which I have later beat after starting a re-play through ). I managed to snake through until The Abyss Watchers and that’s where the online coop helped me! I still have yet to beat the game, even having the expansion and never getting the chance yet to venture through it.

      Man! I’m really jealous that you got to skimmy through this, although my current focus is half-sadly not on video games at the moment. That’s okay, because peeps like you can enjoy. Tally-ho! 👤

      Liked by 2 people

      • Hahahaahh love your experience with DS3! I had such a blast with it, considering that it felt like a significant improvement on DS2, which, for me, was the weakest of the trilogy. I played DS3 on PC with a controller though, maximizing the graphical experience, and man, it really is a great finale to the trilogy. I don’t know if you plan on giving it another try but it’s definitely something I’d encourage anyone to do if they are amazed by these Souls games and the gameplay mechanics that make them so infuriating yet addictive! 😀

        Aw man, sorry to hear that you aren’t able to game as much as you’d wish you could these past few days. I hope things calm down enough for you to enjoy the games you have on stand-by, my friend!

        Thank you so much for reading my post though! Really appreciate hearing from you, as always! 😀

        Liked by 1 person

    • No worries about reading my posts, sir. I have been extremely busy lately myself and I can’t blame anyone who has been taking care of their own priorities too! 😉

      Yes, I did explore the coop option and had a blast discovering other players throughout my playthrough, while also invading others just to wreak havoc too. 😛 I do hope you get the chance to purchase a PS5 when they restock properly. It has been a fantastic console so far. The SSD alone makes ALL games go faster, thus feel like they’re completely new to me hahaha 😀

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dark Souls 1 is a great place to start too. I think you’ll notice how basic the control mechanics and gameplay is in Demon’s Souls when you get to try it out but the remastered version really makes it much more accessible and enjoyable in today’s generation of games!

      Like

  • Great review, Lashaan! I was going to say that I would probably get too frustrated by a game where I constantly died, but then I remembered the hours spent on Skyrim or Final Fantasy, back in the days, just to try to beat a boss or something ahah – it’s true, nothing beats that type of satisfaction 😛

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks, Juliette! If there’s something that’s for sure here, it’s that EVERYONE will get frustrated with this game, making them more and more impatient with each attempt but only those who persevere and remain composed come out victorious and can enjoy their small victories to the fullest hahahah I’d be curious to see how you’d react while playing this though. 😛 Hope someday you get to try it out hahaha

      Liked by 1 person

  • My Monthly Wrap-Up | February 2021 – Bookidote

    • Hahahah glad to hear how you relate to it too! 😛 As for 2-player games… If we’re talking about PS4/PS5 console gaming, I recently completed Sackboy and found that it was quite a fun family game despite its “childish” looks. It demands teamwork at times and even has levels that are challenging enough for adults! I might have to put together a review for it just for the heck of it. 😛

      Liked by 1 person

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