Demon's Souls (2020)

Despite being a big From Software fan, I never bothered to try Demon's Souls for PS3. It always struck me as looking pretty drab, had some annoying-sounding aspects, and well, it was on the PS3. I'm glad it was brought forward a couple generations even if some of the original artistic intent was compromised, since I actually ended up really enjoying it.

Nothing here is as awe-inspiring artistically as the peaks of last gen's FromSoft games, but this remake still looks very detailed and smooth, so easy to read enemy attacks and obstacles. Some bosses, particularly the handful of fire-themed ones that make use of the game's cool lighting effects, look great. The biggest downside visually is that a few areas are somewhat bland, and one world in particular is annoyingly dark and hard to navigate.

The first level after the tutorial is a great opener, representative of the entire game's flow in a satisfying way. Right afterward, we're given free reign to start leveling and to progress through any of 5 worlds at our own pace. The freedom this affords the player is really valuable in terms of gathering equipment and leveling up to tackle the game's challenges in the order they want to. I loved this, but I admit it's somewhat flawed, since as a side-effect, I found the game to get easier as it went along instead of harder.

Gameplay-wise, I had a great time. For a FromSoft veteran going back to the beginning for the first time, with knowledge of how stats and equipment work, a build in mind, and familiarity with Souls boss design tropes, it gives a very manageable, fun challenge. I always heard that magic is broken in this game, but I found my lightweight, dodge-heavy melee style to be extremely effective too. A couple bosses stretched me to 5 attempts, but otherwise I was clearing each in 1-3 tries. My favorites were those few that were less predictable and required quickly learning a wide range of animation tells to dodge through their attacks.

There are a few annoying mechanics in this game that I would have liked to see reworked. I think having healing as a consumable is unbalanced in both directions. Early on, you may get stuck grinding out more heals, but later on, the fact that I could heal as much as I wanted during boss fights felt kinda busted. The lack of in-level checkpoints and a shortage of meaningful shortcuts makes retrying levels tedious. Weapon upgrades being locked behind rare random drops with no information on where to look is pretty obnoxious. Swamp levels are terrible. Also, I beat the whole game and still have no idea what "world tendency" even is.

I was surprised to finish the game so quickly, but I definitely look forward to revisiting this next time I get in the mood for one of these things. I think this may be the best-ever entrypoint to the Souls series for those who are curious about it. Hopefully between Elden Ring, and I assume Sekiro 2 and/or Bloodborne 2, one day we might get another level-based game like this from FromSoft.

PROS

• Lives up to the original's legacy in nearly every way
• Technically marvelous, especially the environments and animations
• Punchy, immersive sound design
• Combat and movement feel heavy and excellent
• Distinct, clever level designs don't feel dated at all

CONS

• Lacks the magical feeling of a single, unified world like later FromSoft games
• World tendency and forced PvP encounters are annoying
• Some boss designs don't hold up very well

All in all this a great game, what can I say. Definitely has some outdated mechanics and things that they kept from the original, but nonetheless an incredible game. If you have a PS5, this is a must play/own

Edit: After having platinum'd Demon's Souls last year, I can say that it is still without a doubt the best PS5 exclusive on the market. 8.25/10. Returnal is close with an 8/10

When I played through the original Demon's Souls maybe 5 or 6 years ago, I remember it being enjoyable but mostly from a historical perspective to see where one of my favorite video game franchises originated. It was challenging and well designed, but outdated and clunky to a fault. Now having replayed through the remaster, I can honestly say it is a magnificent game that can be enjoyed on its own by those familiar or unfamiliar with the rest of the series. The story is deep and complex, the gameplay is challenging and rewarding, and the level design is truly beautiful - it is, by definition, a Souls game, but now it feels like it came out just yesterday.

4.50/5.00

Full Review: https://watchreadgame.com/demons-souls-review-ps5-2020/