With Demon's Souls, FromSoftware created a brand new genre of ultra-tough games designed to push even the most-skilled gamers to their limit. And now fans of games like Dark Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice have a new chance to see where it all started, thanks to Bluepoint Games' absolutely fantastic PlayStation 5 remake of the 2009 classic.

Bluepoint's Demon's Souls remake is almost the same exact game that released in 2009 in terms of core gameplay. Movement is a bit more precise and it's not as rough around the edges, but for the most part, the gameplay is the same. Demon's Souls players create a character and are immediately thrust into an unforgiving, bleak world where everything is out to kill them and death has severe, lasting consequences.

Exploring Demon's Souls' world, the ruined kingdom of Boletaria, is immensely rewarding, with players constantly finding helpful items whenever they stray off the beaten path. On the surface, the game world may seem like there's not all that much going on, but the more players die and repeat the same sections over and over again, the more secrets and shortcuts they will find.

While going through the same sections repeatedly may sound tedious, Demon's Souls' high difficulty ensures that it never gets repetitive or boring. Players will learn from their mistakes each run and make a little more progress every time, which can be incredibly rewarding. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the environments players have to continuously go through look absolutely stunning, with brilliant lighting effects, highly-detailed textures, and some truly jaw-dropping sights. Out of all the early PS5 games, Demon's Souls is the one that looks the most "next-gen," and by a considerable margin.

The argument can be made that some of Demon's Souls' gritty charm is lost because of the graphical upgrade. Others may also take contention with Bluepoint changing some of the weirder things in Demon's Souls, like swapping out the bizarre Cat Ring image. But the Demon's Souls graphical update is such a massive leap forward from the original that many others will find it hard to go back.

Something else that will keep Demon's Souls fans from returning to the PS3 original is the new game's active online community. Demon's Souls on PS5 features all the same online multiplayer connectivity that was available in the PS3 game before its servers shut down, allowing players to team up with others for co-op help against bosses as well as invade each other's worlds to wreak havoc. Demon's Souls players can also leave messages for each other, either to be helpful or to trick players into traps.

Someone that has only played the Dark Souls games that may be jumping into Demon's Souls will find all of this familiar, but they may be put-off by some of the differences between Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. One big difference is Demon's Souls' lack of bonfires. Bonfires in Dark Souls act as checkpoints that, while they also respawn all the enemies in the immediate vicinity, also allow players to spend points to level up their characters.

Demon's Souls has archstones that players can use to fast-travel to the Nexus, a hub world where they do their leveling, purchase items, and more. Archstones are far rarer than bonfires, oftentimes only appearing in areas where players have defeated one of the game's many powerful bosses. The lack of bonfires means that Demon's Souls has far less checkpoints and it's also more difficult to level grind in this game compared to the titles that followed. Whether or not one appreciates the additional challenge is up to personal preference, but it does make the game even more intense.

One way that Demon's Souls may actually be easier than Dark Souls is with its healing system. Instead of using a rechargeable flask, Demon's Souls has players carrying around plants that they can use to restore some health. Dark Souls limits the number of times players can use their flask before they need to rest at a bonfire, but Demon's Souls players can lug around a significant amount of healing grass with them at all times. The game is still incredibly challenging, but it does alleviate the pressure a little bit.

A lot is said about Demon's Souls' challenge, and the game is certainly difficult. The Demon's Souls remake doesn't add an easy mode or anything like that to make it more accessible to newcomers. It also doesn't bother to really explain most of its basic gameplay mechanics, leaving it up for players to figure everything out on their own. Experimentation and learning how everything works is part of the fun of a Souls game, but it's not something that's going to appeal to everyone.

Some people don't have the patience to put enough time into Demon's Souls to really get anything out of it, but those who avoid playing it out of fear that it may be too difficult should reconsider. There are countless Demon's Souls guides online that will help players understand everything that's going on, and there are many ways to make the game more forgiving. For example, there's almost always a way to make Demon's Souls boss fights a little easier, like figuring out a weakness to exploit or getting help from random players in the co-op mode. These things make Demon's Souls doable for more casual players, while still providing the stiff challenge it's known for.

Demon's Souls' gameplay also has an incredible amount of depth to it. There are New Game+ options, special items to hunt down, and the ability to create characters that are completely different from one another. Playing through Demon's Souls in the typical hack-and-slash fashion is plenty fun, but playing through with a focus on magic instead is an entirely different experience.

Even so, those that have already invested a significant amount of time in the original Demon's Souls on PS3 may be wary about picking up the new game, but the graphics and other PS5 enhancements, like haptic feedback, make it feel different enough to warrant another playthrough. Even those that earned the platinum trophy in the original Demon's Souls will want to check it out.

The haptic feedback by itself makes a ton of difference, enhancing every hit and blocked attack, and the brilliant 3D audio design brings Boletaria to life like never before. There's nothing else currently available on either next-gen console that matches the sheer thrill of running across a bridge in Demon's Souls while a dragon screeches overhead, blasting everything with blinding, devastating fire. The 3D audio, the cutting-edge graphics, and the haptic feedback all come together to make these moments hit harder than was ever possible on older hardware.

The Demon's Souls remake on PlayStation 5 is almost the exact same experience, gameplay-wise, as the 2009 PlayStation 3 original. And considering how great the original Demon's Souls was, the Demon's Souls remake on PS5 is an easy recommendation. Imagine one of the best and most influential games ever made, but with significantly improved graphics, and that sums up the Demon's Souls remake perfectly. It's the PlayStation 5's first must-have exclusive game, and it should leave fans very excited to see what developer Bluepoint Games decides to work on next.

Demon's Souls is out now, exclusively for the PlayStation 5.