The next generation of consoles is finally here and among the many launch titles that come with it is the remake of FromSoft's beloved title, Demon's Souls. Made by Bluepoint Studios, the remake has garnered a positive reception from fans and critics alike.
The Demon's Souls remake is lauded for its interpretation, enhancements, and loyalty to the original game. It's so loyal that it retains a few of the original game's quirks that it could have done without. This is truly an almost identical experience to the original, outside of the remake's graphics and performance. What are some things players might not realize they can do in the PS5's Demon's Souls remake?
Updates on February 23, 2023, by Jason Wojnar: The dust has long since settled around both this remake and the launch of the PS5, so it is easier to judge the game and its accomplishments solely off its merits.
Turns out, it is an excellent remake that lets the best parts of the original shine, proving Demon's Souls is one of the greatest and most influential video games of this century. With more and more gamers getting a PlayStation 5 and grabbing this launch title, it only felt right to update this list for those jumping into Demon's Souls for the first time several years after its launch.
12 Farm For A Lot Of Souls
There are quite a few things players can do to level up fast in the game if they are stuck. The good news is, some farming locations are accessible from early in the adventure and more lucrative ones open up near the end of the game. The first one is found after beating the Adjudicator.
The Reaper there is easy to kill over and over again to get some good levels in fast. After completing the path of the same archestone, you can net tens of thousands of souls within a couple of minutes by using the Storm Ruler sword against the Storm Beasts above. Though it is a repetitive strategy, the boredom can always be alleviated by listening to music or a podcast.
11 Fight The Old Monk Offline
The Old Monk is a unique boss fight that calls in another player to control the adversary. While a cool idea, it can also mean an incredibly difficult fight depending on the random player's skill level. Of course, it can also end up being super easy if the player feels generous.
To make sure the odds are always in the player's favor, it is possible to do this battle completely offline. There is no penalty for purposefully disconnecting the internet at this time or entering the session in an offline mode. Sometimes one's internet connection might just be having a hard time and it happens naturally. Whatever the cause, it makes just a significantly less challenging fight.
10 Display Settings
Players can play around with the display settings in Demon's Souls, a feature that is mostly absent in other console video games. First of all, the PlayStation 5's promise of achieving 60 frames per second is evident in Demon's Souls. Players can run the game in Performance Mode, which targets upscaled 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, or Cinematic Mode, which runs in native 4K at 30 frames per second.
There are also various filters and even an intensity option to play around with, including the classic mode which makes the game look closer to the original title. Players can also select to turn off film grains and minimize motion blur. Not many console gamers are used to having these accessibility options, so these settings are worth checking out.
9 "Pause" The Game
If there's one thing that's common in many Souls-like games, it's the inability to pause mid-game. FromSoft's Soulsborne games in particular, aside from Sekiro, are made even more difficult by not allowing players to pause the game. This is to make sure the players are always on the edge and extra mindful wherever they are in the game.
In 2020's Demon's Souls, however, players have the option to pause the game. Sort of. Like many PlayStation-exclusive titles, Demon's Souls has a Photo Mode where players can take screenshots of the game with various options and settings available. This concurrently pauses the game as well. It's not as accessible as a typical pause button, but it is an option.
8 Defeating The First Boss On First Try
At this point, many old fans of the franchise know that the Vanguard Demon can in fact be beaten on the first try. However, the remake was made to invite new players as well. The game's first boss is notorious for its unrelenting challenge. Many players will ultimately fall on their first try against this boss, and it might seem like this is the only way.
As many Demon's Souls veterans know already, the Vanguard Demon can be defeated. In true FromSoft form, however, the players will still get inevitably killed later on. Once the player successfully puts down the Vanguard Demon, they will be teleported to another place. They will then encounter an even more powerful boss which will "punch" the player to death and there's nothing they can do about it.
7 Re-Customize Character Mid-Game
Character customization is one of the many things Bluepoint Games improved upon from the original game. While the character customization in the original Demon's Souls was already fairly impressive, the remake took this even further with more options and enhanced detail.
On top of that, the players also now have the option to customize their character's appearance mid-game. Players can just go up to the newly-added Statue of Reflection and dish out a one-time sacrifice of 25,000 souls, so they'll be able to change their character's appearance, along with other options they can play around with.
6 Unlimited Backstabs
One of the many things players abuse in the original Demon's Souls is the ability to abuse the backstab attack. Backstabbing is one of the most powerful attacks in the game, and in an environment this dangerous and dreadful, an attack as powerful as this is a welcome feature. However, in Demon's Souls and in earlier Dark Souls titles, this mechanic is so easy that it can be abused.
When the Demon's Souls remake was announced, this was actually one of the features fans wished Bluepoint would take care of. However, remaining loyal to the original title, players can still backstab all they want with ease and accessibility.
5 Camera Can Be Adjusted
The camera positioning in the original Demon's Souls game was notoriously bad. The camera would often get stuck or get placed behind an obstacle, making players blind to the world around them. Many people wanted Bluepoint to make the camera system better, and the studio listened.
Demon's Souls now has an over-the-shoulder camera placement, similar to many third-person action games, instead of the classic centered camera position. Bluepoint has also made sure to avoid environmental collisions with the camera. If players want to opt for the classic camera view, however, they can. There's a setting where players can choose if they want the classic camera setting or the new one Bluepoint created for the game.
4 Fractured Mode
The Fractured Mode is a new addition incorporated by Bluepoint Games into the Demon's Souls remake. This newly-added feature essential reverses the entire map horizontally, adding a layer of unfamiliarity for those who might've played the original game to completion. This should also make the New Game Plus mode more interesting.
If the player wants to give this mode a try, they can check out the Statue of Reflection located in the Nexus world. They will need to sacrifice 25,000 souls before they can access this feature.
3 Online Play
The online multiplayer and co-op feature in the Demon's Souls remake is now slightly different compared to the original game. Online co-op can now support up to six players at once. The online feature can be accessed by interacting with the Black Maiden in the Nexus.
Players can use the Blue Eye Stone to be summoned to other worlds, the Black Eye Stone to invade, and the Red Eye Stone to be summoned for a PvP match. Players can also put a password in place and lock certain regions for online play.
2 Increased Health In Soul Form
Unlike Dark Souls, Demon's Souls has no "Hollowing" system where players become hollow when they die. Instead, players revert to what's called the soul form. The soul form essentially makes players even more vulnerable by slashing the character's overall health in half.
There are benefits to being in soul form, though. First of all, if the world tendency is white, meaning character interactions in that world have mostly been good, the player's attacks will be stronger, but they'll earn fewer souls. If the world tendency is black, they'll earn more souls, but enemies hit harder. If players want to take advantage of the soul form, they should equip the Cling Ring as it the health to 75% instead of 50% when in soul form.
1 Sins Can Be Absolved
It is a common occurrence for players to mess with NPCs in any game. However, this act is very impactful in Souls-like games. Demon's Souls is no different, originally, that is. When the player accidentally attacks an NPC, that character will become aggressive to the player and any hopes of advancing that character's questline or having access to their shop will be lost.
However, this "sin" can be absolved in the Demon's Souls remake. If the player accidentally attacks an NPC but doesn't want to fight them further or lose the chance of advancing their questline, they can simply turn to the Statue of Reflection in the Nexus to "seek forgiveness" in exchange for a couple of souls.