I had toyed with the idea of getting Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake since getting my PS5 but I kept deciding against it. The difficulty level was putting me off and I had tried to play Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne before but the difficulty of these games meant I just couldn’t get into them. I don’t like difficult games.
With Dark Souls 3 I couldn’t get past the first boss after umpteen tries and I couldn’t get past the first area of Bloodborne. From what I had read about Demon’s Souls it was a bit easier than the two aforementioned Souls games, but still very difficult.
But after watching some videos on YouTube and reading some reviews I decided to buy Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake during the Christmas holidays. Mainly because the game looked incredible and was a true PS5 game. Although it is a remake of the 2009 game released on PS3. It has been built from the ground up by bluepoint Games specifically for PS5.
Although my first few hours with Demon’s Souls were strenuous, to say the least, and initially I regretted buying it – because I kept dying over and over – I finally found my groove. I am now happy to say that I am glad I bought Demon’s Souls for PS5.
Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake Review – A brutal challenge that requires a lot of perseverance
Demon’s Souls Remake is without a doubt one of the best games out of the entire PS5 launch line up. The game looks phenomenal and runs like a dream on PS5. Bluepoint has done a great job of recreating the game from the ground up. The level of detail from the graphics to the sounds help to immerse and draw you into the game world.
The game takes place in the Dark Fantasy setting of the Kingdom of Boletaria. The game is split into five different worlds with each world containing between four and five different levels or areas. Once you have passed the initial tutorial area you are taken to a central hub called The Nexus. Here you will find some NPC’s that you can talk to and buy stuff from. There’s even an NPC who will store items for you, similar to the vault in Destiny. And of course, the Maiden in Black resides in the Nexus too. You” be going to her a lot to level up your character.
Just a wee sidenote regarding NPC in Demon’s Souls. I was impressed by how many Scottish voice actors have lent their talent to voice some of the NPC’s.
Once you have familiarized yourself with The Nexus, you’ll be able to tackle the first world – The Gates of Boletaria. You access the different worlds and levels through the Archstone’s that are in The Nexus. The other Archstone’s become unsealed as you progress the game and defeat bosses.
A Challenge And A Half
If like me you have never played the original Demon’s Souls or any other Dark Souls game, you will definitely struggle for a bit. In my first few hours with Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake, I just kept dying and dying over and over again. I got to a point where I regretted buying the game. And felt I would never be able to progress in the game let alone complete it.
However, I persevered, created a new character and decided to follow this walkthrough to help me get to grips with the sheer challenge that faced me.
Demon’s Souls doesn’t hold your hand. You’re pretty much left to fend for yourself although at times a ghostly apparition, presumably a fallen Demon Hunter will appear to lead you on the right path or show you a little hint. If you are struggling with the game, don’t give up. Follow the walkthrough linked above and persevere.
Combat in Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake is tough, at first. You really have to pay attention to how enemies attack and you need to learn from your previous mistakes to succeed. Of course, having an epic, bone smashing, flesh stripping weapon also helps and there are plenty of weapons you can either pick up or buy from NPC’s as you progress through the game.
Once I had learned the various enemy attack patterns and had picked up and upgraded a couple of decent weapons, I was backstabbing and tearing through enemies and Demon’s like it was going out of fashion. Combat and fighting enemies in Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake is definitely tough but with some perseverance, patience and the right weapons, it is immensely satisfying once you get the hang of it.
Stunning Sights and Sounds
Demon’s Souls on PS5 looks and sounds amazing. The art and sound design teams really need to be commended on creating such a stunning world with wonderfully detailed environments and sound effects so good they will chill you to the bone.
Whether it be the clank of metal as you strike and enemies sword or shield. Or the sound of breaking wood as you smash open some crates hoping to score some vital resources. Or the sound of cracking bone and ripping muscle as you perform a backstab on an enemy and watch as your character struggles to pull the axe from your enemies back. Sound Design in Demon’s Souls is phenomenal and adds a greater depth to the game.
There are plenty of awesome moments in Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake. In one of the early levels, you have to cross a bridge and you encounter a huge fire breathing Dragon. The Dragon fly’s overhead and burns everything beneath it. I thought this bit was really cool and seeing the massive dragon flying overhead gave the game a sense of enormous scale.
Loading So Fast You’ll Miss It If You Blink
In Demon’s Souls for PS5, you are going to die – a lot. In last-gen games, this would usually mean waiting on a loading screen before you load back into the game. With Demon’s Souls on PS5 however, dying really isn’t all that bad, because the game loads lightning fast and you’ll be back into the game in a matter of a few seconds.
The clip above shows you how long it takes to load back into the game from death. The super-fast loading times in Demon’s Souls PS5 really takes the pain out of dying as you’re back in the action within a few seconds.
Demon’s Souls PS5 Remake Review – Final Thoughts
Demon’s Souls Remake on PS5 is unforgiving at times, a brutal challenge that requires lots of patience and perseverance. But once you overcome the initial setbacks you will undoubtedly face. Once you learn enemies attacks, weaknesses and what mistakes you made, there is a real sense of accomplishment and improvement.
As you level up your character and put your Souls into the various stat points you will see a difference and the game will become easier. Although there is still some very challenging parts and boss fights later in the game but you won’t feel utterly helpless at the start, you will have the drive to go on and finish the game.
Demon’s Souls Remake is also an early taste into how good games are going to be on PS5. The graphics and sounds are incredible and the game really takes advantage of the PS5’s SSD to make loading lightning fast which takes the sting out of dying so much.
Demon’s Souls is a satisfying game once you get the hang of it and I highly recommend it. Don’t be put off by how difficult you think it is, you will overcome this and it will be one of the best games you have ever played.
Demon’s Souls Remake is out now for PlayStation 5. Get it on Amazon.
Demon's Souls - The PSF Verdict
Demon's Souls remake is a very difficult game but once you overcome these difficulties there is a real sense of accomplishment. A fantastic pS5 launch title
