Demon's Souls: PS5 Review
Developed by Bluepoint
Released on PS5
A new generation console with old generation games retooled.
Yep, here we go again - a sense of nostalgia hanging in the air and once again, a feeling of deja vu.
If the end of the PlayStation 4’s life felt like it was being swamped with remasters (Crash Bandicoot, The Last Guardian, Shadow of the Colossus), wearying you and making you feel like new IP was something game devs were scared of, then the announce and subsequent arrival of Demon's Souls for launch would have had you positively apoplectic with déjà vu.
But the father of From Software’s souls family seems to make a lot of the next gen graphics as well as the sound elements of the controller.
Bluepoint's remaster is actually technically something to marvel at, with the HD graphics having a clarity of vision that’s pleasing to see as the game progresses from its initial crack of light pervading the screen.
Whether it’s a crackling fire, a foreboding environment or lightning hanging in the air, the game mails the atmosphere with ease - and transports the player without any concerns.
For those unfamiliar with the 2009 original, the land of Boletaria is under threat from "the old one" and it’s up to you to slay it and restore peace.
So far, so nefarious and familiar.
As ever, combat is as punishing as you’d expect from the genre with deaths feeling genuinely like they’re your fault as you pressed the wrong button or moved at the wrong time.
Loss is to be learned from and while the game doesn’t hold your hand, it does still feel like a reward when you progress.
But that’s a hard road and as ever with the Souls series the casual gamer will feel lost, unable to attain a sense of gaming worth and a degree of satisfaction with the punishing stakes and grit of grind.
Ultimately, if you’re willing to invest in the technically superior remaster then it will reward your efforts.
In fact you could say the PlayStation 5 version of this once hated now beloved classic will enrich more than just a Demon's Soul.
Yep, here we go again - a sense of nostalgia hanging in the air and once again, a feeling of deja vu.
If the end of the PlayStation 4’s life felt like it was being swamped with remasters (Crash Bandicoot, The Last Guardian, Shadow of the Colossus), wearying you and making you feel like new IP was something game devs were scared of, then the announce and subsequent arrival of Demon's Souls for launch would have had you positively apoplectic with déjà vu.
But the father of From Software’s souls family seems to make a lot of the next gen graphics as well as the sound elements of the controller.
Bluepoint's remaster is actually technically something to marvel at, with the HD graphics having a clarity of vision that’s pleasing to see as the game progresses from its initial crack of light pervading the screen.
Whether it’s a crackling fire, a foreboding environment or lightning hanging in the air, the game mails the atmosphere with ease - and transports the player without any concerns.
For those unfamiliar with the 2009 original, the land of Boletaria is under threat from "the old one" and it’s up to you to slay it and restore peace.
So far, so nefarious and familiar.
As ever, combat is as punishing as you’d expect from the genre with deaths feeling genuinely like they’re your fault as you pressed the wrong button or moved at the wrong time.
Loss is to be learned from and while the game doesn’t hold your hand, it does still feel like a reward when you progress.
But that’s a hard road and as ever with the Souls series the casual gamer will feel lost, unable to attain a sense of gaming worth and a degree of satisfaction with the punishing stakes and grit of grind.
Ultimately, if you’re willing to invest in the technically superior remaster then it will reward your efforts.
In fact you could say the PlayStation 5 version of this once hated now beloved classic will enrich more than just a Demon's Soul.
A review key for Demon's Souls was provided by PlayStation New Zealand.
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