This review contains spoilers
I've never played the original Demon's Souls, but being a fan of the Soulsborne series I was eager to play this after finally getting a PS5. From what I understand Bluepoint made mostly visual changes so I won't comment on those,, and tried to replicate the gameplay of the original with shiny new graphics.
I finally understand the indignation fans of Demon's Souls have that its been largely relegated to "Dark Souls Prototype"; its an extremely good game on its own merits. I was pleased that after countless playthroughs of Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Dark Souls 1-3 that's DeS doesn't baby the player with checkpoints and excessive shortcuts like it does in say Sekiro or Dark Souls 2. The game demands you fight from boss fight to boss fight, and it was a welcome challenge, adding extra layers of satisfaction such as when I beat the Penetrator and was delighted I didn't have to get past the 3 red knights that sat in front of his boss door anymore.
I found all of the levels visually interesting and varied, and to steal a line from matthewmatosis, found it refreshing that the levels felt designed like a real world place instead of seeming designed for the players convenience.
I liked all of the boss fights. Even tougher fights like the Maneaters or Flamelurker. This game made me come to the conclusion that Soulsborne fans need to stop complaining about "gimmick bosses". I was intrigued by how interesting the Archdemons were, and would have looked at the game less favorably if they were all basically the same as the Old King Allant fight. I'm now wondering if later entries that are stuffed with 1vs1 dodge roll boss fights is to the series detriment, even if I do love many of those fights.
Not everything with Demon's Souls lands, however. The estus system is already fantastic design, but getting rid of the grass makes it a home run. My playthrough was somewhat marred by the dread that dying after healing several times means that I wasted healing that I would have to eventually farm for. I also found the boss run to Old Monk to be incredibly tedious, not to mention Astraea's Plague Pit to be incredibly annoying considering you had to talk to her before she killed herself.
Overall, having finally experienced Demon's Souls, even if it's not the original, I can only applaud FromSoft's risky venture for getting so much right and providing the solid foundation to my favorite game series. The visuals are also utterly fantastic, and Bluepoint should be commended for this.
I finally understand the indignation fans of Demon's Souls have that its been largely relegated to "Dark Souls Prototype"; its an extremely good game on its own merits. I was pleased that after countless playthroughs of Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Dark Souls 1-3 that's DeS doesn't baby the player with checkpoints and excessive shortcuts like it does in say Sekiro or Dark Souls 2. The game demands you fight from boss fight to boss fight, and it was a welcome challenge, adding extra layers of satisfaction such as when I beat the Penetrator and was delighted I didn't have to get past the 3 red knights that sat in front of his boss door anymore.
I found all of the levels visually interesting and varied, and to steal a line from matthewmatosis, found it refreshing that the levels felt designed like a real world place instead of seeming designed for the players convenience.
I liked all of the boss fights. Even tougher fights like the Maneaters or Flamelurker. This game made me come to the conclusion that Soulsborne fans need to stop complaining about "gimmick bosses". I was intrigued by how interesting the Archdemons were, and would have looked at the game less favorably if they were all basically the same as the Old King Allant fight. I'm now wondering if later entries that are stuffed with 1vs1 dodge roll boss fights is to the series detriment, even if I do love many of those fights.
Not everything with Demon's Souls lands, however. The estus system is already fantastic design, but getting rid of the grass makes it a home run. My playthrough was somewhat marred by the dread that dying after healing several times means that I wasted healing that I would have to eventually farm for. I also found the boss run to Old Monk to be incredibly tedious, not to mention Astraea's Plague Pit to be incredibly annoying considering you had to talk to her before she killed herself.
Overall, having finally experienced Demon's Souls, even if it's not the original, I can only applaud FromSoft's risky venture for getting so much right and providing the solid foundation to my favorite game series. The visuals are also utterly fantastic, and Bluepoint should be commended for this.