This is my favorite videogame.
Everybody knows the story by now: Sony was working with FromSoftware to develop an RPG to compete with then-Xbox 360 console exclusive Oblivion, development was floundering so Sony wrote the project off as a failure, and Hidetaka Miyazaki - fresh off a mildly divisive run as director of the first two HD Armored Core games - was handed the reins and allowed to do whatever to salvage the project and get it out the door.
It is this specific set of circumstances that allowed Demon's Souls to be as creative as it was, laying the foundation for its spiritual successor Dark Souls to take its ideas from cult classic to mainstream success where Elden Ring was one of the most hotly anticipated games of the 2020s, Miyazaki's name is spoken about in the same circles as Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto, and multiple massive AAA series from multi-billion dollar companies would shift focus to borrow gameplay ideas from it.
It's this set of circumstances that also allowed Demon's Souls to stand as wildly unique even compared to it spiritual kin. It truly is a throw shit at the wall and see what sticks game - every boss explores a different gameplay idea or gimmick, it has a convoluted online system where actions taken in your world can affect other players and open up new side stories, it has a non-linear stage progression where you can effectively play most of the game in whatever order you choose, and so on. True, sometimes these can border on frustrating, but it all adds up to an extremely memorable experience unlike any other game. As early as the first Dark Souls game major strides were taken to make the experience more polished and less obtuse - inarguably the right move, but Demon's Souls was not concerned with such things. It's a game constantly freestyling and throwing new ideas at you faster than they have the chance to grow old.
Of course, the merits of Demon's Souls don't end at its experimental gameplay. FromSoftware's artistic talents made the leap to HD rather gracefully with Armored Core 4 and For Answer being some of the finest looking early PS360 games and Demon's Souls stands as the shining swan song to this era of FromSoft's visuals before its success let Dark Souls make major overhauls to their process. The sectioned off stage approach vs a more open world design lets every environment take a distinct approach to its design, atmosphere, and lighting and makes the world feel so much bigger than just the areas you're allowed to play in. The various monsters and damned souls feel carefully considered for their environment, carefully weaving an unspoken narrative that reflects the state of Boletaria and its surrounding areas. Shunsuke Kida's score, reflecting his lack of experience in videogames, is much different than the bombastic orchestral pieces that would define the later Souls games. The voice acting is performed by British theater and voice actors before that became more commonplace with performances that range from heightened, borderline goofy, to serious and full of gravitas. This all combines to create an amazing atmosphere that sticks with you throughout the game.
idk how to end this accidental essay so yeah Demon's Souls, the best game and my favorite game
Everybody knows the story by now: Sony was working with FromSoftware to develop an RPG to compete with then-Xbox 360 console exclusive Oblivion, development was floundering so Sony wrote the project off as a failure, and Hidetaka Miyazaki - fresh off a mildly divisive run as director of the first two HD Armored Core games - was handed the reins and allowed to do whatever to salvage the project and get it out the door.
It is this specific set of circumstances that allowed Demon's Souls to be as creative as it was, laying the foundation for its spiritual successor Dark Souls to take its ideas from cult classic to mainstream success where Elden Ring was one of the most hotly anticipated games of the 2020s, Miyazaki's name is spoken about in the same circles as Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto, and multiple massive AAA series from multi-billion dollar companies would shift focus to borrow gameplay ideas from it.
It's this set of circumstances that also allowed Demon's Souls to stand as wildly unique even compared to it spiritual kin. It truly is a throw shit at the wall and see what sticks game - every boss explores a different gameplay idea or gimmick, it has a convoluted online system where actions taken in your world can affect other players and open up new side stories, it has a non-linear stage progression where you can effectively play most of the game in whatever order you choose, and so on. True, sometimes these can border on frustrating, but it all adds up to an extremely memorable experience unlike any other game. As early as the first Dark Souls game major strides were taken to make the experience more polished and less obtuse - inarguably the right move, but Demon's Souls was not concerned with such things. It's a game constantly freestyling and throwing new ideas at you faster than they have the chance to grow old.
Of course, the merits of Demon's Souls don't end at its experimental gameplay. FromSoftware's artistic talents made the leap to HD rather gracefully with Armored Core 4 and For Answer being some of the finest looking early PS360 games and Demon's Souls stands as the shining swan song to this era of FromSoft's visuals before its success let Dark Souls make major overhauls to their process. The sectioned off stage approach vs a more open world design lets every environment take a distinct approach to its design, atmosphere, and lighting and makes the world feel so much bigger than just the areas you're allowed to play in. The various monsters and damned souls feel carefully considered for their environment, carefully weaving an unspoken narrative that reflects the state of Boletaria and its surrounding areas. Shunsuke Kida's score, reflecting his lack of experience in videogames, is much different than the bombastic orchestral pieces that would define the later Souls games. The voice acting is performed by British theater and voice actors before that became more commonplace with performances that range from heightened, borderline goofy, to serious and full of gravitas. This all combines to create an amazing atmosphere that sticks with you throughout the game.
idk how to end this accidental essay so yeah Demon's Souls, the best game and my favorite game