Intro:
Demons Souls is a 3rdperson action RPG that created an entire franchise and fan base of sun praising fun loving masochists. When we think of the soul's series, we think of games that are difficult yet fair, and depending on whom you ask, souls players are some the most intense gamers around. Demons Souls found a beautiful balance in difficulty, story and character building that allows the player to have as easy or as difficult of a time as they deem fit.
The World You Build:
Demons Souls is what started it all, the chaotic bosses, the ability to cheese any foe in your way, and the idea of “getting gud”. Demons Souls found a balance between manageable chaos and a sincerity that makes the player come back for more even after dying a multitude of times. Through the chaos, and through that sincerity there is a genuine tale to be told of a game and soon to be games that will change how we look at what is difficult for years to come.
When taking on Demons Souls, I found myself in a space of ease and comfort and let’s be honest, anything after Sekiro is a cakewalk in comparison. After going through all the souls' games including Bloodborne and Sekiro in less than a year, this game made me feel right at home in its disturbingly beautiful landscapes, skeleton covered worlds and subjective storylines. I now see the start, the breath of life of what would become Bloodborne and Elden Ring. Demons Souls, with its only real linear storyline might I add created an environment through world tendencies for me to thrive and find ease or be bashed across the skull with passion. World tendencies might be one of the most meaningful ways I’ve ever seen an approach to the karma system. Yes, we have Fallouts karma system that basically tells you that if you are good great, if you’re bad shame on you but don’t try to be anything in-between because that doesn’t happen. Being human isn’t all black and white, being human has a lot of grey area mixed with harsh realities and choices. Demons Souls allows you to be a perfectly imperfect soul. Each world can have its own tendency, and so can the character. It's all unique just the humans are.
From PS3 To PS5:
Throughout my journey with Demons Souls something very important occurred to me. This remake was the only remake Fromsoftwear has EVER DONE of any of their games. No, I don’t count Dark Souls Remaster, its nowhere near what this remake accomplished. Demons Souls remade vital things, and quality of life aspects that put it on par with how Resident Evil One remake (2002) was approached. Demons Souls is in fact the Resident Evil Remake of the Souls world, improving on many things such as how you move throughout the game where you actually can move swifter, and with ease instead of looking like you're wading through water and, being able to send items now directly to storage instead of having to track back to an arch stone to go to the Nexus, just to name a couple. The controls are smooth (unless your item load is heavy) then your rolls are slow, and you’re running like a lifeguard in Baywatch. The dual sense of the PS5 really comes into play here when interacting with objects, and enemies creating a seamless way to go about this game. The other thing that made me love this game even more than I already do, is the ABUNDANCE of items that you can get to prep for bosses and tough areas, there’s no shortage of goodies around the world.
The Souls Psychology:
Since this is the only Souls game where we get a truly linear story, I would be remiss if I did not mention the psychological abundance that this game offers in its story, motifs and characters. The world tendency is a major one where even though it’s more philosophical than psychological it still deals with some pretty heavy ideas. The player makes the world what it is. You can be pure white, and see the good and experience the good in everything you work towards, or you can be pure black. Being in pure black will make the bosses harder and the struggle that much more significant. You can also be in the middle with some worlds black and some white and some natural. This could be a theory for the soul, creating the balance of what a human is supposed to be, a yin and yang and a balance of all that is good and all that is evil. Even the fact that we have patches first showing up in this game means that we already see how humans are manipulative and will be out for their own good, just as we are for ours. Merchants will do things for us so long as we give them souls, and some will even treat us with such bitterness because they want to be left alone in a world that has seemed to have forgotten them. Even poor Ostrava, turned bitter by the cold hand life had dealt him, and his father succumbing to devouring too many souls to where his own soul and state of mind rotted into nothingness. You are what you consume mentally.
Umbasa:
People love and will fight for this series tooth and nail. We are the soul that is working towards a purpose and a goal. I feel that the bitter sweetness of life is somewhat capture in this game through its chaotic beauty, manageable turmoil and satisfying highs. May we all find our worth, umbasa.
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