Demon's Souls

The Old One reawakens after one incredible, loving makeover

- Oscar Taylor-Kent

We’ve been here before. Boletaria, smothered under a blanket of fog, demons unleashed to reap souls for the awakened Old One. But we’ve never seen it looking quite like this. Bluepoint’s incredibly faithful remake breathes fresh life into the PS3 original, not just turning it into one of the best-looking games we’ve ever seen, but using sumptuous soundscapes and the DualSense controller to create an immersive dark fantasy like no other.

The core of Demon’s Souls doesn’t feel at all tired a little over ten years on. And it’s a core Bluepoint has remained faithful to with every cautious, shield-raised step forward building the remaster. It might look prettier, and quality-of-life changes and minor tweaks have been made, but the soul of Souls is still intact. As is standard these days, you’ve got Performance and Cinematic modes to choose from. Performance runs at 60fps and is the default option here, and we’d recommend it, as it’s eyeball-poppingly good.

CORPSE PARTY

Every stage, no matter how challenging, is a joy to play through, because the mechanics still feel tight enough that the game feels fair (except for the Swamp Of Sorrows, of course). New rolling mechanics are where Bluepoint has deviated the most from the original, allowing for eight direction dodging. Otherwise, though, much is as it was, right down to enemy placement, perhaps a testament to the strength of that original design.