Is it worth playing Demon's Souls in 2025?

Demon's Souls was originally released for the PlayStation 3 and remade from the ground up for the PlayStation 5. Fans of the original can expect a faithful reimagining of the fallen kingdom of Boletaria and go back to slay enemies on current-generation hardware.

The remake was released alongside the console, to showcase the PlayStation 5's capabilities. The fans of the original version had nothing but positive things to say about the remake.

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The Demon's Souls remake is a timeless masterpiece

Bluepoint Games nailed the world design and combat of the remake (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

As a brave knight entering hostile territory, players must embark on a journey to defeat a powerful demon known as the Old One and restore the kingdom of Boletaria to its former glory. While the premise is quite exciting, the best parts of the Demon's Souls remake are the same thing that made the original great: the combat.

The DualSense controller is another example of how this remake further immerses the players while in combat. The adaptive triggers are harder to pull down, and the haptic feedback will allow players to feel various magic attacks. Thanks to the impressive horsepower of the PlayStation 5, players can easily dive back in after dying a gruesome death or fast-travel to a different location.

The original Demon's Souls is renowned for its relentless and unforgiving combat system, and the enemies are much more aggressive. Some suggest that Bluepoint Games decreased the difficulty but not enough to notice a drastic change in pacing to maintain the perfect balance. While the players take on the role of a lone knight, the developers stay true to what kind of weapons should be in their loadout.

Players can find or purchase different swords, bows, axes, daggers, and more from distant merchants by using the souls they have slayed in their journey. As they progress, demons and other enemies will be much harder to defeat, and players can upgrade their equipment by visiting blacksmiths and infusing weapons with stones with magical properties.

Players can fight massive dragons and other colossal threats standing in their way. Co-op is another returning feature from the original, which can alloow players to fight demons together or each other by invading their worlds with the Black Eye Stone. In a game full of ruthless and evil demons, it wouldn't be a bad idea to band together to improve each other's chances of winning.

The PlayStation 5 version launched with different modes to accommodate various displays and playstyles. For players more interested in the visuals and willing to trade a few frames for combat, the cinematic mode is perfect with a fixed 4K resolution and 30 FPS. Meanwhile, the performance mode can run the game smoothly at 60 FPS with 4K resolution.

Visuals and graphics may not mean much to the average player, but the developers wanted to give the gaming community a reason to revisit this timeless classic. Bluepoint Games imported most of the original combat data but rerecorded the animations and voice lines with a few of the actors returning.

Some would consider this game a much more tamed version of a hack-and-slash since the attacks are slower than usual. Each swing must be perfectly timed to hit a target; otherwise, it will leave the player vulnerable to incoming attacks. Fortunately, the PlayStation 5 remake feels more responsive than the original version.

Eexplore this action role-playing game in the best way possible (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Bluepoint Games perfectly reimagined the original version of Demon's Souls and gave it the remake it deserves. This project jumpstarted the modern Soulslike genre with the same mechanics, world design, structure, and more. Players can piece the lore together by speaking to different NPCs and visiting ruins, which is what the original director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, wanted to experiment with early on.

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Verdict

The Demon's Souls remake is a treat for returning fans and a great introduction to the PS5 hardware (Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment)

The Demon's Souls remake is the definition of what a remake should be, as it doesn't take away from the core gameplay and improves upon it. Bluepoint Games have made a name for the studio by perfectly remaking beloved classics like Shadow of the Colossus on the PlayStation 4 and showed what they could do on a next-gen console through this project.

Fans of the original can revisit the kingdom of Boletaria and fight demons in the best way possible. New Soulslike fans should check out the game that started it all, as it is worth revisiting in 2025 and beyond.