Demon’s Souls Remake Deserves To Join PlayStation’s Future PC Ports

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Avinash Jaisrani

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Over three years ago, Sony unveiled a new era of PlayStation gaming consoles. Boasting features like an RDNA 2 GPU, a Zen 2 CPU, and a revolutionary IO supported by an incredibly fast SSD, Sony made it clear that the PS5 was not to be taken lightly.

The PS5 was not only technically sound, but it also had an impressive launch lineup to boot. From the highly interactive tech demo Astro’s Playroom to Insomniac’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, this launch lineup was exciting, to say the least.

However, one announcement took the Souls-like fandom by storm. Come the PlayStation Showcase, Sony pulled the curtains off Demon’s Souls, a fully-fledged remake built from the ground up by the talented folks at Bluepoint Games.

Needless to say, I, along with millions worldwide, was ecstatic. Fast-forward to 2024, and I’m still waiting to see this launch title on PC.

Why it matters: PlayStation has pulled out all the stops as it continues to barrage the PC audience with new ports, igniting similar hope for Demon’s Souls.

Proper Next-Gen Experience

I don’t think it would be an understatement to say that the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X have not lived up to their potential. Both consoles have delivered just as big of a hardware jump as the last generation, yet current-gen games look marginally better than their last-gen counterparts.

I did not see this coming in 2020, however, largely because Demon’s Souls was such an achievement on all fronts. The game pulled no punches, and it was easy to see why this launch title skipped the PS4, as opposed to a game like Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

Demon’s Souls lacked new technologies like ray tracing, yet Bluepoint’s wizardry resulted in a release that can still challenge today’s most cutting-edge releases. The remake practically offered real-time gameplay on par with pre-rendered cinematics of old.

Demon’s Souls sets the tone for each level through its gorgeous baked lighting. Small rays of light cut through crevices, particle effects bounce all over the levels, and ghastly shadows are cast across the environments—it’s a truly magical experience.

The environments are further enhanced through tesselated stones for interior surfaces, denser foliage across the board, and incredibly high polygon counts that would not be possible on the original PS3 hardware.

Bluepoint’s makeover for the enemies also made them larger than life, with even earlier bosses like the Vanguard Demon appearing more ominous, their threat exemplified by the meticulously lit boss rooms, environmental destruction, and overhauled animations.

Simply put, Bluepoint’s work put many AAA studios to shame, even if it ultimately failed to capture FromSoftware’s expertly crafted atmosphere.

Anybody excited for the Demon Souls Remake to come to PC and modders to fix its shortcomings?
byu/SecretAntWorshiper indemonssouls

The Game Deserves To Be On More Platforms

At the time of writing, Demon’s Souls is available on two platforms, the PS3 and PS5. The latter will set you back a whopping $450 for its shiny new hardware, while the former may not be able to meet the modern standards of gaming.

In theory, the experience is solid on both platforms, but the PS3 version comes with its own technical challenges, including a not-so-stellar frame rate and the muddy visuals of that era.

With PlayStation bringing the likes of Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Forbidden West, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart to PC, there’s no excuse to ignore Demon’s Souls. As far as I can tell, Bluepoint’s work on the remake would be able to shine even brighter on PC, its strengths exacerbated by more powerful hardware and enhancements to the vanilla settings.

There’s already plenty of demand for this port among the PC crowd, giving PlayStation no reason not to pursue this option.

The Elden Ring Impact

Elden Ring was a behemoth for FromSoftware, one that changed the Souls-like landscape for good. Not only did it take home Game of The Year in 2022 and several other awards, but it also introduced millions to the genre.

You don’t have to take my word for it; major streamers like Kai Cenat have just finished the game and are praising everything FromSoftware achieved in 2022.

However, the point is that Elden Ring’s success goes beyond a single release. A remake like Demon’s Souls, while not the biggest seller on the PS5, will likely benefit from all the buzz created by FromSoftware’s latest and greatest Souls-like.

Elden Ring sat atop the Steam charts for many weeks after its PC launch, so this audience is more than familiar with the genre. If it were ever to be released on PC, Demon’s Souls Remake would become an immediate hit, introducing millions to the game where it all began for FromSoftware.

Avinash Jaisrani

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