4.5/5 ★ – PhatBaby's review of Demon's Souls.

Alongside Resident Evil 2, Demon's Souls might be the best remake I've ever played. What Bluepoint Games has created through its resurrection of FromSoft's cult-classic Dark Souls precursor isn't just a solid reimagining of an iconic title. It's one that turns a game renowned for being clunky and tedious into the most technologically proficient next-generation experience you can currently slap your hard-earned cash on. From the slick, 60 FPS gameplay and razer quick load times to the absolutely STUNNING visuals, there's little here that doesn't highlight what a technical powerhouse Bluepoint Games has devised. I want to make it clear, I've never beaten the original game. While I love Hidetaka Miyazaki's work (Sekiro is easily one of my favourite gaming experiences ever and Bloodborne was a treat too), the fantasy focus of Demon/Dark Souls never really vibed with me personally. Finally playing Demon's Souls all the way through, I get the appeal. Sure, it's punishing - although not as much as you may think, with it generally being a pretty approachable entry point for genre newbies. As always, playing through these RPGs instils that gratifying sense of conquering a challenge, as something you once thought insurmountable forces you to adapt, learn, and overcome. But the actual thing that hooked me here was the oppressive atmosphere of Demon's Souls world. Its stunning locales give way to a desolate, depraved hellscape, filled with grotesque body horror, terrifying dungeons filled with equally deplorable monsters and, as always for FromSoft, a nuanced story jampacked with haunting moments (I see you Maiden Astrea, with your goddamn plague baby swamp). Miyazaki is a king at knowing how to set a scene and Demon's Souls is proof that he's intrinsically had that shit down since day one. However, I know a lot of people don't come to these games for the story - mainly because every character speaks like they're stopping themselves from letting out a loud fart. Let's talk about all the ways this game made me want to get in my PJs, find some Ben and Jerrys, and cry on a friend's shoulder for six hours. Yes, Bluepoint has nailed the combat here, and yes, the movement is Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson levels of slick, which helps. But you're gonna hit some obstacles, both of which fall into categories I've dubbed either 'good pain' or 'URGH pain.' Good pain is when you hit level 1-3, right, and you're encountering tough but fair enemies in a well laid out area. Good pain is when you come face to face with the boss of 1-4, and you're up against arguably the toughest boss in the game but one that pushes you to get stronger with each attempt. Good pain is when those fucking athletic, rolly-poll-ass skeletons that were making you look like a bellend in stage 4-1 start learning to fear you and the pimped out Dragon Longsword you patrol around with. Most of Demon's Souls is good pain. But the sad reality of Demon's Souls is that this is a reimagining of a game FILLED with URGH pain, and as such, there's still a hell of a lot of URGH pain residing in here. I see you boss 2-3, with your stupidly hard to gauge eyesight and insta-kill hits. I'm onto you boss 3-2, with your ungodly unsafe lair filled with tight walkways made infuriating by your ability to effortlessly launch me off the edge with little to no effort (your wonky AI doesn't help either...). Oh, and you bet I'll be catching your ass on the streets terrible swamp Archstone, with your egregiously easy to fall off ledges, your mobility-limiting poison marsh and your dimly lit environments. If you're expecting the actual game itself to be refined into something modern, you're gonna be disappointed. This is a remake, and while Bluepoint has done a flawless job at improving combat, inventory, and general clunk, they ain't changed the actual content. But it's easy to forgive seeing as Demon's Souls' elderly brain farts are still littered with silver linings. Sure, a lot of the bosses are gimmicky and - compared to the sometimes gruelling levels that supersede them - a bit of a breeze. But compared to prior Souls games I've played, it offers a lot of diversity and experimentation. Yes, I prefer having bonfires sprinkled throughout a level, but the new approach encourages exploring every nook and cranny of the map instead of pushing on out of fear of death. Of course, it's annoying having to run INCREDIBLY long stretches to re-challenge a troublesome boss but, well actually, no, that is just really goddamn annoying. But I digress. This is an exceptional remake - another in a long line of absolute home runs for Bluepoint Games and yet more proof that Sony should snap these filthy legends up REAL quick (Let's get them on Metal Gear, yeah?). What's here is just a technical powerhouse, a gruelling but compelling RPG, and, above all else, a must-play experience. If you're thinking about what to get on your PlayStation 5 (when you can finally buy one in the weeks to come that is), this is without question THE game to play on next-gen right now. Honestly, I know these titles always look so uninclusive, but this is worth investing in and giving a go. You'll be surprised how easy it is to get sucked into the experience... Oh, and I don't care what all the diehard faithfuls have to say. The music SLAPS SO GOSH-FLIBBITY-FLAM HARD.