Demon's Souls

 PlayStation 5
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3618 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,856 out of 3618
  2. Mixed: 207 out of 3618
  3. Negative: 555 out of 3618
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  1. andrilitvynchuk
    Aug 13, 2023
    5
    The worst souls game for me. The mechanic of pure/dark tendency is crap. You can't get platinum without guides, also there are truly overpowered weapons. Some bosses are challenging but most distances to a boss take more time than boss
  2. rmcf13
    Aug 8, 2023
    5
    Looks gorgeous, but bogged down by a terrible camera, archaic gameplay, and bad bosses. The contrast between demon's souls and recent fromsoft games like bloodborne, DS3, and sekiro is really stark. Bluepoint wasted a great chance to bring the demon's souls gameplay into 2020 along with its graphics.
  3. NeverCasual
    Aug 7, 2023
    7
    I have very mixed feelings about the game after finishing the platinum in 3 playthroughs (2 NG+ Cycles).
    The bosses being more mechanical than the bosses in later Souls games was something I needed to get used to. Once you figure out the mechanics you will never die to most bosses again... except for one... the infamous maneater...
    If you think maneater was bad on ng, it is nowhere near    I have very mixed feelings about the game after finishing the platinum in 3 playthroughs (2 NG+ Cycles).
    The bosses being more mechanical than the bosses in later Souls games was something I needed to get used to. Once you figure out the mechanics you will never die to most bosses again... except for one... the infamous maneater...
    If you think maneater was bad on ng, it is nowhere near the experience you will have on ng+ or ng++ and it is astonishing that they have not made any changes to the bossfight or at least increased the width of the bridge. It is borderline RNG which attacks he does and if you get hit, you'll more often than not drop off the bridge. Yet this is not the worst part, since you can learn to dodge or block the attacks. Once the fight starts, a timer starts for a second maneater to appear. If you are unlucky and the initial maneater decides to do more aerial attacks, during which he can only be hit by spells and arrows or he just flies off and you'll have a horrible experience when the timer runs out and you have to fight 2 of them at the same time. If you melee only on the NG+ you'll hit your wall here.
    The combat in general is fine. iframes feel much shorter than in other games of the souls series though I have not done any research here. Unfortunately tight corridors make it much less interesting and more often than not you'll just hit behind your shield and let enemies hit first. The amount of ranged enemies you'll encounter in these corridors will also leave you with mixed feelings about the game.
    The soul-form mechanic (getting a 50% health penalty for dying) seems stupid to me, especially for people new to souls games but if you are a souls veteran it will not influence your gameplay whatsoever as bosses are mechanical and require a less reactive playstyle.
    The hardest encounters in the game are the 5 Pure-Black-World-Tendency Phantoms. They are no joke in NG+ cycles. If you get hit, you die, they have massive healthpools and defenses and one of them almost instant heals once he reaches 30% so good luck with that :)
    The overall experience is good tho and as long as it is on PS Plus Extra I recommend playing it. NG is fun and the experience is pretty good (based on NG only it is a solig 9/10). Only NG+ Cycles and make the game much less enjoyable at many points and Magic builds start to massively outperform traditional melee builds.    … Expand
  4. alex82101
    Aug 6, 2023
    7
    The game has beautiful graphics but the gameplay sadly is the first iteration of the Souls genre, hence it is not very engaging or fluid. The game also suffers from tedious runs to bosses if you die and do not manage to kill the boss. Instead of practicing to kill the boss, you have to go through a gauntlet of annoying enemies and only make it to the boss half of the time.
  5. Flounder
    Apr 29, 2023
    6
    Overall I de say demon souls is a loving remake of the original, and I can tell regardless of not playing the original, I just however feal like it is a weak souls game, and no I dont mean its too hard, I ve had a much easier time with this game then even elden ring, my problem with this game is just how unintresthing the gimics are and how annoying actually getting to the bosses is.Overall I de say demon souls is a loving remake of the original, and I can tell regardless of not playing the original, I just however feal like it is a weak souls game, and no I dont mean its too hard, I ve had a much easier time with this game then even elden ring, my problem with this game is just how unintresthing the gimics are and how annoying actually getting to the bosses is.
    Firstly by gimics I mean stuff like the spirit system is just not very intresthing, its basically you having less health for most of the game, the world tendancy mechanic can also be very confusing, and gameplay wise it is very rare in this game to feal like you get stronger or get cooler equipment, their is no extremly epic things you can do.
    Secondly getting to the bosses can be such a tedious endevour, like theirs this great boss called the flamelurker, which is a real fun fight to learn but actually getting their in the quickest way involves falling down a shaft were you can very easily miss a ledge and insta die, it is so tediouse, and the bosses themselves arent all that, I ve never level grinded and I changed weapons about 3 times in the whole game yet most of the bosses were either incredibly lame gimmicks or way too easy, their were only a handfull of bosses that were a genuine fun challenge such as the flamelurker, maneater or penetrator, it is really lame how most of the final bosses per world were just painfully easy gimmicks like playing red light green light with the dragon god, or using a new weapon to shoot the enemy in the sky that cant rl hurt you.
    I feel like I may be judging this game unfairly since the last souls like I played was elden ring, and I kept comparing it to that, but I just feal like this game is just one of the most boring souls like a played, were most of the frustration comes from the level design rather then the challenge of the bosses.    … Expand
  6. YFA
    Apr 19, 2023
    7
    I love love souls/souls-like games, I played DS3, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring, and more, and all of them are amazing in their own way. but I don't know why demon's souls just didn't hit for me :/ I mean it's an okay game I guess, clearly the graphics is amazing and it's on next-gen level and the frames are stable, but somehow the game felt empty? not the environment though, the gameI love love souls/souls-like games, I played DS3, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Elden Ring, and more, and all of them are amazing in their own way. but I don't know why demon's souls just didn't hit for me :/ I mean it's an okay game I guess, clearly the graphics is amazing and it's on next-gen level and the frames are stable, but somehow the game felt empty? not the environment though, the game itself feels empty, I'm planning to give it another shot after a year since I first played it, so hopefully, this time I'll love it.… Expand
  7. jaymeehuynh
    Apr 13, 2023
    7
    Didn’t play the original so i kind of enjoyed it. Givin this a 7 since the tendency system is such a pain in the ass and the game is quite shorter than i expected, only took 30 hours to finish while other soul games took me more than 60hours for one play through and i alrdy dont feel like going for ng+, the lore isn’t that deep enough to make me want to explore more
  8. Aqua678
    Apr 12, 2023
    7
    Still a good game on its own, but definitely the weakest compared to Fromsoftware's other titles. The bosses are rather straightforward and won't demand too much of the player, and the combat, whilst fun to a degree, lacks the captivating nature that Fromsoftware's other games have. I'd recommend getting this when it's on sale.
  9. maddiplomat
    Mar 28, 2023
    5
    Skip this! Play another FromSoft game instead. Compared to DS3/Bloodborne, this game seems like an empty tech demo. The only superb thing are the graphics. Bosses are decent but mostly boring and dumb. Regular combat feels VERY dated and enemy AI is beyond terrible. Level design is somewhat decent but the world doesn't seem connected at all. Some levels just feel like a walking simulator.Skip this! Play another FromSoft game instead. Compared to DS3/Bloodborne, this game seems like an empty tech demo. The only superb thing are the graphics. Bosses are decent but mostly boring and dumb. Regular combat feels VERY dated and enemy AI is beyond terrible. Level design is somewhat decent but the world doesn't seem connected at all. Some levels just feel like a walking simulator. Camera is horrible. You were warned!… Expand
  10. JesseDillinger
    Mar 21, 2023
    7
    First trying it I was getting my ass kicked so hard. I had just started it after playing Sekiro for many hours and the gameplay was SO slow to me at first. Once I got used to it I started to like the game more. The levels are alright. I can't really say much other than this game is ok. It's definitely my least favorite of the 4 FromSoft games I've played so far. Some bosses aren't bad. TheFirst trying it I was getting my ass kicked so hard. I had just started it after playing Sekiro for many hours and the gameplay was SO slow to me at first. Once I got used to it I started to like the game more. The levels are alright. I can't really say much other than this game is ok. It's definitely my least favorite of the 4 FromSoft games I've played so far. Some bosses aren't bad. The final boss is really cool but EVERY boss in this game is extremely easy. I didn't really even use magic. I wasn't very over leveled. The bosses just weren't hard. The levels were annoying af though. The walk of shame back to the boss was 10 times harder than the boss itself.… Expand
  11. Rasengan69
    Jan 29, 2023
    7
    This game looks amazing on screen. But I'm that guy that just wishes I could enjoy a wonderful souls game and everything in it without the extreme difficulty. My haven of gaming isn't where I like to be punished or challenged. It's my time away from all of that.
  12. JaDm
    Jan 18, 2023
    7
    Nice game with nice graphics. but there are big problems with balance. Plus unpleasant things like farming grass for healing, which does not fall in all locations
  13. MingledLotus24
    Dec 30, 2022
    6
    Visually - one of the best games i ever saw. Definitely a ps5 showcase Same goes for sound. Gameplay might be a bit better. I don’t understand why people praise this game so much. Gameplay is good but not THAT good. And i deducted a couple points because this is a remake. Also they don’t have Ukrainian - a minus for me. I played it in sony ps subscription - this is a plus.
  14. DucHuyNgo
    Dec 17, 2022
    7
    i finished this game, this is my first and last time playing souls game by fromsoftware
  15. Crimson9
    Dec 12, 2022
    6
    This seems to be the age of remakes. There have been remakes that have massively overhauled the gameplay but kept the plot and atmosphere of the original intact (Resident Evil 2), there have been remakes that are remakes in name only and are technically a completely new game (Final Fantasy 7), and so on. Of all of these, Demon Souls remake is probably the most faithful. It is a completelyThis seems to be the age of remakes. There have been remakes that have massively overhauled the gameplay but kept the plot and atmosphere of the original intact (Resident Evil 2), there have been remakes that are remakes in name only and are technically a completely new game (Final Fantasy 7), and so on. Of all of these, Demon Souls remake is probably the most faithful. It is a completely new game, built from scratch. And yet the developer seems to have spent all their time and effort in replicating the old game, rather than creating something new. While the commitment to preservation is admirable, Souls has evolved since Demon souls and its shocking that the developers did not make any changes to the 2009 formula.

    Shockingly, the one thing they changed is the atmosphere, which is the one thing that didnt need to be changed.

    Overall, the original game gets an 8 for its originality, but it hasnt aged exceptionally. considering this is the same game, minus the originality, its a 6 for me.    … Expand
  16. Andrei20
    Dec 2, 2022
    7
    The game itself is clearly dated in terms of bosses and combat, but besides the absolutely breathtaking graphics that bluepoint provided us with, the game shines in terms of that unique exploration that would go on to influence the masterpiece that Dark Souls 1 was. Its still one of my least favorite souls games, but that doesn't really say much considering that they're all amazing gamesThe game itself is clearly dated in terms of bosses and combat, but besides the absolutely breathtaking graphics that bluepoint provided us with, the game shines in terms of that unique exploration that would go on to influence the masterpiece that Dark Souls 1 was. Its still one of my least favorite souls games, but that doesn't really say much considering that they're all amazing games in their own way.… Expand
  17. efano_mar05
    Nov 25, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excelentes gráficas, mecánicas de juego innovadoras, pero no es mi tipo de juego. Prefiero juegos tipo check point en el que revives en el último punto de partida, pero acá debes comenzar desde cero siempre y me hacía desesperar por tener que hacer todo de nuevo. Me gustan los retos pero éste juego era otro nivel.… Expand
  18. Top1saraya_
    Nov 23, 2022
    7
    ---------------------
    / My score - 7 /
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  19. Robephiles
    Jul 23, 2022
    6
    This game is an absolutely gorgeous remake of the original Demon's Souls, which I had never played. One of the problems for me was that it included all the frustrating elements of the original, and this was especially clear right after playing Elden Ring. Part of my mixed review is that I was comparing the most accessible souls game to a remake of the least accessible one, but the gameThis game is an absolutely gorgeous remake of the original Demon's Souls, which I had never played. One of the problems for me was that it included all the frustrating elements of the original, and this was especially clear right after playing Elden Ring. Part of my mixed review is that I was comparing the most accessible souls game to a remake of the least accessible one, but the game also has a lot of very dull bosses. The mechanic of world tendency is obviously dumb, and I'm glad they ditched it and never went back to it. Still, this a must play for all hardcore souls fans, and you know who you are, but for people who are easily frustrated with these games, I would say stay away.… Expand
  20. Blue9710x
    Jun 17, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just want to put it out there before I go deep into the review, I want to state that I didn't play the original game so I can't compare the two. Now that I got that out of the way, Demon's Souls is a game with a ton of great ideas that although a few hits, many of its ideas are misses. The graphics and world of the world and enemies is jaw droppingly gorgeous. Many enemies and locales look like they were ripped out of real life. The combat, although a little too defensive for me, is still pretty fun in most cases and the world surrounding Demon's Souls is very intriguing. I really like the Nexus, a hub world that should be the standard for every hub world. Some of the things I don't like are the unexplained world tendency system, the health bar being lowered while in soul form, and most importantly the bosses. Although with a few of them I saw massive potential like the Old Hero and Old Hero or I liked their fights like with the Tower Knight and Flamelurker, most boss fights were either frustrating, boring, or straight up bad. The Dragon God is virtually impossible unless you know how to get past him and even then actually killing him is not even slightly thrilling. Leachmonger and the Dirty Colluses are essentially the same boss fight but with a different design. Although I overall think the game is enjoyable and is beautiful to look at, the game is kinda niche and not for everyone.… Expand
  21. gillibrand
    Jun 13, 2022
    6
    This game is just OK, If you're not already a big Souls fan, skip it.

    PRO - Great graphics. - Shortest load times of any Souls game... by far. CONS - Disconnected world (separate levels). - Mostly forgettable bosses I beat in one or two tries. Tower knight was good. Maneater was a real challenge (but on a damn bridge!). - Grinding money for grass (health). The estus flask system    This game is just OK, If you're not already a big Souls fan, skip it.

    PRO
    - Great graphics.
    - Shortest load times of any Souls game... by far.

    CONS
    - Disconnected world (separate levels).
    - Mostly forgettable bosses I beat in one or two tries. Tower knight was good. Maneater was a real challenge (but on a damn bridge!).
    - Grinding money for grass (health). The estus flask system is way better.
    - Too many friggin' upgrade materials.
    - *Way* too much of the game is spent on narrow bridges, tight hallways, and staircases. Places where you can barely fight. Frustrating and not fun. Before Maneater there's a red phantom on a huge staircase. No room to roll so you just need to snipe with arrows... every time. Not fun. Seriously, this is like a stair climb simulator at times.

    Play DS3 instead. It runs great on PS5.    … Expand
  22. benyamxn
    May 19, 2022
    7
    The remake itself is quite decent, minus some exceptions. My main problem is with the marketing around the game.

    1- It is not worth $70 2- There are timed or pay-wall exclusive in-game items that are not otherwise obtainable 3- It doesn't improve on the original game in any meaningful ways; although makes good use of PS5 bells and whistles, enough to satisfy new owners of the console    The remake itself is quite decent, minus some exceptions. My main problem is with the marketing around the game.

    1- It is not worth $70
    2- There are timed or pay-wall exclusive in-game items that are not otherwise obtainable
    3- It doesn't improve on the original game in any meaningful ways; although makes good use of PS5 bells and whistles, enough to satisfy new owners of the console
    4- The release window and console shortages killed off the multiplayer activity too soon    … Expand
  23. DarisW
    May 11, 2022
    7
    Proto-darksouls which is must play for the Souls series fans, done breathtakingly beautiful for PS5 but gameplay have some flaws that From's fixed in their later games. Premium for the worst swamp poison location⭐
  24. PhillusMaximus
    Apr 14, 2022
    6
    I liked the original one more.

    Yes it is visually magnificent, but playing this remake - kinda felt off. Like, it doesn't fit the scenery imo. It is just "too crisp" and looks at times "too realistic" for this dark fantasy epos the souls series has created. Even the sound desgin, which is objectively phenomenal, smh misses the vibe. I mean it's just a little magic beam, not a ****    I liked the original one more.

    Yes it is visually magnificent, but playing this remake - kinda felt off.
    Like, it doesn't fit the scenery imo. It is just "too crisp" and looks at times "too realistic" for this dark fantasy epos the souls series has created.
    Even the sound desgin, which is objectively phenomenal, smh misses the vibe.
    I mean it's just a little magic beam, not a **** laser blaster.
    Why give it such a heavy explosion sound.
    Made me think what the harry potter films would have been like, if they were made by Michael Bay..

    Last thing that got me a little upset is, that it seemed like they really put 98% of their budget into the graphics and sound rework.
    There were (and still are) so many bugs and glitches that already occured in the original one, that just got imported into better graphics.

    I would have much rather seen a completely new game with these graphics and sound design, which wouldn't even have taken that more effort than this remake (concept design aside).
    But I know that wasn't possible, as it was sony that wanted this remake to happen and bluepoint just got the acceptance.
    So I'm excited what the game they now started to develop (hopefully a fresh IP) is gonna turn out, as their work an Demon Souls seem to have gotten more acknowledgement than their previous reworks / remastereds.    … Expand
  25. MedNow
    Apr 6, 2022
    7
    I really like the ambiance en scenery from the game. Although for me there is one major downside to the gameplay. Each level has only one place to respawn which is awesome because there is some insanely smart level design that lets you create shortcuts. But for some bosses you need to travel through half the level to get there. After dying again, and againg and againg. I don't mind dying aI really like the ambiance en scenery from the game. Although for me there is one major downside to the gameplay. Each level has only one place to respawn which is awesome because there is some insanely smart level design that lets you create shortcuts. But for some bosses you need to travel through half the level to get there. After dying again, and againg and againg. I don't mind dying a lot as I am supposed to in a Souls game, but tracking through the level just feels like a waste of time and took a lot of fun out of the game for me.
    Other then that It's still worth it    … Expand
  26. MONKEZ
    Feb 25, 2022
    5
    Amazing game and i loved her too and the boss fight very nice and it is first game soul i had played
  27. meyerpark
    Feb 24, 2022
    5
    Really good game! I love it as much as Dark Souls. But i think i prefer the Ninja Gaiden more. So this is 5/10 for me
  28. namelessrequiem
    Feb 8, 2022
    7
    7/10, this definitely felt like the easiest souls game, fun but barely challengeable
  29. PabloGilvan
    Feb 8, 2022
    7
    If you come from a Dark Souls saga, this game is a frustration. Beautiful graphics, but just that. There are only 3 bosses that challenges you and thats it. The only dificulty for this game is the gangspank in the maps with only 2 bonfires between a horde of enemies and a cenario that has a goal of killing you in every way possible.
  30. omnivoid
    Feb 2, 2022
    5
    One of the best games I've ever played! Amazing graphics, addictive gameplay and great replayability.
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2020
1
#1 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 100 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 100 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 100
  3. Negative: 0 out of 100
  1. CD-Action
    Jun 9, 2021
    90
    It’s a perfect remake and I think the only people who might be disappointed with it are… the die-hard FromSoftware fans. You see, the new Demon’s Souls shows clearly how much Miyazaki’s games have evolved throughout the years. The Dark Souls series simply does everything better. The remake looks like a prototype in comparison, while still being way ahead of other developers’ achievements in this genre. [01/2021, p.46]
  2. Forbes
    Mar 29, 2021
    90
    Overall, Demon’s Souls is still the most interesting and varied game in the Souls series. This remake not only looks lovely on the PlayStation 5 but is also a joy to play with all the tweaks and improvements that have been introduced. Now if only people would look past its supposed difficulty and see its carefully crafted intricacy instead.
    Read full review
  3. WellPlayed
    Feb 10, 2021
    99
    I went in expecting the world out of the Demon’s Souls remake and it delivered me the galaxy. I don’t normally speak this highly of games, but this is the one exception. Absolutely every facet of the original has been enhanced and it has stood the test of time. Bluepoint has done an incredible job at not only reinvigorating an underappreciated gem, but also leveraging the new technologies afforded to them with Sony’s new system. While there are a couple of minor technical blemishes, they don’t take away from how good of an experience this game is and Bluepoint’s diligence as a developer will surely see these kinks ironed out. This game is a system seller.
    Read full review
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