I'm actually a little late talking about this game since I am now on #Elden_Ring. But the original PS3 game was a good and, unfortunately, an unsung hero of the Souls genre. So how does the PS5 fair in comparison? Well, let me just talk about it for a bit and let's see.
It is more or less the same game. Bluepoint stayed loyal to the original but that doesn't mean they didn't deviate from a few ("MINOR"/MAJOR) things. So what were they?
The one thing I want ot point out first and foremost is that some of the vibe that made the original so meaningful kind of lost its charm. The music definitely felt off--not bad--but definitely didn't capture some of the classic feelings that the original did. The opening music and the Maiden Astrea boss battle definitely lacked that feel. I'm not opposed to changing thing a bit but I feel there were some drastic changes with the music that really tipped it away from the original Demon's Souls ambiance.
The voice acting clearly were different--some of the actors/actresses reprised their roles some didn't. While not too jarring, there are some moments that really took me away form the original magic. Some of the Maiden in Black's delivery was a bit too subtle and lacking the original flare while Astrea's delivery was muddled by music and just didn't deliver like the original. Let me rephrase that they are not at all badly done just not to the par that I remember.
Gameplay wise it is definitely the same. Same clunky, almost outdated gameplay that really defined the Souls-genre at its first few steps. Every bit of what made the PS3 version hard and broken remained in the game--well almost everything--there were a few really big holes that I never knew about that were patched and some kept in.
Graphics-wise, this thing got an overhaul and it is gorgeous! It's definitely the first game that I played on my #PS5 on next-gen caliber graphics and I am impressed. The character models are all done so well and a far-cry from their original versions. Then everything else in terms of aesthetics just looks amazing. The special effects are great, the enemies are terrifying and amazing, and the environment are just as intimidating as it was some odd years ago. Bluepoint definitely did FromSoftware a huge homage with the prettier graphics that's for sure! Oh, and photo-mode! That's fun!
As an added bonus, they did some artwork of some the characters, the 'making-of' and a some other cool things that I really enjoyed.
The Penetrator's armor is also usable now--an added bonus that Bluepoint did.
And I can't not go through Demon's Souls without talking about Astrea and Garland. While they didn't do the ambiance of their boss battle nearly as good as the original PS3 version, I'm glad that the overhaul done to both was handled with care. I knew Garland was going to look amazing but with Astrea, it could have gone wrong--so glad the direction they went aesthetically didn't disappoint.
Then, of course, there is the Maiden in Black. It's quite obvious that I adore her and I was/am very critical with the things they did with her for the remake. As the first Level-Up Lady, she had to be done with homage and plenty of love. For the most part, they really did her well. I have my gripes with the VA's line delivery, but all in all, I'm glad it is still the same actress all the same!
Seriously though, who could have chosen to hack her down!?
Photo mode definitely did its justice, that's for sure!
I know, it's a montage of the Maiden in Black rather than a review of Demon's Souls. But she was a big part of the game for me!
Faltering with the ambiance, some of the delivery, and a definite missed opportunity with redoing the broken Archstone, the Demon's Souls Remake is not without its flaws. But at the end of the day, it does remain a loyal remake of the PS3 classic. With beautiful graphics, same gameplay (clunky controls and all), and keeping most of the VA's, Bluepoint did its best with what FromSoftware had--with a few liberties here and there, I still think it's worth it. I am glad it came out and it's given some people the chance to experience where the Souls-genre came from. Ironically, from this to Elden Ring... wooo!
Until Next Time!
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