Bluepoint Games, the developer behind remasters such as Flower, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, and Shadow of the Colossus, has teased a big new project that many believe could be a remaster of Demon’s Souls. While the game has been requested as a remaster ever since the Dark Souls games were brought to modern consoles, I wonder if you’d rather replay the game with slightly better visuals, or simply play a sequel?
The Remaster
Demon’s Souls is the game that really kicked off the popularity of the soulslike genre. It introduced gamers on the Playstation 3 to a world of pain that was as unforgiving as the stone the castles in the title’s opening area were built from. Many players immediately discounted the game for being broken, but those who persevered formed the first part of the fanbase that went on to enjoy the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and most recently Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
As the genre becomes more mainstream, a growing number of people are coming back to play these games. Right now the Bloodborne community is holding their yearly event in which they return to the game to welcome new players, and reinvigorate the servers for cooperative and competitive gameplay. It’s these fans that are excited to see a remaster of Demon’s Souls, because while they might have gone back to the Playstation 3 version and played it through extensively, they’d love to see something a bit prettier.
All of this stems from an interview between WIRED and Marco Thrush, President of Bluepoint Games. He was asked, regarding the Playstation 5, if the studio was working on anything for the console, and replied by simply stating that their current project is a big one. Ending by saying that everyone will need to figure the rest out. There have been rumours of the developer working on a Demon’s Souls remaster for some time now, which are only fuelled by the fact that Bluepoint Games mainly work on Sony properties. Even though From Software created Demon’s Souls, it’s a Sony IP, so it’s not entirely out of the question for a remaster to be on the cards as a Playstation 5 launch title for Christmas 2020.
The Sequel
While all of this information almost certainly points to a remaster of Demon’s Souls, there is definitely a part of the soulslike community who would rather have a sequel. It’s not because they don’t want to return to Demon’s Souls, it’s because they want something new.
The best thing about soulslike games is the mystery of starting a new one. Everyone knows by now that if you’re playing one of these games, you’ll be encountering extremely tough enemies, and then a ridiculously huge boss right when you least expect it. Personally that’s my favourite part of the genre, and I actively avoid guides or pre-release material in the hopes of not ruining anything for myself, such as the look of each boss, or even the arena some bosses are fought in.
A Demon’s Souls sequel would provide a brand new game to explore. Between Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3, there are three totally different worlds to explore, and the same could be true of Demon’s Souls should a sequel come along. With the pedigree they have in this genre, From Software could create something that’s very similar, but also totally different to Dark Souls, appeasing both Dark Souls fans, and their wider fanbase who simply want a new game.
The Reality
It’s Bluepoint Games who has made the comment here, not From Software, so I’m under no illusion that there is a sequel to Demon’s Souls on the way. I just think that for the Playstation 5, Sony would want something that’s totally fresh, and something that would draw in a crowd of gamers who are a fan of the soulslike genre, but not necessarily Playstation fans. This would help them achieve big sales for the launch of the new console, and possibly help the Playstation 5 beat Project Scarlett in the Christmas sales period.
Sony’s Playstation 4 has been the dominant console of this generation. However, history shows that the dominant console for one generation doesn’t ensure that the next iteration of that console will also be the dominant one in the following generation. In fact, history shows quite the opposite, with Sony and Microsoft, and occasionally Nintendo, swapping in and out as the best platform holder for each generation. If Sony wants to start the Playstation 5 off with something big, something that will draw in an audience that is dedicated to a certain type of game, then they want to make a Demon’s Souls sequel.
However, none of this is to say that Bluepoint Games isn’t making a Demon’s Souls remaster for Playstation 4 right now. That game could be the catalyst that drives the new generation of Playstation gamers leading up to the launch of the Playstation 5. The Last Of Us, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag all launched for Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 right at the end of the former’s life cycle. We’re approaching the end for the Playstation 4, when games look and play their best on the hardware available, so we should expect a Demon’s Souls remaster. However, I think we should also expect a multi-generation release, with a version coming to Playstation 5 soon after launch, if not at launch.
Let us know if you’d buy a Playstation 5 for a Demon’s Souls remaster or sequel in the comments.