Demon's Souls Critic Reviews

Bluepoint Games has proved itself once more, nailing Demon’s Souls with a remake on the same level as Shadow of the Colossus. At this point, I’d hand the developer the keys to everything. Let the studio make a 60fps Bloodborne. Give them Metal Gear Solid. Let’s have a Bluepoint Games Ico. Demon’s Souls is the best PS5 game you can play at launch, and I’m sure it will go down in history as one of the best launch titles of all time. The Old One has awoken and I hope this review feeds it more souls. It deserves a full belly.

It’s hard to imagine a better version of this game. Bluepoint established itself as the master of the remake with Shadow Of The Colossus, but in Demon’s Souls, they’ve produced a launch game that’s going to be hard to beat for several years.

Teensy quibbles aside, it’s difficult to imagine how this Demon’s Souls remake could be any better. It looks great, it sounds even better, and it’s extremely respectful of the PS3 original, which has aged surprisingly well after all these years. This is an exceptional remake, and it’s exactly what Demon’s Souls deserves.

The best thing about this wonderful remake is that it truly feels like a new "Souls" game, rather than an old one being brought back to life. The graphics are incredible, the music is wonderful and the kingdom of Boletaria was recreated beautifully by Bluepoint Games. If you managed to get a PS5, but still haven't played this game, you're wasting your time.

An absolute blueprint on how to remake a beloved title and meaningfully improve upon on it in ways that new cutting edge technologies make possible, Demon's Souls on PlayStation 5 is more than just the best launch game for any system in recent memory. Its re-emergence and digestible approach to its seemingly daunting challenge now opens the door once more to an all-new generation of PlayStation gamers to a kickstart a second coming for Souls subgenre. Demon's Souls is nothing less than a breathless triumph in every way.

It's a game that deserves to be elevated beyond the jokes and seen as a genuine piece of video game art. I would be very interested if those who have come to the Souls series later will find the deliberately unpolished elements of this remake to be as appealing, but given that FromSoftware will almost certainly never touch the King's Field series again, for me, personally, this is as good as it's ever going to get. As a PlayStation 5 launch title, it's a fascinating example of something that is both deliberately old and a brilliant use of the console's very new hardware, and brought together, Demon's Souls is reason enough to own the console, all into itself.

Demon’s Souls is a masterpiece. Bluepoint Games has crafted a beautiful remake that embodies everything that made the original experience so special, maintaining all of its vital elements while building upon everything that matters. This can proudly join Breath of the Wild as one of the best launch games of all time.

No longer soul of the lost, and withdrawn from its (PS3) vessel, Bluepoint has transformed a cult classic into a modern next-gen marvel.

If you’re a seasoned Souls-like fan, then it’s worth picking up a PS5 just for Demon’s Souls. If not, I still recommend having your passport stamped in Boletaria, but know what you’re getting into beforehand and proceed with caution … and plenty of Moon Grass.

Though somewhat stylistically uneven, Demon’s Souls PS5 manages to capture the spirit of the original game. The experience is certainly not for everyone, but if you manage to get your head around its steep learning curve and obtuse mechanics, Demon’s Souls will give you a rewarding experience, seeped in an unrelenting and oppressive atmosphere that you will almost certainly never forget.

Fans of the Souls genre will fall in love with Demon's Souls, and anyone who picks it up and manages to push through the fog of challenge will find a stunning world of danger and excitement to get lost in.

The best looking console game I’ve ever played, and one that can easily stand toe-to-toe with the best the PC world has to offer — and I can play it on a big-screen from the comfort of my couch. Bluepoint knocked it out of the park so far the ball killed someone in a distant suburb.

The Demon's Souls remake on PlayStation 5 is almost the exact same experience, gameplay-wise, as the 2009 PlayStation 3 original. And considering how great the original Demon's Souls was, the Demon's Souls remake on PS5 is an easy recommendation. Imagine one of the best and most influential games ever made, but with significantly improved graphics, and that sums up the Demon's Souls remake perfectly. It's the PlayStation 5's first must-have exclusive game, and it should leave fans very excited to see what developer Bluepoint Games decides to work on next.

While the idea of a Western studio completely reworking what is arguably FromSoftware’s most important title ever was initially worrying for many fans, what Bluepoint Games has accomplished with Demon’s Souls is something special. This is a game that honors its origins without being afraid to also modernize them, and though it might not offer enough modernization for some, this is probably the best balance between keeping what works and upgrading what didn’t that we could have gotten.

Demon’s Souls is an incredibly faithful and gorgeous remake of one of the greatest games of all time. Bluepoint pulled off something incredible, all while under the pressure of being a launch title for an entirely new generation of hardware. Demon’s Souls feels genuinely Next-Gen and is in no way held back by the bones of the PS3 version. Demon’s Souls is the perfect PS5 launch title and the definite From Software game. For long-time Souls players, Demon’s Souls feels like coming home. For new players, there has never been a better time or a better entry to find your way into the dark fantasy worlds that From Software creates.

The Demon’s Souls remake may flip perspectives on the Souls series once you’ve finished it. Instead of being a game that’s tough to go back to, its polish and refinement will make it hard to return to Lordran or Drangleic even if another game still ranks higher than Demon’s Souls. Completing the first playthrough is really just the start of Demon’s Souls, and with more replayability than ever before, it’s going to keep people dancing between the Archstones for a long time.

While the journey through Demon’s Souls is one that has resulted in much frustration and higher blood pressure than I would normally put myself through just to play a video game, it is a wonderful showcase of what the PS5 can do and the perfect game for those that want to challenge themselves. Combined with the impressive graphical quality and those incredibly fast loading speeds, you have the perfect fodder for the ‘onebro’ that secretly lives inside you.

Slay demons, grow your strength, and save the land of Boletaria once more in a faithful remake of a Souls classic. An incredible makeover with the original spirit kept intact provides a challenge unfit for the faint of heart, but the more rewarding for it.

The latest game developed by Blue Point is the first real next gen title; one that will probably be the new benchmark for PS5 games for the time being.

This PlayStation 5 remake is a blessing for those of us who traveled through Boletaria 11 years ago.