Abandoned games: Demons Souls

Abandoned, but not forgotten

By now, every serious gamer is aware of the Souls franchise. Whether you first experienced the series in recent years with Bloodborne/Dark Souls 3, or if you're one of those admirers from the sidelines, there's no denying the impact FromSoftware and the Soulsborne series has made on the gaming industry.

And while in recent months we have celebrated a remaster of the first Dark Souls, did you know that there was yet a masterpiece that came before it? A game that actually set the bar for Dark Souls itself, and perhaps the entire franchise.

So why is it we never hear about this game? Well, Demons Souls was released in 2009 as a Sony exclusive title (much like Bloodborne). It was released with next to no marketing strategy, and it was so unappealing to Sony executives at the time, that they refused to publish it outside of Japan (that was actually covered by Atlus of America in the US, and Bandai Namco in the UK).

What if I told you Sony made a mistake?

Nothing quite like Demons Souls had ever hit the market before. The gameplay was clean and mechanically solid, yet it was incredibly challenging, and at times unforgiving. It was a punishing game that many critics met with high acclaim. It sold over 1 million copies wordwide.

I know what you're thinking 'so what, this is basically Dark Souls before Dark Souls, right?' Well...yes, and no. Yes, if you haven't experience Demons Souls, it does play quite similarly to Dark Souls. That being said, don't just assume that because the name Souls is in the title, you're getting more of the same.

Mechanics
By all means, Demons Souls plays very similarly and feels very similar to it's spiritual successor...but there are a few ways it differs.
- Rather than weight load being separated into 3 different classes, there's only 2 (under 50%, and above 50%).
- Dodging is still the best way to avoid enemies, but your window of a successful dodge is much smaller.
- Magic/Miracles are actually used in a similar manner, but there is an blue mp bar (the same system we see in Dark Souls 3 actually).

Health
Moon grasses are the items you will use to heal throughout your adventure. They do not replenish on their own, but they may be farmed off of enemies, or bought from npc's (such as Patches!)

Navigation
Unlike the somewhat open world experiences you get in Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Demons Souls relies heavily on the Nexus, and the worlds found within it. There are 5 different stages that you may teleport to via an archstone (somewhat like what we see in Bloodborne). Don't get me wrong, each world is vast, but this helps to drive home the concept that the Nexus truly is home base.

Weapons
Demons Souls features some of the most unique weapons in the entire franchise. There are a handful of basic weapons that you can level up via various stones to get different scaling effects (sound familiar?), however there are other weapons that serve entirely different purposes. The effectiveness of some weapons will vary depending on the tendency of your world (more on that later), while others will offer buffs or even hinder your character. Some are actually found hidden away in the game (sticking out of stones or monuments), and others you can buy off of vendors, or even make out of boss souls.

What truly makes this game stand out however, and the one true x factor, is it's world tendency system. Are you good at Demons Souls? Can you make your way through an area, with only one way back to the Nexus, clearing out all of it's enemies, without dying? If so, you shall be rewarded with a 'white' tendency (which will amplify your damage on enemies, lower their health, and allow you to interact with certain npc's).

However, if you struggle throughout your adventure, and fall victim to death too many times, you'll experience the game through 'black' tendency. It's the exact opposite of white tendency, and it can make your game a living nightmare. The only way to reset black tendency is to beat red npc's, or clear bosses in the area. Defeating invaders used to be an option as well, however the lack of online play makes this impossible now (more on the online in a bit).

World tendencies impact everything about the game. Not only in the sense that enemies (including bosses) are tougher, but also in how they affect npc's throughout the game. If your world tendency shifts to pure black, those npc's aren't going to help you in your quest...actually, they're going to try and kill you. It can really mess up your plans when that happens, so make sure to be careful. Speaking on npc's...be careful who you trust. That's all I have to say about that.

While there are many things to admire about Demons Souls, it certainly isn't without it's technical faults. While I wish I could play the game with an active online community (which would have likely flipped my experience on it's head), I'm also glad that I didn't have to deal with the cheaters out there.

You see, there is an easy glitch that enables you to duplicate consumables in Demons Souls (including souls), and while that wouldn't be as much of an issue by today's standards with matchmaking restrictions, this wasn't the same case with Demon's Souls. It wasn't uncommon for users to get invaded by somebody who had either raised their level through the roof, or simply used a spell hack enabling them to cast spells wildly, destroying their opponents with ease. It was a bit of a mess, and it's something that would NEED to be remedied, should a legitimate remaster ever come to fruition.

That being said, it truly would have been a blast to have shared in jolly cooperation in this game. It's very unfortunate that the servers are shut down for good, and in some ways, that in itself has hindered the game from truly reaching it's greatest potential. It happens to all games over time, but it's never a 'fun' thing to see happen to a game.

Whereas I've praised Dark Souls for having the best environments and atmosphere throughout the series, that's very difficult to do that now that I've played through Demons Souls. Each level is vastly different, and the enemies within them are varied and sometimes unpredictable (the squid faces in Latria Tower are among the worst enemies in the entire series). Even the ever so popular Blighttown pulls direct influence from the swamps and crevices of Valley of Defilement. Corridors are narrow, making for enemy encounters to become intimate and dangerous. I've seen all of these elements sprinkled throughout the various Soulsborne entries, and it just makes so much more sense now, having seen it all firsthand in Demons Souls.

And while you can farm enemies for souls and resources (you will likely have to in order to succeed), if you die, prepare for some serious makeup work. Unless you have a spell to return to the nexus, or one of the rare stones that allow you to do so, you have one way back. That's it. No extra bonfires (like the overabundance that you see in Dark Souls 3). Sometimes you can't even make your way back, and that's just the way it is.

Regarding the bosses...I have to say that while I'm not the most fond of all of the bosses in Demons Souls, there are many that must be beaten a certain way, and that just makes the game more engaging. You can't just hack and slash your way through every enemies health bar...you have to actually think and exploit weaknesses (in some circumstances). I was honestly impressed by the variety of boss battles and ways to win in them. If you die however, get ready to go all the way back to the beginning...and think twice before you decide to rush back to the boss's door (your world tendency could be hanging in the balance).

With all the hype and attention we give Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Demons Souls quietly sits in the background, smiling, knowing that it was truly the game that set the bar. It is to this day still a remarkable experience, one that all fans of the series should indulge in. It's truly a shame that many fans aren't even aware of it's existence, which led me to writing such an in-depth blog. Granted, my work won't reach the eyes of many, but the more I can influence, the better. Demons Souls simply deserves better, and has made it's mark on me as the true father of the franchise. If only Sony had it in them to see the potential in this game, enough to merit a true remaster...maybe some day. Until then, it shall continue to lurk in the fog.