FromSoftware might be best known for games likeElden RingandDark Soulstoday, but none of these seminal titles would have seen the light of day were it not for 2009’sDemon’s Souls, a game that is arguably one of the most influential of the modern era. Anyone who likes the more recent FromSoftware games owes it to themselves to dive into this earlier release, and even those who have already experiencedDemon’s Soulscould benefit from jumping back into it.
Sadly, the originalDemon’s Soulsis locked to the PlayStation 3, but those without access to the requisite hardware can still play the 2020Demon’s Soulsremake on PS5, which is very faithful to the original’s vision.
Long beforeBloodborneandSekiro, whenElden Ringwas nothing more than a glimmer in Miyazaki’s eye, FromSoftware was a remarkably different studio. It had respect, to be sure, garnered through cult classic series likeArmored CoreandKing’s Field, but these were far from the unstoppable cultural forces of something likeDark Souls. FromSoftware even suffered a handful of botched projects and flops likeNinja Blade—something that seems inconceivable in 2025, considering the company’s winning streak. ButDemon’s Soulsdrastically transformed FromSoftware’s reputation and design philosophy, introducing the world to Hidetaka Miyazaki as a game director. It’ssmall byElden Ringstandards, but worth experiencing firsthand nevertheless.
Why Demon’s Souls Begs a Replay
Demon’s Souls Is One of FromSoftware’s Most Replayable Games
All ofFromSoftware’s games are worth replaying, and many of them are even better the second or third time around thanks to progression routes that can’t be fully explored in a single playthrough. For instance, it’s not possible to get every Boss Soul Weapon in a singleDark Souls 3playthrough, nor can a player fully upgrade every Prosthetic Tool inSekiro: Shadows Die Twicewithout starting NG+. Even so, there’s a case to be made thatDemon’s Soulsis the most replayable of the bunch.
This comes down to a few factors, one of which beingDemon’s Souls' sheer brevityin relation to other, later FromSoftware games. It’s almost quaint compared to the rest of FromSoftware’s modern portfolio, with a greater emphasis on combat than exploration: there are far fewer instances of wandering around, wondering what path to take. This means that players can focus more on honing specific builds on subsequent playthroughs, as action takes up more of the experience.
The Northern Regalia, one ofDemon’s Souls' most powerful weapons, can only be obtained during NG+.
There’s also the non-linearity ofDemon’s Soulswhich, combined with the aforementioned brevity, makes it satisfying to revisit. Tackling the Archdemons in a different order can have a transformative impact on the overall experience, either in NG+ or from an entirely blank slate, as this influences progression and gear. The same can be said for exploring each region in a different order.
Demon’s Souls Is Worth a Replay for FromSoftware Fans
For those whohaven’t playedDemon’s Soulssince 2009, or even those who haven’t played the remake since its 2020 launch, there’s plenty of value in delving back into Boletaria. After playing something likeElden Ring, it’s fascinating to revisit modern FromSoftware’s roots, seeing the impetus for its one-of-a-kind design philosophy with the benefit of hindsight. For anyone interested in gaming history,Demon’s Soulsis required reading, and a single playthrough isn’t enough to extract all its mechanical depth. Moreover, it’s novel and almost surreal to see what FromSoftware cooked up in 2009, and how its approach to game-making has evolved since then.
Demon’s Souls
WHERE TO PLAY
Entirely rebuilt from the ground up, this remake invites you to experience the unsettling story and ruthless combat of Demon’s Souls.From PlayStation Studios and Bluepoint Games comes a remake of the PlayStation classic, Demon’s Souls. Entirely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced, this remake introduces the horrors of a fog-laden, dark fantasy land to a whole new generation of gamers. Those who’ve faced its trials and tribulations before, can once again challenge the darkness in stunning visual quality with incredible performance.In his quest for power, the 12th King of Boletaria, King Allant channeled the ancient Soul Arts, awakening a demon from the dawn of time itself, The Old One. With the summoning of The Old One, a colorless fog swept across the land, unleashing nightmarish creatures that hungered for human souls. Those whose souls were stripped from them, lost their minds – left only with the desire to attack the sane that remained.Now, Boletaria is cut off from the outside world, and the knights who dare penetrate the deep fog to free the land from its plight, are never seen again. As a lone warrior who has braved the baneful fog, you must face the hardest of challenges to earn the title “Slayer of Demons” and send The Old One back to its slumber.
