Summary
- The universe of Demon's Souls offers untapped dark fantasy intrigue beyond the Dark Souls series.
- Miyazaki's unexpected success with Demon's Souls led to the creation of the Soulsborne genre.
- A Demon's Souls sequel could bring new ideas and consolidate FromSoft's catalog of darker atmospheres.
Rich narrative and worldbuilding isn't exclusive to The Lands Between or the dense history of the Dark Souls series, as even the universe of FromSoftware's original Demon's Souls has remained a uniquely untapped realm of dark fantasy intrigue compared to other IPs. As this potential for expansion has only become more obvious in the face of subsequent titles, revisiting the world of Boletaria could be the most creatively rewarding path forward for the developer.
Considering that Demon's Souls was essentially a recovered project that Hidetaka Miyazaki infused with his own vision, it makes sense that its unexpected success led him to reboot the concept of Souls entirely with the spiritual successor of Dark Souls. Now that Soulsborne has become a ubiquitous term in the gaming industry and a plethora of titles have come in the time since, however, giving the IP that started it all another chance seems like a more refreshing prospect than tacking yet another sequel on top of the Dark Souls trilogy.
Elden Ring Is 'The Limit' For FromSoftware, Director Says
Hidetaka Miyazaki explains why Elden Ring may be 'the limit' for FromSoftware and hints at what kind of games the company might tackle next.
The Universe of Demon's Souls is a Much Fresher Slate Than Other FromSoftware IPs
Dark Souls' Legacy is Established, but Convoluted
There's no doubt that fans would be elated to see another Dark Souls entry that continues its cryptic yet expanding lore, but that existing depth also creates a web of complexity and restriction. When there are now thousands of years of background narrative surrounding ideas like the legacy of Gwyn and his progeny that followed informing future installments, a possible Dark Souls 4 would ultimately be beholden to iterating on the past and doing justice to its callbacks over introducing novel concepts.
How a Return to Demon's Souls Could Bring the Studio's Evolution Full Circle
Despite its landmark popularity, the Dark Souls series was officially intended to be concluded with its third entry. In a 2015 interview with GameSpot, Miyazaki elaborated on his mentality when it came to the continued release of Soulsborne titles as a whole:
"I don't think it'd be the right choice to continue indefinitely creating Souls and Bloodborne games. I'm considering Dark Souls 3 to be the big closure on the series. That's not just limited to me, but From Software and myself together want to aggressively make new things in the future. Dark Souls 3 will mark the last game where the development project began before I became president. The next title will be a game that was conceived while I was president. I believe that From Software has to create new things."
It could be said that Elden Ring has essentially acted as the swan song to the post-Sekiro era, but there's still room to revisit the IP in which all these releases are rooted. While Demon's Souls established much of the subgenre's DNA over a decade ago, a follow-up has the space to bring new ideas into the fold for a new generation instead.
The Innovative Opportunities of a Demon's Souls Sequel
FromSoft is Likely to Return to the Boletaria of the PS3 Era Over the Remake
Graphical improvements of the PS5 remake aside, there's been a notion within the Soulsborne community that the original Demon's Souls has a unique aesthetic that has held up over the years. The company has changed significantly in the time since 2009, but that is also a solid basis for meaningfully experimenting with a sequel's core gameplay and world design. Whether it takes place in the foreseeable future timeline, or seems entirely disconnected, another crack at Demon's Souls wouldn't be bound by the tropes that other similar titles have become known for.
Bloodborne Could Find a Spiritual Successor in Demon's Souls 2
While a follow-up to the Sony-tied Bloodborne has been a popular fan request for years now, a Demon's Souls sequel might be better poised to deliver on this desire within the bounds of the greater industry. Both worlds share a darker atmosphere and grotesque design philosophy which could allow the studio to consolidate two underrepresented parts of its catalog, all while eschewing the trappings of honoring the hype of a popular name.
Demon's Souls
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- November 12, 2020
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoint Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Dark 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.
- Number of Players
- 1-6
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 23 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
