It would be nearly impossible for one to successfully argue the Soulsborne series' excessive difficulty hasn't been drilled into the heads of all gamers, but PS5 remake of Demon's Souls is a chance for this forgotten classic to be experienced by a new generation of players, players who will quickly learn that Demon's Souls is just as brutal of a challenge as its many successors.
The Souls games are such challenging experiences not only because enemies do extreme amounts of damage, but because players are punished for their inevitable failures. Upon death, players lose their souls, which are used as currency for purchasing items as well as for leveling up. It's possible to accumulate a large number of souls and instantly lose them because of a single mistake and it can be very frustrating. However, Demon's Souls also turns players into their soul forms upon death, which halves the player's maximum health. This might seem unfair, but it is relieved (somewhat) by a ring that reduces the amount of health players lose when this happens.
It is possible to recover lost souls and maximum health as long as the player completes certain objectives in Demon's Souls. After dying, players can return to the exact location they perished at to discover their lost souls are sitting in a neat pile ready to be obtained. However, if one dies on their way to retrieve those souls, that pile will be replaced with the new one, and those original souls will be gone for good. To regain human form and restore maximum health, players can defeat one of Demon's Souls' bosses in either their own world or an ally's world online, invade and defeat another player, or use a Stone of Ephemeral Eyes. Even though the punishment for death is extreme especially without some sort of easy mode, it's balanced because the player is given plenty of opportunities to find relief from the Demon's Souls' punishing nature.
How Demon's Souls Gives Its Players A Break
One of the biggest boss fights in Demon's Souls become much easier, which cannot be said about most fights in the Dark Souls entries
Demon's Souls, just like most other Soulsborne titles, features co-operative multiplayer to help players get through even the most intense segments of the adventure. Using the Blue Eye Stone, players can leave their summon signs down for others online who need extra help taking down a fearsome boss or just getting past an obnoxious lineup of foes. It's a massive help since it's possible to summon players who are of a higher level (or simply a higher skill level) for assistance. Demon's Souls on PS5 is, without question, a difficult game that will test the patience of any gamer who attempts to conquer it, but it's well-balanced and fair to the point that anyone can expect to reach the end with enough dedication and practice.
