Demon’s Souls is one of the best PlayStation 3 exclusives you can buy, but most readers won’t know that because they never even gave it a second look – their loss. Sure, it’s unforgiving, but it’s also unique in it’s mechanics, delivering a sizeable chunk of hardcore action RPGing that the console simply doesn’t offer anywhere else. It’s also frequently beautiful, deeply atmospheric and utterly compelling.
The second game from From Software’s Miyazaki, dubbed Dark Souls, is seen as a spiritual follow-up but the creator is keen to establish clear differences between the two. Speaking to Edge this month (issue 226) he says “Dark Souls is not the sequel to Demon’s Souls,” making it clear that the two aren’t quite as related as some might think.
“It’s not that we couldn’t use the Demon’s Souls name,” says Miyazaki,” it’s that we chose not to use it. Thematically, and in terms of ideology, the two games are very similar, but in terms of world and story they are completely different.”
Going off the screenshots available, it’s evident that there’s still a lot of Demon’s Souls in Dark Souls – the gothic architecture remains, the third person viewpoint and the main character look similar enough, and the game looks to play much the same way. “The main aim was to increase the variety of locations,” says lead artist Sato Makoto. “Many ideas came from influences that have nothing to do with fantasy.”
This time, at least, the game is one big interconnected world, with regions “seemlessly” interlinked, but with – hopefully – no loading times. But what of the difficulty level, a criticism raised of the first game? “I have no intention to make the game any easier,” says the creator, “in fact, I want it to be more difficult. We’re trying to make the most difficult game that it is possible to make.”
There’s much more of this in the magazine (with subscribers now, out next week) and it’s well worth a read for fans of Demon’s Souls as Dark Souls looks to be just as brilliant.
Smallville2106
Looking forward to it. My copy of Demons Souls arrived this morning. Will start the difficult task soon.
Aquastyle
Love how he’s trying to “make the most difficult game possible”…Bring it! Loved Demon’s Souls and will surely love this one as well, can’t wait.
Lal
But does anyone else think
Lal
(sorry about that) what i was going to say was, does anyone else think Sony will release a Demon’s souls 2?
I managed to play on both the North American and European version of the game, i really enjoyed it and can’t for this game to come out.
Aquastyle
Not a chance. It’s the same team making this one so would make no sense at all for them to go back to Demons Souls.
Lal
I did hear that Sony had a hand in making the original and they also own rights to the name.
I wonder if any of the games mechanics (such as leaving messages, offering aid and invading other games)will make an appearance in the new game.
Origami Killer
demons souls was one of the best games i have ever played, cant wait for this, and its even harder :D makes it all the better