Demon's Souls Really Wants You To Connect With Your Character
It's been a long time, but fans of Demon's Souls will finally get to see their wish granted for a new game in the form of a remake. And it seems that with this fresh release, Sony really wants to make it a special, personal experience.
The PS5 remake of Demon's Souls will offer a more robust character creator mode, which opens up the possibilities to "16 million permutations," according to the official PlayStation Blog. This is a tremendous step up from the original, with a number of additional options included to really work out those fine details and allow you to create a hero that's a mirror image of yourself.
"To create your character as you see fit is to build an emotional connection to the world of Demon's Souls," explained creative director Gavin Moore. The thought process behind the in-depth character creator mode is that you are more likely to take ownership of a protagonist you put together yourself. You're not playing as some generic, super-powered, heroic figure, but instead a mere mortal — an average human any player can relate to.
Moore also drove home how you will feel the pain of watching a character of your own creation die, which will likely motivate you to avenge their fall. This will hopefully offer fans of the game even more satisfaction when emerging victorious. Such an intention adds a new dimension to player immersion.
Additionally, Moore discussed another feature coming to the new Demon's Souls: Photo Mode. Photo Mode gives you the ability to exercise your artistic sensibilities with a generous offering of filters, settings, and options. You can essentially fulfill your greatest Instagram ambitions within the game's world.
All of this seems to be done in an effort to bring more sentimentality to the experience. Photo Mode "allows you to immortalize your triumphs and tragedies as well as celebrate and commiserate with your friends (and us!)," Moore expanded. It seems as though the creators of Demon's Souls are really trying to make a memorable experience for everyone in the community.
Character creator modes and in-game photography are not new by any means, but it's interesting to note the way these two features are presented. Sony appears to put a lot of focus and attention on the player forming a bond with their characters. Could this be a bit of nostalgic sentimentality on the part of the game's development team?
As the new generation of console gaming presents greater detail and stunning graphics that come closer to real life, a more enhanced character creator experience becomes even more important. With greater graphical capabilities, players will be able to more accurately recreate themselves or other people in the real world. As video games become more realistic, it seems Sony wants you to feel like you are part of the settings you play in.
With social media playing a big part in daily life, taking in-game photos brings players even closer to that intention. Almost everyone carries a digital camera in their pocket, so it's easy to snap a pic for each notable moment of your day. Likewise, players will be able to proudly show off memorable events within their game.
Overall, Sony is focusing on bringing a unique and personalized gameplay experience to its fanbase, and these two features in the Demon's Souls remake are in line with that philosophy. Demon's Souls will launch alongside the PlayStation 5, so in all likelihood, the game will make full use of every feature the next-gen console has to offer.
Demon's Souls became Dark Souls in its subsequent title, spawning a separate franchise and leaving the progenitor to lie dormant for years. Fans have wanted more Demon's Souls for a long time, so the new title will hopefully satiate those desires — at least for now. Unfortunately, fans who have not yet pre-ordered a PS5 may have to wait a little bit longer. The Demon's Souls remake will not come to PS4.
If you're itching to play more Demon's Souls in the meantime, you'll have to dust off your old PS3. If you want to try the upgraded character creator or new Photo Mode, you'll need to find a way to pickup a PlayStation 5.