The next generation of consoles is finally here and among the many launch titles that come with it is the remake of FromSoft’s beloved title,Demon’s Souls. Made by Bluepoint Studios, the remake has garnered a positive reception from fans and critics alike.
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TheDemon’s Soulsremakeis lauded for its interpretation, enhancements, and loyalty to the original game. It’s so loyal that it retains a few of the original game’s quirks that it could have done without. This is truly an almost identical experience to the original, outside of the remake’sgraphics and performance. What are some things players might not realize they can do in the PS5’sDemon’s Soulsremake?
Updates on June 26, 2025, by Jason Wojnar:The dust has long since settled around both this remake and the launch of the PS5, so it is easier to judge the game and its accomplishments solely off its merits.
Turns out, it is an excellent remake that lets thebest parts of the original shine, proving Demon’s Souls is one of the greatest and most influential video games of this century. With more and more gamers getting a PlayStation 5 and grabbing this launch title, it only felt right to update this list for those jumping into Demon’s Souls for the first time several years after its launch.
12Farm For A Lot Of Souls
There are quite a few things players can do to level up fast in the game if they are stuck. The good news is, some farming locations are accessible from early in the adventure and more lucrative ones open up near the end of the game. The first one is found after beating the Adjudicator.
The Reaper there is easy to kill over and over again to get some good levels in fast. After completing the path of the same archestone, you’re able to net tens of thousands of souls within a couple of minutes by using the Storm Ruler sword against the Storm Beasts above. Though it is a repetitive strategy, the boredom can always be alleviated bylistening to music or a podcast.
11Fight The Old Monk Offline
The Old Monk is a unique boss fight that calls in another player to control the adversary. While a cool idea, it can also mean an incredibly difficult fight depending on the random player’s skill level. Of course, it can also end up being super easy if the player feels generous.
To verify the odds are always in the player’s favor, it is possible to do this battle completely offline. There is no penalty for purposefully disconnecting the internet at this time or entering the session in an offline mode. Sometimes one’s internet connection might just be having a hard time and it happens naturally. Whatever the cause, it makes just a significantly less challenging fight.
10Display Settings
Players can play around with the display settings inDemon’s Souls, a feature that is mostly absent in otherconsole video games. First of all, thePlayStation 5’s promiseof achieving 60 frames per second is evident inDemon’s Souls. Players can run the game in Performance Mode, which targets upscaled 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, or Cinematic Mode, which runs in native 4K at 30 frames per second.
There are also various filters and even an intensity option to play around with, including the classic mode which makes the gamelook closer to the original title.Players can also select to turn off film grains and minimize motion blur. Not many console gamers are used to having these accessibility options, so these settings are worth checking out.
9"Pause" The Game
If there’s one thing that’s common in many Souls-like games, it’s the inability to pause mid-game.FromSoft’s Soulsbornegames in particular, aside fromSekiro, are made even more difficult by not allowing players to pause the game. This is to make sure the players are always on the edge and extra mindful wherever they are in the game.
In 2020’sDemon’s Souls, however, players have the option to pause the game. Sort of. Like many PlayStation-exclusive titles,Demon’s Soulshas a Photo Modewhere players can take screenshots of the game with various options and settings available. This concurrently pauses the game as well. It’s not as accessible as a typical pause button, but it is an option.
8Defeating The First Boss On First Try
At this point, many old fans of the franchise know that the Vanguard Demon can in fact be beaten on the first try. However, the remake was made to invite new players as well. The game’s first boss is notorious for its unrelenting challenge. Many players will ultimately fall on their first try against this boss, and it might seem like this is the only way.
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As manyDemon’s Soulsveterans know already, the Vanguard Demon can be defeated. In true FromSoft form, however, the players will still get inevitably killed later on. Once the player successfully puts down the Vanguard Demon, they will be teleported to another place. They will then encounter an even more powerful boss which will “punch” the player to death and there’s nothing they can do about it.
7Re-Customize Character Mid-Game
Character customization is one of the many things Bluepoint Games improved upon from the original game. While the character customization in the originalDemon’s Soulswas already fairly impressive, the remake took this even further with more options and enhanced detail.
On top of that, the players also now have the option to customize their character’s appearance mid-game. Players can just go up to the newly-added Statue of Reflection and dish out a one-time sacrifice of 25,000 souls, so they’ll be able to change their character’s appearance, along with other options they can play around with.
6Unlimited Backstabs
One of the many things players abuse in the originalDemon’s Soulsis the ability to abuse the backstab attack. Backstabbing is one of the most powerful attacks in the game, and in an environment this dangerous and dreadful, an attack as powerful as this is a welcome feature. However, inDemon’s Soulsand inearlierDark Soulstitles, this mechanic is so easy that it can be abused.
When theDemon’s Soulsremake was announced, this was actually one of the features fans wished Bluepoint would take care of. However, remaining loyal to the original title, players can still backstab all they want with ease and accessibility.
5Camera Can Be Adjusted
The camera positioningin the originalDemon’s Soulsgame was notoriously bad. The camera would often get stuck or get placed behind an obstacle, making players blind to the world around them. Many people wanted Bluepoint to make the camera system better, and the studio listened.
Demon’s Soulsnow has an over-the-shoulder camera placement, similar to many third-person action games, instead of the classic centered camera position. Bluepoint has also made sure to avoid environmental collisions with the camera. If players want to opt for the classic camera view, however, they can. There’s a setting where players can choose if they want the classic camera setting or the new one Bluepoint created for the game.
4Fractured Mode
The Fractured Mode is a new addition incorporated by Bluepoint Games into theDemon’sSoulsremake.This newly-added feature essential reverses the entire map horizontally, adding a layer of unfamiliarity for those who might’ve played the original game to completion. This should also make the New Game Plus mode more interesting.
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If the player wants to give this mode a try, they can check out the Statue of Reflection located in the Nexus world. They will need to sacrifice 25,000 souls before they can access this feature.
3Online Play
The online multiplayer and co-opfeature in theDemon’s Soulsremake is now slightly different compared to the original game. Online co-op can now support up to six players at once. The online feature can be accessed by interacting with the Black Maiden in the Nexus.
Players can use the Blue Eye Stone to be summoned to other worlds, the Black Eye Stone to invade, and the Red Eye Stone to besummoned for a PvP match. Players can also put a password in place and lock certain regions for online play.
