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[Cliff Underside]

Assuming the trailer and screenshots are in-engine footage, which they seem to be, and not CGI. I feel like I'm completely alone on this, so I'm probably either gonna get a lot of flak or be completely ignored, possibly deservedly so, but since I love Demon's Souls so much I feel the need to discuss this anyway. My first impression of the trailer was negative, I immediately hated this new art direction they're going for. Then I learned it's being developed by Bluepoint, the same studio that remade Shadow of the Colossus 2 years ago. I never liked the way the SotC remake changed the art style to make it more photorealistic, doing away with the old washed out look that emphasized heavy fog and bloom effects in favor of more realistic visuals. I don't want to write a whole wall of text about it, but there's a pretty good article here that talk more in depth about the pros and the cons of that game.

Now back to the main point, Bluepoint seems to be giving the same treatment to Demon's Souls, which already looks more like Warcraft than a Souls game. It just looks so generic and bland! something about the models, the materials, and the colors just strikes me as plasticky and boring. The whole point of remaking a game is to bring it up to standard with the current gen, but is it not possible to do so while staying faithful to the original vision?

 

[lastmessiah]

I agree with you, FWIW. They seem to have abolished the atmosphere of the game in favor of...I don't even know.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

It looks amazing. If I am obsessed with the original art style I will play the original.

How anyone can come away and not think it looks breath taking is beyond me.

 

[ARK1391]

Demons Soul's was a very bland and grey game. It looked very similar to the style Bluepoint is going for from what I recall.

I'd rather they stay faithful to the original color palette than add a bunch of new stuff just to make it look more modern.

 

[Pizdetz]

Might be good to include side by side pictures to elaborate further.

Personally I felt the facelift was pretty good, but it did somewhat lose its demons souls feel and went in a more Diablo/Darksiders direction.

 

[kraspkibble]

i think it looks great. in fact i think they've done a fantastic job improving the visuals. i would hate if they just faithfully replicated it. they've replicated it but made changes to make it look better. there is far more detail and the design changes to enemies/structures/areas is well done.

 

[.Pennywise]

It's what happens when you remake PS360 games era. It happened to the original Gears of War and its Ultimate Edition. They lose all the atmosphere the "all brown and grey" games had with its limitations.

I kind of don't like the liberties they took with some character design thought. They are crearly not the same.

 

[yunkaiza]

Other than the flamelurker and flute knight set changes I don't see how it's not a huge improvement

 

[Alexios]

Eh, it looks beautiful and the original isn't necessarily the intended vision (never mind it's often so poor) given the system it was on and that it was in development hell before the director was allowed to take charge of it in a last ditch attempt to shape something worthwhile out of all that work.

 

[DogofWar]

While Flamelurker does indeed look more generic now I am really not that upset. I tend to be an extreme purist about games, movies and music but I am nothing but hyped by the footage we got from the remake so far.

I am hyped beyond belief to see the Valley of Defilement upgraded!

 

[SilentUser]

I do understand why some would not like, considering they have the original in mind. It is always dangerous to try something different with a remake.

However, I'm a massive fan of the new artstyle. Since I never played the original, I don't feel nostalgic towards the old style, plus the new one is absolutely fantastic (and not that far off the original, imo).

 

[TLZ]

To me it looks so much better to the point they made me consider playing it and I'm not even a Souls fan at all.

 

[AncientOrigin]

I find it looks even better now.Don’t forget the ps3 was difficult to develop for especially for a small studio like from who are not a big developer atleast back then.What you saw in the PlayStation 3 Version back then was also a lot masking of the graphics with fog and other stuff.The remake will not even look nextgen state of the art but the atmosphere will be way better because of the effects and the graphics.You can tell with the small glimpse at the flamelurcker scene looks way more intense and scary now.Now is proper lighting so the scenes will look a bit different but way better.Dont worry the remake will be the way better game of the two it even has a new mode mavbe even other stuff we don’t know about like the broken archstone

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I'm shocked there isn't widespread outcry about this. The jump between the PS3 version and the PS5 version looks embarrassingly small.

Release that game ASAP and get that studio working on original IP STAT.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I'm shocked there isn't widespread outcry about this. The jump between the PS3 version and the PS5 version looks embarrassingly small.

Release that game ASAP and get that studio working on original IP STAT.

They're not that kind of studio and likely don't have the personell for such a task. Remaking a game is orders of magnitude easier than making your own game.

 

[Wandering Leopard]

Interesting view, but there certainly would have been compromises in the original versions of these titles purely because of the technical limitations at the time, elements that might be fondly remembered, but were only there out of necessity.

And didn't Demons Souls have a muddy/brown filter too (something I won't miss,) which was common in a lot of games at the time. I personally don't hate the artistic direction of the remake, it's solid and I don't really think it needs to be anything special).

 

[Dontero]

Well you can play original on PS3 if you want.

I'm shocked there isn't widespread outcry about this. The jump between the PS3 version and the PS5 version looks embarrassingly small.

wut ?

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

They're not that kind of studio and likely don't have the personell for such a task. Remaking a game is orders of magnitude easier than making your own game.

I've read an interview from a Bluepoint lead and he basically said they want to do their own game soon. I interpreted that they'll be given the green light after the Demons Souls remake.

 

[lastmessiah]

the atmosphere will be way better because of the effects and the graphics.

That's not necessarily true. Atmosphere is not the same thing as visual fidelity.

 

[rob305]

Pinging Yoshichan for input

 

[Vawn]

It's the Internet, so obviously someone could find something to hate even about the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

 

[Aion002]

That's too bad for you... But I liked, I can't wait to see more of BP take on DS.

 

[brap]

Ironically it looks pretty soulless now.

 

[Danjin44]

My issue isn't with the environment but the enemy/boss redesigns. This honestly looks like a design I would see Blizzard game or Darksiders.

 

[Mr Hyde]

I think this hot take is really funny. When Demon's Souls released back in 2009, it got a lot of flak initially for its graphics, with a lot of people criticizing it for having a "bland and generic fantasy setting".

 

[Northeastmonk]

Does this mean those awesome load screens are gone? One of best things about that game - it kept you guessing about the games mysticism and lore.

I think this hot take is really funny. When Demon's Souls released back in 2009, it got a lot of flak initially for its graphics, with a lot of people criticizing it for having a "bland and generic fantasy setting".

I’m glad I imported it before the western audience tore it to bits. I honestly didn’t follow the convo at the time. It felt like a castle labyrinth or a quest of survival. Bland parts were when you felt safe from harm.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

To each their own., I guess

 

[Bartski]

crazy talk

 

[Yoshichan]

Pinging Yoshichan for input

People have dumb opinions in 2020

Eh, not the craziest shit to have happened this year

 

[too much eslim]

It's the Internet, so obviously someone could find something to hate even about the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

That was the most Beautiful thing you ever seen? There are about 5 other games during the Sony conference that looked better from an artistic and graphic perspective.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I've read an interview from a Bluepoint lead and he basically said they want to do their own game soon. I interpreted that they'll be given the green light after the Demons Souls remake.

Thats fine. BUt why people are wanting them to do it is a little strange. They are the best studio in the world when it comes to porting/remaking but designing and building their own game from scratch is an entirely different beast all on its own.
I may have the worlds greatest dentist but that doesnt mean I would ask him to do open heart surgery.

 

[Knitted Knight]

Will reserve judgement until we see proper gameplay with everything in motion. It's an obvious change, the game is old as hell, and ugly as hell.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

That was the most Beautiful thing you ever seen? There are about 5 other games during the Sony conference that looked better from an artistic and graphic perspective.

Name them. Horizon Zero Dawn 2 may have been the only one.

 

[LazyParrot]

I wouldn't say it's terrible, but from what I've seen so far I do get the impression that they have failed to capture the mood of the game. Boletaria in particular seems to lack the oppressive atmosphere it had in the original. It just looks way too bright. Not a fan of some of the enemy redesigns either. They really do look like something out of Doom or Diablo. The quality of the assets is top notch, it's the style that's the issue here.

 

[bender]

I'm super excited to have easy access to Demon Souls again.

That said, the expanded and more vibrant color pallet and new lighting techniques sets a different tone. What has been shown of the remake feels less ominous and oppressive. That tone will be missed as it helped fill the player with dread when discovering each new location. Really not a fan of any of the boss redesigns. Hopefully Blue Point is open to feedback.

I do wonder how much, if any, input From Software is giving on the new art.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Thats fine. BUt why people are wanting them to do it is a little strange. They are the best studio in the world when it comes to porting/remaking but designing and building their own game from scratch is an entirely different beast all on its own.
I may have the worlds greatest dentist but that doesnt mean I would ask him to do open heart surgery.

There's a lot of people who prefer seeing new world's, new gameplay mechanics etc.

It's like being more interested in a brand new vehicle being made by Tesla rather than a paint shop down the street.

Paint doesn't excite a lot of people.

 

[rofif]

They nailed it with SOTC (maybe except too little bloom and wanderer face but it's fine) and I like the look of this so far. Kinda interesting to have Souls game with this high production value look

 

[too much eslim]

Name them. Horizon Zero Dawn 2 may have been the only one.

Kena, project Athia, Horizon 2, Ratchet and Clank, and Little Devil Inside(I know technically it isn't better but the art style makes it look amazing).

 

[Yoboman]

The original game was ugly as fuck at times. Eg the architectural art design was really dry

It had nice moments despite itself, but most of the game looked bland as hell

To me it looks like Bluepoint have taken some additional inspiration in how Dark Souls and Bloodborne evolved the artistic style of From Software games

 

[Vawn]

That was the most Beautiful thing you ever seen? There are about 5 other games during the Sony conference that looked better from an artistic and graphic perspective.

Yes, yes it was.

It probably doesn't hurt Demon's Souls is one of the best games ever made, in my opinion.

 

[Aion002]

The original game was ugly as fuck at times. Eg the architectural art design was really dry

It had nice moments despite itself, but most of the game looked bland as hell

To me it looks like Bluepoint have taken some additional inspiration in how Dark Souls and Bloodborne evolved the artistic style of From Software games

Yep DS is really rough. I love it but it has some really low quality assets... And the art has moments that doesn't transpire well to the game.

This first boss that some are complaining is really rough on PS3, even on bullshots it has missing details:

Also, it is good that BP is adding their own ideas on it. Finally, Sony Japan is there and they helped on the original and From Software is probably helping BP too... It's gonna be amazing!

 

[Mr Hyde]

I’m glad I imported it before the western audience tore it to bits. I honestly didn’t follow the convo at the time. It felt like a castle labyrinth or a quest of survival. Bland parts were when you felt safe from harm.

The western audience embraced it, and made it a big success, which is more than you can say about the japanese players who ignored it. But that was the hardcore fanbase. Those who complained about the game were mostly the mainstream audience who never understood the game anyway, and they were always moaning about Demon's sub par graphics (remember, this was released the same year as Uncharted 2), and said it looked like a bland and generic fantasy game.

And that was kinda the whole fucking point with the artstyle they were going for because Miyazaki was inspired by the old Dungeons and Dragons role playing games with pen and paper.

And now 11 years later, some cowboy comes in and claims he loves Demon's Souls original artstyle while in the same breath says the new artstyle looks generic and bland, which was one of the main big complaints of the original when it dropped.

It's like history repeats itself. Which it does because Demon's Souls is coming back a second time. With the exact same complaints. It's Inception-levels of Groundhog Day, only this time everything is remade from the ground up.

 

[Naked Lunch]

It looks too colorful.
The remake WILL be panned by hardcore fans when it drops - no doubt about it.
BP will find someway to fuck up the gameplay too id wager.

Im getting the same vibes from this as Halo Anniversary (the original looked better in every way) and Metal Gear Twin Snakes (aka Metal Gear Abomination). It just looks off.

 

[Vawn]

It looks too colorful.
The remake WILL be panned by hardcore fans when it drops - no doubt about it.
BP will find someway to fuck up the gameplay too id wager.

Im getting the same vibes from this as Halo Anniversary (the original looked better in every way) and Metal Gear Twin Snakes (aka Metal Gear Abomination). It just looks off.

Bluepoint has a better track record. They just came off a near perfect Remake of Shadow of the Colossus. It will be glorious.

Yes, people on the Internet will complain about anything. It will get zeros on Metacritic user scores. It is a Remake and an exclusive.

 

[Mr Hyde]

The remake WILL be panned by hardcore fans when it drops - no doubt about it.

I think it looks beautiful and I'm about as hardcore as you can be when it comes to Souls.

 

[Cliff Underside]

I find it looks even better now.Don’t forget the ps3 was difficult to develop for especially for a small studio like from who are not a big developer atleast back then.What you saw in the PlayStation 3 Version back then was also a lot masking of the graphics with fog and other stuff.The remake will not even look nextgen state of the art but the atmosphere will be way better because of the effects and the graphics.You can tell with the small glimpse at the flamelurcker scene looks way more intense and scary now.Now is proper lighting so the scenes will look a bit different but way better.Dont worry the remake will be the way better game of the two it even has a new mode mavbe even other stuff we don’t know about like the broken archstone

It's true that there were many hardware limitations and development problems both on the technical and production side, but sometimes contingencies like that force developers to be creative and by extension, innovative. I think the way in which they attempted to cover up or bypass the limitations of the PS3 contributed in creating the style that made Demon's Souls remarkable, and which they subsequently went on to build upon and expand in their Dark Souls games. Demon's Souls looks unabashedly old school, washed out and dirty, but that's exactly why it was charming.

The remake has objectively better graphics, but graphics alone don't make for memorable and evocative visuals.

 

[killatopak]

Do you want a remake or a remaster?

 

[TheCrimsnFuckr]

I mean, it does look pretty nice with those high resolution textures, but it also looks like an entirely different game. I would have loved it if it was just the original game just with 60fps and a higher resolution and HDR. What they did with this remake was just completely change the art style and while I can’t yet say if it’s an improvement for the game I don’t have high hopes. I’m getting some serious Halo CE Anniversary vibes from this, but at least in that game you could play with original graphics.

I’d be much happier if I could just play the original game on my PS5, preferably without needing to rebuy it

 

[DeepEnigma]

I have both my physical and digital versions of DS on the PS3, played it as recently as 2018 to finally plat it... and I really like the look of the new one. I’m all in on it, and I hope they added the 6th Archstone as well.

I can understand people’s perspectives, for me personally I like the look of both, and can enjoy both in their own context. The original didn’t go away either.

 

[Business]

The environments and the main character look great. The monsters are far less disturbing and they look straight out of Doom 2016 or Eternal.

Still, I have not seen anything as outrageous as this

Anyway, never played the original Demon's Souls so I'm looking forward to this.