If the right studio came along, Demon’s Souls could finally get a current-gen remaster

That genre of darkly gothic action-RPGs where death is a constant and the world around you is almost as dangerous as Australia? None of that would have been possible were it not for one single game that paved the way forward for the Dark Souls trilogy, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and a whole host of inspired competition: Demon’s Souls.

Many years ago, From Software president Hidetaka Miyazaki had a dream, one that saw him fight tooth and nail to realise as he and his team toiled away on a game that was inspired by the past and a passion to provide something unique in the current video game environment at the time. Demon’s Souls found an audience after release, but it still remains a curious oddity that never enjoyed as much mainstream kudos as its successors.

That’s nothing that a decent remaster couldn’t fix, something which Dark Souls proved when that original game got a fantastic high definition upgrade several years after release. So where’s the Demon’s Souls remaster for this generation? It’s possible, but it’s not a project that Miyazaki is especially interested in pursuing currently as he explained to Game Informer:

It’s like when you write – when you’re younger, you look back on [previous work] and you think ‘Oh, goodness what was I thinking. It’s not that I’m embarrassed, I just don’t like to look at my previous works.

I think anyone working in the creative space can understand that sentiment. Seeing what you’re capable of now and comparing that to what you were able to produce then, is a weirdly embarrassing bit of self-reflection, even if you received praise for past accomplishments. While Miyazaki isn’t ready to travel back to Boletaria, Miyazaki isn’t opposed to handing the game over to the right studio, provided that Sony has no objections:

You’d have to see what they’re thinking about it.

If it was a studio that really loved the original work and really put their heart and soul into realizing it again, then that’s something I would enjoy. But it’s really complicated because I have these fond memories. Thinking about the idea of a remaster gives me kind of butterflies in my stomach and makes me a little nervous, so it’s complicated. But I understand there are many users and many players and fans out there who really love Demon’s, so if that’s something they could accomplish with a studio that loved the work, then yeah, I’d be okay with that.

And there you have it. Miyazaki still has a ton of pride for what he did, but if anyone is going to give that classic dungeon hack ‘n slasher a 4K upgrade, they better have a hell of a pitch for From Software’s boss, to justify the time, effort and resources needed to give Demon’s Souls a second shot at glory. Its a game with a fascinating history, one that makes for incredible viewing if you’re looking for a documentary on how Miyazaki’s project came to be. Which I’ve conveniently embedded below.

See, I care. I truly do.

Last Updated: January 24, 2019