u/StormBro111111

So as I posted recently, I'm replaying Demons Souls on PC via emulation for the first time in about 15 years.

Having completed Boletaria 1-1 to 1-3, all of Stonefang, and the Shadow world (the one with the skeletons) 1-1, a few things have really stood out that DeS did well, versus things that were improved in DS1/2/3 and Elden Ring.

In terms of what it did well, I'm surprised that Demon's Souls hit a home run with the tension between progression vs going back to the nexus to level up or upgrade weapons. They had this perfected with their _first_ Souls game, which is very impressive.

Also the atmosphere of the levels is properly oppressive. Everything has real character to it and the vibe of each level is really tangible to the player. I love that each zone feels completely unique in its own oppressive way

However in terms of what it did poorly (or to put it more accurately, what the later games did better)... It feels like DeS wants you to play only one way: slowly and methodically. There are so many walls, narrow passages, tunnels, etc that make it impossible to run passed or dodge behind enemies. Swinging-styls weapons often hit a wall and something like a spear becomes mandatory in so many levels. Whereas later games feel like they gave the player greater choice in how they played the game.

The controls are janky as all heck too. I've died more times to gravity than I have to enemies, and have rarely died to a boss. Gravity, the camera, the confined spaces, and enemy placement are the hardest enemies in DeS lol.

The levels, while having a tonne of character, are often frustrating to play through due to the many tight corridors, tunnels and narrow walkways. Figuring out which way to go in Latria or Stonefang can be a nightmare, and not in a good way.

Truth be told I'm sort of enjoying replaying DeS but am finding it more frustrating than fun most of the time. Later games really improved in every respect, and to be honest Elden Ring in particular has probably ruined DeS/DS1/2/3 for me because ER just knocked it out of the park in every way.

edit: I forgot to mention how much I hate the item encumbrance mechanic! I'm glad FromSoft got rid of it in later titles.

It's been 15 years since I played DeS and in that time I've gone on to play DS1/2/3 and Elden Ring.

My first thought after beating Phalanx in 1-1 is that DeS introductory level was far less forgiving than the later games. Ambushes throughout the level, constant tight fighting areas with little room to swing a weapon without hitting a wall, and not enough room to run passed enemies.

I had forgotten how difficult the DeS levels were compared to later FromSoft games lol! I definitely got the impression that rushing is punished more severely in DeS than in later FromSoft titles

So I just managed to get the game running on RPCS3. I don't have a high end gaming rig (rx 6600, 16gm ram, 10105F) but holy moley is Demons Souls a sight to behold on PC running at 4k, 40-60FPS depending on the area, and near instant load times thanks to the NVME SSD.

I'm genuinely amazed by how good some of the textures look at 4k. They could pass as textures from a more modern game!