Soon FromSoftware’s next game,Elden Ring, will come out. Its announcement at E3 2019 and going silent until just before E3 2021 has left fans desperate to hear anything about this latest offering. Now that the game has been properly revealed, everyone is thankful that the release date is also set to come soon. Sporting a FromSoftware-designed open world,Elden Ringwill take players on a journey the likes of which they’ve never seen through The Lands Between. A broken world filled with spirits, this place will provide new adventures around every turn, and sport FromSoftware’s typical art direction while doing it.
Naturally,Elden Ringis inviting plenty of comparisons to the FromSoftware Soulslike games that came before it. However, one of them wasn’t made by FromSoftware - or at least its most recent iteration wasn’t. Bluepoint Games’Demon’s Souls Remakecurrently stands as one ofthe PlayStation 5’s star exclusives, and a testament to the power of the console. The former PS3 exclusive now shines with a level of visual polish not seen in any of FromSoftware’s own games, even if the art style had to take a hit for Bluepoint to get there. There are a number of lessons FromSoftware can learn from this new take on one of its older games, andElden Ringwould benefit greatly from them.
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Bluepoint’s Next-Gen Presentation
FromSoftware is nothing if not known for its visuals. The fantastical beasts, spells, locales, and people of its worlds shine brightly in all of its games. This owes something to the strong visuals of the worlds the companydraws inspiration from, likeBerserkandThe Lord of the Rings, but a lot of FromSoftware’s strengths come from within. Even Bluepoint, for all of its work adapting and enhancing the visuals forShadow of the ColossusandDemon’s Souls, couldn’t quite nail From’s bizarre art style, causing a couple enemies and bosses to lose some of the mystique that made them special. It’s impressive that the originalDemon’s Soulshas any visual advantages over its remake, considering that part of the remake’s purpose was demonstrating the sort of models, textures, and lighting possible on the PS5.
However,Elden Ringis getting a PS5 skew too. That’s not to say the game should be held to the same standards as its PS5-exclusive predecessor - it’s already clear thatElden Ringis operating withDark Souls 3andSekiro’s fidelity anyways - but it ought to try modernizing itself a bit.Demon’s Souls Remakeis also renowned for its use of sounds and animation. The positional audio in the game is great for hearing enemies in the environment, and the remake even added some environmental sounds that specifically make use of it, like a baby crying from the other side of a window. It would be impossible to talk aboutDemon’s Souls Remake’s presentation without discussing itsdiverse, smooth weapon animations. While FromSoftware’s modern games sport a lot more different weapons thanDemon’s Soulsever did, an update to how they look when used would be appreciated.
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Demon’s Souls Remake’s Polish and Quality of Life Features
Bluepoint Games’Demon’s Souls Remakedidn’t just enhance the old game’s presentation, it also tuned up the gameplay. No individual changes on this front were major, but taken as a whole, they easily make this remake the best version ofDemon’s Soulsto experience for the first game. Eight-way rolling, like what later FromSoftware games use, is backported toDemon’s Souls.Jumping is being added toElden Ringas an equivalent new dodging tool in the player’s arsenal, which is a good sign. FromSoftware should continue to implement new quality-of-life features and refine old ones (likeSekiro’s unhelpful world map) like Bluepoint tried to.
Some of those new features should be taking advantage of theDualSense controller’s new features. As a PS5 launch exclusive,Demon’s Soulswas expected to have these. The haptic feedback and adaptive triggers made for an immersive experience impossible on any other console. With every motion performed by or around the player felt by said player’s hands, many were more sucked intoDemon’s Souls' world. It was a great experience, and one that FromSoftware has every reason to try and replicate. It would be a lot of work just for one skew, but even just adding some rumbling while a player is jumping or falling would add to the experience.
Elden Ring and the Possibility of Bonus Features
The final lessonsElden Ringshould take from theDemon’s Souls Remakeare that game-altering modes and secret collectathons are great.FromSoftware’s games have employed new game plusfeatures for a while, but onlyDark Souls 2aspired to make its second run unique.Demon’s Souls Remakedoesn’t change much in its new game plus, but it does have something else for players to do. By paying souls to a certain altar in the Nexus, players can trigger a Fractured Mode that mirrors the world and player character. This may sound minor, but modes like this can provide a whole new experience for veterans. Whether they be in racing games or the reversed castle inCastlevania: Symphony of the Night, these always challenge players to look at obstacles from a different perspective and re-learn the setting.
That would be a great addition to any FromSoftware game, but Bluepoint went above and beyond by including atreasure hunt. This fun bonus originated in the studio’sShadow of the Colossus Remake, in which it tasked hardcore fans to find collectibles hidden in the farthest reaches of the map. After getting all of these, players were treated to a special reward that was not in the base game. The same is true for collecting Ceramic Coins inDemon’s Souls Remake. FromSoftware is no stranger to planting hidden objectives around a game’s world, but the most obtuse of these are often tied to NPCs and secret endings.Elden Ringis the perfect setting for a more traditional scavenger hunt, spanning its entire open-world map. The reward could be just about anything, but knowing FromSoftware, it would likely be worth it.
Elden Ringreleases Jul 30, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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