Whereas the first gameplay trailer shown back in September focused on the tutorial level leading up to the Vanguard boss, this gameplay trailer gives a lot of love to Stonefang Tunnel, the Armor Spider, and Flamelurker.
The layout of Stonefang in the remake is identical to the layout in the original game (at least in these sections), but the amount of detail and refinement here is, if not surprising, astounding. Definitely watch this trailer in 4K if you can.
Some of the most notable and obvious changes come in the more detailed character models and the incredible use of lighting. Here, the Scale Miners looks more like withered yet ferocious vampires instead of mopey skin bags, and the Armor Spider looks downright terrifying with its wandering center eye. We still don’t get a look at any builds outside of the Knight (who is, yes, wearing the Fluted Armor set), but we finally get to see spells in use.
While the vastly improved lighting in the first trailer was certainly obvious, especially in the tower area leading to Vanguard, the lighting in this trailer really shows what the PS5 version of Demon’s Souls is capable of. Here, where lights and darks play off of each other in flickering fire, and the bright blue flourish of the Soul Arrow spell, the PS5’s graphical capabilities create an entirely new atmosphere for the game.
I’m still picking my jaw up off the floor.
Everything concludes with a fight against Flamelurker, as well as a look at other locations in the game, including the Tower of Latria and the Shrine of Storms. The quick look we get at a Mindflayer is utterly terrifying and full-on Lovecraftian, while what we see of the Silver Skeleton in the Shrine of Storms looks… ok. I’m not quite sold on it yet, but I’m sure its design will grow on me when I’m able to see more than what amounts to a flash.
We get the Blue Dragon, Maneater, Old Hero, and so, so much more. I can’t wait to play Demon’s Souls in just a few short weeks, and I know I’m not alone. And if anyone’s still on the fence, this trailer is sure to push them right off. Stay tuned for our full review and a full set of guides.
