Demon’s Souls Is More Than Dark Souls’ Weird Brother [Video]

Demon’s Souls celebrated its 15-year anniversary on October 6, 2024. Below, we examine how the progenitor of the Soulslike genre forged an uncompromising path for others to follow.

Die-hard From Software fans who’ve dodge-rolled their way through the fiery crucibles of Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series certainly know a thing or two about the origins of the so-called souls-like genre. Defined by a number of discrete pillars–“bonfire”-style checkpoints that restore a set number of heals, stamina meters, and menacing bosses–this style of game has become increasingly popular in the past 10 years. Moreover, these design tropes have crystallized into hard-and-fast principles that notable games like Lies of P seem to embrace wholeheartedly.

However, if you look at the first entry in the Souls series, the wildly innovative Demon’s Souls, you’ll …