Is Demon's Souls Related to Dark Souls?

If there’s any video game developing company who comes close to matching CD Projekt Red’s popularity and goodwill in the gaming community, it’ll be FromSoftware – Almost unanimously. The reason why we say this is that FromSoftware has given us a straight list of stellar Action RPGs to play ever since they debuted the Souls series.

And now towards the end of 2020, nearly two decades after having released the first Demon’s Souls game in the Souls series, FromSoftware has come a full circle by giving us their Demon’s Souls remastered version which is already getting loads of positive review.

What are the Souls Games

Demon’s Souls and the three iterations of Dark Souls along with their remastered versions make up what’s known as the ‘Souls’ series in the world of RPG gaming. To describe the gameplay and experience to a layman, you can say that veterans of the Souls games have developed almost a Masochist sense of achievement and gameplay.

FromSoftware started it off with the first souls game in 2009, that is, the Demon’s Souls which was essentially where it all began. Since then, we have gotten 3 more Souls titles like Dark Souls 1, 2 and 3.

The game has been critically received because of how punishing it is on newcomers to the Genre but if there’s one thing that you should remember, is that you can always Get Good. (You knew this was coming)

Is Demon’s Souls connected with Dark Souls?

Not at all. We get the point as to why fans might wonder if Demon’s Souls is connected to the Dark Souls trilogy. Some might even be convinced, but honestly, they’re not.

If you look at the video we’ve included above, you’ll get to know a lot about the lore of the Souls series. It’s just theorizations made by entire forums and communities, but it does point to certain similarities and that’s absolutely fine.

It will be perfectly right in saying that Demon’s Souls back in 2009 set up the stage for Dark Souls to come waltzing in. Back when it released, Demon’s Souls was criminally underrated and maybe that’s why it’s finally getting the recognition it deserves today.

Many of the gameplay mechanics from both games are actually quite similar. Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls share the whole Bonfire system, the Souls-led upgrade system, the grand-arena-based Boss fights and cruelly similar punishment mechanisms.

You might also find characters repeating themselves in both. All the way down to even having ‘Souls’ in the main title.

Though you’ll find a lot of references between the two Games, in essence, we can say that the Dark Souls series is at the most, a “Spiritual Sequel” to what Demon’s Souls began. Because though the lores are different, the concept and design really don’t leave much to guesswork.

Screengrab via: VaatiVidya