FromSoftware has built up a reputation through their brutally hard games. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro have all captivated audiences by highlighting a degree of challenge that’s frankly unseen in modern gaming. As popular as these titles are, they owe their reputation to Demon’s Souls – a PS3 cult classic that’s since evolved into a juggernaut franchise.
Launching alongside the PS5, BluePoint Games’ remake of Demon’s Souls has given audiences a modern update while keeping the core of the original gameplay intact. Demon’s Souls was never as hard as its successors, but the game’s more methodical approach to level design caters to a degree of patience even Dark Souls doesn’t demand from the player. A world broken into five Archstones, Demon’s Souls challenges players to brave dangers unlike anything seen in Dark Souls.
5 Archstone Of The Burrow King
Even though Flamelurker might be a solid contender for the hardest boss in Demon’s Souls, the Archstone of the Burrow King on the whole is actually quite easy. 1-1 isn’t particularly demanding, all of its major traps well telegraphed and players given ample time to get used to the Scale Miners who lurk around every corner, along with the Fat Officials. The Armored Spider isn’t particularly challenging either, telegraphing all attacks clearly and easily dodged (especially should players roll behind it.)
2-2 can prove a bit more difficult if players follow the intended path – traversing through narrow pathways, lava, and even encountering Patches in the process – but there’s a shortcut roughly half a minute away from the Archstone that leads directly to Flamelurker. The Dragon God is also arguably the easiest Archdemon in Demon’s Souls, an environmental puzzle boss that fast footed players should be able to put down without too much trouble.
4 Archstone Of The Small King
Boletaria may be the first major world in the game, but the Archstone of the Small King is also intended to be the last. 1-1 is more or less an extension of the tutorial area, a fairly easy gauntlet of enemies and environmental set pieces that any patient, observant players will get through without too much trouble. 1-2 doubles down on this philosophy, making the Red Dragon burning bridges the central gimmick while featuring dangerous underground passages beneath the watchtowers, but players are locked out from the rest of the world until they defeat an Archdemon.
1-3 and 1-4 prove to be serious bumps in difficulty, the former a genuinely epic one man assault up towards the Boletarian Palace and the latter pitting players against three extremely strong Black Phantoms and the Blue Dragon. Where the Archstone of the Small King fumbles in terms of challenge is in its boss fights: all four ultimately too simply for their own good.
Phalanx can be easily killed with Fire Bombs and generally poses little to no threat; the Tower Knight will be dropped by patient players who take the time to clear out the arena’s archers; Biorr is capable of killing the Penetrator himself is rescued in 1-2; and King Allant – while a very compelling boss – is really no worse than the average mid-game Soulsborne duel.
3 Archstone Of The Shadow Men
The Shrine of Storms presents itself as an imposing area, a torrential downpour bathing Silver Skeletons while a Vanguard – the tutorial boss which likely killed players – sits waiting midway through the level. On a whole, the Archstone of the Shadow Men isn’t too difficult. 4-3 is arguably one of the easiest Archdemons, right next to the Dragon God in terms of difficulty. 4-1’s boss, The Adjudicator, doesn’t put up much of a fight either.
That said, the Archstone of the Shadow Men features several set pieces designed to spike the difficulty. Rather than sticking with a consistent curve, the Shrine of Storm’s challenge ebbs & flows. Storm Beasts consistently attack players from the sky, striking from afar; Reapers sneak up on players by hiding throughout 4-2, summoning Shadowlurkers to block progress in tight hallways. 4-2 even ends with a standout fight against the Old Hero, a blind boss designed to punish careless players.
2 Archstone Of The Tower Queen
The Tower of Latria is a terrifying area and might very well be Demon’s Souls’ standout setting. The Archstone of the Tower Queen is a torture chamber rooted in Lovecraftian imagery, designed to deceive the player at every turn. While 3-1 is composed mainly of mindless prisoners, bottomless pits and Mind Flayers pose a threat from start to finish. The confusing structure of the Prison of Hope also makes it easy to get disoriented while exploring.
3-2 only makes things more difficult by taking players to the very top of the Tower, pitting them against Gargoyles and countless death traps on their way to the Maneaters – Demon’s Souls sole pair of duel bosses. Where most final areas typically lead straight into the Archdemon fight, 3-3 not only features Black Phantom Mind Flayers, but allows players to be summoned to fight on behalf of the Old Monk. Similarly, other players can also be summoned. Pair with the wrong Black Phantom and completing 3-3 online can be downright brutal.
1 Archstone Of The Chieftain
The Archstone of the Chieftain is infamous among Demon’s Souls veterans, comparable to Blighttown’s reputation in Dark Souls. The Valley of Defilement is a ruthless area filled with poisonous swamps, the Plague status effect (which drains health jarringly fast,) and enemies that will chase players on end – demanding combat in some of the harshest environments in the game.
Every single boss in the Valley of Defilement is a pushover (save for trying to fight Maiden Astraea legitimately,) but 5-1 and 5-2 are so punishing in regards to their level design that the Archstone of the Chieftain stands out as the hardest part of the game overall. 5-2 alone is the single hardest stage in Demon’s Souls, prompting many players to just run by most of the level rather than taking its challenges head-on.
NEXT: 10 Things Only Pro Players Know You Can Do In Demon’s Souls PS5
