So after some nostalgia and careful review....

Of both Dark Souls and Demon's Souls, Dark Souls is in face a very superior game.


I've put about 10 hours onto a Demon's Souls file and I can honestly say that Dark Souls is better in many ways, more ways than it is worse.

Many of the issues I've seen people complain about between the two are actually non-existent. Some are there, but were implemented to make Dark Souls more user friendly.. Which many will see as a bad thing.

But in short this is my opinion after having some fun with DeS. With all that said, the games are both very fun.

Discuss.

Never one to take off the rose-colored glasses, Demon's Souls will have a higher place in my heart for a long, long time. I recognize that Dark Souls is a technically superior game, but Demon's Souls was fresh, new, and exciting when I first played it and it's a timing disadvantage that is gonna take alot for Dark Souls to catch up with. Both are easily two of the best games I've played in the last 5 years, but unfortunately for Dark Souls, Demon's Souls came first :|

Demon's just has that something that Dark doesn't, but for all intents and purposes they're the same game with a few technical changes and a different setting.

I know it's not a super popular opinion, but I totally agree with you. I absolutely loved Demon's, definitely will always hold a special place for me. I also think Demon's was a bit better at articulating a feeling of isolation by essentially making the only truly safe area the Nexus and by using much darker atmospheres. I read a criticism on another site around the time of DkS's release stating that From ruined the series atmospheric elements by making so many of its areas exposed to sunlight. I think that criticism is kind of a silly one. So much of it has direct plot ties to the sun. And then there's the Tomb of the Giants. If you've ever been stuck down there without a light source I feel like it's hard to argue that DkS doesn't say isolation. All that aside I feel like it's difficult to disregard the presence of improved systems and a much wider variety of equipment and spells, and thus a much wider variety of build possibilities. For me one of the most fun parts of DkS is planning and creating my own hybrid characters, and then trying to make them work in PvP. There's just a lot more options for that kind of thing in Dark than there was in Demon's, and I like my variety.

You also have to consider though that Dark is a later game by the same company. Of course they're going to have gotten better at doing what they do over time. At least I'd hope they would.

On the same topic - will the experience be different if I play Dark Souls first and then Demon Souls? My brother introduced me to the "Souls series" if I may call it that. I never gave Demon Souls a chance when it came out and only started to play Dark Souls to see why he is making such a fuss about it. I'm just afraid that playing in reverse is far worse than for instance playing Dark Souls for a second time (NG+). Any thoughts on that?

I'll just comment on what my feelings are regarding the aesthetics of the two games. I actually went back and played through Demon's a while ago as well, because I wanted to compare the two games.

I definitely agree that Demon's Souls had a different vibe going, with much more despair and isolation. There was a sense of hopelessness that isn't as apparent in Dark Souls. I mean, just think back to the first time you went to Boletarian Palace, the crows croaking, the corpses, fire, and all that. There was just so much more despair and a different atmosphere.

But I don't know if I would agree that Dark Souls is any worse for not having the same feeling to it. It's just different. Dark Souls have so many different and grander sights (imo), like Ash lake and Anor Londo and so on. In Demon's Souls everything was kind of dark and grey. Different shades of dark and grey perhaps, but there wasn't as much variation in the different locations.

I think Demon's Souls hade this oppressive sense of depression to it that Dark Souls doesn't have as much of, and maybe that has to do with the fact that it's a little brighter, a little less hopeless. But that's just my thoughts on it.

Technically.. I don't know. I think I like the amount of weaponry and the weapons in Dark Souls a little more.

That is as good and honest as I could ask for - since the lore and story isn't related, it boils down to personal likes and dislikes - I am just so glad that I have Demon Souls to look forward to. Many thanx middya.

I like Dark Souls more than demons souls, I bought Demons souls, and dont get me wrong its a good game, but i constantly find myself getting bored with the game, I like dark souls because its is way more fun to explore around 1 big world as opposed to going to a central hud and warping between levels.

I have put way more time into dark souls between the two games, theres something about dark that is way more fun IMO.

i definately agree that dark souls is more polished but iwouldnt say better, dark souls was so disapointing with the upgrade paths and the enviroment was a big letdown, it felt like FROM just copied and pasted most of it but yeah the combat in dark is better.

For me I preferred the upgrade paths, atmosphere and the online in Demon's. But Dark does have better combat and huge variety of equipment. So yeah I dunno about more polished, they've changed it too much in the patches imo.

WarriorOfSunlight wrote:For me I preferred the upgrade paths, atmosphere and the online in Demon's. But Dark does have better combat and huge variety of equipment. So yeah I dunno about more polished, they've changed it too much in the patches imo.

i dont think htey changed it too much with the patche(s?). they made some weapons better and slightly nerfed the elementals which are still pretty much the same, i never used the crs or iron flesh(bosses only) i was happy when my msgs got an A in str. the patch actually made things a lil better imo.

RantFromRant wrote:

WarriorOfSunlight wrote:For me I preferred the upgrade paths, atmosphere and the online in Demon's. But Dark does have better combat and huge variety of equipment. So yeah I dunno about more polished, they've changed it too much in the patches imo.

i dont think htey changed it too much with the patche(s?). they made some weapons better and slightly nerfed the elementals which are still pretty much the same, i never used the crs or iron flesh(bosses only) i was happy when my msgs got an A in str. the patch actually made things a lil better imo.

In terms of difficulty it's a joke now to what it was at release, it was harder than Demon's back then.

WarriorOfSunlight wrote:

RantFromRant wrote:

WarriorOfSunlight wrote:For me I preferred the upgrade paths, atmosphere and the online in Demon's. But Dark does have better combat and huge variety of equipment. So yeah I dunno about more polished, they've changed it too much in the patches imo.

i dont think htey changed it too much with the patche(s?). they made some weapons better and slightly nerfed the elementals which are still pretty much the same, i never used the crs or iron flesh(bosses only) i was happy when my msgs got an A in str. the patch actually made things a lil better imo.

In terms of difficulty it's a joke now to what it was at release, it was harder than Demon's back then.

the first time i played demon's i was like this is hard? i mean it was but not everyone made out to be, specially after spendig thousands of hours in monster hunter.

the trend that i am noticing is that if you played ds after dks you are going to prefer dks.

i have recently come to realize that dks is just a larger version of ds. they are both great games but not very different after all.

I think they are both great games where both have their pluses and minuses. For instance, I think the bosses were better in DeS, but I think the online is MUCH better in DkS. I think the atmosphere was better in DeS, but I think the NPC interaction and overall story was done better in DkS. I like the open world vs the hub in DeS as well. All in all, both are great games, DkS just edges out DeS by a bit for me.

aceluby wrote:I think they are both great games where both have their pluses and minuses. For instance, I think the bosses were better in DeS.

I think I would agree with that. I had a really hard time with a few bosses in my first DeS run. In comparison I blew right through them in DkS.

PlasticandRage wrote:

aceluby wrote:I think they are both great games where both have their pluses and minuses. For instance, I think the bosses were better in DeS.

I think I would agree with that. I had a really hard time with a few bosses in my first DeS run. In comparison I blew right through them in DkS.

The epicness of the bosses seemed to be missing for me. Just compare the iron golem to the HUGE knight in 1-2, or maneater vs the gargoyles, or even the dragon vs Bed of Chaos.

Dark Souls is just better in my opinion. Upgrade system works better and is less confusing/ridiculous, movement of characters is more realistic and addition of poise was a good move. The open world I feel improves the game too, some say it feels less alone and hopeless than demons, but i wouldn't agree with that. Also a far superior amount of equipment.

Only things I'd bring back from demons is 1. the character creation and look of characters, they look better on demons. 2. Use of boss souls and EVERY boss has a soul you can use, for weapons and Magic. 3. crushing/sharp and status upgrades for weapons. 4. Maybe make bows good again, they need to be more viable than they are on dark 5. Bring back the smaller speedy bosses, not enough on Dark at all

However what people are saying about the bosses on demons i don't get. They're far easier than Dark's. They all have gimmicks which you can exploit for the most part and are in general are weaker and easier to read and kill.

Demons going back is much easier than dark, I know some people brought this up. Originally I though Dark was easier, but when I took out the dragon god with my sl 1 royal I knew demons was a bit easy.

As to the atmosphere Demons still has that hands down. I still dread going to world 5 after the hundreds of hours I put into that game despite that its really no different than any of the other worlds in terms of difficulty.

As far as equipment goes, I like the armors from demon's more than the ones in dark. They just looked better. I like the variety in dark, but I miss my Gloom Armor.

aceluby wrote:

PlasticandRage wrote:

aceluby wrote:I think they are both great games where both have their pluses and minuses. For instance, I think the bosses were better in DeS.

I think I would agree with that. I had a really hard time with a few bosses in my first DeS run. In comparison I blew right through them in DkS.

The epicness of the bosses seemed to be missing for me. Just compare the iron golem to the HUGE knight in 1-2, or maneater vs the gargoyles, or even the dragon vs Bed of Chaos.

Oh absolutely. I still remember the first time I fought the Tower Knight in 1-2. I probably danced around it for half an hour like "uuuhhh uuhhhh noooo nooooo," just dodging its spear attacks and trying to figure out what I had to do. DkS didn't really recreate that for me to the same extent. The first time I fought Gwyn was probably the closest I got to it. When he first lunged at me with that big flaming sword I definitely panicked a little.

Actually in all fairness Nito definitely made me panic the first time too. He's such an intimidating character on his own, then you throw in all the skeletons in his arena, which of course I aggro'd in my first go round, and you've got a pretty intense battle, IMO.

I'll always be partial to King's Field. Obviously, improved technology makes the Souls games superior in so many ways; but I'll never forget the harrowing rides in mine carts, the insanely powerful early game skeletons, or the original giant's tomb.

i agree that the combat in dark souls is much improved and one of the main reasons i prefer dark souls. My favorite area out of both games is boletaria. I also prefer how demons souls just has an aura around you when in soul form rather then the undead form in dark souls. As for bosses i think demons souls had some more enjoyable atmospheric bosses while dark souls bosses were lacking a bit but still awesome and fitting to the lordran world. I think the next souls game will be a perfect mesh of the two and i cant wait.

Sebastrd wrote:I'll always be partial to King's Field. Obviously, improved technology makes the Souls games superior in so many ways; but I'll never forget the harrowing rides in mine carts, the insanely powerful early game skeletons, or the original giant's tomb.

i never played king's field(never could get into fp rpg's) but i hear they have some of the old king's fields monsters in demon's and dark souls, is it true? i tried looking it up and came up with nothing.

I do miss soul form. It was so much more significant in DeS.

In soul form you did more damage had less defense AND were harder for enemies to detect. In body form you had more defense did less damage and were easier to detect as well as you had the ability to summon/be invaded. Now in Dark souls the only difference is the summon/invade ability.

I also kind of miss soul form, the fact that soul form vs human meant that you had to adjust and to some extent adopt different tactics. But I can also see why the contrast was toned down in DkS. I think soul form put off Demon's Souls for some people. That when you died you were punished by having to make do with much less hp and so on.

As for sheer atmosphere btw, I think we can all agree that Blight Town has nothing on world 5. BT might be frustrating and a little tense, but 5 was downright scary. And 5-3, just an amazing payoff for getting through everything before.

I do prefer DkS even though I put in quite a few hours in DS way back when, but yes, DS definitely was a great experience.