Despite being discussed internally by the team, it was ultimately something the developer decided not to further pursue and that’s why an easy mode, or anything resembling an easy mode, is not present in the game today.
“This project remakes the work of another development team,” Moore said. “While we’ve made some changes, our core driving mantra has always been to preserve the spirit and intent of the original creators. While we considered and discussed an easy mode, we ultimately decided it wasn’t our place — merely being custodians for this amazing game — to add something that would fundamentally alter its balance.”
This coincides with earlier comments made by Moore in an interview with Game Informer back in October, as noted by WaPo. Moore told Game Informer that there are no difficulty options in Demon’s Souls and that “there shouldn’t be.” He said the game’s challenge was “fair.”
Despite the challenge that Moore believes is fair, the Demon’s Souls remake from Bluepoint includes over 180 guide videos on the PS5 that can be accessed through the console’s UI. Easy mode aside, Moore spoke to WaPo about the accessibility options the developers did choose to include in the game.“We’ve included an option to switch the audio from stereo to mono, with an added choice to play the sound either on the left or right,” Moore said. “For those who experience color vision deficiency, we added the ability to edit the UI palette. Some players are sensitive to certain types of screen movement, so we’ve included a toggle for motion blur and camera shake.”
Moore also mentioned how the PS5’s DualSense controller can help players identify incoming threats and other things, and that the controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive trigger effects can be disabled.
“While Demon’s Souls at its heart is often about figuring out what to do next, or how to defeat a certain enemy, everyone comes into the experience with a different ability level, and we’d rather no one step away because they were too discouraged.”
Read this IGN feature about how accessibility in games is about more than difficulty and then read about this new mysterious locked door players have found in Demon’s Souls on PS5. If you need help making your way through Demon’s Souls, be sure to check out the official IGN Demon’s Souls walkthrough and then check out our essential tips and tricks for the game, things to find early, things Demon’s Souls doesn’t tell you, and all of the changes and new features found in the remake.
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
