When FromSoftware released Dark Souls: Remastered back in 2018, they introduced a new generation of gamers to the RPG that popularized the modern "Soulslike" genre. As development continues on Elden Ring, the spiritual successor to the Dark Souls trilogy, some playars are wondering if FromSoftware should invest resources into releasing more remasters of their other classic titles.
After the success of Dark Souls: Remastered, publisher Devolver Digital collaborated with FromSoftware to release Metal Wolf: Chaos XD in 2019, a remastered version of FromSoftware's obscure cult classic mech shooter Metal Wolf: Chaos. Recently, rumors have spread that FromSoftware's gothic horror RPG Bloodborne will also get remastered, and may even also be ported to PC.
Producers at FromSoftware have expressed an openness towards remastering any of their past titles as long as there's a notable demand from consumers. This raises the question, however: what remastered FromSoftware games should consumers demand?
Demon's Souls: The Soulslike That Started It All
Before Sekiro, before Bloodborne, before Dark Souls I through III, there was Demon's Souls, an awkwardly named RPG directed by the then-unknown Hidetaka Miyazaki. In this first, boldest experiment in Soulslike gameplay, Miyazaki introduced design elements and visuals that would come to define future FromSoftware titles: sprawling open worlds, a medieval setting with a focus on knightly armor and weapons, persistent autosaving, and a dark, mysterious storyline where the main character is cursed in-game to die and resurrect over and over. A remaster or remake of Demon's Souls would let more players see just how the Soulslike fad got started, and how far it's come since.
The Early Armored Core Games
Before FromSoftware was famous for Dark Souls, it was a company known for the Armored Core franchise, an action shooter series about mercenary mech pilots called Ravens and the wars they fought at the behest of corrupt mega-corporations. Similar to the Mechwarrior and Battletech games in theme, players in later Armored Core titles could purchase new mech chassis and salvage upgrades from the wrecks of their defeated foes. Armored Core 3, Armored Core: Nexus, and Armored Core: Last Raven would make particularly good remasters, thanks to their refined yet classic gameplay and a long, interconnected storyline that dramatically encapsulated the cost of greed and endless war.
The King's Field RPG Series
Before even Demon's Souls, there was King's Field, an RPG series also built around challenging combat in a hauntingly atmospheric fantasy world. King's Field 1, released in 1994, was the very first game published by FromSoftware, a first-person dungeon crawler in the vein of Ultima: Underworld and Elder Scrolls, which introduced key gameplay principles – and a powerful weapon called the Moonlight Greatsword – that would go on to appear in Armored Core, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne. A remaster of King's Field for phones or tablets would be a great way for FromSoftware to promote their brand on the mobile market and introduce fans to their very first gruesomely difficulty RPG franchise.
In a time where computer technology rapidly advances and classic video games become too old to run on the latest systems, remastered games are a vital way to preserve the historical accomplishments of the video game industry for future generations, while also letting veteran gamers reconnect with the games of their childhood. FromSoftware has published a number of remarkable games over the years, which makes it all the more important that genre-defining titles like Demon's Souls and the early Armored Core games remain accessible to both nostalgic fans and developers looking for fresh inspiration.