I won't lie, one of the next gen games I'm looking forward to the most is actually a last gen game.
Demon's Souls holds a special place in my perverted heart; I was in a pretty bad place mentally when I first bought it and tried it out on a whim despite not having played another Fromsoft game in my life, and after hours of dying, crying and trying again I finally emerged triumphant against the first boss. But I still couldn't get the hang of it, so I put it down for a few months. Then I saw Dunkey's video on it and was inspired to power through, and I regret that I didn't play it sooner. All these obtuse mechanics finally came to me, and I started exploring and murdering anyone in my path like nobody's business, learning the virtues of patience and perseverance and finishing the game over and over again. Even after beating every other Souls game plus countless titles inspired by them, Demon's still stands out with some of the most memorable environments, aesthetics and enemies I've ever encountered in a game. And at the center of it all is the best girl Fromsoft have ever created.
In a game where almost everything and everyone is out to flatten you, it's hard to feel any kind of comfort. And after spending hours killing and getting killed while collecting the titular demon's souls, you'll have to return to the Nexus to level up and prepare for your next journey. Even most of the friendly NPCs treat you like shit, but there's one (actually two, Stockpile Thomas is a real one) waifu you can always rely on: the Maiden in Black.
A super powerful demon in the form of a dishevelled goth cutie wearing little more than a cloak, some wraps and the wax over her eyes, without whom it'd be nigh-impossible to venture into Boletaria and slay all those demons running amok. Hearing her sweet voice's mantra about souls while levelling up never gets old, and even when you've got other Nexus business to attend to it's always nice to see her sitting on the steps, waggling her toes without a care in the world.
Fromsoft love to bring back and experiment with ideas from their older games, and the same can be said of the Maiden. But the other Souls hub waifus just didn't hit the same; even if Dark Souls 3's firekeeper is also blind & barefoot and spouts off similar mantras, and the Plain Doll from Bloodborne has the same voice actress, nothing can top the OG Maiden for me. That's why I was so excited to see even a glimpse of her in the latest trailer for the upcoming Demon's Souls remake for PS5. The gameplay looks stunning and the bleak world I grew to love looks more atmospheric than ever, but seeing the Maiden's soles in 4K 60fps is what I'm hyped about more than anything. And no doubt the R34 world will blow up like God's Wrath with more lewds and doujins of her after release. She's criminally underrated as it is, but I've been seeing a bit of an uptick in Maiden lewds so that's definitely a good sign. At least we don't have to wait much longer to touch the demon inside her once more.
Over to you, have you guys played Demon's Souls? What do you think of the Maiden in Black? Are you as excited for the remake as I am? Sound off below!
