Demon's Souls Remake Will Not Feature New Archstone

Over the years, Souls obsessives have pored over every inch of the digital worlds featured in From Software's games for answers and insight, even delving into the code itself for content that was ultimately cut from the game. Unfortunately, if you were hoping that the PS5 Demon's Souls remake would restore the game's mysterious sixth Archstone, we've got some bad news.

In GameSpot's interview with Gavin Moore, creative director at SIE Worldwide Studios, the developer said that while there will be new content in the game: there remains just five Archstones in the Nexus. That mysterious unfinished area will remain a mystery.

"So there was a long and hard discussion," he said. "There is no sixth Archstone. There are only five Archstones in the Nexus. It's true to the original, there's no new Archstone, there's no new world."

The broken sixth archstone of the Nexus has been the focus of fan speculation since Demon's Souls original release in 2009. As revealed by dataminers like Lance McDonald, there is an unused map buried in the game code that corresponds with the broken archstone, called the "Northern Limit." Given the map's radically-unfinished state, it was likely abandoned early in development. The Monumental's dialog suggests that the sixth archstone was "given to the great giants of the Northern Lands," indicating that it was likely intended as a snowy mountain area similar to the Painted World of Ariamis in Dark Souls.

Elsewhere in the interview, Moore revealed that the game will feature new weapon-specific animations, as well as an improved camera that won't snag on the environment, though the game gives you the option of using the original camera. He also stated that the game will give you some sort of option to respec your character, although the details are a bit fuzzy. Demon's Souls is very similar to the Dark Souls series, but it does feature some differences in how you heal. In the new version, you will have a more limited quantity of the healing grass to better balance fights. Dark Souls, on the other hand, uses a recharging flask flask system, which you can upgrade over time by using the correct items.

Demon's Souls will launch alongside the PS5 on November 12. If you're wondering about different editions and bonuses, check out GameSpot's preorder guide.