Demon's Souls is receiving a hefty Digital Deluxe Edition which comes with equipment, consumable items and weapon upgrade materials. This will cost players $89.99, or $20 more than the standard edition.
Most of these items are not available in the original game, which could imply a few interesting things about Bluepoint's re-imagining of Demon's Souls.
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The full list of what's available in the Digital Deluxe Edition is quite large. As far as equipment goes, it includes two armor sets called Red-Eye Knight Armor and Boletarian Royalty Armor, a Hoplite Shield, a Ritual Blade and a Ring of Longevity.
Demon's Souls is also introducing a new category of items called "grains." The ones available in the Digital Deluxe Edition are called Perseveration Grains, Phosphorescent Grains and Bearbug Grains. We can only assume that they're consumable, but it's hard to tell at the moment.
Players will also receive access to a Storied Warrior Soul, Renowned Warrior Soul, and Legendary Hero Soul. Once consumed, these net the player quite a few Souls which allow them to level up or purchase items.
Weapon upgrade materials like the Large Hardstone Shard and Moonlightstone Shard will be included in the package as well.
The Digital Deluxe Edition also comes with the Demon's Souls Original Soundtrack. I'm eagerly anticipating what some of the game's most memorable songs sound like in Bluepoint's re-imagining, so this is easily the most appealing benefit of the package.
Furthermore, pre-ordering Demon's Souls will grant you access to a unique Reaper Scythe weapon.
What this means for Demon's Souls
The existence of the Demon's Souls Digital Deluxe Edition didn't sit right with me initially. The Soulsborne franchise is largely about conquering whatever phenomenal dangers lie ahead. It's important to make players feel like they're putting their skills to the test and earning victories in fulfilling ways. These types of games rarely, if ever, hold your hand.
Allowing players to buy their way into those victories with real money seems a bit contradictory to this philosophy. However, this entirely depends on the usefulness of the items bundled with the Digital Deluxe Edition. I'm hoping that the equipment lasts players a few hours and becomes obsolete after the first area or two.
Although this has worried me, it's also exciting. The number of never-before-seen items included in this edition implies Bluepoint Games has possibly created unique equipment and consumables for their re-imagining. Perhaps I'm being a bit hopeful here, but this could also mean that the game will include entirely new areas or bosses.
