Another archdemon has been defeated, meaning that two more remain before we can challenge King Allant. The Valley of Defilement and the Tower of Latria are all we have left to challenge, and they probably know we’re coming.
So let them know. Let them squirm. There will be no mercy.
Thumbnail by Sam Callahan.
As promised, here are links to both the original Maiden Astraea theme from the PS3 version and the updated one used in the PS5 remake.
While I’ve spoken about it before, it’s worth repeating how much the change in boss battle music bothers me in this case, because of how dramatically different the tone is between versions. The Maiden Astraea boss fight is a tragedy that we, as the player, are inflicting upon two decent people who are just trying to alleviate the suffering of the wretches of the Valley. Unfortunately for Saint Astraea and Garl Vinland, what they are doing has the side effect of feeding souls to the Old One, and for that reason they cannot be allowed to live. The boss battle music reflects the sorrow and melancholy this fight is intend to evoke.
The remake version attempts to capture this same feeling, but it adds so much to the song that the original melody gets lost. Between the Gregorian choir, the haunting female opera singer, violin and brass instrumentation spliced into the mix, it starts to resemble the music we come to associate with traditionally “epic” video game boss battles. This new theme paints Garl Vinland and Maiden Astraea as powerfully villains we’re heroically slaying. I don’t want to feel that way about this battle. I want to feel like garbage for assassinating a woman and her bodyguard/lover.
I lack the vocabulary to dissect these tracks beyond my own surface-level feelings, but Alex Moukala, a music producer, talks a bit about the technical aspects of it in this video. He’s a lot more positive on it, but that’s because all art is subjective. What works for one may or may not work for another and vice-versa.
As for the Old Monk fight, I must admit that I’m disappointed that we won on our first attempt. This might not be as interesting now as it was back in the day, since they’ve reprised this mechanic in the Ringed City with the Halflight, Spear of the Church boss fight. At the time Demon’s Souls came out, this is a mind-blowing boss fight. The idea that other player could serve as your boss fight was such a revelation. There’s a tension there that simply doesn’t exist with an AI opponent. It’s the equivalent of Dante versus Vergil in Devil May Cry, two people with the same skill, playing by the same rules. I always look forward to that fight every time I play Demon’s Souls.
Next time, we finish our adventure. King Allant waits us at the Boletarian Palace.
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