After weeks of speculation, we finally have an answer regarding those loud, seemingly random sound effects haunting the Demon’s Souls remake: Sony told Kotaku they’re a glitch, nothing more.
Since the game’s release last month, Demon’s Souls players have documented several instances of odd, clanging sounds that didn’t exist in the original, ringing out in various areas of the remake. While many (myself included) wrote off these out-of-place noises as an unintended bug, they’re still occurring after a handful of post-release updates. And they even seem to be increasing in frequency and strength.
For example, this is what these noises sounded like the day Demon’s Souls launched, courtesy of Souls archaeologist Lance McDonald:
And here’s the racket they’re making now, as captured by political commentator Hasan Piker on Twitch:
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In lieu of an official explanation, Demon’s Souls players naturally crafted several theories about what these noises might mean. Early on, some thought it could possibly be an indicator that the World Tendency mechanic was being altered online, sort of how you might hear other players ring the Bells of Awakening in Dark Souls. Others thought the sound effects were tied to the mysterious hidden door before it was eventually unlocked.
The most interesting hypothesis, however, connected the remake to original Demon’s Souls developer From Software’s next game, the highly anticipated Elden Ring. Many believed the metallic clanging heard throughout the remake were the same noises made by the blacksmith in the opening of the Elden Ring reveal video from E3 2019. Take a listen:
It was a wild theory, for sure, but it had one glaring hole: From Software, from what we can tell, wasn’t involved with the Demon’s Souls remake. Why would the studio use it as a vehicle to tease an upcoming project?
That said, I completely understand why comparisons were made. Information-starved fans are looking for any new morsels to get excited about after From Software’s year of radio silence on Elden Ring, so much so that a simple acknowledgement of the game’s existence last month was enough to rile people up.
Thanks to players figuring out how to acquire the Providential Ring earlier this week, these sound effects were one of the last lingering Demon’s Souls mysteries still waiting to be solved. The cynic in me is satisfied with this conclusion, but the Souls fan in me is bummed that there isn’t something more meaningful happening here.
Sony also told Kotaku that the team is looking into a fix for these audio glitches, so enjoy them while you can.