The beloved Demon’s Souls could have been much more difficult if From Software had included this boss

FromSoftware’s video games are synonymous with challenging difficulty, and one of their most iconic creations, Demon’s Souls, is no exception.

Since its launch in 2009, players have dealt with cleverly placed enemies that interrupt their progress, often resulting in frustrating ‘You died’ screens.

The enemy of Game Over that almost ruined Demon’s Souls

Recently, a discovery in the game files has revealed the existence of a discarded enemy: a hawk whose attack mechanics could have led to an immediate Game Over for players.

Zullie the Witch, known for her work in analyzing hidden content in FromSoftware titles, along with modder Molly Ariona, discovered this falcon in the files of Demon’s Souls.

This enemy, which would have flown over the Sanctuary of Storms, was designed to grab players and throw them off cliffs, ensuring their death with no chance of defense. The idea of an enemy with such destructive power was enough for the developers, led by Hidetaka Miyazaki, to decide to discard it.

This enemy not only would have increased user frustration, but also posed a dilemma about how far developers can push the difficulty in their games. However, FromSoftware did not completely abandon this concept.

Zullie the Witch points out that a similar mechanic was used in Dark Souls 3 with the Wild Demon, although this time players have more chances to evade the attack, avoiding such an abrupt ending.

Although the files of the lost falcon serve as a reminder of how creativity in enemy design can balance gameplay between difficulty and frustration, its cancellation likely saved many players from overwhelming moments of rage in their experience with Demon’s Souls.