Ethan Crossfield 
FromSoftware's Souls formula now feels instantly recognizable, but its earliest form was far less settled. A newly uncovered 2007 Demon's Souls prototype shows the studio testing an optional first-person camera alongside early versions of major enemies, environments, and online features before the game's 2009 release.
A Transitional Moment for FromSoftware
The discovery comes from FromSoftware historian and dataminer Lance McDonald, who published the material on YouTube. The footage and development slides were prepared for Gameshare 4, an internal Sony event held in May 2007, placing them nearly two years before Demon's Souls arrived on PlayStation 3.
The first-person experiment fits the studio's earlier history. FromSoftware began with King's Field in 1994, a first-person fantasy RPG built around exploration, oppressive settings, and deliberate combat. The developer later moved through projects including Armored Core before Demon's Souls combined older ideas with the third-person action design that would define its next generation of games.
The Prototype's Camera Was Only One Unfinished Idea
Several sections show gameplay from a first-person perspective that resembles King's Field. The presentation suggests players could switch between first- and third-person views rather than being restricted to a single camera. Even the early third-person view is different from the retail version, sitting more directly behind the character instead of using the freer camera movement players eventually received.
The prototype also contains an early Vanguard Demon in an arena resembling its final battleground, while the Dragon God appears in a more open volcanic setting. Unused bipedal serpent enemies are visible as well, offering another glimpse at concepts that did not make it into Demon's Souls. The accompanying slides discuss online systems that would become central to the game, including seeing other players as phantoms while exploring alone.
How First Person Could Have Changed the Souls Formula
A first-person option would have affected more than visual presentation. Demon's Souls' final third-person camera helps players judge spacing, circle opponents, track several attackers, and read the movements of enormous bosses. Mechanics such as dodge rolls, backstabs, shield use, and lock-on combat also benefit from seeing both the player character and the surrounding battlefield.
A first-person view might have made those encounters harder to read, but it could also have intensified the claustrophobia of Boletaria's castles and tunnels. Since Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring all built on ideas established by Demon's Souls, committing to a different camera could have redirected FromSoftware's later action RPGs in significant ways. The footage underlines that the series' defining conventions emerged through experimentation rather than arriving fully formed.
Key points
- The prototype was prepared for Sony's Gameshare 4 event in May 2007.
- It shows an optional first-person camera and an earlier third-person setup.
- Early Vanguard Demon and Dragon God versions appear in the material.
- The presentation also covers phantom-based online features and unused enemies.
Expert View
For the FromSoftware community, the prototype is valuable because it separates the studio's core design ideas from the presentation that eventually made them famous. Boss encounters, bleak worlds, asynchronous multiplayer, and deliberate combat were already taking shape, but the camera and level context were still open questions. It is a reminder that Demon's Souls was not simply the first draft of a proven formula; it was the point where several different FromSoftware traditions were competing to define the future.
