Master Demon's Souls controls and settings. Learn about the Help Menu, Online/Offline modes, button mappings for combat, magic, archery, and special actions.
This guide covers the settings and controls for Demon's Souls. It is recommended for new players to familiarize themselves with these sections.
Settings
The Settings menu allows for customization. Two key areas to explore are:
- Help Menu (Settings → Game → Help Menu): Essential for newcomers to understand game mechanics.
- Online Mode / Offline Mode (Settings → Network → Launch State): Defaults to Online. Selecting Offline disables features like Messages, Bloodstains, and invasions/summoning. While you can manually go Online, playing the first playthrough in Offline mode is recommended for better control over World Tendency.
Controls
The following table details the button mappings for various actions in Demon's Souls:
| Button | General Actions | Using Magic | Using Bow | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left Stick | Move | |||
| L3 | ||||
| Right Stick | Camera | |||
| R3 | Camera Reset / Lock-On | |||
| Right | Switch Right-Hand Weapon | |||
| Down | Switch Item | Zoom Out (Aim) | ||
| Left | Switch Left-Hand Weapon | |||
| Up | Switch Magic | Switch Magic | Zoom In (Aim) | |
| Circle | Evade / Sprint (Hold) | Climb Ladder Faster (Hold) | ||
| Cross | Interact | Skip Cut Scenes (Hold) | ||
| Square | Use Item | |||
| Triangle | Two-Hand Weapon | One-Hand Weapon | ||
| L1 | Guard (Shield) | Cast Magic (Left-Hand) | Precision Aim | |
| L2 | Parry / Bash (Shield) | Attack (Left-Hand) | Precision Aim | |
| R1 | Attack | Cast Magic (Right-Hand) | Switch Ammo | |
| R2 | Strong Attack | Attack (Right-Hand) | Shoot | |
| Options | Submenu | |||
| Touch Pad | Toolbelt (Customizable for left/right halves) | Access Photo Mode / Gestures (Photo Mode acts as PAUSE) |
Other Controls
- Holding the Cross button skips cut scenes.
- Holding the Circle button while climbing a ladder allows for faster climbing.
- The game does not have a traditional pause function; the environment continues to progress while menus are open. However, Photo Mode (accessed via the Touch Pad) freezes the game, effectively acting as a pause.
- Combining R1 + Triangle near certain ledges allows you to hop over them.
- Specific weapon actions can be performed with R1 + Square. For example, the Morning Star performs a backward push, while the Kilij executes two quick slices with a backward hop.
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