Title: Demon’s Souls
Release: October 6, 2009
Genre: Action-RPG
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Atlus
Platform: PS3
Rating: M (Mature)
From Software has an excellent catalogue when it comes to making graphically sophisticated games. The developer is responsible for the gorgeous Otogi: Myth of Demons franchise on the original Xbox as well as the impressive-looking Ninja Blade which came out earlier this year for the 360. Demon’s Souls is no different but replaces Japanese monsters with the more familiar Western-inspired bestiary found in games like Everquest or even classic Dungeons and Dragons paper and pencil quests from yesteryear.
You will encounter giant spiders, blobs, ogres, dragons and other gothic set pieces, but the rendering gives them a realistic presence in a bleak, cold world that instills more fear in the player than any survival horror game released this year. The only character that lacks polish is your own avatar. The create-a-character options yield little imaginative flare while producing, in most cases, an awfully generic protagonist. Luckily, you can outfit your character with helmets and armor that successfully cover up any lasting remnants of whatever you built in the beginning of the game.
The sound design follows suit with the graphics in terms of style. The score is typical epic orchestral fare meant to add a sense of grandeur to your unique adventure. The music can switch between heroic and depressing almost instantly—depressing throughout most levels while heroic during boss battles. The voice acting is also incredibly solemn in representing the plight of most of the game’s inhabitants. The man in charge of watching your storage speaks with a tone of tortured sadness due to the loss of his family. Even though not much is known about his back story, the acting suggests a deeper world filled with strife and hardships that begs to be explored.
You will take control over one of many fantasy archetypes—the knight, archer, magician, etc. Fighting consists of a fast weak attack and a slow strong attack. Combos can be linked together depending on what kind of weapon you have equipped. Combat is all about timing your strikes carefully and knowing when to block with your shield or parry an incoming slash. The momentum shifts back and forth during battles and a few poorly timed attacks will get you killed. Magic users must have their wand equipped in order to cast spells which can be awkward at times when you have to switch from your sword to a catalyst wand during mid fight. The combat is unique to the genre in the sense that a typical action RPG simply requires players to click on the target they want to attack and the outcome is decided by statistical formulas and algorithms. Demon’s Souls’ combat has a more active and thoroughly more rewarding engagement than most games of its kind. Killing monsters and bosses earns you souls, the only currency in the game. Souls are used to buy weapons, armor and items as well as upgrade your stats such as strength, endurance and dexterity.
Demon’s Souls’ gameplay will ultimately separate the hardcore gamer from the casual crowd. A learning curve does not exist in this game; it is vary much a jagged wall. The difficulty level stays high from the very outset challenging you to basically survive. This game is very much against you and actively thwarts any attempt you will make to complete it. Some enemies are purposely made over-powered while others lie in wait for you behind doors and corners. Every enemy has the potential to kill you even when you are at full health. Some enemies, like the wolves, are so deadly that even the sight of them will send you running in the opposite direction. Upon dying, and you will die often, you are sent back to the beginning of the level as a ghost with you health significantly reduced, enemies fully regenerated and every soul you collected taken away from you. It is possible to retrieve all of your lost souls if you can manage to find the bloodstain where you were last killed, but there is usually a good reason why you died at this spot to begin with and you will realize that those souls are as good as gone.
Your only helpful source comes from other gamers. Demon’s Souls’ most novel and fascinating feature is its inventive multiplayer. During your campaign when online you will see ghosts of other players running through the level in real-time; players can leave notes, or in most cases warnings, about impending doom. Every time a player dies they leave behind a bloodstain. When you touch another person’s bloodstain you will see what that character did shortly before being killed. This provides helpful insight into the game’s puzzles and is also hilarious to watch people get crushed or fall off cliffs that lead no where. When online you will never feel alone and seeing other players die over and over will make you feel better about your own misjudgments. You can also jump into other people’s campaigns as either a friend or foe, but due to the game’s lack of a friend finding server, it is nearly impossible to link up with people you know and trust.
Demon’s Souls presents a quirky, dark role-playing experience that is both classic and refreshing. Combat is a thrilling leap in a more active direction that emphasizes the “action” in action RPGs. The online implementation is clever and adds a sense of camaraderie in what is a visibly desolate, defeated world. The sadistic difficulty level will scare lesser gamers away but those who are willing to put their RPG knowledge to good use will find an unforgiving paradise that will award a real sense of triumph…if they triumph.
Overall Rating: 
M. Michael Chwedyk-MuzikReviews.com Sr. Video Game Reviewer
November 3, 2009
For Questions or Comments on This Review email me mchwedyk@muzikreviews.com
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