Review | Demon’s Souls

It’s taken a very long time for Demon’s Souls to officially arrive on New Zealand shores. Released in October 2009 in the US, the From Software developed game was almost universally hailed as one of the leading games of the year, one of the best ever PS3 role-players. RPG fans in Aotearoa have had to wait a whole ten whole months to see what the US gaming press has been salivating over. And was it worth the wait? Is it as good as you might hope? Well that would be spoiling things, wouldn’t it?

Demon’s Souls is, at its very heart, an old soul; it feels like a game out of place in the modern, fast-reflexes, trigger-happy world. That in itself will see the game being played by far less people than it deserves. It weaves a deep and thoughtful tale of medieval fantasy so complex you can almost taste the fog-bound air.

A lengthy opening sequence sets up the world of Demon’s Souls, a world devastated by mysterious demons and wrapped in a thick fog that prevents rescue and dooms the land to never-ending torment. It is upon these depressingly dark thoughts that you are thrust headfirst into the game proper.

After customizing your heroic avatar and picking a standard RPG class the first world you enter is that of the tutorial and for those used to the stock-standard video game tutorial, this level is an eye-opening experience. Because you die. You die a lot. And the more you die, the greater the challenge gets.

It took over 10 hours for my first death in Final Fantasy XIII, and even then I could simply load up my last save and step straight back into action, no harm, no foul. Demon’s Souls is the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Upon death you are sent back to the touchstone that signals the start of each level, no matter how far through the level you are.

To put draw this in a clumsy metaphor, death in Demon’s Souls has no safety net, there is simply oblivion. Although you do keep your weapons and items and can occasionally open up a shortcut, you don’t keep your most important asset, your Souls. Souls are rewarded for vanquishing enemies and they are your only real hope of getting through Demon’s Souls hugely challenging world; but upon death, all souls are cruelly snatched from you and can only be reclaimed if you can reach the point at which you died and touch your blood stain.

In the cruelest possible irony, the location of your blood stain is almost always near the tough enemy who has killed you, making recovery of the lost Souls all the more difficult. To make matters even more fun, any items, arrows or the like aren’t replenished upon death making defeating those who have defeated you particularly difficult.

Now this may sound like a chore, having to wade through the same piece of a level time after time until throwing your controller through your TV screen, but it’s not. Demon’s Souls greatest attribute is that it rewards you for playing with your head and thinking levels through.

Careful strategy and planning means that when you do fight your way through to a shortcut or the end-of-level boss you feel an actual sense of accomplishment rather than the just moving on to the next level.

The Souls that you manage to collect can be used in the haven of the Nexus, your sanctuary from the nightmare outside world. Here you can purchase everything you will need to fight the demons while also customizing your stats in any way you see fit. Although in Demon’s Souls you might start out as a certain class, there are no restrictions placed upon you to actually maintain that distinction.

Warriors can be trained to use magic, wizards to wield two-handed swords; the only restriction on your character is in your own mind. Indeed, the game encourages you to be as creative as possible as you play through meaning that Demon’s Souls has an almost limitless replay value.

The combat of Demon’s Souls also deserves special praise. Real-time battles are a common element of modern role-players, but usually don’t require any finesse or timing to proceed, usually random button mashing will suffice, but From Software has delivered a perfect blend of attack and defense that reinvigorates the entire concept of role-playing battles.

Attacking at the right time and with the right equipment is everything in Demon’s Souls. Using the wrong weapon of having the wrong potion equipped can cost you dearly, but experienced players will learn to adapt on the fly and battle through some seemingly impossible odds.

If your PlayStation 3 is connected to the internet you must play Demon’s Souls online. An amazing online world waits where you can follow clues and hints from other players and even watch them attempt the same challenges and enemies as you do. Although you can’t physically interact with them, it’s an amazing experience and one that connects you to the game world and to your fellow gamers like no other game I’ve ever played.

Advanced online players can also invade other player’s realms and take them on in PVP style combat. This invasion is insanely intense as you stalk/are stalked through a level waiting for the inevitable combat to commence.

Demon’s Souls won’t be for everyone. It’s difficult, infrequently ugly, and frequently frustrating. It’ll steal your sleep, consume your thoughts and fray your nerves. Inspired, rewarding and meaningful, Demon’s Souls is simply a gem of a game.   [9]