The cocaine of PS3 exclusives, except this addiction won't leave you dead on the floor. Well, maybe.
So where is the game that gives you a great story, insane action, amazing character modeling and pulls you in day after day after day until it starts to ruin your personal life? Its finally here.
Demon's Souls says "Screw off" to today's modern collection of games that hold your hand and provide you with a linear path to follow and a constant flow of power-ups. Playing Demon's Souls is the equivalent of being born in the hospital and having your mother toss you out the hospital window onto the street while yelling "Good luck kid!".
Sounds horrible and frustrating, doesn't it? Not so fast there, buddy. Imagine you're that street-tossed baby and your imminent death of getting crushed by an oncoming car ends up not happening because you rolled out of the way. Hmmm, things just got interesting. Now you've made it to the sidewalk and there are huge dogs ready to attack this strange baby - you - laying on the ground. What a sad ending for the noob baby. In a leap of faith you roll into a street drain away from the dogs. You're alive, still, somehow. Now, however, you see red-eyed rats screaming towards you. Are you scared? Is this the end? Not a chance. Afterall, you just escaped crushing cars and wild dogs. Rats have nothing on you. Frustration and imminent death turns into you thinking "Get ready world, because here I come."
Demon's Souls will scare the casual gamer for the first several hours. In fact, surviving the tutorial level can be difficult. Its a safe bet that 50% of gamers who try Demon's Souls won't play it a second day but 100% of those who give it that second day will end up giving it many many more days.
Here is a quick summary of what Demon's Souls is:
You're a wannabe hero who wants to liberate a land from a magical demonic being that has taken control of it. You, like many heros before you, will die in your attempt. How you respond to that death is what really counts, however. Press on, fight harder, build your strength both mentally and physically, and the impossible goal will begin to look more and more like a challenge than an impossibility.
There are 5 levels, or worlds, to play. All are unlocked after you kill the first boss of the first level. Each level has around four or five bosses and they require killing to move deeper into the level. Earlier areas of the level are still wide open for exploration and fighting. Generally speaking you can't move deeper into a level without also playing parts of other levels as your experience needs to be built, so you'll be moving back and fourth between levels and the Nexus. The Nexus is the gathering spot for heros, or losers, where you can upgrade weapons among other things.
Weapons are fun to handle. You have two hands so you can carry two things such as a shield and a sword, or no shield and two swords, or use both hands to double-grip a weapon for less defense but more offense. You also carry a wide range of powerups that you can find and store as well as armor, throwable items like knives, special power-giving rings, and of course the whole art of magic that I haven't won't even bother getting into. Let's just say you won't be bored.
Graphics are as beautiful as a console will allow.... Yes, PC's offer much better graphics but you won't feel it when playing Demon's Souls. The worlds are big and although framerate suffers when looking off a cliff or tower into the distance it is not something frustrating or common.
Sound is a bit lacking. Players may want more dynamic sound in such a dynamic game but will have to settle for the plain weapon sounds and sometimes crackling sounds coming from their high-end sound system. Its clear the developers wanted to make the game itself perfect and may have skimped on sound. Music is great when you can hear it but only during intense moments does the great music play.
Game length will be long. This is because you will always want to replay areas you've already beaten so you can get more money, known as 'souls' in the game, so you can upgrade or repair weapons and upgrade your own self. Also any souls you currently have, and was planning to spend on upgrades, will disappear if you die. It then becomes a blood bath as you slaughter foes and race back to your "bloodstain", the area where you died and lost your souls, so that you can touch your "bloodstain" and regain your lost souls. The catch is you better not die on the way back to reclaim your souls otherwise your souls will be gone for good! Expect a single player campaign to last well over 100 hours thanks to the addictive system this game has in place.
10/10, no exceptions, no regrets.