I actually went into 4-1 before I started 3-1 and had a tough time with those skeletons so I decided to try 3-1 instead. I found 3-1 really easy to get to the final boss but then I got spanked.

I may try 4-1 again or 5-1 at some point but I need a break for now.

I wanted to try this game because of it's brutal reputation and I am glad I did. It's a good game with some fun combat. I managed to work through and defeat the 1-1 and 2-1 worlds and got to the end of 3-1 but the frustration has now really set in.

After 3 attempts to defeat the 3-1 boss I'm starting to feel that this game is just too punishing for my tastes. The boss battle is very tough when she splits into 3 and you have to avoid attacks from all three while avoiding traps and working around furniture. It's just too much and then to have to battle through the level again each time I die ... ugh. I'm just not suited for that kind of punishment. If the game had a checkpoint save at the start of the boss battle it would be much more tolerable. But the 2-3 minute journey back to the boss is just not fun after too many tries.

I applaud those of you that have the skill and perserverance to get through it. I'm going back to Infamous which I enjoy much more.

I just finished this one last night. The ending is definitely one of the most rewarding I've seen in a long time.

I really liked this game from start to finish but there were a few things that just didn't work as well as the developers hoped. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

1. Graphics are incredible. The level of detail in some of the areas is staggering. Polygon counts and textures are sky high.
2. The combat is fluid and fun. As complex as it is, it works well and I never felt confused by the controls.
3. The game is long. The 50 levels and 12 worlds it'll take quite a while to go through.
4. Replayability is high as you can revisit any area you like to search for treasures and attempt to finsh those levels while meeting certain conditions.
5. The story is well told in both naration and cutscenes. It's a little cliche but done well.
6. Huge titan battles are epic.

Cons:

1. The camera is a little wonky at times. When traveling through an area the controls sometimes go haywire when the camera swings around.
2. As deep as the combat is, it's a bit too much and doesn't really work as intended. You can spend points on new moves but most of the new moves take time to execute and can be broken thereby leaving you open to attack. The combat stragegy that works best is to hit and dodge. Most bosses require this technique and can easily be defeated that way. The best moves to invest in are area attacks and heavy hit.
3. I was really hoping for a lot of large Titan battles. Unfortunately there are only 3 and 2 of those are very early in the game.

Overall my complaints are minor and were just small hicups in what I felt was an epic journey through a memorable world.

If you loved Resident Evil for PS1then you're sure to love Resident Evil 5. That was one of my favorite.

Red Dead is a great choice if you are sucker for a Western. On the other hand, if fast cars and Mafia plotlines are more your bag then go with Grand Theft Auto 4. Both games are nearly identical in gameplay but offer completely different stories and settings. I personally liked the fast cars and Mafia thing more.

The Uncharted series is a classic and you will undoubtedly enjoy those as well.

Those 3-4 alone will keep you busy for months.

didnt liked castlevania demo, i had my hope on that game because of mr kojima, but now, i dont want it

TIGERLIONX

Two games come to mind immediately.

Resident Evil 5. The demo was really tough and I got spanked pretty hard playing it the first time. But I kept at it and finally decided to buy the game anyway. Really gladI did because it was one of my favorite games last year.

Heavy Rain. I was not impressed with the controls or the way the "game" worked when I played the demo but I decided I wanted to experience it anyway. I'm glad I bought the game as the story was good and the concept was original but in the end I still felt the same way I did after playing the demo. I don't like that type of quick-time gameplay so I probably won't buy any sequels.

Wow, that is unfortunate. The car looks so amazing otherwise.

Just an update. I did pick this game up this weekend and have worked through the first world (1-1) and most of 2-1. I do like the combat and there is a certain appeal to the tension that the game brings as you try to tip-toe through so you don't loose your souls. It's probably a little too intense for me but I'll stick with it for a while and see if I can get used to it. The first world really isn't that tough but as a new player you still are learning and as a result I died quite a bit due to some fumbling with the controls or learning how the enemies attack.

In world 2-1 I've been able to play through 3/4 of it without dieing so far but there were a number of cheap enemy placements that surprize you and nearly got me killed. I found a few of them just be being careful but those cheap surprises could be pretty annoying in the long run.

Thanks for all the input. I think you are convincing me to give it a try. I think I could find myself liking this game as it souds like the combat is somewhat similar to Oblivion where you need to aware of stamina and use some defense to prevail. I will undoubtably get frustrated with having to start over and that will probably prevent me from ever seeing the end but it sounds like a game that's worth experiencing. And with used prices being less than $20 it won't feel like a complete waste of money if I give up after a few levels.

As a dedicated gamer I play a lot of games. I generally don't play a lot of RPGs however as I tend to lose interest on games that take more than 20 hours. In the past I have spent a good deal of time with Oblivion (played almost 60 hours but never actually finished the main quest) and I also dabbled with Dragon Age for a little while before losing interest. I like the concepts of an RPG like character and weapon stats but I tend to be turned off by those RPGs like Dragon Age whichrequire lots of complicated party managment programming. The best RPG I've ever played was the Mass Effect series and I would venture to say those are extremely light on the RPG part.

I like a good midevil setting and amvery intrigued by the reviews of Demon's Souls. But I'm terrifiedby thewarnings that it's punishingly difficult. Ilike a good challenge if the challenge is in figuring out the best weapon or attack to exploit the enemy weakness but Idon't want an endless array of battlesthat are difficult because the enemy has 50 times your hitpoints and the only solution is to widdle away at them.If there is a methodolgy that requires planned stat and weapon building as well as careful studying of the enemy then I might really enjoy the game. But I don't want to be swearing at my controller because I've been beaten down repeatedly no matter what approach I take.

Also, are there any checkpoint saves in any of the dungeons or do you have to fight your way all the way through and beat the boss before getting a save? I will be very irritated if I have to replay an entire level to get to a boss and then get beaten down repeatedly as I struggle to figure out the best approach.

I don't know if I've described my tastes well enough for you to help me decide but please give me input on what you did and didn't like about it so I can help decide if I'm wasting my money. Thanks.