Gamespot score:9.0( editor's choice)
my score:9.4
(+)pros:- well made in game mechanics and controls,- controls are swift and responsive,- well designed world that will captivate players,- much in depth character customization,- online features are extremely unique and great,- well designed enemies and bosses.
(-)cons:- the game is FUUUCKKKING difficult and will induce LOTS of frustration.
gameplay time:100 hours+(very long lasting)
Welcome to my review of demon's souls! I only got this mid march, and have been playing it since then. Cleared new game 6 times, but never cleared new game+, but Im close to doing so. I'm gonna say something that the gametrailers reviewer for this game said. First off, demon's souls is hard. Yes, its hard. Its seriously the only game's flaw, its difficulty. Its hard to the extent its sometimes cheap. When you keep dieing you will swear like no tommorow in this game. Wheter its that accidental cliff roll-off or the cheap tactic of bosses one hitting you.....ahh never mind.
Demon's souls is an action RPG, and RPGs usually come with a good story. Not in this case. This is one RPG where story doesnt actually play a factor. Not that the story is bad, its just kinda like...you know, just focusing on one thing. The great kingdom boletaria, is one day devoured by a deep dwelling fog, with only soul starved soldiers now wandering in its remains. You play as a wanderer, who dies and gets sent to the nexus. You quickly become known as the "slayer of demons" after receiving a mission from the great monumental, to defeat all demons. Defeating all demons will leave the old one, the source of the entire fog business, with nothing to feed off its energy. So your task? Yes thats the entire gist of the plot, you play as the wanderer and try to beat all of the demons.
First things first, demon's souls gameplay. Gameplay is pretty much kinda like monster hunter, with a few more twists on gameplay elements though. You get your normal attack, your heavy attack, usage of items, blocking ,parrying...blah blah blah. Theres quite alot in demon's souls, you gotta make use of what you know in your knowledge of the gameplay commands. One wrong button press can land you dead. Stuff like rolling or blocking is a must know in demon's souls. Luckily, the controls are rather swift and reponsive. A precise button press will lead your character to attack, roll,block ,parry or whatever. You need to know basics and foundation in battle, since these are what will save you from countless deaths in demon's souls. Different weapons have different attack styles, different miracles and magic have different functions, and different armor affects your movements, one must fully master the knowledge of all these to effectivly perform well in battle.
Demon's souls has a incredibly beutiful world, be it the dark swamps of the valley of defilement, the huge vast areas of the shrine of storms, or the creepy atmosphere in the dungeon of latria, they are are well made. The enemies that inhabit these places are well made too. They are what kills players in demon souls, and they come in variety. Skeletions with dual katanas, octopus headed guards, blue-eyed knights, lava like rock skinned bugs..... theres quite a lot. They will kill you, and kill you good. They inhabit the 5 different worlds of demon's souls, and along with their companions thy will be out to hunt you. And in these 5 worlds, there are demons too, the bosses in the game. Each world has 3 demons, waiting at the end of each archstone, with excpetion of the castle of boletaria, it has 4 demons. These guys are no pushovers, they are mostly badass and will cause the players lots of trouble. And everytime you die, you lose all your souls, your in game currency used to buy stats points, or everyday supplies like grass or spices.
Cant beat a demon? Or cant cross a part in an incredibly difficult stage? Seek someone's help! Demon's souls online features are one of the best I have seen. When you desperately cant clear a stage or boss, enter body form, and make use of soul signs around you. Soul signs are seen by body form players, and are set down by soul form players. When a body form player touches a soul sign, the player who set it down will be summoned to his/her world, and the now summoned player, known as a blue phantom, will assist you in your level. Up to 3 blues can be summoned, and when the summoner dies, all blues will be returned to thier worlds, so blues must try and protect thier summoners. Feeling like an asshole? You can go ahead and invade someone! Invaders are known as black phantoms, and they are soul form players, since only soul forms can invade, and they can only invade body forms. Its fucking scary when you are being invaded, and fucking exciting when you are invading someone, since you wont know where the other party is lurking. Even if you dont summon or invade anyone, you can still see white silhoutes of other players walking about, or touch bloodstains on the floor to view the last 10 seconds of a player's life. Its that sweet.
Demon's souls is a great game, especially the bosses and the online content. It was game of the year 2009 for gamespot, I dont know about that, but this is really really fun. It definetely should not be missed by anyone with a PS3.
Happy gaming!
YOOOOUUUU DIIIIIEED!
