GamerNode: Reviews - Demon's Souls

Demon's Souls

• Demon's Souls
• PlayStation 3
• From Software
• Atlus Co.
• October 06th, 2009

Although countless dungeon crawlers have been released throughout videogame history, there has never been anything quite like From Software's Demon's Souls. This Atlus-published action RPG uses sprawling, atmospheric worlds, haunting game concepts and mechanics, an unconventional control scheme, and formidable difficulty to envelop players in an experience that is easily one of the best of the year.

Amid a thick fog, Demons have descended to claim the souls of the living, and it is up to players to walk a path between spectral and corporeal planes of existence, slaying these beasts and restoring the world to its former, peaceful state. This will take place across five distinct locales, each guarded by up to four major demons (bosses) and a multitude of less epic foes, all of which are unique to the areas that they inhabit.

Unlike the throwaway encounters in many other games, Demon's Souls makes each new confrontation, from the delightfully distinct and often awe-inspiring bosses, right down to the game's basic enemies, a significant event to be taken very seriously. It is easy to be killed in Demon's Souls, especially when enemies attack in numbers; a slow, thoughtful approach is usually the most effective. Combined with the already overwhelming supernatural themes and lonely, imposing environments, this instilled sense of danger engages players much like a survival horror title. The fear of the unknown lurking around every corner and the apprehension with which players are forced to proceed through each surreal and, at times, downright creepy world make exploration in this game highly suspenseful and engrossing.

Death is a very fluid concept in Demon's Souls, and operates like a distant evolution of the ring health system in Sonic the Hedgehog. When players are killed, they lose all of the souls -- the game's currency AND measure of experience -- they have collected from killing enemies, and are revived in "soul form" at the beginning of the level. They may then continue as if still alive, but with less health and a slightly augmented difficulty level, until they defeat a major demon or revive using a special item. When they come upon the site of their prior death, they may reclaim their lost souls by touching their own bloodstain, and the only serious loss is time. Dying before reaching the bloodstain forfeits those lost souls forever. The Sonic analogy deals with the idea that any isolated death is minimally consequential, but two deaths in a row, without reacquiring what was only temporarily lost the first time, is detrimental to players' progress.

Leveling a character is immensely important in this oppressive game world, so players may find themselves doing a bit of grinding to earn more souls on more than one occasion. Although an initial character class must be chosen from a list of 10 at the journey's outset, only by trading souls for stat boosts will a character truly develop into a specialized warrior. Just because a character begins as a knight doesn't mean he or she can't ultimately become a powerful magician or priest, and vice-versa. Likewise, a huge list of weapons and armor can be upgraded using souls and ores in a myriad of ways, including many special weapons with powerful effects, each tailored to a different type of character. Two separate (and UNequal) blacksmiths offer different upgrades, making the depth of this tiered upgrade system quite incredible and offering new goals for which players will strive throughout the game.

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