Demon’s Souls is an Action RPG set in the medieval kingdom of Boletaria which has been taken over by a Demonic Fog. While the story of the game isn’t fantastic it is interesting enough for the player to keep playing without groaning every time a (skipable) cut scene appears.

The game world is dark and oppressive, it does an amazing job of giving the impression that you are all alone in a hostile and beautiful landscape. From Software have obviously put a lot of work into all the designs from the realistic armor sets and weapons to the vast vistas you sometimes stumble upon while exploring the dungeons. Some of the lesser enemies are a tad generic but the boss Demons are a sight to behold, both massive and fearsome. For such a good looking game it runs pretty well with only a few choppy areas when a lot of effects are going off.

The player starts out by choosing one of the origin classes which vary in their starting stats and equipment but can be developed into whatever area the player wishes without too much trouble. After a short tutorial your character is killed and drawn into the nexus in soul form (where they have less health and a blue glow surrounding them) a state which you will be spending a large portion of the game in after a short bit of story it is straight into the action.

The real meat of the game is the combat which is punishing, responsive and an amazing amount of fun. While the controls are relatively simple they provide the player with a dearth of options to tackle any particular situation. A shield can be used to both block and parry attacks (opening the foe up for a critical strike) and is generally required for most characters, or a weapon can be wielded two handed for increased speed and strength. Combat is all about timing and positioning and while it is brutal it does not cheat like so many game do to be difficult, every foe is a threat and should not be taken lightly or they will do a reasonable job of ripping your face off.

The games multi player is spectacularly implemented with players able to help each other not just in co-op play but by leaving short messages with warnings or suggestions about the area ahead and the blood stains left by a players most recent death showing their mistakes.

PvP is interesting in that you invade other players worlds which can lead to a bit of frustration as you fight a group of enemies and a black phantom comes up behind and cuts you into fifty different pieces.

Demon’s Souls is an often difficult sometimes frustrating but almost always fun game with a lot of atmosphere and style and while doing so dosen’t fall into the trap of trying to be ‘edgy’ for the sake of being edgy like so many games do. I suggest it to anyone who doesn’t mind a challenge. My only real gripe is that sometimes the camera can make the platforming sections or fights more difficult then they should be.

Rating: Buy it!

Since this is my first review I will describe my rating system below:

NGRGHBLGRG NGGGH! This game is so perfect it has sent the reviewer into a spasm of joy.

Buy It! these are games which are a lot of fun and will be worth the money for almost every one.

Try It! is my rating for games which are fun but should probably be borrowed/rented or purchased with a 7 day return policy because they aren’t for everyone

Don’t Buy It! This game is awful and should only be purchased if you are incredibly bored and it costs less than $10

KILL IT WITH FIRE! This game is an affront to the gaming gods and should be burned on sight, It goes beyond shovelware.