Demon's Souls Hands-On

Learn from the mistakes of others in this dark action role-playing game.

Demon's Souls has been out in Asia for several months now, and it's been receiving a lot of positive attention from other regions. North American role-playing game fans will be happy to know that Atlus has decided to scoop up this hidden gem and publish it here. We've only had the opportunity to scratch the surface of this intriguing RPG at E3, but from what we've seen, it looks like it could easily suck up a huge amount of time. It's an action RPG that you play alone for the most part, but you aren't truly alone in your quest because you'll come across the ghosts of other players as you progress through the game.

Who's Making This Game: The game was developed by From Software, who also worked on Enchanted Arms. Demon's Souls will be made exclusively for the PlayStation 3 and published in North America by Atlus, who has a reputation for publishing quirky but also incredibly challenging RPGs.

What the Game Looks Like: Demon's Souls murky and gloomy aesthetic matches the subject matter, but there's beauty to find as well. Impressive cutscenes and still art introduce you to the kingdom that has been overrun by demons, and the in-game graphics look fantastic as you hack away tirelessly under a sunless sky.

What There Is to Do: The kingdom of Boletaria is swarming with demons of all shapes and sizes--thanks to a power-hungry king--so you'll be traveling through the foggy wastelands and exploring dingy dungeons trying to collect as many souls as you can. It's not like a traditional massively multiplayer online game in which there are hundreds and thousands of players around you at all times. While you're always going to be online when playing Demon's Souls, the ghosts that you see when you stumble upon a bloodstain are death animations of players who have died at that very spot. Players can leave helpful or foreboding messages behind for others, warning them of the dangers ahead or directing them to secrets that might be easily missed. We were told that there will be competitive player-versus-player for up to four later in the game, and you can also play cooperatively in groups of three to do boss runs.

How the Game Is Played: Our time with the game was brief, so we only made it through the tutorial and watched a short demo by an Atlus rep. After customizing and naming our character, a helpful tutorial eased our way into the dark realm. There are 13 classes to choose from, but we went with a warrior to keep things simple. One important thing to note is that everything happens in real time, so you can't pause the game whenever you want. You attack with the right triggers and parry/block with the left, and you have full control over the camera with the right analog stick. The controls are straightforward and easy to get a hold of; staying alive and collecting souls is the tricky part.

What They Say: Beautiful, compelling, and unforgiving, Demon's Souls is the hardcore RPG experience PlayStation 3 system owners have been waiting for since the platform's launch.

What We Say: Demon's Souls takes a unique approach to the standard action RPG genre by creating a solid single-player experience--except for the fact that you're not really alone. The ability to interact through short messages and see how others have died before you makes the game feel more alive--in a creepy and chilling sort of way. It makes it so that you don't feel like you're entirely alone when you're playing solo. You'll, at least, get a heads-up and learn that jumping into that hole in the ground was a bad idea. We're curious to see how the multiplayer will work because it seems like this game is going to be quite challenging on your own. Look for Demon's Souls when it is released this fall.

61 Comments

  • Bashers79

    Posted Oct 5, 2009 5:11 am PT

    Not sure about this one, I've never been a fan of JRPG's like the FF series (I don't like the Japanese way of story telling plus they never translate properly into English) But I'll be more than happy to be proven wrong, hopefully this won't be a straight convert from the asian version and the story will make sense.

  • chedarcheese190

    Posted Sep 21, 2009 5:12 pm PT

    just wait for october 9th.

  • papaddy

    Posted Sep 10, 2009 2:04 am PT

    Great, great game. The Asian version contains English so if your PS3 settings are in English the game will automatically be in English. Only the manual will be in Chinese or Korean. If you're patient, you like a challenge and want to be immersed in a unique dark fantasy environment, go for it! But be warned, it's tough, especially at the beginning. You will die a lot!

  • processor23

    Posted Aug 21, 2009 8:39 am PT

    in the asian version you have to change the language to english then all is in english except menus i think

  • Noss1

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 12:00 pm PT

    @ ominous08 - in the imported version is there a 'English' dialog setting so you can read and understand it?

  • 100starz

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 11:30 am PT

    I've played ALLOT of japanese games in my lifetime. And the only one i liked was Ace Combat 6. This looks like a fail with bad translation.

  • Rhen_Var

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 8:59 am PT

    They left out the part where other players can basically back stab you while you're playing

  • laptop12

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 9:16 am PT

    i am playing the asia version, first time it was very hard, then i found it is easy then ever, then... try a litte new game+, pow cannot take it

  • ominous08

    Posted Jun 23, 2009 3:20 pm PT

    I couldn't wait till Fall so I imported. Best RPG I've played since Oblivion. If you don't feel like waiting, import the Asian version, you won't regret it!

  • Adziboy

    Posted Jun 22, 2009 3:08 pm PT

    I've always though RPG's looked cool but as I'm about to buy one, hype takes over and I go buy a FPS, a sequel or just something that looks awesome. This might finally change my mind as all I've done is read the user reviews and this page and I'm blown away by the positive comments and already hyped.

    I won't get it at £40 though... for 40 I want a heavily replayable game. This can wait until I'm bored of the barrage of games coming November.

  • Ninja_Zombie83

    Posted Jun 22, 2009 11:48 am PT

    Wow, they really need someone else to explain this game. This guy didn't make a lot of sense and seemed like he didn't know much about the game.

  • Zampa_Dan

    Posted Jun 22, 2009 11:05 am PT

    Only found out about this game a few hours ago, cant get it in England, but the shop will import it in for me for 50quid. Quality! getting this game next week, cant wait!

  • iancwm

    Posted Jun 22, 2009 3:50 am PT

    C-Dawg007
    "omg, this game looks siiiick. im definitely thinking that it's like a mash up of dmc and oblivion. but im pretty sure it'll blow any rpg game out of tha water so far. a definite buy for me."

    Well, in a way you are right. Customisation is great like Oblivion, and the difficulty is brutal. At times youll feel so frustrated youll swear to stop playing it cos you just lost a few hours worth of earning souls in a second. But sooner or later youll gather up the determination and want to play it again. Its more than just a mash up. Its a class of its own. Not for the faint-hearted definitely. If you want mindless hack and slash, go play Dynasty Warriors. The asian version works just fine, as it has perfect english dubbing already.

  • nerd_assassin

    Posted Jun 22, 2009 3:27 am PT

    @evilross

    Just for assurance, will this game work even if I am not connected to the PSN? I have the very old-school Japanese launch console and no Wi-Fi, so I can't always connect to the PSN.

  • VisceriousZERO

    Posted Jun 21, 2009 5:46 pm PT

    Looks fine, but that rep needs to know how to answer questions. xD

    Might get.

  • C-Dawg007

    Posted Jun 21, 2009 2:06 am PT

    omg, this game looks siiiick. im definitely thinking that it's like a mash up of dmc and oblivion. but im pretty sure it'll blow any rpg game out of tha water so far. a definite buy for me.

  • Kman8909

    Posted Jun 20, 2009 12:11 am PT

    Just when I was craving an RPG experience this shows up. It's like sign. I will get this game when I can!

  • RandomCTG

    Posted Jun 19, 2009 7:36 am PT

    not too bad

  • evilross

    Posted Jun 17, 2009 10:06 pm PT

    I've had this game for about a month now, I bought a Korean import off ebay.

    This is the best game this gen, hands down IMO. If your looking for something different, something challenging, something that will beat you down, but leave you begging for more this is it. There is no other game this gen remotely close to the experiance Demon's Souls is. Its just one of a kind. As far as the visuals go, the graphics are very good, but its the art direction and atmosphere that put this game over the top in the visual department. The sound design is short on score, but long on effects and mood. One of the most chilling moments I've ever had playing a video game is working my way through the prison block in the Tower of Latria. Its nerve wracking, and spine tingling. The constant threat of death, the overbearingly gloomy environments, I can just go on and on.

    From Software has created a modern day masterpiece in Demon's Souls. Anyone who was a fan of the King's Field series, a fan of hardcore RPG's, any how likes challenging deep, thought provoking games, seriously needs to buy Demon's Souls. This game has rarely left the BD drive in my PS3 since it arrived in the mail, and I still haven't even seen half of what the game holds. The word tendency events, secrets, weapons and weapon forging upgrades, online co-op Blue Phantom play, or evil Black Phantom assasinations in other players worlds... massive replay value here folks.

  • JunkyMcMuffin

    Posted Jun 17, 2009 7:08 pm PT

    360 owner.....very jelous.

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