Demon's Souls for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

Turned into AWESOME!

I decided to read some reviews after falling for this game and was fairly blown away at some of the specific negative comments.

- Clunky controls? No. They're exact and precise. If you hit the R1 button over and over when you THINK you should be able to attack you character will attack at the correct speed, and then start to attack again. You did hit the button twice, didn't you? Unfortunatly you will then die because the enemy you swung at again either dodged your attack or blocked it and swung at you. The same goes for healing, once you start the action your character will contine until either that actions end or your lifes end. Calm down and only hit the buttons you REALLY need to. Be deliberate. I die the above described way constantly too, it's always my fault.

- Too hard? No yet again. The game is difficult, but very fair. It's trail and error, but if you pay attention, you'll get why you died. It seems a little off some times when an enemy will hit you once and you die...so don't get hit or don't fight them yet. It's not a completely liniar game, you do have choices. The Demon's Souls Wiki is fantastic for clues and wepons planning.

- Not for the casual gamer with a life or a job? Again, not true. I have a very involving job (I admit, no life) that keeps me busy around 50-60 hours a week. If you like games, you will make the time to do what you enjoy. 5 characters later, I've beaten the game with 3 of them and continue to play when I have a couple hours. You do need patience to enjoy however, it'll take some getting used to.

Overall it's a very fun and challenging game. It's upsetting that some people give the game a low score because they can't grasp the controls and game play. That is however what reviews are for, opinions. Just don't let the bad ones scare you off, this is easily one of my favorite games ever and I've been playing for over 20 years now. Try it for yourself and form one.

Demon's Souls is an unforgiving dive into a dark, monster ridden world that beckons you forward with promises of power and unique weapons and tools...if you can survive.

I used to own the game but had to sell it due to hard times and now I'm about to get it back. I just had to leave a review since I see it's score is really lower than I think it should be.

Demon's Souls is a very challenging game. You must have patience to play this game, and a diehard spirit. You will die. Again and again. The question is, did you learn from it?

There are certain advantages that some didn't take into account while playing this game and I can tell due to the low score it has. First, if you are alive you can summon help while playing online, but you can also be invaded. If you are dead, you resist certain attacks more, even though your health is halved. You are also harder to detect while dead. This game has so many different tactics you can employ to get what you desire, you just have to be willing to figure them out and stick with it. Another thing that is great about this game is that you CAN farm souls (xp) to strengthen your character, you just have to realize where the good farming points are. There are so many things this game offers, but an easy walk is not one of them. If you are looking for a game that doesn't forgive, yet gives you a great feeling of accomplishment when you conquer an enemy, get Demon's Souls. If you are having serious problems, you can always look up a guide as well. If you aren't playing this online, you are missing the best half of the game!

This game is hard. So hard in fact that after about 6 hours of trying to get through the first level you'll be ready to ship it right back to gamefly. DON'T!! This game doesn't care if it's too hard for you. It has no concern if you can't get past a boss or killed the most important npc of the game. Play it for an hour and amass enough souls (the games currency for everything) to level up twice then get killed at the most inconvenient place (you can go back through the level to where you died and retrieve your collected souls) only to accidently run off a cliff you've passed a million times before without any trouble, losing all your souls in the process.

But why do i love it sooo much?!!? It forces you to get good or fail. This game doesn't care for the casual gaming crowd. You have a vauge idea of how to play the game through the tutorial, but for the most part it's trial and error (and some help from online notes people leave "watch out for fall ahead"). You have to get good at your character. Leveling up and getting better gear helps, but ultimatley if you can't figure out how and when to block and attack you will never get through this game.

For the laymen i could best describe it as a zelda game set in Nightmareville or some place near it. Except in this game you get to decide what kind of Link you are playing. A heavily armored knight. a nimble, stealthy assassin. A powerful magic user. a mixture of two or three. This customization lends itself to a unique experience to every different character in the way they approach enemies. You can go in swinging with reckless abondon, set a trap poison cloud or blast them from just out of their reach.

I haven't even gone into the graphics or multiplayer suffice to say both are fantastic and the multiplayer is set up like nothing i've played before.

If you're a fan of zelda and dungeon crawlers and even ninja gaiden type games you'll love this game if you can get past it's crushing learning curve.

Something about this game feels old school, but at the same time it feels like something fresh that isn't just emulating other succesful games.

Reasons I think this game is great:

1. Seems almost too hard a first, and while I wouldn't say it gets easier, you know you'll be satisfied when you move forward another step. Perfect balance of challenge vs reward.
2. Nice diversity in ways to build your character. I don't feel pigeonholed once I've chosen my class, of which there are a decent selection as well.
3. While the world is broken up into a main hub and stages, it still has great explorability.
4. Combat is fantastic. Every enemy, especially when you are in Soul Form, is a deadly threat, so you have to be smart. This is not a button masher.
5. Some cool enemies. I could tell this game was Japanese before I actually looked into From Software by the enemy design, especially the first boss. The Japanese come up with some great monster concepts.

That's it. If you like action RPGs and a good challenge, try it.

This game is painfully difficult to play. This game would EASILY deserve an 8 or 9 if there was a way to adjust the game difficulty to allow the general gaming community a chance to experience the title to the end. If you want a real challenge and have the patience perhaps this game is worthy of your time.

this game is amazing. if you used to easy combat or complete hack and slash style beware. You must be strategic and not run in blind anywhere. THIS GAME IS FOR HARDCORE PLAYERS WHO HAVE PATIENCE AND WANT A CHALLENGE

this game, first off, was amazing. it was hard and it took a lot of patience. however, that is patience i do not have. should have at least had some savepoints, or some music while playing.

Give this game a few days. At first you will hate it because you aren't used to something this hard. That is the point. After you play through the same scene a few times, you will have a hard time realizing why it was so difficult in the first place.

The story line will keep you thinking when you are at school/work. You'll find yourself pausing gameplay to look around at the awesome graphic detail of the levels and bosses. There are more weapons/armor than you can keep count of in one game. You'll have to rethink your inventory for every mission.

Every decision counts. You cannot save your game manually. There is an autosave function that you have to be aware of. If you attempt something risky, it could effect the rest of your game. The game involves a lot of thinking.

If you give this game a chance, you will not regret it. I just beat it and don't want to send it back! Luckily there is a new game+ and new game ++!

I Originally got this game because a friend recommended it to me, and I have to say, i hated it when I first played. It took me 4 hours to GET to the first boss, and almost 3 days to kill it (I wasn't paying attention to my grass[healing items])

However after i returned the game to gamefly, i couldn't get it out of my head. i found myself looking online to build classes out before I knew it. I planned my frist class from level 1 all the way to 120. Including equipment, and what sats to put where, and when. Long story short, I went to my local Bull Moose, and promptly purchased the game. Within 5 minutes I was hooked. As soon as you accept the fact that your going to die, the game becomes much more fun than tedious.

The goal isn't so much to get to the end of the level without dying, It's much more in the nature of gathering information on enemies, layout, and general strategy until you make your big run. The game is not oriented toward a story, and if story is what you are looking for in a game, i recommend something else. this game revels in its combat system and the feeling of satisfaction of victory. and those are the things that make the game worth it.

Also I HIGHLY recommend playing demon's souls befoe its newly released sequel. if you don't vibe on the game once you accept the concept, you never will.

When I first got this game way back in October I gave it about a week before I threw it on the shelf never to play it again, until about May. I can safely say my initial reactions to this game were way way wrong. I thought it was too hard, too confusing... I was an idiot. This game rocks and is so under rated its funny. The game is so deep and offers hours of entertainment. If you are having trouble go to some online sites or wikis and they can easily help you out if you "think" this game is to confusing or hard to the point it’s not fun.

Once you beat the first level, go to the top and talk to the statue “monumental” to begin leveling up with the witch that says “the monumental waits ye above.” I didn't know that and just got my ars kicked. Give this game a try and don’t be afraid to read for some help online.

Ok. So this is a tough game, and nobody's going to deny it. But that is EXACTLY what makes this game so much fun! And yes, before you say it, i am a hardcore gamer, but once you get the hang of it, a newbie could be owning like a champ. When was the last time you actually had to think of the way you were going to take down a boss for real, instead of just running in hoping for the best? This is a brutal game, but i dont remember another game that has given me that same sense of "HECK YA!" by just killing an enemy runt. This game deserves so much better of a rating than 7.0, so dont let that ruin your decision to rent this game. This must be one of the most fun, addicting, CHALLENGING rpg's i have ever played, and the most satisfactory. The graphics are great, the gameplay is amazing, the bosses are bigger, and the game as a whole is just awesome. Theres ten separate, unique classes, such as knight, soldier, thief, hunter, etc., each with their own benefits and disadvanteges, however you can play each one as you like, and combine a mix of many classes. Theres an infinite amount of potential and possibilites in Demons Souls, so dont let a mere 7.0 keep you from at least renting this game.

P.S: The very first boss IS killable, fairly easily too, if you know what you're doing

First and foremost you should know that this game should NOT be played by any "casual" gamers. It is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Even for hardcore gamers, this game will take a lot of trial and error. Patience is key.

Another thing that should be said is that if you play games for the story, this probably isn't your thing either. Because there barely is one.

This game is by far one of the best game I have played on my PS3. The gameplay is engaging and addicting! It takes timing and skill, you'll never beat this game by running through it trying to swing your sword in every direction.

After you start playing, you won't want to stop playing for a long time. The game can take awhile to complete as well. I beat the game in 57 hours. From what I've heard that's about 20 hours faster than average. So there is a lot of playtime to be had, and with the addition of a new game +, the game could last forever.

The best part about this game is the multiplayer. The co-op is seamlessly integrated into the story. If you are a soul you will help another player complete his level, and if you are human you can request help to complete your level. The competitive multiplayer can be annoying when you are the one being invaded, but gratifying if you are the invading soul.

Demon's Souls is an amazing game, its worth a shot by any gamer who is worth their salt. Definitely not easy, but it is, however, very very rewarding. Give it a shot, I promise you won't be dissappointed!

I see younger people giving the title ones and fives do to the fact this game is what games once was.... A CHALLENGE.

This makes Ninja Gaiden look like pre-school in how hard it is and that makes it great, flowing controls, great enemies and strong boss demons.

You need to level your person, find what weapon works best. whats the demon or demon bosses weakness? The problem is most of them will play for a hour and toss it out the window and say how horrid and how hard it is.

This is not your usual game from a couple years ago or present where they hold your hand all the way to the end.

Story:4
Ambient:5
Sounds:5
Controls:5
Fun:5
Overall:5

This game is one of those rare things these days a work of art from one of the new consoles (xbox or PS3). Only a few games in years have I enjoyed as much as this title. If your good enough at video games to get past the first lvl of this game it only gets better!
What seems hard is only a test, when you begin to gain in power there is no ceiling you can hit. It is one of the finest, most fun and rewarding games I have ever played. Lots of secrets, tactic's, tricks, weapons, armor, bosses and an RPG element that feels and responds well.
If you lvl your attributes its noticeable in a way that makes you want more SOULS you feel the change as your character evolves in a world that's ruthless and filled with surprises. Every thing you upgrade makes you that much closer to Godlike and unless your insane or cheating you wont be able to max your character.
I have been playing games my entire life I highly recommend this game to good players and people that have been left wanting of a gaming experience that is (very sadly) unique these days.
This game if great on its own! Toss in the black/blue stones with online and you have one of the best fighting games for online.

GLOWING 10 one of my favorite games of all time.. I only wish half the games I have bought where half as polished as this masterpiece.

It's been said many times now since this game came out, but I'll say it again. "Demon's Souls" is hard. Very hard. And just when you think you're comfortable and confident, thinking you can waltz through now that you think you have it all figured out, this game will slap you back down, and remind you who's master. And, oddly, you're going to take the beatdown, and go right back to die again. And again. And again. And then when you don't die, the feeling of satisfaction will wash over you, and you'll press on, knowing that while many more deaths await you, so does that feeling of satisfaction when you do rise to the occassion and defeat a boss or progress deeper into a level. There are no cheap deaths in "Demon's Souls". You deserve every time you die. But if you pay attention, the game will teach you. If you learn the lessons well, you get farther. If not, you get a harsh refresher. This game is not for everyone, but everyone should give it a try. The controls are tight, and the game is beautiful to both look at and listen to. And if you choose to buy, it's a good deal, as the game comes with an artbook and the soundtrack. But play this game. And smile. Your death is only fleeting.

First, to correct what many reviews have been saying, this game does save your place. There is no direct "SAVE" option, but when you quit a game, the autosave feature remembers where you are in any of the worlds you are in and what you have done in that world (unless you die and it all resets).

Now, I love this game, I love just how difficult it is and that you will die planty of times until you get used to it. The fact is, if you are after a game that you can just pick up and beat in a few sittings, this isn't for you.

The bosses are enormous and are quite a challenge to get through. Being online is of benefit since you can read messages from other players that give you clues as to what is required at a certain time or what you will need to do. You can also summon a fellow player or two to help you through tough spots, but watch out because you can also be invaded by another player who's intent is to do you harm.

There are many different things that you can do, which is helped by the fact that you can play the game many times with the same character in New Game +, ++, ...

The only things that kept this from being a 10 for me were how you can't directly compare things you are about to buy to the things that you already have in case the one you have might be better. Another slight against it is that you can't see what might be in a pickup from a dead foe, you just have to pick it up and hope that it is not something that you don't need. Finally, the stats menu is a bit cryptic and you will need to keep your instruction booklet close by until you have memorized the icons and what they stand for.

So, in closing, this is an amazing game that you will relish once you have gotten used to it's intricacies. Each battle will make you feel like you have truly survived something perilous. And a little tip here: don't get too many souls and venture into unknown land, you will make yourself furious. You'll see what I mean.

Having read so so many reviews of this game, of hype and warning, I found to my surprise that I truly gained a different experience from Demon's Souls than I thought I would. I never have had this experience, for usually video games give limitations that if you read a review youve almost played the game; that is if you know games because theres a p. Everyone said this was the hardest game, that it was only for hardcore gamers, and only the brave can challenge it and be rewarded with fulfillment. That is partially correct, in that it is rewarding, but hard as heck? its hard but not really, you just have to have played an RPG before. RPGs are always about this difficulty level and there are ways to make this game easy like any others, if you really think.

Asides from addressing the stereotypes youve most likely heard, there are so many new and great elements that I would like to point out. The online system that has been added, which you have the option of not participating in if you dont have internet, can that can be harnessed to help you out and really makes this game easy. Players tell each other "beginners go here" or i started pointing out to other which worlds contain which type of stone for upgrades for those of us trying to get that master weapon. When people recommend your message you get full health again. And using peoples messages can save you even more health. Dont worry about difficulty, youll learn if you give it a chance, and its worth it.

Demon's Souls is simply one of the most creative and unique games I have played. From the breathtaking graphics with its dark tone to the smooth, simple yet complex combat mechanics it is about time someone shipped a game of this caliber. The game might start of a little slow until you get your bearings, but after you start exploring and get a feel for the combat you get sucked in like no other. I can type all day pointing out the great things about this one of a kind game. Instead, I am going to simple explain why some are complaining about the difficulty and why the game is that way.

People keep saying they die and have to "start all over". What happens when you die is you start from the last check point which is essentially the last boss you killed. The levels are the broken into the perfect size so starting over isn't a bad thing. Once you figure out how to defeat the mobs ahead and the secret to the boss fights it only take about 10-15 minutes on average to get through a section of the map. As your retracing your steps getting back to your lost souls, you earn more souls which in turn makes you stronger and the game "easier."

The multiplayer aspect of this game also relies on the difficulty. The way it works is one player who is "alive" can summon up to 2 more "dead" players to help with an area. Alternatively a "dead" player can invade another "alive" players world to try and kill him/her to revive him/herself. If the game was not difficult then people wouldn't die and therefor multiplayer would die with it. That would be a shame due to a great new take on the co-op/PvP aspect of the game.

Lastly, the difficulty is only as bad as people want to make it. If you want a mindless romp through an easy game then skip this one. It will take patience, time and most importantly and what some unmentionable people forget they have is "BRAINS." So if you want a one of a kind "challenge" this is one of the greatest.

You can in no way go into this game thinking it is like the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fable 2, or any other recent easy action RPG. It will not hold your hand and tell you where to go, and it will not give you free healing. Think more a long the lines of Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden only having to think much more deeply about your actions since you are limited by a stamina bar and take a lot of damage from a majority of the enemies you face. Now, all this aside you have a deep(yet difficult) and rewarding RPG where you can create essentially any character you want to be.

Although the aesthetic character creation itself is detailed you'll have difficulty creating a character that'll win any beauty contests, but there is a good amount of classes to pick from that you can choose as a base. I recommend picking a class that is as close to your final product in mind as possible ,and has the equipment you prefer (since you'll be using it for a while). You can essentially become anything from any class, but it will take much longer and cost more resources to turn a physical class into a magic class than vice-versa.

The Multiplayer and bosses are what peeve me the most about this game...the only way to communicate is to use awkward emotes or type a message to your recent players in PSN. A text or vocal chat would be much appreciated. I have seen many-a-partner fall to their deaths because I could not warn them. A friend invite system would be nice if alive players could play, but I like how the game works as far as summoning and seeing phantoms wandering about. It also bugs me that when you defeat the boss in another's game you must still go back and defeat them in yours it seems like you should both claim the victory. As for the boss tactics I find that many are very easily exploitable when using magic or bows, but....I guess this balances out with some of the boss's cheap attacks. Anyway definitely check it out if you're a fan of Action-RPGs or just action games.

If you enter this game expecting not to die for one wrong move, you will hate it. If you enter expecting to be able to beat a stage on your first try, you will hate it. If you have patience, skill, and determination, it is one of the best games ever made.

You never feel cheated, every death is fair. Every time you roll off a cliff, you could have stopped it. Every time you get killed for bad timing, it is your fault. It is difficult, but in all the right ways.

First of all, look at the most HELPFUL comments. Ignore the brainless morons who can't do anything but mash buttons.

If you are unsure whether you want to buy this game, believe me, it deserves much more than a 7.2. It is difficult at first, but once you learn how to fight each enemy (yup, there's a different strategy for every single foe you encounter) you will not want to put this game down even if you just died.

When you die, you lose all your Souls (money/experience) and a bloodstain is left exactly 10 seconds where you were before you died. If you can go through the level again (the monsters will have respawned, so you need to be careful) and touch your bloodstain, you get all your souls back. It feels really rewarding.

But that is not all. The enemies will become harder to kill, and you will be in soul form until you defeat a boss or use a certain rare item. When in soul form, your max HP is halved and you deal more damage. You can, however get a really good ring that increases your health in soul form by about 25% early on.

When you get to the boss of any level, it feels intense because:
1. There's no music in this game except for boss fights
2. If you get killed now, you have to do the whole level again
3. Exactly 0 of the bosses are straightforward hack-and-slash
4. If you kill the boss, you get a ton of souls, your HP rises to its max again, and you can trade the boss's soul for really cool weapons or magic.

You can't pause the game offline or not, and the game uses a constant autosave feature. With it, as soon as you kill a boss, it instantly saves. As soon as you kill yourself? SAVED

Do you see what I'm getting at here? This game is not torturingly hard, but it is still intense because of what's at stake if you die. Trust me, there are no cheap deaths in this game and you can't blame the controls because they're really responsive, and they need to be for a game like this. When you die, it's not because the game is hard, it's YOUR fault.

I was skeptical at first while learning this game, don't let that frustrate you, once you get the feel for the gameplay you get really sucked into this game. This game is really hard, once your dead thats it, don't want to spoil what happens but there are no games like this out right now. The only downfall to this game is that it takes a lot of time to play. I don't have that much time to keep playing this game that is the only reason for me to return it. If I was a hard core gamer I would play this to the end, it is extremely challenging and that is what makes it fun, you have to really think while playing this game and use caution, enjoy it if you have the time.

This game is hard! There are no other words to say it.You will rip your hair out at the ammount of times you die.I played for 2 hours and barley got anywhere.The classes are cool and the layout is nice.
The story line is worth the play alone.
There is several classes to choose from each of course has its pros and cons but in the long run you will die ALOT!!!!
You have been warned

I have been waiting for this game for a long time and I didn't realize it. I am a born again RPG lover; meaning I forgot how enjoyable a good RPG like Demon's Souls can be.

After playing this, Darksiders looks, in a word, lame. This is not a game for those with short attention spans and little patience. This game is built to reward those who will put some thought into their actions.

To the uninitiated:
"Wow neat graphics. Cool sword. Oh a zombie!" R1, R1, R1! "Ah!" R1 R1 R1, R1 R1 R1!! "What the heck, I'm dead." -10 minutes later- "WHAT THE!? This game is too hard!"

To the experienced:
"Hello Mr. Blue Eye." L2 (parry), R1 (riposte)."Yeah! Two seconds, dead."

Upgradeable weapons and armor which change the cosmetics of your character (ie. the new black leather armor makes your character look more like badass).

Decisions influence gameplay, so don't kill any merchants (unless there is some reward for doing so, hmm, hitman?).

Worth Buying: YES
Worth Renting: of course