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skulldrey

Contributor
CRank: 6Score: 17590

User Review : Demon's Souls

Ups
  • Great graphics{Amazing soundtrack{Well-Implemented online system
Downs
  • Frustratingly tedious difficulty level{Somewhat repetitive{Bland setting may be a bit much for some

Demon's Souls - Punishing, Yet Addictive.

Demon's Souls is quite possibly the hardest game, or more aptly put, the most frustrating game I've ever played. From the get go Demon's Souls takes no time in putting the very common and unwelcome "You Died" upon your screen. The "tutorial" is nothing more than a journey through a seemingly forsaken castle teaching you the basics, and then having your face mashed in by a giant brute of an enemy called "The Vanguard". When you die, you lose all of the "souls" you have collected throughout the level, the games currency. You may get these back, but you must fight your way back through the level as all enemies respawn, and whatever killed you will be waiting for you as soon as you return.

However, putting aside the games difficulty, it is one of the nicest looking console games out this generation. Not to say that it's Uncharted 2 equivalent, but it's still extremely good, locked at a solid 30 frames per second (Slight drops in some areas), and complemented by a bleak but beautiful world. For some, the setting will probably get a bit repetitive, as there are a variety in the actual area layouts, but the color palette is very monotone. Saying again what I said before, it still looks extremely good - especially considering the game was actually made a year or so ago.

The gameplay in this game is practical, strategical, and gives you only the essentials needed to kill an enemy. It requires you to think just enough, and none too much. The gameplay in demon's souls doesn't seem exciting until you're holding the controller in your hands. You really connect with your avatar, playing somewhat like a survival horror. Conserving your resources, and taking each step carefully to avoid falling off a stairwell or facing off with a medusa-like foe.

Demon's Souls soundtrack isn't a very prominent feature throughout the game, but when it does show up, it hits home. The scores go well with the scenery, and complement certain bosses you encounter throughout the game. The bulk of the game's audio is ambience and clashing shields and swords.

The online feature of this game is simply ingenious though. It's one of a kind. It enables you to party up with other players and tackle the levels together, as well as leave messages on the ground for other players to see. You may also invade others' worlds, to a more detrimental effect, of course.

All in all Demon's Souls is definitely not a game for everyone. I wouldn't blame someone for not playing it simply because of the difficuly level. For those of you who relish a challenge, and miss the old days of gaming when games were unrelenting in their quest for gamer domination: Look into it.

Score
9.0
Graphics
A bit repetitive, but nevertheless very fun and addicting.
8.5
Sound
Great, but no variety.
10.0
Gameplay
Great score, complimenting setting.
9.0
Fun Factor
Losing so much upon death is my only gripe.
10.0
Online
Perfectly implemented and innovative online system.
Overall
9.0
100°

10 Hardest PS3 Games

Tough as nails, solid as a brick, and as annoying as a rooster at dawn—this list has it all. Here are the hardest PS3 games.

Read Full Story >>
altarofgaming.com
DarXyde556d ago

This list has nine games....

And if these are the "hardest", that's a bit alarming because I'm pretty average and I've managed to 100% more than a third of this list (Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Hard Corps Uprising, and Catherine).

90°

10 Hardest PS3 Games of All Time

You might not be able to believe this, but Dark Souls is a pretty tricky game on the PlayStation 3.

Read Full Story >>
culturedvultures.com
mandf535d ago

No wipeout makes this list invalid

170°

Games Keep Learning The Wrong Lesson From Dark Souls

Dark Souls and its antecedent, Demon's Souls, changed the gaming industry, but some games came away with the wrong lesson.

GhostScholar1045d ago

I’m not at all saying the souls like games are bad. The fans speak to how good the games are, but those games just bore me to tears. It’s just combat combat combat. I know the worlds are interesting and there is lore if you search for it, but there just aren’t enough lulls in all the fighting to enjoy any of the art and lore. Wish there were more story elements.

Levii_921044d ago

Games with pure gameplay bore you to tears ? I don't understand gamers today.

Prime1571044d ago

Are you saying people can't have a preference towards story-driven games?

My wife is, frankly, not very coordinated, and that's a big reason she gravitates towards easier gameplay and more story.

And having many people (gamers) who have many different preferences and opinions is very good for the gaming industry.

You don't have to understand, but you certainly should be thankful and respectful, because diverse interests bring variety. That's a great thing to have for anyone who loves games.

GhostScholar1044d ago (Edited 1044d ago )

I’ll try to explain. Not everyone wants to only do combat for 50 hours. Lack of combat doesn’t mean boring to some people. I never said I didn’t want there to be combat, but when there is a beautiful intricate open world with lore it would be nice to have the time to explore it and have some down time. In the souls games there is very little in the way of narrative, cutscenes, or exploration other than just finding the next boss. Too much of any one element can be boring. Sorry if that is too big of a concept for you.

JackBNimble1044d ago

Games are obviously subjective

DarXyde1044d ago

"I never said I didn’t want there to be combat, but when there is a beautiful intricate open world with lore it would be nice to have the time to explore it and have some down time. In the souls games there is very little in the way of narrative, cutscenes, or exploration other than just finding the next boss."

These games are quite well known for their lore and narrative, it just isn't spoon fed to you. I really appreciate that the games aren't out to insult your intelligence and trusts you to read item descriptions, explore locations, meet NPCs, and put the pieces together. The macro level narrative is easy enough to understand, but it's when you want that granular understanding of the lore that you need to explore, talk to people, find items, play the DLC, etc etc. It often invites multiple playthroughs. It's one of the unique qualities about these games where you don't have to learn what happened/what's happening in detail, but it's a lot of fun. Reminds me of reading the diary entries in Resident Evil titles.

Yes, there's a ton of combat (who would've thought in a broken world of miserable vagabonds and corrupt abominations, am I right?) but they do a great job of varying it: you can play defensively, aggressively, evasively, from a distance (bows, spells, pyromancies), with various weapons, and any combinations thereof while incorporating secondary weapon effects like elements, toxicity/poison, bleeding effects. The combat isn't stagnant. If you find it boring, you might not be exploring your possibilities very well.

"Too much of any one element can be boring. Sorry if that is too big of a concept for you."

You don't have to be condescending about it. I don't take issue with you not liking these games or finding them boring, but I also think your take is a bit myopic.

jznrpg897d ago (Edited 897d ago )

I don’t understand why people like Fortnitre ,CoD etc. I enjoy story driven games but love souls games too. We all have different tastes though

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 897d ago
ChiefofLoliPolice1044d ago

That's what people love about it. It's all about the Gameplay, challenge, world building. What more do you want from a game.

I though Gameplay was one of if not the most important aspect of a game? What's your idea of a better souls like game then?

Prime1571044d ago

"What's your idea of a better souls like game then?"

World building isn't the only element of story that people care about. That user said, "more story elements (plot, characterization, story growth, etc) and less combat."

It's perfectly healthy for people to express why they don't like From Software games, because a new dev might create a new, amazing game that bridges those dislikes into the genre for something new.

It's also great that you love all the aspects that Souls have brought to the gaming industry. Enjoy what you enjoy and let others do the same.

NotoriousWhiz1044d ago

Some people prefer games where you spend more time watching than playing, and that's okay. Everyone doesn't have to have the same tastes.

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CoNn3rB1044d ago

Are CBR so desperate to generate clicks to their articles that they've got obviously spam accounts leaving random positive comments? sakshi97978 & arpitachowdhary9797 in case they've been marked as spam by the time you see this comment.

lodossrage1044d ago

I thought I was the only one that noticed the spammish nature of those accounts. Glad to see I wasn't the only one