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This thread has been linked to the game 'Demon's Souls'.
"You know, once a friend of mine poked a stick into a bee's nest. Naturally, the bees didn't like this. Nope, not one bit. So, they came out and attacked him. Stung him something like 50 times. Poor kid spent the next couple of days in hospital, and damn near died.
Thing is, though, he never messed about with bees again."
That, in a nutshell, is the entire Demon's Souls experience. You try something, and get punished for it. It might not be fun, but you learn from the experience. However, the pain turns out to be quite valuable, because you know not to do it again.
Demon's Souls is quite simply not a nice game at all. From the very beginning where you are asked to turn the brightness down further than anything you have played before, it lets you know you are in for a rough ride. Even the tutorial gets in on the action. First, it teaches you the absolute basics. Second, it kills you.
Upon dying, you find yourself in the Nexus, a realm for spirits. It is here that you discover that you are not quite as finished as you thought, and that you still have a job to do. Boletaria is being consumed by a darkness. Many heroes have entered the mist to try and save the kingdom, none have returned. This is where you come in, as the latest to undertake this most foolhardy of quests. From the Nexus, you can enter through an Archstone to the Palace, whereupon the tortuous journey begins.
The Nexus, then, acts as a spiritual hub world. You are not alone here. There is the Maiden, who is both guide and tutor. There is a Blacksmith, who will sell you weapons and items, as well as repair your equipment. And there are assorted other individuals joining their ranks as the game progresses. Should you be connected to PSN, there are also ghosts of other players currently connected running around. You may find messages from them, or even leave your own.
Having used the Archstone, you find yourself at the gates of the Palace. A short cut-scene introduces you to a dragon, and then you are left to fend for yourself. Being dead, you are now in 'Spirit form', which means that your maximum health is halved. This is counteracted by the fact that you inflict more damage, and make less noise, but it still does strike one as extremely harsh. The stealth element in particular seems useless, as enemies are mostly alerted to your presence before you are even aware of their existence.
Each enemy has the capacity to kill you, and return you to the Nexus. There is no cannon fodder in this game. If you die, which you will, you have to start again. Any enemy you killed has respawned. Further, every time you die your world tendency shifts closer to black, making the game that little bit harder.
Kill an enemy, and he drops not only whatever loot he may have, but also some souls. Souls are the unit of currency in Boletaria. Remember the Blacksmith I told you about? He wants seemingly ridiculous amounts of souls for his services. Remember the Maiden? She will take souls in exchange for boosting your statistics. The problem that you face is that there is no way to store your souls, and so you have to carry them with you at all times. And if you die, which you will, you drop them all. Luckily, you leave behind a bloodstain. If you touch your bloodstain, you get to reclaim the souls you were carrying at the time.
There can only ever be one bloodstain in the world at a time. If you die whilst you are getting back to a bloodstain, which you will, you lose all the souls you had amassed forever.
It's not all doom and gloom, although it mostly is. You do get to regain your body upon killing a boss. When this happens, it is as if heaven has come to your PS3. The joy can be short-lived, however, as now that you have your body, you are open to invasion from other players. Remember those ghosts? Whilst you are a ghost, they can't bother you. Once you have a body, however, things change drastically. A ghost can enter your world, and kill you. This pushes the tendency of their own world closer to black, so why would they do this? Well, in order to get their own body back!
This is the real genius of Demon's Souls. Having a body is in itself a rare and noteable event, so much so that the temptation to do whatever it takes to get yours back becomes hard to bear. You will find yourself invading other players, and then picking the most opportune moment to attack them. Conversely, once you have your body, you will become careful to the point of paranoid. The dark atmosphere, the sparse use of sounds, and the brutal difficulty combine to create one of the most unnerving gaming experiences of all time. The sound of another player invading your world becomes the most horrifying of death knells. You will spend the vast majority of your time in Demon's Souls on edge.
Such bleakness may sound uninspiring. How can a game this hard possibly be good?
Because, when the challenge is this high, the reward is all the greater. Every tiny victory is amplified, bringing with it a sense of elation. Before you know it you are practically speed-running through the levels, despatching previously difficult foes with ease. Once opened, doors stay open. Once sprung, traps no longer bother you. At times, you will get a random health boost if somebody has read and recommended one of the messages you left in the world. You will also see the aforementioned ghosts, and will learn to use them as a guide of sorts. (They leave behind their own bloodstains, and touching one shows you how that player died.)
One last noteworthy aspect is the way the game ignores RPG staples. There is a minimal class system, in that you choose your starting class. Character progression from that point on, however, is entirely at your own discretion. There are no restrictions for class or level on any of the equipment in the game. You may need 30 strength to use a shield properly, but you can still wield it in a limited fashion even if you only have 5 strength. All classes can use magic, just as long as they have a Catalyst with which to cast spells. All classes can dual wield.
All in all, Demon's Souls is one of the most unflinching experiences that the current generation provides. It won't be to everybody's taste, as it packs a mighty punch. But if you can take the jarring introduction, you will open yourself up to something truly magical.
10/10
Thing is, though, he never messed about with bees again."
That, in a nutshell, is the entire Demon's Souls experience. You try something, and get punished for it. It might not be fun, but you learn from the experience. However, the pain turns out to be quite valuable, because you know not to do it again.
Demon's Souls is quite simply not a nice game at all. From the very beginning where you are asked to turn the brightness down further than anything you have played before, it lets you know you are in for a rough ride. Even the tutorial gets in on the action. First, it teaches you the absolute basics. Second, it kills you.
Upon dying, you find yourself in the Nexus, a realm for spirits. It is here that you discover that you are not quite as finished as you thought, and that you still have a job to do. Boletaria is being consumed by a darkness. Many heroes have entered the mist to try and save the kingdom, none have returned. This is where you come in, as the latest to undertake this most foolhardy of quests. From the Nexus, you can enter through an Archstone to the Palace, whereupon the tortuous journey begins.
The Nexus, then, acts as a spiritual hub world. You are not alone here. There is the Maiden, who is both guide and tutor. There is a Blacksmith, who will sell you weapons and items, as well as repair your equipment. And there are assorted other individuals joining their ranks as the game progresses. Should you be connected to PSN, there are also ghosts of other players currently connected running around. You may find messages from them, or even leave your own.
Having used the Archstone, you find yourself at the gates of the Palace. A short cut-scene introduces you to a dragon, and then you are left to fend for yourself. Being dead, you are now in 'Spirit form', which means that your maximum health is halved. This is counteracted by the fact that you inflict more damage, and make less noise, but it still does strike one as extremely harsh. The stealth element in particular seems useless, as enemies are mostly alerted to your presence before you are even aware of their existence.
Each enemy has the capacity to kill you, and return you to the Nexus. There is no cannon fodder in this game. If you die, which you will, you have to start again. Any enemy you killed has respawned. Further, every time you die your world tendency shifts closer to black, making the game that little bit harder.
Kill an enemy, and he drops not only whatever loot he may have, but also some souls. Souls are the unit of currency in Boletaria. Remember the Blacksmith I told you about? He wants seemingly ridiculous amounts of souls for his services. Remember the Maiden? She will take souls in exchange for boosting your statistics. The problem that you face is that there is no way to store your souls, and so you have to carry them with you at all times. And if you die, which you will, you drop them all. Luckily, you leave behind a bloodstain. If you touch your bloodstain, you get to reclaim the souls you were carrying at the time.
There can only ever be one bloodstain in the world at a time. If you die whilst you are getting back to a bloodstain, which you will, you lose all the souls you had amassed forever.
It's not all doom and gloom, although it mostly is. You do get to regain your body upon killing a boss. When this happens, it is as if heaven has come to your PS3. The joy can be short-lived, however, as now that you have your body, you are open to invasion from other players. Remember those ghosts? Whilst you are a ghost, they can't bother you. Once you have a body, however, things change drastically. A ghost can enter your world, and kill you. This pushes the tendency of their own world closer to black, so why would they do this? Well, in order to get their own body back!
This is the real genius of Demon's Souls. Having a body is in itself a rare and noteable event, so much so that the temptation to do whatever it takes to get yours back becomes hard to bear. You will find yourself invading other players, and then picking the most opportune moment to attack them. Conversely, once you have your body, you will become careful to the point of paranoid. The dark atmosphere, the sparse use of sounds, and the brutal difficulty combine to create one of the most unnerving gaming experiences of all time. The sound of another player invading your world becomes the most horrifying of death knells. You will spend the vast majority of your time in Demon's Souls on edge.
Such bleakness may sound uninspiring. How can a game this hard possibly be good?
Because, when the challenge is this high, the reward is all the greater. Every tiny victory is amplified, bringing with it a sense of elation. Before you know it you are practically speed-running through the levels, despatching previously difficult foes with ease. Once opened, doors stay open. Once sprung, traps no longer bother you. At times, you will get a random health boost if somebody has read and recommended one of the messages you left in the world. You will also see the aforementioned ghosts, and will learn to use them as a guide of sorts. (They leave behind their own bloodstains, and touching one shows you how that player died.)
One last noteworthy aspect is the way the game ignores RPG staples. There is a minimal class system, in that you choose your starting class. Character progression from that point on, however, is entirely at your own discretion. There are no restrictions for class or level on any of the equipment in the game. You may need 30 strength to use a shield properly, but you can still wield it in a limited fashion even if you only have 5 strength. All classes can use magic, just as long as they have a Catalyst with which to cast spells. All classes can dual wield.
All in all, Demon's Souls is one of the most unflinching experiences that the current generation provides. It won't be to everybody's taste, as it packs a mighty punch. But if you can take the jarring introduction, you will open yourself up to something truly magical.
10/10
Great first review Lee, but why did you have to post it the same week as my Transformers review? :D
Really can't wait for Demon Soul's to reach me. Been reading about it for so long... but don't wanna buy ti :S
Lovefilm best get it to me quick!
Lovefilm best get it to me quick!
Great review! And welcome to the forums.
"You know, once a friend of mine poked a stick into a bee's nest. Naturally, the bees didn't like this. Nope, not one bit. So, they came out and attacked him. Stung him something like 50 times. Poor kid spent the next couple of days in hospital, and damn near died.
Thing is, though, he never messed about with bees again."
That, in a nutshell, is the entire Demon's Souls experience. You try something, and get punished for it. It might not be fun, but you learn from the experience. However, the pain turns out to be quite valuable, because you know not to do it again.
Demon's Souls is quite simply not a nice game at all. From the very beginning where you are asked to turn the brightness down further than anything you have played before, it lets you know you are in for a rough ride. Even the tutorial gets in on the action. First, it teaches you the absolute basics. Second, it kills you.
Upon dying, you find yourself in the Nexus, a realm for spirits. It is here that you discover that you are not quite as finished as you thought, and that you still have a job to do. Boletaria is being consumed by a darkness. Many heroes have entered the mist to try and save the kingdom, none have returned. This is where you come in, as the latest to undertake this most foolhardy of quests. From the Nexus, you can enter through an Archstone to the Palace, whereupon the tortuous journey begins.
The Nexus, then, acts as a spiritual hub world. You are not alone here. There is the Maiden, who is both guide and tutor. There is a Blacksmith, who will sell you weapons and items, as well as repair your equipment. And there are assorted other individuals joining their ranks as the game progresses. Should you be connected to PSN, there are also ghosts of other players currently connected running around. You may find messages from them, or even leave your own.
Having used the Archstone, you find yourself at the gates of the Palace. A short cut-scene introduces you to a dragon, and then you are left to fend for yourself. Being dead, you are now in 'Spirit form', which means that your maximum health is halved. This is counteracted by the fact that you inflict more damage, and make less noise, but it still does strike one as extremely harsh. The stealth element in particular seems useless, as enemies are mostly alerted to your presence before you are even aware of their existence.
Each enemy has the capacity to kill you, and return you to the Nexus. There is no cannon fodder in this game. If you die, which you will, you have to start again. Any enemy you killed has respawned. Further, every time you die your world tendency shifts closer to black, making the game that little bit harder.
Kill an enemy, and he drops not only whatever loot he may have, but also some souls. Souls are the unit of currency in Boletaria. Remember the Blacksmith I told you about? He wants seemingly ridiculous amounts of souls for his services. Remember the Maiden? She will take souls in exchange for boosting your statistics. The problem that you face is that there is no way to store your souls, and so you have to carry them with you at all times. And if you die, which you will, you drop them all. Luckily, you leave behind a bloodstain. If you touch your bloodstain, you get to reclaim the souls you were carrying at the time.
There can only ever be one bloodstain in the world at a time. If you die whilst you are getting back to a bloodstain, which you will, you lose all the souls you had amassed forever.
It's not all doom and gloom, although it mostly is. You do get to regain your body upon killing a boss. When this happens, it is as if heaven has come to your PS3. The joy can be short-lived, however, as now that you have your body, you are open to invasion from other players. Remember those ghosts? Whilst you are a ghost, they can't bother you. Once you have a body, however, things change drastically. A ghost can enter your world, and kill you. This pushes the tendency of their own world closer to black, so why would they do this? Well, in order to get their own body back!
This is the real genius of Demon's Souls. Having a body is in itself a rare and noteable event, so much so that the temptation to do whatever it takes to get yours back becomes hard to bear. You will find yourself invading other players, and then picking the most opportune moment to attack them. Conversely, once you have your body, you will become careful to the point of paranoid. The dark atmosphere, the sparse use of sounds, and the brutal difficulty combine to create one of the most unnerving gaming experiences of all time. The sound of another player invading your world becomes the most horrifying of death knells. You will spend the vast majority of your time in Demon's Souls on edge.
Such bleakness may sound uninspiring. How can a game this hard possibly be good?
Because, when the challenge is this high, the reward is all the greater. Every tiny victory is amplified, bringing with it a sense of elation. Before you know it you are practically speed-running through the levels, despatching previously difficult foes with ease. Once opened, doors stay open. Once sprung, traps no longer bother you. At times, you will get a random health boost if somebody has read and recommended one of the messages you left in the world. You will also see the aforementioned ghosts, and will learn to use them as a guide of sorts. (They leave behind their own bloodstains, and touching one shows you how that player died.)
One last noteworthy aspect is the way the game ignores RPG staples. There is a minimal class system, in that you choose your starting class. Character progression from that point on, however, is entirely at your own discretion. There are no restrictions for class or level on any of the equipment in the game. You may need 30 strength to use a shield properly, but you can still wield it in a limited fashion even if you only have 5 strength. All classes can use magic, just as long as they have a Catalyst with which to cast spells. All classes can dual wield.
All in all, Demon's Souls is one of the most unflinching experiences that the current generation provides. It won't be to everybody's taste, as it packs a mighty punch. But if you can take the jarring introduction, you will open yourself up to something truly magical.
10/10
Thing is, though, he never messed about with bees again."
That, in a nutshell, is the entire Demon's Souls experience. You try something, and get punished for it. It might not be fun, but you learn from the experience. However, the pain turns out to be quite valuable, because you know not to do it again.
Demon's Souls is quite simply not a nice game at all. From the very beginning where you are asked to turn the brightness down further than anything you have played before, it lets you know you are in for a rough ride. Even the tutorial gets in on the action. First, it teaches you the absolute basics. Second, it kills you.
Upon dying, you find yourself in the Nexus, a realm for spirits. It is here that you discover that you are not quite as finished as you thought, and that you still have a job to do. Boletaria is being consumed by a darkness. Many heroes have entered the mist to try and save the kingdom, none have returned. This is where you come in, as the latest to undertake this most foolhardy of quests. From the Nexus, you can enter through an Archstone to the Palace, whereupon the tortuous journey begins.
The Nexus, then, acts as a spiritual hub world. You are not alone here. There is the Maiden, who is both guide and tutor. There is a Blacksmith, who will sell you weapons and items, as well as repair your equipment. And there are assorted other individuals joining their ranks as the game progresses. Should you be connected to PSN, there are also ghosts of other players currently connected running around. You may find messages from them, or even leave your own.
Having used the Archstone, you find yourself at the gates of the Palace. A short cut-scene introduces you to a dragon, and then you are left to fend for yourself. Being dead, you are now in 'Spirit form', which means that your maximum health is halved. This is counteracted by the fact that you inflict more damage, and make less noise, but it still does strike one as extremely harsh. The stealth element in particular seems useless, as enemies are mostly alerted to your presence before you are even aware of their existence.
Each enemy has the capacity to kill you, and return you to the Nexus. There is no cannon fodder in this game. If you die, which you will, you have to start again. Any enemy you killed has respawned. Further, every time you die your world tendency shifts closer to black, making the game that little bit harder.
Kill an enemy, and he drops not only whatever loot he may have, but also some souls. Souls are the unit of currency in Boletaria. Remember the Blacksmith I told you about? He wants seemingly ridiculous amounts of souls for his services. Remember the Maiden? She will take souls in exchange for boosting your statistics. The problem that you face is that there is no way to store your souls, and so you have to carry them with you at all times. And if you die, which you will, you drop them all. Luckily, you leave behind a bloodstain. If you touch your bloodstain, you get to reclaim the souls you were carrying at the time.
There can only ever be one bloodstain in the world at a time. If you die whilst you are getting back to a bloodstain, which you will, you lose all the souls you had amassed forever.
It's not all doom and gloom, although it mostly is. You do get to regain your body upon killing a boss. When this happens, it is as if heaven has come to your PS3. The joy can be short-lived, however, as now that you have your body, you are open to invasion from other players. Remember those ghosts? Whilst you are a ghost, they can't bother you. Once you have a body, however, things change drastically. A ghost can enter your world, and kill you. This pushes the tendency of their own world closer to black, so why would they do this? Well, in order to get their own body back!
This is the real genius of Demon's Souls. Having a body is in itself a rare and noteable event, so much so that the temptation to do whatever it takes to get yours back becomes hard to bear. You will find yourself invading other players, and then picking the most opportune moment to attack them. Conversely, once you have your body, you will become careful to the point of paranoid. The dark atmosphere, the sparse use of sounds, and the brutal difficulty combine to create one of the most unnerving gaming experiences of all time. The sound of another player invading your world becomes the most horrifying of death knells. You will spend the vast majority of your time in Demon's Souls on edge.
Such bleakness may sound uninspiring. How can a game this hard possibly be good?
Because, when the challenge is this high, the reward is all the greater. Every tiny victory is amplified, bringing with it a sense of elation. Before you know it you are practically speed-running through the levels, despatching previously difficult foes with ease. Once opened, doors stay open. Once sprung, traps no longer bother you. At times, you will get a random health boost if somebody has read and recommended one of the messages you left in the world. You will also see the aforementioned ghosts, and will learn to use them as a guide of sorts. (They leave behind their own bloodstains, and touching one shows you how that player died.)
One last noteworthy aspect is the way the game ignores RPG staples. There is a minimal class system, in that you choose your starting class. Character progression from that point on, however, is entirely at your own discretion. There are no restrictions for class or level on any of the equipment in the game. You may need 30 strength to use a shield properly, but you can still wield it in a limited fashion even if you only have 5 strength. All classes can use magic, just as long as they have a Catalyst with which to cast spells. All classes can dual wield.
All in all, Demon's Souls is one of the most unflinching experiences that the current generation provides. It won't be to everybody's taste, as it packs a mighty punch. But if you can take the jarring introduction, you will open yourself up to something truly magical.
10/10