Demon's Souls

 PlayStation 3
  • Publisher: Atlus
  • Release Date: Oct 6, 2009
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2033 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,772 out of 2033
  2. Mixed: 135 out of 2033
  3. Negative: 126 out of 2033
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  1. SirL
    Oct 14, 2009
    6
    Being a loooong time swords & sorcery RPG fan...enjoying D&D for near 20 years...and having had a very good time with Diablo...I naturally went into Demon's Souls with some high hopes. I was really hoping to be blown away and get back abit of the gaming magic I felt when I first got hooked on Command and Conquer or Planescape:Torment. Unfortunatly, Demon's Souls is only Being a loooong time swords & sorcery RPG fan...enjoying D&D for near 20 years...and having had a very good time with Diablo...I naturally went into Demon's Souls with some high hopes. I was really hoping to be blown away and get back abit of the gaming magic I felt when I first got hooked on Command and Conquer or Planescape:Torment. Unfortunatly, Demon's Souls is only impressive when compared to other simplistic and watery Console game...and just barely holds a candle to the frenetic imersiveness of Diablo. Demon's Souls is a very well presented bare-bones RPG...while it is 80% repetative reflex-action game, with an annoying-without-being-purposeful sudden death element. The only thing being engaged here is one's hand-eye coordination and patience...then more patience...and still more patience. If you're like me, and were dreaming of a game that might be an improvement on Baldur's Gate 1&2 and Neverwinter Nights 1&2...keep right on dreaming...while you go back online to enjoy some more fan-generated Hardcore Rules NWN...where it's been possible to enjoy richly deep RPG play with a high-risk sudden death element for the last 6 years...for free... Demon's Souls is a fine achievement...if you thought Mario Bros., Halo and Naruto were all there is in the gaming world... Anyone who owns a PC is going to wonder what the fuss is about. Better sword swinging RPGs have been around for decades...and I've never been a fan of reflex-action games - I do that at work every day. Play Demon's Souls if you like eye candy, button mashing and frequent restarts.… Expand
  2. JulienT
    Oct 19, 2009
    6
    (Why is there a slider for Male and Female when creating a character? LOL?) Now, before I start my review, I'd like to say that I'm an action/RPG and action/adventure lover. I've been playing these kinds of games for years. I listened to the hype around me and was intrigued in what was all that fuss about. After sitting next to a friend of mine for a full weekend and (Why is there a slider for Male and Female when creating a character? LOL?) Now, before I start my review, I'd like to say that I'm an action/RPG and action/adventure lover. I've been playing these kinds of games for years. I listened to the hype around me and was intrigued in what was all that fuss about. After sitting next to a friend of mine for a full weekend and analysing this game, I came to a simple conclusion: Overhyped product and brainwashed forum posters. First of all, this game is the most tedious experience you will find in the recent game releases. The gameplay is based around having one or two skills and repeating them tens of thousands of times (without exageration). The enemies are monotonous, the skills are unoriginal and limited in quantity, the enemy AI is simply taken out of an MMORPG (completely dumb, in other words) and the targetting system is the worst I have seen in my past gaming years. You have countless submenus that are just chaotically organized, crippling navigation and effectiveness. The multiplayer elements feel taken out of 1996 and poorly integrated to add very little value to the game. I could go on and on with the negative points about this game, but I'm sure if you read a non-fanboy review, you might get a real opinion of what this game is really about. On the good side, I do have to admit there are a few memorable moments in the game. For instance, having to run past a dragon's breath to avoid becoming roasted humanoid felt unique, not to mention the first time a player invades your game hoping to get a free rez from your death. Gameplay-wise, the upside would have to be the simplistic camera, that always faces forward (mix of shoulder and arcade camera from other adventure games). The melee block / attacks feel right (except the spells) because of their reactivity. The sound seemed OK, although there was a lot of noise in the room while I played the game, so I cannot really comment on this aspect. One important subject I frequently read about is the game's difficulty. I have to agree with some posters that the difficulty is not high in general. It becomes extremely frustrating to die in some situations because of the game's fault, not the player's. There is a big difference between dying because you know you did bad, and because the game just cheap shots you. It happens too often in this game, hence the high number of posts about this issue, I guess. All in all, there are some good ideas that I think the developpers aimed at and missed the bullseye. If you think this game is for you, take my advice (I'm not being paid for this review, I'm doing you a favor :) ), you should rent the game, and if you like it, probably not pay over 30$.… Expand
  3. LesE
    Dec 8, 2009
    6
    Yes i did find it difficult but it was not that the difficulty that warranted this modest score, it was the total lack of story telling depth or character development. With Mass Effect or Dragon Age you come to care for the main charcters and develope an emotional response to the game. The experience is totally imersive. With Oblivion, though the main character was merely a foil to tweak Yes i did find it difficult but it was not that the difficulty that warranted this modest score, it was the total lack of story telling depth or character development. With Mass Effect or Dragon Age you come to care for the main charcters and develope an emotional response to the game. The experience is totally imersive. With Oblivion, though the main character was merely a foil to tweak around with the RPG stats, the sub plots and often immersive storyline supplied a similar emotional response. With this game you are merely presented with a series of vignettes that are, as they say, full of sound and fury......… Expand
  4. SamH
    Oct 8, 2009
    6
    This game is difficult and infuriating on as many levels as possible. You are constantly getting killed and losing all of your money and having to redo the entire level. Also, the combat is extra generic for a hack and slash "RPG". There is very little gore and you dont get that satisfying feeling when you smack the enemy. Its like the fan weapon from super smash bros. In the end they This game is difficult and infuriating on as many levels as possible. You are constantly getting killed and losing all of your money and having to redo the entire level. Also, the combat is extra generic for a hack and slash "RPG". There is very little gore and you dont get that satisfying feeling when you smack the enemy. Its like the fan weapon from super smash bros. In the end they managed to make a mixed up sub-par version of an action and rpg game.… Expand
  5. Todd
    Nov 27, 2009
    6
    The amount of challenge in the game makes it rewarding to finish, but I was left feeling bored at the end due to the story being so watered down and nearly non-existent that I just didn't give a crap what happened. I see lots of people giving this game a 10 because OMG SWEET A HARD GAME FOR ONCE. While it did some things well, I feel like the game was half-baked in a lot of ways. The amount of challenge in the game makes it rewarding to finish, but I was left feeling bored at the end due to the story being so watered down and nearly non-existent that I just didn't give a crap what happened. I see lots of people giving this game a 10 because OMG SWEET A HARD GAME FOR ONCE. While it did some things well, I feel like the game was half-baked in a lot of ways. With the difficulty that was present in the gameplay I expected boss fights to be a lot more difficult and engaging than they actually were. To be brutally honest most of the bosses were a total joke. I think I died maybe 3 times total between all the bosses in the game, which was a heck of a lot less than the amount of times I died up to that point. I was happy to have a game that didn't hold my hand but I feel like there were a lot of little things that should have been improved before sending this game out that would have given me reason to actually give this game a 10.… Expand
  6. ArkonBlade
    Oct 15, 2011
    6
    ok theres a fine line between being a hard game and being a game that dicks you ... and well demon souls dicks you more then it does at being hard. do i mind dieng alot ... no , do i mind having to start back from the begining of a level if i die ... no , do i mind challenging enimies and bosses ... no . but what i do mind is that when i die my life bar gets cut in HALF! and if i dieok theres a fine line between being a hard game and being a game that dicks you ... and well demon souls dicks you more then it does at being hard. do i mind dieng alot ... no , do i mind having to start back from the begining of a level if i die ... no , do i mind challenging enimies and bosses ... no . but what i do mind is that when i die my life bar gets cut in HALF! and if i die before i get back to where i died before to reclaim my souls they are gone too . i mean i was already penalised bad enough by having to start over again and loosing all my health items to get that far and now i cant buy more since i lost all my souls, i mean the game is kinda fun and looks pretty good . the combat is pretty simplistic the story is ok . its not story heavy by any means . its also neat that people can leave messages to warn you aboiut dangers ahead as well but why is it set up for being online at all times? i prefer to play my RPG"s solo and if i want some one to join i should have the option of turning it online or off. this game also wouldnt have hurt its self by adding a difficulty option . i mean i like challanging games ive played plenty and beat them like kings field and others iif you want a game that kicks you in the balls over and over again then demon souls is for you .thankfully i bought this only for $20 new and almost but dark souls first . i would have wasted $60 if i did. id advise if you are still thinking about getting this game rent it first or buy it cheap to be sure you will get into what i just mentioned.… Expand
  7. Iyunzusto
    Oct 14, 2011
    6
    Should you buy this game? Is that why you're reading this? If so, yes, it's worth the money - but only because it's cheap now. There's a lot about Demon's Souls that is beautiful, even memorable. Some of the set pieces are awesome, and the grim dark styling is refreshing in a sea of cutesy characters and colourful UI design. So what's the problem? You will never, ever see this game on theShould you buy this game? Is that why you're reading this? If so, yes, it's worth the money - but only because it's cheap now. There's a lot about Demon's Souls that is beautiful, even memorable. Some of the set pieces are awesome, and the grim dark styling is refreshing in a sea of cutesy characters and colourful UI design. So what's the problem? You will never, ever see this game on the PC - because with decent controls, this game would be a complete pushover. Yes, the game presents a challenge, but if you're honest, you'll realise that 50% or more of the challenge comes from the controls. Some parts are broken - you'll see what they are especially if you're a magic user. But really, a console controller just doesn't suit a game where the slightest error results in death. It's like giving a baseball bat to a tennis player and asking them how hard it is to play a match. Overall though, it's a great production, and enjoyable, but the more you play it the less satisfying and fun it gets, as you realise more with every moment that you're not fighting the monsters, you're fighting the dual shock.… Expand
  8. kitsoon
    Aug 25, 2011
    6
    You die in this game, a lot. The difficulty was definitely a challenge, I wouldn't really say fun though. Maybe I'm a person who likes to be easily satisfied, I dunno. The story is kind of lacking in this game. You don't play as a main character but one of many who have come to slay the demons, which personally I don't like. I did like they had extremely hard enemies that you knew that youYou die in this game, a lot. The difficulty was definitely a challenge, I wouldn't really say fun though. Maybe I'm a person who likes to be easily satisfied, I dunno. The story is kind of lacking in this game. You don't play as a main character but one of many who have come to slay the demons, which personally I don't like. I did like they had extremely hard enemies that you knew that you wouldn't be able to beat at the time (or ever) so you would have to avoid them. There's not a lot of interesting people to talk to just a lot of fairly uninteresting demons to slay. I beat the first boss and returned it, wasn't for me.… Expand
  9. DBZ19
    Nov 25, 2011
    6
    I'm unsure about this game. The general consensus was that this game is difficult beyond reason and i'd agree. If you actually thought about it you don't do much you move forward, when you encounter an enemy you block then wait for an opening then attack, easy right? and it is there isn't any puzzles either. What really does get to me is we have now moved on from then ancient ways of dyingI'm unsure about this game. The general consensus was that this game is difficult beyond reason and i'd agree. If you actually thought about it you don't do much you move forward, when you encounter an enemy you block then wait for an opening then attack, easy right? and it is there isn't any puzzles either. What really does get to me is we have now moved on from then ancient ways of dying and starting from the beginning and even then you'd get check points and life, but in this you don't. I'm up for a challenge but come on your telling me i'n not allowed to even pause this game, RUBBISH.
    I'm a 27 year old male, who works full time and i have two young sons. So when i get in i spend some time with them and then (because if you don't she'll start moaning) i spend some time with the missus. When i'm finished my "duties" then i get a bit of gaming in, which may i add is around 9pm. so when i switch my PS3 on i want to play something thats going to help me escape the stresses of, DEMON'S SOULS will not. I'm already frustrated so i don't need that from a video game. For me this game is for people who doesn't have the responsibilities i have and can pour countless hours into it. When i play a video game i want to feel like i'm progressing, if i don't feel like that whats the point.

    well i gave this game a 6 because even with all its faults i still enjoyed the experience upto my current position. If i'm honest i won't complete it purely because i have other games that will reward me for progressing and and sticking to it.    … Expand
  10. mrnice
    Feb 1, 2015
    6
    Dark Souls improved on the world-building a lot, so I'd recommend that game as the one 'Souls' series game to play. But there are a few reasons to pick Demon's Souls over DS II: tighter combat and levels, so you waste less time walking from A to B. Unlike DS II, this game was directed by the series' inventor Hidetaka Miyazaki, and a lot of Dark Souls II just pasted ideas that wereDark Souls improved on the world-building a lot, so I'd recommend that game as the one 'Souls' series game to play. But there are a few reasons to pick Demon's Souls over DS II: tighter combat and levels, so you waste less time walking from A to B. Unlike DS II, this game was directed by the series' inventor Hidetaka Miyazaki, and a lot of Dark Souls II just pasted ideas that were originally designed for this specific game. Demon's Souls feels more self-contained, with a more mysterious and 'legendary' feeling atmosphere. The level design feels instantly classic. The bosses feel like inventions of a visionary director, whereas in DS II, they sometimes feel like 'jobs' that some designer had to make.

    I instantly replayed the first level on New Game+, whereas in Dark Souls II, it felt like navigating the game world was too much of a chore, and not worth traversing if you already had checked it out. Everything in Demon's Souls feels like a SNES-classic-style level with constant encounters and challenges, with very few filler moments.

    The reason I still don't call the game 'great' is because the most challenging parts required me to do things that weren't fun at all. Like, using obscure spells, or just trying 10 times to count on luck or whatever. There were many moments where I thought "This is a 6/10 game, it's exactly like Dark Souls but tighter and more retro in its linear design, I preferred Dark Souls... it's like Dark Souls 0.5".

    I didn't follow the story, but the ending was my favorite of the three 'Souls' games, as it had its own location and felt like it took a few minutes to round off the story, rather than end with one boss and then go to credits.
    Overall, a good-quality game, but it's rarely pleasant to play. But I guess that's the point.    … Expand
  11. 3Potatoteers
    Dec 13, 2015
    6
    Again I rate this game based on Dark Souls. I heard many praises about Demon's Souls, and I wanna check Dark Souls' predecessor, but it turns out very disappointing.
    - Frame rate issues. The frame drops so dramatically sometimes my eyes are hurt.
    - Grass. Compared to Estus Flask this is just not good enough. Besides, you get less grasses when your World Tendency turns toward black. So    Again I rate this game based on Dark Souls. I heard many praises about Demon's Souls, and I wanna check Dark Souls' predecessor, but it turns out very disappointing.
    - Frame rate issues. The frame drops so dramatically sometimes my eyes are hurt.
    - Grass. Compared to Estus Flask this is just not good enough. Besides, you get less grasses when your World Tendency turns toward black. So basically the enemies are stronger, your health are less, and grass are more scarce. So what happened when you are out of grasses when die repeated? You farm... And remember don't get killed twice!
    - Lack of checkpoint, aka, bonefire. Unlike Dark Souls, in Demon's Souls you only get a bonefire after killed a boss in an archstone. This makes the adventure less rewarding and enthusiastic. No more well hidden bonefires, which when you find, it is worth it, you are making progress.
    - Hard to run pass enemies to challenge the boss only. Force to do tedious work over and over.
    - Lack of non-respawn enemies. In Dark Souls, some enemies don't respawn, like the boar, black knight, poison dart guy, necromancer. they can be tough, but when you made it, you don't have to do it again, you are making progress, it feel rewarding.
    - Due to the lack of healing methods and non-respawn enemies, the bosses are not that hard. I mean, if the 4-1 boss are as hard as Four Kings or Ornstain & Smough, I will give up on Demon's Souls. It is way too hard to reach the boss yet the boss are too easy, I don't feel the satisfaction as I feel in Dark Souls.
    - Rare stone can only be found by killing lizards yet the lizards only respawn certain times per play-through. Okay the game doesn't reward me for killing enemies but punishes me for missing lizards so I can never have a +5 Moon weapon? In Dark Souls you find rare stones hidden deep in some area, and the lizards only provide some extra stones so you don't have to farm souls to buy, and they respawn as many times as you wish. This is beautiful design.
    - The lore is not as elegant as Dark Souls. Reading item description and find hidden dialog can be really fun in Dark Souls. But Demon's Souls doesn't provide that from where I stand.
    - World Tendency really sucks. When you are killed in human form, the world tendency -1, and only by killing a demon(boss) the world tendency +1(Archdemon +3). This is not fair at all. If your world turns black, you suffer more health penalty in soul form, enemies hit hard and have more hp, and they drop less grasses. It feels like the game punishes you so hard, when you get rewarded, it feels like nothing at all. Basically you have to commit suicide in Nexus, use the cling ring, and play in PWWT unless you wanna farm rare stone or kill named black phantoms.
    - The doll boss is waaay too cryptic. Basically you don't kill NPCs in this game unless you know what you are doing. How on earth am I supposed to know I have to kill an NPC to kill the doll? After all the suffering of 3-1, the game designer decides to punish you further by fighting a boss in vain. Do I feel satisfied when finally killed the doll? Well I don't, I feel sick and finished world 3 last. Say Big hat is actually a primatial crystal and you have to kill it to beat Seth, will you feel satisfied?

    I am glad Demon's Souls has a terrific successor, the one and only, Dark Souls.    … Expand
  12. objectivelytrue
    Dec 10, 2015
    6
    I liked it, but this is easily worst Souls game. More than half of the bosses are pathetic gimmicks, magic isn't an interesting alternative because it ruins the game, only a few weapons worth using and some that destroy any challenge the game posed, a childish and generic fantasy story and setting. Worst of all, the idiotic invasion mechanics that force you to let other people hijack yourI liked it, but this is easily worst Souls game. More than half of the bosses are pathetic gimmicks, magic isn't an interesting alternative because it ruins the game, only a few weapons worth using and some that destroy any challenge the game posed, a childish and generic fantasy story and setting. Worst of all, the idiotic invasion mechanics that force you to let other people hijack your game and connection to grief you. I joined the game late, so I was harassed constantly by cookie-cutter pvp builds until I turned off the internet connection. I played Ultima Online, Darkfall, DayZ, but I just don't feel that the PvP fits into the game's design.

    Poorly designed and okay-ishly executed, the main reason this game succeeded was hype and exclusivity to the PS3.    … Expand
  13. wwwzzzzz
    Nov 10, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. just so so.................................................................… Expand
  14. aaronnmp96
    Jul 22, 2023
    6
    It has taken me a long time to play this game, I have passed the trilogy of dark Souls, Bloodborne and elden Ring, honestly, go for the remake, this game is too outdated and I have not been able to enjoy it. The game lag is horrible, it's too dark. The gameplay is very good, although the bosses are too easy, the levels are challenging, although perhaps too unfair. It's way below Dark SoulsIt has taken me a long time to play this game, I have passed the trilogy of dark Souls, Bloodborne and elden Ring, honestly, go for the remake, this game is too outdated and I have not been able to enjoy it. The game lag is horrible, it's too dark. The gameplay is very good, although the bosses are too easy, the levels are challenging, although perhaps too unfair. It's way below Dark Souls 1, he had very good ideas but he didn't give them the budget. Only recommended for true fans of Souls.… Expand
  15. BeauE
    Oct 15, 2009
    5
    Sam H.'s comments are exactly correct. It is pretty, but it is not an RPG, it is a platformer/fighting game. Quests/puzzles are nonexistent. Not being able to sell loot makes most of it pointless. Not being able to bank any of your souls (gold) is more than irritating. Combat is pure hack and slash without combo attacks. My feeling about restarting each level after each death went Sam H.'s comments are exactly correct. It is pretty, but it is not an RPG, it is a platformer/fighting game. Quests/puzzles are nonexistent. Not being able to sell loot makes most of it pointless. Not being able to bank any of your souls (gold) is more than irritating. Combat is pure hack and slash without combo attacks. My feeling about restarting each level after each death went from ok this is hard to this is ridiculous. If you think that changing a game's level of difficulty enhances a mediocre game, then by all means this is for you. For me a $5 steak at a fancy restaurant is still a $5 steak.… Expand
  16. ChuckP
    Oct 18, 2009
    5
    This game was a blast, for about the first 20 hours. Then it felt like the entire game was based around grinding levels so you could become powerful enough to have a chance at defeating the next boss. The combat seems deep and complicated at first with a brutal learning curve, but once you've learned what does and doesn't work combat falls flat with only a few basic moves to This game was a blast, for about the first 20 hours. Then it felt like the entire game was based around grinding levels so you could become powerful enough to have a chance at defeating the next boss. The combat seems deep and complicated at first with a brutal learning curve, but once you've learned what does and doesn't work combat falls flat with only a few basic moves to use. Online is the one shining feature of the game with innovative features, I especially enjoyed the option of summoning a fellow adventurer to help with difficult battles. If you like grinding levels repeatedly for hours on end then this game can be rewarding. For when you do finally level up enough to defeat the boss you've had your eye on you feel like you've accomplished something. This game is only for people that enjoy a long repetitive adventure. Otherwise look elsewhere for a more enjoyable experience.… Expand
  17. Sam
    Nov 9, 2009
    5
    The first playthru will seem oh-so enjoyable, but after that the flaws with the absurd pvp and "tendency" systems will drive you mad. The game doesn't have nearly enough content to support the pvp engine (which is what everyone wants to do after beating the game once) and upon beating the game, you will rewarded the best weapon in the game. Now, this would be fine and dandy if it The first playthru will seem oh-so enjoyable, but after that the flaws with the absurd pvp and "tendency" systems will drive you mad. The game doesn't have nearly enough content to support the pvp engine (which is what everyone wants to do after beating the game once) and upon beating the game, you will rewarded the best weapon in the game. Now, this would be fine and dandy if it weren't for the fact that the amount of damage you do with that weapon is determined by what your character's tendency is; and honestly: that to would be fine if pvping didn't change your tendency. That's right, whenever you kill a player, you drift towards black tendency, and suddenly I'm forced to go from a character that WAS pure white, to one that is pure black, only because the game forced me into it. By the time you've reached level 120 or so, you'll start to notice how absurdly lazy the item and build designs are, why? Because everyone is using the same stuff! What couldn've been an excellent, deep rpg is crushed by what seems like lazy design. The difficulty of this game isn't what'll drive you crazy: it's what the game could've been with a less retarded dev team that will do that.… Expand
  18. Treima
    Sep 23, 2010
    5
    Demon's Souls calls out to the player, begging him to find its secrets and explore its depths. Then it stabs him to death, urinates on his grave, and rapes his mother. The truly interesting and groundbreaking elements are drowned in frustrating controls, shoddy character creation, a bare-bones plot, and mundane art direction.
  19. InternetBadass
    Jun 27, 2011
    5
    Don't listen to people saying this game is challenging; it is quite the opposite. All the enemies are completely predictable in their attack patterns. The game is incredibly easy because the AI is so terrible that you can predict and counter every enemy 100% of the time. The game is also lacking in story, level variety (5 worlds that contain a derivative copy of one level type, very veryDon't listen to people saying this game is challenging; it is quite the opposite. All the enemies are completely predictable in their attack patterns. The game is incredibly easy because the AI is so terrible that you can predict and counter every enemy 100% of the time. The game is also lacking in story, level variety (5 worlds that contain a derivative copy of one level type, very very boring), and any kind of good looting system (loot is always in the same place every time, there is no challenge at all).

    The game is, at best, mediocre, easy , and boring. It is a waste of your time if you're looking for anything other than remembering attack patterns for the few enemy types they have (and most can simply be rolled past and back stabbed).    … Expand
  20. risky
    May 16, 2012
    5
    I think what constitutes a good game is that it presents a difficulty appropriate for every player. If you're a hardcore gamer, you should be able to find hardcore challenges in a good game. If you're a leisure player unable to spend hours on the game, you should be able to find appropriate challenges for that type of playing too. I appreciate that Demon's Souls has the ambition to put upI think what constitutes a good game is that it presents a difficulty appropriate for every player. If you're a hardcore gamer, you should be able to find hardcore challenges in a good game. If you're a leisure player unable to spend hours on the game, you should be able to find appropriate challenges for that type of playing too. I appreciate that Demon's Souls has the ambition to put up challenges that other RPG games don't dare to do to because of fear of losing customers, but without sufficient of time you end up spending an hour solely on dying. A potential outcome of this gaming hour is that you learn how to get past a few enemies, but at the start of the next gaming hour, you're at the beginning once again and your previous achievements are not reflected in the new gaming session. Therefore I believe that Demon's Souls lack diversity; it caters for a certain kind of player. For anyone unexperienced, it is ruthless and the satisfaction from finally beating a monster does not weigh up all the frustration you've gotten from dying and starting all over for the hundredth time.… Expand
  21. Iluvatar21
    May 6, 2014
    5
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.
    ===========
    Demon's souls is my favorite Souls game in terms of feel but the lack of checkpoints and having to restart the whole level made me crazy. Call me noob but DeS is not as good as DS1 which I'm near beating.
  22. Tanis70
    Dec 5, 2014
    5
    Frustrating, boring. It's like Dragon's Lair, with more freedom, 20 years later. Stunning graphics, unforgiving gameplay, storyline... let's just say Dragon's Lair had a better storyline.
    I'll pass, but I can understand that if for you videogaming is a test of reflexes, might be a game for you.
  23. JohnA
    Oct 13, 2009
    4
    The Gamervision review is dead on in its criticism, and their score may be too generous. And in truth, I'm stunned so many people are willing to forgive poor game design by touting it as "difficulty." In 2009, forcing a player to grind through the same level for hours at end, with an autosave and experience loss system that actually punishes exploration is poor game design, not a The Gamervision review is dead on in its criticism, and their score may be too generous. And in truth, I'm stunned so many people are willing to forgive poor game design by touting it as "difficulty." In 2009, forcing a player to grind through the same level for hours at end, with an autosave and experience loss system that actually punishes exploration is poor game design, not a smart return to hardcore difficulty. A bad camera and a shoddy lock-on system that doesn't work with large bosses and multiple targets in a room is poor game design, not a smart return to hardcore difficulty. Forcing players to grind for several hours, with little to no progress, simply because their armor breaks, is poor game design, not a smart return to hardcore difficulty. A nearly incomprehensible inventory system that forces players to slog through multiple stat screens just to figure out if their armor or sword is going to break is poor game design, not a smart return to hardcore difficulty. After spending 13 hours with this game, I can safely say I wasted $60 dollars. More people should be willing to admit the same.… Expand
  24. Sasha
    Nov 2, 2009
    4
    Nice looking game, good fighting. Bad inventory management and no pause. Punishing the player for every little mistake or twitch of the controller. There are challenging games, then there are sadistic games. and a few other minor issues.
  25. Pier
    Jan 23, 2011
    4
    Demon's Soul lacks any kind of story telling. It's simply dungeon after dungeon collecting souls... and that could be ok if the game in itself was good, but it isn't.

    The graphics are ok, nothing spectacular though. But that's the only good part. The interface is clumsy and illogical, as if nobody had spent a second thinking how the user would navigate the menus (which are ugly). It is    Demon's Soul lacks any kind of story telling. It's simply dungeon after dungeon collecting souls... and that could be ok if the game in itself was good, but it isn't.

    The graphics are ok, nothing spectacular though. But that's the only good part.

    The interface is clumsy and illogical, as if nobody had spent a second thinking how the user would navigate the menus (which are ugly). It is really plagued with bad ideas... for example when you're playing and recover your blood an annoying text appears on top of the screen but the game still goes on and you can't see what's happening (and yeah you can get killed or fall into some hole and die).

    The gameplay is basically repeating the dungeons again and again without being able to save at any point, and loosing almost all your progress every time you die, which makes it boring and frustrating. And you die a lot of times...

    The combat system is also clumsy. Your character will start a combo, you will loose control of it, it will make make a few steps, and fall into a hole and die again.

    Also the game doesn't inform you of anything. You have to go to the internet to learn

    Oblivion, which is from 2006 is still a better RPG.

    This game is terribly bad, it's by far the worst game I've played on the PS3. I bought it because it had a high score on MC and I still can't understand why it has such a high score.    … Expand
  26. skim123
    Jan 15, 2016
    4
    I have flip-flopped on my feelings toward this game a few times, but after giving it plenty of thought over the years, I think I have decided that the "Souls" series it quite overrated. In the end it just comes down to gameplay for me. I appreciate the difficulty in this series of games, but the gameplay is just too shallow. There's not enough variety, strategy and depth to the gameplayI have flip-flopped on my feelings toward this game a few times, but after giving it plenty of thought over the years, I think I have decided that the "Souls" series it quite overrated. In the end it just comes down to gameplay for me. I appreciate the difficulty in this series of games, but the gameplay is just too shallow. There's not enough variety, strategy and depth to the gameplay for it to be compelling. It's basically just "kill all the bad guys." Sure, you can kill them in different ways by choosing different weapons and spells, but after a while you realize that you're just shooting and slashing at enemies and it gets pretty repetitive. I wasn't all that frustrated with the difficulty - like I said, I enjoyed the difficulty....the gameplay was just boring. Plain and simple. There isn't enough variety to how you can approach the game, and not much AI to speak of (no stealth options or strategy to vary the experience), so the gameplay is really nothing more than "wander around the world and hack at enemies or run away from them." Basically just a glorified "hack-n-slash" with a lot of weapons to choose from. Meh.… Expand
  27. Stealthgear
    Nov 1, 2016
    4
    Demon's Souls was horribly out of date on launch. The artificial difficulty from poor controls and no save points made the game pointless. The atmosphere, music, and character creation were good enough to get the game a sequel. The meat of the game is unplayable and only those who enjoy finagling the glitchy gameplay stay with it. It reminds me of Shinobi, but there isn't much action goingDemon's Souls was horribly out of date on launch. The artificial difficulty from poor controls and no save points made the game pointless. The atmosphere, music, and character creation were good enough to get the game a sequel. The meat of the game is unplayable and only those who enjoy finagling the glitchy gameplay stay with it. It reminds me of Shinobi, but there isn't much action going on. It is not like this is DMC3. Its slow, boring, and uncontrollable. It's a super bad game that had cool atmosphere. Its NOT a hidden gem or a good game.… Expand
  28. Reaperville
    Nov 5, 2010
    4
    In my opinion the game was to complicated..... every time you die you lose your souls and have to run around killing everything trying to level up....... maybe i missed a trick to getting through the game but i gave up and moved on after a fews hours of dying over and over and having to try to collect my lost souls again
  29. StickyBomb
    Mar 22, 2011
    4
    Once upon a time, before most of you were born, games were tough. VERY TOUGH. No quicksaves, heck sometimes even no saves at all. Ah yes...those were the days. And it seems that the developers of Demon's Souls want to drag us all back to those days. But is this a good idea? Frankly...no.
    As an alleged RPG, Demon's Souls has litte story. Heck, even DOOM has more story. So if you want a    Once upon a time, before most of you were born, games were tough. VERY TOUGH. No quicksaves, heck sometimes even no saves at all. Ah yes...those were the days. And it seems that the developers of Demon's Souls want to drag us all back to those days. But is this a good idea? Frankly...no.
    As an alleged RPG, Demon's Souls has litte story. Heck, even DOOM has more story. So if you want a narrative, please look elsewhere. So what does this game have? DEATH...YOURS...AND LOTS OF IT.
    Mostly, your death is caused by not knowing your enemy. So you must therefore retrace your steps and fight again. But when you die you lose souls (the games currency) and so you ideally want to get back to where you died and touch your own bloodstain. Naturally, whatever killed you is still there - so be prepared.
    That pretty much is all there is to this game. It's a rinse and repeat hack 'n' slash with no party members and no real idea of what you're doing.
    Oh but there is online isn't there? And here is another major problem. You are basically online all the time, along with everyone else. People can and will, invade YOUR game and they may help you, but more often than not, they will kill you. Charming. Back you go to the beginning of the level AGAIN.
    If you like the idea of all this repetition, then you will love this game.
    Controls feel a bit 'off' unless you use target lock-on, which works, but is a great way to end up dead as you can't move the camera around to see what's behind you.
    Having said all that, the graphics are nice, the sound is OK, and the music is appropriately melancholic.
    It's a tough game, but you are always battling it's design flaws, rather than anything else.    … Expand
  30. HazeSpire
    Jun 19, 2011
    4
    This game could easily have a subtitle of "The Punishment". I don't really have anything to add above what others have already written. The graphics are OK, the inventory system is average. I really like the combat system, though, especially because it has that tactical feel to it with stamina, one on one fights and other nice things. Unfortunately the checkpoints and foe respawn are aThis game could easily have a subtitle of "The Punishment". I don't really have anything to add above what others have already written. The graphics are OK, the inventory system is average. I really like the combat system, though, especially because it has that tactical feel to it with stamina, one on one fights and other nice things. Unfortunately the checkpoints and foe respawn are a major flaw of this game. It is not a difficult game despite of what some people would claim, I'd say it's on par with other titles out there. Basically you're going to die multiple times and will have to retry, but where another game would let you to load a save game or restart from some not too distant checkpoint, Demon's Souls will require you to repeat the whole level (or a great portion of it), including all the fights (well, you can try to run, but it's not always feasible) and it will also make it harder than the first time by taking away half of your HP. This one single design decision made me abandon the game, despite that I found it interesting otherwise and really liked the combat, player notes & warnings, etc. But I'm not going to play the same level and fight the same enemies over and over again just to die somewhere further down the road and be warped to the very beginning. This not my idea of fun. I am OK to repeat the same thing 20 times if I have to and eventually I will pass, but starting over with additional hindrances is not fair. This game has a potential and it could have been a great title. Could have, but is not...… Expand
  31. DaVintchi
    Aug 30, 2013
    4
    This game isn't the worst thing I've ever seen, but I find nothing great about it. It was made annoyingly hard, and this is not hard like to test your skills, it's like "you will die if you get hit once, and you'll have to restart the game". I also don't get the story. Honestly, I've seen better games.
  32. ChessRedEagle
    Jan 2, 2010
    3
    I honestly cannot figure out the appeal. I took a chance and bought it and I hate it. If you take away the excrutiating and frankly cheap difficulty it has nothing going for it save maybe the bosses. I just got it yesterday and I'm already sick of it.
  33. ES
    Dec 28, 2009
    3
    Do you want some meaningless "hardcore cred"? Pretend to like this game and give it a 10. This is more and less than a game, this is a soul destroying experience. I am not embarrassed to say that I find this game far far FAR too hard. But the problem is that most people seem to think that there is some sort of shame in that. Old school megaman was hard. But even in those games every Do you want some meaningless "hardcore cred"? Pretend to like this game and give it a 10. This is more and less than a game, this is a soul destroying experience. I am not embarrassed to say that I find this game far far FAR too hard. But the problem is that most people seem to think that there is some sort of shame in that. Old school megaman was hard. But even in those games every single enemy you came across was not a boss unto themselves. To the wanna-be masochists who think that if you don't like this game you need to learn what a challenge is. Something like fencing is a challenge when fighting a skilled fencer. Fencing against someone with a sniper rifle isn't a challenge, it is madness.… Expand
  34. CROSSEYEDJIM
    Apr 16, 2011
    3
    Archaic, dull, and frustrating. Those are the three adjectives that best sum up Demon's Souls, a game that seems to scoff at nearly every advancement made in gaming over the last decade. Instead of conforming to modern standards, Demon's Souls decides to drag players back to the days where many games were an excercise in frustration and patience rather than fun or satisfaction. IArchaic, dull, and frustrating. Those are the three adjectives that best sum up Demon's Souls, a game that seems to scoff at nearly every advancement made in gaming over the last decade. Instead of conforming to modern standards, Demon's Souls decides to drag players back to the days where many games were an excercise in frustration and patience rather than fun or satisfaction. I rarely do this, but I will preface this review with the statement that I never finished the game. In fact, I never made it past the first main level. If that turns you off to what I have to say, feel free to bail out now. If you would like to find out why a player who compulsively finishes nearly every game he plays couldn't be bothered to waste his time with this hunk of garbage, please read on. Technically, the game is average. The graphics are acceptable, although that's all I can say about them. The character models look decent for the most part, the lighting is passable but certainly not striking, and the texture work is on par with most RPGs. The animations are also relatively good; in fact I'd go as far as to say that some are genuinely interesting. Everything else, though, is par for the course and maybe even slightly below today's standards. The sound is also passable. The game sports a relatively enjoyable old-school style soundtrack that at times reminded me of the Diablo games at other times sounded pretty unique. Sound effects are also passable, though again you won't be finding anything to write home about here even with 5.1 headphones. Unfortunately for Demon's Souls, it needed a whole lot more than middle-of-the-road technical features to pull it out of the bog of awfulness. A long, long time ago in the far away lands of our childhoods, games were hard. Really hard. There were no saves, no checkpoints, and there was certainly no mercy. You had your reflexes, your knowledge of the level you were playing, and maybe a 1 up here and there. Those days died long ago, and they died for good reason. It's no secret that part of the problem games always had with becoming a mainstream, accepted form of entertainment was that they were just too damn inaccessible and frustrating for anyone other than the dedicated to succeed at. While this did help foster a sense of accomplishment among those who did invest the time and energy to succeed, it also had the effect of seriously hampering the fun factor, which, if we're honest, is really the whole reason most of us play games. Demon's Souls commits the same sins, but they are amplified by the fact that it has been released in an age of user-friendly games that can be challenging but not frustrating. Essentially Demon's Souls is a stage-based old-school RPG. You select your character and you are then dropped into the world. You get some weak semblance of a story opener that is basically just your standard RPG fare (evil threatens world, your character has to stop it, you know the drill). Your very first experience with the game involves you bein killed by a monster that is ludicrously above your level. Yes, that's right. Your experience with the game is prefaced with your death. Get used to it; you will be dying a lot. You then proceed to a hub area where you are able to chat with other spirits/NPCs and fill in the less-than-interesting parts of your story. Very boring, poorly written NPC conversations didn't do much to light my fire for the game, but I went ahead and hopped into the first area anyway. It sees your character running up a long flight of steps towards a castle, which you then proceed to scale with bad guys opposing you. Standard fare, but here's the trick: the castle is massive (45 min massive if you were to run the whole thing with a low level character), and it is packed with enemies you have no hope of defeating. If you die, and you WILL die, you will lose all of your experience, gold, and items and be reset to the very beginning of the level. It doesn't matter if you were five minutes in or thirty-five minutes in, you will be completely reset. Since you are now in spirit form again due to dying, your health bar will be made smaller and since all your experience and money are laying in a blood puddle where you died earlier (you can pick all of it up again IF you can make it back to the puddle), you will have no real way to upgrade your character or prepare for the challenges ahead. This was my resulting experience: fight through castle, die 20 min in. Respawn, fight through castle, die 20 min in, etc., etc, etc. After 3 hours of this I ripped the disc out and sent it back. Any game that frustrates me with a stupidly difficult set-up and then proceeds to punish me for falling victim to it does not deserve my time and certainly not my money. Those talking about the "accomplishment" and "hardcore" aspects of the game are elitists trying to justify poor game design as old-school. If you like fun, AVOID.… Expand
  35. JamesR.
    Oct 13, 2009
    2
    Awsome graphics, ok controls, and a story you probably won't see because you broke your controller from the frustration this game causes. The difficulty level is that of playing D&D with a Dm whose dog you'v run over, spilt drink onto his pristine D&D books, and generally have pissed off, before a session. You will die alot, you will restart from the beginning of the level, Awsome graphics, ok controls, and a story you probably won't see because you broke your controller from the frustration this game causes. The difficulty level is that of playing D&D with a Dm whose dog you'v run over, spilt drink onto his pristine D&D books, and generally have pissed off, before a session. You will die alot, you will restart from the beginning of the level, alot. You will tire of it very quickly. you also restart the levels with half health when you die and don't get it back till AFTER the boss fight., unless you have somewhat hard to find item. which you'll worry about wasting cause you know that next death is right around the corner. Rent this first, you'll be happy you did.… Expand
  36. Republicofpeter
    Jan 19, 2011
    2
    This game is frustrating on purpose. I love a good challenge and I will sit and play something over and over for hours just to beat it, but Demon's Souls is a whole other matter. I tried it for several hours, playing through section after section of the first level only to die multiple times because I love to explore. I read notes left by players, avoided sections meant for higher ups,This game is frustrating on purpose. I love a good challenge and I will sit and play something over and over for hours just to beat it, but Demon's Souls is a whole other matter. I tried it for several hours, playing through section after section of the first level only to die multiple times because I love to explore. I read notes left by players, avoided sections meant for higher ups, and killed enemy after enemy on my journey to the boss. It never got fun. I waited and tried really hard to like this games as it was recommended to me by multiple friends, but its appeal just never shone through. I don't understand how this game got such a good review. Many elements of the game feel broken (targeting system is crap, difficulty increases with death, etc) and it tries to be difficult just to be difficult. How is that supposed to be fun? I don't play games to sit through such frustration, I want to have an enjoyable experience. I'm just so disappointed with this game overall, it had incredible potential, and I don't understand how so many others thought it was nearly flawless(10/10) . It's acceptable at best.… Expand
  37. Crab666
    Aug 2, 2013
    2
    Demons's Souls is one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. The mythos is kinda fascinating, the visuals are solid and some of the online community features are interesting but otherwise It's a piss poor execution of even worse gameplay Ideas that should have died back in the nineties. I don't want to ramble on about the awkward and unnatural control setup or the boring NPC'sDemons's Souls is one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. The mythos is kinda fascinating, the visuals are solid and some of the online community features are interesting but otherwise It's a piss poor execution of even worse gameplay Ideas that should have died back in the nineties. I don't want to ramble on about the awkward and unnatural control setup or the boring NPC's or the punishing initial difficulty and skip to the main thing that ruins the whole game. Every time time you die not only do you loose all you demon souls (effectively currency) which is pretty sadistic as it is, you go all the way back to the beginning of the stage and all enemies re-spawn. You can try to fight your way through to the end of the stage or at least until you unlock a shortcut to the warp point at the start or fight through some then run back to the warp point and upgrade your character, but this almost doesn't matter since will be playing the same stage fighting through the same waves of enemies over and over again. It's not exactly helped by the fact that there are pitfalls and sudden difficulty spikes all over the place. I toiled for hour's to find something plausible about this game with is unforgiving gameplay, lack of music, atmosphere, decent character creator or even a pause feature make this and incredibly frustrating experience for all but the extremely patient and tolerant. My final score is a 2 out of ten.… Expand
  38. BonalsII
    Apr 7, 2013
    2
    I was pretty shocked when I looked at the reviews for this game, so many of them so high. First and foremost this game is utter garbage. The controls are terrible, the graphics for a 2009 PS3 game look horrendous, there are many PS2 games that look stunning in comparison, even attempting to compare it visually to any modern game and you will find yourself looking like a fool. I wasI was pretty shocked when I looked at the reviews for this game, so many of them so high. First and foremost this game is utter garbage. The controls are terrible, the graphics for a 2009 PS3 game look horrendous, there are many PS2 games that look stunning in comparison, even attempting to compare it visually to any modern game and you will find yourself looking like a fool. I was fortunate enough to get this game for free from PS+ membership, if i had actually spent money on this I would be nearly as pissed as I was when I purchased BRINK, which is hands down the worst video game ever created.… Expand
  39. Orlandeu
    Jul 4, 2014
    2
    Firstyl i would like to say good things about this game.

    1 Really challenging it makes you stay attention all the time and gives you a intention. 2 People around the world leaves you a messages as advice during your adventure or you can leave to them. That's it, these are above only good things about this game and rest of it really really awful. This is the worst RPG game i    Firstyl i would like to say good things about this game.

    1 Really challenging it makes you stay attention all the time and gives you a intention.

    2 People around the world leaves you a messages as advice during your adventure or you can leave to them.

    That's it, these are above only good things about this game and rest of it really really awful.

    This is the worst RPG game i have ever played.

    Can you believe you can not pause this game until end of it?.
    Can you believe there is no map in this game?
    Very bad inventory and status screen interface.
    Very limited equipment chooses.
    Do not crash the corpses that you killed they will be stucked to your feet.

    This is the first time i am saying this: '' This game is overoveroverrated''

    Play Dragon's Dogma instead. It is probably closer game of soul series and have open world that you can inspect and much more.    … Expand
  40. yahelono
    Jun 1, 2015
    2
    This game is bad, that all I have to say. It has one of the worst level design I have ever seen, the first area is fun, the combat is fun, the game is awesome, and that's why I am more upset about this game, when you kill the first boss you feel like a badass you feel like you did something important, and then the fun ends with the bad level design, you reach a long bridge thats a dragonThis game is bad, that all I have to say. It has one of the worst level design I have ever seen, the first area is fun, the combat is fun, the game is awesome, and that's why I am more upset about this game, when you kill the first boss you feel like a badass you feel like you did something important, and then the fun ends with the bad level design, you reach a long bridge thats a dragon protects and insta-kills you, if you even succeed to cross the bridge you are greeted by 10 **** archers, and they kill you, and that means you have to respawn at the beginning of the bridge. but if you (somehow) killed the archers you enter a boss fight which is a **** giant and has **** of archers, and if you die guess where you are going to respawn? this game is bad, play dark souls or bloodborne… Expand
  41. ps3gamer
    Oct 20, 2009
    1
    Bought it at release day, traded in at next day. The problem for me is cannot pause the game no matter which button you press, even the Playstation Buttion not pause the game.
  42. OliverFerrigni
    Oct 9, 2009
    1
    Targeting is broken. Game punishes death by robbing only way to gain level. However, with broken targeting system, game difficulty is through the roof. Don't believe the hype. Its like playing pac man with a broken controller. Sure, its harder, that doesn't make it fun.
  43. MiKE
    Jan 22, 2010
    1
    Visual, the game is grainy, with dark, dull colors. techincal but not artistic graphics. The voice over is average. Combat system is simple, but it works. Diffulty? EXTRA EXTRA HARD. Which makes me think, why did this game recieve such a HIGH average from the critics? The production value, is of that a LOW bugdet. The game may attract HARDCORE RPG gamers, but thats about it. Overall a Visual, the game is grainy, with dark, dull colors. techincal but not artistic graphics. The voice over is average. Combat system is simple, but it works. Diffulty? EXTRA EXTRA HARD. Which makes me think, why did this game recieve such a HIGH average from the critics? The production value, is of that a LOW bugdet. The game may attract HARDCORE RPG gamers, but thats about it. Overall a disappointment in my book.… Expand
  44. LordSeferoth
    Dec 30, 2011
    1
    I cant really explain this. I love Dark Souls, it has become my favourite game of all time, but still i hate, hate and hate Demon's Souls. Its easier then Dark Souls, but its maddeningly frustrating and cheap. Demon's Souls is one of the most over-rated games of all time. Skip this one and buy the sequel.
  45. Kituco
    Aug 22, 2012
    1
    Hard should be a difficulty setting in the game, not the only option of the game, from that to the repetitive base you imply, since, once you die, you will have to do it all again, its like playing an 8-bit console game with graphics.
  46. dmasz91
    Jul 18, 2018
    1
    I bought this game thinking it would be good because of all the high reviews, but it's the worst game I've ever started. I can't even get past the 1st level and have tried 3 times already. Everytime you die, it sets you back to the beginning, even when you think you've already passed a possible checkpoint. It doesn't autosave for you at various locations. It is just the type of game thatI bought this game thinking it would be good because of all the high reviews, but it's the worst game I've ever started. I can't even get past the 1st level and have tried 3 times already. Everytime you die, it sets you back to the beginning, even when you think you've already passed a possible checkpoint. It doesn't autosave for you at various locations. It is just the type of game that you have to keep repeating the level over and over again hoping you can get further than last time. By the time you reach the boss you'll die there for sure as well. There is no map to follow, so you're blinding going along and don't know the goal or where you're going. It's not a good game for planning to play for only 1 hour or something like that, you won't know how long it'll take you to complete a level and you could be there all day. The character reacts to your commands pretty slowly. There is a huge lag when you want to parry an attack and especially when you want to take a healing item. Don't waste your money on this game.… Expand
  47. Broyax
    Apr 16, 2017
    1
    C'est vilain, flou et pixélisé et à dire vrai, même la PS2 aurait honte d'une telle réalisation. L'interface n'est pas en reste dans sa médiocrité manifeste et la maniabilité est à l'image des graphismes : aussi floue qu'imprécise, un vrai calvaire. A ce tableau déjà pitoyable s'ajoute la difficulté (!) totalement aberrante. Bref, un jeu honteux de nullité qui n'appellera pour conclure queC'est vilain, flou et pixélisé et à dire vrai, même la PS2 aurait honte d'une telle réalisation. L'interface n'est pas en reste dans sa médiocrité manifeste et la maniabilité est à l'image des graphismes : aussi floue qu'imprécise, un vrai calvaire. A ce tableau déjà pitoyable s'ajoute la difficulté (!) totalement aberrante. Bref, un jeu honteux de nullité qui n'appellera pour conclure que ce mauvais jeu de mot à l'image de son pathétisme : Demon's Souls, ça soûle... très rapidement !… Expand
  48. chilimac
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    Suffering is the word that comes to mind when I think of Demon's Souls. You will play for a few minutes, die, watch a lengthy load screen, start from the beginning of the level, die again, lose all your souls and be left beaten and broke... and of course staring at yet another lengthy load screen. Your reward, if you do succeed on one level, is more suffering as you move on to the Suffering is the word that comes to mind when I think of Demon's Souls. You will play for a few minutes, die, watch a lengthy load screen, start from the beginning of the level, die again, lose all your souls and be left beaten and broke... and of course staring at yet another lengthy load screen. Your reward, if you do succeed on one level, is more suffering as you move on to the next, more difficult level. The further you get in the game, the more times you will die, more load screens watch, more repetitive combat to slog through, more frustration as you lose all your souls over and over again. And no matter how many levels you gain, no matter how many stats you increase, you always feel underpowered. So you never really feel that you're improving as a player, never any suitable reward for all the crap you must endure to make progress. These brutally difficult games were popular 20 years ago when games were 2D and had shorter, more action-packed levels and no load screens. But today, with 3D graphics, the levels are longer, the action slower, so now unforgiving games like DS are tedious and tortuous. Don't buy into the hype. Avoid at all costs.… Expand
  49. JeffreySturgeon
    Oct 15, 2009
    0
    This game is fun for the first level.
    Then it very quickly approaches EPIC FAIL status.
    The depth is lacking, enemies spawn in the same locations EVERY SINGLE TIME you play the same level... which is required to do to even get any sort of decent soul level.
    This game could have been the best game ever made.
  50. JohnM
    Oct 16, 2009
    0
    Big waste of time. Graphics are mediocore at best. The lag is HORRIBLE at times. The gameplay is boring and repetitive. Takes ages to level up and when you do and die. You lose plaything and start all over again. Good thing my store has a 7 day return policy.
  51. RandomDying
    Sep 19, 2010
    0
    I've come here to WARN anyone considering this horribly made game. The difficulty of this game lies in the not-so polished game designs and has nothing to do with being genius or brilliant or bringing any sort of "old-school" nostalgia." First off the controls are terrible, not the button layout just the way that if you accidently push one extra attack swipe, you not only waste staminaI've come here to WARN anyone considering this horribly made game. The difficulty of this game lies in the not-so polished game designs and has nothing to do with being genius or brilliant or bringing any sort of "old-school" nostalgia." First off the controls are terrible, not the button layout just the way that if you accidently push one extra attack swipe, you not only waste stamina but leave your guard open for an arrow/attack to get through. If you accidently swapped your secondary weapons, you leave yourself open for attack. You can't ever pause properly and the menus are not simple enough where easy swaps of items or equipment can be made on the fly. Enemies have no problem attacking and running through each other to mob you to death, as one breaks your shield another is landing a hit, but in instances where you have an allied NPC like the knight in the first level, you can't dare attack near him or it will cause friendly fire, huge double standard. Especially when volleys of arrows are going THROUGH the melee enemies you're trying to fight in some instances like the dragon bridge areas in the first level. (The only way enemies kill themselves is if they fall off a cliff or blow themselves up with fire). Targetting the correct opponent becomes near impossible when theres a mob of enemies. The only easy method early on is to just engage 1 or 2 enemies at a time by drawing their attention in the cheapest manner and running back as faster as you can in the most cowardly fashion, rinse and repeat and thats 99% of the gameplay. Using a bow is strictly prohibited unless you can make the kills from a VERY safe distance, since even swapping back to your shielf and sword will take a deadly amount of time. Even with a one handed cross bow (shield in other) your hero will think it is wise to ALWAYS immediately reload after the shot rather than shield and move into a safe corner first. The platforming is random or not implemented properly. Accidently falling off of cliffs will occur especially in the many tight stairwells when targetting and fighting enemies. Trying to climb knee-high platforms is needlessly glitched, where you find yourself tumbling forward into the small wall. The story is mediocre at best and when you are randomly dying every couple minutes you simply forget what is the point. The npc characters are boring to talk to and have very few lines and whenever finished shopping or speaking with them you are forced to listen through the same old goodbye message. Using souls as your only means of gaining levels and purchasing is ridiculous and makes no sense. Gaining levels one stat at a time is a very slow and painfully grinding process, especially if you're forced to kill the same basic enemies thousand times over just to feel confident enough to proceed to the next imbalanced and going-to-instant-kill-you foe. Once you've died the world tendency becomes darker, thus harder than before to the point where you can't even get to where you last died before since you've already run out of healing greens that rarely drop, but you have plenty of mana and poison replenishment potions that you don't need if you didn't become a mage early on or are encountering poison enemies. The game just becomes repetitive and the same boring level over and over, and they are mostly linear with the exception of some rooms but most of the side paths will just loop back to the main one. Do not waste your money and time and frustration.… Expand
  52. sdwillie
    Mar 31, 2014
    0
    Like dark souls and dark souls 2 this game is brilliant, beautiful, massive and about 8 kicks in the family jewels difficult. And it's the starting point of the flaw that makes all three utter trash, the multiplayer elements in what is largely a solo game. The PvP works exactly as intended and adds a ton to the game. My actions affect other's games and their actions affect mine, andLike dark souls and dark souls 2 this game is brilliant, beautiful, massive and about 8 kicks in the family jewels difficult. And it's the starting point of the flaw that makes all three utter trash, the multiplayer elements in what is largely a solo game. The PvP works exactly as intended and adds a ton to the game. My actions affect other's games and their actions affect mine, and that is absolutely inexcusable. Things becoming unavailable to me because some imbecile can't learn isn't something I should have to deal with. If a dev wants this in their game, make it opt in. A nag screen works for everybody. Too bad this is opt out-by disconnecting the console- because otherwise it's one of the best games I've ever played. Such a horrible choice, so easily avoided, so inexplicably repeated (twice!) In over 30 years of gaming and over 20 online, no one else has ever asked players to do something outside the game that has a huge bearing on the game. This game doesn't even deserve a zero. Horrible decision on the devs part.… Expand
  53. NessNoldo
    Jun 14, 2022
    0
    Overrated game and saga. Frustrating gameplay instead of fun. The most capricious and pedantic games I have faced, labeled as "hard" when, at least with this title, is just a game with modern gaming features removed to add an unfair difficulty. You can't save when you like. There is no checkpoints. You can't pause, even if the controller runs out of battery, you are served to the enemies.Overrated game and saga. Frustrating gameplay instead of fun. The most capricious and pedantic games I have faced, labeled as "hard" when, at least with this title, is just a game with modern gaming features removed to add an unfair difficulty. You can't save when you like. There is no checkpoints. You can't pause, even if the controller runs out of battery, you are served to the enemies. Camera is crap, trophies are too much tedious and annoying to bare for a completion and the game is plain to be made to kill you. If you die you must run all the way back, kill all the enemies again to recover your souls (currency of the game and somehow the experience to make you stronger), because if you die again without recovering, all that progression is lost, just like your time. This game is a total waste of time and the fanbase is just as annoying as the very game. When you try to heal, you can't run or walk at the same time, instead, your character stops and stay there by 2 seconds where your enemies can rape you. I don't know why this saga is considered a big deal, because this is not real difficulty if you have all the modern features ripped off. How is supposed to be fun a game that need you to explore but then it punish you to do so? Is like a bad joke.… Expand
  54. ripa123
    Sep 22, 2018
    0
    I have played all soulsborne games. i love all the other four games (even ds 2), but this game is BORING. poor mechanics, no shortcuts, terrible weapons. i did not enjoy this game at all.
  55. BABERKA
    Aug 16, 2021
    0
    This piece of curve is not up to the game ! It's just awful, how could you make this crooked piece of ****
  56. H0i29
    May 14, 2023
    0
    ميازاكي انت قحبة ياباني احول ولد يابانية قحبة وش هذا العطب اللي قاعد تسويه بجي انيكك في بيتك يا مازوخي يا مخنث
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS3 Game of 2009
2
#2 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2009
2
#2 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 81 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 79 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 81
  3. Negative: 0 out of 81
  1. Cynamite
    85
    Demon's Souls: Unbelievably hard and unbelievably satisfying at the same time. If you accomplish to get through your initial rage attacks, you will experience an outstanding action-RPG with a tense and dark atmosphere.
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  2. Telegraph
    100
    Beyond the initial threat of difficulty there waits a remarkable combination of accessibility and challenge, of risk and reward, punishment and empowerment.
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  3. Eurogamer
    90
    It's stoic, uncompromising, difficult to get to know, but also deep, intriguingly disturbed and perversely rewarding. You can learn to love Demon's Souls like few other games in the world. But only if you're prepared to give yourself over to it. [JPN Import]
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