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. vvrvvd
    Jul 10, 2017
    9
    I had two approaches for this game. At the first time it makes me only angry, half a year later I discovered true potential of its gameplay - demanding/challenging and absolutely rewarding. Beat the game twice :)
  2. 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
  3. mixxalot
    Apr 12, 2017
    9
    I played Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 first and this game is way better in many ways. Level design and gloomy feel as well. Only thing is the difficulty is brutal for these games so you really need to use the mega mule to even make it thru the game. Otherwise it will be impossible to play for long. Great RPG on par even in 2017 to newer games. I like this along with the Souls games and Skyrim.
  4. nerrstyBthirsty
    Apr 5, 2017
    9
    Demon's Souls is the game that kicked off a highly successful underdog series of video games, and while its formula has almost been objectively improved upon at this point, it still remains one of the finest games of its generation.

    This is a game well known for its high difficulty, and if you're looking for that kind of experience out of it, it doesn't disappoint. While some bosses the    Demon's Souls is the game that kicked off a highly successful underdog series of video games, and while its formula has almost been objectively improved upon at this point, it still remains one of the finest games of its generation.

    This is a game well known for its high difficulty, and if you're looking for that kind of experience out of it, it doesn't disappoint. While some bosses the game throws at you (specifically some of the arch-demons - basically the end bosses of worlds) seem to offer a lesser degree of difficulty than most other bosses or enemies you'll encounter, the journey required to even reach these moments is so rewarding and essential that this can be forgiven. Compound that with the fact that these arch demon fights make up some of the most truly incredible set-piece boss fights I've seen in any video game, low difficulty or not, and the balancing here is something that's easy to forgive. It's that rewarding.

    What's less easy to forgive, however, is some of the lopsided balance when it comes to certain items, and especially with magic. Some weapons you'll encounter are without question some of the best in the game and can turn some enemies into a joke, even early on. The stronger magic attacks you can get are even more unbalanced, basically turning the entirety of Demon's Souls into easy mode.

    But it should absolutely be accounted for that Demon's Souls is the first of its kind. The fact that an experience like this even made it to store shelves here in North America is something that shouldn't be taken for granted, and despite its balancing issues, is an experience that shouldn't be missed. It does more things right in face of these balancing issues and offers what's hands down one of the most unique and interesting experiences that video games can offer.

    While certainly not a perfect game, Demon's Souls combines an utterly captivating world, a depressive atmosphere, an outright incredible soundtrack, some of the best level and enemy design of its day, and a difficulty level that anyone who grew up playing 8-16 bit games can appreciate. The list of positives only continue and Demon's Souls should be considered an utterly essential experience, balancing issues or not.    … Expand
  5. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    Demon's Souls is so particular. If you love Dark Souls and Berserk. This entry has a different vibe to the most famous Souls entries. I had the vibe of old medieval games within Demon's like Crusader of M&M This is where all started. Prepare for a great bloody ride to Boletaria.
  6. DreamEaglr
    Mar 1, 2017
    9
    Полноценный приход Миядзаки в игровую индустрию. Он взял лучшее. что было в подобного рода играх, придумал революционный онлайн, подачу сюжета и механику. Абсолютная классика, которая создала чуть ли не новый жанр игр.
  7. abzalkumarov
    Jan 6, 2017
    7
    Yes, this game is hard! you will die but the best games to come out for a very long time, every little thing in this game is perfect for me as well as will be very interesting to play without exception, a good mode of game strategy game very similar to many of the best action games of recent years playing you kill hard time but get a lot of unforgettable oschusheniya
    Wish you luck
  8. nextgengameflop
    Nov 8, 2016
    10
    This game is undoubtably one of my favorite single player games. The atmosphere present in each of the worlds is captivating and the main reason why I still come back to play this game even after all these years. Tower of Latria and Shrine of Storms are my two favorite areas in gaming.

    The performance, however, is the main flaw of the game which I'm hopeful a remake or remaster will    This game is undoubtably one of my favorite single player games. The atmosphere present in each of the worlds is captivating and the main reason why I still come back to play this game even after all these years. Tower of Latria and Shrine of Storms are my two favorite areas in gaming.

    The performance, however, is the main flaw of the game which I'm hopeful a remake or remaster will solve with a higher budget someday. Demon's Souls is not very impressive technologically and as a result frame drops and loading times plague this game. The animations, hitboxes, weapons and rings are not as polished as they are in later souls games and there are tons of balancing issues that break the pvp and multiplayer aspect for some players.    … Expand
  9. 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
  10. devdocuments
    Sep 19, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Demon's Souls is one of the most successful fusions good level design, enemy design and world design in a game to date. As an rpg it takes player choice and agency very seriously, the world has lore hidden in it's item descriptions for those who are interested and every npc is both interact able and killable. As an action game the major enemies of each stage have a brilliant synergy to them, take for example the skeletons from shrine of storms which have quite low range with their falchions but have good mobility they roll all over the place in an attempt to dodge the player and they stun in order to keep you on your toes. Compare them to the red eye knights of boletaria, which rarely dodge, but rather hold up their shields defensively and wait for an opening to attack. This along with level design with some of the best enemy placement in history and some of the most enjoyable area's to explore and you have a game that comes close to perfection. Unfortunately the development time allotted for this game leads to unfinished bosses like the dragon god, and enemies that could have had more thought put into them such as Giant Bearbugs in stone fang tunnel. Altogether though the game isn't one that is soon to be forgotten and stands as the best game I have ever played. To find out more about the level design of demon's souls, check out my website http://devdocuments.com/ And if you have any insights to video game design or analysis, feel free to post an article, thank you… Expand
  11. Vzhik
    Sep 3, 2016
    8
    Одна из лучших игр в соулсборн серии. Интересный мир, вменяемые враги, много секретов. Очень цельная игра. Очень интересно и захватывающе. Играл в эту игру после всех остальных игр серии, и даже удивлен что понравилось.
  12. XxJoseManuelxX
    Aug 25, 2016
    9
    Demon's Souls is an action role-playing video game developed by FromSoftware, under supervision by SCE Japan Studio.

    + Good Gameplay
    + Online
    + Great Bosses Fights
  13. Turbodowg
    Aug 11, 2016
    10
    A phenomenal game, full of atmosphere.

    The best in the souls series. Still looks great in 2016 and plays beautifully. Brilliant level design, graphics, game play and musical score.

    A perfect game.
  14. HopelessVoice
    Jun 2, 2016
    10
    The Souls game I like the most. The only thing I can think of that surpasses it, in my book, is the vertical level design of the first Dark Souls, but even then, Demon's feels more brutal and suffocating. There's just something about having to make your way through the levels only to arrive at a boss that wipes the floor with your body, and having to restart from the beginning. The bossesThe Souls game I like the most. The only thing I can think of that surpasses it, in my book, is the vertical level design of the first Dark Souls, but even then, Demon's feels more brutal and suffocating. There's just something about having to make your way through the levels only to arrive at a boss that wipes the floor with your body, and having to restart from the beginning. The bosses were perhaps a little easier overall compared to the later entries, but in a way it didn't matter, as the journey there was almost as terrifying as the boss itself. I think it's the only game that really made palms sweaty as I realized that I just cleared a long level and had 15k souls on me. The co-op feature was also much more tame and toned down back then. The overall atmosphere was really dreamy and haunting, quite nothing I'd seen since the first Diablo in terms of haunting atmosphere. One of my all time favorites for sure.… Expand
  15. amateurcritic2
    May 30, 2016
    10
    Like all souls games its only for some people but im part of those people. Back wheen it first came out i borrowed itfrom a friend and i wasnt ready but i still enjoyed it. You also have to understand that most complaints about the game where intended that way because the story is meat to be mysterious the game is meant to be very hard to try and break you but if you can get into itsits aLike all souls games its only for some people but im part of those people. Back wheen it first came out i borrowed itfrom a friend and i wasnt ready but i still enjoyed it. You also have to understand that most complaints about the game where intended that way because the story is meat to be mysterious the game is meant to be very hard to try and break you but if you can get into itsits a great game. However my twocomplaint is the terrible last boss and some areas and bosses are unpleasant and not fun to go through… Expand
  16. josesueiro
    May 1, 2016
    9
    Demon's Souls is an action role-playing video game developed by FromSoftware, under supervision by SCE Japan Studio.

    + Good Gameplay
    + Online
    + Great Boss Fights
  17. Pedobear987
    Apr 16, 2016
    10
    Me encanta este juego y me hizo volver a mi época de la infancia con videojuegos difíciles, pero sin embargo yo empece con Dark Souls 2 y la diferencia ente ambos no evidentes, si queréis meteros de lleno en la saga Souls empezad con Dark Souls 2 y luego Demon's Souls consejo de mi parte.
  18. Termin8ter
    Feb 29, 2016
    8
    Demon's Souls is the first chapter in the Dark Souls series, so if you want to get caught up in terms in preparation for Dark Souls III, then you need to play through this game first. The gameplay is just as unforgiving as it's sequels, it's story is interesting and a challenge to play through. The only problem is that FromSoftware still haven't remastered this game for PS4, so if you wantDemon's Souls is the first chapter in the Dark Souls series, so if you want to get caught up in terms in preparation for Dark Souls III, then you need to play through this game first. The gameplay is just as unforgiving as it's sequels, it's story is interesting and a challenge to play through. The only problem is that FromSoftware still haven't remastered this game for PS4, so if you want to play through this game, you'll have to break out your dusty PS3. Even so, Demon's Souls is a worthy prequel to the Dark Souls series, and a challenging game too.… Expand
  19. thepatient613
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    I'm used to fighting my way through games fairly easily. Well it isn't the case with this one. I could only dream of beating this game one day. It is the Dragon's Lair of our generation. Absolutely everything you do will be terrifying and you will cringe to the point where you'll want to crouch and hide yourself in a dark corner. What can I say? It's the best RPG game of any kind ever madeI'm used to fighting my way through games fairly easily. Well it isn't the case with this one. I could only dream of beating this game one day. It is the Dragon's Lair of our generation. Absolutely everything you do will be terrifying and you will cringe to the point where you'll want to crouch and hide yourself in a dark corner. What can I say? It's the best RPG game of any kind ever made of all time! Even beating the first boss feels like a huge achievement. Unless they make a game that delivers a non-stop orgasm I don't think there will ever be a true competitor.… Expand
  20. ooMIGIToo
    Jan 27, 2016
    9
    After finally getting my hands on this gem and sitting down to play all I can say is wow. This game is beautiful. Coming from playing Dark Souls I can say that this game was definitely a challenge, but like most Souls games that is to be expected. Everything about this game will draw you back and keep you up at night thinking of strategies to get past certain areas. The worlds were nicelyAfter finally getting my hands on this gem and sitting down to play all I can say is wow. This game is beautiful. Coming from playing Dark Souls I can say that this game was definitely a challenge, but like most Souls games that is to be expected. Everything about this game will draw you back and keep you up at night thinking of strategies to get past certain areas. The worlds were nicely presented, the enemies fitting to the surroundings and the the music very suiting.

    A fair warning when playing this game. Most know they are going to die and when that happens take it with grace. There are many times while playing this you will need to stop. Don't get mad and rage, just take a deep breathe, turn off the console, and go do something else.

    After having defeated the final boss you will feel like you have just finished climbing Everest. You know if you kept climbing up and falling down because you couldn't get your footing. Does the game deserve a perfect score? Honestly it does. There isn't a story laid out and elaborately explained like most games, but the story is there. You just have to pay attention to characters and know that everything relates to it.

    Now why did I not give it that perfect score? Well unfortunately its mostly bug related. Times when I would fight someone and go around the wall to heal and suddenly I get poked through the wall. Yeah that can get really annoying especially when you have been grinding for hours on a particular level.

    So there you have it. A game that can be as hard as you make it. Just remember to take breaks from this one or you'll probably have an aneurysm.

    - ooMIGIToo (01/2016)    … Expand
  21. 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
  22. JuanLuisGG14
    Dec 31, 2015
    9
    This game is great. It was like a new fresh air in the world of the hack n slash genre.
    Mechanics here make thew game a true challenge, a game where you cannot feel safe, a game that is really hostile and crushing in terms of difficulty.
    Atmosphere is greatly achieved, enemies are really good, and gameplay is spectacular. If i had to say something bad about this game... It would be    This game is great. It was like a new fresh air in the world of the hack n slash genre.
    Mechanics here make thew game a true challenge, a game where you cannot feel safe, a game that is really hostile and crushing in terms of difficulty.
    Atmosphere is greatly achieved, enemies are really good, and gameplay is spectacular.
    If i had to say something bad about this game...
    It would be that technically it could be better, graphics aren't so good and framerate always drop, specially on fire animations. Also, difficulty drops by the middle of the game with a couple of lazy bosses
    9/10    … Expand
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. LusioZero
    Dec 10, 2015
    10
    This masterpiece has been truly understood and appreciated after some years. This is not a saga for everybody and the first chapter hits really hard. But once the initial difficulty is over, you can enjoy an amazing atmosphere, an outstanding combat system, levels, scenarios, boss and situations which are really beyond any expectation. Still incredible after 7 years, like only masterpiecesThis masterpiece has been truly understood and appreciated after some years. This is not a saga for everybody and the first chapter hits really hard. But once the initial difficulty is over, you can enjoy an amazing atmosphere, an outstanding combat system, levels, scenarios, boss and situations which are really beyond any expectation. Still incredible after 7 years, like only masterpieces do. A must for a true gamer in terms of challenge.… Expand
  26. Hardgames
    Sep 6, 2015
    10
    Positive:
    - Difficulty and Complexity;
    - Great Atmosphere;
    - Enemies and worlds Design;
    - Multiplayer;
    - Gameplay Style;
    - Tutorial boss;
    Negative:
    - Some Disappointing Battles;
    - Bugs;
  27. Cesarin_1007
    Aug 30, 2015
    10
    Quizás el comienzo del juego es un tanto complicado para muchos que lo probaron, pero ya una vez adaptándote a la dificultad el juego se vuelve muy "adictivo". 100% recomendable
  28. Jellybean15
    Jul 8, 2015
    7
    Dark Souls has taken off in popularity, mainly due to it's intention to go against the mainstream and deliver a challenge that's actually difficult, but what a lot of the fans don't know is that this game is where the series and core formula for the future iterations started. I'm sure many played this game after the main series got so popular, but it's actually my first venture into theDark Souls has taken off in popularity, mainly due to it's intention to go against the mainstream and deliver a challenge that's actually difficult, but what a lot of the fans don't know is that this game is where the series and core formula for the future iterations started. I'm sure many played this game after the main series got so popular, but it's actually my first venture into the souls series, so I went in with only a slight bit of fear, only to find out I wasn't nearly as scared as I should be.

    For fans of the souls series, you already know how the core gameplay works. Using melee weapons, shields and any other item is tied to the shoulder buttons, with the front buttons being linked to a standard attack or block and the triggers being linked to a stronger attack or special ability. Most enemies typically do massive damage but have clear motion's indicating what attack they'll use next, leaving it up to you to learn what an enemy's move set is and how you should react to it. Despite the hack-and-slash description, hacking and slashing only serves to get you killed faster. Demon's Souls is all about being smart, patient, methodical and knowing when to strike. Needless to say, dying is required to learn so get used to it.

    Dying is easily the most interesting thing in Demon's Souls as well. Upon dying, you enter your soul form, which essentially means half of your health is shaved off until you regain your humanity, done by either using an item or killing a boss, and any souls you've collected - which act as your form of experience and currency - are lost to you and can only be recovered by going to the spot you died. Die again before you accomplish that goal and your souls are lost to you forever. The simple solution is don't die but it's way easier said then done.

    Overall, the notion of being hard but fair is mostly true. 9 times out of ten, if I ended up falling dead or just falling to my death, I couldn't get angry at anyone but myself as it was undoubtedly my own fault. Sure, there may be the occasional attack from off screen or enemy jumping from the dark that you didn't have much of chance to react to, but for the most part, there's no one to blame but yourself. There's also the scenario of coming to a level that's so unbelievably hard that you'll feel like you've hit a wall, but often the solution is to just simply leave and take on another level, then come back after you've gotten stronger.

    If you are wondering why I said the game being fair is mostly true, it is because despite the hardcore audience trying to tell you otherwise, there are legitimate problems with some of the enemy and level designs. The occasional cheap enemy or area where getting through is mostly based on luck is a rare but very annoying problem. The main reason they're such a nuisance is that dying sets you back to the very beginning of the level. If you manage to get past a that one enemy or part of the game that's unfair, dying and going back ensures you'll be taking on this part over and over again. This isn't such a problem because most levels are designed with shortcuts and secret entrances that you can unlock to shave off the time it takes to get back to your original location. However, it's still a problem because some levels in the game are designed without one. Area 4-2 is easily the worst level in the game because all of these issues come together in one area. Enemies you can't kill throwing cheap shots at you while you're in the middle of a fight isn't challenging, just annoying. Not getting hit mainly comes down to just getting lucky, and with no shortcuts you're guaranteed to pass this part over and over again. Even if all the enemies and levels were designed perfectly, it is still somewhat tedious to have to go all the way back.

    There's also design choices I just don't understand. I get that Demon's Souls wants to be challenging but that doesn't explain the inconvenience of not being able to pause your game. If you want to go to the bathroom or if life outside of the game get's in the way, usually the only solution is to hole up somewhere safe or die at the hands of your enemy.

    Aside from that, the game's just not very polished. Six years after release and there's still frame rate issues, random sound distortions, crashing, infinite loading screens and in one instance, when booting the game up after turning it off, I was spawned over a bottomless pit and killed off immediately.

    Despite the game's nagging issues, the positives more than make up for it. The solid gameplay and smart game design still shines through. Each area and it's respective boss feels well thought out and varied, making each level memorable and their respective bosses unique. There's more positive than negative in this game, so it's still worth trying for those who like a challenge or the masochists who love to feel the pain of failure.

    I quit and put down the controller more often that I'd admit, but I still had fun.    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. MaxPayneIsGod
    May 25, 2015
    7
    Following on from my Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 review, Demon's Souls is where it began. The problem for me is I finished Dark Souls PTDE before I played Demon's Souls so it just didn't have the same effect on me that it would have had this been my first venture into this franchise. Demon's hard and complex, it is harder than both the Dark games but is also showing its age. I couldn't getFollowing on from my Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 review, Demon's Souls is where it began. The problem for me is I finished Dark Souls PTDE before I played Demon's Souls so it just didn't have the same effect on me that it would have had this been my first venture into this franchise. Demon's hard and complex, it is harder than both the Dark games but is also showing its age. I couldn't get into Demon's after putting 100+ hours into DS1. The best thing about Demon's Souls is that without it the masterpiece that is Dark Souls would not have come to light.… Expand
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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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