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. drewtorres
    Oct 7, 2009
    10
    pure awesome IF you can stand dying alot!

    the game controls very well
    the weapons all have there own style
    the graphics are much better then i thought
    music fits the game perfectly

    and once you clear an area for the first time.... sit back and relax you earned it

    must own for anyone that wants to die... a billion times
  2. GK
    Jan 8, 2010
    10
    Demon's Souls in an excellent game and a well deserved Game of the Year for several publications. Two users have given the game a '3' citing the game's difficulty being too high. Demon's Souls IS difficult but it's never cheap and never unfair. From Software have got the risk / reward balance near perfection where you genuinely feel a simultaneous sigh of Demon's Souls in an excellent game and a well deserved Game of the Year for several publications. Two users have given the game a '3' citing the game's difficulty being too high. Demon's Souls IS difficult but it's never cheap and never unfair. From Software have got the risk / reward balance near perfection where you genuinely feel a simultaneous sigh of relief and surge of adrenalin when you get past that demon that just kept holding you back. The online is exceptionally good, leave messages to help others, join other worlds to help, have other players join you to help, or invade and disrupt someone else's progression. A brilliant twist on conventional cooperative and multiplayer gaming. Replay value is also unexpectedly high (for me, at least). After finishing the game, I immediately started New Game +. Upgrading weapons, spells, combat; it all comes together to be a very addictive experience. If you give up on Demon's Souls, you are genuinely missing one of the more unique experiences this generation. With the multiple ways to obtain help, there's really no excuse for finding it just too difficult. If you haven't yet tried it, you really should if RPG is your thing. It's not a game for everyone, granted; but for a niche game to enjoy such critical success really does speak volumes for the quality of Demon's Souls.… Expand
  3. ScottS
    Oct 16, 2009
    10
    The best game I've played in years! Even reading the very worst review on Metacritic from GamerVision had me excited to get this game. Yes this game is difficult and can be frustrating at times, but the payoff is huge when you progress (slowly) through the world. I love the level of difficulty because it basically forces you to become very comfortable with the controls, otherwise you The best game I've played in years! Even reading the very worst review on Metacritic from GamerVision had me excited to get this game. Yes this game is difficult and can be frustrating at times, but the payoff is huge when you progress (slowly) through the world. I love the level of difficulty because it basically forces you to become very comfortable with the controls, otherwise you will die constantly, no question. The game mood/environment reminds me of Shadow of the Collossus - mysterious, haunting and epic. It's nice to see a modern game buck the trend of constant CGI cut-scenes, frequent checkpoints and general hand-holding. So many games I've played in recent years aren't memorable because you burn through them in no time, almost like watching a movie. Don't get me wrong, I love blockbuster games like RE5/Gears/Drakes Fortune/Arkham Asylum etc, but the world needs games like Demons Souls too. Refreshing, difficult and different. If you want to try something original and challenging, I can't recommend Demon's Souls highly enough!!… Expand
  4. MateusC
    Oct 16, 2009
    8
    It's not for everyone. It's very hard and challenge game. If you consider yourself a hardcore and enjoy games like Ninja Gaiden in Master Ninja you will love Demon's Souls.
  5. aspentitan
    Jan 5, 2010
    9
    Demon
  6. JackP
    Oct 16, 2009
    10
    Demon
  7. PhilipK
    Oct 20, 2009
    9
    Not a game for everyone, but for those of us this game caters to it's unequaled in this generation. The "spiritual" sequel to Kings Field by the same company will kill you, but never unfairly. You have to adapt, change up your tactics and weaponry, and learn from your experience or you are missing the point and will get frustrated that brute force won't suffice. Almost every Not a game for everyone, but for those of us this game caters to it's unequaled in this generation. The "spiritual" sequel to Kings Field by the same company will kill you, but never unfairly. You have to adapt, change up your tactics and weaponry, and learn from your experience or you are missing the point and will get frustrated that brute force won't suffice. Almost every enemy in the game can and will kill you very quickly if you neglect to pay attention, and impatience is rewarded with quicker, more saddening deaths. Again, not a game for everyone, but as a fan of games like Kings Field, and Wizardry Tales of the Forsaken Land, this game delivers. I haven't played and enjoyed an RPG like this since the NES and early PSone days. If you're unsure rent it, you'll know after 2 hours or less if it's for you!… Expand
  8. CodyK
    Oct 20, 2009
    10
    The best RPG of the generation. The person that was complaining about load screens, there's hardly any. With every death, you learn. You'll learn how to fight a certain enemy, what tactics to use, a trap to avoid, a different path to take, etc. It's an exhilirating experience, one that hasn't been felt in an RPG in this generation.
  9. [Anonymous]
    Jan 26, 2010
    10
    I feel this game is getting low scores from people who played it because they're not used to a game that is actually difficult to complete. Demon's Souls is one of my favorite PS3 games because it's so difficult. It's hard, it's frustrating, and sometimes it's just mean. But to be honest, it's what makes the game fun and unique.
  10. imspeechless
    Nov 13, 2020
    10
    This is TRUE CLASSIC. Back in 2009/2010 it was absolute standout game. Something new. Not like this awful remake.
  11. johna
    Oct 16, 2009
    10
    Best game in this generation imo. It brought the meaning back to gaming! The game makes you learn it before you proceed any further. Unlikely to other games where you can rely on your last auto-save and rush through the enemy all guns blazing. It requires patience and thinking, it's not about how fast you can push the buttons or how quickly you can kill your opponents. If you think Best game in this generation imo. It brought the meaning back to gaming! The game makes you learn it before you proceed any further. Unlikely to other games where you can rely on your last auto-save and rush through the enemy all guns blazing. It requires patience and thinking, it's not about how fast you can push the buttons or how quickly you can kill your opponents. If you think like that you have lost and like the guys who put a low score in this game. All i can say is, we done Atlus ..no game will be the same after Demon's Souls.… Expand
  12. JoeC
    Oct 16, 2009
    10
    This game is not for the weak. If you like a game that gives you a VAT system, this game is not for you. If you want a game that is challenging and makes you work for progression, this game IS for you. Every time you get a new item, or beat a boss you have an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I am level 148 and have beat the game a few times over... I recommend this game to the This game is not for the weak. If you like a game that gives you a VAT system, this game is not for you. If you want a game that is challenging and makes you work for progression, this game IS for you. Every time you get a new item, or beat a boss you have an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I am level 148 and have beat the game a few times over... I recommend this game to the hardcore who love dungeon crawlers.… Expand
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. doodlerman
    Jul 30, 2020
    9
    I wonder if this had been my first exposure to From Soft's genre defining Souls-likes before Dark Souls if I would have been as attached to Demon's Souls as I am. On one side, it's possibly the most unforgiving and vague of Miyazaki's games, but on the other - having experienced Dark Souls first - it's pretty easy, at least as far as Soulsborne games go. It's certainly rough around theI wonder if this had been my first exposure to From Soft's genre defining Souls-likes before Dark Souls if I would have been as attached to Demon's Souls as I am. On one side, it's possibly the most unforgiving and vague of Miyazaki's games, but on the other - having experienced Dark Souls first - it's pretty easy, at least as far as Soulsborne games go. It's certainly rough around the edges, but it more than makes up for it with its challenging gameplay, dense worlds, and thick atmosphere. The MIDI-based soundtrack is so full of character - may just be my favorite of any From Software game, even if it's kind of goofy sometimes. I sincerely hope BluePoint's remake features an option to have the original soundtrack. The Nexus a wonder to explore - and that's just the hub world... though finding the Monumental took forever my first go around.

    There are some key aspects to the gameplay which aren't explained very well - World Tendency being one of the big ones - but it never hindered my experience. Ladder climbing speed was a bit annoying - especially in the Shrine of Storms world. I was also annoyed by the fact that, depending on where your character is positioned in the world, dying or loading out of the game sometimes sent me an entire checkpoint behind my most recent checkpoint upon reloading. This meant I would have to warp to the Nexus and then warp back to the proper checkpoint. Hopefully the remake addresses this - and includes the ability to warp between checkpoints instead of having to go back to the Nexus first. Apparently PVP was a nightmare, as well, but I never had the chance to experience it. I did get to dabble briefly with co-op, though, and had no issues there.

    Despite it's flaws, it's a masterpiece that I highly recommend everyone at least try. Looking forward to the PS5 remake.    … Expand
  17. theforeveverwar
    Dec 11, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing. I really almost went without buying this game but it was on sale one day and got some pretty good reviews and so I decided to give it a try. Anyway what followed was a week that has gone missing from my life and none of my friend or family knew what happened to me that week. What did happen was I was in the dark dangerous dungeons of demons souls and was fighting forThis game is amazing. I really almost went without buying this game but it was on sale one day and got some pretty good reviews and so I decided to give it a try. Anyway what followed was a week that has gone missing from my life and none of my friend or family knew what happened to me that week. What did happen was I was in the dark dangerous dungeons of demons souls and was fighting for my life. This game was fun, addicting, and beautiful. I loved the setting, the huge bossed, the combat and the online reading different tips, I loved the traps and the experience of going online a reading about how to do or kill or get past something. When I was away from this game I was reading how to do the next part, studying how to overcome an obstacle. This game amazed me even at the very end. There is one thing that does seem kind of ridiculous which is the gem stones, you only get I think 10 times and if you mess up well that is too bad. But that is only for those who want to create a weapon. I loved how it started and had the nexus with all the tips written about, if felt like i was taken truely to another place. I have never felt this much immersion and dedication from or for a game before. As of writing this review the only other games i have given 10s have been braid and uncharted 2, and metal gear solid ps1… Expand
  18. HTGamer
    Nov 17, 2020
    9
    Demon's Souls literally came out of nowhere. I know this because I was one of those people who learnt about the game through word of mouth and imported an english language version back in 2010. Even Sony (who own the IP rights) failed to realize Demon's Souls' potential by not even bothering with publishing the game outside Japan, because they deemed it as non-marketable. It took plenty ofDemon's Souls literally came out of nowhere. I know this because I was one of those people who learnt about the game through word of mouth and imported an english language version back in 2010. Even Sony (who own the IP rights) failed to realize Demon's Souls' potential by not even bothering with publishing the game outside Japan, because they deemed it as non-marketable. It took plenty of raging reviews and thousands of imports before Sony finally decided to supply the western gaming world with Demon's Souls. Back then all games were hand-holding players and the challenge was nowhere to be seen, so Demon's Souls' success becomes even more astonishing when you think about the gaming landscape of 2009. Sony paid for their mistake by losing the exclusive rights to a fan-favorite series and FROM Software went multi-platform with Dark Souls and later Sekiro.

    Demon's Souls was a rough prototype for what would eventually become the Soulsborne genre as envisioned by Hidetaka Miyazaki. Thus Demon's Souls is different and more adventurous in its design than the games that followed. Instead of an open world map with plenty of interconnected areas, Demon's Souls features 5 separate worlds, each of which is further split into 3 sub-areas. Each area is a sprawling map with plenty of secrets, twisting passages, shortcuts, traps, and deadly enemies. Bosses range from the easy ones to the more challenging ones, there's even a boss fight where you have to beat a live player who's controlling the boss (if you play offline you fight a stupid NPC boss instead). The world tendency mechanic was a nice idea but not well-enough implemented. But Demon's Souls most unique characteristic is its atmosphere, the Tower of Latria alone is easily more scary than any Dark Souls game (although Bloodborne would feature an even more horrific atmosphere later on by becoming more Lovecraftian).

    Unfortunately Demon's Souls ran very poorly on the PS3 (although it wasn't uncommon for games of the era to run at 20-25 fps) and image quality was lacking due to the low budget. But the game's shortcomings didn't stop it from becoming a cult classic, a game whose servers were scheduled to shut down in 2011 but popular demand resulted in the servers remaining live until Sony shut them down in 2018. Not to mention that plenty of people emulate Demon's Souls on PC through RPCS3 to this day.

    Demon's Souls made a huge impact back in 2009 and is an all-time classic game. Not only did it give birth to the Soulsborne genre, but inspired other game developers to make their games more challenging than before and adopt its combat system (just look at 2018's God of War and Team Ninja's Nioh games). And yes, after lots of popular demand, Demon's Souls' even been remade on the PS5, an excellent and modern revision of the original. I highly recommend Demon's Souls, whether you play the original PS3 version, the emulated on PC, or the PS5 remake.    … Expand
  19. 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
  20. XV_
    Aug 17, 2019
    9
    I played this game post Dark Souls so it's up to you if that is a good or bad thing. Regardless, I slashed my way through Demon' Souls in a short period of days, I was really hooked by the game's atmosphere. As a now devoted FromSoftware fan, I think that maybe some FromSoftware games that came after lack some of the charm and moments that Demon's Souls has to offer.

    At this moment in    I played this game post Dark Souls so it's up to you if that is a good or bad thing. Regardless, I slashed my way through Demon' Souls in a short period of days, I was really hooked by the game's atmosphere. As a now devoted FromSoftware fan, I think that maybe some FromSoftware games that came after lack some of the charm and moments that Demon's Souls has to offer.

    At this moment in time its hard to think that there are people in the gaming world that aren't familiar with the so-called "SoulsBorne" games so you may know that this game is hard, but same as its predecessors it is as rewarding and addictive. I find it a little grindy in some areas but aside from that the rhythm of progression was great, the combat is simple but brutal so you'll not miss that.

    I want to make a note that the music is a masterpiece, it has its own tune and its classic from the moment zero, unlike the after FS games that at times can sound a little too familiar, this game has a different vibe (If I knew of music I could point what exactly is), like something that I haven't heard in games or movies in a while, is amazing.

    The story is cryptic but has some kind of linearity which is nice, also I may be wrong but I have certain fights that seemed optional and added a ton of meat to the main narrative and I loved that, so it felt organic in so many ways.

    I can give Demon's Souls enough credit for anything, and my issues are really so minor like some FPS drops and a warp system that kinda screws if just a little the mood of the game. I really hope that this game has a remaster or remake because it's kind of hard to get and the online functions are down as well, a classic.    … Expand
  21. AlvaroK95
    Jan 2, 2020
    9
    Un videojuego sobresaliente y el inicio de una saga que marcará un género y una década.
  22. Przemun1304
    Feb 15, 2019
    10
    thank you FromSoftware you started making games like this !
    You're unbelievable guys.
  23. DouchebagUncle
    Jun 12, 2020
    8
    I was never interested in playing Demon's Souls -even after completing the other four games in the franchise- until this year when I decided to at least check it out to pay respects to the title that started it all. This game is a primitive Dark Souls and its major flaws are really notable after playing the other Souls. However, it doesn't mean that Demon's Souls is a bad game. I don'tI was never interested in playing Demon's Souls -even after completing the other four games in the franchise- until this year when I decided to at least check it out to pay respects to the title that started it all. This game is a primitive Dark Souls and its major flaws are really notable after playing the other Souls. However, it doesn't mean that Demon's Souls is a bad game. I don't feel any nostalgia towards it and I don't think that it's as good as the rest of the franchise but it's pretty enjoyable and I had a good time with it.

    Unlike the other Souls games, this one gives you complete freedom after defeating the first boss. You can play any area in any order through the Nexus hub. Most of the bosses are fine but only a few are truly challenging and the final boss is a joke. The game is hard and at first it can be tedious to farm healing items because I was used to Dark Souls' Estus Flask.

    Most of the time the areas are way harder than its respective bosses and there are no extra archstones after the first one, so the game returns you to the beginning of every level when you die. This didn't bother me too much except for Boletaria Palace 1-4, which has the hardest boss and the longest trek to him. The areas, their atmosphere and the soundtrack are well done, from the somewhat creepy Tower of Latria to the dirty Valley of Defilement (or Blighttown 1.0).

    To my surprise, the New Game+ is actually a lot harder than the first playthrough and some enemies can one-shot you, which isn't very fair. I also have mixed feelings towards the Body/Soul Form mechanic because you do more damage while in Soul Form but your HP is halved. You can use a ring to have the 75% of your HP but you only have two ring slots. You are probably going to play most of the game in Soul Form because the item to return to Body Form is uncommon (unlike Dark Souls 2's Effigies).

    Magic is extremely OP, even more than in Dark Souls. You could say that it's a bad thing but it's so fun to obliterate everything in your pass and destroy bosses in 20 seconds. I recommend not to use magic in your first playthrough. Use it after completing the game at least once so it could feel like a great reward.

    Sadly, the online servers were already shut down but I was able to connect to a private server to test the multiplayer. I had a short but fun experience and the matchmaking was really quick (probably because only 20 people played the game online). You also have the option to rate other players so that they are later matched with people of the same rank. This was never brought back in any other Souls but it may be useful.

    So... the major flaws... Item burden is dumb. The World Tendency mechanic isn't very well implemented. Some stones (used to upgrade weapons) can only be acquired by killing specific enemies and they have a ridiculously low chance to drop them. Using ladders feels like an eternity (it could be a minor issue but it's annoying). As I said above, some enemies in NG+ or higher have a lot of health and can (and will) one-shot you.

    I enjoyed noticing every concept or mechanic that was later improved in other Souls games or the ones that were never brought back. Luckily, this game's major flaws were resolved in Dark Souls and I hope that its remake modernizes the gameplay. By the way, Demon's Souls has some issues but I will definitely buy the remake if I have the chance. If you have a PS3 and you like Souls games, give it a try.    … Expand
  24. Jeabus
    Nov 13, 2020
    10
    Compared to the remake this is an absolute masterpiece in every way other than the graphics. Even then this has a much more eerie and dark tone to it while the Remake tries too hard to be eye-candy and thus ruins the atmosphere.
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. Pmstz
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    Masterpiece

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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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