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. funkydoodycool
    Nov 13, 2011
    9
    I bought this game way back when, drawn in by the promise of a harder-than-normal experience to remind me of the punishment I used to put myself through back in the mid-to-late 80, before games started to hold your hand and show you what to do. I was not prepared for this!

    After attempting the first level several times over, I am sad to say I gave up, and went back to other, lighter    I bought this game way back when, drawn in by the promise of a harder-than-normal experience to remind me of the punishment I used to put myself through back in the mid-to-late 80, before games started to hold your hand and show you what to do. I was not prepared for this!

    After attempting the first level several times over, I am sad to say I gave up, and went back to other, lighter experiences. Then Dark Souls came out - I was hooked, and decided before I progressed too far into that game I'd give Demon's Souls another go and what do you know - I'm now hooked on that!

    The first area acts as a tutorial of sorts (not that it prepares you for the challenge ahead), then you die for the first time of many. Dumped in The Nexus, a hub world from which you can access the other worlds, you must move on and seek out... Demon's souls.

    Level one finally completed, you are now able to use said souls to level up your character in typical RPG fashion. The only problem is every time you die you lose all the juicy souls you just spend hours collecting. You can get them back if you can make it back to the place of your death, but if you die on the way there, you leave a new bloodstain that wipes out the previous one.

    Having finally, after a couple of days of dying, defeated the first boss, I went to move on to the next area beyond him. It was then that I realised I'd spent so long, and died so frequently, in the first area, that a map of it had been burned to my mind, and this new area was all the more alien and foreboding for it.

    I can't really put in words (as you've probably noticed) just why this game is so great. But it is. The way I'm going, this game is likely to last a number of years!    … Expand
  2. the_KENJI_way
    Nov 14, 2011
    9
    first, i write this after playing dark souls, if not, my score will be of 10. i bought this game 2 years ago because i heard about his difficult and because i love action rpg games, when i playend i was very surprised, i bought this game only for culture and i finished playing it for hundred of hours. the game system is very simple but awesome hard to control perfectly, the worlds and thefirst, i write this after playing dark souls, if not, my score will be of 10. i bought this game 2 years ago because i heard about his difficult and because i love action rpg games, when i playend i was very surprised, i bought this game only for culture and i finished playing it for hundred of hours. the game system is very simple but awesome hard to control perfectly, the worlds and the bosses, i love everyone of them and when you think that finally you finish it, you start the DS+, and you keep playing.... AWESOME GAME. sorry for my english and thanks.… Expand
  3. TCHeaven
    Nov 17, 2011
    9
    Right out of the gate I'm going to tell you that you should buy demon's souls, it is a great game if one known for its difficulty, everything this game does is as solid as it could be whilst you WILL die alot when playing it the deaths are never frustrating and you never feel cheated by a mechanic. The note leaving world invading system that is Online play in demons souls is as good as ifRight out of the gate I'm going to tell you that you should buy demon's souls, it is a great game if one known for its difficulty, everything this game does is as solid as it could be whilst you WILL die alot when playing it the deaths are never frustrating and you never feel cheated by a mechanic. The note leaving world invading system that is Online play in demons souls is as good as if playing offline and the defferent environments ingame are as atmospheric and well realised as a gamer could wish for with new game + replayability on offer and addictively rewarding combat with the different enemies you encounter demon's souls is surely a great game. The only dowsides I can find here is the need to grind for some of the rarer ingame items which is, well a grind to be honest.… Expand
  4. Fragasnap
    Apr 1, 2012
    9
    Demon's Souls is a soul crushing game. The dark world adds significantly to the stiff difficulty of the game and the unique online play never breaks the lonely atmosphere. It is seeped in old fashioned level design and being sent back to the start of a stage can be frustrating. The balance of your arsenal is off as magic can be too useful and armor is useless but the swordplay well made.Demon's Souls is a soul crushing game. The dark world adds significantly to the stiff difficulty of the game and the unique online play never breaks the lonely atmosphere. It is seeped in old fashioned level design and being sent back to the start of a stage can be frustrating. The balance of your arsenal is off as magic can be too useful and armor is useless but the swordplay well made. This game is certainly not for everyone, but anyone willing to put up with its unforgiving nature will find an experience like no other.… Expand
  5. w_underwood
    Jul 7, 2012
    9
    I haven't played a game that really challenged nor rewarded me in awhile then Demon's Souls. This game is excellent. Tough levels with "bosses" that really are as advertised. If you grew up playing games like Mega Man or any other similar old school games you will thoroughly enjoy Demon's Souls.
  6. zkjarrah
    Feb 15, 2012
    9
    So, you'll die a lot in this game. You'll be really challenged, maybe even frustrated and there is not much of a story to speak of. But... if you are looking for something gratifying and a real sense of accomplishment, this is singularly alone, barring the spiritual successor to this game, Dark Souls. Demon's Souls will not hold your hand, in fact it will throw you to the wolves... A LOT.So, you'll die a lot in this game. You'll be really challenged, maybe even frustrated and there is not much of a story to speak of. But... if you are looking for something gratifying and a real sense of accomplishment, this is singularly alone, barring the spiritual successor to this game, Dark Souls. Demon's Souls will not hold your hand, in fact it will throw you to the wolves... A LOT. And unlike a lot of other modern games pretending that your previous death didn't happen and sending you back only a few minutes earlier to to your previous auto-save, death is a big part of the game and it matters if you die, the game doesn't pretend you didn't die, Demon's Souls wants you to learn from your mistake by sending you back to the beginning of the level. The sense of accomplishing something difficult is the crux of this game, and if that is something you're interested in and you've overlooked this game, get this game now; there are very few games out there as good and gratifying as Demon's Souls.… Expand
  7. RUST
    Jun 11, 2012
    9
    Was never a tale of such lore was Demon's Souls. A game so difficult your character laid crumpled, broken and very much dead in the original cover art. Yet was it really that difficult? Neigh, only momentarily frustrating at best. Demon's Souls was a game that never should have happened; a miraculous moment when everything in the From Software headquarters was in precisely the wrong placeWas never a tale of such lore was Demon's Souls. A game so difficult your character laid crumpled, broken and very much dead in the original cover art. Yet was it really that difficult? Neigh, only momentarily frustrating at best. Demon's Souls was a game that never should have happened; a miraculous moment when everything in the From Software headquarters was in precisely the wrong place to prevent its coming. It wasn't a sequel, it wasn't targeting a particularly well known demographic and it was, for all intents and purposes, exactly the sort of thing you do not want to do in terms of business. The rest, as they say, is history. Demon's Souls has become a phenomenally successful Playstation title, one that lead gamers to the darker side of gaming where health was neither copious or advised and games were never forgiving. Demon's Souls is just brilliant. Even when the initial fear to round a corner starts to wane as you begin to memorise near every minute detail of the environments there is that unrelenting reminder that you are always only one mistake from death and a tedious journey to a checkpoint unknown. This game doesn't play nice, it's designed to oppress you and it's by beating it over and over again that the player will find its true value. Making this game your **** is exactly what makes it so damn fun.… Expand
  8. JMDubya
    Mar 10, 2012
    9
    Every action you take has consequence(s). Every mistake you make in Demon's Souls is your own. I've played this game start to finish several times. I am yet to die from clipping, clunky controls, poor hit detection or even ambiguous level design. Gameplay is perfect, Lore is enthralling. From Software needs to start a donations page.
  9. sosuke111
    Mar 29, 2012
    9
    After Demon's Souls, this game is a must have for all players who need a different kind of challenge. Personally, I found this game easier than its predecessor (in general), but more and more fun!
    In one word, this game is AWESOME!
  10. wesker2012
    Apr 17, 2014
    9
    One of the most brutal, dark, mature, unique rpgs to ever come out. A beautiful, dark fantasy. Demon's Souls brought the difficulty back to games at a time when handholding had become the norm. It's safe to say that Demon's Souls is the most challenging game I have ever played. I've tried many times to complete the game but to no avail...and I don't think I ever will. This is a gameOne of the most brutal, dark, mature, unique rpgs to ever come out. A beautiful, dark fantasy. Demon's Souls brought the difficulty back to games at a time when handholding had become the norm. It's safe to say that Demon's Souls is the most challenging game I have ever played. I've tried many times to complete the game but to no avail...and I don't think I ever will. This is a game that requires devout patience, time, and effort. The more you explore the world, the more you will see how much thought was put into this game. After watching a few playthroughs of the game being beaten, I have complete respect for the game. While brutally challenging, the game is always fair, and if a mistake is done, it is the player's fault. A near perfect game that is hard to find fault with. Sometimes the game becomes more of a chore to play than fun though because of the respawning of enemies and lack of checkpoints in between. This is definitely not a game you can relax to. The moment you stop paying attention is the moment you die and have to start the area all over again. This is a tense game where you have to be very calculated and aware. On the other hand, there isn't a game like it in this modern age of gaming. In that sense, its a game that will have you coming back for more and more after countless defeats wanting to finally beat it. The menus are a bit bland and unappealing to look at, but the game has a certain charm that grows on you as if the developers purposely made the menus that way. All in all, Demon Souls is one of the best thought out games of the PS3 generation, and your enjoyment will depend on how much of a beating you can handle.… Expand
  11. Buddhaff7
    Aug 6, 2012
    9
    I loved demon souls but I would not recommend it to everyone. It has become such a controversial game recieving every single review score from 0 -10 by different people. Whether or not you like it depends on your taste. It annoys me when I read reviews of people claiming the game is too difficult and so it's crap. If difficulty isnt your thing then this game isnt for you and thats fine. II loved demon souls but I would not recommend it to everyone. It has become such a controversial game recieving every single review score from 0 -10 by different people. Whether or not you like it depends on your taste. It annoys me when I read reviews of people claiming the game is too difficult and so it's crap. If difficulty isnt your thing then this game isnt for you and thats fine. I have no interest in sports games but I dont go around posting on websites that fifa is crap, Its just not my kind of game. Now i'm not saying the game is perfect, it has some flaws like occasional framerate drops and the occasional unfair death which is annoying but overall I found it very enjoyable. The sense of accomplishment when you defeat a tough boss or complete a tough area is incomparable really, Also I think the game for the most part is fair, I played it offline the whole way through with no online help or guide and I didn't ''die hundreds of times'' like so many people claim they did nor did I ''spend hours grinding'' It was VERY hard and I think I died about 40 or 50 times throughout the course of the game. People also complain about getting set so far back when you die and losing all of your souls but that is vital to the game experience in my opinion because it gives you something to lose! it had a DONT DIE OR ELSE!! kind of feel to it. Thus I would baby-step my way through certain areas scanning everything and shield up at all times with my heart in my mouth afraid to die. It made the game so intense. I wouldn't be nearly as careful or take as long if The punishment was to restart back 10 seconds to the nearest checkpoint. That pretty much summed up the game for me, intense and enjoyable. It does suck when you die but you do learn. You realise right i may pay closer attention to traps triggered by such and such or OK that guy was very well hidden I should lure him out with arrow shots so he does
    not have a vantage point advantage over me etc etc. There,s way more examples but its strategic and that.s the point. In short the game is not for everyone like I said earlier but if you would like an intense addictive game that is rewarding and enjoyable demon souls is well worth your time. Possibly my favourite game on ps3.    … Expand
  12. MrRPG
    Aug 15, 2012
    9
    A master piece for its time, a great game for any RPG fan..
    Beautiful,Brutal, fast paced, many different ways to play, I could sing this games praises all day..
    Unfortunately with shutting down of the servers this game has lost a lot of what makes it fantastic, although it can all be found in dark souls now.. If you've played dark souls and enjoyed it, I'd highly recommend coming back    A master piece for its time, a great game for any RPG fan..
    Beautiful,Brutal, fast paced, many different ways to play, I could sing this games praises all day..
    Unfortunately with shutting down of the servers this game has lost a lot of what makes it fantastic, although it can all be found in dark souls now..
    If you've played dark souls and enjoyed it, I'd highly recommend coming back to this for a solo play through or 2..    … Expand
  13. 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
  14. Syriamn
    Oct 13, 2012
    9
    It is one of the best action rpg games ever made but didn't need to be that unforgiving it doesn't make it better but that's just me. Having said that it's a great and immersive game which must be played by all hardcore gamers. Especially them.
  15. alexaxa
    Oct 30, 2012
    9
    This game is definitely not for everyone. It's hard, it's unforgiving but i liked it very much ! I have finished it more than 3 times ! One of my best ps3 game !
  16. Daverost
    Nov 18, 2012
    9
    Gameplay - 10/10. Graphics - 10/10. Sound - 6.5/10. Overall - 8.8/10. It
  17. Vanpire73
    May 1, 2014
    9
    Been a hardcore gamer for 30 years and I gotta say this series is like no other I've played. Growing up on games with 3 lives and no continues or clues (or internet), it certainly is not nearly as hard as people say, but it is difficult in it's own special way. If you let it it will suck you in and hold on like very few games can. Too many games focus on story and hand-holding. ThisBeen a hardcore gamer for 30 years and I gotta say this series is like no other I've played. Growing up on games with 3 lives and no continues or clues (or internet), it certainly is not nearly as hard as people say, but it is difficult in it's own special way. If you let it it will suck you in and hold on like very few games can. Too many games focus on story and hand-holding. This one puts gameplay and atmosphere front and center, just like the good ol' days. I wish I was playing it right now.… Expand
  18. Skals
    Jan 6, 2013
    9
    What's great about Demon's Souls is that it always gives you a choice of what you'd like to do. There are so many things to do, and the game never forces you to travel down a single linear path. The only downside to the game may be that some enemies are slightly imbalanced, and it is also possible for you to screw up your play-through and be forced to restart. But even after restarting theWhat's great about Demon's Souls is that it always gives you a choice of what you'd like to do. There are so many things to do, and the game never forces you to travel down a single linear path. The only downside to the game may be that some enemies are slightly imbalanced, and it is also possible for you to screw up your play-through and be forced to restart. But even after restarting the game twice, I still felt like defeating some of the bosses I'd already killed, just to progress to the very end. It was a fun experience throughout.… Expand
  19. zeone222
    Oct 16, 2013
    9
    I've played some difficult games lately, but this is on a whole different level. This is not a negative thing, and I feel like you'd have to play it to understand the depth of this statement It's a beautifully crafted game that demands your undivided attention and forces you to recall gamer skills that you proably haven't used in more than a decade
  20. houyi111
    Nov 3, 2014
    9
    Played this game in late 2013 since I got a ps3 just few weeks ago. Dark souls is my first souls game, I spent over 1000 hours in it and I am still loving it. The person who recommended dark souls to me holds a high praise on demon's souls. So I have a high expectation before actually played the game.
    I have to say I finally understand why so many people says dark souls reuse a lot of    Played this game in late 2013 since I got a ps3 just few weeks ago. Dark souls is my first souls game, I spent over 1000 hours in it and I am still loving it. The person who recommended dark souls to me holds a high praise on demon's souls. So I have a high expectation before actually played the game.
    I have to say I finally understand why so many people says dark souls reuse a lot of bosses and areas from Demon's souls, it is true! The core mechanism is the same, the tune feels familiar. That being said I absolutely enjoy the game. I platinumed it in two weeks! I felt that farming upgrade stones in this game is one of worst in the series which means it will take ages for some builds getting the best weapon...    … Expand
  21. bluesoulreaper
    Nov 29, 2013
    9
    Demon's Souls is not a game that I would recommend for those with little patience and a big temper; however, if those qualities do not apply to the individual then this game is highly enjoyable and very rewarding. The game-play is very well crafted and easy to master. The rpg elements such as leveling, stores, and diverse enemies (with the exclusion of a strong story) are build upon aDemon's Souls is not a game that I would recommend for those with little patience and a big temper; however, if those qualities do not apply to the individual then this game is highly enjoyable and very rewarding. The game-play is very well crafted and easy to master. The rpg elements such as leveling, stores, and diverse enemies (with the exclusion of a strong story) are build upon a solid foundation. The reason many are strongly attracted to this game is because of the high difficultly of it. Even the weakest of enemies in this game will kill you regardless of your level. This game promotes caution and rewards those who are persistent in their efforts with greater rewards. This game also has a new game plus mode though it doesn't appear in the main menu (you automatically start again after beating the game). With the plus mode the game's difficulty increases from 100% to 240% and then continues to increase by 40% after each playthrough. This is essentially the COD multiplayer of the rgs, nearly the same thing every time but far more rewarding and satisfying if can endure the everlasting agony of always dying.… Expand
  22. JAubrey
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    El primero de la saga y el mejor. Vino de tapado, sin hype ninguno y es indescriptible las sensaciones que me produjo al jugarlo. Las satisfacciones que te da al ir superando monstruos finales son inmensas. Uno de mis favoritos de la ya pasada generación, una joya atemporal. No probarlo por lo menos un pecado para cualquier hardcore gamer.
  23. 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
  24. FuSi0nReAPEr
    Mar 19, 2015
    9
    I recently bought this game a couple weeks ago and LOVED it! It's amazing how a game that is 6 years old could hold my attention for 40 hours until first play through completion because most games now a days cant even do that. I really enjoyed how each arch stone included 5 instanced areas as opposed to Dark Souls where the game is one open world **** The gameplay, time period, and noI recently bought this game a couple weeks ago and LOVED it! It's amazing how a game that is 6 years old could hold my attention for 40 hours until first play through completion because most games now a days cant even do that. I really enjoyed how each arch stone included 5 instanced areas as opposed to Dark Souls where the game is one open world **** The gameplay, time period, and no hesitation gameplay kept me coming back for weeks! I would recommend this game to any of my friends. The only reason I am giving this game a 9 is because of the sheer amount of different weapons in the game and the fact that so many of them are similiar. Also, because you can't upgrade alot of the unique weapons you find which end up being trumped by upgraded normal boring weapons. Thanks FromSoftware for a great experience!… Expand
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. eva3si0n
    Jun 10, 2023
    9
    Few games can give. emotions like Demon's Souls. I've never been a fan of Souls-like games, but decided to try it from the first part of the series. And it's just amazing. It's a pity, of course, that Demon's Souls remained exclusive to PS3, so more players would meet it. Great gameplay and a wonderful atmosphere of dark fantasy. The complexity of the gameplay is frightening at first, butFew games can give. emotions like Demon's Souls. I've never been a fan of Souls-like games, but decided to try it from the first part of the series. And it's just amazing. It's a pity, of course, that Demon's Souls remained exclusive to PS3, so more players would meet it. Great gameplay and a wonderful atmosphere of dark fantasy. The complexity of the gameplay is frightening at first, but then you pull. And now you already accept every death as a challenge. A great start to the series.… 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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