Gentlemen, today we’re here to discuss my newfound personal addiction, I am here to talk about the latest PS3 exclusive action-rpg Demon Souls.

If you haven’t been paying attention Demon Souls has earned quite the reputation as quite the ball buster. I can attest to its difficulty, being Tower Knights personal bitch for an evening. It truly has lived up to expectations as being one of the most grueling games this generation. Take off the dunce cap and study up before taking a plunge into Demon Souls as it’s littered with hundreds of ways to meet your maker. From hidden traps, knights, skeletons, sting rays, zombies, goblins, and bosses the size of a sky scraper there’s a good variety of enemies waiting to pummel you into the ground.

After a short tutorial you’ll meet a very nice fellow who helps prepare you for being a nice worm food cuisine and thus you being your epic quest.

In this quest you’ll have 10 options Hunter, Barbarian, Soldier, Wanderer, Royal, Knight, Priest, Magician, Temple Knight, and finally the worst of all Thief. Later on in the game the differences in classes will disappear but in the beginning the wrong choice depending on your game style can be disastrous. The amount of customization to your character is stellar. Whatever you choose two ultimately become is up to you. I do stress however in staying on task and knowing what you like whether it be melee combat or magic spreading yourself out to much to become a jack of all trades is not the smartest idea.

The game is riddled with tons of weapons, armor, spells, and miracles to choose from making its combat truly deep. In many ways, it’s the combat of Demon Souls that shines more than anything else in this game. The animations of when you get behind an enemy (better to give than receive I say from the rear) or parrying a strike are almost as satisfying as a long night with Gabe Newell. The developers, FROM SOFTWARE, have taken great care in keeping players on their toes at all times for when to block or parry any striking blow. Slight missteps can lead to you missing a block or being left stunned and an enemy delivering a devastating attack. Even casting spells or shooting arrows from your bow all feel right. Hopefully the boys at Koei can take some tips from these guys rather than just having a player bleed from their finger tips after bashing the buttons in the next mindless Dynasty Warriors installment. In my opinion this game is a testament to how important it is to nail down gameplay prior to anything else.

Along side the great combat system is its unique take on adding online functionality into a primarily single player game. On the floor are bloodstains which show the last moments of another player’s life. This can be used almost as in game strategy guide in what to avoid or look out for ahead. Aside from that you can invade another player’s game that is connected to PSN and hunt and kill them for souls in p.v.p. combat to show off your skills and find out just how good you truly are. Not to mention 3 player online Co-op where 2 of your closest sadistic friends can hop in and help you out

Now its time for the bad news folks so I think its time for me to vent a bit on the shortcomings of this game. So you’ve been reading for the past couple of minutes of my man crush on Demon Souls but the game definitely is far from perfect as well. My biggest complaint is the lack of voice chat in online play. I’ve read on several other reviews saying how it adds to the dark and lonely atmosphere and setting, all I have to say is bullshit. When you have a guy about to kill you I’d like to know from my friend right across from me. Not to mention joining into other games when all u want to do is join only your friend’s game. I would love to see in the sequel (prays to my mighty god, Thor) voice chat is included and an option to only join a friends game.

It’s biggest draw back and weak point, which in my opinion, is the story of demon souls. The setting, atmosphere, and tone of the game are done fantastically but I am almost at the end and have no connection to any of these characters or world. The few who you meet along the way in the game all feel like breathing armory department stores just to get bad ass spells and weaponry and nothing more. Not to mention all the voice acting sounds seems to have come from a bunch of Shakespearean actor rejects. The game seems to have all the right props, roles, and stage for a great dark fantasy tale but just doesn’t ever hit its mark in its story.

All in all though I’m nitpicking in what’s a GREAT GAME. It has set a new bar for action rpg’s. Its deep combat system and fantastic setting put it up against the biggest heavy weights in the genre. If you are at all interested don’t hesitate take the plunge and see what you’re missing out on. From Software have made an instant classic and it’s the best rpg to come out so far in a generation dominated by shooters. This is a game that keeps on giving and with its new game+ you can enjoy it for countless amounts of hours. Nothing quite like it exist and so get yourself a damn copy of this game if you can find it and prepare to take on the horde of demons.

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