Developer: From Software
Publisher: Atlus
Platform: PlayStation 3
If at first you don’t survive…
Outside of a Jack London story or a trip across a tightwire between skyscrapers, you will never feel so acutely aware of your survival as in Demon’s Souls. It’s an action role-playing-game, in the same genus as say, Fable II, but by modern standards it’s punishing and austere. Swing at the wrong time and your enemy will catch you off-balance; overlook the wonkish stats and upgrades and you’ll never stand a chance in the first place. In return for all this work, the game will never waste your time. Maps are concise and packed with new challenges, and the mechanics work in perfect harmony: boost the right stat and you’ll feel the difference when you need one less swing to win a fight. The echoey sound design and charred, damned environments try to daunt you, but when you beat each one, the victory tastes that much sweeter. Demon’s Souls asks a lot—and it deserves nothing less.