Demon’s Souls Now Available for PS3

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The Kingdom of Boletaria is now open to you, brave adventurers/PlayStation Blog readers: Demon’s Souls for PlayStation 3 is now available in retailers across North America.

For months leading up to its release, we’ve emphasized the game’s difficulty level, striving in every instance not to misrepresent the game and to ensure that curious gamers are not caught off guard by the challenges that await them. That said, we don’t want anyone to steer clear of the game because of what they’ve heard. If that is not the perfect segue into some starting tips for new heroes, then I don’t know what is.

Demon's Souls burn baby burn

Demon’s General Warning: Fire can be hazardous to your health

*Mild Spoiler Alert*

Your first task in Demon’s Souls, before even jumping into the game world, is to create your character. Demon’s Souls offers 10 different player classes, each with different starting stats and equipment.

Unlike many RPGs, Demon’s Souls does not punish players for choosing something out of line with their play style. Regardless of which class you pick, you’ll be able to eventually do anything another class is more capable of at the start; all it takes is a little extra work. Therefore, if you want to be a spellcaster, archer, or melee fighter, it will make more sense to choose an appropriate class to start, but just because you do so doesn’t mean you won’t be dabbling in other classes’ strengths later on, and you probably won’t be anywhere near as tempted as in other RPGs to keep creating new characters and playing the first bit over and over again in order to make that perfect build. That simply isn’t accomplished at the beginning; it’s done over the course of your epic adventure (as it should be).

I (and most Demon’s Souls players, it seems) would recommend the Royalty class to most newcomers. The Royalty class begins with a Soul Level of 1, which means that the Soul Point requirement for advancing the first few levels is the least, allowing players the most early stat customization options. Moreover, the class begins with a catalyst (wand) and the Soul Arrow spell memorized, making them a long-range spell casting force to be reckoned with. On top of all this, they start with the Fragrant Ring equipped, an item that offers slow but steady Magic Point regeneration. For more class tips, and other helpful info, consult our newly launched wiki.

This description may make the Royalty class sound like a no-brainer (and I’m sure some Demon’s Souls players would argue that is the case), but the beauty of the game is that the class decision at the beginning ultimately makes little difference to the vast majority of the game experience (contrary to most games). Not to suggest that customization doesn’t matter; in fact, it matters a great deal!

Rather, in Demon’s Souls, it is the choices you make on how to advance and evolve your character that are key, delivering a MUCH more satisfying and rewarding role-playing experience than many other entries in the genre. Also, the Royalty class will initially suffer in up-close combat, something to consider if that’s your style (and consideration of what exactly your preferred play style in such a game actually is is crucial to your enjoyment of the game… again, something that other RPGs don’t really take into consideration).

Demon's Souls lookout

My, how many eyes you have…

Don’t worry when you die almost immediately at the end of the tutorial; death is unavoidable by design. You’ll be revived in the Nexus by the Maiden in Black, who will later on be your means for advancing/leveling your character. The first and only region you’ll initially have access to is the Boletarian Palace (1-1). Don’t be alarmed when you begin this area and find a number of bloodstains (indications of other players’ deaths, if you’re connected to PlayStation Network). The game takes a little getting used to, hence some folks meeting early (and repeated, at times) deaths.

Here are a few important tips:

    1. Watch your stamina carefully – Stamina is crucial to melee fighting in Demon’s Souls. There have been very well-received RPGs in gaming history that have allowed players to simply hack away at the attack button, but this is NOT the case in Demon’s Souls. You will only be able to string/combo attack as long as you have stamina (the green bar) left, and when it is depleted, you’ll just stand there and be open to attack unless you move around intelligently and manage your stamina well. Power swings take more stamina (duh), and absorbing a power hit will deplete you as much if not more (and if you’re already low on stamina, will stun you and open you up to attacks).

    2. Don’t try to get away with more than makes logical sense – That is to say, if you think it would be ill-advised to take on 4-5 foes at once in real life, don’t put yourself in that situation in Demon’s Souls. Rushing ahead foolishly will get a lot of enemy attention. Sound judgment would suggest progressing with a more measured pace, only antagonizing a manageable number of enemies and making your life easier.

    3. Shield if you got’em – If you are a melee fighter, you’d be remiss not to use your shield at every possible opportunity. With most shields, you’ll still take a bit of damage when you absorb a blow using a shield (although the amount varies with shield quality, and some shields negate all damage), but it will be far less than having no shield at all (even faced with fire/magic attacks, a shield can help reduce damage taken).

    4. Pay CLOSE attention to your surroundings (and if you’re playing online, the hints left by others) – The game will rarely warn you if you’re about to make a mistake or head in a path not quite appropriate for your character. It will instead let you make the mistake, die, and hopefully learn from it. That said, the messaging system and bloodstain system built into the game give players connected to PSN an ample supply of hints and warnings for avoiding ambushes, traps, and dangerous foes (for more info, watch our second walkthrough video, which touches on the online features extensively.

Once you get the hang of 1-1 and defeat the area’s boss, Demon’s Souls opens up to you—literally. You’ll be able to access the initial area of all of the five other archstones AND you’ll receive the Blue eye stone, which lets you drop Soul Signs on the ground and, when you’re dead/in soul form, you can be summoned by living players into their games to assist them in their quest.

Demon's Souls strat guide

You could have helpful information like this if you pick up the Deluxe Edition, which is selling rather briskly, and snag yourself the strategy guide, which is not sold separately…

I’ll suggest beginners proceed to 1-2 or 2-1 after completing 1-1, or, at the very least, leave the fifth archstone for a little later. It’s a bit more challenging (relatively speaking) and will be more enjoyable a little later on.

Demon’s Souls is a very hard game to sum up or describe in a short amount of space, as evidenced by this rather lengthy blog entry. As deep and nuanced as the game is, as much as there is to get out of it, players will find the actual game mechanics incredibly simple and intuitive. It’s breaking out of the run-and-gun (or hack-and-slash, rather) mentality of other games that can be a challenge. Once you manage to, though, expect one of the most rewarding, satisfying, time-sucking roleplaying experiences you’ve ever had, complete with beautiful visuals, haunting music, and some of the most immersive stages ever.

We’re really excited to join you in the Kingdom of Boletaria and perhaps fight alongside you as you confront a towering boss (or help you fend off another invading player from your world), but don’t only take our word for it; plenty of critics agree:

9/10, Editor’s Choice Award — “Brutally challenging and utterly engrossing, this innovative role-playing game is one of the year’s best.” — GameSpot

95 — “Gorgeous, thoughtful, and complete unto itself, it’s the second-best title I’ve played this year. Maybe even better.” — Play Magazine

5/5 — “Demon’s Souls is the best game I’ve played all year.” — RPGamer

95 — “Without question, Demon’s Souls is one of 2009’s finest titles, and an amazing, challenging journey without equal.” — GameCritics

94 — “This is a truly exceptional RPG experience that hasn’t been offered by any other game in its genre.” — GameZone

Demon’s Souls is out now for PlayStation 3…see you online!

As a thanks for all your interest and support of Demon’s Souls, we’ve got 10 signed posters (by Mr. Takeshi Kajii, producer) to give out to folks. All you have to do is comment about this blog post and tell us what class you’ll be when you finally get the game (for more info regarding classes, visit the official game site at www.demons-souls.com). We’ll choose 10 winners and send them one of these ultra-rare collectibles!

Comments are closed.

255 Comments

32 Author Replies

  • I really want this game but I will wait to see if the will be a patch to fix the difficulty level. I’ve heard way to much bad on that subject but. I don like fusstrating games but my fingers are crossed

    • OneShotOswald,

      The difficulty will not be altered in Demon\’s Souls. If you have strong concerns/reservations about the difficulty level you\’ve heard about getting in the way of your enjoyment, I would recommend renting the game or playing it at a friend\’s house. That\’s the best way to be sure before spending your hard-earned money!

  • I would love a poster and Demon’s Souls kicks ass! I wanna be a paladin!

  • Can’t wait to jump into the game. Starting out as a Knight. Prefer the melee combat over range magic combat :)

  • Every review I read says that this game is insanely difficult. I love games, and I play many, but I always play on ‘normal’ because I don’t want to get frustrated.

    The game looks superb, but I don’t wanna buy this and be disappointed.

    Bottom line – i’ll buy the game if you’ll release a patch to fix this issue.

    Thanks

  • I gong to be the spellcaster class, i do love magic :)

  • I’m anxiously awaiting my copy in the mail soon. As for which class I’ll pick, I think I’ll try being a Thief. I heard that 1 hit is instant death for low level thieves and I’ve been waiting for challenging RPG for quite some time. Thanks for bringing this game to North America!

  • Im going to go with the spellcaster class, i do love magic …. :)

  • Oops. Meant to say Temple Knight.

  • “i am going to be”

  • This game is so freaking amazing… Which makes the fact that I can’t get, let alone enjoy, it for another couple months. It actually *physically hurts* a bit to be unable to jump into it right now. I *will* get to it sooner or later, I guarantee you that.

  • Dammit… No edit function. Add “all that much worse” to the end of my second sentence.

  • Hi! thank you for all the advice and the support for the game! I am really excited to play it, looks like it’s pretty unique, especially in how the online integration was designed, it really makes me to keep connected.

    For the class, I was thinking about the templar knight, becauuse it can heal itself but i don’t know about the halberd… so i will go more defensive and select the priest because i can heal and defend myself without going to agressive in the hand-to-hand combat. I will choose barbarian for my second run!

  • I choose Royalty! Just because you recommended it, since i’m not a hardcore gamer.

  • I’m going to play as the knight for sure. Magic is nice but I prefer it to be a normal human fighting powerful demons with nothing but his sword, armor, and own gritty determination. Like Berserk.

  • By the end of the week, will have a blast on Friday! I’m recommending this to all my fellow Zelda fans and anyone who enjoys RPGs. Not auto-play me Final Fantasy 13 with auto restore health after battles.

    This game makes you into a man.

  • RAWR :)
    Picking up the Deluxe Edition this thursday.
    Want to pick it up sooner but maan, got an exam on Thursday and rather not fail it by playing Demon Souls all night.
    On the bright side I have friday-> monday off :)
    ALL HAIL THE OLD ONE… waait.. arent I here to kill the old one? Well on thursday i’ll find out!

  • I should have my copy if the Deluxe Edition waiting on my doorstep when I get home. Thanks Fed-Ex and Amazon release-date delivery!

    I’ll think I’ll be starting with either a Soldier or Templar Knight. I’ll make my final decision after I browse the “classes” section of the strategy guide.

  • waiting for my copy. come on, postman, walk faster.. i wish this game sells well. atlus is really working hard to market the game. it is getting good reviews, too.. hope it doesn’t end up like VC last year

  • I literally bought my copy a few hrs ago off amazon before the deluxe went MIA.

    My Class of Choice: THIEF!

    *since no one seems to use it*

  • I think I’ll go Wanderer class!

    I’m really hoping my Gamestop gets the game in today, I got a call saying it was coming but they have not received it.

    See you all online!

  • Well I just got back from picking up copy and will be starting in just a few minutes. I’ll most likely start as the Royalty class, but I may look in the strategy guide and see which class is best for me.

  • This games looks awesome and I really can’t wait to play it. However I have a question for you folks at Atlus…Is there any word on a U.S. release date for Persona 3 Portable? Sorry but I don’t know where else to ask this.

    • XreptarX,

      I\’m sorry, my processor doesn\’t support multi-threading, making it impossible for me to address anything other than Demon\’s Souls at this time.

  • i just picked mine up!!!! @.@

  • Already got my deluxe edition :D and planing to go to a friends house to convince him of buying the game.
    I’ll start as a Knight, I live by the way of the sword XD.

  • I think I’ll start out as a theif. High luck = more dropped goodies

  • will people who have imported (from asia) it be able to play it online.

    • deathorglory9,

      The Asian release of the game runs on its own servers, which are still running. So yes, you can play online, but not on the North American servers. Hope that helps!

  • This game wasn’t on my radar now, but after learning more about it through the Gamespot review, I’m thinking about picking this one up… I’m in the process of making a foam cover for my Dualshock just in case it’s as difficult as I’ve heard! :-P

    • jqtaxpayer,

      You might want to invent some transparent aluminium to put in front of your screen as well, just in case you do turn out to be the controller-chucking type. Nobody likes a cracked screen. :D

  • Apparently not on shelves until tomorrow, in Canada.
    Guess I’m picking it up tomorrow on my birthday!
    Figure I’m going to play as a thief.

  • My deluxe edition arrived a few hours ago. I’ve already cracked it open and took several whiffs ;)

  • This is the best smelling game ever.

  • I just got the Deluxe Edition from amazon this morning.And got my preorder artbook and Soundtrack.

    P.S. never preorder anything from GameStop because they take the preorder goodies for themselves and tell u their all out.

  • I’ll be picking up my pre-order DE on the way home today.

    Definitely be starting out as the Royalty – Almost every review and guide has said it’s a good way to start off and given the difficulty I will follow their advice.

  • Starting off as Royalty after I pick up my DE on the way home. Can’t wait!

  • royalty for the low downtime if that ring is really that significant

  • I think I’m going to try the Hunter in my first play-through. I like using a bow and arrows.

  • Will there be a Demo of the game
    coming soon?

    • RyuPower,

      There will be no demo for Demon\’s Souls. Anyone on the fence and unlikely to choose a side without a demo is advised to rent or try the game at a friend\’s house.

      We were open and honest about Demon\’s Souls being a challenging game because we wanted people to know exactly what they were spending their money on: a deep, rewarding, brutally satisfying action RPG that might not be everyone\’s cup of tea. Best to be sure before spending your hard-earned money.

      Thanks for your interest and support!

  • Just picked up my collectors edition today. THANK YOU Atlus for taking a chance on this game in the states. I really wish you success. I’m enjoying the game sooo much!!!

  • Oh!!! sorry I guess I skipped the first review, I saw & read the other 4 just didn’t see that one :(

  • I’m all for a challenge in games but this one creeps dangerously close to cruel and sadly won’t be getting my easy earned.

    Sorry but I have better things to do than spending hours grinding perfection or scraping through a single player experience.
    That aside I still hope this game sells incredibly well.

  • does this game feature voice chat?

    • chris_meister,

      No, it does not, and that is intentional. As one recent video review stated aptly, Demon\’s Souls doesn\’t compromise its design/ideals in order to conform to standard online conventions.

      I sure don\’t want my immersion ruined by some pre-pubescent 12 year old screaming in my ear about all the different kinds of people he/she hates.

  • I just picked up my Deluxe Edition copy today and got one shotted by the first boss and I love it LOL.

  • I do believe it is going to be all about the Wanderer for me. The description makes it sound like an intriguing class for me. Can’t wait to get the FedEx delivery as soon as I get out of work. I’ve been waiting for this game to hit NA since I first heard about it and now it’s here. Awesome!

  • Hi Aram,

    Can’t wait to smell my Demon’s Soul limited edition.

    The Priest class really interest me as I always enjoyed being a holy white knight who crush adversity or who mighty crush adversity with some support spell.

    Though, Adversity will surely crush me more until I’ll have grown as a player from what I read.

  • Dear Mr Jabbari,
    I will have to choose my class only after reading the guide (Yes, I bought the Deluxe edition) and learning more about the game. Unfortunately, I live in Brazil, and my Deluxe edition has been shipped today, so I will be expecting my copy here next week. But something tells me, that my Character will have melee and some sort of sorcery, but again, only will be defined after reading more about it. Good luck with the sales.
    Best Regards

  • Like Xulap I did not get any pre order bonuses but whatever. I should have ordered from Amazon anyway.

    For people looking to import ebay is your best option.

  • ebay or play-asia.com for imports.

  • I’m liking the soldier so far. I’ll need that vitality. P Though it means I’ll have to get up close & personal with my enemy does frighten me when thinking of some of the larger bosses.

  • I’ll be getting this tomorrow when my local ebgames gets it in as a hunter. I can’t wait!

    Also, does this game have an install, and is it mandatory or optional?

    • Nirvana23,

      There is no install. Pop the disc in and enjoy! (but don\’t forget to take a big whiff of all the packaging first :P)

  • Demo? Please? I am getting this game after I get through Uncharted 2 (because I know how much this will suck up my time), but I’d still like a sample :D

  • Ah man! I want this game!

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