Luckily, today’s the day. For the viewing pleasure of PlayStation.Blog readers, From Software and Namco Bandai have collected a host of rare concept artwork accompanied by design notes from Miyazaki himself. Miyazaki also wanted to pass along a greeting just for PlayStation.Blog readers: “I am hoping all of you experience meaningful deaths many times in the game. I know that the game is challenging, but I want you to keep trying to overcome any difficulty you face in the game. And please feel a great sense of achievement when overcoming a difficulty!”

Read on for the full gallery. If you do pick up Dark Souls, keep us updated with your character build, equipment, and winning strategies. I have a hunch we’ll be needing all the help we can get…

Hidetaka Miyazaki, Director, Dark Souls: These are the preliminary designs for the Gaping Dragon. The story goes that there were many ancient dragons in this world, and after many of them perished, the few survivors went mad. This is just one of the many designs we came up when discussing how they went mad.

This is the Snake Man. He was designed as another one of the “failed experiments” for obtaining the immortal scales of the albino dragon Seath the Scaleless. It’s referenced in the rings inside the game, but the image of a snake with scales that sheds its skin overlaps with the immortal ancient dragons. Compared to popular snake-human designs, its neck is much thicker, which I like.

This is the Crystal Undead. Like the Snake Soldiers, he was designed as one of the “failed experiments” for obtaining the immortal scales. Snake Soldiers were one of the earlier designs, so they (along with the Crystal series) embody the later designs in the game. Visual allusions to the dragon Seath and crystals are a major theme in the Duke’s Archive and Crystal Cavern.

This is the Sealer. This design was inspired by the theme of “mage of lost rituals.” In the end, it gained the role of sealer, and was assigned with the ritual of curse-breaking.

This is Havel’s Armor. His design came from the theme of “an ancient soldier of stone.” I particularly like his large crested helmet.

This is the Bell Gargoyle. This boss was designed after we decided to include a scene where you fight on a church rooftop. The gargoyle motif perfectly fit that situation, as well as what was required for the game. He’s one of the earlier bosses you’ll fight, but we wanted him to convey the ambiance of Anor London in that he’s the embodiment of the medieval ages in a world of knights and kings.

This is the Egg-Bearer. He came about during a flood of ideas with no one particular theme. His design is without a doubt shocking, and many more ideas came from him.

This is the Embraced Knight. The story went that this knight received divine protection from a goddess, but then we started to think about adding something twisted or unexpected to the design and that’s where we got the idea to have the embracing arms of the goddess designed right into his armor. His armor inspired the creation of the character Lautrec of Carim.

This is a Dragon Zombie. Like the Gaping Dragon, the story goes that after many of the ancient dragons died, the few survivors went mad. This is just one of the designs we came up when discussing how they went mad. We decided to go with the straightforward “descendant of dead dragons” design, but we also wanted to go with elements that felt almost metaphysical.

This is the Titanite Demon. He was the product of a lot of brainstorming when we weren’t able to narrow down the theme. From the game perspective, we needed “an ore demon that forges weapons,” and he was ultimately selected for that role.

The Black Knight. At first, he was designed to represent an evil spirit. We pictured it as the grudge of fallen soldiers amassed together to become the hollow Black Knight. That idea ultimately didn’t take shape, but it was such a cool idea that it we eventually tweaked it for King Gwyn’s knights.

This is the Gravelord Nito. He was designed with the theme of “Lord of Death.” I remember his first drafts being approved without many revisions. A rare treat!

The newest additions to the “Greatest Hits” library include:

• MAG (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Demon’s Souls (Atlus)
• Call of Duty: World at War (Activision)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
• TEKKEN 6 (NAMCO BANDAI Games)

With this month’s launch of PlayStation Move and the recent addition of 3D Blu-ray movie support, the PS3 is the only system continues to do everything – and with more and more titles available at the low “Greatest Hits” price, there’s something for everyone looking to expand their PS3 library. In fact, the MAG PlayStation Move software update, which enables PlayStation Move compatibility, is coming soon. Enjoy!

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 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).

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.

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!

Where most games offer multiplayer as a separate mode, something detached from the main experience, Demon’s Souls takes the single-player games from online PS3 owners across the country, treats them as individual worlds in an interconnected universe, and allows the worlds to bridge from time to time, leading to some exciting cooperative and competitive interaction between players, in addition to the awesome messaging and bloodstain features.

There’s never really been a gaming experience quite like Demon’s Souls, and we’re excited to be able to show you, in detail, exactly why that’s the case.

Demon’s Souls releases on October 6 in two flavors: standard ($59.99) and deluxe ($69.99). The deluxe edition nets you a 160-page strategy guide (not sold separately!) and a beautiful embossed slipcase with foil accents. Pre-order EITHER version at a participating retailer (while supplies last) and you’ll also receive a 40-page, full-color art book and the game’s full soundtrack CD — all at no extra cost to you.

Thanks for all your support!

Hey folks, AtlusA.R.A.M. here, and I’ve got some news to share regarding Demon’s Souls, the upcoming action RPG for PLAYSTATION 3.

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with Demon’s Souls, getting up-to-speed should be as easy as checking out the blogs we’re featuring in the official game message boards, hitting up the game’s official website, and checking out the great PlayStation Eye chat we had with the incredibly awesome Jeff Rubenstein.

As you may already know, we’re offering fans who pre-order either version of the game (Standard or Deluxe, at participating retailers only) a full-color, 40-page art book featuring sketches, designs, and renders that wonderfully show off the game’s gritty medieval aesthetic.  On its own, this is a pretty nice bonus (says the publisher offering it), considering it is being thrown in at no additional cost to the customer, but we’ve recently decided to take things a step further:

Resist, if you dare.

In addition to the art book, fans who pre-order will now ALSO receive the game’s FULL soundtrack CD.  That’s right, we’re going to throw 24 tracks (about 71 minutes) of music into the pre-order bonus as well.  And if you’ve ever heard the game in action, you likely know that the music is haunting, atmospheric, sweeping, and orchestral.  Don’t worry, people who have already pre-ordered: the music disc is secured on the back inside cover of the art book, so you won’t miss out!

So, whether you reserve (at participating retailers) the Standard edition of the game, which would net you the game, art book, and soundtrack CD, or whether you upgrade to the Deluxe edition, which gets you the game, a 150+ page strategy guide, a collectible slip case, the game’s complete musical score, and a premium art book, you’re going to be getting a heck of a deal.

Sample from Official Demon’s Souls Strategy Guide

Of course, these extras are in addition to all the changes and enhancements coming to the North American release of the gaming, such as:

• All-new North American cover art
• All-new North American online servers (which ensures a level playing field for newcomers)
• An improved localization, which addresses many grammar/inaccuracy issues from the overseas version

Join us, won’t you, as we venture into the Kingdom of Boletaria on October 6th, 2009.  It’s going to be a tough battle to deliver the realm from evil, but hey, at least you’ll have a ton of free swag to comfort yourself if you happen to reserve your copy today.

Until next time, friends.

Oh, and that announcement they were teasing was this: Demon’s Souls is coming to North America on October 6.

Aram will be back on the blog to talk more Demon’s Souls, but if you’ve got any questions now, please ask them in the comments area. I’ll make sure he sees them :-)