Is Demons souls fun?

[electric_warrior]

Yes, once you get used to it. At first its the least fun thing ever, like having teeth pulled while someone pokes you with a pointy stick, but after the third or fourth demon you get used to it. By the end you'll be in love and want to do it all over again.

Its incredibly rewarding because of the difficulty

 

[kickyourass]

I thought so, but then again I only ever got part way through the first level when someone brought their PS3 over and haven't played since, so maybe I didn't get far enough to encounter the clothes rending difficulty everyone keeps going on about.

 

[Stall]

I got past 1-2, I don't remember when I stopped. I did give it quite a few hours though, too many for how bad I think it is.

I like story that has a sense of progression beyond your level increasing. Sure you can chat to NPCs that have about 2 lines of dialogue each but it didn't exactly suck me in, in fact it bored me. It chooses to tell its story by not doing it at all.

About the difficulty, specifically "How is that even a critique on the game or why the OP shouldn't play it?", I think it is a major point because when people talk about the game it's nearly always about difficulty which isn't really a major selling point when you yourself say "the difficulty is overblown".

I didn't find the game very innovative at all though the online elements were done well but everything else wasn't particularly mindblowing. The 1/2 health thing was just a bad idea.

Oh, so you are one of the "I played the first TWO levels of a game, thus giving me the full ability to talk shit about it on the internet" school of gaming, eh?

The story in Demons Souls had nothing to do with your character's level. Where did you get that idea? It is absolutely independent of your character's level. It TOLD a story, but you just had to look for it. You had to talk to the NPCs to get little tidbits of lore, and make that fit in with what you find in the world and the landscape all around you. YOU were the one in charge of making sense of the world and the situation your character is in. Demons Souls doesn't hold your hand, and the story is no exception. It doesn't hold your hand through the story, but it tells you to find it yourself. It's there if you choose to look for it, and if you choose to look for it, you'll find a rich and interesting world. But people like you who do not go into the game looking for a story will not find one. Just because you didn't take the time to understand the story or "get it" doesn't mean it was bad or non-existent.

I can give you dozens of other selling points on Demons Souls besides its difficultly (but that would involve me writing a thesis, so I'll spare you). Just because that's the most common, meme-esque thing people say about the game doesn't mean its the selling point. Few people in this thread have said the game is fun because it is hard. They have said it is fun, BUT hard, but no one has implied that the game's enjoyment is a direct part as to way it is fun. There's a big difference between "Oh, this game is really fun, but it can be hard" versus "this game is very fun because it is hard".

The 1/2 health thing isn't a bad idea (it's called soul form, by the way). It's only a bad idea if you have a very narrow and conventional view on gaming. If you go into the game and except to spend all your time in body form and see soul form as a penalty, then yes it is bad. But if you decide to view soul form as the standard and body form as a reward for a job well done then it is a very good mechanic. Most importantly though, you DO know that soul form has benefits over body form, correct? Your footsteps are quieter in soul form, so if you are a stealth-based character, then you will find it to your advantage to be in that 1/2 health form a majority of the time. Also, you actually take slightly less damage in soul form as well. Even further, dying in soul form doesn't fuck with your world tendency, which is quite an important aspect since it gives you more control over the game.

It's very possible for people to just "not get" Demons Souls, in my opinion. Do not listen to the people who aren't "getting" the game in this thread, fair OP. Demons Souls is one of the best gaming experiences you can have this generation, as well as being one of this generation's best and most exciting new IP. If you have a PS3, you are doing yourself a disservice by not playing this one, especially since its only 20 bucks right now.

 

[Stall]

I meant I got past 1-1 as you said I probably didn't, I assure you I did more than 2 levels. Don't twist my words either: "I got past 1-2" doesn't mean "I only beat 1-1 and 1-2". Way to make assumptions though.

We will agree to disagree on the story, for me I was just beating levels. There was no incentive to achieve the goal, if the devs want to hide what shreds of story it has in nooks and crannies that's fine but it wasn't engrossing.

I did view body form as simply a health boost, one I didn't care about as it was never around long enough to be useful, not to say I was constantly dying but the ease of losing it compared to the difficulty in getting it was too vast.

DS is just a game, a mediocre one at that. I don't need to appreciate it or understand it as the story couldn't hold up the game on it's own even if I did try to piece it together. The worlds were drab, the combat was boring.

About DS being one of the best games this gen, I could name quite a few far better ones.

Ironic that you claim I twist your words, yet you proceed to do the exact same thing. There are no "shreds" of a story, nor did the devs "hide them in nooks and crannies". Just because the story isn't spoon fed to you doesn't mean it is malnourished and hidden. You are adamant in your refusal to accept that the game chooses a manner to tell its story that is outside what one typically see. It's disappointing that people believe video games can only tell a story in one way to be good, and when one dares to do something interesting and unique, people dismiss it. If you want a story, then you can find one in Demons Souls, but it won't push it on you or make you take it if you don't want it. You didn't want to a story in the game, hence you didn't find one. If you chose to engross yourself in the world and, dare I say, play a role, then you would have found a world full of intrigue. You shouldn't blame the game for this fault when you are the problem in the equation.

Even further, how is body form difficult to gain back? You do realize that killing a boss isn't the only way to get your body back, correct? You can invade as a black phantom to kill the host, join a player in co-op and help them beat the level, use a stone of ephemeral eyes (I believe there are about 20 per play through), or kill a boss. That's not hard at all. If you felt so inclined, you could easily get your body back shortly after death. One of the points of body/soul form is to encourage you to get better. Once you get your body back, you do not want to lose it, thus you begin to play more carefully, and take more note of your environment. The entire point is that it is supposed to be difficult

The combat boring in Demons Souls? Really? There is opinions, then there is just uninformed opinions. Even people who do not really care for DS admit the combat in the game is among the most visceral and intense of this generation. There are tons of aspects which make the combat some of the absolute best you'll find in a modern RPG. Even further, if you didn't bother to take the time to learn and understand the story, then how do you know it cannot hold the game up? That is simply illogical and baseless! That charge is outright wrong! EVEN FURTHER, you are implying that a story MUST be present to hold a game up! That is also simply outright wrong and illogical! And the worlds drab? Truly? DS is one of the most atmospheric games of this generation... all the worlds feel incredibly unique and interesting... each with a unique mood and character. There isn't a dull moment landscape-wise in the entire game.

Apparently you do need to "get" a game to appreciate it.

 

[Raven_Operative]

It won't frustrate you much(f**k Maneater) if you are patient and learn enemies/environments.

Maneater isn't that hard, just wait till he lunges, dodge roll out of the way, and cast a few high powered spells at his ass. I beat him after 2 deaths.

(oh yes, moon grass and spices are your friends for that battle.)

 

[Mr Companion]

Get that damn game, its fantastic. It will only frustrate you if you have no sense of humor and you rush through all the levels like an idiot. The game rarely becomes cheap or relies on trial and error gameplay supposing you observe your surroundings and use the online components to your advantage. Just dont worry too much about looking things up on the wiki like crafting and other shit the game dosn't tell you about.

Also the atmosphere is so thick you could cut it with a hot knife, the online stuff is woven together flawlessly with the single player in a non-intrusive manner (save those times when another player literally intrudes upon your game in a bid to murder you) and the combat is massively satisfying due to its realism.

 

[HazelrahFiver]

Demon's Souls is perhaps the greatest game to exist. It's not my favorite because just a couple of problems that will hopefully be addressed in Dark Souls (like the aiming of spells...)

Certainly it is the best when it comes to actual fighting physics. You have to truly understand the entirety of an enemy's attack, reading it and reacting appropriately, and you have to have the patience to place your hits well for the kill. It's the closest to true combat (outside of shooters) that exists.

It is definitely about patience however. Rushing through on early tries will only lead to frustration and disappointment. Take your time, enjoy the ambiance, level design, and difficulty of the enemies. Once the game feels like it's under your control (and especially after you've beaten it once), it becomes a thrill to charge mobs and bosses attempting to stomp their a** in rapid time.

If your a fan of the King's Field series it's even greater fun, because they throw in Nostalgia as well, while still creating a basically new kind of genre. I'd put Demon's Souls into it's own genre, with games like God of War and Heavenly Sword unable to equal in combat depth. (Although I do love Heavenly Sword.)

Addendum: The post above mine made me want to write a little more. They are correct in that the game is ever so rarely cheap, unfair, or poorly programmed. I can only think of one example when the game flat out ripped me off, and that was when a boss oddly stopped being hurt. It was a one time glitch and although I was pissed, I forgave immediately. EVERY other game I play has far, far, far more glitches and cheap programming decisions.

 

[Mr Companion]

It won't frustrate you much(f**k Maneater) if you are patient and learn enemies/environments.

Maneater isn't that hard, just wait till he lunges, dodge roll out of the way, and cast a few high powered spells at his ass. I beat him after 2 deaths.

(oh yes, moon grass and spices are your friends for that battle.)

Translation "Its easy if you are a specific class in a spacific situation and he dosn't do some instakill bullshit" nevertheless I agree that the game is mostly fair.

 

[Gaiseric]

It won't frustrate you much(f**k Maneater) if you are patient and learn enemies/environments.

Maneater isn't that hard, just wait till he lunges, dodge roll out of the way, and cast a few high powered spells at his ass. I beat him after 2 deaths.

(oh yes, moon grass and spices are your friends for that battle.)

I only died a couple times as well, I just don't like having to fight him in such a precarious area(I only died from falls). And that there is two of em. Once I got Firestorm(I think that is what it is called) he got a lot easier on my repeat playthroughs.

 

[MentalBakura]

Demon's Souls was a highly enjoyable game for me (well, what I've played of it... still need to finish it.)

It's not a frustrating game. It's challenging, but in most cases fair. You just need to play carefully, and never get too cocky.

 

[Kohake]

If you by "I've always loved RPGs" mean that you want a story focused epic about a groupe of people who unite to stand in a row to take turn punshing their equally organized enemies, then this game probably isn't for you.

I had a great time with it though. The difficutly was perfect, the challenges where fair and I loved the feel of the weapons. The halbard wans't just a spear with some decorations. It was a god damn halbard, and I apriciate that. The soul collecting system made the game exciting because you really didn't want to die. I only beat two bosses because I played it at a friend's house, but it was easily one of the best games I've played in a looooong time.

It kinda reminded me of Zelda 2. Don't let that put you of if you've heard Zelda 2 is a bad game though. Anyone who'd say that isn't worth listening too.

 

[Raven_Operative]

It won't frustrate you much(f**k Maneater) if you are patient and learn enemies/environments.

Maneater isn't that hard, just wait till he lunges, dodge roll out of the way, and cast a few high powered spells at his ass. I beat him after 2 deaths.

(oh yes, moon grass and spices are your friends for that battle.)

I only died a couple times as well, I just don't like having to fight him in such a precarious area(I only died from falls). And that there is two of em. Once I got Firestorm(I think that is what it is called) he got a lot easier on my repeat playthroughs.

PFFt! Real men use soul arrow! =D

 

[Gaiseric]

It won't frustrate you much(f**k Maneater) if you are patient and learn enemies/environments.

Maneater isn't that hard, just wait till he lunges, dodge roll out of the way, and cast a few high powered spells at his ass. I beat him after 2 deaths.

(oh yes, moon grass and spices are your friends for that battle.)

I only died a couple times as well, I just don't like having to fight him in such a precarious area(I only died from falls). And that there is two of em. Once I got Firestorm(I think that is what it is called) he got a lot easier on my repeat playthroughs.

PFFt! Real men use soul arrow! =D

Soul arrow is what I used on my first playthrough

 

[Twad]

I dont have the game, watched a (long) LP of it. Look like a lot of fun, and i just love how the armor/weapon looks ( i wish more games used that kind of gear, rahter than the stuff we see in games like WoW) and their influence on gameplay (different swords swing differently for example).

 

[Olrod]

Yes, it's very hard to enjoy Demon's Souls.

It's controller-smashing levels of frustrating.

I don't have the patience for games that just aren't fun.

 

[Grandpappyduplenty]

Demon's souls is very fun - just watch out for getting stuck in one zone for too long - I tend to do one boss from each area, then the next boss from each area, etc - keeps the game fresh and landscape feeling original. (it really is.)

Also, read the messages people read often, they help a lot.

 

[meepop]

People say it's a tough game, but if you know what you're doing, you are actually kind of set. Take it slow, don't waste all your souls right away, but don't keep them too long or risk being upset with losing them. The game is great and is awesome in the multiplayer component. Try it out, it's amazingly awesome.

 

[teebeeohh]

yes, if you own enough controllers so you occasionally can throw one at the wall.
once you get used to the way the game works it's not as much hard as it is unforgiving with the amount of falling into bottomless pits and enemies that will kill unless you know how to beat them(which you do by dying a lot). This can be made a lot easier by starting with the royalty class and going for a magic walkthrough the first time around, combat is not as visceral if you throw blue light from a distance but it makes a lot of fights easier because you have a head start when running AND you can beat a great many bosses very easy (if time consuming) using a certain spell that can be acquired early on.

and be careful with using guides: maybe read up on how to spend your souls early on and where to get good starting equipment for whatever your character is supposed to be(and to figure out how world tendency works) but DO NOT read guides on bosses or enemies or special encounters, they make life a lot easier but ruined the first part of the game by being prepared for a boss on the first try, it took the challenge out of the boss fights and so i only died when i go cornered in a narrow hallway or when i stepped off something.