Previously import-only and notoriously hardcore action-RPG Demon’s Souls is making its way Stateside thanks to Atlus, which recently picked up the publishing rights for the PS3-exclusive title.
Demon’s Souls, an action-RPG developed by Armored Core makers From Software, has gained a strong following among US import gamers, no doubt thanks to the fact that the Asian territories version of the game features a full English translation.
That’s one barrier to entry down, but importing is expensive! Well, now all the gamers too cheap hesitant to pay the extra cost of importing the game will be getting their chance to brave the waters of Demon’s Souls this fall, thanks to publisher Atlus.
So what is Demon’s Souls? I’ve had it described to me as a mix of Oblivion and Monster Hunter: Western RPG-style trappings like an open-ended dark fantasy world combined with a Japanese action-game feel to the combat. There’s a non-linear world, complex character creation and class customization system, tons of gear and equipment, and massive dungeons to explore.
The big sell, however, and it might not sound like one, is that this game is hard. Atlus calls Demon’s Souls the “ultimate hardcore action-RPG challenge” and a world in which “death is inevitable, but not final.” That’s supposed to be a good thing, mind you. As Eurogamer put it in its review, Demon’s Souls “slaps you in the face with your own incompetence and dares you to overcome it.”
Yeesh. Sounds like a bad relationship. You’re not alone in Demon’s Souls, though. There’s a two-player co-op mode, PvP, and, interestingly, the ability to leave hints and clues behind that players in other games will find and perhaps use to avoid suffering the same fate you did. And by that I mean dying.
Demon’s Souls will be released this fall, and is exclusive to the PS3.
