I've done it. I've finally clicked with a Souls game and found a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction in the formula. It wasn't easy—it took me probably 3-4 hours to even make it past the first level, and there were many times throughout and even after that, into level 1-2, that I wasn't sure I'd be able to (or want to) continue playing to the end. But there is a specific point, after you've died 30 times or so and are going through the level yet again, where you realize you actually have developed a strategy and you...maybe know what you're doing? From that point forward, even the most tilting fights aren't enough to turn you off, and you come to appreciate and thrive in the challenge a difficult boss or stretch of a level brings as well as get excited when seeing what terrible, beautiful world lays beyond each archstone.
However, before you can get there, you have to get past the initial stretch. Or at least, I did as this was the first Souls game I was trying to really commit to. I've played some of Bloodborne and enjoyed it in spite of the difficulty, but got distracted and never went back to it. Not only is Demon's Souls very hands-off in its process for introducing players to the world, but it's unforgiving if you make mistakes, particularly when you're first starting. Coming off Ghost of Tsushima, I kept pressing the wrong buttons. For example, I'd use □ to attack, which in this game uses your item—I learned the hard way that it'll use your item whether you need it or not, which caused me to waste quite a few items before I'd even learned what most of them do. I also fumbled my way through understanding hit boxes, blocks, parries, rolls, etc. The one positive that came out of my struggle is that I died so many times that I farmed something like 40 firebombs and was able to go all in on the first boss. But until I got past that first boss, I would oscillate between the highs of feeling like I was finally gaining my footing and the lows of realizing I hadn't, contemplating whether this game could really be for me.
But I persevered—something the game rewards you for (well, sort of—so long as you don't die and lose all of your souls, you can level yourself up to the point of being able to take on most enemies without being too fragile). By your third or fourth boss run, you can go into most fights with confidence and a strategy that you've learned works for you. By this point, you get to feel the power of being on the other end of the spectrum from where you started, and it feels so freaking good. For comparison, that beginning stretch of Boletaria that I spent so long on when I first began took me 20 minutes to complete on NG+. I'd even say that by the end, you're a little overpowered. Some bosses went fairly quickly, and the hardest hurdle ended up being the path to that boss. I won't say I didn't love this a bit, but I also acknowledge it as a slight downside—it'd be interesting to see what it'd feel like if the bosses were buffed a bit to create a more consistent challenge (though who knows what NG+ will bring).
Aside from the typical novelty factor and common challenges that come with one's first Souls game, the world design and graphics are stunning. The visceral horror and disgust I felt making my way through the fifth archstone world; the sadness and tension I felt navigating the third world; the anxiety and stress making my way through world four. Each one came to life in a unique and memorable way, and in spite of any dread or frustration I felt fighting enemies, I always was visually captivated and eager to see what each archstone would bring (though if I never had to make my way through Swamp of Sorrows again, I wouldn't complain). I didn't play the original, but watching videos of it, it seems Bluepoint was able to take that blueprint and expand on it pretty faithfully—though they made the world a little brighter and a little prettier in a lot of ways, they were still able to deliver atmospheres that evoked strong reactions. Truly beautiful stuff, along with the excellent use of the new haptic feedback in the DS5.
In addition to the world design, the approach to storytelling in Demon's Souls is really interesting. It's similar to the in-game mechanics—very hands-off. You learn from the contextual clues while discovering each world and speaking to the few NPCs you meet along the way. You don't necessarily get long, details explanations, but you get the sense of the story in many places, and that has an almost more powerful impact than what you often get from more story-based third-person action/adventure games. I guess consider this another win for the whole show don't tell mantra. Alongside this, I'd also say the online, co-op functionality contributes to the story. I've never had more fun reading and crafting messages left behind by and for other players—many times, they saved my life by preparing me for some trap or some particularly tough enemy, and in return, I felt compelled to pay it forward because we were all in this struggle together, both as players outside the game and as the one person who may be able to save the in-game world from the overwhelming power of the Old One. All of these are small pieces to the puzzle, but that combined with the ritualistic nature of progressing through each level repeatedly until you're successful make for a really satisfying and emotional experience.
There are few other games where I've felt as satisfied simply being able to survive a single fight. But that's the essence of how DeS delivers joy to its players. I can't say I loved every minute of playing this game, but I wouldn't take any of it back, and I am fully bought into the Souls world.
However, before you can get there, you have to get past the initial stretch. Or at least, I did as this was the first Souls game I was trying to really commit to. I've played some of Bloodborne and enjoyed it in spite of the difficulty, but got distracted and never went back to it. Not only is Demon's Souls very hands-off in its process for introducing players to the world, but it's unforgiving if you make mistakes, particularly when you're first starting. Coming off Ghost of Tsushima, I kept pressing the wrong buttons. For example, I'd use □ to attack, which in this game uses your item—I learned the hard way that it'll use your item whether you need it or not, which caused me to waste quite a few items before I'd even learned what most of them do. I also fumbled my way through understanding hit boxes, blocks, parries, rolls, etc. The one positive that came out of my struggle is that I died so many times that I farmed something like 40 firebombs and was able to go all in on the first boss. But until I got past that first boss, I would oscillate between the highs of feeling like I was finally gaining my footing and the lows of realizing I hadn't, contemplating whether this game could really be for me.
But I persevered—something the game rewards you for (well, sort of—so long as you don't die and lose all of your souls, you can level yourself up to the point of being able to take on most enemies without being too fragile). By your third or fourth boss run, you can go into most fights with confidence and a strategy that you've learned works for you. By this point, you get to feel the power of being on the other end of the spectrum from where you started, and it feels so freaking good. For comparison, that beginning stretch of Boletaria that I spent so long on when I first began took me 20 minutes to complete on NG+. I'd even say that by the end, you're a little overpowered. Some bosses went fairly quickly, and the hardest hurdle ended up being the path to that boss. I won't say I didn't love this a bit, but I also acknowledge it as a slight downside—it'd be interesting to see what it'd feel like if the bosses were buffed a bit to create a more consistent challenge (though who knows what NG+ will bring).
Aside from the typical novelty factor and common challenges that come with one's first Souls game, the world design and graphics are stunning. The visceral horror and disgust I felt making my way through the fifth archstone world; the sadness and tension I felt navigating the third world; the anxiety and stress making my way through world four. Each one came to life in a unique and memorable way, and in spite of any dread or frustration I felt fighting enemies, I always was visually captivated and eager to see what each archstone would bring (though if I never had to make my way through Swamp of Sorrows again, I wouldn't complain). I didn't play the original, but watching videos of it, it seems Bluepoint was able to take that blueprint and expand on it pretty faithfully—though they made the world a little brighter and a little prettier in a lot of ways, they were still able to deliver atmospheres that evoked strong reactions. Truly beautiful stuff, along with the excellent use of the new haptic feedback in the DS5.
In addition to the world design, the approach to storytelling in Demon's Souls is really interesting. It's similar to the in-game mechanics—very hands-off. You learn from the contextual clues while discovering each world and speaking to the few NPCs you meet along the way. You don't necessarily get long, details explanations, but you get the sense of the story in many places, and that has an almost more powerful impact than what you often get from more story-based third-person action/adventure games. I guess consider this another win for the whole show don't tell mantra. Alongside this, I'd also say the online, co-op functionality contributes to the story. I've never had more fun reading and crafting messages left behind by and for other players—many times, they saved my life by preparing me for some trap or some particularly tough enemy, and in return, I felt compelled to pay it forward because we were all in this struggle together, both as players outside the game and as the one person who may be able to save the in-game world from the overwhelming power of the Old One. All of these are small pieces to the puzzle, but that combined with the ritualistic nature of progressing through each level repeatedly until you're successful make for a really satisfying and emotional experience.
There are few other games where I've felt as satisfied simply being able to survive a single fight. But that's the essence of how DeS delivers joy to its players. I can't say I loved every minute of playing this game, but I wouldn't take any of it back, and I am fully bought into the Souls world.