It's hard to appreciate the uniqueness and innovation of Demon's Souls when it's your 6th game in the series. Unlike the others I essentially approached it from the angle of "this is a cool idea, but it was done better in __". Bosses are more of a puzzle/gimmick than a combat challenge, this balance slowly shifting over the next 15 years of the series. As such, checkpoints are only at the start of each 'sub-level' which can be a bit annoying at times. Some mechanics like World and Character Tendency are extremely cryptic and complex but add an entirely unique element to this game. They are a huge pain to understand and affect is you are routing the Platinum trophy as I did.

It's worth saying that this is still an amazing game, and an incredibly important one, even if I personally find more enjoyment in later Soulsbornes.

Killer fucking soundtrack too