spiyde said:
I'm interested in Demon's Souls. is this game good? is it like oblivion?
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I would probably describe it as a Japanese take on Oblivion, but it's really quite different from Oblivion in most ways.
The basic combat is probably the main focus of the game, though you do still have the stat building and weapon upgrading like in Oblivion. See, the game is incredibly tough, but it's tough for a reason. It's not cheap, and it instead encourages to really learn the (rather simple) battle system so that you can use it effectively in any given situation.
It is what a true hack n' slash should be. It's not a bunch of flashy combos or button mashing. You can attack, attack hard, block, push, parry, and run away. Using these effectively leads to victory.
Within the first 1-2 hours of the game, you'll die a lot (a LOT) while you try to get the combat system down. After that, things ease up a bit, and it's then up to you to learn how to avoid traps, build up your stats, upgrade your armor and weapons, find new armor/weapons, etc., all while traveling throughout the game's five areas and taking out the various bosses found within.
And some of the bosses are quite a sight to behold. Then they kill you in one hit. -_-
My favorite parts of the game are probably the combat system, and the rather interesting Soul system. See, when playing you're always connected to the Soul Network. You can opt not to connect, but it'll greatly hinder you if you don't. When connected to this network, you are then linked to all other players playing the game in your region. While playing, you'll often see ghastly white visages running around, and these are other players that you are catchinga glimpse of, as they battle in their own worlds. When in Soul mode, you can lay hints on the ground for others to read across the network, and you can read hints left by others scattered across the ground. They're usually quite simple, consisting of nothing more than something like "Beginners, take leave and enter here later," esentially telling you that if ou're a noob, avoid the path you're about to take. Of course, some people could leave false hints, so you have to be wary of such things.
You also see blood stains scattered across the ground. These stains represent somebody who has died in the area. Touch the stain, and you'll see the person in their last moments of life, given you a visual cue of what dangers may lie ahead. The stains also reveal just how many stupid people play the game. I swear half the stains I've touched showed some dumass diving off a cliff. xD
But the coolest part of the Soul Network are the Soul Stones. There are three types of Stones you can get in the game - a Blue Stone, a Black Stone, and a White Stone. When in Soul form, you can place a Blue Stone on the ground, allowing another human player to pick up the Stone, thus summoning you into their world as a Blue Phantom. This is one of a few ways you can get your body back, actually. Beat a boss in co-op, and you return to your own world with a brand new body. The Black Stones are somewhat similar to the Blue Stone, but far more nefarious. With a Black Stone, you can invade another player's world (selected at random) as a Black Phantom. Once in their world, you can either help them out (but if you were there to help, you wouldn't have used the Black Stone :P), or you can have your way with them. Killing a person as a Black Phantom is another way you can get your body back. It can be quite nerve-racking when somebody invades your world as a Black Phantom. If they're good, they'll hang back in the shadows until you're most vulnerable, then they'll hit you in the back. The White Stones are used to cast out a Black Phantom that has invaded your world. Assuming you have a White Stone, that is. :P
The game is quite unique, all-in-all. It's a strange blend of JRPG and WRPG, with a number of features to call its own, and one of the more enjoyable battle systems I've seen, due to its simplicity and realism. However, the game is probably the hardest game I've ever played. What's surprising about this is that I usually dislike hard games, often not even coming close to finishing a game if it gets too tough. But Demon's Souls is different. I'm not sure why. I think it's because most of the tougher games I've played in the past simply felt cheap, while this feels rewarding. Really, the game feels as if it HAS to be hard. If it weren't hard, the combat system would feel like a waste of time, as you'd never have any reason to use it effectively or learn just how adaptible it can be.
Personally, I love it and hate it. I hate the difficulty, but I'd hate the game without the difficulty, as that would break most of the stuff I love about the game. Ignoring the basic gameplay, I love the style and atmosphere of the game, as well as the Soul Network.
I'm not much of an RPG player, but I'd say it's my favorite RPG this gen (so far - I'm only 15 hours in, lol).
If you want to discuss this further, I'd check out the Demon's Souls thread Ameratsu started for those of us who've imported the game:
http://vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=70104
I haven't really touched on the classes or anything, and the stat building side of the game is really quite in-depth.
