Well.. I guess I'll pick up the game then. There's nothing else to buy over the holidays. Just have a few questions before I do buy it:

1.) How does the online thing work? I don't understand it at all.. I watched some video reviews, and it seems I share a world with all the other players at the same time, and we can kill each other at will? Can I turn this feature off?

2.) People keep talking about how hard this game is. Is it really that hard or are some players just pansies?

3.) Am I dead in this game and trying to get my body back? I saw in the video reviews too that you're supposed to be more powerful if you're "alive".. I don't understand. Help please?

Best action RPG I've played probably ever.
I'll give you quick answers, others will say more

1. Online is very different but you can basically play it single player if you don't want help. Other people can only spawn to your game when your are alive which is not often ;)

2. Yes it is a hard game, it doesn't hold your hand. You will die and you will be forced to learn the combat system to proceed. The game really forces you to master it if you want to beat it.

3. Most of the time you are a soul trying to get your body back. When you beat an end boss, you get your body back and can then have other people join ur game to help you, if you want. Then when you die you have to fight for your body again. Hard to explain but easy once you see it.

Just get the game, its freaking awesome if you like action rpgs :)

1) You can see players in parallel dimensions, but you can't kill each other at will, unless he invades your world as a black phantom, in which case, a big message will appear on screen telling you, you have been invaded. People play online mode with the use of Blue Stones, you can only summon other players whom have been slain, and are in blue phantom mode.

2) The game will break you.

3) When you die, you need to use a "stone of epiphermel eyes" to revive, kill a boss while in phantom form, OR invade another game as a black phantom and kill that person. Being alive means you have more HP.

more question :

- does the game have a story ?

- is there puzzle ? item to place at the right etc ...

- do u meet NPC ?

- is there any character developpement of your character or of the NPCs. Is there manuscrit to find and to read that give you information about the game world, universe, country, monster or NPCs ?
you know all these extras that are not need for the gameplay but add a lot to the imersion.

EDIT  I have the strange feelin I m going to go next gen just to play this game ....

1. You can summon 2 players to help you to go through the level and beat the boss. I often join other players and I think this online feature is unique in RPG and lots of fun. You play game in body form (100% HP) or soul form (75%HP). If you die you in soul dorm but can come back to body form if you have a special stone (you will find plenty) or help someone to beat the boss. You will understand once you start playing. Helping other guys is also quick way to lvl up.

2. Game requires from you to be careful. Its not hard when you get used to it. You just cant fight by pressing R2. You actually have to find out what the best weapon and strategy to get though the level.

3. See point 1

another question :

- is ti not too easy to beat a boss with 2 others players when u are supposed to play ... alone !

One point I'd like to clarify, you can only be invaded if you have your body, so it can't happen again and again unless you keep using a stone to get your body back. Having your body is unnecessary though and I killed all of the bosses while in Soul Form.

What other game allows you to invade other players' game and kill them? Or allows you to run around looking for help when someone is about to kill you? ;p

Soul Form/Body Form

When you frist start the game your in Body Form (100% HP), if you die your soul gets sent to the Nexus. At this point you lose your real body and start in Soul Form (50% HP), if you wear the Cling Ring you can get an extra (25% HP) making a total of 75% HP.
Also notice that you deal more Damage while your in Soul Form compared to Body Form.

To get you Body Form back you can either:

--Defeat a boss of any given world
--Use "Stone of Ephemeral Eyes" (I will post links as to where to farm for these later)
--Invade as Black Phantom and be victorious.
--A Soul Form character can also join a Body Form player's game as an ally and will be revived if you help the player defeat a boss in their world

Online/PVP

You must have atleast one boss in each world alive otherwise you won't be able to PVP or anything

Here's where Online and PVP plays a big part of the game and also the most exciting part of the Demons Soul's.

How to summon a Blue Phantom and vice-versa

First. You will need Blue Eye stone.
Second. One must be in Body Form and another needs to be in Soul Form.

Now you that know what the requirments are here's what you need to do:

If you yourself wants to offer someone to summon you, you will need to be in Soul Form and the host needs to be in Body Form. This means that while your in Soul Form and drop a Blue Eye Stone your allowing someone to summon you for help.

Now if your in Body Form (Your the host) and drop a Blue Eye Stone, the people your summoning must be in soul form. This means you yourself in Body From is asking for help.

If both players are in either Body/Soul Form you cannot summon each other. In other words one must be in Soul Form and another needs to be in Body Form or vice-versa.

PVP (Player vs Player)

This is completly different to Summoning Blue Phantoms.
What this does is while your in Soul Form your forcing you way into another players game while their in Body Form. Casuing you to be the Black Phantom who just broke into someones game, to do this you will need:

First. Black Eye Stone
Second. You yourself is in Soul Form and the Host in Body Form.

If you ever feel bored then go ahead and drop a Black Eye Stone. This will cause you to force you way into the Host game. You either kill or be killed. If you somehow manage to defeat the Host you will gain Souls.
If you die by the enviroment but not killed by the host you will automacticly get a Soul Level deducted off your highest stat.

To avoid being invaded always play in Soul Form or risk being invaded by someone random

How to set up a duel

This is where you get to show off your flashy skills and kick someones ass so to speak.

First: Red Eye Stone
Second. You will need to be in Soul Form and Host in Body Form

Now you drop your Red Eye Stone while in Soul Form and it will connect you to the Host for a duel.
If you lose there will be no stat reduction just so you guys are clear on that.

This will clear up the online component of the game. The game is hard but it is addictive.
So give it a chance and keep playing even if you might get turned off earlier on.

- does the game have a story ? Yes. the game has a story. It is not story driven though. After the first hour or so you know your purpose in playing and it doesn't introduce any new plot twists or anything like that.

- is there puzzle ? item to place at the right etc... The puzzles are trying to find out to beat the mobs and get through alive... other than that no, there aren't puzzles as in "Place a yellow daisy by the water plant when the sun is shining"

- do u meet NPC ? Yes, this is how the story is extended. Each NPC you meet basically has their own story. They will talk to you about it.  You can help some of them. Rescue them. You can kill all of them.

The reason you would kill NPC's is to become black character and world tendancy. When that happens certain world events happen. Same with being white world tendancy.

- is there any character developpement of your character or of the NPCs. Is there manuscrit to find and to read that give you information about the game world, universe, country, monster or NPCs ?
you know all these extras that are not need for the gameplay but add a lot to the imersion.

http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/valuable-weapons

EDIT  I have the strange feelin I m going to go next gen just to play this game ....