"Demon's Souls" holds a weird place in my heart. While it's easily one of the best role-playing games I've ever played, it's also the most frustrating. Dying – over and over and over – is just part of the experience, and there were times when I just stood up, walked away, and swore I was never going to abuse myself with the game ever again. Of course, I always went back.
After checking out its spiritual successor, "Dark Souls," it looks like my love-hate relationship with the franchise is about to multiply.
Sitting down with representatives from "Dark Souls" publisher Namco Bandai, the team appears to really enjoy the fact that the game is so difficult. Even talking through a translator, it seemed like they immediately understood that my gut was already churning with apprehension about the sequel, laughing every time I mentioned how "Demon's Souls" had me pulling out my hair. I think these guys might be sadists.
Don't believe me? The first thing I was told as I sat down in front of the E3 demo was that "Dark Souls" is "even more difficult" than the last game. Yikes. One way that the frustration level is heightened is through the game's assortment of enemies themselves. Now, that skeletal warrior, for instance, has the ability to actually heal himself. Basically, there's absolutely no point in running away from a battle, recouping health, and attempting to reengage a wounded enemy. Your foes in "Dark Souls" have an increased artificial intelligence, which means you'll be working overtime to outsmart or out-muscle them.
There is one small consolation to that increased likelihood of smashing your controller. Throughout the game, you'll discover small bonfires. Sitting down next to the fire allows you to restore health, as well as serving as a type of checkpoint. At first, I thought the bonfires seemed like a bit of a cop-out, but the simple fact is that if you think the checkpoints make the game too easy – well, just don't use them. Personally, I will light a bonfire every time I see one.
"Dark Souls" certainly feels more open that "Demon's Souls," dropping some of the latter's more linear structure. You're free to move into different environments, and even to take longer routes around more troublesome enemies.
During the demo, we encountered a rather large, armored boar. Well, he was entirely armored except for one area – his rear-end. If the boar is too difficult, you could always take another, albeit longer, way around. Of course, that detour is filled with even more enemies, so choose your path wisely. Either way, you're going to die a lot. "Dark Souls" is roughly twice the size of "Demon's Souls," contains twice as many items, but the publishing team also promised me "double the number of deaths." They laughed again when they told me this.
The team also let me in on another small way the game is looking to expand its online capabilities. We've previously told you about the new online system, wherein your offline actions will affect your interactions with online players. Now, when someone actually manages to complete a level in "Dark Souls," a bell will go off, as well as a pop-up showing the triumphant player's name. It's just a cool social feature, and for a game that is so difficult, it's a nice way to earn bragging points.
"Dark Souls" should immediately feel comfortable to "Demon's Souls" players, as nothing too staggering has changed between the two titles. Still, there's enough there to bring you back into its dark, moody world. The game hits North American shelves on October 4, including a collector's edition.