Demon’s Souls: Is this fun?

A friend loaned me Demon’s Souls.  He said I’d like it because it was innovative, and he said it was hard.

Objectively, I respect it for what it is.  Subjectively, here are my initial thoughts on it having tried to play through Boletaria Castle.

Demon’s Souls is YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward. YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, YOU DIED (fell off the stairs that time)

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  I am not its target demographic.  I don’t YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended or in the way YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended or in the way hardcore gamers YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended or in the way hardcore gamers do. YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended or in the way hardcore gamers do.

I can’t YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended or in the way hardcore gamers do.

I can’t imagine YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended or in the way hardcore gamers do.

I can’t imagine YOU DIED

Demon’s Souls is a very, very, very hard game.  It’s sort of like being constipated: it begins with a desire to accomplish something, but spends most of its time making you exert a lot of effort to arrive at very little reward.

It’s a beautiful game, and very well-executed.  It reminds me of some other games I’ve held in high esteem.  I can see echoes of Ico in its massive and labyrinthine locales, and the clever use of past playthroughs as a hinting system is clearly inspired by Nethack.  But the game doesn’t strike me as fun.  Clearly I am not its target demographic.  I don’t find it compelling in the way the designer intended or in the way hardcore gamers do.

I can’t imagine why.

  1. February 8th, 2010