Sadism is Fun in Dark Souls

Demon's Souls fans may have a new dungeon to call home.

When Demon's Souls was released back in the fall of 2009, it surprised gamers for a number of reasons. Japanese developer From Software created a game that was so ruthlessly hardcore that it was surprising when the PlayStation 3 audience took so fervently to it. Equally surprising were its sales. Demon's Souls managed to sell well over 500,000 copies in the United States alone. Quite a feat for a PlayStation 3 exclusive assumed to be such a niche title that Sony didn't bother to publish the game outside of Japan.

But perhaps the biggest surprise of all was that gamers couldn't get enough of Demon's Souls' formula. For a title that personified the notion of unforgiving, there was a legion of players that wanted more.

And more they will get. I recently got a chance to see Dark Souls, and the single lasting impression was that, in many ways, it's more of the same. And that's just fine. Like Demon's Souls, Dark Souls is all about grueling gameplay and outrageous difficulty. From Software wants to make Dark Souls even harder than the previous game, and this was on full display.

Demon's Souls conventions were in full effect in Dark Souls as I witnessed a heavily-armored knight fight his way through a castle-like location known as Sen's Fortress. Fending off a variety of lizard creatures with snake-like heads was the least of our poor knight's concerns. Many of these conflicts took place on thin corridors suspended over gigantic chasms. One wrong move, whether made by the knight or forced upon the knight by an enemy, would mean failure. And all the while, hanging blades swing like pendulums over the pathway, forcing you to time your movements. If you did happen to fall and survive (which happened during the demo, as the PR representative was using a ridiculously buffed-out character to avoid an untimely death), you'll be greeted by even more powerful enemies below. You know – typical Demon's Souls stuff.

Even treasure chests can be dangerous. While sometimes full of precious materials, one treasure chest in particular turned on our knight, surrendering loot once it was destroyed. Like Demon's Souls, Dark Souls is about risk-reward. But it's also about a measured approach and patience. If you lack either, Dark Souls might frustrate you just as much as Demon's Souls did, if not more-so.

Indeed, Dark Souls is so over-the-top with its difficulty that it forced a smirk on my face every so often. Upon entering Sen's Fortress, arrows shot from hidden slots in the walls fly at you, the first enemies descend on your location, and those aforementioned blades swing in the background. There's little room for error, and no time to breathe. And like Demon's Souls, Dark Souls doesn't allow you to pause, forcing you to navigate menus only when it's safe, which isn't very often.

Thankfully, there is an addition that will make Dark Souls slightly more palatable for those of you who thought Demon's Souls was too extreme. From Software has introduced bonfires that appear randomly throughout dungeons and other locales. These bonfires allow you to take a breather and recover in safety, though the only way to save your precious souls is to escape from these areas with your life. Bonfires won't solve that problem. And since everything in Dark Souls is more interconnected than the segmented approach of Demon's Souls, you'll be more likely to press forward, only to meet an untimely demise.

All of this should make Demon's Souls fans very happy. Even though there isn't a narrative connection between the two games (and even though the story itself in Dark Souls was described to me as "light"), this is essentially Demon's Souls 2. Only this time, Xbox 360 gamers can get in on the fun too.

Dark Souls is on pace to be released in October of 2011.

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