Demon's Souls - Catch All

Play Asia shipped my copy today, but I chose the cheapest shipping, so I guess I'll have it late next week at the earliest. Trine, Arma 2 and Overlord II will have to keep me occupied I suppose

I'm giddy!! to bad I have a final Friday and a Paper due on Saturday..

Hopefully it arrives before the weekend and I can play a bit Sunday.

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I read way to much on that wiki page posted.. now I'm over excited.

As always, whenever a PS3 exclusive comes through the pipeline, so does the (warranted) complaints about the controller, so make sure you pick up Real Triggers to make the, well, triggers a whole hell of a lot better to use.

Anyway, I read a preview on this a little while ago and while the ~$70 purchase for the import version (I'm including shipping in that price) is a bit steep, once this hits stateside, I'm all over it. Thanks for the heads up.

Woohoo! Atlus has just announced that there will be a special Edition for the US release, which comes with an exclusive strategy guide.

Atlus Announcement wrote:

For less than it costs to import the game, fans will receive a 150+ page strategy guide (only available as part of the deluxe version, not for sale anywhere else) and a collectible outer slipcase, in addition to the game itself.

And if I'm reading the release properly it looks like the US release will also include an Artbook. Which will proudly collect dust on your shelf alongside other such offerings!
Stay strong!

TheGameguru wrote:

I'm giddy!! to bad I have a final Friday and a Paper due on Saturday..

Hopefully it arrives before the weekend and I can play a bit Sunday.

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I read way to much on that wiki page posted.. now I'm over excited.

Yeah, I've been trying not to delve deeply into the wiki articles. There's so much information there... and the gameplay movies... ARG!

Why is October so far away?!

I sat on the Play-Asia page for about 20 minutes today, with the game in my shopping cart. Willpower... fading.

Need more gameplay stories so I can live vicariously through other members of the forum! Help!

I apologize for inflicting the below on you, but despite my love for this game the (first part of this) needs to be said...

DS is an abusive partner. It's not an angry drunk swinging at random, but it's a cold hearted SOB with a twisted sense of "fair" -- and you, you just burnt the toast again. You know what happens when you burn the toast, right? That's right.

-SMACK- ah yes, the sad part? There you are again, same dirty floor and with a new piece of dirty toast. The toast, it's all you can think about. Because trust me, you are going to crawl over and retrieve it. You HAVE to get it. What? Leave it sitting there? Are you f***ed in the head? It's the toast, and DS expects you to worm over and pick it up. NOW.

Such is your relationship with DS at several points in the game. A little less so if you start as a royal, the games unofficial (though these quotes kinda-sorta-still-lie) "easy" mode. Before I digress, try wizardpants instead and note just how much difference that mana regen ring makes.

---

This whole toast thing probably sounds mighty lame. Why waste all that time retreading ground for stale toast? Fetching again (and again, again, again) what you've already fought hard for. There are a few reasons.

The game's environments, if a bit weak with the color wheel, are compelling and unique, as well as lovingly hand crafted. The atmosphere, well I'd prattle on but let's just say close to perfect (go ahead, tell me you disagree after the Tower of Latria and those brain sucking dudes -- the bastards). Animation is done well, things die right nice. There's also smart design at work here with the levels. They frequently wrap back in on themselves Unlocking these shortcuts can be just the hunk of carrot you need to trudge forward (or finally log off?) after all that liberally applied stick treatment.

The mechanics of combat are fairly simple, but the combat itself can feel intense and the best approach to different enemies sometimes diverse. Wide swinging weapons can hit multiple spread enemies thus giving you more bang for your buck per stamina drop, but the blows will glance off narrowly walled hallways.

Piercing weapons tend to be safer (especially if you keep the shield engaged while stabbing as opposed to between stabs) but you may find that you don't have enough stamina if you plow into a large, packed group.

Death by a thousand cuts of a dagger might get you there, but nothing is quite like the fun of managing your stamina for a shield-break and then squeezing out enough to cave in your foes face with a blunt weapon on a two-hand grip. On the flip, nothing hits you quite in the stomach like getting a heavily armored enemy knocking at heavens door just when you run out of stamina. Why yes, hero, that particular enemy carries healing moongrass and he loves to munch it in your face while you plead for your stamina bar to leadfoot the gas pedal.

The challenge and sense of exploration are also high points; the loot, not so much. That said, you definitely feel like you've earned your toys given how few and far between they are; also, the slow-to-build upgrade system eventually becomes pleasantly diverse.

Do I love this game? Do I hate this game? I'll come to some sort of verdict once I make it back to my bloodsmear and retrieve me some toast. Maybe I'll catch some chiming geckos on the way -- they're total bastards too, btw.

Nice impressions, thanks! Sounds like it's pretty much going to be the balls-in-vice difficulty I expect it to be when my copy arrives. Maybe dabbling in roguelikes has turned me into a gaming masochist.

Certis wrote:

Nice impressions, thanks! Sounds like it's pretty much going to be the balls-in-vice difficulty I expect it to be when my copy arrives. Maybe dabbling in roguelikes has turned me into a gaming masochist.

Yes seriously.. great post.. you should post more..

I'm a sad panda my copy didnt arrive before the weekend.. so I won't be able to play on Sunday. I'm going to play on the easiest mode for sure.. I like a challenge but I don't have the time to really get challenged anymore.

I suspect roguelike connoisseurs, and dabblers alike, won't have -that- bad of a go at it (you guys tend to be insane). It's a rather uncompromising game by modern standards for the rest of us though!

Undoubtedly I'm cracked-marbles crazy in this opinion, but I suggest folks make the multi yes/no decision early and then unjack if warranted. The writings and ghosties are amusing at first, but you're likely to run through most levels a few times; given that, why take the surprise out of your first splat.

But yes, if your time for such things is limited try a royal. The fragrant ring (mana regen) that they start with is worth hours of hard labor.

As always, whenever a PS3 exclusive comes through the pipeline, so does the (warranted) complaints about the controller, so make sure you pick up Real Triggers to make the, well, triggers a whole hell of a lot better to use.

You sir should have a statue made of yourself. These $5 gadgets are a godsend. Everyone should go out and get a set (or two) it makes the damn shoulder buttons actually work right.

Can you find me a case that I snap around the PS3 controller to turn it into a 360 one?

Thanks for the impressions, Recreational Villain! You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman.

Keep the info coming! I need a constant drip of DS stories to help keep me from importing the game.

If Recreational Villain's post were put on the box, I'd buy it immediately.

So, I'm not 100% that this is on-topic enough to post here, but it's kind of related.

Over the weekend, I pulled out my copy of King's Field: The Ancient City. Man, I had forgotten how unforgiving these From Software titles can be. Within 30 seconds of starting a new game, I managed to back up over some unstable ground which unceremoniously dumped me into the lava. FanTASTIC.

I was instantly reminded of the first time I played Shadow Tower on the PS1. I was attempting to check out the controls, but didn't realize that you begin the game at the top of a narrow stairway. Strafe left... and plummet to my death.

I somehow have the feeling that Demon's Souls will be equally punishing. For some reason, this idea excites me. Does that make me odd?

Not at all. I think it's great that we get some truly challenging games that need to be conquered and not strolled through.

When you guys ordered from Play Asia was it listed as "Usually ships within 2 to 4 weeks"? Cause I'd rather not wait if I'm shelling out extra money for an import.

My copy finally shipped... sheesh.

garion333 wrote:

When you guys ordered from Play Asia was it listed as "Usually ships within 2 to 4 weeks"? Cause I'd rather not wait if I'm shelling out extra money for an import.

When I ordered mine a couple of months ago it took about a month to ship from the day I ordered.

garion333 wrote:

When you guys ordered from Play Asia was it listed as "Usually ships within 2 to 4 weeks"? Cause I'd rather not wait if I'm shelling out extra money for an import.

When I ordered from them last week it was listed as "in stock" and shipped the next day. If it says 2 to 4 weeks, they're on back order.

Thanks guys. Just saved myself $70. I think it's a sign.

garion333 wrote:

Thanks guys. Just saved myself $70. I think it's a sign. ;)

That was yesterday. Today I bought it off ebay for $60. *sigh* Terrible.

Edit: Just watched a Japanese version go for $27 on ebay. I wonder if the seller is actually going to ship it. Anyway . . .

The Japanese version does not have English text, only the Korean version. Just a heads up.

Dreaded Gazebo wrote:

The Japanese version does not have English text, only the Korean version. Just a heads up.

Which is why I watched it go for $27. I was still tempted at that price to consider if I could get my buddy (who can read Japanese) to help me feel my way through it. I've played games in Japanese before, but definitely need someone to translate some basic stuff.

Dreaded Gazebo wrote:

The Japanese version does not have English text, only the Korean version. Just a heads up.

You likely meant this DG, but a stickler clarification for those debating a purchase: both the Korean and the general Asian versions have English text.

As an aside, since the Japanese version does have English voice work, muddling through foreign menus seems an equal trade for half the price -- especially when you have a friend handy to assist and/or cheaply bribe.

garion333 wrote:
garion333 wrote:

Thanks guys. Just saved myself $70. I think it's a sign. ;)

That was yesterday. Today I bought it off ebay for $60. *sigh* Terrible.

Edit: Just watched a Japanese version go for $27 on ebay. I wonder if the seller is actually going to ship it. Anyway . . .

YOU ARE WEAK!

Stop it, you're making me think about it again.

I have pre-ordered the Atlus Deluxe version from Amazon.
Everyone can stop talking about how awesome this game is until October.
... unless you don't want to.

Gametrailers put up a preview today. I'm quite surprised they did, but anyway.

It has now been just over a week since I ordered with the cheap 5 to 10 business day shipping. It's possible I'll have it before the weekend, but I'm not counting on it.

Rezzy wrote:

I have pre-ordered the Atlus Deluxe version from Amazon.
Everyone can stop talking about how awesome this game is until October.
... unless you don't want to.

I hope you don't listen to the podcast or read this thread anymore. Or maybe the front page. Or Twitter. Or outside my house in the bushes. I seem to have many venues for discussing games these days. I will use them all! Mwahahaha!

garion333 wrote:

Gametrailers put up a preview today. I'm quite surprised they did, but anyway.

The game seems to have a moderate amount of underground "buzz". This is probably a good thing, as it should lead to increased sales.

My recent foray into KF:TAC has assuaged my need to import Demon's Souls, so I'll be waiting until Oct. Seems so far away, though!

I hate this...

I got the game today.. get home after going out for dinner.. think to myself.. hey I have a bit of time to play..

47MB Game update.. then after that's finally done my PS3 needs to be updated... I'm going to bed.

F this.