Bucking the recent trend towards accessibility and low difficulty, Atlus’ Demon’s Souls abandons pick-up-and-play game play in favor of a more hardcore experience. Casual gamers need not apply. With an expansive world, limitless upgrade and character customization options, and a refreshing take on the Action/RPG genre, Demon’s Souls is an engrossing experience - provided the player has patience for it.

Following character creation and a short introductory cut scene, game play begins with a brief tutorial teaching basic movement and combat controls. Finishing said tutorial involves being killed (in a single blow) by a hideous Vanguard. Upon death, the character enters the Nexus, a purgatory-like area that’s the game’s central hub. The Nexus contains five archstones - two-way transport beacons to each game environment. Initially, all but one of them are sealed; defeating the first boss in the Boletarian Palace unlocks the other four. Locations vary from the exterior of an ancient castle to a cavernous mining town and dank prison.

Graphically, Demon’s Souls is strongest in terms of draw distance, spell effects, and boss design. Levels are large, spell effects are colorful, and the often screen-filling bosses are impressive. The action moves at a steady clip, with no trace of slowdown even with multiple villains on screen. Unfortunately, the line between good and great visuals isn’t crossed. Several levels, particularly the Stonefang Tunnels and Tower of Latria, are darker than one would expect.