Question about Demon's Soul

September 08, 2011

Is it worth it to pick it up, now that the servers are going offline? Or should an interested player just wait for Dark Souls? Opinionize me.

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honestgamer - September 08, 2011 (08:30 PM)
It's an enthralling game, even played strictly offline. You don't really gain anything by going online except PvP. Just remember that people aren't joking when they say that the game is difficult.

fleinn - September 08, 2011 (09:27 PM)
:) ...What you do is.. you go here, to Playasia. Order the Asia/HK version (this is the same as the one I reviewed, it has English text, voice, etc). No region-lock, or psn-account limitation, and so on. Including express dhl on the door, it should still be less than the full price version..

And the servers this version is associated with are supposed to be open until there are literally no players left. SCEJ and From apparently declared that early on as a definite.

..the EU version on the other hand has one server array run by Namco Bandai. The US version has Atlus paying the bill. And they have decided to reward their fans by dropping the servers ahead of the sequel. Isn't that nice.

..honestly, the amount of genuinely polite courtesy on these servers is worth seeing anyway.. One thing is the co-op people hanging around the difficult bosses and levels, and so on, even though they could be farming souls elsewhere. But there are these gestures you can do - for example: you hold down the x-button, and put your hand under your chest and out to the left.. you know, as if you bowed and courtesied. And a bunch of different ones like that. You just never see these used on the EU servers for some reason.. :/

honestgamer - September 08, 2011 (09:39 PM)
For what it's worth, Atlus USA is a smaller company and server costs can be extensive. The game hasn't been selling hot lately, and I would imagine that the number of people playing online lately is quite reduced. Atlus USA was quick to pay to re-up the servers when there was a demand, but it's mostly gone by now except for the interest generated by the sequel... which Atlus USA isn't even publishing. Namco Bandai took over publishing duties when it saw what a success the first game was for Atlus. So all of this is my way of saying that it's a bit unfair to hold much against Atlus, the company that took a risk and gave Demon's Souls the chance it deserved here in North America.

fleinn - September 09, 2011 (10:03 AM)
Good point. I thought Atlus had the sequel as well..

..I still think it should be part of the deal when you buy a game that you know the servers are going to be up no matter what, though. Specially when we're talking a closed platform, and no way to actually use private servers.. Should be a standard clause in the publishing contract, or something like that :p

..seriously, though.. first no one wants to publish it. Then when they do publish it, it's almost an extra that the servers are up just six months after the release..? Seems like that's something they should have explained before they published the title... "May not have online functionality later on", at least.. I mean, when they published it they knew they wouldn't have any additional revenue on either subscriptions or extra dlc. So it kind of is worrisome if a publisher goes in and rents a server-pool model for a cost they're actually not willing to bear once the sales drop down later on. Don't... you know.. see how that can be good for "consumer confidence" later on..

Suskie - September 09, 2011 (11:56 AM)
I played Demon's Souls from beginning to end without even realizing there was an online component, and it didn't feel like there was anything missing. Having said that, I really wasn't a fan of the game and I don't know how much the online play adds to the experience.

zippdementia - September 09, 2011 (01:11 PM)
I guess the second part of my question would be, then, should I pick up the first one or wait for the second? Obviously it's not out yet, so who can really tell if it'll be good... but I wondered from the people who played the first what their impression so far is of the second...?

And yeah, I'm really looking for a challenge. Enjoying Deus Ex, but it's one of the least challenging games I've ever played.

honestgamer - September 09, 2011 (01:52 PM)
I think they're different enough games that there's no reason not to get both if you're into that sort of experience. Demon's Souls is definitely worth the price you'd have to pay to pick up a copy, and it sounds like the sequel is going to switch things up. Instead of a hub that leads to around 15 quick areas, for instance, you'll have a larger world with waypoints spread throughout. Some other things are changing, too. They're going to be distinct experiences with some shared factors (such as the brutal difficulty).

fleinn - September 09, 2011 (01:53 PM)
..had the most fun going completely silent, because that was the most challenge in deus ex, I guess. :)

I'm not sure about Dark Souls. It could be fantastic. Miyazaki's monster designs are incredibly good. But I'm worried about the animation interference, and how they are going to build on the foundation in Demon's Souls. If it's going to be quick-time events and flat surfaces.. animation on the characters that isn't following the steps and stairs outside the scripted animation, or react to which direction the blow came from, and so on..

..if that happens, then good on From for getting a bunch of money in on a new project. And ...possibly it's still going to be a great game and all. But I'm a bit worried about this..

Genj - September 10, 2011 (10:34 AM)
And yeah, I'm really looking for a challenge. Enjoying Deus Ex, but it's one of the least challenging games I've ever played.

Try no alarms on Hard while attempting Pacifist. Got 2 out of the 3 big achievements on my third playthrough but I must have tripped a camera at some point. Oh well, guess I'll wait a couple weeks and retry on Easy and spam the fuck out of Cloak.

Feedback
	honestgamer - September 08, 2011 (08:30 PM) It's an enthralling game, even played strictly offline. You don't really gain anything by going online except PvP. Just remember that people aren't joking when they say that the game is difficult.
	fleinn - September 08, 2011 (09:27 PM) :) ...What you do is.. you go here, to Playasia. Order the Asia/HK version (this is the same as the one I reviewed, it has English text, voice, etc). No region-lock, or psn-account limitation, and so on. Including express dhl on the door, it should still be less than the full price version.. And the servers this version is associated with are supposed to be open until there are literally no players left. SCEJ and From apparently declared that early on as a definite. ..the EU version on the other hand has one server array run by Namco Bandai. The US version has Atlus paying the bill. And they have decided to reward their fans by dropping the servers ahead of the sequel. Isn't that nice. ..honestly, the amount of genuinely polite courtesy on these servers is worth seeing anyway.. One thing is the co-op people hanging around the difficult bosses and levels, and so on, even though they could be farming souls elsewhere. But there are these gestures you can do - for example: you hold down the x-button, and put your hand under your chest and out to the left.. you know, as if you bowed and courtesied. And a bunch of different ones like that. You just never see these used on the EU servers for some reason.. :/
	honestgamer - September 08, 2011 (09:39 PM) For what it's worth, Atlus USA is a smaller company and server costs can be extensive. The game hasn't been selling hot lately, and I would imagine that the number of people playing online lately is quite reduced. Atlus USA was quick to pay to re-up the servers when there was a demand, but it's mostly gone by now except for the interest generated by the sequel... which Atlus USA isn't even publishing. Namco Bandai took over publishing duties when it saw what a success the first game was for Atlus. So all of this is my way of saying that it's a bit unfair to hold much against Atlus, the company that took a risk and gave Demon's Souls the chance it deserved here in North America.
	fleinn - September 09, 2011 (10:03 AM) Good point. I thought Atlus had the sequel as well.. ..I still think it should be part of the deal when you buy a game that you know the servers are going to be up no matter what, though. Specially when we're talking a closed platform, and no way to actually use private servers.. Should be a standard clause in the publishing contract, or something like that :p ..seriously, though.. first no one wants to publish it. Then when they do publish it, it's almost an extra that the servers are up just six months after the release..? Seems like that's something they should have explained before they published the title... "May not have online functionality later on", at least.. I mean, when they published it they knew they wouldn't have any additional revenue on either subscriptions or extra dlc. So it kind of is worrisome if a publisher goes in and rents a server-pool model for a cost they're actually not willing to bear once the sales drop down later on. Don't... you know.. see how that can be good for "consumer confidence" later on..
	Suskie - September 09, 2011 (11:56 AM) I played Demon's Souls from beginning to end without even realizing there was an online component, and it didn't feel like there was anything missing. Having said that, I really wasn't a fan of the game and I don't know how much the online play adds to the experience.
	zippdementia - September 09, 2011 (01:11 PM) I guess the second part of my question would be, then, should I pick up the first one or wait for the second? Obviously it's not out yet, so who can really tell if it'll be good... but I wondered from the people who played the first what their impression so far is of the second...? And yeah, I'm really looking for a challenge. Enjoying Deus Ex, but it's one of the least challenging games I've ever played.
	honestgamer - September 09, 2011 (01:52 PM) I think they're different enough games that there's no reason not to get both if you're into that sort of experience. Demon's Souls is definitely worth the price you'd have to pay to pick up a copy, and it sounds like the sequel is going to switch things up. Instead of a hub that leads to around 15 quick areas, for instance, you'll have a larger world with waypoints spread throughout. Some other things are changing, too. They're going to be distinct experiences with some shared factors (such as the brutal difficulty).
	fleinn - September 09, 2011 (01:53 PM) ..had the most fun going completely silent, because that was the most challenge in deus ex, I guess. :) I'm not sure about Dark Souls. It could be fantastic. Miyazaki's monster designs are incredibly good. But I'm worried about the animation interference, and how they are going to build on the foundation in Demon's Souls. If it's going to be quick-time events and flat surfaces.. animation on the characters that isn't following the steps and stairs outside the scripted animation, or react to which direction the blow came from, and so on.. ..if that happens, then good on From for getting a bunch of money in on a new project. And ...possibly it's still going to be a great game and all. But I'm a bit worried about this..
	Genj - September 10, 2011 (10:34 AM) And yeah, I'm really looking for a challenge. Enjoying Deus Ex, but it's one of the least challenging games I've ever played. Try no alarms on Hard while attempting Pacifist. Got 2 out of the 3 big achievements on my third playthrough but I must have tripped a camera at some point. Oh well, guess I'll wait a couple weeks and retry on Easy and spam the fuck out of Cloak.

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