Thu, May 21, 2009 | 14:03 BST
Atlus secures North American rights to Demon’s Souls
Atlus has announced that it has secured the North American publishing rights for Demon’s Souls.
Expected to hit PS3 sometime this fall, it will feature online support as well as co-op and the single-player game.
According to the press release, players can:
Team up with two other players in simultaneous cooperative play, working together to topple some of the game’s colossal bosses, or force your way into the games of skilled players and challenge them to PvP battle. Leave hints and clues for those who will follow in your footsteps; either intentionally or through your own inadvertent demise, your bloodstains will allow your successors to view a replay of your death, hinting at how to avoid your gruesome fate.
We think it looks fabulous, and Eurogamer even gave it a 9/10.
More details are posted in the press release.
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — MAY 20, 2009 — Atlus U.S.A., Inc., your shining knights in armor, today announced that they have secured the North American publishing rights for Demon’s Souls™, a groundbreaking action RPG experience for PLAYSTATION®3 system. Beautiful, compelling, and unforgiving, Demon’s Souls is the hardcore RPG experience PLAYSTATION 3 system owners have been waiting for since the platform’s launch.
Revolutionary online features support your adventure like never before, presenting seamless interconnectivity that serves in every instance to enhance the single-player game. Team up with two other players in simultaneous cooperative play, working together to topple some of the game’s colossal bosses, or force your way into the games of skilled players and challenge them to PvP battle. Leave hints and clues for those who will follow in your footsteps; either intentionally or through your own inadvertent demise, your bloodstains will allow your successors to view a replay of your death, hinting at how to avoid your gruesome fate. Unprecedented in its depth and subtlety, peerless in its relentlessly challenging gameplay, Demon’s Souls is the ultimate action RPG.
Experience the game Eurogamer.net awarded 9 out of 10, hailing it as “absolutely compelling; dark, detailed, unforgiving, creatively cruel,” and adding, “you can learn to love Demon’s Souls like few other games in the world.”
Demon’s Souls for PLAYSTATION 3 system is scheduled for North American release in fall 2009.
About Demon’s Souls
King Allant the XII, the last king of Boletaria, searched tirelessly to expand his might. The Nexus, a great ice shrine nestled in the mountains, bestowed the power of the souls onto him, bringing prosperity to his kingdom. Still unsated, he returned again to the Nexus, where he foolishly awakened the Old One from its eternal slumber. This long forgotten evil, now wrought upon Boletaria, plunged the realm into darkness and fog. A mighty demon horde poured into the kingdom, devouring the souls of men.
Champions from other realms learned of Boletaria’s fate and sought to deliver the kingdom from evil; none would return from the cursed land. Called upon by a mysterious maiden in black, you go forth, the last hope for humanity in a place lost to demons and darkness…
Key Features
* Ultimate hardcore RPG challenge — In this brutal land, death is inevitable, but not final. Combining the best features of an action game and RPG, you’ll slice, smash, shoot, and ensorcel some of the most horrible, vicious enemies ever encountered. Are you strong enough to face the impossible and win?
* Ground-breaking online capabilities — Network features go far beyond any previous RPG, allowing players to leave hints for each other, replay death scenes, cooperatively revive dead players, or invade another player’s game to wreak havoc. Not merely an add-on feature, multiplayer options are vast, and uniquely focused on changing and intensifying the single player experience.
* Freeform and flexible — The open-ended structure of the game means that there is no single path, but rather a wealth of options. Set your own pace and progress as you like. Build exactly the character you want by creating a detailed avatar, nurturing the right stats, and customizing your skills and equipment.
* You act, the world reacts — The World Tendency system changes the aggressiveness of monsters and the rewards for killing them based on players’ actions. Different events and NPCs may be triggered, as well.
Demon’s Souls has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
28 comments
#1
Gekidami
20/05/09, 8:35 pm
I got my import copy just this week, its indeed very good.
#2
No_PUDding
20/05/09, 8:52 pm
So glad I waited.
Man I am pretty stoked to play this. Not that Eurogamer’s reviews are ever good. Although maybe import reviews are different. I just think they work on hype, so Eurogamer are shit for reviews.
9/10 for Resistance 2 is the perfect example.
#3
No_PUDding
20/05/09, 9:28 pm
Oh shit… NA….
What about EU!?
#4
SilentLoner
20/05/09, 10:04 pm
yeah what about eu?
#5
phatb0y
20/05/09, 10:45 pm
Without wanting to go all Paul Ross; its simply one of the best titles (on any format) I’ve played in the last 10 years at least.
Don’t let the trailers fool you. Yes, it looks quite gash. I took a gamble on importing it after seeing all the praise lavished upon it on various forums, and that praise was entirely justified.
Fantastic game.
#6
SplatteredHouse
20/05/09, 10:55 pm
Would you consider enquiring about any EU release plans (at least, try asking Sony)?
#7
No_PUDding
20/05/09, 11:01 pm
Steph, I know I was harsh yesterday, telling Pat on you, about missign Trico for 5 hours…
But we’d really appreciate some sort of emails asking for a realease across here.
#8
Patrick Garratt
20/05/09, 11:12 pm
I’ll send them an email now, if you like.
#9
Mike
20/05/09, 11:13 pm
namco usually handle their EU stuff, innit.
#10
Patrick Garratt
20/05/09, 11:14 pm
I’ve mailed Sony.
#11
Mike
20/05/09, 11:15 pm
Horses mouth. I like your style.
#12
No_PUDding
20/05/09, 11:16 pm
I’d prefer not have your pity emails… There’s only one thing I want from you xD
P.S Yeah, I am sure other people would be pissed off, cus they aren’t as desperate as I am for other confirmations. Haha, thanks man.
#13
Patrick Garratt
20/05/09, 11:17 pm
#14
Stephany Nunneley
20/05/09, 11:26 pm
Wait, what did I miss? I was told on? What is Trico? Who am I and how did this lobster wearing a Mexican wrestling mask get in my house?
#15
Patrick Garratt
20/05/09, 11:28 pm
It happened overnight. They expect us to work constantly, Steph. They’re cruel people.
#16
No_PUDding
20/05/09, 11:38 pm
Made a formal complaint Steph. You should know how to cater for your community, and I have estimated I make up about 75% of the community. Therefore when any Team ICO related news is announced, it’s 75% of the priority.
(75% is in the absence of Blerk)
It’s not cruel, it’s realistic. Don’t expect to be up for any UK Games Journalism awards this year okay?
#17
No_PUDding
20/05/09, 11:41 pm
That post is a little too realistic.. I am joking. I am always rooting for VG247 in the those awards.
#18
dirigiblebill
21/05/09, 12:33 am
“Cop-op”, you say.
/deducts marks
Having read that EG review, my thoughts are that this = Monster Hunter in the West + seamlessly integrated single and multiplayer campaign + proper online support = sex on a stick with nails in it. Nails of GOLD.
Do you see, Capcom? This is how it should be done. Go stick your local wireless co-op up your bottom hole.
#19
DrDamn
21/05/09, 9:00 am
It’s game of this generation for me. So well crafted as a game. It’s not for everyone, but very few games are.
@dirigiblebill
Co-op is done in a very alternative way – and actually integrated nicely with the game and story. It’s not the sort of game you can play through start to finish with a friend. Just so you understand.
#20
Gekidami
21/05/09, 9:03 am
Indeed, same for PvP its all very strange yet just works, ofcourse if your a multiplayer fiend who wants nothing but that then you might be disapointed.
#21
dirigiblebill
21/05/09, 9:35 am
@ DrDamn
Yeah, from the sounds of it Demon Souls is actually closer to Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer on DS (in which you can ask other players to “rescue” your character once KOed over the internet) than trad western couch co-op.
#22
DrDamn
21/05/09, 10:10 am
There are a couple of nice Japanese approaches to multiplayer out there. Rather than the general Western approach of simply making the game playable with your friends they look at how they can change the experience by adding multiplayer.
#23
phatb0y
21/05/09, 10:34 am
I think Demon’s Souls handles multiplayer very well. It isn’t flawless by any means. Especially if you’re playing it in the West, the time difference can make it seem pretty empty at times. But the way in which you never have to leave the game and just use items from your inventory to invade or start a co-op game is very slick.
PvP manages to get the pulse racing, yet you never feel like you’ve been ganked if someone invades and hands your ass to you. I like the random element of black phantom invasions. They keep you on your toes whether you’re on the offence or defence. I’ve invaded plenty of games thinking I’d get an easy kill and then had a thorough dicking, but it never annoyed me. Just like when you meet your death against the mobs it just makes you learn from your mistakes.
Removing any server browser, party system or matchmaking function just makes the whole PvP element a gamble. Making PvP what it should be; pure risk vs reward. Hats off to From for that. They got it spot on.
#24
JonFE
21/05/09, 10:44 am
@dirigiblebill:
Is that “…sex on a stick with nails in it…” supposed to be any good? I’d imagine that to be rather painful – even if the nails are made of gold
#25
dirigiblebill
21/05/09, 11:21 am
@ DrDamn
“There are a couple of nice Japanese approaches to multiplayer out there.”
What’s the other one? :p
I absolutely love the thought of scribbling hints on parts of the level for other players. Sort of riffing on LittleBigPlanet there, aren’t they…
@ JonFE
Well, now you mention it “sex on a stick” itself sounds pretty agonising. We probably shouldn’t speculate as to the hows and whys.
#26
DrDamn
21/05/09, 11:57 am
The other example I was thinking of was Everybodies Golf World Tour. Bizarre game lobbies with just emotes and short text messages possible, then the game itself played out in a similar fashion. I think they have added voice chat now, but the general approach was friendly, pleasant and fun. Made for a relaxing experience.
#27
BraveArse
21/05/09, 12:03 pm
Chromehounds ( another FROM game ) was also pretty damn innovative when it came to online stuff. /misses chromies…
#28
TheTwelve
21/05/09, 12:39 pm
I own this game and it’s truly epic…a true gem that is also extremely deep.
12