TGS 08: A colorless fog rolls in as we go hands-on with PS3 title Demon's Souls

1:01 PM on 10.13.2008   |   Nick Chester

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After flashing my ID and proving my age to the 5 foot 2 inch smiling Japanese girl that passed as security at Sony's booth, Demon's Souls was the first game I played at this year's Tokyo Game Show. 

Being designed by From Software exclusively for the PlayStation 3, Demon's Souls is an action role-playing game about the awakening of an ancient demon that claims souls as its life force. I would know more about the game's story, but a young Japanese-speaking girl pressed start for me as I was trying to watch the game's opening cinematic: an artistically beautiful tale of colorless fog that swallows mankind.

Gameplay is relatively simple, and plays out a bit like a hack-and-slash with light RPG elements. I used R1 for a basic attack with my sword, and R2 for a more powerful (but slower) swing. While I spent most of the time on offense, hacking and slicing up undead soldiers, I occasionally used L1 to guard and L2 for a quick parry. On the surface, the combat seems basic and combo based; it was possible to change stances by pressing the triangle button, which gave me a new set of attacks (but also left me more vulnerable). 

I've no doubt there's more to Demon's Souls than I was able to grasp due to the language barrier between me and everyone else in the room. Visually, the title reminded me a bit of Lair, in terms of style and color choices (dragons and castles, 437 shades brown). At only 65% through the development cycle, the team is going to have to work on smoothing out the frame rate; considering the amount of on-screen chug, I'm a bit surprised Sony had this on display at all, actually. 

Demon's Souls is slated for a 2009 release in Japan, and while no announcement has been made for a North American release, there's little doubt it will make its way to our shores.