From Sofware with Love: The Tower

I bought my PS3 in 2009, after saving up for it for months. It came bundled with Metal Gear Solid IV, and as soon i finished wiping my tears for Big Boss and Snake, i decided it was time to move on to another game, and that game was Demon's Souls.

Demon's was released to little fanfarre with virtually no hype. I remember the first i hear from it was when i got an Email from Atlus, with pictures and some very simple overview of the game. Since i was fresh from Persona 4, i decided to trust Atlus and buy it, which was easier said than done... my local game store didnt even know the game exists (demon's what? are you sure?), and i had to do a little hunting for it. Eventually i get it and put that evil SoB on my lovely PS3.

"Oh, i died"
"Ok, so i was supposed to die, no biggie... WHAT? What happened to my health!?"
"So the first level is a castle of sorts, let's see what's this game is all ab... FUCK! that was unfair!"

Those were my first moments with Demon's Souls... complete confusion. I think many of us early players with zero knowledge of the game felt the same: What? Where? When? How? all those words not usually asociated with action games poped up in my head while i was playing it. The first area was impossible, everything hit you faster than you hit them, you had minuscule health, there was a lady with an axe that kill you in one hit, and the undead towsnfolk gang up on you at every moment.

Eventually (many hours later) i beat the first boss! god, that was awesome! I returned to the nexus with the creepy lady and finally leveled up (like an idiot! 1 point in each attribute!) Anyway, since the first area was such a pain, i decided to explore the other places the game opened after my first victory. While all of them are memorable in some way or form, im going to focus on my experience with the dreaded Tower of Latria.

Everyone that has played Demon's Souls know how unforgiving this place is... the first prison area is a large, dilapidated place, with some of the most terrifying monsters of the game: The Mind Flayer


"Hello there"

Those bastards are the guards of the prison, armed with long range spells and and a nasty grab attack that could easily one-shot you if you are a low level character. The place itself was a labyrinth, one i keep wondering when the game was going to give the map (there is no map, silly player!) filled with insane prisoners that most of the time are harmless, but they usually surround you, preventing you from targeting the Mind Flayer that comes to kill you. Need more? Iron Maidens with loot inside that ocasionally pop up an enemy with an insta-poison attack, holes in the floor here and there to spice things up, and a freaking mass of corpses that fires magic spells to you from a distance and if you are to close, flail its numerous arms to deal lots of damage.

Finally safe from all that danger, i come across a bridge with a statue shooting arrows at the only road between it and the exit. Groan... Forced to go back, i realize that there is other way to continue and finally end up at the back of the machine. Flip the switch, grab the loot, the usual stuff...

"What the hell is that?" i was so tense at the moment, that the realization hit me like a slap to the face: i was short on herbs, there are no signs of the boss yet, And yet, there was a red figure between me and the cathedral at the end of the road. "It cant be a Black Phantom! not now! im so close to the end! Why do you hate so much, freaking game!" Short story, the pressure got me, i died (from Plague, a status i didn't knew existed) and was forced back to my cell.

Need some company? how about i introduce you to THE PLAGUE?

After many deaths, i got there again, now fully prepared to deal with that fucker. "Yeah, bite the dust damn phantom! now i just need to open the door and kill the boss!" The four armed lady wasnt so tough as i expected, and she went down fairly quickly... i killed the remaining idiots in the church, finally breathing a sigh of relief! but i need to keep going. So, i collect the shinies hidden in there and then i approach the altar. BAM! three gargoyles came flying and take me to the next area. Why! can you let me be at ease for a moment? i thought the gargoyles where enemies, coming to kill me and i freak out so hard that all the pressure came back in a rush. Stupid game.

So, that was my first impression of Demon's Souls. Like my first dominatrix-level experience, i suffered, but i like every moment of it. So please, hit me more From Software!

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Punished Nietzsche    

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