Eight and a Half Bit

* Note: Spoilers ahead regarding some of the characters, locations, enemies, and events of Demon’s Souls.

The difficulty of the games in From Software’s Souls series is often exaggerated, with too great an emphasis placed on it by some of the lazier videogame “journalists” and others who can’t be bothered to acknowledge the numerous other facets besides difficulty that make up these games.

Because the fact is that Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls – not so much the sometimes cheap and lazy Dark Souls II, in all honesty – are challenging, sure, but on the whole they’re also fair. If you’re patient, if you concentrate, if you learn, it’s possible to overcome any obstacle these games can throw at you and emerge triumphant.

That’s what I told myself through gritted teeth as my character took a pickaxe to the face and died – again – while I attempted a Soul Level 1 playthrough of Demon’s Souls, anyway.

But let’s rewind a little.

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