A real review on a game which deserves one!
Both worlds feature a dark and broody atmosphere, terribly awe inspiring boss battles, the most intense combat of any game I have previously played and a completely individual currency of souls, lost on death but regain-able if your willing to risk going to collect them.
The key difference is that in Dark Souls there are no loading screens, and although there is no map in either game, in Demon's Souls there is a central hub called the Nexus which joins together all the separate worlds you are allowed to explore.
Each world is unique and filled with nightmarish creatures looking for any chance to tear you limb from limb if you are not ready to defend yourself.
This games intense and satisfyingly reactive combat system requires constant attention or you WILL die. One of both of the souls games key features is the stamina bar. I have never before played a game where stamina matters as much as health, but it does here. Everything you do reduces your stamina bar, you must keep a close eye on it because if you are hit with your shield up and you go in for a heavy attack right after you may have no stamina left to prevent the enemies next attack, and when you have no stamina, your health bar can be reduced to nothing in as little as one slash, from all but the weakest of enemies. This makes fights tactical as they require constant focus and you must roll, riposte, slash and hack all with precise timing to stand a chance of survival. The combat is difficult, but it never feels cheap or inaccurate.
The next key concept are the enemies themselves. There is a vast array from the simple undead, to giant slimes with shields called Hoplites.
Each enemy has a particular weak spot, Hoplite's are weak to fire for example but nothing is that simple, because they have they're defensive spear and shield, so you must find a way to get around them. Demon's souls requires lots of repetition, and as you repeat you learn each monsters individual attack patterns, meaning here is a game where your skill development actually matters; if you play it like a hack and slash, you will die!
The boss's are by far both game's greatest achievement. The soundtrack will have you on the edge of your seat and if you lose concentration for a second you will be eaten up and spat back out with the simple and degrading message of "you died" appearing on screen. The boss's themselves can range from towering knights, who can stomp you to death in seconds to seemingly human bosses with a multitude of attacks, one of which, on a particular boss can permanently knock off levels if your not careful!
The currency of the game is souls. The bigger or stronger the enemy you defeat, the more souls you will gain. As I said before if you die your souls will be left at the spot you died and you can choose whether it's worth it to go back and get them (remembering if you die along the way they permanently disappear). Each time you level up the next level costs more souls to reach, no matter what skill you chose. This means you must think long and hard about which skills to level up before choosing to do so!
Death is a learning curve in Demons's Soul's and is it's final key concept. The game is very much based on the idea of repetition to gain the edge. By the time you finish playing you will know each area like the back of your hand and the same goes for battling the vast amount of enemies, and just when you might be thinking Demon's Souls is getting easier, the developers also put a new game + mode into the mix, which hardens all of the enemies.
This game is a tribute to gamers, it is a masterpiece and sets an example to all game developers. It is a pleasure to explore, and one of the most thrilling and exhilarating experiences of my life as a gamer, so far.