Demon's Souls doesn't want to hold your hand. It doesn't want to be beaten. And it definitely doesn't want to be friends. Don't expect a relaxed learning curve or well placed checkpoints: just turn the lights off, grab your PS3 pad and get ready for one of the most brutally rewarding games of the last decade. This is a game that makes Ninja Gaiden look plain soft. This is Demon's Souls.

Ignoring the industry trend for accessible, casual friendly games, From Software's action RPG crept bravely into the market with little more than a muffled whisper from under its heavily armoured visor. The exclusively Asian release witnessed no elaborate marketing campaign, which is curious not least due to it being a Sony-published platform exclusive and an original IP to boot. But as loosely translated rave reviews began flooding the Internet, the Western gaming world took note and forum boards and comment threads alike began to murmur.

Demon's Souls' Japanese roots shine through from the onset, with a creepy, kooky opening cinematic setting the scene, its music more befitting of a horror movie than anything else. The tale goes that King Allant XII, the greedy ruler of Boletaria, brought untold evil to the world in his search for power and prosperity, manifesting in the form of mysterious, colourless fog that unleashes soul-craving demons. Humankind is facing extinction and you, the would-be hero of the land, are its last bastion of hope. This oppressive tone never relents and - as you'll soon find out - you're very alone in a world that wants you… well, dead.

The story soon takes a back seat to the action though, at least once you leave the rather opaque character creation screen where you doll up your aspiring hero to taste and choose one of the ten Origins (classes). While this might sound like a lot, your character's Origin only serves as a guide - a blueprint of statistics, such as HP, Stamina and Dexterity - that merely points you in an archetypal direction. The Soldier will appeal to those looking for a jack-of-all-trades, strength in breadth kind of character that can wield any weapon but doesn't excel in any particular area. The Knight is your straight up sword and shield warrior with an array of defensive abilities, but this comes at the expense of luck (meaning less chance of getting loot from kills). Ranged aficionados have a number of magic-based classes to choose from (with the Royal being curiously powerful from the onset compared to its counterparts), as well as the Hunter, armed with bow and arrow.

The game kicks off with a softly-softly tutorial, introducing the controls and pitting you against some paltry zombie types. Then, just when it's all going a little too well, it mercilessly slams you with its vertical learning curve, thrusting you headlong in front of a giant, axe-wielding demon that's hell-bent on cleaving you in two. Five seconds later (maybe ten if you've really nailed the rolling) you're where the game wants you: face down in the dirt and oh-so-angry.

But worry not: the Nexus has you now! This temple-like, initially unpopulated, location acts as the hub around which your demon hunting escapades centre. Dying results in your character adopting an ethereal blue soul form, with just half your normal HP, and this is how you'll spend most of the rest of the game. The only way of getting your physical form back is by defeating one of the boss demons littered throughout the game's worlds, which can be accessed by Archstones - magically infused hunks of rock created by the ancient Monumentals in order to keep The Old One at bay, which act as portals to and from the Nexus.

And so the real Demon's Souls starts here: facing the grand, gently sloping staircase of the Boletarian Palace. Running in hacking and slashing is a sure fire way to an early grave, with even the first few enemies proving dangerous to those unwilling to block, dodge and counter, as the game brashly gives you a taste of the level of tactical consideration you need to succeed. The superbly detailed yet dark, medieval-inspired visual style of the world somehow complements the action that, when coupled with an audible bias toward gloomy atmospheric effects, creates a tense and brooding atmosphere.

Fall in battle (and fall you will) and you're transported back to the beginning of the level, with all enemies having respawned and without all those souls you spent twenty-five minutes building up, hoping to buy yourself a new hat. Much anger may follow. Complacency, along with good old-fashioned gaping holes in dark, narrow walkways, can be your biggest enemy. Some enemies, no matter how many times you've killed them beforehand, always seem to capitalise on your mistakes and punish you. But don't give up; perseverance is the name of the game here, and those that do will emerge stronger and better prepared for a second attempt. By the time you're done with a level you'll know every nook and cranny, every enemy's location and how best to approach each section. Steadily working your way back to your corpse with 130,000 souls trapped within it is a heart-in-mouth moment for sure. This second time through you'll find the whole experience twice as tense, twice as gut wrenching as each failed attempt at defence chips away at your health bar, and twice as painful should you once again meet a premature end.

Souls are, after all, the essence of the game. Defeating the first level's end boss, Phalanx, an interesting concoction of part demon part shield, allows you to spend them on levelling up your character's stats. Each stat point purchased raises your character's Soul Level and, in turn, raises the cost of the subsequent point. This allows for a staggering theoretical maximum level of 712, with 99 in each stat (which will remain well out of reach for all but those extremely dedicated players who are willing to traverse the game not once but up to five times at an ever increasing difficulty level). You can also use souls to buy items from arrows to healing herbs and to upgrade and craft new weaponry and armour. The crafting system is pleasingly deep and, on top of the already plentiful supply of stock weapons found both in the world and purchased from merchants, results in plenty of equipment options.

Completion of the first level also pries open four additional worlds, each broken down into four or five individual stages, and it is then that Demon's Souls' design genius first hits home. It's more open ended than open world, but nonetheless the options are rife. Suddenly there are five unique worlds to explore at your own pace, each more challenging than the last. Stonefang Tunnel, a dwarven mine now corrupted with lizardmen, taunts you deeper into its fiery depths, culminating in a set piece battle with the Dragon God demon. The more sinister Tower of Latria, on the other hand, is a jail populated by octopus-headed illithids which not only sound the part, with shiver-inducing bells that ring as they walk and cast spells, but also prove particularly challenging to overcome. Stuck on a particular stage? Cut your losses and try another world. Each will take many attempts and repetition is unavoidable, but the solid level design, varied and challenging enemies and the overarching freedom to dabble where you will cleverly alleviates any monotony.

The game's various stat screens are initially almost as impenetrable as the game itself. There's a vagueness to them, with symbols instead of words so it's hard to tell questionable interface design from simple lost in translation. You may find yourself saying "well, it is Japanese" on more than one occasion, but at the same time it fits and, furthermore, somehow manages to add to the character of the game. There is no handholding, no tooltips, and no room for the impatient; if nothing else, this is a game that deserves points for consistency.

However, you might ask why a game would be purposefully unhelpful, but there is some respite - and not in a form you might expect. You are free to leave messages around the game world for all to see, marked by a glowing red insignia on the floor. These messages - some helpful, some humorous and others just plain baffling - can then be rated by other players, and if they get sufficient support then they become a permanent fixture in the online game world. The system is restrictive enough to avoid misuse yet flexible enough to allow a wide range of hints and tips. "Drop here", for example, might lead you off the edge of a castle wall to an inconspicuous secret area and some desirable items. It's a bit cheesy and eccentric at first - and perhaps even a little strange - but stranger still is that it works very well.

This same pervasive and altogether intriguing approach to online functionality spreads to the multiplayer, which swaps out clunky game menus in favour of similar insignias. When fortunate enough to have your physical body intact, you can choose to invite friendly players - in their blue soul form - to aid you in your game. A single game may have up to three players (one host and two blue soul allies) and any progress made will be for the host player only. Conversely, you can offer yourself up as an ally to others by simply using the Blue Soulstone in your inventory, leaving your own soul sign for others sharing the same area to see and act upon.

For all Demon Soul's originality, it does have some quirks; inviting friends to your game isn't easy and there's no communication (including voice) outside of a rather primitive selection of emotes. However - and this can't be stressed enough - it fits. It doesn't break the immersion of the game and nor does it ever force itself upon you - that is except for a further exciting feature: black phantom invaders. Another item, the Black Soulstone, allows you to quite literally break into another player's world for a chance at bringing them down and stealing their souls! This brings an entirely new edge to the experience and it's a real rush when the message "Black phantom Onimusha1979 has invaded your world!" unceremoniously interrupts an already tense playing session, creating a real cat and mouse battle for survival.

There are quibbles about class homogenisation towards the end game and heavy armour not being worth the bother, but in the grand scale of things it simply doesn't matter. Hell, save perfection for the sequel. While many may rush to brand it 'not for everyone', Demon's Souls should be recognised as something more; a compelling and ruthlessly well-crafted dungeon crawling romp with untold depth to excavate. Its appeal may be niche, but for those who appreciate a challenging and ultimately very rewarding game in a genre that's poorly represented not only on the PS3 but in this entire console generation, Demon's Souls is an absolute must have.

Reviewed by Martin Oddy for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).