Demon’s Souls
Release: 2009
Platforms: PS3
I’ve spent the last year or so trying to get hold of an old PlayStation so I can play Demon’s Souls again. If it means picking up a PS3 from a scrap heap and refurbishing it, so be it – Demon’s Souls is that good. Hell, it’s the game that laid down the formula for the entire Dark Souls series and helped spawn a new type of experience. From Nioh to The Surge, imitators are arriving all the time to emulate the Souls magic. But Demon’s Souls is the founding father.
A good copy today retails at about $20. When you consider how quickly games depreciate in price, that’s still quite a lot of money, but then again, good copies of this game are rare.
It’s important to note though that it’s not entirely possible to play in its original state. The multiplayer servers that entertained thousands of concurrent players once upon a time have been put to rest. The only option is to make a perilous solo trek through its dangerous world. That’s a trek that’s well worth the price of admission, though, and while you’re at it, you can also petition Namco Bandai to make a remaster.