The latest entry into the PS3's ever growing library of games is a dungeon-crawling RPG, one that’s been out it in Japan since the dawn of civilisation itself. You’ll be descending layer by layer, killing bigger and badder enemies to earn a few more souls (the game’s currency), to buy shinier, sharper swords, as if you’d never played Diablo.

It’s not going to win any prizes for a revolutionary mechanic it’s fair to say, but from here on in From Sotware’s Demon’s Souls reveals its more interesting, odder nuances. As you’re trundling about one of the five dungeons you can be joined for some co-operative gaming by a friend, or three if you’re lucky. Even the most anti-social of players can see the ghostly trails of fellow gamers completing the same quests, and the accompanying pool of blood when they meet their grizzly end. Beyond that, in a feature best compared to Farmville, other gamers can leave one another little signs to warn of upcoming dangers. This may be handier than it seems, as the game has a severe punishment for any player having the audacity to do something untidy like... die. You respawn with half your health and all of the enemies are back too.

Needless to say Demon Soul’s will be offering quite the challenge when it hits the shelves on June 25th in Europe, courtesy of Namco Bandai. Already it’s gained a cult following for its online quirks and sheer difficulty, and it may well offer the perfect antidote for everyone annoyed by modern player-friendly games, or those who just miss breaking their controllers in frustration.