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3. Demon’s Souls (PLAYSTATION 3)

When Demon’s Souls came along this year, it was a shock to not only players’ sensibilities, but also the video game industry as a whole. Here was a new game that did not pander to current conventions, but rather the designers stuck to their convictions and created something that kicked your butt seven ways from Sunday.

Demon’s Souls never stoops to the level of being cheap, but rather it offers up a immense challenge that will leave you feeling a huge sense of accomplishment even when you beat the most basic of enemies. Demon’s Souls is so serious about its intense gameplay that the game doesn’t even have a pause feature, so you can forget about trying to stop a rough boss battle to get some tips from the internet.

If the themes in Demon’s Souls were not ominous enough, the in-game assistance comes from notes left behind and ghosts of dearly departed other players.
Hardest part: On Halloween 2009, publisher Atlus made a tough game even harder. For one night only, they gave all of the already challenging enemies a boost by plunging the entire world into pure black tendencies. Sure, they offered special loot rewards, but it’s not like anybody even stood a chance at getting them.
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