Microsoft has been working on a system that’s part Super Guide and part Demon’s Souls for well over a year.

Love Demon’s Souls? Then decorate your PlayStation 3 with the Nexus.

Or you might consider this a trick if you weren’t expecting the servers to turn all of the lands in Demon’s Souls pure black.

But, no more deluxe editions.

We’re giving away a copy of Demon’s Souls with the art book and strategy guide! Conditions-apply-see-post-for-details.

Atlus’s Demon’s Souls strategy guide, which is bundled with the deluxe edition, is fairly elaborate. The guide is about the size of a PS3 box and it contains tons of charts.

If you’re lucky enough to procure an early copy, say this weekend, you won’t be able to play Demon’s Souls online until launch day.

Prepare to die. In Demon’s Souls you can die hundreds of ways, even in the tutorial level. Scratch that. You will die in the tutorial level once you Vanguard smashes you with its giant axe.

Good question. After Sony shut down online play for Derby Time Online after seven months it’s a fair question too.

Look, if you haven’t bought it yet, Atlus really doesn’t want you to import Demon’s Souls. In addition to the “stop importing it” bundle Atlus is throwing in a 70 minute soundtrack CD with every North American copy.

Atlus is advertising Demon’s Souls as “a game that enjoys the taste of your tears.” A fitting tag line since Demon’s Souls is merciless. However, when Takeshi Kajii was developing the dark fantasy game he didn’t think it would be received that way.

Atlus announced their version of Demon’s Souls will have a few differences other than pre-order spoils. Their localization team is polishing the menu text and building untarnished servers.

Demon’s Souls comes out in two flavors on October 6. Everyone that pre-orders the PS3 game gets an art book filled with concept sketches.

Aksys and Atlus will be making their yearly appearance at Anime Expo with panels on Saturday, July 4.