Demon's Souls is easily one of the hardest games of the year. Since it is one of the most notable PlayStation 5 launch titles, many who normally would not dive in are currently spending their hours going through the Archstones and trying to best the brutally cruel adventure.

Related: How To Access The Secret Shortcut To The First Boss Of The Fourth Archstone

If you are banging your head against a wall trying to progress through a certain area, perhaps some tips will help make the level a little easier. These words of advice are productive and will not include the irritating "git gud" phrase. Once you make it through a challenging area, the feeling of satisfaction is unparalleled.

10 Do A Different Archstone

Demons Souls Nexus first archstone
Demons Souls Nexus first archstone

Because Demon's Souls is divided up into five different large areas, you generally always have a choice as to which path you want to conquer. If you are having too much trouble with a particular level, it might not mean you are bad at the game. You might just be under-leveled.

Try a different, unexplored level to not feel like you are punching a brick wall. After progressing through other Archstones, the harder level will become more manageable.

9 Upgrade Weapons

Demon's Souls Blacksmith Ed PS5

Sometimes the problem is not you, but the weapon. Even if you are using something with which you are comfortable, it might just be too weak to battle the monsters of a particular spot. Go to the blacksmith in the Nexus or Ed in 2-1 and upgrade your current arms.

Each weapon requires specific resources to upgrade, so you have to know the best areas to farm these materials. Upgrading a weapon several times over will see a big change in combat performance. It might be the edge you need to make it through some of the hardest parts.

8 Try Buffs

Demons souls shortcut
Demons souls shortcut

There are numerous things you can do in order to momentarily increase the character's stats. Pine Resin adds fire damage to a weapon, while Sticky White Slime enchants it with damage.

For those with magic, several spells increase damage and defense. You can cast a spell of protection on yourself and even enchant your weapon with magic without items. Take note of enemies' weaknesses and buff your character accordingly.

7 Change Armor

Demon's Souls Penetrator Armor

The armor system in Demon's Souls is not quite as deep as it would grow to be in games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. They cannot even be upgraded. If enemies are too quickly killing you, try and change your defensive gear and you might have a better shot. Some enemies do magic or fire damage, so it might be more advantageous to equip something with higher magic and fire defense instead of raw physical defense.

Weigh the pros and cons of heavy armor versus light armor too. Whether you want to keep the equipment burden below 50% for increased movement versus a heavier armor is a personal preference, and the change might just be the extra kick you need.

6 Practice

Demons souls 4-1 intro
Demons souls 4-1 intro

The word "practice" might sound silly for anyone casually playing a game meant for fun, but in Demon's Souls, it might just be needed in order to best an area. Every enemy has its own unique move set and you need to use different strategies for each of them.

Related: 10 Tips Even Pro Players Aren't Aware Of In Demon's Souls

The only way to independently discover each adversary's weakness and strength is by fighting these foes over and over again. Just be sure to stay in soul form while doing it so you will not negatively affect world tendency by dying.

5 Invest In Items

It is easy to ignore this, but it could be just what is holding you back. While it may seem like wasting souls when you want to just level up, having items is vital to making it through some of the longer areas.

Melee characters should invest in some grasses, which can most cheaply be purchased from Patches the Hyena. For mages, spices are cheapest when bought from the Once Royal Mistress in 3-1.

4 Do Side Quests

Demon's Souls Remake Yuria

The worst thing about playing a game such as Demon's Souls is the feeling of not progressing at all during a single play session. What if all the other Archstones have already been exhausted and only one path is available?

Fortunately, numerous side quests hidden throughout the game help give a feeling of accomplishment. In classic Demon's Souls fashion, these are well hidden and not tracked by a log. They usually involve saving someone in a dungeon and they could even lead to more spells becoming available, which could also help bypass the problem area.

3 Try A Different Weapon

Demon's Souls Boletaria

Weapon choice in Demon's Souls is a deeply personal matter. Each one has a different feel which compliments a playstyle. However, this relationship might be holding you back and making life infinitely harder.

Letting go is incredibly difficult, but sometimes it is the best thing. It is also entirely possible you are using a weapon scaling to a stat you have been ignoring. Become knowledgable on the effects of Strength and Dexterity to better understand if you are using the best weapon.

2 Take It Slow

Dragon Bridge In Boletaria Demons souls
Bridge Demons souls

Like a laid back R&B jam, it is best to take it slow in Demon's Souls. Rushing into an area will probably result in a significantly harder time. Even when encountering a group of enemies, it is more than likely possible to take them out one at a time by inching forward and drawing only one of them out.

You also want to make sure you never get surrounded. Taking on three enemies at once is hard enough, and it is even harder if they are in a circle around you.

1 Grind

Storm ruler storm beast demon's souls
Storm ruler storm beast demon's souls

At the end of the day, Demon's Souls is an RPG. An area might be difficult not because the enemies are difficult but because your stats are not yet up to snuff. Take some time to level up and beef up stats. There are two particularly great farming locations in the fourth Archstone.

The Reaper at the beginning of 4-2 drops several thousand souls, making it easy to repeat this enemy over and over. At the end of the Archstone, use the Storm Ruler against the Storm Beasts to rack up well over 100,000 souls in a matter of minutes.

Next: A Walkthrough Of Boletaria Up Until The First Boss In Demon's Souls