The Guns of Eschaton demo dropped me in with almost no explanation and left me to work it out, which turns out to be the right call because explaining it wouldn't have helped much anyway. This is a soulslike that doesn't just ask you to learn enemy patterns, it asks you to learn enemy anatomy. Damage comes from hitting specific parts of a body, and not just any part in any order. You have to land your shots and attacks in sequence. Get the order wrong and you've wasted your window, and in a game this unforgiving, a wasted window usually means you're dead.

If you can’t handle the heat, you better stay out of this kitchen because if you think some soulslikes are unforgiving, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet! Guns is truly a beast but it’s but that “oh so rewarding” feeling when you finally pass an area or challenge.

It took me a humiliating number of attempts to understand what the game wanted from me, and once it clicked, it became one of the most satisfying things I've played this year. This is easily the hardest soulslike I've touched in a long time, and it's strange in a way that feels deliberate rather than accidental. Nothing about it is familiar, which is remarkable for a genre that's been copied to death.

I came away from the demo a little bruised and completely sold. Bring on the full game! I want to be punished. At least I think I do.