Dear Phantoms of Demon’s Souls

Dear Mage Phantom,

With the Demon's Souls servers shutting down at the end of the month, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for all the magic support you've given me over the last couple of years. Whether I played a magic-user myself or not, it was always reassuring to know that you were by my side throwing Fireballs or launching Soul Arrows at an oncoming horde. And you always knew when to Fire Storm!

Remember that time you hid behind a corner as a Black Phantom came charging down a hallway at me? And just as he was about to pass you, you brandished your Insanity Catalyst with just enough time for him to see you casting. And as he screeched to a halt and tried to turn the other way, you burnt him to a crisp! Haha! Good times.

Also, thanks for showing me the value of Enchant, Curse, and Light Weapon! I always thought they were kind of silly spells, since they required you to hold your catalyst in your left hand instead of a shield. But when you lit up your long sword that time we took on the Penetrator, you sliced through his armour like it was paper! That was awesome!

But all good things come to an end. I'm going to miss adventuring through Boletaria with you and your spells at my back.

Yours in the study of the Soul Arts,

Tex-Mex07

Dear Melee Phantom,

Every adventuring party needs a Conan-figure, especially in a land as ridden with powerful enemies as Boletaria. I always felt safer with you at the forefront of an attack, cleaving your sword or axe into the greater threats, laughing off their swipes at armour I could never hope to equip. I'm not ashamed to admit that more than once I hid behind you and your Dark Purple Flame Shield, deflecting everything from crossbow bolts to the one-hit-kill Soul Rays of Black Phantom Mind Flayers.

Of course, you did let your zeal get the better of you once or twice. Remember that one time in the Valley of Defilement? I had just summoned you to the Leechmonger Archstone, when you went charging forward, swinging your claymore overhead with both hands, right off the cliff! Haha! Epic fail, dude! That's not to say I didn't have my fair share. Your awesome defense always lured me into a false sense of security–thinking I could survive a hit you took only to get laid out, haha!

Still, I always admired your conviction. Where I often relied on stealth or range to get the better of my enemies, you threw yourself into the fray, parrying, riposting and executing backstabs all with perfect timing.

Facing Boletaria's monsters will be even more daunting without you to sweep them away.

I'll miss your hurrahs before every boss battle,

Tex-Mex07

Dear Faith Phantom,

Don't tell the others this, but you always seemed so much smarter than them–saying a prayer to Heal or Cure yourself whenever you needed; using your ability to equip both heavy armour and Faith-scaling weapons to tank across the battlefield; and praying for Second Chance so that when the going gets really tough, you never left me high and dry. But then, miracles really do require a little more cleverness and patience than magic. Plus, you had God's Wrath on your side! I just had to cover you so could take a little extra time with the Ring of Sincere Prayer, and you'd lay waste to everything in the room. It makes sense that you'd carefully plot every move. And as someone who does the same, I really appreciated that.

Oh man! Haha! Two words: Anti-Magic Field. Haha! How many times did we get invaded by some magic-wielding, Monk's Head Collar-wearing Black Phantom, watch him run in the middle of us, try to cast what could only have been Fire Storm, and then look quizzically at his catalyst as we cut him down? Priceless!

Sadly, Boletaria will be even darker without your prayers lighting the way.

Umbasa,

Tex-Mex07

Dear Black Phantom,

You're an asshole. I realize that you got your own edition of them game, but what kind of person purposely chooses the opening levels that are likely populated with newbs to invade?! What kid of satisfaction do you and your 38 trophies get killing someone who just bought the game, fought tooth and nail over the Lord's Path to the Tower Knight, only to get backstabbed as he fights two Blue Eye Knights and a bunch of archers? How is that fun?!

Whatever. I guess you're a necessary evil, like people who park their cars over the parking lines or bitch at the short-staffed coffee shop for having to wait 5 more minutes for their latte. You're probably also the sorry sack who writes the "You'll find treasure past here" messages near cliffs.

But you certainly added to this world by making the rest of us better; I'll give you that. After all, nothing rivals the heart-pounding moment that a red message appears on my screen, letting me know I've been invaded, or the sheer joy of sticking my blade in your back before kicking your ass of a cliff.

Screw you,

Tex-Mex07