It's the spiritual successor to Demon's Souls ; how can you not be excited?

Today, Namco Bandai Games America Inc. has announced that Dark Souls "has been approved for production" for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. We assume that's their way of saying the highly anticipated title has gone gold.

It'll arrive as scheduled on October 4 in North America and three days later in Europe. From Software's challenging RPG tasks players with battling "hideous demons and unimaginable monsters," all in the ultimate quest to find the Eternal Flame of Life, which is failing. If it goes out, the undead will rule uncontested for eternity. Here's a brief summary from the press release:

"With tense dungeon crawling and fearsome enemy encounters, the seamlessly intertwined world of Dark Souls is full of extreme battles, rewarding challenges, nuanced weaponry and magic, and the flexibility to customize each character to suit any desired play style. The innovative online component allows gamers to draw from the collective experience of the Dark Souls community as they either help or sabotage each other on the journey through the Northern Realms to save the land from darkness. With a massive, seamless open world design, Dark Souls encourages deep exploration and an adaptable gameplay experience."

If you're enthusiastic about this one, you might want to spring for the Collector's Edition…we won't have to twist your leg, either, 'cuz it costs the same as the standard edition ($59.99). To get it, you just have to pre-order. It includes a limited edition art book, a mini-strategy guide, the original game soundtrack, and behind-the-scenes videos.

Related Game(s): Dark Souls