'Dark Souls' trailer shows monster crows, skeletal warriors and sword-wielding wolves

Gargoyles swoop, demonic knights loom, firey arachnids creep in the Dark Souls Bartholomew trailer, with an abrasive soundtrack from The Silent Comedy.

The Bartholomew trailer is named after one of The Silent Comedy's more aggressive numbers and is stuffed to the gills with some of Dark Souls' rock hard enemies.

The first game, Demon's Souls, was a cult hit on PlayStation 3, known for its unforgiving difficulty and terrifying atmosphere.

Surviving fortresses stacked with savage adversaries might not be enough of a pull, so players can group up in a foursome (as if that would make things easier) or ruthlessly invade each others' games for laughs and loot.

This time around, Namco Bandai is attempting to turn Dark Souls into a blockbuster franchise on 360 and PS3.

Dark Souls comes out on October 4 in North America and October 7 worldwide. Japan gets a headstart on September 22.

Bartholomew trailer: youtu.be/93LFz_j5fQA
Gamescom trailer: youtu.be/N-7xPqXXByk
Official website: preparetodie.com