Dark Souls 2 closed beta coming to PS3 this fall

PlayStation 3 owners will have the chance to get a taste of Dark Souls 2 this October with a closed beta test of the dark, challenging role-playing game created by From Software.

The Dark Souls 2 closed beta will take players to "one of the most treacherous areas" of the game, Namco Bandai says, which is also "entirely new" — presumably meaning an environment not previously seen in hands-on demonstrations at E3, Comic-Con and other preview events.

The closed beta is scheduled to begin on Oct. 5 in North America and Europe. Namco Bandai says interested fans should pay attention to the Dark Souls Facebook page starting Sept. 5 for information regarding the registration process.

Dark Souls 2 is slated to come to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC in March 2014.