Summary
FromSoftware has garnered a reputation for crafting games with lush, detailed worlds packed to the brim with comprehensive yet elusive lore, notoriously engaging combat encounters, and peculiar NPCs - all of which began in earnest with the iconicDemon’s Souls. Birthing the beloved Soulsborne gaming genre – while not the only great deed by FromSoftware in the annals of gaming history – was a feat very few have since been able to match in caliber. With legendary titles such as theDemon’s SoulsandDark Soulsseries,Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,and the relatively recent open-world sandbox,Elden Ring,on its resume, conversations about where FromSoftware may take its next linear, story-driven title are circulating on gaming channels.
Beloved asElden Ringis, FromSoftware’s primary attractions lie in the legacy titles that operate on a considerably small scale, dimensionally. Theopen-world concept ofElden Ringwas far and away its most enticing new addition to the familiar Soulsborne formula, yet the popularity of the game still largely fell upon the satisfying execution of its quality storytelling, generous customization and character build options, and familiar action RPG gameplay loop. The brand that FromSoftware has developed for itself regarding its linear storytelling elements is crucial to making its games stand out and keeping its fanbase growing from entry to entry. The next FromSoftware title would benefit from returning to its roots and focusing more heavily on its linear storytelling.
FromSoftware Has Mastered Storytelling Through its Soulsborne Titles
WhenDemon’s Souls Remakereleasedas a launch title alongside the PS5, fans were raving not just about the massive improvements in gameplay, quality of life, and graphical fidelity of the reconstructed title, but the ecstasy of nostalgia in seeing the title that kicked off a world-changing genre return to life in such a phenomenal way. The lack of an open world did not detract from seeing a master class in dark fantasy to be found inDemon’s Souls,Bloodborne,andDark Souls 3, for instance, from being realized.
Conversely, theArchstone system found inDemon Souls(and lamp and bonfire systems found in the aforementioned titles, respectively) that kept explorable maps and areas categorized and compartmentalized helped to keep story progression on track. Expansive and gorgeous asElden Ringis, one of the biggest challenges that plagues the game is, ironically, its size, which often works against intuitive adventuring with regard to following a progressive linear task. Maintaining player agency while also keeping every explorable area viable and interesting regardless of what point in the story the player is at is a hefty task, but one FromSoftware has grown adept at tackling.
Mechanics that make FromSoftware’s titles popular include:
A return to a similar sectioned/closed world system, such as with the Archstones, is just what FromSoftware needs to tell its next big story, provided the level of quality found in those aspects that have popularized the Soulsborne genre is sufficiently maintained.The narrative structure of FromSoftware titles, Soulsborne or otherwise, has persisted at a level of excellence through the years, such that confidence in their ability to develop the next sequel and deliver an unforgettable experience, despite the setting, is a given. However,Demon’s Soulswould not beDemon’s SoulsandBloodbornewould not beBloodborneif their core progression were diluted in an open-world sandbox.
With theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC expansion wrapping upElden Ring’s first major story expansion, all eyes are on FromSoftware’s horizon and plans for the next in its line of legacy titles. Whatever new tricks, gimmicks, places, gadgets, or mechanics the dark fantasy developers may have in store, the promise of a gameplay experience with the capacity to define a gaming generation is in very capable hands.
Demon’s Souls
WHERE TO PLAY
Entirely rebuilt from the ground up, this remake invites you to experience the unsettling story and ruthless combat of Demon’s Souls.From PlayStation Studios and Bluepoint Games comes a remake of the PlayStation classic, Demon’s Souls. Entirely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced, this remake introduces the horrors of a fog-laden, dark fantasy land to a whole new generation of gamers. Those who’ve faced its trials and tribulations before, can once again challenge the darkness in stunning visual quality with incredible performance.In his quest for power, the 12th King of Boletaria, King Allant channeled the ancient Soul Arts, awakening a demon from the dawn of time itself, The Old One. With the summoning of The Old One, a colorless fog swept across the land, unleashing nightmarish creatures that hungered for human souls. Those whose souls were stripped from them, lost their minds – left only with the desire to attack the sane that remained.Now, Boletaria is cut off from the outside world, and the knights who dare penetrate the deep fog to free the land from its plight, are never seen again. As a lone warrior who has braved the baneful fog, you must face the hardest of challenges to earn the title “Slayer of Demons” and send The Old One back to its slumber.
