Summary
Often credited as the beginning of the Soulslike genre’s legacy, 2011’sDark Soulshas persisted as an influential release by FromSoftware. Largely cementing the blueprint that the studio has followed in the years since,Dark Soulsis seen as the progenitor of many concepts that found their way into bothElden Ringand recent ventures into the genre by other developers. Despite this reputation, however,Demon’s Soulswas actually the first project in which Hidetaka Miyazaki experimented with what has become a famous set of mechanics. Released back in 2009,Demon’s Soulswould end up receiving a spiritual successor that built upon its foundation in the form ofDark Souls.
While the unique world and gameplay featured inDemon’s Soulsare undeniable examples of the style that Miyazaki created, the project was not always led by theSoulscreator. Originally a struggling production that was nearly cancelled, the game was taken over by Miyazaki who breathed new life into the project. Although it was divisive in its difficulty and strangeness,Demon’s Soulsopened the door for what came after.Dark Soulswould eventually follow and introduce a new world and lore, but it certainly followed up on the concepts of its spiritual predecessor. The Soulsborne titles would go on to see enough success to warranttheDemon’s Soulsremake on PS5, and there are several ways that the firstDark Soulsbuilt upon its systems that contributed to FromSoft’s lasting success.
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The Controversial Design Decisions of Demon’s Souls
Tendency Made Demon’s Souls a Cruel Experience
Due to systems known asWorld Tendencyand Character Tendency,Demon’s Soulscould actually snowball against the player and become increasingly inaccessible as a result. World Tendency includes the system of being in Human Form or Soul Form, the latter of which is achieved upon death and reduces the player’s HP to 50%. While being in Soul Form has advantages, like allowing for co-op, the loss of health is a brutal disadvantage throughout Boletaria. Character Tendency, on the other hand, acts as a system of literal Black and White morality, responding to the player’s actions by changing the world and its NPCs to be easier or more difficult.
Demon’s Souls Lacked an Interconnected World
Unlike what would be later seen,Demon’s Soulsconsisted of several separate locations that players warped to directly from the hub world. Some players praise the open-ended nature of this approach, but it does make exploring Boletaria one of the most disjointed Soulslike experiences. Lackingthe Bonfire checkpoints ofDark Soulsin favor of singular Archstones in each level,Demon’s Soulsalso forces much repetition across the player’s retreads.
Dark Souls' Changes Defined the FromSoftware Formula
Gameplay Tweaks Made All the Difference for Dark Souls' Lasting Success
While seemingly more subtle than the greater world, changes like the introduction of the refillable healingEstus Flask inDark Soulsin favor of the consumable grasses seen inDemon’s Soulshave become key features that made it all the way intoElden Ring. For example, Item Burden existed back inDemon’s Souls, limiting how many items a player could carry alongside the typical Equipment Burden.
The Freedom of Dark Souls Became a FromSoft Staple
Not only doesDark Soulsfeature a sprawling, connected world in Lordran which allows the player to traverse across it by foot alone, but its boss design is also much more open-ended and core gameplay focused. Deemphasizing the use of prior knowledge that felt necessary for encounters like the Tower Knight and Fool’s Idol, the bosses ofDark Soulsare far less puzzle-like by comparison. Taking after the outliers in encounters like theFlamelurker,Dark Soulsconsists of far more straightforward battles which would go on to greatly influence the future legacy of the studio.
