Table of Contents

What Came Before Dark Souls? Unearthing FromSoftware’s Legacy

Quick answer

This page answers What came before Dark Souls? quickly.

Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.

Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.

Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.

▶

Dark Souls, the name alone evokes images of grueling difficulty, intricate world-building, and a uniquely satisfying sense of accomplishment. But this landmark title didn’t spring from nowhere. Before Dark Souls, FromSoftware, the Japanese developer behind the legend, honed its craft with a series of games that laid the foundation for its signature style, most notably the King’s Field and Demon’s Souls franchises, along with other lesser-known titles that contributed elements to the Souls formula.

The Primordial Flame: King’s Field (1994-2001)

The most direct ancestor to Dark Souls is undoubtedly the King’s Field series. Beginning in 1994 on the PlayStation, King’s Field was a first-person, dungeon-crawling RPG that prioritized atmosphere, exploration, and unforgiving combat.

Key Elements of King’s Field

Deliberate Combat: King’s Field emphasized strategic combat where every attack and block mattered. Stamina management, though not explicitly displayed in early titles, played a crucial role. Swinging your weapon required commitment, leaving you vulnerable if you missed. This deliberate, methodical approach became a hallmark of the Souls games.
Dark and Oppressive Atmosphere: The games were set in dark, claustrophobic dungeons filled with grotesque monsters and a pervasive sense of dread. This unsettling atmosphere, created through limited lighting, haunting sound design, and grotesque enemy designs, is a direct precursor to the world of Dark Souls.
Complex Level Design: King’s Field’s dungeons were intricate labyrinths filled with secrets, traps, and challenging encounters. The focus on exploration and discovery, rewarding players who dared to venture off the beaten path, also formed a crucial aspect of the Souls experience.
Minimal Storytelling: Instead of bombastic cutscenes and lengthy dialogues, King’s Field delivered its narrative through environmental storytelling, cryptic item descriptions, and limited interactions with NPCs. This minimalist approach, where the player pieces together the lore through exploration and observation, is a signature element carried over into Dark Souls.
Brutal Difficulty: The series was known for its punishing difficulty. Enemies hit hard, resources were scarce, and death was a constant threat. This demanding gameplay instilled a sense of accomplishment upon overcoming challenges, a core aspect of the Souls formula.

Influence on Dark Souls

The influence of King’s Field on Dark Souls is undeniable. The deliberate combat, dark atmosphere, complex level design, minimalist storytelling, and brutal difficulty, all present in King’s Field, became cornerstones of the Souls games. King’s Field served as a blueprint, establishing the foundational elements that would later be refined and expanded upon in Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls.

The Spiritual Successor: Demon’s Souls (2009)

While King’s Field laid the groundwork, Demon’s Souls (2009) is arguably the most direct precursor to Dark Souls. It took the core elements of King’s Field and refined them, creating a more accessible and engaging experience while retaining the signature difficulty and atmosphere.

Innovations in Demon’s Souls

Third-Person Perspective: A major departure from King’s Field, Demon’s Souls adopted a third-person perspective, offering players a wider field of view and greater control over their character.
Online Multiplayer: Demon’s Souls introduced innovative online features, including asynchronous multiplayer where players could leave messages for each other, watch replays of other players’ deaths, and even invade each other’s worlds. This online component added a unique layer of depth and community to the game.
World Tendency: A complex and somewhat opaque system, World Tendency affected the difficulty of each level based on the player’s actions. This added another layer of challenge and complexity to the game.
Hub World (The Nexus): Demon’s Souls featured a central hub world, The Nexus, where players could level up, upgrade equipment, and travel to different areas of the game. This hub world provided a sense of structure and progression to the otherwise sprawling and interconnected world.
Boss Battles: Demon’s Souls featured memorable and challenging boss battles, each requiring a different strategy to overcome. These boss battles became a defining feature of the Souls games.

How Demon’s Souls Paved the Way

Demon’s Souls took the concepts established in King’s Field and modernized them for a new generation. The third-person perspective, online multiplayer, and hub world were significant improvements that made the game more accessible and engaging. Demon’s Souls proved that there was a market for challenging, atmospheric action RPGs, paving the way for the success of Dark Souls.

Other Precursors and Influences

While King’s Field and Demon’s Souls are the most direct precursors, other FromSoftware titles also contributed to the development of Dark Souls:

Shadow Tower (1998): Another first-person RPG similar to King’s Field, Shadow Tower further refined the atmosphere and level design that would later be seen in Dark Souls.
Otogi: Myth of Demons (2002): A hack-and-slash action game with a focus on fast-paced combat and impressive visuals, Otogi showcased FromSoftware’s ability to create engaging action gameplay. While its combat system differs greatly from the Souls series, the general atmosphere and level design certainly influenced FromSoftware’s later works.
Eternal Ring (2000): A first-person RPG released on the Playstation 2 as a launch title. Its use of rings and unique gameplay mechanics would go on to influence later titles, showing that FromSoftware was constantly experimenting with unique gameplay designs.

Beyond FromSoftware’s own catalog, other games likely influenced the design of Dark Souls:

Berserk (Manga and Anime): The dark fantasy world, grotesque monsters, and themes of despair in Berserk are believed to have heavily influenced the atmosphere and lore of Dark Souls.
The Legend of Zelda: The interconnected world design, emphasis on exploration, and challenging puzzles in the Legend of Zelda series may have also contributed to the design of Dark Souls.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about the games that came before Dark Souls:

Is King’s Field as difficult as Dark Souls?

While both series are known for their difficulty, King’s Field can be considered even more unforgiving due to its slower pace, first-person perspective, and less forgiving combat mechanics.
Which King’s Field game is the best starting point?

King’s Field IV (King’s Field: The Ancient City) is generally considered the most accessible entry point due to its improved graphics and gameplay mechanics.
Is Demon’s Souls considered part of the Dark Souls series?

No, Demon’s Souls is a separate franchise developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony. However, it served as a spiritual predecessor to Dark Souls.
What are the key differences between Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls?

Key differences include the world design (Demon’s Souls is level-based while Dark Souls features a more interconnected world), the narrative structure, and some gameplay mechanics like World Tendency (Demon’s Souls).
Where can I play King’s Field today?

The original King’s Field games can be played on original PlayStation hardware or emulators. King’s Field IV is playable on the PlayStation 2.
Is Demon’s Souls still playable online?

The original PlayStation 3 version of Demon’s Souls had its online servers shut down. However, the PlayStation 5 remake features active online multiplayer.
Did Hidetaka Miyazaki direct all of the King’s Field games?

No, Hidetaka Miyazaki joined FromSoftware after the first King’s Field game was released. He directed King’s Field IV and later became the director of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls.
How important is the story in King’s Field compared to Dark Souls?

Both King’s Field and Dark Souls feature minimalist storytelling, but King’s Field’s narrative is even more obscured, relying heavily on environmental storytelling and item descriptions.
Are the boss battles in King’s Field as memorable as those in Dark Souls?

While King’s Field features challenging boss battles, they are generally less elaborate and visually impressive than the boss battles in Dark Souls.
Did FromSoftware invent the “Souls-like” genre?

While FromSoftware didn’t invent the concept of difficult action RPGs, they popularized the specific formula that is now known as the “Souls-like” genre.
Was there a jump button in King’s Field?

In the early King’s Field games, there was no jump button. Later titles introduced a limited form of jumping.
Are there any other FromSoftware games that influenced Dark Souls besides King’s Field and Demon’s Souls?

Yes, games like Shadow Tower, Otogi: Myth of Demons and even early armored core titles contributed to the evolution of FromSoftware’s design philosophy.
Why are these games so difficult?

The difficulty is intentional, designed to create a sense of accomplishment and reward players for persistence and strategic thinking.
What makes Dark Souls so unique?

Dark Souls’ unique blend of challenging combat, intricate world design, atmospheric storytelling, and online multiplayer creates a truly immersive and rewarding experience.
Will FromSoftware ever return to the King’s Field series?

While there are no current plans to revive the King’s Field series, FromSoftware has expressed interest in revisiting their older franchises in the future. Given the success of the Souls series, it’s not impossible to imagine a King’s Field revival at some point.

Understanding the games that came before Dark Souls provides valuable insight into the evolution of FromSoftware’s design philosophy and the origins of the Souls-like genre. Exploring these precursors allows players to appreciate the depth and complexity of Dark Souls and its enduring legacy.