TheDark Soulsseries has spawned an entire genre in its wake, with newSouls-likes branching off in all directions. There are close clones, games with their own take on familiar mechanics, totally different titles that still borrow key aspects ofDark Soulsdesign, and everything in between. FromSoftware itself has even made some of the bestSoulsgames, withBloodborne,Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and hopefully one dayElden Ring,all offering their own evolutions of the same core experience. Much like rock and roll,Souls-likes have evolved into countless sub-genres and been crossed over with practically every type of game, and now the influence ofDark Soulscan be felt far and wide across the games industry.
NiohandThe Surgewere some of the most successful earlySouls-likes by developers other than FromSoftware, andMortal Shellis the most successful recent example of that trend. However, even some of the biggest franchises in gaming have not escaped the overwhelming influence ofDark Soulson modern game design, with titles likeGod of WarandStar Wars: Jedi Fallen Orderborrowing heavily fromSouls-style worldbuilding, combat, and difficulty. However, for FromSoftware itself, it may be time to move even further away from the tried and true formula, going in totally new directions with futureSoulsandSouls-like games.
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Why Dark Souls Needs to Change
ShouldDark Souls 4come outany time in the foreseeable future, it will need to be drastically different from the previousDark Soulstitles. While classicDark Soulsworld building and combat are beloved by countless fans, the series reached its peak inDark Souls 3and there is little room left to perfect the same formula again. At the same time, games have evolved, and manySouls-like titles by other developers are doing some things better than FromSoftware ever did. As the genre has evolved and improved, FromSoftware will need to evolve with it.
It is certainly flattering to FromSoftware that massive franchises likeGod of Warhave taken inspiration fromDark Souls, while even huge new endeavors likeStar Wars: Jedi Fallen Orderwere explicitly compared to FromSoftware’s games. However, these games didn’t just imitate FromSoftware’s winning formula, they improved on it and took it in new directions. Games likeRemnant: From The AshesandMortal Shellhave changed upDark Souls' level design strategies and combat to great success, and that should be a clear symbol to FromSoftware that the genre that it pioneered is steadily moving forward into new horizons.
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Branching Out From Classic Souls Has Already Worked
Of course, as much as FromSoftware is known for repeating themes, NPCs, weapons, and even areas, the studio has a good history with branching out from their normal fare. As much asDark Souls 3practically perfected theSouls-like formula, it wouldn’t have been what it was withoutBloodborne.Bloodborneis a fantastic example of a studio branching out to try a new style of combat, different art, and an under-used setting. The lessons in fast-paced battles and Lovecraftian enemy design that FromSoftware took away fromBloodbornewent directly intoDark Souls 3, making it an even better game.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis no different. In fact,Sekirois an even bigger change thanBloodbornewas, with completely re-imagined combat and a setting that is far removed from the dark fantasy and gothic horror of FromSoftware’s previous entries. Just asBloodborneshapedDark Souls 3,Sekirowill undoubtedly shape future FromSoftware titles, including possibleDark Soulsentries. The same will almost certainly be true ofElden Ring, although what exactly it will do differently remains to be seen.
It may even be time forSouls-likes to pushbeyond the boundaries of action-adventure RPGs, and start experimenting with other genres. The difficulty and visceral combat ofSoulscould apply extremely well to any genre from horror to survival or even PvP-focused games, while FromSoftware’s signature vertical level design could make for excellent puzzlers and stealth titles. For FromSoftware itself to be the studio that takes that kind of leap is fairly unlikely, but if it did, it would certainly be a great game and a much-needed change of pace.
Dark Souls 3is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
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