Let's Talk FromSoftware

Bloodborne has a brilliant atmosphere and tone. The Victorian-gothic visuals are distinct from the familiar dark fantasy aesthetics of the Dark Souls trilogy. In Bloodborne, the player character isn’t clad in armour, there are no shields to equip, and rarely a traditional sword to wield. You are a hunter of beasts, with a uniform fit for that purpose and mobility prioritised, a key mechanic of Bloodborne’s combat. Starting weapons consist of a ‘Saw Cleaver’, ‘Hunters Axe’ and ‘Threaded Cane’, all vicious in their use to quell the beast scourge, and instead of a shield in their off hand, the player is handed a gun.  The city of Yharnam is where Bloodborne is set, and the player character travels to the city famous for its blood healing, in search of ‘Paleblood’. Yharnam is a more modern and concurrent city compared to the areas in Dark Souls, with things having only gone wrong in the past century or so. In Dark Souls, Lordran’s tragedies occurred in an age long past before the pla...

Dark Souls is a special game, flawed, but masterful in some respects. When I finally got around to playing the game this time last year, I was hooked instantly. It made for an immensely memorable first-time experience, because although Dark Souls’ combat and bosses are weaker in comparison to later games by FromSoftware, its strength lies in its interconnected world, something that Miyazaki is yet to replicate, or at the very least, master in the same way that he did in his breakout game.  Finding the path forward is not always obvious, especially because you have no fast travel to rely on, and 3 directions to travel in once reaching Firelink Shrine. Stronger enemies will discourage players from going through certain areas, but the game does not restrict you from doing so. Between the intertwined areas, there are no loading screens allowing the player character to seamlessly travel through the game world. As the player explores further, shortcuts between areas and back to Firelink ...

With the success and mainstream popularity of Elden Ring, it's undeniable that FromSoftware are larger than they ever have been. As of June 2024, the developer’s titular game has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, with its DLC Shadow of the Erdtree selling 5 million copies within 3 days of its release in June. These are numbers for a single game that FromSoftware have never come close to before. The question is, where do they go now after this massive success?  Hidetaka Miyazaki, the visionary director behind Elden Ring and its predecessors Bloodborne and the Dark Souls trilogy, has said that it's likely he will hand over the responsibility of director to others for future projects. Thankfully, the president of the company has said that he will continue to direct his own projects, but has stressed the importance of nurturing young talent, and allowing them to proceed with their own vision on games they direct without him overseeing in a supervisory role. This could indicate...