When you think of FromSoftware, I bet you probably don’t associate horror with anything like this Elden’s Ring Or Dark Souls. This honor is usually given to Bloodborne or the low-poly places in King’s Feld. But Dark Souls is different; it still sticks in my mind like no other experience in a genre where FromSoftware continues to innovate. There’s no denying the thrill of intense battles and a sense of adventure behind it: Dark Souls is, at heart, a horror game.
Other games like Dark Souls would treat the game’s sense of scale differently, reveling in the majestic nature of setting out to thwart the forces of evil beyond our mortal coil. However, Age of Fire is not for the pale of heart. In the world of FromSoftware, gods like Gwyn – the god of sunlight – sacrifice their lives in exchange for the promise of long-lasting power, hollowing out any remnants of humanity just to feel something. It’s enough to create a daunting Dark Souls atmosphere in the opening moments, but to make things even more grim comes the concept of Hollowing.
At the end of the second Age of Fire, an undead curse falls upon the remnants of society, causing a symbol known as the Dark Mark to appear on their bodies. This curse continually raises the undead, destroying your mind and body. For the player, being restored to life after death and having the chance to become human again is a blessing. But to become a gray, cropped, ghoul-like figure of his former self? It’s a curse worthy of your worst nightmares.
All of this is just a preview of what’s to come, because once you arrive in Lordran, it’s all downhill. Waking up in a cobweb-strewn asylum full of skulls, rotting leather, and rusty swords isn’t a great start to your upcoming adventure. Worst of all, you are frail and inexperienced and have few means of defense at your disposal. When you finally get out of here, it won’t get much better.
Lordran’s central player hub, Firelink Shrine, sits in the middle of every conceivable terror you can imagine. Go to the nearby cemetery and you will find Catacombs with skeletons armed with swords, ready to pierce you forever. Take a trip to the Undead Parish and you will find the rubble and ashes of a society where echoes of once full homes and royal quarters stand stained with blood and sadness. Eventually, FromSoftware will send you to Blighttown, a ruined hybrid of primitive settlements and toxic swamp-like areas.
It is full of grotesque creatures and unfortunate inhabitants, such as Quelaag and Quelana – the last daughters of the Witch of Izalith. After a failed attempt to recreate the First Flame, the Witch’s efforts transformed her daughters into monstrous beings. Quelana manages to avoid this fate by taking on the mantle of Fair Lady, sympathizing with the diseased inhabitants of Blighttown. In acts of care, she absorbs the illnesses of those around her, leaving her in great pain and blind. This is just one of many stories that Dark Souls’ potential allies and bosses allow you to discover, and almost none of them inspire an ounce of hope.
Dark Souls is a crap game. It is overwhelming, bleak and designed to destroy your ego, confidence and hope from the very beginning. It’s more than just the “git-gud” mentality that fuels Dark Souls memes to this day. FromSoftware wants you to feel all the scars, wounds and tumors that the Age of Fire has brought to Lordran. This atmosphere wraps around you like a chilly embrace, often reminding me of the same approach that The Elden Scrolls: Morrowind executes to perfection.
Like peering deep into the Sixth House, Dark Souls relentlessly puts pressure on the player – and I don’t mean the difficulty level. Even in moments of delicate, such as Solaire’s encounter with Astora as he looks up at the sky, these moments are fleeting. Despite his offer of alliance, the fact remains: we are all doomed. Of course, there are places that are stunning and worth discovering.
The Darkroot Garden is full of fauna and shades of green that may appear saturated, but their vibrancy is ultimately muted by the fog surrounding it. I still can’t stand the thought of fighting Sif. Seeing Anor Londo for the first time is an unforgettable moment in gaming. The sheer majesty of its towering Gothic structures is hair-raising, striking a balance between awe and looming fear in one fell swoop. Meeting Gwynevere won’t make it any better, despite the messages from other players when you kneel before her.
Dark Souls is masterful at conveying all of these harrowing aspects. Less is more in these games, and much of the world is left up to interpretation unless FromSoftware really wants you to sweat in fear. When you reach Gwyn, it becomes obvious that there is no real joyful ending in sight. As the cascade of bittersweet piano keys soothes your bones, the illusion of something close to salvation is nearby but not material.
But that’s all. The illusion of something that does not exist in this world. Gwyn is so afraid of the obscure that he plays his own theme entirely on natural piano sounds, avoiding sharps and flats. For both of us, there is no Hollywood way of walking off into the sunset. You are truly, completely hopeless. This is the real horror.
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