A Dark Souls Retrospective, specifically looking at Dark Souls Design. I’ve been slowly writing this over the course of a few months, trying to take my time and think things over/enjoy the process, so I could really make a good critical analysis of Dark Souls, both with what works and could have been improved.
Sections:
0:00 – Intro
0:36 – Character Creator/Customization
2:06 – Dark Souls Intro Cutscene
4:37 – Oscar of Astora and how to lie to players
6:29 – Undead Asylum and Tutorials in Souls games
10:20 – Firelink Shrine, sound design, and non-linear game design
13:08 – Undead Burg
17:21 – Death penalties
18:55 – Taurus Demon and Dark Souls Sound Design
20:38 – The Hellkite Drake
23:20 – The Undead Parish and shortcuts
25:07 – Warping vs Not warping in Dark Souls
32:35 – The Bell Gargoyles, The Darkroot Basin, and non-linear world design
35:39 – Lower Undead Burg and Capra Demon
37:04 – The Depths and the curse penalty
38:31 – Blighttown and poison swamps
39:58 – Sen’s Fortress and traps
42:23 – Anor Londo, the Anor Londo Archery Club, Ornstein and Smough
45:54 – Branching Paths and design continuity
48:40 – The Catacombs, Pinwheel, Tomb of Giants, and Nito
53:27 – The Duke’s Archives and forced death
54:57 – Designing non-linear paths in an RPG
56:59 – The Crystal Cave, Seath, and references
59:01 – New Londo, Sif, and unique bosses
1:01:29 – Demon’s Ruins, Lost Izalith, The Bed of Chaos/Witch of Izalith, and gimmick bosses
1:05:28 – Secrets and Exploration
1:07:41 – Artorias of the Abyss DLC
1:09:06 – Gwyn, Lord of Cinder
1:10:26 – Multiplayer design and gameplay integration
1:11:56 – Outro
Music List –
0.00 – Dark Souls – Menu Theme
0.36 – Demon’s Souls – Maiden in Black
2.06 – Dark Souls – Prologue
3.38 – Final Fantasy VI – Terra’s Theme
4.37 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – Palace of Oath Exterior
6.29 – King’s Field – Passage For a Monk
7.37 – King’s Field – The Miner’s Graveyard
10.29 – Dark Souls – Firelink Shrine
11.28 – Dark Souls – The Ancient Dragon
14.08 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – Levels 1 & 2
17.21 – Demon’s Souls – Maiden Astraea
19.19 – Dark Souls – Taurus Demon
20.38 – Demon’s Souls – Old Monk
23.20 – Dark Souls 2 – Majula
25.07 – Dark Souls 3 – Secret Betrayal
27.50 – Bloodborne – The Hunter
28.17 – Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy – Rock It Pack Attack
31.21 – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – Dark World Theme
32.35 – Dark Souls 2 – Executioner’s Chariot
33.08 – Final Fantasy VI – Phantom Forest
35.39 – Dark Souls 2 – Queen of Drangleic
37.04 – King’s Field – Colosseum
38.31 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – The Egg Mines
39.58 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – The Earth Folk Village
42.23 – Breath of Fire II – Coliseum
43.43 – Grandia 2 – Out For Lunch
44.08 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – The Holy Forest
44.27 – Dark Souls – Ornstein and Smough
45.54 – Demon’s Souls – Return to Slumber
48.40 – A Hat in Time – Alpine Skyline
49.29 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Small Item Catch
52.04 – Dark Souls – Gravelord Nito
53.27 – Dark Souls 2 – Milfanito
54.15 – Dark Souls 2 – Fire Keepers
54.57 – Dark Souls – Nameless Song
56.59 – Dark Souls – Seath the Scaleless
58.32 – King’s Field 2 – Seath
59.01 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – Title Screen
59.49 – Super Mario RPG – Explanation
59.57 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – Village Ruins and East Valley
1.00.31 – Dark Souls – Great Grey Wolf Sif
1.01.29 – King’s Field – Cathedral
1.02.15 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – The Old Battlefield
1.04.10 – Dark Souls – Chaos Witch Quelaag
1.05.28 – Dark Souls – Dark Sun Gwyndolin
1.07.41 – King’s Field: The Ancient City – The Guardian’s Room
1.09.06 – Dark Souls – Gwyn, Lord of Cinder
1.10.26 – King’s Field – Castle Remains
I hope you enjoy this Dark Souls Design Retrospective!
WACOCA: People, Life, Style.