Dark Souls isn't a Demon's Souls sequel (but it totally is)

by Richard Mitchell on Feb 4th 2011 7:00PM

Now that Dark Souls has emerged from its evil, melancholy hiding place, we're starting to hear some initial details about its gameplay. GameSpot has posted an interview with Namco chief publishing producer Daisuke Uchiyama and (regular?) publishing producer Kei Hirono. First, Uchiyama made it clear that Dark Souls is not a direct sequel to Demon's Souls ... but it will share new iterations of almost all its concepts and systems.

The game is being created by the same team that created Demon's Souls, and will have the same basic concept, though it will include many new features as well. Combat has been improved, allowing for a higher degree of customization. Furthermore, the new open world of Dark Souls places a larger emphasis on exploration.

The unique online system will be returning, though Hirono states it has been "highly enhanced" to allow users to "share the experience and grow up together." Hopefully, this means friends will actually be able to join one another's worlds intentionally (the Demon's Souls multiplayer system essentially pairs players together randomly). Finally, rest assured that Dark Souls will be at least as difficult as its predecessor, if not even more so.

Watch the interview after the break.

Source: GameSpot

Tags: dark-souls, microsoft, playstation, project-dark, ps3, xbox

Reader Comments (55)

I hope it allows us to join people from our friendslist; I'm sure many of my friends would have stuck with the game longer if it didn't take us twenty minutes to get into the same game.

@Tapejara

yeah i remember being on the phone trying to pinpoint the exact time to be on the same time, it was a headache and a half. lol

i think they didn't want you to play with friends as much as they did with total strangers. it adds to the feeling of the game ya' know

So it's like a re-imagination? A remake, per se ?

@The Minn

not really

@The Minn

A spiritual successor like, Bioshock is to System Shock. Same gameplay elements, different plot, and maybe different slightly different game mechanics.

@The Minn

Lets call it a "spinoff."

@The Minn
It's as much a sequel as Final Fantasy 12 is to Final Fantasy 10. Same kind of game, same developers, but different story, tweaks to the gameplay, etc.

Just as diffucult may the gods have mercy on us

@Special Agent Bob
Haha, it was a tough game. But y'know what? I've played tough games before. This game wasn't TOO tough. As in, it wasn't frustrating. When I died I kind of knew it was my own stupid fault. It was awesome to explore the environments. I think it was also the first game that I was very careful and actually felt terrible when I did die. Every other game I hit continue and move on, this game had consequences (especially if you just got your physical body).

Loved it. A great diamond in the rough.

@Special Agent Bob

it wasn't hard in the way where the baddies where over powered, it was just very unforgiving regarding death. thats about as difficult as it got.

I wonder how many controllers I'll break this time..

So will it still take place in Boletaria?

@Undying No, in a recent thing on IGN they said it was a completely different world.

Emphasis on exploration...wow.

A more open world type Demon's Souls sounds like a ton of potential.

sequel or not i'm still buying it

Glad to hear you can invite friends this time around... my friends and I use to coordinate locations while on the phone in order to play together. I can't wait!!!!

Sweet, this sounds more my type than Demon Souls - though it was fun for the half a day I could play before giving up lol.

@Anticrawl

Thinking co-op I take it?

day 1 purchase.

Tho it kinda almost is... but it's not.... you won't hear of any other characters or world or boss names or anything that had to do with Demon Souls But The Gameplay And Story can Always be the same or Similar .. but it's not really a sequel, so really it's a new I.P New Game

I'll Pass on this and stick with Demon Souls

All I can say is omgomgomgomgomg.

Demon's Souls wasn't hard (barring Flamelurker and.. apparently.. Maneaters).
It's was just difficult, so i give Dark Soul's increased difficulty a warm welcome.

@Helghast102

I thought "Difficult" and "Hard" meant the same thing?

@RobAccomando

I think your definition of hard is different than mine....

@Anticrawl

that's cool.

But I was referring to the dictionary. :o)

difficult: 1. hard, not easy, requiring much effort

hard: 1. difficult: not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish

@Helghast102 The game was easy if you had good boss strategies. Almost all the bosses had a safe zone in which you could kill them without even getting hit. you just had to be extremely patient.

Of course it cannot be, because Demon's Souls is a PS3 exclusive. I guess it would be a spiritual successor or at least the same universe. Demon's Souls is one of the most unforgiving game I have ever played. It will really test your patience. haha.

I think a higher difficulty will only hurt sales. Most people don't even finish relatively easy games these days. Advertising a very high level of difficulty will secure a niche audience, but scare away most consumers.

@SisypheanLife

You'll find the opposite to be true. People don't finish easy games because they are easy and boring.

That's the #1 reason I stop playing a lot of the games I play.

@Credge

If difficulty helped sales, I think Demon's Souls would've sold better. It outdid expectations, but still did poorly compared major releases. I doubt Dark Souls will sell much better than Demon's Souls did, even despite being on two platforms this time.

@SisypheanLife

Demon Souls sold spectacularly for what it is.

Buying a game and beating a game are hardly related, either.

I think this one will have a lot more appeal, regardless. Any challenge is easier to face with a friend by your side.

@SisypheanLife

I hope it does scare away casual players. imagine having a bunch of fools coming into your world and messing up your game.

Lets hope dark souls only attracts the hard core gamers that will enjoy the game for the factors that made demon souls the finest game ever made.

Im currently trying to startup a new business, I can see my business is going to be a complete fail once i have dark souls in my world.

Open world? I wonder if this is the true spiritual sequel to King's Field then?

@Devilish Styles

I suppose when a game doesn't have a story, it doesn't matter if you call the next game a "sequel". I'm just glad the successor will still maintain the greatness from Demon's Souls.

Of course it is Demon's Souls 2.

It's like saying that the only Final Fantasy was the number 1, just because the games have (almost) nothing to do with each other.

@Dropeti Great analogy. It is more like a Final Fantasy sequel

Wait?! Xbox? Oh man I think I need to change my pants.
Totally day one purchase for me, I loved demon souls, even though I could only play it at a friends house.

Open world Demon's Souls? This is an jrpg I can look forward to!

@Stormbarrier Huh? Demon's Souls had a story and more importantly it had a world, an atmosphere, and a history. There's plenty of depth to be found it just doesn't lie with your character and it's not obvious at all.

A new Demon Souls?? Can life get any better? I submit that it can not!!!

thank god for Skype when playing Demon's Souls. Wish they would just let friends party up and give us voice chat.

All the things that needed improving (graphics, customization, exploration, and multiplayer) are going to be improved (supposedly). It appears as though I will be picking this game up.

I might have to buy 3 copies of this, just to show my support. I hope there is a compelling story though. Probably won't be...

YES friend invites....

Instantly can't wait now ^_^

Why exactly do I always see people talk as though Demon's Souls was hard/difficult? It really wasn't. It was even pretty forgiving when you die, allowing you to touch the spot where you died regaining all your souls.

@Bielzer
I'm not sure what you're talking about friend. I played through the game, then see articles or people always saying how punishing and unforgiving the game is. I'm just trying to understand why it is they find the game hard.

This truly is the best PS3 game ever made IMO. If it wasn't for Sony's broken PSN implementation, I will be still playing this game with my friends instead of pouring 200+ hours on Borderland and its DLCs. I put in about 100+ hrs in this game and I think it was worth my PS3 slim admission. I will be so happy and content when it comes on 360.

@huffhuffhuff

what are you talking about? Demon's Souls was run off of custom, non PSN servers managed by the developers.

Just call it a sequel. We all know it is. You only changed one word in the title.

GOTY.

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

Dark Souls

Dark Souls isn't a Demon's Souls sequel (but it totally is)

Reader Comments (55)

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:05PM Tapejara said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:53PM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:07PM The Minn said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:22PM RobAccomando said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:10PM philmcfail said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 10:03PM Chareth Cutestory said

Posted: Feb 6th 2011 1:02PM Levi said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:21PM Special Agent Bob said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:45PM Bewoulf said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:54PM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:38PM tkdjosh said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:39PM Undying said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 11:14PM Rankore said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:47PM convergecrew said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:49PM thedisagree said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:52PM RagingStormX said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:54PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 11:39PM Vidikron said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 7:57PM RobAccomando said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:04PM HardBoiled2009 said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:09PM Spazgadget said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:16PM Helghast102 said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:25PM RobAccomando said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:16PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:42PM RobAccomando said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 11:29PM Rankore said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:25PM isotrex said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:25PM SisypheanLife said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:05PM Credge said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:33PM SisypheanLife said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 10:08PM Chareth Cutestory said

Posted: Feb 5th 2011 9:51PM freechain said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 8:30PM Abob Lyndsae said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:01PM Stormbarrier said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:03PM Dropeti said

Posted: Feb 11th 2011 9:37AM Prince David said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:04PM Mylivingeulogy said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:13PM Anarqi said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:38PM DustbinK said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 9:40PM jrobington said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 10:11PM Steve R said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 10:25PM NIck PSN ID Rattlehead91 said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 11:42PM GuardianLegend said

Posted: Feb 5th 2011 12:07AM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Feb 5th 2011 2:35AM Railgun said

Posted: Feb 7th 2011 4:55PM Railgun said

Posted: Feb 5th 2011 10:33AM huffhuffhuff said

Posted: Feb 5th 2011 11:46PM ferret said

Posted: Feb 5th 2011 12:22PM Ospov said

Posted: Feb 6th 2011 1:02PM Levi said

Dark Souls Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a stranger in a strange land

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW