One of the most influential RPG franchises to release in recent memory is Dark Souls. From Software’s blend of punishing difficulty and intricate world design cultivated an experience unlike any other. The game’s fragmented lore, tough bosses, and mysterious online elements made for one of the most unique and memorable titles anyone has experienced.
Creating it wasn’t easy, though. Various interviews with From Software and leftover files reveal a smattering of cut content and design changes. Certain NPCs were changed, zones were made in haste, and a fan petition would create one of the worst PC ports in recent memory. From development stories to cut assets, here are ten crazy things fans likely didn’t know about the development of the original Dark Souls.
10 Lost Izalith Was Rushed
Many fans agree that Lost Izalith is one of the worst areas in the Dark Souls franchise. Fans speculated that this zone was heavily rushed when the game released due to how lacking the zone was, various missing assets, and how lacking the Bed of Chaos was.
Turns out they were right. Various interviews with From Software developers have revealed that Lost Izalith was a rushed zone. Hidetaka Miyazaki, the lead director for Dark Souls, went as far as to admit most of the zone’s shortcomings in interviews with Giant Bomb.
9 Praise The Sun’s Origins
Arguably the most iconic gesture in the original Dark Souls is the “Praise the Sun” gesture the Warriors of Sunlight use. What seems to be a rather harmless gesture almost didn’t make the light of day.
During Demon’s Soul’s development, Hidetaka Miyazaki presented the gesture to higher ups when showcasing the game internally. Despite its significance as a holy symbol, Miyazaki was told the gesture wasn’t “cool enough” and asked to remove it. It snuck its way in the game through the Ring of Sincere Prayer.
When it came time to develop Dark Souls, Miyazaki made this gesture front and center for the Warriors of Sunlight Covenant, going as far as to pose the gesture himself for animators to take reference pictures from. What was once considered a niche and uncool gesture became one of the most iconic parts of the original Dark Souls.
8 Four Shields Are From Fans
Four shields in the original Dark Souls were designed by community members instead of From Software. When the game was in development, From Software held a competition that allowed users to submit shield designs. The four most popular shields would be brought into the game.
These fan-made shields are the Effigy Shield, the Bloodshield, the Sanctus Shield, and the Black Iron Greatshield.
7 Gwynevere’s Design
Gwynevere was always intended to be a massive goddess that the player would encounter after defeating Ornstein and Smough, yet her exact proportions were exaggerated. Hidetaka Miyazaki wanted a giant, compassionate woman that radiated warmth. That idea translated well, although the artist that created Gwynevere took a few liberties with her proportions. The artist was so proud of the design, though, that Miyazaki didn’t have the heart to tell him to change it.
6 Went Through Many Name Changes
From Software originally wanted to create a direct sequel to Demon’s Souls when they started development on Dark Souls. Unfortunately, their partnership with Bandai Namco resulted in Demon’s Souls being unusable as that was Sony’s intellectual property. The team would set out to make a spiritual successor instead.
Surprisingly, the game was never meant to have “Souls” in the name at all. Hidetaka Miyazaki originally pitched the name “Dark Race” since the player would play as a cursed protagonist. Apparent issues with racism were brought up, so they decided to name it “Dark Lord.” Sadly, this name was already trademarked.
The developers then pitched “Dark Ring” since the Darksign appears as a dark ring. Unbenowsed to the developers, “Dark Ring” is considered a euphemism for anus in England. From Software eventually decided on the name Dark Souls.
5 Inspired By Real Locations
Dark Souls’ grounded elements are partly thanks to the reference material From Software used when developing the game’s locations. Anor Londo is based on the Milan Cathedral in Italy. The Duke’s Archives was based on the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland. France’s Mont Saint-Michael fort was the inspiration for the game’s New Londo Ruins.
4 Painted World Is Dark Souls’ Prototype Map
One of the most well-hidden areas in the original Dark Souls is the Painted World of Ariamis. Players must return to the Undead Asylum, a hidden area on its own, to obtain a doll that grants entry to this mysterious location. The area’s intricate design and enemy placement feel like a microcosm of the game itself.
That’s because it is. The Painted World of Ariamis was the first level From Software ever designed when developing prototypes for Dark Souls. Hidetaka Miyazaki didn’t want the level to go to waste, however, and insisted that it had to be in the main game in some form. Instead of morphing the level to make it fit in the main game world, From Software cheated somewhat and put it in the game as a hidden level for players to find.
3 PC Port Due To Fan Petitions
By far one of the worst PC ports to ever grace the platforms belongs to the original Dark Souls. The game’s clunky controls and lack of PC settings were offputting for most players. It was so bad that a mod addressing most of these issues released 23 minutes after the game came out, the mod being none other than DSFix.
What many fans forget about this PC port is it was From Software’s first. The game was never meant to receive a PC port at all, but a fan petition asking for a PC port garnered so much attention that Bandai Namco asked From Software to release a port as soon as possible. Combined with the company’s inexperience with the PC platform, it’s no surprise that the Dark Souls port came out in the state it did.
2 Progression Changes
Leftover files and cut content heavily suggest that the original Dark Souls went through some progression and lore changes. While it is hard to know for certain what the original story entailed, there are concepts of Andre of Astora that describe him as one of the sons of Gwyn.
Andre was originally meant to guard a path to Kiln of the First Flame that, surprisingly, still has loading data in the game’s files. Other story elements include Oscar coming back as the antithesis of the player, siding with whatever primeval serpent the player ignored.
Even the world map seems to have been altered extensively. Certain LODs shows a bridge between Firelink Shrine and the lower Undead Burg that isn’t present in the actual game. A key to the New Londo Ruins elevator was also planned but cut short of release.
1 Bloodborne’s Upper Cathedral Ward Is In The Game’s Files
Image from Lance McDonald (Twitter)
Speaking of leftover files, one of the strangest pieces of unused content in Dark Souls Remastered is a grey boxed level introduced in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. Modders have been able to successfully explore the level and figure out what this unused location is.
It is none other than a prototype of Bloodborne’s Upper Cathedral Ward. The layout is shockingly similar. While some have speculated that this was a ported map done by the remastered team, evidence shows that this map was made when Artorias of the Abyss was developed. This actually makes sense, as Hidetaka Miyazaki was developing Bloodborne after Dark Souls released. It isn’t a far stretch to assume he tested level layouts in Dark Souls before expanding on them further.
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