Ben-DutkaAlthough From Software was always coy about the possibility of a Demon's Souls sequel – which most assumed to be the mysterious "Project Dark" – it seems the truth has been revealed.
Citing a feature from this week's Famitsu, Andriasang has opened our eyes to Dark Souls , the follow-up title to the award-winning RPG, Demon's Souls . Through the link you can find an image of the magazine cover with the title in question, and we've already got a screenshot slideshow and debut trailer for you. As for relevant details, some may surprise you while others may be deemed as "oddly intriguing." But first, the debut pics-
Now, first and foremost, while many complained about the steep learning curve in Demon's Souls , it seems the developers aren't fazed at all. In fact, this early unveiling says Dark Souls is actually much harder . Yeah…prepare yourself. Secondly, the new game isn't exactly a sequel, in that there is "no connection with Demon's Souls in terms of story or world," and the standard gameplay has changed; this time they're going with a "classic RPG" style. So in other words, character creation, nabbing weapons and items in the world, leveling up, etc.
They've also upped the size significantly as exploration is at a new high, and all the maps are traditionally connected, which means the shrine/central hub from Demon's Souls will be gone. The environments will be more complex in terms of design, and "the goal in character development is to get rid of elements that may hinder freedom of play style." There's a ton of variety in the weapons and skills and last but not least, we'll get both co-op and competitive multiplayer elements.
Now, this sounds like a complete overhaul, which may disappoint fans of the original. It almost sounds as if they're describing a cross between Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age and although that isn't a bad thing, per se, it appears Dark Souls won't have that poignant note of originality. And let's face it; that's the reason so many adored Demon's Souls . At any rate, the new game is set to launch in Japan some time this year; there will only be a PlayStation 3 version in Japan, but Namco Bandai will release the title for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in other regions.
Related Game(s): Dark Souls