FromSoftware is a highly-acclaimed video game development company from Japan that has produced standout after standout games since the time of its inception back in 1986. While it’s mostly known for its Armored Core and Dark Souls series, the recent successes of Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring have put FromSoftware on the map as a game developer with a unique method of storytelling.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, one of the top executives at FromSoftware, is the brains behind the success of the SoulsBorne games. Apart from the notorious difficulty of the games, his method of direction has always employed a unique means of storytelling called environmental storytelling. This method keeps the nitty-gritty details of the story of the games obscure while providing snippets of details about the overarching plot and characters through exploration and item gathering.
Environmental storytelling
Whenever a boss is defeated in battle or new items and pieces of weapons/armor are found, the games have made sure to include details referencing certain events or backstories to certain characters tied to those items. This helps the player piece the story of the games together while they fight through hordes of constantly respawning enemies to get to the end of the game.
While this method of storytelling is not very well-received by everyone playing the game, with some players claiming that it takes away from the story rather than adding to it, other players feel like the ambiguity of the plot makes these games unique. These players have also claimed that the stories told through these games would make for a great viewing experience in the form of movies or TV series.
But which of the FromSoftware games would actually make for a good movie/show? Read on to find out.
Bloodborne
Despite the massive success of Elden Ring in 2022, many hardcore fans of FromSoftware games would argue that the mantle of the best FromSoftware game goes to Bloodborne. This PlayStation-exclusive title has left fans clamoring for a PC version for years with only teases and rumors circulating as a result.
The plot of Bloodborne takes players through a gothic, Victorian-era ruined city called Yharnam, where all the inhabitants are infected by a deadly blood-borne disease. Players play as Hunters, attempting to solve the mystery of Yharnam while fighting off a multitude of demonic beings and eldritch horrors taken straight out of a Lovecraftian work.
With the overarching plot of the disease taking over and the entire covenant of Hunters working together to fight back, with many twists and turns along the way, Bloodborne would make for an excellent TV adaptation with enough content for several seasons worth of entertainment.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The 2019 Game of the Year candidate masterpiece by FromSoftware took the world by storm when it first came out. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice plays out like a movie by itself, making for an amazing adaptation for the silver screen if picked up. This feudal-era Japan-themed game takes place during the tumultuous warring period of the Sengoku era, making this game feel even more chaotic.
Despite its focus on a stealthy approach, Sekiro’s main protagonist, simply referred to as Wolf (or Okami in the Japanese version), must power through enemies scattered across several locations around a fictionalized Japan while trying to save his lord from a rival Shinobi clan. His first attempt was wildly unsuccessful and he loses his left arm in the process.
Now equipped with a prosthetic left arm, his revered katana Kusabimaru, and several tools at his disposal, Wolf looks towards vengeance and justice for his lord while braving everything Sekiro has to offer. This includes both human and non-human enemies with several references to Buddhist and Shinto mythology made in the form of deadly creatures not seen in the human world.
Elden Ring
Returning back to its roots, FromSoftware launched the now highly-successful Elden Ring towards the tail end of February earlier this year. While Elden Ring resonates a lot of the classic Dark Souls vibes, its departure from the linear progression system and ambitious venture into the open-world genre is what makes it stand out from FromSoftware’s other titles.
The game puts players into the boots of one of the Tarnished, warriors that travel the Lands Between without the guidance of Grace. What this means is that the God of their prevalent faith, the Golden Order, does not endorse them while they instinctively seek to become the next Elden Lord, ushering in a new change in the world.
What that change might be is up to the player, with six different endings denoting a different world state in each ending, depending on the choices made by the player throughout the game. Even though Elden Ring follows the same principle of environmental storytelling that FromSoftware employs in its other games, the plot here is a lot more concise and easy to follow.
The fantastic action sequences, breathtaking world, and glorious boss battles would make for an astounding viewing experience with enough content for a TV series as well as a series of films.
Dark Souls
The magnum opus of the FromSoftware games and its most iconic series to date, the Dark Souls series has three games worth of content for viewers to indulge in. Whether you choose to play as the Chosen Undead of Dark Souls, the Bearer of the Curse of Dark Souls II, or the Ashen One of Dark Souls III, the series throws every possible challenge to you as players.
Each of the three mainline games follows a different story that takes place over several millennia where ages come and go. Even though the overarching plot of the series is the same, the theme of the games depicts a cursed eternal life and the eventual rise and fall of an era, which makes for compelling environmental storytelling at its best and a series of fun challenges at its worst.
Translating this behemoth of a series to the silver screen or casual viewing at home will involve a lot of work, especially filling the gaps in the story of all three games. But we believe it has the potential to be the next best medieval fantasy show, following the footsteps of series such as Game of Thrones.
With Hidetaka Miyazaki already collaborating with George R.R. Martin on Elden Ring, maybe there is potential to bring this project to life. Only time will tell.
Published: Oct 4, 2022 08:27 am