History Trivia / DarkSouls

* FanNickname: Since ''Bloodborne'' is a mechanically similar game also from [=FromSoft=], it is often lumped in with the ''Dark Souls'' series and ''Demon's Souls'', which results in the ''[=SoulsBorne=]'' games.

** ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}},'' itself a spinoff by the same company (From Software). Replace [[spoiler: undead gods with {{Eldritch Abomination}}s]], shields with guns, zombies with werewolves, and souls with blood. Then constrain the gameworld to victorian-era London. There you go.

* GodNeverSaidThat: Miyazaki has cited the {{manga}} ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' as an influence on ''Dark Souls'' in several interviews. In [[https://www.pcgames.de/Dark-Souls-3-Spiel-55615/Specials/Hidetaka-Miyazaki-im-Gamescom-Interview-1167759/ this interview]], he acknowledged he is a Berserk fan and that it has greatly influenced the series since the first game. In [[http://skullknight.net/images/darksouls_berserk1.jpg another interview]] he gives a {{Shout Out}}, noting that when Art Designer Masanori Waragai showed him his Catarina armor design, he felt reminded of Bazuso from ''Berserk'' and thought that old design was appropriate for Siegmeyer's character concept. He also said that the greatsword arts and playstyle in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' were inspired by Guts. However, {{fanon}} sometimes exaggerates it, with some fans of both ''Berserk'' and the ''Souls'' games suggesting that ''Berserk'' was ''the'' primary inspiration of ''Souls''. Miyazaki didn't cite it as the primary inspiration, but mentioned it among other sources of inspiration, including other manga such as ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'', and ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', as well as as his collection of {{Tabletop RPG}}s and FantasyLiterature, the earlier Creator/FromSoftware game series ''VideoGame/KingsField'', and the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' game books.

* GodNeverSaidThat: Miyazaki has cited the {{manga}} ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' as an influence on ''Dark Souls'' in several interviews. In [[https://www.pcgames.de/Dark-Souls-3-Spiel-55615/Specials/Hidetaka-Miyazaki-im-Gamescom-Interview-1167759/ this interview]], he acknowledged he is a Berserk fan and that it has greatly influenced the series since the first game. In [[http://skullknight.net/images/darksouls_berserk1.jpg another interview]] he gives a {{Shout Out}}, noting that when Art Designer Masanori Waragai showed him his Catarina armor design, he felt reminded of Bazuso from ''Berserk'' and thought that old design was appropriate for Siegmeyer's character concept. He also said that the greatsword arts and playstyle in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' were inspired by Guts. However, {{fanon}} sometimes exaggerates it, with some fans of both ''Berserk'' and the ''Souls'' games suggesting that ''Berserk'' was ''the'' primary inspiration of ''Souls''. However, Miyzaki didn't cite it as the primary inspiration, but mentioned it among other sources of inspiration, including other manga such as ''Manga/SaintSeiya'', ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'', and ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', as well as as his collection of {{Tabletop RPG}}s and FantasyLiterature, the earlier Creator/FromSoftware game series ''VideoGame/KingsField'', and the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' game books.

* GodNeverSaidThat: Fans of both ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' and the ''Souls'' games often talk about ''Berserk'' being a primary, or even ''the'' inspiration of ''Souls'' based on an interview where Miyazaki acknowledged that he is a ''Berserk'' reader, but that's probably a big exaggeration. For example, after mentioning ''Berserk'' in that interview he attributes most of his inspiration for the ''Souls'' games to his collection of Western {{Tabletop RPG}}s and FantasyLiterature, as well as the earlier Creator/FromSoftware game series ''VideoGame/KingsField'' and the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' game books. He [[http://skullknight.net/images/darksouls_berserk1.jpg does say]] in the same interview that when Art Designer Masanori Waragai showed him his Catarina armor design, he felt reminded of Bazuso from ''Berserk'' and thought that old design was appropriate for Siegmeyer's character concept, but this is one of the few parallels or {{Shout Out}}s he has actually acknowleded. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that ''Berserk'' has had ''some'' influence on the games, such as when he acknowledged that the greatsword arts and playstyle in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' were inspired by Guts, but {{fanon}} tends to blow it out of proportion and treat ''Souls'' as if it were practically ''Berserk'' with the serial numbers filed off.

** ''VideoGame/LordsOfTheFallen'' and ''VideoGame/{{Nier}},'' both {{Alternate Company Equivalent}}s belonging to Deck 13 and Square Enix respectively.

* GodNeverSaidThat: Fans of both ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' and the ''Souls'' games often talk about ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' being a primary, or even ''the'' inspiration of ''Souls'' based on an interview where Miyazaki acknowledged that he is a ''Berserk'' reader, but that's probably a big exaggeration. For example, after mentioning ''Berserk'' in that interview he attributes most of his inspiration for the ''Souls'' games to his collection of Western {{Tabletop RPG}}s and FantasyLiterature, as well as the earlier Creator/FromSoftware game series ''VideoGame/KingsField'' and the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' game books. He [[http://skullknight.net/images/darksouls_berserk1.jpg does say]] in the same interview that when Art Designer Masanori Waragai showed him his Catarina armor design, he felt reminded of Bazuso from ''Berserk'' and thought that old design was appropriate for Siegmeyer's character concept, but this is one of the few parallels or {{Shout Out}}s he has actually acknowleded. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that ''Berserk'' has had ''some'' influence on the games, such as when he acknowledged that the greatsword arts and playstyle in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' were inspired by Guts, but {{fanon}} tends to blow it out of proportion and treat ''Souls'' as if it were practically ''Berserk'' with the serial numbers filed off.

** ''VideoGame/HyperLightDrifter,'' although it's cut with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda.''

** ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}},'' itself a spinoff by the same company. Replace [[spoiler: undead gods with {{Eldritch Abomination}}s]], shields with guns, zombies with werewolves, and souls with blood. Then constrain the gameworld to victorian-era London. There you go.

** ''VideoGame/TheSurge, Dark Souls'' [[InSpace IN SPAAAACE!!!]] Er, TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture and [[LikeThatShowButWithMecha giant robots]]!!! Yes, anyways, monstrous difficulty while directly using bits of the enemy to upgrade the player character.

** ''VideoGame/TheSurge, Dark Souls'' [[InSpace IN SPAAAACE!!!]] Er, TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture!!! Yes, anyways, monstrous difficulty while directly using bits of the enemy to upgrade the player character.

** ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}},'' itself a spinoff by the same company. Replace [[spoiler: god-zombies with {{Eldritch Abomination}}s]], shields with guns, zombies with werewolves, and souls with blood. Then constrain the gameworld to victorian-era London. There you go.

** ''VideoGame/TheSurge,'' Dark Souls [[InSpace IN SPAAAACE!!!]] Er, TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture!!! Yes, anyways, monstrous difficulty while directly using bits of the enemy to upgrade the player character.
** ''VideoGame/LordsOfTheFallen'' and ''VideoGame/{{Nier}},'' both {{Alternate Company Equivalent}}s.

** ''VideoGame/LordsOfTheFallen'' and ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'' both {{Alternate Company Equivalent}}s.

** ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}, itself a spinoff by the same company. Replace [[spoiler: god-zombies with {{Eldritch Abomination}}s]], shields with guns, zombies with werewolves, and souls with blood. Then constrain the gameworld to victorian-era London. There you go.

** ''VideoGame/HollowKnight.'' Another resurrectively immortal creature (We hesitate to use undead because the Vessel was never alive in the first place despite being a RevenantZombie in all other respects) searching a bleak fallen kingdom to undo the curse placed upon it. You also respawn on the last bench you sat on, similar to the Bonfires of DS.

* ''VideoGame/HyperLightDrifter,'' although it's cut with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda.''

** ''VideoGame/SaltAndSanctuary.'' A fantasy ARPG with combat based around dodging and stamina management. It also takes the plot point of fighting [[spoiler: zombie gods]] and runs with it. The enemy that kills you takes all your EXP and buffs themselves with it. While Salt is not souls, it is derived from the souls of mankind.
* ** ''VideoGame/HyperLightDrifter,'' although it's cut with ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda.''

** ''VideoGame/SaltAndSanctuary.'' A fantasy ARPG with combat based around dodging and stamina management. It also takes the plot point of fighting [[spoiler: zombie gods]] and runs with it.

** ''VideoGame/DeadCells.'' An [[RessurectiveImmortality invincible (but not invulnerable)]] undead creature who uses a certain part of the enemy to upgrade themselves (Souls in DS, stem cells in DC).
** ''VideoGame/HollowKnight.'' Another ressurectively immortal creature (We hesitate to use undead because the Vessel was never alive in the first place despite being a RevenantZombie in all other respects) searching a bleak fallen kingdom to undo the curse placed upon it. You also respawn on the last bench you sat on, similar to the Bonfires of DS.

** ''VideoGame/DeadCells.'' An [[RessurrectiveImmortality invincible (but not invulnerable)]] undead creature who uses a certain part of the enemy to upgrade themselves (Souls in DS, stem cells in DC).

* FollowTheLeader: Ever since its popularity, [[Videogame/SaltAndSanctuary many]] [[Videogame/LordsOfTheFallen games]] [[VideoGame/{{Nioh}} have]] [[VideoGame/TheSurge tried]] to emulate the franchise's style; aesthetics, DarkFantasy setting, weighty combat design, "tough-but-fair" difficulty, etc. It's gotten to the point where "Souls-like" is almost a genre of its own, much like ''{{VideoGame/Rogue}}''. On a wider scale, the ''Souls'' series has lead to many more developers embracing higher difficulty in general after many years of lowering difficulty for the sake of accessibility.

* FollowTheLeader: Ever since its popularity, [[Videogame/SaltAndSanctuary many]] [[Videogame/LordsOfTheFallen games]] [[VideoGame/{{Nioh}} have]] [[VideoGame/TheSurge tried]] to emulate the franchise's style; aesthetics, DarkFantasy setting, weighty combat design, "tough-but-fair" difficulty, etc. It's gotten to the point where "Souls-like" is almost a genre of its own, much like ''{{VideoGame/Rogue}}''. On a wider scale, the ''Souls'' series has lead to many more developers embracing higher difficulty in general after many years of lowering difficulty for the sake of accessibility.

* GodNeverSaidThat: Fans of both ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' and the ''Souls'' games often talk about ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' being a primary, or even ''the'' inspiration of ''Souls'' based on an interview where Miyazaki acknowledged that he is a ''Berserk'' reader, but that's probably a big exaggeration. For example, after mentioning ''Berserk'' in that interview he attributes most of his inspiration for the ''Souls'' games to his collection of Western {{Tabletop RPG}}s and FantasyLiterature, as well as the earlier Creator/FromSoftware game series ''VideoGame/KingsField'' and the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' game books. He [[http://skullknight.net/images/darksouls_berserk1.jpg does say]] in the same interview that when Art Designer Masanori Waragai showed him his Catarina armor design, he felt reminded of Bazuso from ''Berserk'' and thought that old design was appropriate for Siegmeyer's character concept, but this is one of the few parallels or {{Shout Out}}s he has actually acknowleded. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that ''Berserk'' has had ''some'' influence on the games, such as when he acknowledged that the greatsword artes and playstyle in Dark Souls 3 were inspired by Guts, but {{fanon}} tends to blow it out of proportion and treat ''Souls'' as if it were practically ''Berserk'' with the serial numbers filed off.
* FollowTheLeader: Ever since its popularity, [[Videogame/SaltAndSanctuary many]] [[Videogame/LordsOfTheFallen games]] have tried to emulate the franchise's style; aesthetics, DarkFantasy setting, weighty combat design, "tough-but-fair" difficulty, etc. It's gotten to the point where "Souls-like" is almost a genre of its own, much like ''{{VideoGame/Rogue}}''. On a wider scale, the ''Souls'' series has lead to many more developers embracing higher difficulty in general after many years of lowering difficulty for the sake of accessibility.

* FollowTheLeader: Ever since its popularity, [[Videogame/SaltAndSanctuary many]] [[Videogame/LordsOfTheFallen games]] have tried to emulate the franchise's style; aesthetics, DarkFantasy setting, weighty combat design, "tough-but-fair" difficulty, etc. It's gotten to the point where "Souls-like" is almost a genre of its own, much like ''{{VideoGame/Rogue}}''.

* GodNeverSaidThat: Fans of both ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' and the ''Souls'' games often talk about ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' being a primary, or even ''the'' inspiration of ''Souls'' based on an interview where Miyazaki acknowledged that he is a ''Berserk'' reader, but that's probably a big exaggeration. For example, after mentioning ''Berserk'' in that interview he attributes most of his inspiration for the ''Souls'' games to his collection of Western {{Tabletop RPG}}s and FantasyLiterature, as well as the earlier Creator/FromSoftware game series ''VideoGame/KingsField'' and the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' game books. He [[http://skullknight.net/images/darksouls_berserk1.jpg does say]] in the same interview that when Art Designer Masanori Waragai showed him his Catarina armor design, he felt reminded of Bazuso from ''Berserk'' and thought that old design was appropriate for Siegmeyer's character concept, but this is one of the few parallels or {{Shout Out}}s he has actually acknowleded. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that ''Berserk'' has had ''some'' influence on the games, such as when he acknowledged that the greatsword artes and playstyle in Dark Souls 3 were inspired by Guts, but {{fanon}} tends to blow it out of proportion and treat ''Dark Souls'' as if it were practically ''Berserk'' with the serial numbers filed off.