Over the past decade, FromSoftware has become renowned for its groundbreaking intellectual properties. These developers have been making games for much longer than that, but their true popularity began to rise when they rescued the original Demon's Souls from the abyss of development Hell. Following this, they created the first Dark Souls game, which took the world by storm.
This company has since made such novel games with immensely loveable qualities that fans simply cannot get enough. There are recurring elements in many of their titles, though not all are connected by lore or easter eggs. There are many wonderful aspects besides these that gamers adore.
Updated on April 11, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: FromSoftware has shot up the ranks in popularity with the release of Elden Ring, which has gone on to become their most successful release to date. It's taken a while, but the majority of the gaming community has realized that the games made by this studio aren't renowned for their difficulty. Rather, it's the various other things that FromSoftware meticulously add to their titles that turn them into masterpieces. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the most notable things from FromSoftware games that everyone loves.
15 Incredible Lore
The lore of most FromSoftware games is absolutely amazing. The decision to not feature in-your-face storytelling and opt for a less direct approach when it comes to the overarching narrative of these games makes for a great time indeed.
It helps that the lore of these games is just enough to let players fill in the gaps that remain. This has led to some crazy theories that have formed about the games, some of which are so well-thought-out that they just have to be canon!
14 Online Gameplay
A great part about FromSoftware games is the unique way they handle multiplayer content. It's seamlessly integrated into almost all of their games post Demon's Souls (barring Sekiro) and almost always leads to some notable highlights of their own.
Players fondly recall the time they cooperated with someone to beat down a boss or fought against all the odds to take down multiple invaders. It's one of the many small elements that make these games so great.
13 Lack Of Handholding
Most modern games tend to flood players with tutorials, most of which contain pretty basic information and aren't really all that useful anyway. This can be a source of great frustration for gamers who want to figure out things on their own and not be guided like a child at every step of the way.
FromSoftware's game design accounts for these people and lets them go crazy as they figure out mechanics on their own. It makes for highly organic gameplay and a great sense of accomplishment, which wouldn't have been possible if these games had lengthy tutorial sections that lasted for hours!
12 Interconnected Level Design
The level designers at FromSoftware are masters of their craft. No other single-player game boasts the level of interconnectivity that most Soulsborne games have, leading to mind-blowing moments as players come across an area they've explored before or find a shortcut that was hidden in plain view all along.
Even a game like Elden Ring that features an open world exhibits this level design at every step of the way. It's a breath of fresh air from the usual barrage of open-world games that use markers to highlight their interesting points instead of actually making them visually distinctive through sight alone.
11 Great Voice Acting
For a studio that is based out of Japan, it's amazing just how great the English voice acting of these games really is. It's genuinely surprising and makes each and every little interaction with NPCs and bosses all the more memorable.
This great voice acting helps players immerse themselves in the amazing worlds of these games. Other Japanese-based studios should take notes from FromSoftware and put more effort into their English dubs, since blockbuster games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake suffer massively because of how poor and unrefined the English performances are.
10 Easter Eggs And References
Being self-referential is a way that FromSoftware can acknowledge the favorite aspects of their earlier games that fans particularly enjoyed. They do this in many ways by including armor, weapons, and rings that are taken directly from earlier games; even ones not connected in lore or by series.
One of the best examples of this is the Moonlight Greatsword, which has appeared in many Souls games, although it actually originated from the 1994 game King's Field.
9 Real Challenges
In an era where many games hold a player's hand every step of the way, many have found themselves bored. The genuine difficulty in games seemed like something of the past but not for FromSoftware. Their approach to tutorials is to tell the player which buttons perform which actions and then allow them to find their own way.
This is the ideal learning method for those wishing to jump into a fantasy world and build their own legend. Although there are times when things get taken too far in terms of challenge, a hard-fought battle is often more satisfying than following markers on every step of one's journey.
8 Tremendous Amounts Of Detail
There are few companies that put extra effort into their worlds, but FromSoftware is one of them. There are numerous places all throughout the Dark Souls trilogy where gamers can never reach in-game but are remarkably detailed.
There are entire rendered sections in the lower parts of the cities Anor Londo in Dark Souls and Eleum Loyce in Dark Souls 2 that no one was supposed to visit or see, yet those with special software have been able to clip through walls and discover these secrets. It's clear that worldbuilding is at the top of the to-do list for this team, and the players who love their worlds are deeply grateful for it.
7 Tactical Obscurity
Despite the incredible amount of detail in the world, creatures, and equipment, there is a lack of immediately apparent story elements on the surface. This allows one to focus on enjoying the gameplay if they do not care about the lore but, thankfully, there are ways to learn more about these rich settings.
Descriptions on items and dialogue with NPCs can be treated like a very partitioned storybook that reveals details about ancient wars, gods of light and dark, and much more. This almost archeological method of storytelling grants players the chance to delve deeper and discover things in as satisfying a manner as defeating a tough adversary. Essentially, the questions are the foes and the answers are the loot — this is actually quite literal when you consider how much of the worldbuilding is invested in item descriptions.
6 Freedom
Powerful choices are crucial in video games. This is one thing that separates them from books, movies, and other media. The active influence one has on their surroundings can be liberating if done correctly, which FromSoftware seems to have nailed.
Various potential fighting styles, starting access to multiple areas, and robust character creation can allow gamers to insert themselves into a given world more immersively. This also massively increases replay value for selected titles.
5 Originality
Even though these developers have made sequels to their own games, their new properties tend to get the most attention. This is because maybe are eager to see what new and interesting concepts they come up with next. When Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was announced, many initially assumed it would be like Dark Souls but with eastern mythology instead of the usual western focus.
This was incorrect, as FromSoftware gave the world a much faster-paced ninja adventure that was completely different in terms of gameplay, yet held the same challenge and refined qualities many have come to expect from these developers.
4 Games Polished Like Gems
There are many of the finer aspects of games that go mostly unnoticed. Special attack or dodging animations with less or more frames, a particular tone in an NPC's dialogue, and convenient shortcuts scattered around the world can make a good game feel just right; making it into a great game.
These things and more can make a fictional world feel more like a home away from home for players.
3 Amazing Audio
Acoustics are immensely important to set up the right atmosphere. The proper use of silence, ambiance, effects, and music dictate how the player should feel. Sounds heard will automatically evoke certain feelings in one's mind. Silence while exploring caves can build tension and ambiance, while viewing gorgeous scenery can be relaxing.
Hearing the loud clang of metal on stone as a great weapon slams against the floor can make that weapon feel all the more powerful. And the right music during a boss fight can become the soundtrack to an epic battle which could cause the melody to linger within a player's mind for years to come.
2 Cool Bosses
In areas filled with mighty adversaries, the climax should be a boss that is more challenging than previous foes encountered but is still thematically appropriate for the setting.
On top of this, a good boss needs interesting attacks, a suitable fighting location, and a sense of significance that proves that defeating them will matter. For the most part, FromSoftware nails boss encounters in all these regards and sometimes more.
1 Fun Gameplay
Undeniably, the most important factor about a game is the gameplay. If the action of a title is not fun, then it is worthless, regardless of graphics, music, and other qualities. There need to be components that players will want to perform despite the obstacles. In fact, the obstacles should be entertaining as well! Fighting, dying, and fighting some more can be dull if the combat is sub-par, but this has never been an issue for FormSoftware.
They have been able to strike the perfect balance in most of their games and even when they don't, they get close enough to keep people playing them for years. It is this trait that is responsible for millions of adoring fans, sufficient funding, and remakes of their most successful titles.