Anyone who has played a From Software production will know just how cryptic the games can be. Instead of spoon-feeding lore and story to their fans, Hidetaka Miyazaki and the rest of the From Software team rely on more subtle methods. These manifest themselves through vague character speech, in-game storytelling elements such as boss anatomy and level design, and most common of all, item descriptions. In fact, From Software is so vague in its storytelling and lore that the developer has never compiled something like an encyclopedia that explains any of its games. This is where VaatiVidya comes in.
A YouTuber and content creator, Vaati has been unearthing From Software game lore since 2012. He has covered every From Software game since the original Dark Souls and has even done a few videos on Deracine, From Software's first and only VR game. Modern players who have even a mild interest in From Software game lore would have heard Vaati at one time or another, as it was he who Bandai Namco commissioned to make the official Elden Ring beginner's guide.
Well-Researched and Well-Presented Videos Are Vaati's Specialty
Apart from his instantly recognizable voice, it is Vaati's determination to make sense of From Software's games that draws people to him and his channel. Each of his videos is painstakingly researched, as he scours the games for everything from item descriptions to enigmatic NPC dialogue to make connections between them. He even uses modded cameras made by other From Software fans to get closer and farther looks at the physical aspects of the games, such as levels, characters, and objects. He also goes the extra mile by looking outside the games to analyze official art books and explore cut content using hacks and mods made by others. He even listens to interviews the developers have done, just like a real games journalist.
VaatiVidya then collates everything together into easily digestible videos that people can follow. Some of his videos, like his Prepare to Cry series, cover specific parts of a From Software game. These center around a single character, level, or event in a game and branch out to cover everything directly related to them. Other videos are longer and cover huge chunks of a game's lore. All elements of a From Software game are connected, so Vaati does his best to link each piece in a cohesive way so that viewers can follow the overall story. Since From Software games (Elden Ring included) are so obscure when it comes to explaining things, these videos are a godsend for anyone trying to understand them.
Vaati's Elden Ring Video Sheds Light On The Lands Between
There is no better example of the latter than with his first Elden Ring lore video. It took more than a month after Elden Ring's launch for this 30-minute video to be released and upon watching it, people will understand why it took so long. Seeing as Elden Ring is From Software's biggest game yet, the title is packed with lore, items, enemies, levels, and bosses that are all intertwined. Vaati collated everything Elden Ring-related into a giant mind map and found one person at the center of it all: Marika.
While Marika can only be seen in cutscenes and statues around the world, she is central to Elden Ring's story. Vaati explains that she was an Empyrean who became ruler of the Lands Between thanks to the aid of the Greater Will - a being outside the confines of the lands who created the Elden Ring. She played a key role in the Shattering - an event brought about by the breaking of the Elden Ring, and the removal of Destined Death from the Lands Between - an act that prevents its inhabitants from truly dying. It is she who sets in motion a lot of events that take place before the game and plays a key part in a mystery players uncover as they play through Elden Ring.
The video is best watched in order to fully appreciate it, as VaatiVidya's presentation of the lore is so engrossing that explaining it would do a disservice to him. Toward the end, he mentions that this is the first of many Elden Ring videos he has planned, so those interested in more Elden Ring lore should definitely keep an eye on his channel. Vaati emphasizes quality over quantity and tries to put out a new video every week. Even if he doesn't manage to stick to his self-imposed schedule, the standards of his videos are well worth the wait.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: VaatiVidya/YouTube