SoulsBorne: Birth of a Sub-Genre

When we think of definitive RPG subgenres we think the classics; MetroidVania, Roguelikes, Turn Based RPGs etc. This being said there is one newcomer to the RPG subgenre gang and that is the SoulsBorne franchise. Now having a fantastic ship name is only the beginning of what makes a franchise into a subgenre it takes a special kind of uniqueness to set the series and style apart from everything else in the market. SoulsBorne does just that.

[The7Reaper]

I still need to attempt to beat Bloodborne I'm somewhere in Old Yharnam

[aquaticDonut]

Pro tip: Hold a torch in your left hand when fighting the gangly beasts without a hood on. They get all scared.

[DivineAssault]

My favorite series last/this gen.. Amazing titles once you understand the mechanics... I have a casual gamer friend that fell in love with the series after i pressured him to keep trying... Now he wont put the games down.. Im still playing DS3 but after that, i know ill be begging for more.. So sick of the run n gun garbage thats shoveled out.. Going to play UC4 next and then its 3ds and vita titles i bought but never played yet

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

I advise anyone who loves Souls games to try the King's Field and Shadow Tower series. They are pretty much the predecessors of the series and what I would deem as "final destination" material due to the bare bones feel.

[sullynathan]

I never played Demons Souls and never beat Bloodborne but will in the future.

[Maxor]

I love the heck out of the Souls game, but I never could understand the fanboys who are willing to settle for the exact same game over, and over, and over again. It's basically the Call of Duty and Madden of the hardcore action RPG world and nobody ever calls them out for it. Aside from Bloodborne there's zero innovation in this franchise at all, and even then, Darksouls 3 is just a copy of Bloodborne and Darksouls.

[Perjoss]

I partially agree with you, the problem is people really like the formula and if you steer away from it too far it wont be a souls game anymore and you will likely lose those fans, there's nothing wrong with that of course and they should totally show people they are not a 1 trick pony and make a brilliant game that is quite different from souls games.

From have a lot going for them, they have people that know what they are doing when it comes to great combat mechanics, creating interesting worlds with lots of lore and they are pretty good when it comes to visuals too. Musical scores are great but I'm sure those are handled externally.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

It's far from Call Of Duty because the formula hasn't been milked to oblivion. It's a case of 'if it isn't broke, don't fix it" while adding improvements here and there. I think the main draw to Souls players is the world and characters themselves which gives enough to lure you but it takes a inquisitive eye to decipher the information behind them. From Software is doing the smart thing by ending the series now while the iron is hot.

[Eiyuuou]

It's not the same. After all, From Software knows when to stop.

[maniacmayhem]

There was hardly any innovation in Bloodborne unless you count guns as innovated.

What makes this series so good is because of the gameplay. Everything about this game is tight, design, controls, layout. The levels and design of them in all of the games are masterfully laid out. The weapons and customization are fairly deep and the lore of the game is still being interpreted by many till this day.

This game hasn't been milked or pimped as much as CoD and still remains pretty much in the hands of hardcore gamers and not the causal audience that CoD caters too. The fact that a game like this has found success in a sea of CoD clones is also a good indicator of how great this series is.

I agree that the games use a similar formula but I think it hasn't been abused and supposedly this is the last in the series which means they are going out on a high note.

[aquaticDonut]

Never really got into the franchise until I played Bloodborne. Now I've platinumed it, I'm about to platinum DS3 (Including getting the BS multiplayer ranks) and I'm looking forward to doing the same with 1,2 and Demon Souls. I'm really into this franchise now.

[nitus10]

The DS and BB games are IMHO tough but they are fair. Having played all but DS2 and 3 (on my to do list) I think the main thing these game teach is patience and perseverance. In fact none of the games are overly hard, however, these games do play on the players as well. As an example, it can be quite a shock walking into an area and confronting a boss that you were not expecting, especially if that boss is huge and/or horrifying.

Note: I find the best way to play any of these games is not to read any walkthrough or howto unless you are really stuck and even then only read the part that will get you unstuck. I do think too many players actually spoil the game for themselves by reading walkthroughs. IMHO it's a bit like reading a good book and turning to the final chapter to see how it finishes.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Hardly.

[njulo]

Demon soul too hard cant get through the fist stage I just gave up.

[bloodybutcher]

you haven't experienced Demon's Souls untill you fought Flamelurker.