The video-game industry has, in recent years, reached a pinnacle of success and of ground-breaking entertainment. Studios bestow upon us plots worthy of an Academy Award, while the graphical fidelity is scarily becoming closer each time to a picture-perfect representation of human beings. However, one genre that has gained phenomenal acclaim during the last decade is the Soulsborne Genre. The boggling mind of Hidetaka Miyazaki at the head of the Japanese gaming company FromSoftware has single-handedly invented an entire new subgenre in gaming, and has possibly had one of the biggest impacts of the last console generations, and on the whole of gaming. So, what is exactly this ‘niche’ genre?
Referring to the Soulsborne genre is a direct affiliation to the titles of the lead director Miyazaki, namely being the Dark Souls trilogy and the universally acclaimed PlayStation exclusive Bloodborne. It is infamously known for its extremely difficult and tedious combat, which demands a lot of attention and little errors from players. Sparse checkpoints, disgustingly strong bosses and cryptic laughter by NPCs are key to what makes it so appealing to more and more players around the world. Accompanied by my 2 dear friends Ashfaaq Gopee and Milind Hauzaree, we are here to share with you our hauntingly personal journeys between 3 different bosses in 2 FromSoft games which are the heart and soul of the genre- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Dark Souls 3.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
To say that Sekiro and I have had a very shaky relationship is an understatement. It was my first ever FromSoft game. It takes place in a war-torn Japan as you embark on a quest to sever the immortal bloodline that many are seeking. When I bought it back in 2020, I even asked my dad 3 days later if we could get a refund or an exchange. I despised every second of it; I found it too hard and punishing, with mechanics that made little to no sense at the time (you actually get to come back when you die the first time, but don’t expect that it makes the game easier. It doesn’t) and a Japanese audio that made me want to tear my ears out. This is a common feature of the Soulsborne genre: it tests your patience and your will until you can finally find the stability required to progress through the game. And after nearly 13 hours into the game, it finally clicked. I found myself relishing the combat and loving every single moment of it. The clanging of the swords as I fought my way through hordes of soldiers(or monkeys) coupled with the all-too familiar ‘’Dead’’ in Japanese had become my bread and butter. I thought I would finish the game in no-time, finally finishing one of my toughest gaming experiences of all time.
Until I met Isshin.
Isshin the Sword Saint is the last boss in Sekiro. You access him after defeating his grandson, Genichiro, who then cuts himself open to let his grandpa out(No, I am not kidding. This actually happens.) You then have 3 different phases of Isshin to fight, each having a different, unexpected move-set that will take you by surprise each time. When I reached him, I was on the 27 hour mark and I knew that it was no easy task. I had prepared myself well; I had watched guides on how to kill Genichiro without taking a hit before starting the boss fight with Isshin, how to recognize the little gleams of light against his katana that indicated his deadly swipes. I felt ready.
And, as expected, I f****** wasn’t.
They completely wrecked me, both grandson and grandpa. I couldn’t even get past Genichiro without dying twice, which meant I had to redo the boss fight all over again. Isshin was kicking my butt across the open fields each and every time I faced him. Like the strong and independent man that I am, I ragequitted the game. For 2 whole months, I did not even glare at the Sekiro icon on my ps4 once. I felt like the damage had been done, that we were never ever getting back together. However, one faithful October day , I felt my feelings for Sekiro resurface. I stumbled across one youtuber recording himself beating Isshin, and I felt the need to finish what I had once started.
I was still getting obliterated by Isshin, but I had this inner sense of will inside of me that pushed me on. I played the boss fight again and again, dying each time, but getting closer to the seemingly far tunnel of light. Without noticing it, my brain had started to ingrain pixel-perfect deflects and blows that edged me further through the fights. I was even reaching the last phase of the fight at times, but the killer instinct that I needed was missing. Sometimes I would get through Genichiro and Isshin’s first phase unscathed, to then die to his gun( yes, he brings a regular gun out of this pants in the 2nd phase. And yes, it takes place in 17th century Japan).
Until one day, I did it.
After 7 total hours spent only on the last boss fight, totalling my complete gameplay journey onto a 34 hour thriller, I had finally killed Isshin. Controller in hand, as I sat solemnly against the comfort of my sofa, Sekiro’s sword lingering over the cold-blooded neck of Isshin, I felt a gargantuan pride rise through me. I had done what a lot didn’t, and I had tried over and over again even if I knew I was going to die. Call me crazy, but these 7 hours were totally worth it. And I don’t regret going through an umpteenth, ‘’Hesitation is defeat’’ each time I died and Isshin had to mock my lifeless body. The experience of it was second to none and I still smile thinking about it. Thank you Sekiro.It was one heck of a ride.
Dark Souls 3
· Slave Knight Gael
After enduring one of the most well-designed and challenging area of the game, you have reached the end of the ringed city. The gleaming landscape of the ruins of a forgotten time seems almost nostalgic. A great iron door lies before you. It creaks heavily. Inside the room, a particular sight awaits you.
The ringed city is mostly known for the monstrosities that inhabit it; immortal dragons, ghosts, cursed bugs among other creatures that fell to the abyss. However, in front of you, lies the Princess Filianore, dressed in a white dress. Her long grey hair gracefully covers in her deep slumber. Viny creeping plants are slowly growing over the bed, covered in pristine white drapes. This contrasts heavily between the dark, lifeless remnants of the city and the comforting and noble chamber of the deity.
While in her sleep, she seems to be holding on to a white egg. The latter is broken on one side. Inside of it, there seems to lie the abyss itself. The ashen one (the player) proceeds to touch the egg. What follows is perhaps one of the most memorable cutscene in the franchise. The egg breaks down. Filianore awakes from her slumber. Blinding beams of light radiates from the broken pieces and the player is seen transported to another time.
In front of you lies the lifeless body of Filianore, decaying but still in her white dress. The camera pans out and what remains, is an endless landscape of sand and ruins. The player has been transported to the future, at the end of the world, at the end of times. All life seems to have disappeared. Only few walls and domes seem to testify the existence of a city long forgotten into the quicksand of time. All ages seem to have come to an end. Perhaps, the egg represented the world of Dark Souls itself; a shattered and hollow shell held together only by a forgotten princess of ages long past. After breaking it, the world finally ends.
You step out and endless dunes roll out into the horizon as far as the eye can see. A crawling pigmy king (carrier of the dark soul of man) is seen. He utters a few words: “ The red hood is coming to eat us.” You continue to advance and finally reach what seems to have been a hall of kings. Several thrones sit amidst nothing, their kingdoms long gone. Over there, next to some ruins, a beast- or a man is feasting on the corpse of a pigmy king.
This man is the Slave Knight Gael. A warrior of the first age of fire. A knight who has seen the birth of gods and lived through till the end of times. He was driven mad by the dark soul. His quest was to seek the pigment for his niece; a painter who would paint a gentle world for him, perhaps one where he would finally find rest. He looks up and says, “What,still here? Hand it over that thing your dark soul.” Gael fought along side you many times throughout your journey and indeed, he was the one that guided you to this moment.
And thus began, the best fight of the souls series. He charges towards you. He no longer moves like a man. He runs like a mad dog, with his shattered sword in one hand. After exchanging many hits, he finally goes down, for now…
He bleeds. The blood oozes out of his mouth and splashes on his sword. The cracks in his weapon glows red. The dried out pigment of the dark soul has found its new vessel. The slave knight, rises once again, the power of the dark soul in his hand (or the other way round). An epic swordfight thus begins.
In his 3rd phase, the intensity of the fight reaches new heights. The player engages into a mad waltz with Gael, amidst the crashing lightning that ignites the arena with its blue hue. Every dodge must be properly timed, every hit must be landed perfectly. And finally, after battling with the knight and after several deaths, the final blow is landed and Gael is delivered from his perennial agony.
The fight contains everything that makes a FromSoft game special. Daunting movesets, punishing attacks that tests your patience, a beautifully crafted arena and a heavenly score that perfectly matches the demise of the knight in the most epic way possible.
While the Soul of Cinder bossfight remains a fitting boss to end the game, Gael is indeed the best way to put an end to this masterpiece of a franchise.
The fight itself holds no particular significance even though it is loaded with important lore. It merely consists of two nobodies fighting against each other at the end of times. Two purposeless beings, cursed to roam these lands, engage in a final duel over the pigment that holds no value at this point of time. The fight fares away from the fights against gods and kings. It perfectly encapsulates the essence of the series; that in the end, no matter the choice you make, it does not matter. Endless cycles of birth and dead shall arise anew and all of your heroic battles will be lost into the quicksand of forgetfulness. Such a bleak and beautiful ending, yet a fitting one to one of the greatest franchises of all time.
· Nameless King
“The most breath-taking boss fight in the entire Soul Saga,” in my humble opinion and one of the hardest bosses in the franchise, according to, well, popular consensus…
I will try to advocate for this seemingly fallacious statement below.
You pull a lever and the big bell rings with such poise akin to the 1812 overture, you experience a panoramic view of Archdragon’s Peak with a majestic mountain ridge in the background. The weather quickly changes, heavy rain is now pouring and there is a sudden outbreak of wind.
As you enter the fog gate, the Nameless King swoops in gloriously on his dragon, the King of the Storm. (The Nameless King is a God of war, the estranged son of the Great Lord Gwyn.)
After dodging a fire-breathing dragon and a Nameless king hurling lightening while simultaneously trying to do drive-bys with his humongous sword, you manage, narrowly, to kill his dragon.
Thus ensures the ultimate cut scene of the Soul Franchise:
The King of the Storm is lying lifeless on the ground. The Nameless King advances towards his dragon, affectionately pats on the head his loyal beast and proceeds to lift his massive sword.
His hand shakes. His sword shakes.
He reluctantly pierces the dragon’s head; there’s a massive eruption with gusts of wind.
The Nameless King emerges of the fog with his sword now oozing with lightening.
At first, you endure a barrage of shockwave attacks before being swiftly assaulted by a terrifying glowing sword three times your size wielded by a figure inspiring only dread. Following some rough fighting he moves backwards, charges his sword, and now proceeds to hit you from afar with crippling lightening blasts.
Some intense combat ensues, and you eventually defeat the hardest boss of the game, leaving you with the experience of a lifetime.
Coda
The impact that these games have had on our lives is extraordinary. The roller-coaster, endorphin/rage-filled ride of it all is the true experience of these types of games. You suffer, again and again. But, when you start winning, it becomes one of the most fulfilling gaming and even life experiences that you can have. 3 years after announcing it, FromSoftware have finally released Elden Ring on Friday the 25th, one of the most ambitious gaming collaboration along with George R.R Martin. I dearly hope that this article woos some of you to jump into the never-ending lore and history of the SoulsBorne genre- Elden Ring is just what you need: delve into the open-world of the Lands Between, and be part of the culmination of 1 decade of video game history . Be brave, be fearless, and don’t go in without 2 controllers.
Thank you everyone for reading this article and have a nice day.
‘’Praise the Sun’’
By Ryan Myandee
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