French GameKult Interview.

In life, there are those who have played Dark Souls, and who should get started. The absurd fascination still the game From Software, a sort of post-natal depression, as if life lacked spice after all those hours of torture and those few moments of liberation. Branded, rich lasting memories, players are probably ready to plunge into the darkness, to relive those moments when self-help tip and fingering offer almost the only guarantee of survival.

Several months have passed since the surprise announcement of Dark Souls II the Video Games Awards. And it is not said that this new presentation to Namco Bandai Gamers Day in early April in New York, has dispelled the misty veil that covers the cave boss.

Random Death Memories

The story of Dark Souls II began on a misunderstanding. Between the announcement of a change of director, who sees the original creator of the series, Hidetaka Miyazaki, discarded, and the desire to make this episode "more accessible" clearly displayed by the new duo in place, we understand the knee-jerk reaction fans. The series that defines the word alone hardcore would she get all these franchises "casualisées" on the altar of public, transvestites for a few dollars more? After two days of presentation, the message seemed clear: no, Dark Souls has not sold off his soul, at least if we go by what was shown to us.

First a trailer as an appetizer, the culmination of Namco Bandai conference and played a demo tomorrow, joystick in hand, to better illustrate some of the concepts that drive this result. The first impression is familiar, almost misleading: a knight in armor, a dark and wet maze, a bonfire ready to be lit. To say that we evolve in familiar territory. The interface is almost identical, with gauges of life and endurance well boosted for demo purposes, the combination of souls in the bottom right, not to mention the layout of items in a cross. 1.5 Syndrome watches already. The graphical trend is yet evident, and not just because the game runs on a good PC at 60 fps. Version as a basis, we are assured we, the adjustments on consoles - with a frame rate divided by two, you can not change an aging hardware. Officially, nothing is planned for the next generation consoles.

In the dark, dark, dark ...

This is not an optical illusion: a current PC, and even in alpha stage, it is far from the port to the hard of Prepare to Die Edition. Dark Souls II is beautiful, the sublime spirit. Fluid provided without any concessions on the complex architecture environments, while refining the dynamic lighting that make every corner worrying. Work on the brightness is not limited to a simple matter of aesthetics. In Dark Souls II, it will be necessary to equip a torch to venture into the catacombs that would raise the Tomb of the Giants to Times Square. Torch in hand, this amounts to unequip his shield, if not his sword, short, increase the risk in a game where the slightest careless mistake leads to death. Finished well stashed behind their shield tanks in the shadows, only dodge prevails. Because the flame threatens to extinguish the slightest shock, plunging the player in total darkness. Few seconds respite before seeing the "You Died" fateful ...

Ready to brave a thousand deaths for demo purposes, then our host takes another path, which leads to the outside of the fortress, a huge tower overlooking a lost in the middle of nowhere mountain. We do not really know more about the place, if it is a gigantic sword is planted there, like abandoned gods. Bibendum is an enemy is perched to raise its spin axes taking the player to target. Projectiles will it be possible to turn a simple sword, provided you follow a timing seemed particularly demanding. Demonstrator From Software will not have pushed more than three before flinch, split in two. Again, this new mechanical parade should enrich the gameplay combat without the upset. As in the original, Dark Souls II seems to focus on duels, with manual targeting for better turn around its prey. Gaffe still, the enemies seem to have moved from their previous version, and they will not hesitate to crush you if you thought slip into their back disingenuous.

Fear and Trembling

Time to hide a Debug menu, we find ourselves teleported to a huge library that would remind the Archives of the Duke, if there was a gigantic dragon carcass that lay dormant in the middle of the passage. Upon inquiry, it is a laboratory where there have been claims of experiences around these mythical creatures. Dark Souls requires the poor skeleton will not long to animate ... then go back to sleep. The time for developers to highlight interactions with the decor, much further in this sequel to believe. A mechanism to bridge statue to illuminate a long hallway, a suspension bridge that collapsed under the onslaught of harpies, a big Cyclops imprisoned shattering the door of his cell drunk pain if the player comes to tickle a arrow or two ... they say that the fall is the worst enemy of Dark Souls player, but it seems that this series pushes further sordid traps and dead con. That's what we want.

Dark Souls II is still far from having revealed all its secrets. Japanese game requires, nothing new has leaked about the scenario, and we must believe that information about the new expected (multiplayer, alignments, boss) will be revealed at the option maturities of the year, exhibitions and hands-on included. We'll know then maybe more about the moon appears near gauges life and endurance, for example. This first contact, visual, was above all an opportunity to dispel the initial fears and verify that the mind was nothing betrayed. How would it be with a game that also respects faithfully recipe that allowed the two previous parts of the series to mark their mark on this generation? And even though we may regret a lack of risk-taking at this stage, they are scattered here and there a few clues for optimism, as the desire to make some clearer mechanical (there is a feeler wear for weapons, present), and more generally the willingness to offer more freedom to the player, the better to surprise. Level design bursting with alternate paths, towering bosses that appear out of nowhere, a new engine still more careful: if more passes Mir From Software Far all the pots that dragged the previous games, the dark inventory service online filthy, it is unclear what could prevent Dark Souls II to devour our souls.


The demo shown during the event was running on PC. Does this mean that a PC version is also developed in-house?

The version of this interview shown before actually turning on the PC. If the first Dark Souls was adapted from consoles to PC, this time, it's the opposite. The PC version serves as a base from which the warranty is consoles adaptations. Clearly, the game is being developed simultaneously on different machines directly internally.

You also mentioned a new graphics engine for Dark Souls II. Is it an engine taken from zero or an adaptation of the old?

Yes, we reprogrammed from A to Z. We have not included elements of the previous engine.

Does this mean that the game could also be created on the next generation consoles?

Regarding Dark Souls II, the engine was not created with the next generation focus. The development of the first Dark Souls was particularly long, the engine had become obsolete. It is for this reason that we wanted to start from scratch with Dark Souls II to be able to fully express what we wanted. I know that the next generation consoles are recurring themes this year, but the potential of the Xbox 360 and PS3 has not yet been fully exploited. That's why our entire focus is on current machines. For the moment, we do not think a port of Dark Souls II or in any other capacity on future machines.


Given the demo, it was far from advocated during the initial presentation of the game accessibility It was a message that you want to convey?

If I think the reactions of users, the choice of the term "accessible" has caused confusion in the minds and we apologize. There was no issue in making the game easier. The problem is an essential part of Dark Souls. By using the word "accessible", we wanted to address some feedback from the community. Tell them that we will work to harmonize certain laborious and often obscure aspects of the first Dark Souls, so they can focus on the purity of the challenge and the difficulties that lie ahead. This is what we wanted to translate using the word "accessible".


This will provide a clearer experience does extend to multiplayer? Will it be easier to find for a party cooperation?

To be quite honest, we can not reveal anything about the mechanical invocation and cooperation at this stage of development. However, we take into account the opinions of fans, and this kind of functionality is actually part of what we want to take into consideration. We will not hesitate to give you more details later.

Will keep you in this case the system Hulk / Humanity and that it induces in terms of invocations?

Yes, of course, as well as other features that are the hallmark of Dark Souls.

You said you wanted to give more freedom to the player. Is it possible to go around the boss to reach more remote areas?

Even if we want to surprise the player with the way the game is structured, it will probably always defeat a boss to see the adventure forward. The freedom we are talking about is more at the level of choice, different paths that are available to the player and the order in which he wishes to explore.