"the FIRST Souls game" — King's Field... 25 years later

Summary

The video delves into the origins of FromSoftware's iconic Souls series, beginning with Kingsfield, a 1995 first-person RPG. The narrator reflects on the game's archaic graphics, rough controls, and clunky combat while drawing parallels to later FromSoftware games. Despite its flaws, the game’s atmosphere, interconnected world design, and innovative mechanics, like the teleporting system and rhombus keys, are highlighted. Kingsfield is presented as a fascinating piece of gaming history, with a unique charm that foreshadows later Souls games, offering fans a deeper appreciation for FromSoftware’s evolution.

Takeaways

• 😀 Kingsfield, developed by FromSoftware, is a precursor to the Souls series, with a unique first-person Metroidvania structure that inspired later games like Dark Souls.
• 😀 The game’s graphics are outdated, but there’s a nostalgic charm in the enemy and NPC designs, even with the poor resolution of the original PS1 version.
• 😀 The control scheme in Kingsfield is clunky and unintuitive for modern players, with a unique but uncomfortable system that predates the familiar controls we use today.
• 😀 Kingsfield's combat is clunky and repetitive, involving simple attacks and backing up, but as the game progresses, combat gets slightly more varied with magic and multiple enemies.
• 😀 Despite its rough combat, Kingsfield introduces some interesting magic abilities, with late-game spells like an ice dragon that traps enemies in crystal.
• 😀 Navigation and exploration are central to Kingsfield, with a Metroidvania-like structure that involves unlocking abilities and backtracking to access new areas.
• 😀 Fake walls are a major feature in Kingsfield, but their overabundance and lack of environmental clues make them tedious to discover, leading to excessive trial and error.
• 😀 Kingsfield’s story is minimal and cryptic, told through scattered dialogue and item descriptions, much like later FromSoftware games, including Dark Souls.
• 😀 The game allows for player freedom to make impactful decisions, such as selling important items and soft-locking yourself, akin to the Souls series' punishing design choices.
• 😀 Kingsfield introduces unique gameplay mechanics like a teleportation system with risk-reward dynamics and rhombus keys that create interesting puzzles and exploration strategies.
• 😀 The game features backstab mechanics, where getting behind enemies can lead to massive damage, offering a precursor to the backstab mechanics in later Souls games.
• 😀 The final boss battle features a sequence where the player faces Necron and later, a design inspired by Calamity from Dark Souls, reinforcing the game’s legacy within the franchise.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is an analysis of the game 'Kingsfield' by FromSoftware, discussing its history, gameplay mechanics, and influence on later games, especially the Souls series. The video also compares 'Kingsfield' to other first-person games like 'Doom' and examines how it shaped the design philosophy of later FromSoftware games.

Why is 'Kingsfield' compared to 'Doom' in the video?

The comparison to 'Doom' is drawn because 'Kingsfield' was released shortly after 'Doom,' and many early reviews mentioned 'Doom' in the context of first-person games. The comparison highlights how both games were part of a broader first-person genre development during the mid-90s, though 'Kingsfield' had its unique mechanics and presentation.

What challenges did the video presenter face with 'Kingsfield's' combat system?

The combat system in 'Kingsfield' is described as clunky and cumbersome. The player is forced to attack, back up, and wait for the attack meter to refill, creating a repetitive and slow-paced experience. The combat mechanics are one of the most criticized aspects of the game, though they do improve as the game progresses with the introduction of magic and more varied encounters.

What is the significance of 'Kingsfield's' exploration elements?

The video emphasizes that the game's main appeal lies in its exploration and interconnected world, similar to a Metroidvania. Players can unlock areas by obtaining items and abilities, which encourages backtracking and finding hidden secrets. However, the game's repetitive and visually uniform environments make navigation tedious at times.

How does 'Kingsfield' incorporate Metroidvania-style gameplay?

'Kingsfield' features an interconnected world with locked doors and obstacles that require specific items or abilities to pass, much like a traditional Metroidvania game. This design allows for exploration and backtracking, key components of the genre, but it is less intuitive due to the game's dated visual design and lack of environmental clues.

What problem does the video presenter highlight about 'Kingsfield's' fake walls?

The game is criticized for having an excessive number of fake walls, which are often placed at random with no environmental clues to hint at their presence. This forces the player to repeatedly interact with every wall in the game, which can become frustrating and tedious, detracting from the enjoyment of exploration.

What is the narrative style in 'Kingsfield' compared to later FromSoftware games?

'Kingsfield' presents its story in a fragmented, cryptic manner, similar to later games in the Souls series. Narrative details are delivered through item descriptions and dialogue from NPCs rather than through structured cutscenes, requiring players to piece together the story on their own.

How does the video presenter feel about 'Kingsfield's' difficulty and freedom of choice?

The video praises 'Kingsfield' for offering players the freedom to make impactful decisions, such as selling important items like keys, which can soft-lock the player or make the game more difficult. This level of freedom, akin to later Souls games, shows respect for the player and allows for a more open-ended, self-directed experience.

What are the unique gameplay mechanics in 'Kingsfield' that were highlighted in the video?

The video highlights two unique mechanics in 'Kingsfield': the teleportation system, which requires players to move a key to a pedestal at save points, and the rhombus keys, which allow players to open one-way doors but can be reused strategically. Both mechanics introduce risk and reward dynamics that encourage careful planning and exploration.

How does 'Kingsfield' contribute to the legacy of the Souls series?

'Kingsfield' is recognized as an important precursor to the Souls series. Its exploration, cryptic narrative, and design philosophy influenced later FromSoftware games. Elements such as interconnected worlds, backtracking, and key item-based progression can be traced back to 'Kingsfield,' showing the evolution of FromSoftware's approach to game design over time.