FromSoftware has risen from relative obscurity to superstardom in the past ten years, and it’s essentially done this by creating the same game on repeat. Sure, there are subtle differences between Sekiro, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring, but they’re similar in structure, feel, and shape. Hell, they even share many of the same assets between series. This is just an observation, not a criticism – why should developers redo a door-opening animation every time they make a game? Work smart, not hard.
When Dark Souls (2011) launched, this kind of game was an unknown quantity. Those who played Demon’s Souls two years prior knew it would be good, but secret battles waged behind the doors of major game publications. “Are you sure this is a 10/10?” I’m imagining editors asking their reviewers at the time. “Are you sure?”
