With Elden Ring’s release, many FromSoftware fans have begun to realize just how much the game shares with the Dark Souls games that came before it. The dark fantasy RPG has had its lore created by George R.R. Martin, which means players will be expecting deep narratives and dark aesthetics, but there are a great number of other similarities that link the two franchises.

Dark Souls has been FromSoftware’s most significant success, and since then, the studio has gone on to create several new game series based on the Souls gameplay concept. Bloodborne and Sekiro, while taking place in vastly different worlds, each build on the game mechanics laid down by the Dark Souls games. Early gameplay footage of Elden Ring looks like it will also be building on the Dark Souls legacy without being set in the same universe.

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Many have already noted that Elden Ring seems to be a spiritual sequel, but what does that mean? FromSoftware has previously stated that Elden Ring will take place in a new and separate universe to Dark Souls, but that doesn’t mean these two game franchises share no connections. Here is a look at all the ways Elden Ring could connect to the Dark Souls universe.

Elden Ring Is The Spiritual Successor To Dark Souls

elden ring castle nighttime gameplay stream

When players and fans talk about spiritual sequels, it can be difficult to understand what that means. Typically this phrase is used when a games developer uses thematic and mechanical elements from previous games in a new series. For Elden Ring, the most obvious reference is that the game's looks, genre, and combat all have their roots in FromSoftware's Souls games.

The dark gothic aesthetic was debatably evident from Elden Ring’s 2019 E3 announcement trailer. It created a heady atmosphere of mysterious doom that fans of FromSoftware and the dark fantasy genre immediately drew in comparison to Dark Souls. But it's only become more apparent how much of this artistic content Elden Ring brings in from Dark Souls, especially after Elden Ring's launch trailer, which drew in shades of Bloodborne as well. Elden Ring and Dark Souls may not share a universe, but they certainly share a soul.

A corrupted gothic aesthetic can be seen throughout FromSoftware games, such as Bloodborne. The developer seems to prefer using traditionally western fantasy settings, and this appears to be a deliberate choice as significant symbolic differences exist between western and Japanese RPGs. The differences are born from the inspiration used with JRPGs, which often have roots in anime, manga, and light novels, whereas Dungeons & Dragons and Tolkien heavily influence western fantasy RPGs.

Elden Ring’s Combat System Will Be Familiar To Dark Souls Fans

PvP combat in Elden Ring.

Besides Elden Ring’s visuals, players of Souls games will find the game’s combat mechanics immediately recognizable. Players given early access have compared Elden Ring’s combat to Dark Souls games and, in the best way, giving new players a decent learning curve before the difficulty ramps up (or at least allowing them other options if they get stuck on a boss). Elden Ring could be good for fans of other fantasy RPGs like Skyrim, Dragon Age, or the Witcher series who were perhaps intimidated by Dark Souls’ notoriously difficult boss fights.

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Comparable combat elements within Elden Ring will be the traditional large bosses, the stamina and FP bars, and different types of spellcasting. Then there will be the familiar rolling, dodging, and blocking that even have similar  (or seemingly identical) animations to previous FromSoftware games. But that doesn't mean there aren't any differences, as stealth elements and even mounted combat are entirely new to the formula in Elden Ring. Players can wield melee and magical weapons once more, though with greater freedom of customization via skills and Ashes of War.

Elden Ring will also feature summoning, a thematic holdover not just from Dark Souls but Demon's Souls before it. Elden Ring expands the feature by allowing players greater control over when and how to summon other players, and also offering new AI summons for those not playing online. Elden Ring players can summon spirits for both most boss fights and even for some field encounters in the open world.

Two characters facing in Dark Souls

Bonfires are returning in Elden Ring with a new name. They have been renamed and are now called Sites of Lost Grace, but they ultimately fulfill the same purpose for resting and fast travel. Players of Dark Souls will be happy to see bonfires in the new game, making fast travel in Elden Ring’s massive open-world much easier - something of more immediate importance given the size of the world.

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Music can make or break immersion for players, so Souls fans will be happy to learn that a familiar name has contributed to Elden Ring’s soundtrack. Composer Yuka Kitamura, a composer on Sekiro and Dark Souls 3, confirmed in March 2020 that she also worked on Elden Ring. From everything seen so far, Elden Ring's soundtrack appears to be very bit as stellar as those that came before it.

Narrative Connections Between Dark Souls & Elden Ring

Elden Ring Tarnished warrior fights arm king

Dark Souls introduced players to the curse of the Darksign, and Elden Ring has a similar narrative theme. The Darksign is a curse affecting many people and traps them in a cycle between life and death. These people then become hosts to Undead which are the primary foes in Dark Souls games. Elden Ring’s new setting has people in it called the Tarnished who suffer from a similar affliction. These Tarnished are those who have lost their blessing, or grace, granted to them by the Elden Ring and the Erdtree. The shattering of the Elden Ring calls these Tarnished back from their exile, which marks the start of the game. A mysterious maiden assists players with leveling up as well, leaving her motives somewhat in question.

This narrative connection of an unending curse is the strongest thematic link between Elden Ring and the Dark Souls universe, though there's also plenty of imagery around bells, rot, and fire. The full extent of the connection between the Dark Souls universe and the new Elden Ring setting will remain a mystery until the community has spent some time with the game, uncovering its secrets. With world lore created by George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring will hopefully have a deep and rich story capable of standing on its own without any connection to previous FromSoftware series. That said, game fans always welcome some Easter eggs, nods, and references, and there will likely be more than a few nods to Dark Souls in Elden Ring.

Next: Elden Ring Removes Dark Souls' Most Unforgiving Feature