A prominent pixel artist game dev has shared that they were involved in a pitch to Bandai Namco to develop a 2D Metroidvania based onDark Souls 3. TheDark Soulsfranchise has been incredibly lucrative both for development studio FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco. Yet despite that success, and Bandai Namco owning theDark Soulsbrand, no spin-offs have been made. It seems that aDark Souls 3spin-off may have been under consideration, though.Dark Souls-inspired 2D Metroidvania games have surged in popularity in the past decade alongside FromSoftware’s RPG releases.Souls-likes' harsh difficulty, dark fantasy setting, and cryptic storytelling are rather directly inspired by both theMetroidandCastlevaniafranchises. However, these Metroidvania games have been almost entirely indie releases. So far, large publishers have avoided Metroidvanias, outside of Nintendo and its ownMetroidgames.RELATED:Dark Souls Remastered Online Features Return to PC Version of the GameIt sounds like there was at least one effort to make a Metroidvania from a major property, though. Metamorphosis Games art director and freelance pixel artist Thomas Feichtmeir, known for their work onGestalt: Steam,Cinder, andBlasphemous, confirmed on Twitter that they helped pitch a Metroidvania version ofDark Souls 3to Bandai Namco. Feichtmeir explains that the pitch is “finally out of NDA,” so they can share more information about the project.
Feichtmeir shared a single screenshot from the game, whichDark Souls 3players will immediately recognize. The scene depicts theDancer of the Boreal Valleyfight, with the Dancer doing a slam attack with their flaming sword. The player character is wearing what looks like a blue version of the Lothric Knight armor set, replete with a Lothric shield and sword. Even the background should be familiar toDark Souls 3players, as well as the user interface elements. It’s a faithful 2D recreation of theDark Souls 3boss fight.
The pitch was for aDark Souls 3game, but Feichtmeir points out that pitches can often be shifted to other properties or made into their own new IP.FromSoftwarewas not involved in the project and, obviously, Bandai Namco didn’t accept the pitch. Feichtmeir says there was a team of 11 artists ready to make it happen if it was approved.
There’s a long list of pros and cons to go alongside a potentialDark Soulsspin-off Metroidvania. For one, it’s difficult to imagine a Souls game not made by FromSoftware, which is probably why it’s best it didn’t happen. With that said, a major 2DSouls-like with support from FromSoftware could be very exciting. Maybe that’s something Bandai Namco will consider in the future.
Dark Souls 3is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
