In this master copy post, I want to go over one of my favorite video games in my life, the Dark Souls trilogy. The artists for this game were vast, but I will focus on Masanao Katayama, Kazuyuki Ikumori, Ryo Fujimaki, Daisuke Satake, and Yuka Kitamura.
The Dark Souls series is known for it’s bleak and gothic style. The ruins of a world that was once glorious. This game’s atmosphere is design to feel uncomfortable and overwhelming to the player. Every part of the world that the player explores, will show a decaying medieval world, which towering castles, enormous cathedrals, and brutalist monuments.
The use of color in this gamer series is filled with muted greys, ruined browns, sorrowful blues, and a bleak touch of gold. The only way to view any color is to be around fire, which is a central theme to this game. The fire needs to be rekindled for it to thrive again. The player must choose if they wish to keep a dying world alive for a little longer.
In every part of this world, the player will encounter a shell that was once glorious. The use of a fire’s light is important to all aspects that the player encounters. In this example, the player is in a place of worship, and is being lead to the center by light. As artists, designers, and developers, we act as builders to the player’s world. We must guide them to the point of action.
Each character embodies a story of their distant land, the story that existed before the protagonist arrived. Each set of armor tells a part of the story for the player. This use of fractured storytelling is what sets Fromsoft games from the rest of it’s competitors. The use of color and shape gives off a story for the protagonist to research and determine a conclusion. When we create an experience for our users, we must create one that allows for exploration, intrigue, and story. The more immersive we make it, the more the user will remember and want to be a part of it.
Strong environmental storytelling emerges from tone and composition. The minimal use of color can carve our form. Developers can create spatial design for the player to feel immersed. This should be a lesson for all user journeys. From websites, apps, and video games, we must create an adventure for our users, even if it is just a quick stop, it is still a side quest in their life. The more adventure we can create, the more satisfied a user will be, even if it is just a short story.