A Thousand Undead, A Thousand Dark Soul Stories

Just like the Dark Soul, the release of the prequel The Age of First Fire brought mixed reactions among players. Many flocked online to vent their frustrations and share their experiences.

The primary source of complaints? The inability to teleport between bonfires.

"Ah, this is driving me crazy! Why can't we teleport using bonfires in this game? I'm stuck in sick village!"

"Same here! I got lost and can't find my way back to the Fire link Shrine!"

"Lost +1! Why remove teleportation from the bonfires?"

However, more experienced players offered explanations and advice:

"The bonfire feature hasn't been completely removed. Once you reach the King's City, you can unlock teleportation after meeting Princess Sun and obtaining the royal equipment."

"Yeah, I saw that guide. By the way, Princess Sun's... uh, features, are quite something!"

"Agreed! She's got a certain charm."

"Eh, not a big deal. Nothing extraordinary, really."

Others got sidetracked:

"Anyway, when fighting Chaos Witch, the animation was incredible! I couldn't handle it!"

"Seriously? Her spider body doesn't freak you out?"

"Alright, back on topic! This is about the bonfires!"

Despite the initial grumbles, players gradually appreciated the game's design.

"At first, I struggled without teleportation, but the map design in Dark Souls: The Age of First Fire is stunning. There are so many interconnected routes!"

"Exactly! The Fire link Shrine connects to Undead Burg, the Ruins of New Londo, the Catacombs, and other areas. It's incredibly rich in detail."

"New players, check out the maps and guides online. Even without teleportation, there are plenty of shortcuts to discover. It's manageable."

"Don't listen to those purists claiming you should avoid guides for the authentic experience. Dark Souls isn't a story-driven game. The first play through is the most thrilling, use a guide and avoid unnecessary frustration!"

"Totally! Following the guide saved me from losing my mind in sick town!"

Not everyone shared the enthusiasm:

"Guides or not, the bosses are brutal! I've battled legendary foes like Gravelord Nito, but I'm still stuck suffering in sick town!"

As a sequel, The Age of First Fire drew players familiar with the challenging yet rewarding nature of Dark Souls. While complaints were abundant, so was praise. With time, players recognized the game's intricate map design, and discussions shifted to admiration.

The game also dominated online platforms and live-streaming, capturing audiences with its endearment and thrilling gameplay. The prequel's success was bolstered by the reputation of its predecessor. Although The Age of First Fire is harder than the previous games, it achieved impressive sales:

Domestic sales: 2.4 million copies in the first week.

Overseas sales: 3.1 million copies in the first week.

The buzz surrounding the game exceeded even its sales performance, cementing its place as a cultural phenomenon.

Chen Xu, the creator, wasn't surprised. After all, Dark Souls has always been a masterpiece of challenging, immersive gameplay.

This is also doomed—most individuals choose to watch rather than play the game themselves.

Even if the difficulty curve of the game is reasonable and most levels are achievable, persistence itself remains a challenge.

However, for those who truly enjoy Dark Souls, especially players invested in its plot, the game becomes a carnival of discovery. Dark Soul: The Age of First Fire provides a richer, more detailed view of the Dark Souls universe. Many lingering questions are addressed, though true answers remain elusive due to the nature of the game. Players often fill in the blanks with their own interpretations, creating a Dark Soul unique to their imagination. Different players, different meanings.

A central question lingers throughout the game: Should the fire be spread or extinguished? This dilemma defines the experience and leaves players divided.

From the game's narrative, it's evident that the flame will ultimately fade. In Dark Soul: The Age of First Fire, the fire reveals itself as a massive, furnace-like sun. Yet in earlier installments, the fire is a feeble wisp. This progression implies that the flame's extinction is inevitable, even with continued effort to sustain it.

Opinions vary on whether the act of spreading the fire is itself a deception. Some believe it to be a hoax orchestrated by Gwyn, the Sun King, while others dismiss this theory. Some players go further, proposing bold assumptions.

In the opening animation, the story introduces four characters who obtained the King's Souls: Gwyn the sun king, the Witch of Izalith, the Tomb King Nito, and a little-known figure described as a dwarf. A prominent theory suggests that this dwarf is the ancestor of humans.

While Gwyn, the Witch, and Nito obtained the King's Souls, the fire claimed by the dwarf may have been in the Dark Soul. This Dark Soul, later shared with humanity, could explain the dwarf's absence from the war.

In Dark Soul: The Age of First Fire, human nature is introduced with a curious line:

"If the soul is the root of all life, why is humanity possessed only by humans?"

This hint suggests that humanity itself is tied to the Dark Soul.

What, then, is the true power of the Dark Soul?

Dark Souls is inextricably linked to the Abyss. The dark magic in the game is deeply intertwined with strong human emotions—anger, sadness, love, jealousy, greed. These intense emotions strengthen the otherwise pure soul energy. This may be the true power of Dark Souls: the strength of emotions and desires.

Dark soul offers a glimpse into this concept. Once a strong individual, Dark soul is now saturated with humanity, resembling a sticky polymer of human nature. The power granted by the Dark Soul appears to stem from humanity's deepest longings. It is no surprise, then, that fragments of the Dark Soul are called human nature.

Both the gods and the dwarves feared the Dark Soul's potential to create an Abyss. To counter this, they used the First Flame to establish the Seal of Fire. This power was distributed throughout the world and imprinted on every human being. Yet, this cycle became a curse, binding humans with dark souls to an eternal loop.

One day, however, the fire would inevitably be extinguished. Each of the kings sought their own solutions to this dilemma. Gwyn, set an example by linking the fire, sacrificing himself to preserve the Age of Fire and the Seal of Fire. This act aimed to suppress the rampage of the Dark Soul. The Witch of Izalith, in an attempt to create her own First Flame, was consumed by chaos and became the source of demons.

Over time, as dynasties rise and fall, so too did the power structures of this world shift. The original dragon slayers eventually turned into feared dragons themselves. After countless years, the gods used undead to link the fire, not to control the Dark Soul's rampage or the Abyss but to ensure their own eternal dominance.

Opinions on these interpretations vary widely. Players comb through every line of dialogue and description in the game to uncover the truth, leading to debates in game forums about the correct interpretation of the story. Ultimately, the plot is open to personal understanding. For every thousand undead, there are a thousand interpretations of Dark Souls' world.

Beyond the overarching storyline, the game characters captivate players with their personal stories. Solaire of Astora, the first Sun Knight encountered, seeks the mission of the undead. He reveres the sun, aspiring to shine like it. However, in one bad ending, Solaire succumbs to despair. His equipment is revealed to be ordinary, and the sun emblem, merely a painting. Despite this, he presses forward with sheer tenacity.

In a better outcome, if specific conditions are met—like opening the shortcut to the Abandoned City of Izalith early and eliminating all sun bugs—Solaire can be saved. Though initially disheartened, he eventually recovers and completes the undead's mission alongside the player, challenging Gwyn in the end. Solaire's pose of praising the sun cements him as one of the game's most iconic figures.

Artorias, another beloved character, made a pact with abyssal creatures, gaining the ability to traverse the Abyss freely. With unmatched resolve, he fought the Abyss single-handedly to protect Oola-cile and the world.

Other characters like the Fire Keeper who was slain, only to inspire the protagonist; the once-valiant knight Siegmeyer, who became hollow in New Londo Ruins; Quelaag, the gentle White Spider; and Gwyndolin, the enigmatic deity, all add depth to the game's lore. Each NPC and boss carries a story as tragic as it is compelling.