The Role of Guides in FromSoftware Games
Raise your hand if you’ve played through a FromSoftware game without using a guide. If your hand’s up, you’re a rare and impressive bird, clearly suited to a life of luxury in some billionaire’s menagerie. I can’t think of a developer I associate more heavily with online guides and wikis than FromSoftware. While it’s certainly possible to beat their games without outside help, I think the vast majority of players look up weapons, NPC questlines, boss strategies, even basic item descriptions to better piece together what the heck is going on in Dark Souls or Elden Ring.
Who’s related to who? Who betrayed who? Whose magic and hubris destroyed the world? To the internet!
I always assumed FromSoftware knew good and well that its players turn to wikis and multi-hour YouTube videos to explain everything, and FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed as much in our interview for PC Gamer’s cover story on Shadow of the Erdtree, which you’ll be able to read before the expansion’s out.
Elden Ring guide with links to build suggestions, NPC quest walkthroughs, where to find enough smithing stones to upgrade your gear, and more.
