For the players of Dark Souls, this can truly be described as another Chinese New Year.
Even just hearing the news about the prequel has stirred immense excitement among all fans, surpassing the joy of New Year celebrations.
In Neon Game's office, Yang Xin, Ruan Ningxue, and Qin Yi sat in the conference room, their expressions filled with confusion. While players outside were thrilled, and major gaming media reported extensively on the sequel to Dark Souls, the reality within the office was entirely different. Fellow designers and manufacturers in the industry were watching silently, but the team at Neon Games knew the truth—this so-called prequel hadn't even reached the stage of having a dedicated folder.
The image Chen Xu posted on the official blog? It was a recycled promotional picture from last year.
Today's meeting was clearly about addressing the Dark Souls prequel.
"Mr. Chen, the gameplay exhibition is just over a month away. It's unrealistic to think we can make a demo version in time!" Qin Yi leaned over and whispered to Chen Xu before the meeting started.
"Yes, even though the overall framework is in place, a month just isn't enough," Ruan Ningxue added.
Everyone seemed to share the same concern. Producing a playable test version for the gameplay exhibition felt like an impossible task. Even with overtime every day, the progress was unlikely to meet expectations.
"Why is everyone panicking?" Chen Xu sighed, addressing the team. "Whether it's during interviews or on the official blog, haven't I said it clearly? For the gameplay exhibition, we're bringing new content to the players. A trailer counts as content, doesn't it?"
His words left everyone speechless, but a wave of relief swept through the room.
Chen Xu had a point. Over the past two years, Ruan Ningxue, Yang Xin, and Qin Yi had continuously learned and improved, successfully completing assigned tasks. However, their understanding of certain aspects of the industry still lacked depth.
As Chen Xu saw it, a game designer who couldn't draw cakes wasn't truly qualified. In this context, drawing cakes referred to creating compelling hype and promotional material to excite players.
"Look at the famous game developers and producers. Which one isn't skilled at this?" Chen Xu continued.
"Some co-produce official blog posts with celebrities, giving off the impression they're using public funds to chase idols. Others share photos of cooking or travelling. And when players ask about progress, the answer is always It's being done.
"Then there's that company starting with the letter B—they take it a step further. They slap a game title on an exhibition, roll out a grand theme song paired with scene-map footage, and call it a day. Compared to that, we're already a step ahead. We're preparing promotional CG!"
Hearing this, the team's initial tension eased with the increase in the level of shamelessness. They realized the timeline wasn't as tight as they'd feared.
As if unknowingly, the shame stat they had dropped by 1 point. They feel completely at ease– at the new open wordly wisdom.
After all, just a year ago, the team had been simultaneously developing Three Kingdoms and JellyMan while also producing and promoting CG content. This year, with only one project to focus on, even a month shorter timeline seemed manageable.
The framework of Dark Souls is already in place, saving considerable time for subsequent development.
Glancing at the time, all staff from various departments had gathered. Chen Xu stood up to begin the day's meeting.
"Alright, I believe everyone is familiar with the theme of today's meeting," Chen Xu said, opening a laptop on the meeting table.
A document appeared on the projector with the title: Dark Souls Prequel.
Beneath it was a subtitle: The Age of First Fire.
The attendees didn't show much surprise. After all, Chen Xu had previously hinted at this prequel on his official blog. The game's setting would explore the ancient era—the beginning of fire. The subtitle aligned perfectly with the established plot.
What piqued everyone's curiosity, however, was how this prequel would differ from its predecessor.
"The prequel to Dark Souls won't feature major changes to the combat system, apart from some numerical adjustments," Chen Xu explained, emphasizing a cornerstone of the game.
The core combat mechanics would remain unchanged. Historically, Dark Souls 1 and 3 shared similar combat styles, both under Miyazaki's creative direction. However, technical limitations introduced subtle differences between them.
One notable example is the Estus Flask mechanic. In Dark Souls 3, players can move while drinking the potion, allowing for smoother battles. In Dark Souls 1, the mechanic required players to remain stationary, a limitation stemming from the budget constraints during its early development. Interestingly, this compromise gave rise to one of the series' most iconic features.
However, the experience in Dark Souls 2 was notoriously divisive. The introduction of the Agility stat impacted potion use, particularly early in the game when characters were underpowered. This sluggish mechanic led to widespread criticism, with some players likening the process to swallowing urea bottles.
Despite its flaws, Dark Souls 2 had strengths. Its map design was lauded, and the combat leaned toward "realism." However, the deviation in style from Dark Souls 1 alienated fans. Some players appreciated the innovation, while others felt it diverged too far from the series' essence.
Given this history, Chen Xu confirmed that the combat system for the prequel would largely retain the classic mechanics, with adjustments focused on minor details.
For now, discussions on bosses and monsters were postponed. The meeting instead centred on explaining the game's map design, allowing the team to grasp how this prequel would distinguish itself.
"The biggest difference from the previous game is the large number of reworks required on the map. The feature of penetration design will be more vividly expressed in the prequel, becoming one of the core experiences for players. To allow players to appreciate its charm more subtly, there will also be some small changes in the game mechanics," Chen Xu said with a smile, addressing the team.
Hearing this, Ruan Ningxue, Yang Xin, and the others couldn't hide their curiosity. However, Chen Xu's faint smile gave them a nagging feeling—these small changes might not be so small after all.
Their suspicions were confirmed when Chen Xu continued, his explanation leaving everyone stunned.
"For instance, in this game, the bonfire cannot be used for direct teleportation," he said with a delighted expression, clearly anticipating their reactions.
"Bon... bonfire can't be used to teleport!?"
Qin Yi's eyes widened in disbelief. The reaction was echoed across the room, with Yang Xin, Ruan Ningxue, and the other employees visibly shocked.
Had they heard that correctly?
The bonfire on the map—a core feature of the game—couldn't be used to teleport?
For players of Dark Souls, the bonfire has always been a reassuring element. Reaching a bonfire means safely storing progress and accessing the Fire link Shrine to communicate with the Fire Keeper. But now, without teleportation, the gameplay experience would fundamentally change.
To revisit the Fire Keeper, players would have to traverse mountains, rivers, and numerous obstacles. And if tens of thousands of souls were at stake, the risk of dying twice on the way back would leave many feeling utterly defeated.
"In the prequel, we can't settle for low-level designs. We must surprise players with something new, using reverse thinking. Instead of hiding traps, we need to make them obvious, even inviting."
"The goal is to let players discover the first trap easily, but behind that lies a hidden, more insidious one. Think of it like lasagna—layered. The visible trap lures the player, but in the treetops or a corner, an enemy lies in wait. That's the real twist."
"The advantage of this approach is that it gives players the illusion, I died here because I wasn't careful. This realization pushes them to play more cautiously. Through subtle skill-based guidance, they'll step into deeper traps, all the while feeling a rewarding sense of challenge and accomplishment."
Chen Xu sat in front of the computer, constructing a scene to illustrate the concept clearly.
Qin Yi and the others silently swallowed, imagining this setup combined with the restriction that bonfires couldn't be teleported to. This level design was diabolical! Just picturing it, paired with the notorious difficulty of Dark Souls, evoked a palpable sense of dread.
"So, it's like boiling them in warm water like a fish, and making the player believe like they've not been sold and let them count the money first. Before hacking them and distributing them?" Yang Xin nodded thoughtfully.
Chen Xu didn't reply, only glancing at her.
"What a horrifying analogy," her expression seemed to say.
Yet, it was undeniably accurate.
"The main idea is to provide players with more gameplay elements, giving them delightful surprises."
What defines gameplay? For Dark Souls, it's unexpected level designs, high-stakes boss battles, and omnipresent death traps. To cut these features would be a disservice to the players.
To deliver a truly fun experience, everything is crafted with the player in mind. This isn't just a philosophy; it's an actionable goal.
Qin Yi pursed her lips, processing the plan. Surprising? Absolutely. Enjoyable? That was debatable. In his mind, he could only wish future players good luck. They would certainly need it. This game concept was terrifying to envision.
After the meeting, the prequel to Dark Souls entered development. For now, the focus was on creating art assets.
While many action elements remained unchanged, the game map would be almost entirely reimagined. Iconic areas such as the Imperial City, Flange Cesspit, and the Royal Garden required all-new materials, making the project both ambitious and exciting.
It needs to reflect a feeling of changing seas, so that players can feel the time and years.
In addition to the main work, that is the publicity CG of Dark Soul: Age of First Fire.
The relevant storyboard scripts, Chen Xu has already provided to Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue.
All that's left is to do the CG production.
The object is still the company that did the opening title of Dark Souls before.
The previous cooperation is quite pleasant, and the strength of the other party is also the first-class level in the industry.
Dark Soul: The Age of First Fire has no content that Chen Xu needs to keep checking. In addition, this year's gameplay exhibition will be arranged by Zhang Yi.
As for preparing a brand-new game like last year, this time Chen Xu has no idea.
After all, before this, a large-scale work Divide was also developed, and now a new work of Dark Soul has been approved.
Time is really tight.
So this year's gameplay exhibition, Chen Xu does not intend to be involved.
As for the overseas part, the target software also contacted Chen Xu, ready to try global simultaneous release.
Chen Xu also agreed with the suggestion from the target software.
After all, the performance of overseas Dark Soul last year was really dazzling, giving this IP a certain popularity.
After summarizing the current situation of Neon Games, Chen Xu, who was leaning on the sofa in the office, stretched.
But this time the phone on the table rang.
Chen Xu picked it up and looked at it with a surprised expression.
It turned out to be a landline phone number from the game department.
What is the game department doing on your own phone?
Chen Xu was confused and connected.