7 Times Dark Souls Infiltrated Other Games

“Fallout 4: Nuka World” (2016) In the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout, those wandering the Wasteland need to be on the lookout for any opportunity to praise the Sun in the desolate irradiated landscape. In Fallout 4’s final DLC, Nuka World, if players travel to Bradberton, inside the remains of a building mostly lost to time and nuclear fallout, they can find a sword sticking out of a pile of ashes. When prompted, if the player chooses to “Kindle” the flame, stimpaks rain from the sky providing much needed health in the dangerous wastes much the same as resting at a bonfire rekindles the Ashen One in Dark Souls. The sword can also be pulled from the fire and then used by the Wanderer. We just hope that doing so didn’t cost any of their humanity.

“Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare” Series (2014-16) The bright and colorful world of plants fighting against zombies trying to take over an idyllic neighborhood wouldn’t seem like somewhere you would find nods to an ultra difficult and violent RPG, but it wouldn’t be on this list otherwise now would it? Intrepid players can find not only multiple bonfires, one hidden on the edge of cliff with a cartoony sword sticking out of it, and another with its own knight praising the light of the fire, but in Driftwood Shores on a cliffside, the now iconic phrase “Praise the Sun” can be found burned into the grass in the Dark Souls’ backlit text albeit with a Plants vs Zombies twist calling for those who discover the message to “Praise the Sunflower”.

“Destiny” (2014) The futuristic and planet hopping world of Destiny might be one of the last places you’d expect to find any nods or references to FromSoft’s seminal series, but the developers at Bungie aren’t only fans of the series, they’re also cheekily clever. In the original Destiny Year 1, players can acquire the armor set Heart of Praxic Fire and one of the upgrades associated with the armor set is “Praise the Sun” which decreases the time between powerup cooldowns. Guardians can also purchase an emote called “Praise the Gun” in which the player’s Guardian bows with arms outstretched, much like how Solaire praises the sun in the main Dark Souls series.

Git Gud

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“Dead Cells” (2017) Ever since the popularity of the Dark Souls series exploded, many developers both indie and AAA, have found clever ways to incorporate elements of the beloved series into their own games while also putting their own spin on the tried and true formula. Dead Cells adopts elements of the Souls series and applies them to a 2D rogue-like dungeon crawler with Metroidvania exploration to great success. Developer Motion Twin included a nod to the series that helped inspire them. While exploring the Ancient Sewers, the Prisoner will happen upon a body resting near a bonfire, complete with sword and all, and the armored solider’s final words scrawled on the wall nearby: “Git Gud” referencing the popular meme about Dark Souls’ notorious difficulty. If the Prisoner happens to rest at the bonfire, all the enemies within the area will also respawn just like in the Souls series.

“World of Warcraft” (2004) Even with World of Warcraft remaining one of the most popular MMORPGs for almost two decades now, the developers still find time to visit realms outside the world of Azeroth. For those exploring the World of Warcraft they might happen upon the Solaire of Astora, a true Warrior of Sunlight, praising the light when players first meet him,and he will happily exclaim he chose to become undead so as to find his own sun. This isn’t the only time players will find someone who crossed over from the world of Lordran into Azeroth either. In a rare encounter, players are tasked with hunting a beast known as the Cracklefang, an enormous wolf who fights his pursuers with an equally large sword in his teeth, an obvious reference to Sif from Dark Souls.

From Cave

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“3D Dot Game Heroes” (2009) We’re cheating a bit with this entry as it’s actually Demon’s Souls that’s getting some much deserved attention here, but it’s our list and we can do what we want. Developed by Silicon Studio but published by FromSoftware, 3D Dot Games Heroes has more in common with old school Zelda games that the Souls series FromSoftware is known for, but that didn’t stop Silicon Studios from showing some love to their publisher. While exploring the overworld, players can discover a cave that drops numerous references to From’s recent hit Demon’s Souls. Within the cave, players can discover numerous messages such as “It’s safe here” and “Come on guys, the game isn’t THAT hard.” In addition, players can also obtain the “Hero’s Soul” from a “mere corpse” as well as the “Sticky White Stuff,” the same item that can be obtained in Demon’s Souls.

“Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragonkeep” (2013) Collecting souls is at the heart and, um, soul of the Dark Souls series, as is collecting new and upgraded equipment both from the world and fallen enemies. Another series obsessed with loot took a stab at collecting Souls in between all the guns, guns, guns. In the DLC to Borderlands 2 Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon’s Keep, players stumble across the Crestfallen Player who has lost all his collected souls to an invading player called n00bkiller and he requests the player’s assistance in lighting the nearby bonfires to recollect his lost souls and finally face down n00bkiller once and for all. This isn’t the only time Dark Souls secrets have been found hiding in Borderlands 2, as players can find Bonfire Island with a weary warrior resting near the flames, and in the latest release, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the mimic makes checking every chest a heart pounding experience.