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Back in June 2024, Yen Press announced that it would release manga based on the Dark Souls series called Dark Souls: Redemption. I’ll it I ended up feeling a bit apprehensive when I heard about it, given it’s being written by Julien Blondel, an author who wasn’t involved with the games. However, I was delighted to see how true to the concepts from the game this new story feels. 

Editor’s Note: There will be some minor spoilers for the first volume of the Dark Souls: Redemption manga below. y2n6s

The first moments of Dark Souls: Redemption are hauntingly familiar. A tomb. A body on a slab. The horrors of waking up alone, with no memories or sense of self, in a crypt. Venturing out to see absolutely nothing but desolation. If you didn’t know this involved an introduction to a manga, it might sound like the start of someone’s retelling of their personal Dark Souls playthrough. But here we are. Ira’s journey begins much like our own, which I think helps the story since we can see ourself in it.

It also helps that it is accompanied by some ominous hints at Dark Souls: Redemption’s lore. Rather than us immediately starting with Ira, we see Lord Gaalor and his knights growing alarmed at the sign of a flame revealing that “the Scourge” awoke and returned to the land. Seeing as how he and his Grey Cinders group immediately head to Ira to face her, it’s clear to the unfamiliar reader she’s tied to or the cause of it. The fact that it is also in the name of the dragons makes it more curious, propelling you forward for a taste of truth.

From there, the pacing is absolutely perfect. Much like the Dark Souls games, the manga gives us no quarter. We’re immediately thrust into danger and mystery. From the ghostly dog that seems friendly to Ira and the old ally Eudo who used to be tied to Gaalor, but pledged to protect her, to the new threats she faces from the Grey Cinders, a dragon, and her knowledge of the unknown, it’s absolutely captivating. Part of this is due to Shonen’s art perfectly capturing the ambiance, both with imposing warriors like Eudo and more unholy menaces like the first golem threatening Ira and Ar’vrark.

I would say that the fact that Dark Souls: Redemption keeps us so in the dark, gradually revealing more, helps the manga as well. My the end, we’re aware that Ira was a person of some importance. She did something which many consider unforgivable. However, one closest to her doesn’t see it that way and was so dedicated that they swore an oath that would physically hurt them to keep the secret. The place at which the first volume end results in Ira being posed as a very formidable warrior, even with her amnesia affecting her, and sets the story up to tell a tale like similar to the ones in FromSoftware’s works.

It feels like Dark Souls: Redemption could have all the elements to help ensure the manga feels right when compared to the FromSoftware games. The opening moments mimic the ones our avatars experience in Dark Souls. We start to see a story filled with concepts of betrayal, corruption, greed, and of course malice. There are daunting opponents, as well as the potential for morally grey decisions and plot beats. I’m excited to see what future volumes could bring and how elements like the Darksign and Hollowing come up throughout, as well as see the rest of Ira’s story.

The first volume of the Dark Souls: Redemption manga is available now via Yen Press, and there’s no word on a release window for the second installment yet.

The post Dark Souls: Redemption Manga Starts an Engaging, Original Story     appeared first on Siliconera.

Yen Press announced an original Dark Souls manga adaptation called Dark Souls: Redemption. It will feature an original story inspired by the game, and the first volume of it will debut on August 27, 2024. 

There are few details about what the series will involve. However, the main characters will be a warrior accompanying a nameless woman into Lordran. The Gray Cinders are also mentioned.

Here’s a look at the first cover for the first volume in the new series. While pre-orders aren't live for the adaptation yet, Yen Press did open an official listing for the series.

While the Dark Souls: Redemption is an original creation with a story by French author Julien Blondel and art by Shonen, it isn’t the first manga adaptation of a FromSoftware series. Yen Press previously picked up Kadokawa’s Japanese Elden Ring manga. It’s a comedic look at the adventures of Aseo in The Lands Between. Titan also released a Bloodborne comic series.

Volume 1 of the Dark Souls: Redemption manga will launch on August 27, 2024. The original video game is available on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, while the remaster is out on the PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and PC. 

The post Dark Souls: Redemption Manga Debuts in August appeared first on Siliconera.

Gecco opened pre-orders for its 1/6 scale statue of Artorias the Abyssbreaker from Dark Souls. People all over the world can now place orders for the statue at $759.99. Ultra Tokyo Connection, Diamond Comics Distributor, and Sideshow will also help distribute the statue in North America.

Gecco will base the figure's pose on Artorias' first appearance cutscene. The sculptor will weave the statue's chainmail in the same way as the real armor. The abyssal darkness that corrupts Artorias around his feet will also depicted in much detail as it overflows beyond the statue's base.

The 1/6-scale statue will have an overall height of around 380mm (~14.96 inches). The manufacturer will use ABS material to form most of the body frames. It will then cover them with PVC material that allows finer details and longer preservation.

Artorias the Abyssbreaker, also known as Knight Artorias, is a key character and boss in the Artorias of the Abyss expansion pack. FromSoftware first included the content in the 2012 PC release Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition before releasing it as DLC for the original 2011 PS3 and Xbox 360 releases. The expansion is also included in the more recent remaster of Dark Souls that has been available on the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch since 2018.

The 1/6 scale statue of Dark Souls' Artorias the Abyssbreaker will be available sometime between June 2024 and September 2024.

The post Dark Souls Artorias 1/6 Scale Statue Pre-Orders Open appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco is collaborating with Shibori Threads to produce new Dark Souls-themed clothing. The collection will release in a "drop" format, with orders only available in a limited window starting on April 7, 2023 at 12am EST. Due to this, details such as price, size and regional availability are unknown, but you can sign up on their website to be notified when more information is available.

Shibori Threads' Twitter shared some images of the products. There appear to be four designs featuring fan-favorite Dark Souls characters Artorias the Abysswalker, Solaire of Astora, and Siegmeyer of Catarina. The final design features the series' iconic death screen text against the image of the Dark Sign.

You can get a better look in the gallery below:
[gallery ids="958154,958155,958156,958157,958158,958159" link="file"]

Shibori Threads are a tie-dye focused clothing company founded by Singer Kyle Anderson and Guitarist Leo Valeri from heavy metal/deathcore band Brand of Sacrifice. They collaborated with several metal bands to produce themed clothing, including Trivium and Killswitch Engage.

The last Dark Souls game to be released was 2018's Dark Souls Remastered, though developer From Software's latest game, Elden Ring, is widely considered a spiritual successor. Elden Ring recently received ray-tracing in an update and has DLC in development.

The Dark Souls x Shibori Threads clothing collection will drop on Friday April 7, 2023. Dark Souls Remastered is immediately available on PC, Xbox One, Ps4 and Nintendo Switch. Elden Ring is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X and Steam.

The post Dark Souls x Shibori Threads Clothing Drops This Friday appeared first on Siliconera.

Figure makers Emon Toys announced a new Dark Souls figure of Solaire of Astora, as part of their deformed action figure series. The price of the figure is 8,580 yen (roughly $66), and it is scheduled to release sometime in May 2023. The figure includes multiple attachments, such as different sets of hands, weapons, and items from Dark Souls. [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]

This new Solaire of Astora figure is a reproduction of the same figure that Emon Toys previously produced, albeit with its sized increased this time around. The new Solaire figure will be 11cm, or 4.5 inches tall. The body of the figure has multiple ts that allow for different poses. This way people can reproduce the iconic “Praise the Sun” emote. The figure includes a plethora of items, such as a bonfire, Solaire’s sword and shield, an Estus flask, the Sunlight Maggot helmet, a Sunlight Spear spell effect, different sets of hands, and even a lower set of legs for Solaire to sit.

You can check out the Solaire of Astora figure in more detail below:

[gallery ids="949022,949023,949024,949025,949026,949027" link="file"]

This figure is the third in Emon Toys’ line of Deformed Action Figure for the Dark Souls series. The previous two Dark Souls figures that Emon Toys produced are of Farron Keep’s Abyss Watchers, and the Nameless King, both iconic bosses from Dark Souls 3. You can check out other Emon Toys products in their official website.

You can pre-order the new Solaire of Astora figure from Emon Toys’ Amazon Japan store. In the past, Emon Toys have also produced figures of Persona 5’s Panther, and xxxHOLiC’s Yuuko.

The post New Dark Souls Figure Turns Solaire of Astora Into a Chibi appeared first on Siliconera.

Dark Souls Remastered is back online, as Bandai Namco noted people can play with others due to service being restored. The security exploit that brought down multiple games in the entry is fixed. The issue in question had the potential to allow dangerous people the ability to remotely execute commands on others' computers while they played online.

Here's Bandai Namco's official announcement:

Online features for the PC version of #DarkSouls: Remastered have been reactivated.

Thank you once again for your patience, understanding, and . pic.twitter.com/IZ8lsfx3Tx

— Dark Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) November 9, 2022

This means it took almost 11 months for Bandai Namco to restore this final game. People found the exploit in January 2022. Dark Souls 3 service wasn't restored until August 2022. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin followed in October 2022. However, the Dark Souls II DX9 version isn't back yet.

While Bandai Namco noted that Dark Souls Remastered online play is back, the official Steam page does still note service isn't restored yet. This will likely change later on November 9, 2022.

As a reminder, there is one Dark Souls game that won’t be coming back online. While restoring services for different games, Bandai Namco confirmed one will remain offline. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition won’t be back. The company cited “an aging system” as the reason for being unable to restore it. It pointed out that at this point, the game was about 10 years old as well.

Dark Souls Remastered is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

The post Dark Souls Remastered PC Online Play Restored appeared first on Siliconera.

There’s finally an update on Twitter regarding the Dark Souls PC server situation, following Bandai Namco and FromSoftware taking them offline to work on fixing a security update. However, not every version of every game will be returning. The company announced that people can now play Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin online on PCs again as of October 25, 2022. However, Dark Souls II’s DX9 base version and Dark Souls Remastered servers aren't available live yet, and Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition will not be returning.

As a reminder, this all started back on January 23, 2022. Bandai Namco and FromSoftware announced a security exploit forced them to take all PVP servers offline. At the time, it referred to it as "temporarily" taking action. However ahead of the Elden Ring launch, the companies noted repairs weren't ready and wouldn't show up until after that game's debut.

The official announcement didn't note any expected release window for the base version of Dark Souls II servers, but it did clarify what is keeping Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition online elements from returning. The announcement cited the game's age as a factor, noting repairs were unable as a result.

Here's the official explanation:

We have determined that we will not be able to online services for the PC version of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition that was released in 2012, due to an aging system.
We apologize for the long wait and ask for your understanding in this matter.

— Dark Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) October 25, 2022

As a reminder, Dark Souls III servers are already back online. Bandai Namco and FromSoftware announced restored service for it back in August 2022.

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is available on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Dark Souls II can be found on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is out on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.

The post Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin Online Features Return appeared first on Siliconera.

FromSoftware and Michael A. Stackpole (Warrior trilogy, Star Wars X-Wing novels) will collaborate on a Dark Souls novel titled Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication. It will release simultaneously in Japanese and English, with Kadokawa and Yen Press as the languages' respective publishers. It will come out on October 25, 2022, with both physical and digital copies available.

According to the press release, the novelization will expand on the existing mythos and lore of the game. The book will follow the story of Ferranos, an amnesiac man who wakes up in a tomb. When a reanimated corpse rises up and attacks him, Ferranos uses magic to destroy it. Using the sense of self he regains from this action, he starts off on an adventure.

Dark Souls came out in 2011 as a punishing RPG from Bandai Namco. The highly popular game is widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever made, winning a variety of awards and different aspects of it receiving praise. While the game is mostly multiplayer to allow you to experience the plot, there is a multiplayer component through the humanity system. In January 2022, FromSoftware paused it due to security breaches and did not restore it until after the launch of Elden Ring in late February 2022.

The Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication novel will come out in both English and Japanese on October 25, 2022.

The post Michael A. Stackpole to Pen Dark Souls Novel appeared first on Siliconera.

With the release of Elden Ring, our minds are on our experiences with the fearsome, memorable foes of the developers’ releases. Dark Souls! Demon’s Souls! Sekiro! So many games, so many bosses. What do you think is the best FromSoftware boss? Here are some of our picks.

While this pick might be somewhat predictable, I absolutely adore the Cleric Beast fight in Bloodborne. Sure, Dark Souls has a plethora of memorable bosses! The Princes Lothric and Lorian fight were absolutely incredible. Gwyn, Lord of Cinder is iconic. But there is something about how the Cleric Beast fight comes together to set the tone of Bloodborne. This includes how the fight starts with a bloodcurdling scream while you explore Yharnam proper. The Cleric Beast fight just has just about everything you'd want, at least tonally, from a FromSoftware boss. Incredible design, a tight arena, and an incredible score. — Kazuma

I have a special affection for Demon's Souls' Tower Knight, boss of the Boletarian Palace (Area 1-2). Seeing the knight for the first time really drove home the scale of the encounters in a way that not even huge games like the God of War series hadn't managed to that point. It really felt like you were just a little guy, and this huge fellow was here to mess your stuff up. That's frankly an unforgettable first impression.

Obviously, more creative and interesting bosses have been added since then! But the Tower Knight continues to feel like the poster boss for the Soulsborne experience in my mind. It's as inextricable from that mystique as poison swamps. — Josh

I think there’s a good reason why the Ornstein and Smough boss fight from Dark Souls is so iconic. It’s the first fight in the series with two unique boss enemies. It's a profoundly different match-up that requires players to choose their moves carefully. Unlike past multi-boss fights like the Maneaters in Demon’s Souls or Bell Gargoyles in Dark Souls, there's a sense of choice in which boss to take down first.

I think it’s also one of the main reasons why a lot of people struggled to get out of Anor Londo, myself included. But that struggle, death after death of spawning at that bonfire in that tiny room, rushing to the main hall while avoiding the giant knights, summoning Solaire and praying that he didn’t get absolutely trashed? It was my first true Soulsborne experience. And beating the duo is made even sweeter when you finally leave Anor Londo after the fight. — Andrew

When I see FromSoftware, I'll always think about Armored Core first. And the most memorable bosses from the series are Nine-Ball and its derivatives, which appeared in most of the series' titles. Another version of Nine-Ball Seraph also appeared in the From-developed crossover title, Another Century's Episode: R. It was always a great challenge to fight the red agile mech, even with units from other franchises in the crossover game. And I'll also always the iconic theme song. "D-D-Destroy Nine-Ball." — Kite

What do you think is the best FromSoftware boss? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.

The post What’s the Best FromSoftware Boss? appeared first on Siliconera.

Back on January 23, 2022, Bandai Namco and FromSoftware deactivated the Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3 online servers due to a security exploit. Now, there’s an update on the situation. The companies are working to set things right. However, a fix won’t be available until after the Elden Ring launch. There will also be a more detailed schedule released ahead of their return.

Here’s the full message. It noted that FromSoftware and Bandai Namco also investigated Elden Ring too. The goal is to ensure all four games are safe once fixes are in place.

Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoftware are aware of the technical difficulties players have experienced with the Dark Souls suite of games on PC.

We want to thank the entire Dark Souls community and the players who have reached out to us directly to voice their concerns and offer solutions. Thanks to you, we have identified the cause and are working on fixing the issue.

In addition, we have extended the investigation to Elden Ring — our title launching on February 25th — and have made sure the necessary security measures are in place for this title on all target platforms.

Due to the time required to set up proper testing environments, online services for the Dark Souls series on PC will not resume until after the release of Elden Ring. We will continue to do everything we can to bring back these services as soon as possible.

We will make an announcement as soon as the schedule is determined for resuming online services. Please stay tuned to the Dark Souls social media channels for updates.

Once again, please allow us to share our thanks to you, our ionate community.

The online services shutdown affected the servers for four versions of Dark Souls games: Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3. Service will resume sometime after Elden Ring's launch on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on February 25, 2022.

The post Dark Souls Online Servers Won’t Return Until After Elden Ring Launch appeared first on Siliconera.

FromSoftware held a presentation regarding the Dark Souls series, and Sekiro, during CEDEC + KYUSHU 2021. The presentation focused on the creation of environments and textures. Specifically, the CEDEC + KYUSHU 2021 FromSoftware presentation dug into the details of how it creates maps and boss arenas for the Dark Souls series. Several of the graphics team spoke in detail about the process of creating backgrounds and boss arenas. Additionally, they revealed just how much thought goes into the environmental storytelling aspects of the Dark Souls series. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

Specifically, the presentation focused on the creation of textures for these environments. It went into detail regarding how specific stone tiles are created to invoke an idea of an area being destroyed. The same goes for the use of cloth as texture, as it shows how time has eroded certain areas. Additionally, regarding the emphasis of boss arenas, the presentation mentioned that these arenas are created to leave an impression on the player. It also revealed that the team designs these areas without obstacles that could potentially interfere or disrupt the camera in some way.

In May 2020, Bandai Namco announced cumulative sales for the Dark Souls series had reached 27 million worldwide. Additionally, it revealed that sales for Dark Souls III had reached 10 million units worldwide. Bandai Namco thanked its player base for the success of the franchise.

The Dark Souls series is immediately available on PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One.

The post Dark Souls Boss Arenas Were Made to Leave an Impression appeared first on Siliconera.

Artorias’ partner is being immortalized by First 4 Figures. The company announced and opened pre-orders for its Dark Souls The Great Grey Wolf, Sif SD figure. The basic version includes only Sif, while the definitive edition adds Oscar, Knight of Astora for a larger scene. While the full price of the statues will be $109.99 for the standard and $219.99 for the definitive editions, an early bird offer is in effect. That takes the prices down to $99.99 and $199.99 until June 23, 2021. Both will launch in Q4 2021.

The standard version of Sif has the wolf at Artorias’ grave. The gravemarker and his sword is there, while Sif is in a howling position. It will be about 8.7 inches tall, and 10,000 of them will be made. With the definitive edition, there’s also Oscar and his Crest Shield and Straight Sword added to the scene.

Here’s a better look at both statues.

[gallery columns="7" link="file" ids="886369,886370,886371,886375"]

And this is a video offering a better look at both versions of the Dark Souls The Great Grey Wolf, Sif SD figure. First, it shows the basic statue. Then, it looks at the version with Oscar.

The Dark Souls The Grey Grey Wolf, Sif SD figure standard and definitive editions are scheduled to release in Q4 2021. Dark Souls is available on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Dark Souls Remastered is available on the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One as well.

The post A Dark Souls Great Grey Wolf, Sif Figure Includes Knight of Astora, Oscar appeared first on Siliconera.

With Fangamer, its Black Friday November 2020 sales event involves more than deals on items. It includes free shipping and new items. Which means a new collection of Dark Souls Fangamer clothing and accessories is available. In addition to shirts, there’s a rather notable Artorias the Abysswalker plush.

Many of these Fangamer Dark Souls items build on sorts of merchandise the retailer already offered. ing the Bonfire and Sunlight Shield enamel pins is an Elite Knight Shield Pin for $14. ing the other t-shirts are two new styles for $24 each. One is a white Praise the Sun shirt, while the other is a black one with flames and the game’s logo above them called Soulful Flames.

There are some completely new sorts of merchandise too. One is a set of Laura Verdin-illustrated Dark Souls playing cards for $15. The 52-card deck reimagines the traditional suits with symbols taken from the game and puts iconic characters and bosses on the Ace, Jack, Queen, and King cards.

[gallery columns="4" ids="860333,860334,860335,860336" link="file"]

Finally, there’s the Artorias the Abysswalker plush. This final addition to the Dark Souls Fangamer collection is $32 stuffed toy. People get a 10” tall rendition of Artorias, complete with a soft Greatsword. There are magnets in the sword and the character’s hands for proper swordsmanship. However, you could probably also use them for hugging too.

[gallery columns="4" ids="860337,860338,860339,860340" link="file"]

Dark Souls is available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, while Dark Souls Remastered is available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

The post A Huggable Artorias the Abysswalker Is Among the New Dark Souls Fangamer Items appeared first on Siliconera.

Megahouse figures of Dark Souls' Elite Knight & Chaos Witch Quelaag were announced on the final day of MegaHobby Expo 2020. The online event showed off prototype builds of the medieval models. Megahouse intends to release the product in late January 2021.

The figure is a combination of both Chaos Witch Quelaag and an Elite Knight wearing the armor set received from Oscar, Knight of Astora. The Elite Knight stands at 45mm tall, while the Chaos Witch towers over him at 90mm tall. Quelaag even has two different poses. We've prepared a full gallery below, however, the MegaHobby website also gives fans an interactive look at the figure in 360 degrees. Hobbyists should note that the model will arrive unpainted and in individual pieces for assembly. Pricing for the Megahouse figure will start at 8,800 yen (excluding tax and shipping).

The company tweeted the news on November 1, 2020 below.

【#megahobbyEXPO 】🌟Last Day!

Introducing Game Piece Collection:
DARK SOULS - Senior Knight & Chaos Witch Quelaag

This item comes with unpainted parts unassembled.
You can create the world by yourself.

You can see painted proto in 360° at☟https://t.co/6cRnd4DtcJ #DarkSouls https://t.co/qTjOSS6I32

— Megahouse-EXPO✨10/30-11/1 (@Megahousejp) November 1, 2020

[gallery link="file" ids="857923,857924,857925,857928,857926,857927,857930,857931,857932,857929"]

The Expo announced many other exciting Megahouse figures over the weekend, as well. The company revealed models from Demon Slayer, Digimon Adventure, Gundam, and more. Although the MegaHobby Expo 2020 took place from October 30 through November 1, 2020, fans can still check out the main website for all the goods.

The Megahouse figures Dark Souls model will release in late January 2021 for 8,800 yen.

The post Get a Closer Look at Megahouse Figures of Dark Souls’ Knight & Chaos Witch Quelaag appeared first on Siliconera.

Kairi went through all that trouble training to be a Keyblade wielder, and it amounted to a whole lot of nothing, at least for now. Fans expecting something more out of her walked away from Kingdom Hearts III disappointed, but luckily there's a Kingdom Hearts Dark Souls III mod that gives her an opportunity to shine elsewhere. This mod has to be seen to be believed, because frankly it seems like a Photoshop gag the first time you see it. As ridiculous as it is, this elaborate work from Twitter KH-Vids-slash-Nexus iwtexplode is pretty high quality, not only putting a Kairi model in Dark Souls III, but also creating custom movesets and weapons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkbxWR5Hd84

If you take a peek at the Nexus page (and if you're ing the mod you have to go there, so) you can see the extend of this Kingdom Hearts Dark Souls III mod. The mod applies to the Knight and Cleric classes specifically, turning the Longsword and Cleric's Candlestick to the Destiny's Embrace Keyblade (Attack Form and Magic Form, respectively). The mod also recommends starting the game fresh to get the most out of it, but also warns that previous save data must exist to prevent corruption.

Dark Souls III is available for the PS4, the Xbox One, and the PC. Naturally, this mod is only relevant to the PC version.

The post Kingdom Hearts Dark Souls III Mod Gives Kairi a Chance to Fight appeared first on Siliconera.