For many gamers,Dark Soulsis the game that started it all for them: the love of FromSoftware titles, the itch for Souls-likes, the appreciation of incredibly deep and often convoluted lore. Even thoughDemon’s SoulsprecededDark Soulsand established many of the gameplay mechanicsthat made the Soulsborne titles unforgettable, the second gamebrought the genre to the mainstream gaming consciousness.
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One such figure is Lokey, a self-proclaimed archivist who has not a YouTube channel but a website filled with text, delving into the lore ofDemon’s Souls,the threeDark Soulstitles,andBloodborne.Now, Lokey has announced the creation of a two-tome compendium ofDark Soulslore called theAbyssal Archive,complete with a fold-out map of Lordran created by artist Judson Cowan and 17 full-color illustrations by Juan Acosta. The 7x10-inch hardcover books will come with a slip case and gold gilding along the upper page edges. There are three editions available for preorder now through August 14, ranging in price from approximately $180 to $495 USD.
BecauseDark Soulslore is predominantly obscure and open to interpretations of NPC dialogues and item descriptions, much of the game’s “established” mythology is more akin to widely acceptedDark Soulsfan theories. This will of course be one of the main concerns with any unofficial book that is touted as containingDark Soulslore. One of the reasons that Lokey is considered by many to be somewhat of an expert on the subject is his fluency with Japanese. He has delved into the game’s original Japanese texts and scripts to find tidbits that didn’t make it through localization, and has also compared them to the English translations to find discrepancies or possible errors.
Additionally, the conclusions presented inAbyssal Archivehave likely not been reached by Lokey alone. The archivist has guest appeared on other reputableDark Soulslore YouTube channels and podcasts, where ideas have been exchanged, troubleshooted, and sometimes discarded. Of course, as with anything created by fans, no matter how well versed, ideas should be taken as just that: speculation that may or may not be correct. But until FromSoftware creates an official lore compendium forDark Souls,such as theofficial guides released forElden Ring, fan theories are all players have.
Dark Soulsis currently available on PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Source:Tune and Fairweather(publisher)
