Traditions are something very important in video games. From yellow or white climbing marks and similar control schemes to other features such as closed doors at suspected crime sites, Fallout. At FromSoftware they are very traditional, both for better and for worse. They tend to keep many elements in all their deliveries.
You don’t have to go far to find evidence. You have several examples in iGamesNews: the Dark Moon Greatsword, the Giza Wheel and the Armor of Thorns, among many others that you will surely know if you are a souls fan. Even if you go beyond FromSoftware. You can find the Giza Wheel in Lies of P, for example.
They are details, winks and references that many souls share with each other. They are ways of telling the player that they are still at home, despite being in a different experience. And although I have talked about several, I have not yet dedicated time to one of the most iconic, beloved and well-known: the greatsword.
The Dark Souls Greatsword Through the Ages
He dark souls greatsword It is one of the most iconic weapons in the Soulslike genre. It has been used for many years by players who focus their character builds on strength. It is often described as an “ultrasword”, although its original description in the game is a little more honorable and epic:
One of the gigantic straight swords. Few have what it takes to wield this incredibly heavy and destructive monster. It was the favorite weapon of the Knights of Berenike, known for their heavy armor, and of Tarkas, Dark Iron.
Click to see the original image of IggiBoii on Reddit
Greatswords are a type of weapon in most FromSoftware souls. For the community, there are greatswords and THE greatsword, whose original description in Dark Souls you can read above. And why has it become one of the most iconic weapons? Beyond the fact that you can send anyone into orbit by raising it to +15 and with a strength build, there is a consensus that it is inspired by the iconic sword of Guts, a character from the manga and anime Berserk.
He enjoyed great popularity then, but he was not yet the legend we know today. Needless to say, FromSoftware once again included the Greatsword in Dark Souls 2thus maintaining the reference to Kentaro Miura’s character. Once again, it was listed as an ultrasword and accompanied by a description that ruled out ordinary humans as suitable bearers:
A straight sword with a very long blade. One of the few ultraswords. This heavy sword capable of generating so much destruction was not designed to be wielded by human hands. Only a few renowned warriors have wielded this greatsword, which defies the limits of human skill.
And as you surely know or imagine, Dark Souls 3 kept the flame of the manga reference alive with his own greatsword. At this point, the gun was among the legends of FromSoftware. Although it was not the most effective or used, it did conquer the hearts of all fans, whether they used it or not. Obviously, its description maintained that it was not a weapon made for humans.
This ultra greatsword has a thick blade that makes it one of the heaviest. Devastating, but extremely heavy. There are those who believe in the rumors that say that this sword put a limit on human strength.
But if you think that the trilogy of Dark Souls meant the end of his story, then you are very wrong. Avoided Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Bloodborne for obvious reasons. The latter had something similar with the Holy Sword of Ludwing, but it may fall short of the legend at hand.
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He didn’t avoid Elden Ring. The Midlands Greatsword not only continues the reference, it is also the most similar specimen to Guts’ greatsword in Berserk. So much so that several mods were added to the character to complement him with the weapon. This was where he achieved his current status as an undisputed ultra-legend. Any FromSoftware fan knows about its history.
FromSoftware’s borders were too small for its legend and it transcended to other games. It was now a double reference, both to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s studio and to the original manga. Lords of the Fallen from 2023 has the Sword of the Desolator Gregory, classified as a Colossal Sword and linked to Guts by players, despite the fact that its description does not follow the line of Dark Souls
The reference of Lies of P It was much more subtle, not very clear and certainly annoying. Some players saw Guts’ iconic sword on the Black Rabbit Brotherhood Maniac’s shattered greatsword. And it could be, although it doesn’t quite fit. Others insisted on Seven Spiral Spring Sword, but it stayed away from the traditional look.
And I recently found the iconic greatsword in the last soulslike I could have imagined: Remnant 2. Its third DLC, called The Dark Horizon, brought with it quite a bit of content. The Black Sword was sneakily introduced and getting it is so absurdly easy that not many people fall for it. There is no doubt in this case: Gunfire Games has referenced FromSoftware and Berserk.
With its immense size and weight, it is astonishing that McCabe or any human could have forged this sword. “Okay, maybe I went a little overboard with this. “Use it well and try not to lose your mind.” A huge weapon of pure description.
I’m sure I forget more soulslikes that include this reference. I do not include all the mods Skyrim y Falloutfor example, because then I never finish. I encourage you to share it in comments. In any case, the Greatsword from Dark Souls has become an iconic weapon in video games, although it cannot compete with other examples such as the Lancer from Gears of Warthe Swords of Chaos God of War and the double pistols of Devil May Cryamong others.
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