Dark Souls 3 Nearly Had A 2D Spin-Off
There was nearly a 2D pixel art Dark Souls game, which was pitched to Bandai Namco back in 2016, but it never saw the light of day until now.
17th Nov 2022 14:41
Images via Bandai Namco | @cyangmou
Dark Souls 3 Nearly Had A 2D Spin-Off
There was nearly a 2D pixel art Dark Souls game, which was pitched to Bandai Namco back in 2016, but it never saw the light of day until now.
17th Nov 2022 14:41
Images via Bandai Namco | @cyangmou
The Dark Souls series has been one of the most important gaming franchises in recent history, largely thanks to it being the namesake and direct originator of the Souls-like genre.
While the games in the series are known for being 3D, there was very nearly a 2D pixel art spin-off. This would've been similar to Blasphemous and released sometime after Dark Souls 3, but what happened to it?
There Was Nearly A 2D Dark Souls Game?
A pixel artist called Thomas Feichtmeir revealed on his Twitter, that back in 2016, he was part of a pitch that could have seen Dark Souls 3 transformed into a 2D game.
In a tweet posted in November 2022, he stated, "A Dark Souls 3 - 2D pixelart metrodivania was pitched to Bandai Namco ~6 years ago." As part of the tweet, Feichtmeir confirmed the project was now out of NDA, allowing him to talk about it.
He shared a piece of pixel art that was created for it. Within the picture (embedded above), you can see a pixel recreation of the Dancer of the Boreal Valley boss fight from Dark Souls 3.
Despite taking on a completely different perspective, it completely evokes the style of Dark Souls from a UI and aesthetic standpoint. The iconic Estus Flask, the Warrior of Sunlight emblem, an imposing boss figure, it's all here and makes for a promising look at a game that never was.
What Happened To The 2D Dark Souls Game ?
Considering it's six years later, and Thomas could share the art he created after the NDA broke, the Dark Souls 3 2D game was never given the green light. If you're wondering why, Thomas is, unfortunately, not exactly sure why either.
In a response to one of the comments asking why Bandai Namco didn't approve the pitch, he claimed, "I don't know what the reasoning was, I just created the art for the pitch." It's likely that Bandai Namco didn't see a market for it, or didn't think it would be successful.
Still, recent years have seen an influx of 2D souls-like Metroidvanias. Many of which have gone on to do very well. Hollow Knight, Blasphemous (pictured above), Death's Gambit, and Dead Cells are just some examples of similar titles from recent years.
While it's unlikely we'll see a 2D Dark Souls game anytime soon, these indie titles did prove that there's a market for it, so who knows what the future holds?
About The Author
Tarran Stockton
Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.
