A reflection on FromSoftware's past, focusing on their 2006 JRPG and the potential loss of their experimental spirit amidst the success of their Souls-like games. The author fondly remembers the game's unique charm and wonders if the studio should revisit other genres.
, and more come and go, some destined for cult classic status, others doomed to be left at the bottom of bargain bins for years before ultimately being tossed aside. As much as I am glad we’ve moved on to bigger and better experiences within the genre, there was something rather endearing about this particular moment in time.
It felt as if practically everyone was chomping at the bit to get a JRPG made, especially with Xbox determined, admittedly rather temporarily, to worm its way into the Japanese market and oust PlayStation. Its attempts failed, but not before it saw the release of a curious oddity, a JRPG unlike any other by a studio not known for making them. Of course, this was, the 2006 JRPG by FromSoftware , a beautifully weird footnote in the studio’s storied legacy, and a frankly endlessly charming game that unfortunately very few people have heard of.is surprisingly long and fascinating, a reminder of just how recent the studio’s rise to fame actually was. It’s hard to believe that FromSoftware started with a handful of failed IPs and a focus on some of the best mech games available, considering just how integrated it is in the gaming zeitgeist, and how influential its more recent works have become. Yet, before, a Ubisoft-published JRPG set in a truly bizarre world centred around a protagonist with, you guessed it, an enchanted arm.very much sits among the so-called mid-tier JRPGs of the early 2000s, a somewhat straight-laced experience with plenty of twists for the discerning JRPG aficionado. It was perfectly suited for the gunmetal grey era of the PS3 and Xbox 360, its washed-out visuals proving FromSoftware had the chops to pull off admittedly very linear but stunning environments and well-executed cutscenes. Sure, it is a far cry from the colorful, but it has plenty of its own charm, from its quirky and exceptionally Japanese character designs to the bizarre wonders of its post-apocalyptic world.Then there’s the surreal soundtrack, one that ebbs and flows in quality and is all over the place in terms of tone. It scores the endless random encounters you’ll face as you explore the many linear environments, embarking on a well-told, poorly voice-acted, beautifully expressed quest of fairly epic proportions. There’s still plenty of humor to be found among all the sombre reflections of inner demons and bursts of action-packed spectacle, including the entire party belittling the main character for his aloofness and lack of intellect.is a game that, had you played at the time like me, offered an incredible experience that’s easy to be nostalgic for now. However, I’m certain it will have aged somewhat poorly and is likely unapproachable for the majority of players used to the better JRPG fare releasing today. Still,is indicative of something far greater than the sum of its parts. It’s a symbol of FromSoftware’s versatility, something the studio has seemingly lost., you’d find a rather eclectic library of experiences. While many of them failed, their experimental nature and the studio’s willingness to try something new were exciting and proof of a developer not afraid to explore uncharted territory. Whether it was JRPGs or action-adventure titles, FromSoftware’s output never felt stale, tired, or shallow. To be clear, I’m not trying to insinuate that its current crop of Souls-focused experiences are in any way stale, tired, or shallow, as even the likes of the less-popularproved that FromSoftware still has a few tricks up its sleeve to keep things feeling fresh. However, FromSoftware’s reticence to leave the Souls formula behind is a little frustrating, especially when its past efforts likewas a return to another well-trodden franchise that FromSoftware is intimately familiar with. Something new, something experimental, something so beyond what we’d expect from the studio seems infinitely more appealing to me. Naturally, it is always going to be whatever projects inspire the creatives at FromSoftware that get greenlit, but I also worry that the success these Souls-likes bring is obfuscating the potential creativity something new offers., but at least it aimed for something FromSoftware had never really done before. It was an attempt to experiment within unfamiliar territory, so it is only natural that it didn’t come out perfectly. Now FromSoftware is significantly more skilled at game development, has bigger budgets to allocate to projects, funding from outside sources and prolific investors, and a bigger fanbase willing to buy into whatever they’re offering, it feels like the perfect time to revisit the JRPG genre, or really any genre beyond the Soulsbourne. At the very least, it would be great to get some more beautifully weird games likeDo you think FromSoftware should experiment with more genres? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in theHighguard’s 5v5 Mode Still Doesn’t Fix the Game’s Biggest Problems
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