Latest news with #FromSoftware
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: What is the easiest Soulsborne game?
The Friday letters page predicts the next big Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, as one reader hopes Resident Evil Requiem is the right kind of scary. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Relatively easy A friend asked me recently which was the easiest FromSoftware game to get into and I honestly wasn't sure what to say at first. I think Elden Ring is generally regarded as the easiest, but I'd say it's also very confusing in terms of how it's laid out, with no real instruction, and not really the game I'd recommend for a newcomer. I've seen Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice described as both the easiest and hardest game they've done. Personally, I think it comes somewhere in the middle, but I also think it depends on how good you are at the parrying. Dark Souls 2 is also relatively easy, I'd say, but then I'd also say it's easily the worst of their games, so again not a great one to start with. All of which leaves me with Bloodborne, which is both a great game and slightly easier, if you can say that of any From game, than some of the others. Curious to know what other readers think as I do think it depends on your experience and natural aptitude, especially with something like Sekiro. Benson New kid on the block This is very strange news about Nintendo giving a newcomer the director role on such an important game as Donkey Kong Bananza. And someone that has been at the company for barely five years? I know it's not entirely certain what he's worked on before but I feel if it was something major they would've said. So either he seriously impressed Miyamoto and co. or he's got dirt on them or something? I'm going to assume it's the first thing, so that's very encouraging about the game. Although you've got to ask again, why this information had to be dragged out of Nintendo rather than them just saying, 'Hey, we got a hot new director, but you can't wait to see his new game!' Lentil Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Optimal scariness Personally, I hope that Resident Evil Requiem does not have co-op, or at least hat it's not designed around it, like Resident Evil 5. I think it's neat that every time the series starts to lose its way it edges back to the slower-paced, scarier style of the very first game. We saw it with Resident Evil 7 and that's what it looks like from the footage so far of the new game, and I'm all for that. I just hope it's not too scary. Resident Evil is always described as shlock and I think that's what Capcom needs to aim for: not too gory or serious or gross, but just scary enough to make you want to test yourself and see if you can handle it. James Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Console wishes I've come to find wish-listing a very useful tool. To be alerted to games on sale, now that back compatibility makes trawling through the sale list an epic undertaking. Also, to keep track of the smaller or indie games that catch my eye. I do wish the console stores were as good as Steam for wish-listing though. Often that soon-to-be-released obscure indie game that has caught my eye and has been announced for console is nowhere to be found except on Steam. I still buy a few games for my old PC but have taken to wish-listing all upcoming games on Steam then, when it's actually released, add it to the consoles wish list. Simundo Too good to be true I've been reading about a lot of horrible things that companies do to their employees lately, most of it from Microsoft, but the idea of delaying a game so people don't get their bonus is next level. Although how did they ever get an agreement for a $250 million bonus?! That's so much that there was no way any company wasn't going to do anything they could to get out of having to pay it. They don't care if it's split between 100 people, they just know they don't want it leaving their bank account. I assume this was all a deal that was made when they bought the developer of Subnautica but I think they were being a bit naïve if they thought they'd ever pay up. Zeiss Guessing game My prediction is that the next big Nintendo game to be announced will be Animal Crossing. Maybe not some hardcore fans' favourite but the last one was super successful and with Metroid Prime 4 out this Christmas (presumably) I can see Nintendo wanting to go from one extreme to the other. The fact that they dropped support of New Horizons so quickly, for no obvious reason, has been talked about a lot and while the obvious explanation is that it's so they can make the sequel we are talking about Nintendo, where nothing is what you expect. But I do really think that it makes far more sense to release Animal Crossing sooner rather than later, since it's an evergreen game that people will be wanting through the whole console's life. You could argue that Nintendo will stick to more hardcore franchises in the early years, when it's mostly old school fans buying the Switch 2, but I think Animal Crossing will convince more casual folks to get interested too. So that's my prediction. When it's going to be announced is just going to be a blind guess though, as I don't think there's much to go on there. But I can see it being late in the year, as an extra incentive to get a Switch 2. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. If I'm right, I demand 200 internet points. Blanco Indie world So, Microsoft is going to shut down Rare once Sea Of Thieves has run its course, right? Such a sad end for one of the most important developers in the UK. If they've canned the only other game they're working on I'm not sure what those people are going to do, because I assume Sea Of Thieves already has everyone it needs. Maybe they'll be allowed to do something smaller and cheaper, perhaps more experimental, but I think that's probably a pipe dream. All these companies getting bought by other companies that then get bought by even bigger companies… I really wish everyone had stayed independent and in charge of their own destiny. Tacle Bedroom action In the infinitely swinging pendulum that is my gaming habits, I've found myself playing my 'bedroom PS3' recently, rather than picking up a handheld. And yes, I'm so rich I have a bedroom PlayStation 3 and a gaming room PlayStation 3. It's a shame MTV Cribs ended, they'd have loved it. Anyway, the games hold up well and I've been dipping back into my backlog while picking up a few games I missed or ignored at the time, things like MotorStorm, inFamous, and Blur. If anyone has any niche favourites from that era let me know please, gotta strike while the iron is hot. I think that it's maybe the last generation that's really worth keeping as a retro console, given the lack of hardware backwards compatibility in PlayStation 4 and 5 means that it's still the only place to play certain games like Metal Gear Solid 4, Puppeteer, and Killzone 2 and 3 (I always liked them… wheesht) without sailing the high seas. I guess there's the option to stream now, but that never feels quite right to me. Right, better pick up my Sixaxis and see if I can finish Resistance: Fall Of Man ~20 years after I got it and decided it was rubbish after half a level. Magnumstache Inbox also-rans Has GC seen the new Lego Soundwave? It looks fantastic, with the sound brick and two cassettes included. Maybe they should do a Lego Transformers game at some point. Euclidian Boxes GC: That does look amazing, Soundwave was always our favourite. Sad to think we'll probably never get another WipEout from Sony. With no new F-Zero either it seems the future racer genre… didn't have much of a future! Dougal More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Select Games Inbox: What's the best superhero game?Games Inbox: What's the best superhero game? MORE: Games Inbox: Will Wii games come to Nintendo Switch 2? MORE: Games Inbox: What will be the setting for GTA 7?
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Elden Ring Nightreign was the best-selling video game in May in the US
FromSoftware's multiplayer Elden Ring spin-off has been a major hit, as Star Wars Battlefront 2 continues to see a resurgence in interest. One of the great difficulties of following the video games industry is working out whether individual games have been a hit or not. Especially in Europe, there's almost no timely public data and while Japan lays everything bare the US info is all based around monthly charts – which isn't nearly as useful as weekly would be. A lot of the time you have to rely on secondary information, like Steam charts and console store information, but now we know for a fact that multiplayer spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign has been a major hit, despite earning a far less favourable critical reception than its parent title. At the same time Doom: The Dark Ages, which previously had shown little sign of being a major success, was the second-best seller. Although it's a $70/£70 game, whereas Nightreign is $40/£35. Apart from being monthly, the other problem with the charts is that there's no indication of how much any of the games have sold. May is not traditionally a busy time for game sales, so the general answer is probably not very much. Although, at the beginning of last month Bandai Namco indicated Nightreign had 3.5 million players. That's not quite the same as the number of sales and Doom's claim of 3 million players in its first week is even less helpful, as that includes Game Pass subscribers. Nevertheless, Nightreign has been in the bottom end of the Steam top 20 ever since its release in late May, so it's been consistently popular ever since launch. It's also now the 11th best-selling game of the year in the US, behind Civilization 7. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. That level of success will no doubt encourage developer FromSoftware when it comes to Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods, which is also multiplayer-focused. The other new releases of the month were F1 25 at number 15 and Capcom Fighting Collection 2 at number 19, which without any further evidence we're going to take as proof that Power Stone is in fact a very popular franchise that Capcom would be fools not to make more of. However, perhaps the most interesting news of the month is that 2017 multiplayer title Star Wars: Battlefront 2 jumped from 135 in the top sellers list to number 12, and got as high as number five in terms of PC sales alone. More Trending There's no obvious reason for the game's sudden, but not unwarranted, popularity, which has already led many – including one of the actors from Andor – to call for a new sequel. In terms of hardware sales, they were overall down 13% on 2024, with Switch down 44%, Xbox Series X/S down 30%, and PlayStation 5 up 3%. Obviously, the PlayStation 5 was the biggest seller, but despite being only a month away from being replaced by the Switch 2, the Switch 1 still managed to outsell the ailing Xbox Series X/S. Interestingly, analyst Mat Piscatella notes that spending on video game subscriptions reached an all-time high in May of $600,000,000 (£442 million) and the third consecutive month of growth. Although there's no indication of how that breaks down between PS Plus, Game Pass, and others. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Switch 2 owner banned for playing second-hand Switch 1 games MORE: Play The Last Of Us Part 2 in chronological order thanks to a new update MORE: The best and worst Superman games and why developers need to do better
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Prime Day Xbox deals start from just $14 — here's the 13 best savings I've found today
Amazon Prime Day always brings with it plenty of epic gaming deals, and that includes big savings across a range of Xbox items from must-play games to essential accessories (and often, even savings on Xbox consoles themselves). I'm not seeing any hardware deals yet, but there's still time, and meanwhile, if you already own an Xbox console, you can now score fantastic games starting from just $14. Or upgrade your setup with deep discounts on accessories from the official Xbox controller to premium wireless headsets. Below, I'm picking out the best Xbox deals you can score for Prime Day 2025. And be sure to check back often, as I'll be keeping this roundup regularly updated as more deals go live across the three-day online sales event. One of the best-selling sports games around for very good reason, NBA 2K25 is packed with teams and modes and looks staggeringly good on the Xbox Series X (but it's still a looker on Series S). This latest version of the popular basketball sim has dropped to $14 for Amazon Prime Day 2025, so now is the time to get on the court. One of the most acclaimed and influential games of all time, Resident Evil 4 has been reborn in this full-scale remake. You play Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue the President's kidnapped daughter in a spooky European village overrun with gruesome enemies. Featuring modernized gameplay and overhauled visuals, this is Resident Evil 4 as you've never seen it before. One of 2023's most pleasant surprises, Avatar Frontiers of Pandora doesn't switch up the Ubisoft open-world formula seen in games like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. But the alien setting of Pandora makes everything feel brand new, and it's one of the most visually impressive games on Xbox. Even if you're not enamored with the Avatar movies, you might be surprised by this one. The long-awaited return of the Armored Core series didn't disappoint. Fires of Rubicon is an exhilarating experience that brings the beloved mech combat game into the modern day. Build your hulking mechanical titan, and then square off against wave after wave of dangerous foes, but be warned, your mech may look unbreakable but the enemy combatants in Armored Core VI put up a real fight. This can be a tough game. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a first-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Players control Skif, a scavenger navigating a landscape filled with mutants, faction conflicts, and paranormal events. The game features resource management and a branching narrative, with player choices impacting survival and exploration in an open-world environment. A collaboration between developer FromSoftware, the creators of Dark Souls, and acclaimed fantasy author George R. R. Martin, Elden Ring is a stunning open-world action RPG where every victory is hard-fought. You'll die frequently, but the sense of satisfaction that comes after downing a hulking boss after dozens of defeats is practically unmatched in all of gaming. Now is the ideal time to jump into Elden Ring as its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is now also available to purchase. In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, players control Space Marine Titus, battling Tyranid swarms using melee and ranged combat in a cinematic campaign. Then you can jump online in either co-op or competitive multiplayer to earn the best gear in this Gear of War-inspired shooter. Alan Wake 2 is a sequel more than 10 years in the making. This time you play as the eponymous writer and a new character, Saga Anderson, an FBI agent investigating a grisly murder. Boasting a cinematic story and survival horror gameplay, Alan Wake 2 is a unique trip into a surreal nightmare. This Deluxe Edition includes both DLC expansions and a digital copy of Alan Wake Remastered. The 14th major installment in the AC franchise, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, is set in 16th-century Japan during the late Sengoku period. Players experience the enduring conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order through two protagonists: Naoe, a skilled female shinobi, and Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by a real-life historical figure. Versatile, comfortable, and responsive, the Xbox Core Wireless Controller impressed us in our rigorous testing. This isn't just for Xbox — it's compatible with PC, Android, and iOS devices too. With its ergonomic design, textured grips, and a button to share screenshots with friends, it's a go-to for gamers everywhere. While the Velocity Green pad is currently cheapest, the Pulse Red hue is also on sale for Amazon Prime Day at $59. The Arctis Nova 5 is one of the finest gaming headsets, and it's the highest-scoring headset we've reviewed. Compatible with PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS and Meta Quest, its quick-switch 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth 5.3 enable you to effortlessly swap between devices. The sound quality is incredible, and the 360° spatial audio makes your gaming experiences even more immersive. Expand your Xbox Series X or Series S's storage quickly and easily with WD_Black's 1TB Expansion Card. Because your existing 1TB of storage isn't enough, especially with game sizes the way they are. This "plug and play" storage solution just slots into the Xbox storage expansion port found on the back of the console, and you're ready to game on. While we've seen this fall as low as $99 in the past, this is still a solid discount on a useful accessory. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 is one of the most versatile gaming headsets around. Between its USB-C connector, USB-A adapter and Bluetooth connectivity, it can easily hook up to any modern PC and most modern consoles — or all modern consoles, if you get the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7x variant, which can accommodate the Xbox's idiosyncratic wireless protocol. The design is sleek and the sound quality is pretty good.
Express Tribune
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Steam Summer Sale 2025: Find out 16 top deals, including 40% off on Elden Ring
Valve's annual Steam Summer Sale is live and PC gamers can now take advantage of some of the deepest discounts of the year. From critically acclaimed RPGs to blockbuster shooters and fan-favourite adventures, this year's sale features major titles across different genres - with many up to 80% off. The sale runs through July 10, giving players a limited chance to buy some of the most critically acclaimed titles across the last couple of years. Here are some of the top offers: 🎮 Role-playing & fantasy: 1. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – $59.99 → $35.99 (40% off) The second chapter in Square Enix's ambitious remake builds on the original's legacy with modern mechanics and expanded narrative depth. 2. Elden Ring – $59.99 → $35.99 (40% off) Still hailed as a genre-defining masterpiece, this dark fantasy epic from FromSoftware continues to top must-play lists for its design and atmosphere. 3. Baldur's Gate 3 – $29.99 → $23.99 (20% off) Larian's award-winning RPG, rich with Dungeons & Dragons lore, offers exceptional replayability and character freedom. 4. God of War: Ragnarök – $49.99 → $39.99 (20% off) The Norse saga continues as Kratos and Atreus face the coming of Ragnarök in a critically acclaimed, emotional action game based on Norse mythology. 5. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered – $34.99 → $27.99 (20% off) Bethesda's beloved 2006 RPG returns with updated visuals and renewed mod support. 6. Monster Hunter Wilds – $69.99 → $55.99 (20% off) Capcom's beast-slaying series evolves with open environments and deeper co-op systems. 7. Assassin's Creed: Shadows – $50.99 → $38.24 (20% off) Set in feudal Japan, Ubisoft's latest entry focuses on stealth and dual protagonists in a visually rich world. 8. Hogwarts Legacy – $59.99 → $14.99 (75% off) A sprawling magical adventure set decades before the Harry Potter series, allowing you to make your own mark on Hogwarts. 9. Black Myth: Wukong – $59.99 → $47.99 (20% off) A visually arresting, mythology-driven action game inspired by Journey to the West, earning rave reviews. 🔫 Action & shooters: 10. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – $69.99 → $38.49 (45% off) Fast-paced, cinematic, and packed with multiplayer content, this entry is one of the franchise's most aggressive yet. 11. Helldivers 2 – $39.99 → $31.99 (20% off) Known for its frenetic co-op chaos, Helldivers 2 delivers intense firefights against alien threats with signature tongue-in-cheek humour. 12. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl – $42.99 → $30.09 (30% off) A haunting survival experience blending shooter mechanics with horror in a radioactive wasteland. 13. Red Dead Redemption 2 – $59.99 → $14.99 (75% off) Rockstar's sweeping western remains one of the most immersive story-driven games in recent memory. 14. Spider-Man 2 – $59.99 → $47.99 (20% off) Swing through an expanded New York City with both Peter Parker and Miles Morales in this thrilling sequel, taking on new threats. 15. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – $42.99 → $34.39 (20% off) A globe-trotting adventure filled with relics, puzzles and old-school action, perfect for fans of the classic films. 🕹️ Other must-buy picks: 16. EA FC25 – $69.99 → $13.99 (80% off) A rebrand of the FIFA series, FC25 offers sleek football gameplay at its lowest price yet. Whether you're building your backlog or finally grabbing a title you've waited months to try, the 2025 Steam Summer Sale has something for everyone. The sale ends Thursday, July 10 at 10am Pacific Time. Players can access deals through the Steam client or at
Fast Company
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
This ‘Elden Ring' book costs nearly $300. Fans say it's worth it
The $297 collector's edition of Grace Given has shimmering gilded edges, a simulated white antique leather cover, lush full-color illustrations on heavy coated stock, and a flocked slipcase with extensive gold-foil detailing. Such elaborate, ornate bookmaking is the purview of a handful of passionate and obsessive publishers—most notably among them The Folio Society. But whereas The Folio Society is known for its luxe editions of classic and contemporary works, Grace Given is, against all odds, about a video game. Of course, it's not just about any video game: it's about the mythology of Elden Ring, FromSoftware's 2022 Game of the Year winner. The game just crossed the $30 million mark in sales, putting it in the company of Call of Duty titles, Super Mario Odyssey, and Diablo III. Video game books tend to be flimsy, mass-produced affairs. But publisher Jason Killingsworth believes in the staying power of FromSoftware's cult-fave games, which launched the 'Soulsborne' genre with titles like Demon's Souls, Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series. So the Dublin-based creative launched a publishing company, Tune & Fairweather, that celebrates their rich worlds—and the obsessive fan bases they command. Five years in, he says the enterprise has crossed the €10 million ($11.7 million USD) mark, and made around €3.5 million ($4.1 million USD) last year alone. In the process, Tune & Fairweather's books are perhaps doing something else via their elaborate form factors: elevating the art form of video games at large. And the runaway success of Elden Ring gave them an opportunity to take it all to an unprecedented level, creating perhaps the most opulent video game book ever made. 'You're hoping for that project that's just going to let you throw everything you've ever learned [at something], use every tool in the toolbelt—and Grace Given just seemed like the perfect project to take that kitchen-sink approach,' Killingsworth says. LEVELING UP Killingsworth was born in Ireland to Christian missionaries, but found himself drawn to the demons of scripture over the angels; he just saw them as more textured and interesting. He also loved role-playing video games, so after working as an editor at Paste in its heyday (where he launched its video game coverage), he got a gig at the U.K.-based game magazine Edge, where he discovered Demon's Souls. He was entranced by FromSoftware's strange immersive worlds where every detail felt considered and intentional, and went further down the rabbit hole—eventually writing a book about Dark Souls in 2016 with video game journalist Keza MacDonald, dubbed You Died. Named after the screen that pops up in the notoriously difficult Soulsborne titles when you, well, die (a lot), the book explored the game from a variety of angles, from its creation to the psychology behind its popularity to its fandom (which includes director Alex Garland). The thing was, the book was released by a small publisher, 'and I had been cajoling and sort of begging them to do this really exalted fetish object of a book that I knew that Souls fans would revel in—and it just wasn't what they wanted to make,' Killingsworth says. So they released the book at a low price (and the production specs to match), and that was that. Until it wasn't, when Killingsworth bought the hardcover rights to the project. 'There was this unfinished quest line with You Died, where there was an ideal version of that book in my mind that hadn't been created, and it was still sitting in there like a little splinter,' he says. He formally launched Tune & Fairweather in 2019 when he announced a Kickstarter campaign for an updated, expanded, and, most importantly, richly produced volume, from the art to the paper stock and the hardcover bindings (one tier even involved an etched pine 'coffin' box for the book at $347). Because of their high level of difficulty, FromSoftware games can be a punishing experience for casual gamers who are not expecting to die dozens upon dozens of times before learning the right moves to conquer a given foe. As such, they are polarizing—and they yield either enraged naysayers, or rabid obsessives. Would the latter be willing to support the ultimate book tie-in, not to mention the price it would command? 'I had a really strong, strong hunch,' Killingsworth says. Gaming is, after all, a largely intangible experience—and when you have a physical object that deepens that experience, not unlike music fandom and a vinyl record box set, you might have exactly what a devoted fan would want. And Killingsworth would know. It's what he wanted. 'I just knew that video game fans were some of the most collector-minded audiences on the planet,' he says. Moreover, with Kickstarter, there really was no risk in probing the concept (save embarrassment, he notes with a laugh). It went on to provide compelling proof of concept when it made €126,346 on a €50,000 goal. But the true watershed moment came when Tune & Fairweather Kickstarted Soul Arts in 2021, a book featuring a range of work from YouTuber Michael 'VaatiVidya' Samuels' Soulsborne fan art competitions. It was funded in one hour, and made $2.15 million on a $58,880 goal. advertisement At the time, Killingsworth had been laid off from Riot Games, where he had been working, and was coasting on (the last of) his severance. The Kickstarter came at a critical moment: 'It really was those first minutes of the Soul Arts campaign where I had the realization that I was going to be able to do Tune & Fairweather full-time,' he says. (Curious about the IP legalities of all this? Killingsworth notes that FromSoftware doesn't interfere, and similar to fans who make YouTube videos about the company's games, Tune & Fairweather is essentially doing the same thing in print, providing original analysis and art.) A DESIGN FREE-FOR-ALL The publisher has since scaled up to making three to four books a year, and moved from Kickstarter to an internal sales system. It's worth noting that not all of its output is Soulsborne books. While those remain Tune & Fairweather's bread and butter, they allow Killingsworth the space to explore other projects, like this year's typographic/visual novel Process. Its most ambitious book so far is Grace Given: The Mythology of Elden Ring. When it came to the production, Killingsworth drew inspiration from a few critical places—notably Italy, where all of Tune & Fairweather's books are printed. When he ventures over for each production run, he tacks on a few days for exploration—and that can be immediately seen on the cover, which was designed by Elliott Wells (whose double gatefold also dominates the middle of the book). The debossed demigod faces that frame the cover echo, say, the carvings in the Golden Staircase of the Doge's Palace in Venice. The weathered marble throughout Italy finds its way into the faux antique white leather, and the gilded edges are synonymous with so much ornamentation in the country. Another key influence is the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, and its permanent Arts of the Book exhibit featuring elaborate tomes of the ancient world, where Killingsworth often finds inspiration, as in the case of the overall color palette or the fabric spine labels that made their way to Grace Given. Ultimately, 'We used almost every design technique that you could think of,' Killingsworth says. 'It was just an absolute free-for-all. It was so fun and so indulgent.' The book showcases more than 20 illustrations by the popular artist Shimhaq and more than 100 spot illustrations by MenasLG —both regarded for their takes on the genre. The core text detailing Elden Ring 's mythology, meanwhile, comes from Geoff 'SmoughTown' Truscott, who maintains a popular YouTube channel where he explores game lore. Tune & Fairweather printed 5,000 copies of the collector's edition, which have been shipping, and Killingsworth says they're nearly sold out. While the collector's edition is limited to just one run, a $144 deluxe edition with downgraded (but still impressive) specs is on its way in the coming months, as is a $42 softcover. Like the games that Killingsworth documents, the high-tier pricing can polarize—and he has weathered his share of commenters online who aren't thrilled about it. 'It's just such an expensive enterprise. Never mind the price of the materials and the production costs, which themselves are eye-watering,' he says. 'I just made a conscious decision that even if there was some blowback, I felt like I had built up enough trust with our audience where I could say, 'Trust me. I will make this worth your while.'' And hey, when it comes to that price tag, if there's one group that's used to really grinding for what they want, it's a Souls fan. The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
