The prequel mod Dark Souls Archthrones can finally be tested by fans thanks to a newly released demo. The makers of the mod originally targeted September 2023 for the demo launch, but delays are part of game development and even more so when we're talking about non-professional projects like a mod. Now, however, the demo is here, and it should be a great way for Soulslike fans to tide over
You'll have to own Dark Souls III on Steam to try it. Dark Souls Archthrones supports both Windows and Linux (such as Steam Deck).
According to the modding team, this is a retelling of the Dark Souls universe and a comprehensive total conversion mod for Dark Souls 3 that comes with its own lore influenced by the deepest secrets of the Dark Souls mythos. Moreover, the modders were inspired by the other masterpieces released by FromSoftware: Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring.
Of course, this is just a demo, and there's no word on the launch date of the full version yet.
Here's the full feature set of the Dark Souls Archthrones demo as outlined on the Nexus Mods page.
- Non-linear progression: Explore each throne at your own pace and in the order you choose. From the easiest to the most difficult, or vice versa, the choice is yours.
- New weapons: Players can find new weapons dropped by certain enemies, NPCs and transposed from certain boss souls. We encourage you to keep these boss souls until you can transpose them.
- New armor: Rather than porting returning armor sets from previous FromSoftware games, we have decided to focus on creating entirely new armor sets for the world of Archthrones. Also, cloth physics.
- New bosses: Plunge headlong into 17 new boss battles and more to come. Be sure to take advantage of all the new combat features to ensure your success in these endeavors.
- New combat mechanics: Guard Counters, Perfect Blocking, Deflection, Backstep Guard Cancel, and various rebalances and fixes to nearly every weapon class in the game.
- New NPCs and Side Quests: All of the new NPCs are fully voiced by some of the guest characters you may recognize... We wanted our worlds to feel vibrant and responsive to new and returning players. As such, we strongly encourage you to interact with the denizens of both the Firelink Shrine and the various Archthrones throughout your journey.
- New and Re-imagined Worlds: Immerse yourself in five memorable worlds inspired by the FromSoftware mythos. Relive the classic Dark Souls anxiety that accompanies your last-ditch efforts to find the nearest bonfire. Powerful foes and trustworthy allies await you in these familiar and unfamiliar lands.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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