“X is the Dark Souls of Y” might be a dated shorthand, but the similarities are fun to explore
People used that phrase a lot in the late 2010s. It became a default comparison for describing anything difficult. An outlet even called Blood Meridian the "Dark Souls of literature" just because the book was challenging and bleak. That shorthand is dated now, but I think the comparison works in multiple ways.
I’m analyzing how item descriptions and stuff like the epigraphs and background details are leveraged in Malazan similar to how Dark Souls does its environmental storytelling. I never read every item description in most games because one for a key would typically read: “Opens cell door.” The Watchtower Key to the basement of the watchtower in the Undead Burg reads:
The basement of the watchtower forms a stone cell.
There are rumors of a hero turned Hollow who was locked away by a dear friend. For his own good, of course.
Then you see Havel the Rock and he smacks the shit out out of you with his dragon-tooth club. Most first-time players miss that type of mechanic for storytelling.
In Gardens Chapter 2, Bellurdan was stated to be investigating the texts of Gothos Folly for weeks. Then the epigraph of Chapter 3 is a poem from Gothos Folly we all mostly skim that ends with:
“Thelomen Tartheno Toblakai
Still standing, these towering pillars
mar the gelid scape
of my mind”
So we learn from the Epigraph the dude that out mogged a demon with his bare hands in Chapter 2, the “Theloman giant” Bellurdan, is from an ancient race. The creators designed their work so that you have to fail or get lost first before those skimmed descriptions finally start making sense.
I’ve been working on an analysis because I enjoy that kinda stuff creatively. I figured with one of the posts I saw earlier today I’d reach out to the community. What qualities in narrative, world building and reader/player experience do you think the two series share?