Hope as a Theme in Dark Souls
For the vast majority of first-time players, Dark Souls is a struggle. The game is designed to be challenging, so much so that death is a fleshed-out mechanic in the game. The player is expected to fail and to die many times. This adds to the overall atmosphere of the game, which is generally dark and dour. The world of Dark Souls is unforgiving, and the player feels it with every death they experience. Yet, many players will also continue playing in spite of numerous failures and an oppressive atmosphere. This will not seem illogical to most who have played a video game. Players continue pushing through a challenge with the hope that they will eventually succeed. Base video game mechanics will often inspire hope in players by rewarding successes, so when a player encounters their next obstacle, they will push through with the hope or expectation of greater reward. Dark Souls is the same in this way, as it rewards the defeat of enemies and thorough exploration of its hostile world. However, there are several elements in Dark Souls that make this motif of hope more apparent.
For one, the level of difficulty in Dark Souls helps to highlight the importance of hope. If Dark Souls were easy, the player would not have to hope for success. They would know they can get through anything the game has to offer. By making some situations seem hopeless or impassible, the player must hope for success in order to keep pushing forward. However, this hope is never unfounded. Beyond the basic reward system, there are items in Dark Souls that are designed to inspire hope in the player. The greatest example of this is the Bonfire. It is a simple object; a sword embedded in a pile of ash and bones with a small flame lit in it. In spite of its unassuming appearance, the player will quickly learn its importance. The Bonfire is where the player can save their progress, restore their health and resources, and grow stronger. The player also learns that although these bonfires are not around every corner, there is bound to be at least one in every area. As a player pushes through an area, they will often do so with the hope that the next obstacle they overcome will lead them to the next Bonfire.
By creating this gameplay loop of seeking out the next Bonfire to achieve progress through the game and gain some sense of safety, Dark Souls creates an association between the Bonfire and the hope of security and progress. To seek out this fire is to hope there is one nearby, and reaching it means a renewed hope that the player can make it through the rest of their journey. One of the central ideas of hope is that it exists and persists in spite of the troubles and cruelties of the world. In much the same way, in the unforgiving, hostile world of Dark Souls, there still exists bonfires. As hope promises something good coming out of the bad, The Bonfire promises safety in an environment where death seems everywhere. The metaphor is further helped by the world of Dark Souls being, at times, literally dark. Shaded woods and damp dungeons are but a few of the locations the player will trek through, and permeating every location in the game is the absence of fire and light. The bonfires are often one of the few consistent sources of light a player will encounter in their journey. Once again, there is the connection of a light in a dark place. Fire is to the world of Dark Souls as hope is to any world in which suffering is a constant. In a world like Dark Souls, fire and hope are perhaps needed more than anything else.