How's that for a title, eh?
So I've been enjoying Dark Souls 2 -- an excellent game, deserving of the Souls name. And one of the bosses, Velstadt the Royal Aegis, reminds me of Garl Vinland from Demon's Souls. Like Vinland, Velstadt wears stylish armor and wields a massive hammer... and is endlessly loyal to the one he protects.
I've talked before about how much I admire the Valley of Defilement in Demon's Souls, and Vinland and Astraea are a big reason why... To reach them, you must slog through three levels of pure misery. Seriously, this is one of the most oppressive worlds in videogames. It's so dark that you can hardly see more than 10 feet in front of you. You're poisoned and popping antidotes constantly as you wade through the blood and excrement. Your character suffers movement penalties that don't affect any of your enemies. When you're out of the swamp, you're trying to navigate a complicated tangle of rotting wood, teeming with trolls. And be wary of perspective — that Depraved One that looks bite-sized off in the distance might be much, MUCH bigger than you think. And the mosquitoes... Gah!
At the end of it all, you arrive at a toxic lake teeming with Plague Babies. An earlier archstone description reads: "This damp valley is the resting place of those who have been thrown away." It's not hard to imagine what these babies are:
Tending to the babies is the Maiden Astraea. She's a striking sight — a bright white silhouette sitting on the shoreline, ethereal in her beauty. According to another archstone description: "Once a Sixth Saint, Astraea lived with those awaiting death in the Valley of Defilement. She pledged herself to a demon's soul rather than a cruel God to ease the pain of the people there."
I find this concept so beautiful after everything you've experienced in the Valley of Defilement. It's a very human concept: If there is a God out there, why does he allow us to suffer? Everyone wonders this when pondering the meaning of life and the possibility of a higher power. Astraea represents alienation from God, and takes it upon herself to relieve the suffering of the lepers in society.
So naturally... you have to kill her.
It turns out that the unconditionally loving Astraea has a demon's soul. She pleads with you to leave her and her people alone:
And when you kill Vinland, and go after Astraea:
So what did you think of this scene from Demon's Souls? At the time it really blew me away. It was -not- what I was expecting after all of the previous boss battles. Sif the Great Grey Wolf limping along in Dark Souls 1 was also affecting, but I don't think anything in the Souls series has quite topped Vinland and Astraea for pure poignancy.
So I've been enjoying Dark Souls 2 -- an excellent game, deserving of the Souls name. And one of the bosses, Velstadt the Royal Aegis, reminds me of Garl Vinland from Demon's Souls. Like Vinland, Velstadt wears stylish armor and wields a massive hammer... and is endlessly loyal to the one he protects.
I've talked before about how much I admire the Valley of Defilement in Demon's Souls, and Vinland and Astraea are a big reason why... To reach them, you must slog through three levels of pure misery. Seriously, this is one of the most oppressive worlds in videogames. It's so dark that you can hardly see more than 10 feet in front of you. You're poisoned and popping antidotes constantly as you wade through the blood and excrement. Your character suffers movement penalties that don't affect any of your enemies. When you're out of the swamp, you're trying to navigate a complicated tangle of rotting wood, teeming with trolls. And be wary of perspective — that Depraved One that looks bite-sized off in the distance might be much, MUCH bigger than you think. And the mosquitoes... Gah!
At the end of it all, you arrive at a toxic lake teeming with Plague Babies. An earlier archstone description reads: "This damp valley is the resting place of those who have been thrown away." It's not hard to imagine what these babies are:
Tending to the babies is the Maiden Astraea. She's a striking sight — a bright white silhouette sitting on the shoreline, ethereal in her beauty. According to another archstone description: "Once a Sixth Saint, Astraea lived with those awaiting death in the Valley of Defilement. She pledged herself to a demon's soul rather than a cruel God to ease the pain of the people there."
I find this concept so beautiful after everything you've experienced in the Valley of Defilement. It's a very human concept: If there is a God out there, why does he allow us to suffer? Everyone wonders this when pondering the meaning of life and the possibility of a higher power. Astraea represents alienation from God, and takes it upon herself to relieve the suffering of the lepers in society.
So naturally... you have to kill her.
It turns out that the unconditionally loving Astraea has a demon's soul. She pleads with you to leave her and her people alone:
Her bodyguard and possible lover, Garl Vinland, does not want to fight you, either. He stands cautiously on the narrow ledge leading to Astraea. All he is concerned about is her safety. It's an incredibly sad scene... A man nervously trying to save the woman he loves from the murderer at their doorstep. As Vinland says:
And when you kill Vinland, and go after Astraea:
I've never felt more guilty in a videogame. Here is this woman who has dedicated herself to the victims of the world... and here you are, plunging your sword into her, a confirmation of the world's cruelty. Alternatively, she will commit suicide. For most people, this will be one of the last bosses they play, since it's in 5-3. It really casts a shadow over everything you've accomplished up to that point.
So what did you think of this scene from Demon's Souls? At the time it really blew me away. It was -not- what I was expecting after all of the previous boss battles. Sif the Great Grey Wolf limping along in Dark Souls 1 was also affecting, but I don't think anything in the Souls series has quite topped Vinland and Astraea for pure poignancy.
Demon's Souls remaster for PS4, pls
