Summary
With so many boss fights inDemon’s Soulsincluding some sort of gimmick meant to be figured out in order to come out victorious, Old King Allant is a welcome change of pace for the final challenge of the game. Instead of a test of perception and wit forcing victory through some key feature of the fight, this becomes a fight morein line with FromSoftware’s later boss designsthat ask for mastery over combat above all else.
Beyond the commitment to gameplay that Old King Allant embodies, the themes of what this boss really is will later be reflected beyondDemon’s Soulsand into the future of theSoulsborneseries. These are themes about larger-than-life figures in their primes, as well as what happens to them as they continue to progress well beyond the highest points in the lore.
Fighting King Allant in His Distant Prime
A Final Test of Combat Skill
When compared to later FromSoftware titles, thecombat ofDemon’s Soulsis among the most primitive of these 3rd-person entries, although it does still hold many of the deliberate hallmarks of the developer’s gameplay. So, even if it is an early version of the combat that would eventually evolve all the way fromDark Soulsthrough toElden Ring, there is still plenty to engage with against most regular enemies. This is what makes the fight against Old King Allant so refreshing in the final moments before the end, as he blocks players from the finish line with a legitimate challenge of the game’s systems.
The fight against Old King Allant itself might come from an older game, but it does still remain on par with later final bosses, like Gwyn and Soul of Cinder. With combos that can’t simply be rolled or blocked with a single input, the Old King keeps players on their toes when stuck on the defensive, and offers only a few chances to punish in response. It makes for a tense fight that would set the stage for futureSoulsbornegames to improve onDemon’s Souls’combat without the gimmicks that generally define the rest of the game.
Proving the Player’s Worth by Beating the Allant in His Prime
In following the common themes of the grimdark style of theSoulsborneseries, many enemies and even final bosses are often faced well after the peak of their power and influence. This is the case for bosses like Gwyn inDark Souls, and even Radagon and Elden Beast inElden Ring, all of which are fallen versions of their former selves that need to be put out of their misery. The same even goes for the eventual fight against theTrue King Allant at the end ofDemon’s Souls, but the illusion of Old King Allant still forces players to go face-to-face with the boss at both his strongest and weakest.
This concept of fighting a boss in their prime is rarely repeated in the FromSoftware catalog, not seen again untilIsshin, the Sword Saint inSekiro’sbetter endings. It is a theme that helps to push the power fantasy that comes with fighting and defeating literal gods and demons, although that isn’t often exactly the theme that the developer is always trying to tell with its stories. However, it does work forDemon’s Soulsas the game uses victory against the peak strength Old King Allant to showcase the corrupting power of devouring souls for power.
The Old King as a Shadow of Demon’s Souls' Corruption
The final thing that Old King Allant represents to players is the heights that the Slayer of Demons can achieve if he is to take the power of souls for themselves in the end. It is one of the strongest cases for a player to takeDemon’s Souls' evil ending, as they are directly shown how powerful they will become if they succumb to the power offered by the souls of Demons. However, the fact that this is a false illusion of King Allant should sway players from this choice, as it becomes painfully obvious how the Demons decay and corrupt those that focus entirely on a hunger for power.
Demon’s Souls
WHERE TO PLAY
Entirely rebuilt from the ground up, this remake invites you to experience the unsettling story and ruthless combat of Demon’s Souls.From PlayStation Studios and Bluepoint Games comes a remake of the PlayStation classic, Demon’s Souls. Entirely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced, this remake introduces the horrors of a fog-laden, dark fantasy land to a whole new generation of gamers. Those who’ve faced its trials and tribulations before, can once again challenge the darkness in stunning visual quality with incredible performance.In his quest for power, the 12th King of Boletaria, King Allant channeled the ancient Soul Arts, awakening a demon from the dawn of time itself, The Old One. With the summoning of The Old One, a colorless fog swept across the land, unleashing nightmarish creatures that hungered for human souls. Those whose souls were stripped from them, lost their minds – left only with the desire to attack the sane that remained.Now, Boletaria is cut off from the outside world, and the knights who dare penetrate the deep fog to free the land from its plight, are never seen again. As a lone warrior who has braved the baneful fog, you must face the hardest of challenges to earn the title “Slayer of Demons” and send The Old One back to its slumber.
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