Summary
FromSoftware as a developer is very familiar with iterating on concepts across games, with one boss design fromDemon’s Soulspopping up multiple times throughout the ongoingSoulsborneseries and related titles. Most recently appearing as a part ofElden Ring’s spectacular Rykard boss encounter, the specific gimmick showcased throughout the series can be traced all the way back to one ofDemon’s SoulsArchdemon bosses known as the Storm King.
As one of the Archdemons, Storm King holds a unique title acrossDemon’s Souls, as this is one of several bosses that caps off one of the five distinct locales throughout the game. However, it isn’t the Storm King itself that makes this boss unique or has been pulled across theSoulsborneseries, but the weapon used throughout this encounter, Stormruler.
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Storm King as FromSoftware’s First Ranged Sword Fight
Most of the time, a sword in a FromSoftware game does exactly as one would expect, slashing at close range and only being able to hit an enemy that is right in front of the player. However, even as early asKing’s Field, the developer has includedweapons like the iconic Moonlight Greatswordthat are given a secondary attack at range to take on targets from a distance. In the case ofDemon’s Souls, FromSoftware went beyond just the one ranged sword, though, also including the Stormruler as a way to get some distance as long as the player is in one specific location.
This location is theboss arena for the Storm King, found at the very end of the Shrine of Storms, known more methodically by fans as area 4-3. It is in this boss arena that players can find the Stormruler and immediately see what it is capable of, as each swing with the base version of this weapon is enough to kill the flying Storm Beasts in one or two hits. Considering the way that these enemies will have pestered the player up until reaching the final boss arena, getting a powerful counter against these flying beasts can be more than a little cathartic.
That being said, it isn’t until players have taken out a number of these Storm Beasts that the real final boss arrives, with the Storm King gliding over the arena to avenge its fallen children. It is an intimidating sight, regardless of whichversion ofDemon’s Soulsplayers might be challenging the boss in, as the Storm King glides over the arena and almost completely fills the sky. This is when the real fight starts, and the limits of this ranged attack gimmick start to rear their ugly head. These were limits that FromSoftware wouldn’t fully overcome untilElden Ringrevisited the Stormruler concept with the Serpent Hunter.
Blind Firing at a Distant Boss
As intimidating as the sight of the Storm King is, once the actual fight starts, it becomes a bit of a mess. That is to say, Storm King is likelyDemon’s Souls' worst example ofFromSoftware’s camera issues. This is because, while the boss takes up most of the sky, it also exists up in the sky, higher than the camera can comfortably hold the entire enemy in view. It is also fighting from such a distance that it can be difficult to see a visual telegraph that an attack is coming, instead requiring players to rely on an audio cue for when to dodge.
The result of these mismatching mechanics is a strange fight where the player is mostly firing blindly while dodging an attack that they couldn’t possibly avoid on sight alone. This would eventually be improved as the Stormruler would be reworked to fight against Yhorm, the Giant, as the camera struggles less against a giant boss that is much closer to the player and fighting with better-telegraphed melee strikes. Finally,Elden Ring’s Rykard encountermakes the best use of thisDemon’s Souls' Stormruler by forcing players to keep enough distance to always have the boss visible. All stellar improvements on a concept that FromSoftware refused to give up.
