The result of a joint work between the creators of Dark Souls and the mind of George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones), combined with an impressive seven years of development, Elden Ring is an extraordinary adventure. It's a monument whose gameplay and thematic depth are revealed over hundreds of hours of play and beyond fiction; Elden Ring is the source of long and fascinating discussions.After co-writing the best-selling Dark Souls: Beyond the Grave, Sylvain Romieu continues his investigation into the intricacies of FromSoftware's creations. He uncovers the behind-the-scenes development of Elden Ring and the evolution of its game design, before turning his attention to the most important part: the meticulous deciphering of the lore and its thematic interweavings that make it the new benchmark for dark fantasy

Alors que nous pensions avoir fait le tour du sujet dans le premier volume, ces deux jeux supplémentaires ont ouvert de nouvelles pistes de réflexion. Dans ce deuxième volume consacré aux jeux passionnants que sont les Souls et Bloodborne, nous vous invitons à poursuivre l'exploration de leurs histoires cryptiques, à approfondir l'étude de leurs approches esthétiques et de leur philosophie ludique. Les coulisses des développements, l'analyse des scénarios, les thématiques et les bandes-son de chaque jeu seront traitées dans cet ouvrage. Une dernière partie sera consacrée quant à elle au décryptage des deux titres, à la fois au regard de la série et sous l'angle de sujets transversaux n'ayant pas été abordés dans le premier volume, des influences esthétiques au marketing, en passant par des mises en perspective sur l'évolution des jeux. Un livre indispensable pour tout aficionado de la série de jeux Dark Souls ! EXTRAIT Durant l'été 2012, tandis que From Software achève de peaufiner le DLC du premier Dark Souls, « Artorias of the Abyss », le studio de développement est contacté par Sony. L'éditeur a retenu la leçon de Demon's Souls ; le succès au long cours de l'oeuvre de From Software est miraculeux. Souhaitant renouveler un partenariat aussi fructueux, Sony propose derechef un contrat d'exclusivité au studio. Dans le making of produit par IGN, Masami Yamamoto (responsable du développement externe chez Sony Japan Studios) évoque ces prémices : « D'habitude, ce sont les développeurs qui viennent nous présenter les idées. Bloodborne a été un cas particulier - on avait grande envie de travailler de nouveau avec Hidetaka Miyazaki, alors on est allés en parler directement à From Software. » Dès le départ, pourtant, il n'est nullement question de réaliser un Demon's Souls 2. Si la tentation est forte d'exploiter le filon d'une licence connue, l'attrait de la nouveauté l'est plus encore.CE QU'EN PENSE LA CRITIQUE"Adaptation de l'univers du jeu vidéo du même nom, cet album nous plonge dans un monde médiéval-fantastique, sombre et violent." - BulledEncre, Babelio  À PROPOS DES AUTEURS Passionné de cinéma et de jeu vidéo, Damien Mecheri intègre en 2004 la rédaction du magazine Gameplay RPG en signant plusieurs articles du hors-série n° 2 consacré à la saga Final Fantasy. Damien poursuit son travail avec cette même équipe dans une autre publication intitulée Background, avant de continuer l'aventure sur Internet en 2008 avec le site Gameweb.fr. Depuis 2011, il participe aux aventures de Mehdi El Kanafi et Nicolas Courcier, les deux fondateurs de Third Éditions. Curieux de nature, rêveur contre nature, râleur chronique, mais également voyageur de passion, du réel à l'irréel, Sylvain Romieu explore aussi bien le monde que les univers virtuels, toujours à la recherche de découvertes enrichissantes ou de cultures hétéroclites. Développeur de métier, il a cependant attrapé sa modeste plume voilà quelques années afin de décortiquer au mieux les atouts et la richesse du monde merveilleusement créatif du jeu vidéo. Il écrit sur le site Chroniques ludiques, notamment sur le sujet des RPG, son genre de prédilection.

The ultimate book on the origins of the Souls saga.How did Demon's Souls andDark Souls - games known for their punishing difficulty and cryptic lore - become global phenomena?Dark Souls: Beyond the Grave - Volume 1 explores the first three masterpieces of FromSoftware: Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Dark Souls II. Across 300 pages, Damien Mecheri and Sylvain Romieu dive deep into the saga's unique gameplay mechanics, dark mythology, unforgettable characters, and the creative vision of Hidetaka Miyazaki. Detailed analysis of plots, themes, and hidden meaningsExclusive insight into the creative process at FromSoftwareA must-read for fans of Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Japanese RPGs The definitive companion to discover (or rediscover) the rise of one of the most influential sagas in video game history. EXTRACT "In May 2014, Hidetaka Miyazaki succeeded Naotoshi Zin as president of FromSoftware, after the studio was purchased by Kadokawa Shoten. This was a highly significant promotion for the person who had led the company's most successful project, Dark Souls. And yet, he did not lose from view what had attracted him to the field: an insatiable creative drive. In spite of his new status within the studio, one of the conditions he requested and was granted was to remain creative director of his new project: Bloodborne. This allowed him to successfully design this spiritual successor to the first Souls game, while also assuming his new responsibilities. Given his drive to work and create, it is not surprising how quickly Miyazaki moved up through the ranks." ABOUT THE AUTHORS Passionate about films and video games, Damien Mecheri joined the writers team of Gameplay RPG in 2004, writing several articles for the second special edition on the Final Fantasy saga. He continued his work with the team in another publication called Background, before continuing the online adventure in 2008 with the site Gameweb.fr. Since 2011, he has come aboard Third Éditions with Mehdi El Kanafi and Nicolas Courcier, the publisher's two founders. Damien is also the author of the book Video Game Music: a History of Gaming Music. For Third Éditions, he is actively working on the "Level Up" and "Année jeu vidéo" collections. He has also written or co-written several works from the same publisher: The Legend of Final Fantasy X, Welcome to Silent Hill: a journey into Hell, The Works of Fumito Ueda: a Different Perspective on Video Games and, of course, the first volume of Dark Souls: Beyond the Grave. Curious by nature, a dreamer against the grain and a chronic ranter, Sylvain Romieu is also a passionate traveler of the real and the unreal, the world and the virtual universes, always in search of enriching discoveries and varied cultures. A developer by trade, he took up his modest pen several years ago to study the characteristics and richness of the marvelously creative world of video games. He writes for a French video game site called Chroniques-Ludiques, particularly on the topic of RPGs, his preferred genre.

The essential guide to Bloodborne and Dark Souls III.After the success of Dark Souls: Beyond the Grave - Volume 1, the journey continues. This second volume dives deep into the gothic nightmare of Bloodborne and the apocalyptic grandeur of Dark Souls III. Damien Mecheri and Sylvain Romieu deliver a meticulous analysis of Hidetaka Miyazaki's visionary work, exploring:- The genesis and development of Bloodborne (Project Beast) The artistic, narrative, and gameplay choices behind Dark Souls III Hidden meanings, lore, and the connections within the Soulsborne universeMore than a simple companion book, this volume is a must-have for fans of Miyazaki's creations and for anyone who wants to understand how these masterpieces reshaped modern gaming.Enter Yharnam, walk through Lothric, and rediscover the genius of FromSoftware.EXTRACT"The project, christened Project Beast, began soon after the Astorias of the Abyss DLC was released in August 2012. At the time, FromSoftware was also beginning to build Dark Souls II, its cash cow. Miyazaki kept his distance from this sequel, which was handed off to Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura, with support from the FromSoftware president and creator of King's Field, Naotoshi Zin, who supervised the game system.On his end, Hidetaka Miyazaki formed a trusted team of regular collaborators, such as lead programmer Jun Itô (who had already filled this role for Demon's Souls and Dark Souls), composer and lead sound designer Tsukasa Saitô (Armored Core games), and most of his regular artists: Daisuke Satake, Masanori Waragai and Hiroshi Nakamura. The success of Demon's Souls, and the even greater success of Dark Souls, allowed FromSoftware to grow its ranks significantly. In total, no fewer than fifty programmers participated in the project, along with around twenty game system designers and fifty people working on visual creation (animation, scenery, characters, etc.)."ABOUT THE AUTHORSPassionate about films and video games, Damien Mecheri joined the writers team of Gameplay RPG in 2004, writing several articles for the second special edition on the Final Fantasy saga. He continued his work with the team in another publication called Background, before continuing the online adventure in 2008 with the site Gameweb.fr. Since 2011, he has come aboard Third Éditions with Mehdi El Kanafi and Nicolas Courcier, the publisher's two founders. Damien is also the author of the bookVideo Game Music: a History of Gaming Music. For Third Éditions, he is actively working on the "Level Up" and "Année jeu vidéo" collections. He has also written or co-written several works from the same publisher:The Legend of Final Fantasy X, Welcome to Silent Hill: a journey into Hell, The Works of Fumito Ueda: a Different Perspective on Video Games and, of course, the first volume of Dark Souls: Beyond the Grave.Curious by nature, a dreamer against the grain and a chronic ranter, Sylvain Romieu is also a passionate traveler of the real and the unreal, the world and the virtual universes, always in search of enriching discoveries and varied cultures. A developer by trade, he took up his modest pen several years ago to study the characteristics and richness of the marvelously creative world of video games. He writes for a French video game site called Chroniques-Ludiques, particularly on the topic of RPGs, his preferred genre.