Dark Souls Has Been Named The Ultimate Game Of All Time
The votes have been counted and verified, and it's true, FromSoftware's Dark Souls can now boast the honour of being the best video game of all time - well in some circles. It's been a decade since the stellar entry to the Souls series first hit consoles, so what a way to celebrate.
Stretching all the way back to Demon's Souls on the PS3 in 2009, the Souls series has not only lived on through its various title, but also birthed the whole Soulslike genre which can even be stretched to include the likes of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and God of War. With many holding Dark Souls as the best in the franchise, is it any wonder it scooped this prestigious prize?
How Did Dark Souls Win The Ultimate Game Of All Time?
The Golden Joystick Awards took place on November 23 and saw the great and the good of the industry gather together. As well as PC winning Ultimate Hardware of All Time (sorry PS2), Deathloop won the Critics Choice, Resident Evil Village won the Ultimate Game of the Year, and Dark Souls scooped what is arguably the biggest award.
During an acceptance speech (via Google Japan), an emotional Dark Souls Director Hidetaka Mizayaki said, "Thank you very much for receiving such a wonderful award. It's still unbelievable that the user chose from the nominated works, but I feel it's a great honour." Mizayaki said that many of the team who joined to work on Dark Souls are now at "the core of the latest effort, Elden Ring."
Speaking of which, the next entry in the Souls series is 2022's Elden Ring, which won this year's Golden Joystick award for Most Wanted. Importantly, Dark Souls joins The Last of Us Part II from 2020, Resident Evil 2 remake from 2019, and Fortnite in 2018 as Ultimate Game of All Time.
Is Dark Souls Really The Best Game Of All Time?
Dark Souls faced some stiff competition this year, with it beating 1993's DOOM, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Last of Us, Super Mario 64, and more. Each year's Golden Joystick list is packed with some stiff competition, but 2021's was tougher than most.
The list was arranged by how many votes each game received, meaning it's even more impressive to see who Dark Souls beat. In second place was DOOM - which is amazing because it's considered the father of the first-person shooter genre. Some claim there were just 30 votes in it, so it was a close call.
In the years since its release in 2011, Dark Souls has been praised for its gripping story, brooding aesthetic, and gruelling combat. Like any Souls game, some have complained it's too hard, but we think that's only helped elevate it to the level of Ultimate Game of All Time.
We could sit here all day and mull over what is truly the greatest game of all time, but ultimately, you're just going to p*ss people off. Even though IGN fans voted 2018's God of War as the best game ever - it only spurred the usual negativity. It's out for debate on whether Dark Souls deserved the win this year, but it will be interesting to look back in the year 2032 to see if Elden Ring has the same kudos.