2019-06-01_PC_Gamer

The tragedy of Knight Artorias and

his loyal companion. By Tom Senior

INTO THE

ABYSS

D

ark Souls bosses are a
beautiful marriage of
fiction and encounter
design. By the time
you find Knight
Artorias in Dark Souls’ expansion
his background has already been
well established in item
descriptions and scraps of
conversation. You know he’s one of
Lord Gwyn’s four most trusted
knights. He’s an unparalleled
master of the greatsword. He is

known as the “Abysswalker”.

Gradually you piece together the

story of a loyal warrior doomed by

his own unwavering determination

and sense of duty. It’s also a sad

story about a man and his dog.

There’s a chance you’ve already seen

Artorias in cover art or imagery

surrounding Dark Souls. It’s a strong

look. He hunches over and balances

his greatsword across his stooped

shoulders. His face is lost in a blue

hood. His shattered left arm hangs limply at his side. For

Dark Souls players Artorias isn’t just another cool knight.

He’s a legend, credited with destroying the corruption

that threatened to overcome the land, or so it seems.

When you eventually find him in Dark Souls’

expansion, set before the main game, he is weakened,

dripping with corruption, and still fighting ferociously

after years spent lost in darkness.

He makes a powerful entrance, dropping down to

spear a corrupted human – proof that on some level he’s

still trying to complete his mission. Then the dark ooze of

the Abyss starts dripping from his hood, he roars, and you

realise that he’s gone. In a cheery fantasy novel, Artorias

might be the hero of the story. In Dark Souls youhaveto

put him out of his misery.

Even weakened, with only one working arm,A

is a deadly fighter. He lunges and swipes withsud

movements, leaving trails of black ooze behindhim

Occasionally he stops and, for a moment, seemsd

existentially exhausted. Then a bubbling surgeof

energy consumes him and, with a scream, hethro

himself back into the fight.

Somehow FromSoftware’s animators are ablet

express Artorias’ torment, even as he’s destroying

with brutal overhead sword strikes. Even hisbrok

has story significance. By piecing together discrete

of lore you know one of his last acts before being

consumed by the abyss. He sacrificed his greatshi

protect his loyal companion the Great Wolf Sif.Yo

suspect that, without it, ablow

haveruinedArtorias’arm.

TheSiffightis oneofthe

encountersinDarkSouls. Ru

suggestedthatif youtookSif

a sliverofhealthit wouldlim

andsurvive.It’snottrue.Sifd

itsfriend’sgravetotheend.W

youlootthetombstoneyoufi

Artorias

dden

m.

eeply,

Abyssal

ows

to

you

kenarm

escraps

eldto

ou

wcould

saddest

mours

fdownto

mpaway

defends

When

find

TOP: The Great Wolf

Sif and Artorias’s

greatsword.