This Landmark PS1 RPG Launched 31 Years Ago and Went on to Influence One of the Biggest Franchises Ever

One thing that has always fascinated me about the gaming industry is how even if a game does not take off and become a best-seller or Game of the Year contendor, it can still have a massive affect. So many genres have been shaped by games that people have forgotten or never even heard of. These games often take risks or offer something no other game has done before. Those risks helped define entire genres, proving that innovation leads to something special. The history of video games is filled with influential releases whose biggest achievements were not immediate success, but the lasting impact they had on future generations of developers and players.

One of the best examples is King’s Field 2, FromSoftware’s early first-person action RPG, which launched in Japan on July 21, 1995. Although it was the second entry in the series, it became the first King’s Field game released outside Japan, where it was simply titled King’s Field. That international debut introduced Western audiences to FromSoftware’s deliberate combat, interconnected world design, and cryptic storytelling years before Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls made those ideas famous. Looking back today, it stands as arguably the most important entry in the franchise because it carried those concepts beyond Japan.

King’s Field 2 Helped Establish FromSoftware’s Identity Long Before Souls Games Existed

Released during the original PlayStation era, King’s Field 2 placed players in a dark fantasy world viewed entirely from a first-person perspective. Exploration was central to the experience, with sprawling interconnected environments, dangerous enemies, hidden passages, and little direct guidance. Rather than rushing players from objective to objective, the game rewarded observation and patience.

The game’s combat also stood apart from many RPGs of its era. Battles were intentionally slow and methodical, requiring players to watch enemy movements, manage spacing, and carefully time attacks. Instead of encouraging reckless aggression, King’s Field 2 punished mistakes while rewarding cautious play. That philosophy would eventually become one of FromSoftware’s defining characteristics as players learned to master the challenging combat throughout the studio’s releases.

Perhaps its greatest historical achievement was reaching audiences outside Japan. The original King’s Field never received an official Western release, making King’s Field 2 the first opportunity for many international players to experience FromSoftware’s distinctive approach to action RPG design. While it remained a niche title, its global release ensured the series would have a legacy beyond its home country. Even if King’s Field 2 didn’t light the industry on fire, its successors absolutely would.

King’s Field 2 Laid the Foundation for Dark Souls and the Soulslike Genre

Anyone who returns to King’s Field 2 after playing Dark Souls will quickly notice familiar ideas, even if the game itself is dated. The oppressive atmosphere, environmental storytelling, restrained pacing, hidden secrets, and intimidating enemies all feel like early versions of concepts that FromSoftware would later perfect. The technology changed dramatically over the years, but many of the studio’s design priorities remained consistent.

When Demon’s Souls arrived in 2009, and Dark Souls followed in 2011, those mechanics reached a much wider audience. Rather than holding players’ hands, the games encouraged experimentation, persistence, and discovery. Failure became part of learning instead of something to avoid. Those ideas helped distinguish FromSoftware from nearly every other major RPG developer at the time. They’ve also drawn players looking for a challenge, even ones like me who love the storytelling even if the action gameplay proved too much to overcome.

Revisiting King’s Field 2 today feels like examining the blueprint for a future classic. It lacks the polish and technical sophistication of modern entries, but its DNA is unmistakable. Many of the elements players now associate with Souls games first appeared in embryonic form within this early PlayStation adventure, making it one of the most historically significant games in FromSoftware’s catalog. Without King’s Field laying the foundation, the soulslike genre may not exist today.

What began as a distinct gameplay and narrative choice has evolved into one of the industry’s most influential genres. Following the success of Dark Souls, developers across the world embraced challenging combat, interconnected level design, environmental storytelling, and demanding boss encounters. The term “Soulslike” has become a recognized genre label that immediately communicates a certain style of gameplay to players. Even games outside of this genre borrow from it.

Modern releases from both FromSoftware and other studios continue building on those ideas. Games inspired by the Souls formula now appear across nearly every platform, introducing fresh settings while preserving the deliberate combat and rewarding exploration that define the genre. What once appealed to a relatively small audience has become mainstream within the action RPG space.

That lasting popularity makes anniversaries like this worth celebrating. King’s Field 2 may not receive the same attention as Dark Souls or Elden Ring, but its influence stretches across decades of game development. Without its willingness to challenge players and embrace a slower, more deliberate style of action RPG, one of gaming’s biggest genres might have looked very different today. And its future still looks bright as FromSoftware prepares to release its next game, The Duskbloods.