Though Dark Souls isn't a sequel per se, it's still very much the successor to the PlayStation 3 exclusive Demon's Souls which itself succeeded the King's Field series. Demon's Souls - perhaps the worst name for a video game ever - was a breath of fresh air for hardcore gamers when it hit store shelves in 2009, but it wasn't until its spiritual successor that the franchise truly expanded and met its potential. Demon's Souls is by no definition a bad game and whilst it did enjoy strong sales, it was unfortunately locked on Sony's platform. Dark Souls however, launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, before a highly demanded PC port was released less than a year later. To many fans of the franchise, this remains the series' zenith; Dark Souls II, whilst a worthy and competent sequel, was still a downgrade in many areas. With such a long and strange lineage spanning decades, it's not entirely clear where this series of From Software games "made it's mark", but it's obvious it's here to stay, proving to everyone that hardcore old school gameplay still has a place in this industry.