What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Souls: Design Works
Showcasing the grim and chilling artwork behind the fan-favorite Dark Souls game in a gorgeous hardcover collection, Dark Souls: Design Works features key visuals, concept art, character & monster designs, rough sketches, and an exclusive interview with the game's creators.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
From Software
9 books7 followersFromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese video game development company founded in November 1986. The company is known primarily outside Japan for being the developers of the Armored Core and Souls series, as well as Bloodborne.
FromSoftware have developed for a wide range of platforms, including the Dreamcast, Nintendo DS, GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and various mobile devices.
With fifteen titles developed, the Armored Core series is the studio's longest running franchise. The most recent title, Armored Core: Verdict Day, was released worldwide in September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Earlier, less notable outside Japan, titles include the Enchanted Arms, King's Field, Chromehounds, Otogi, and Tenchu series, all of which have been met with mostly favorable reviews.
In 2009, they released Demon's Souls for the PlayStation 3, which brought them international exposure. Its spiritual successor, Dark Souls, was released in 2011. In March 2014, Dark Souls II, was released, while Dark Souls III was released in 2016.[8] A title inspired by the Souls series, Bloodborne, was released in March 2015. The Souls series, along with Bloodborne, received widespread critical acclaim, as well as strong sales domestically and internationally.[9][10][11] They have also received a number of awards, primarily those for the role-playing genre, including multiple "RPG of the Year" and Game of the Year awards.[12][13][14][15] Since release, Dark Souls and Bloodborne have been cited by many publications to be among the greatest games of all time.
n April 2016, FromSoftware revealed that they were working on a new intellectual property, as well as stating their intent to return to the Armored Core series.[19] Two games, the PlayStation VR exclusive Déraciné and the multiplatform Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, were announced at E3 2018.
FromSoftware have developed for a wide range of platforms, including the Dreamcast, Nintendo DS, GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and various mobile devices.
With fifteen titles developed, the Armored Core series is the studio's longest running franchise. The most recent title, Armored Core: Verdict Day, was released worldwide in September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Earlier, less notable outside Japan, titles include the Enchanted Arms, King's Field, Chromehounds, Otogi, and Tenchu series, all of which have been met with mostly favorable reviews.
In 2009, they released Demon's Souls for the PlayStation 3, which brought them international exposure. Its spiritual successor, Dark Souls, was released in 2011. In March 2014, Dark Souls II, was released, while Dark Souls III was released in 2016.[8] A title inspired by the Souls series, Bloodborne, was released in March 2015. The Souls series, along with Bloodborne, received widespread critical acclaim, as well as strong sales domestically and internationally.[9][10][11] They have also received a number of awards, primarily those for the role-playing genre, including multiple "RPG of the Year" and Game of the Year awards.[12][13][14][15] Since release, Dark Souls and Bloodborne have been cited by many publications to be among the greatest games of all time.
n April 2016, FromSoftware revealed that they were working on a new intellectual property, as well as stating their intent to return to the Armored Core series.[19] Two games, the PlayStation VR exclusive Déraciné and the multiplatform Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, were announced at E3 2018.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 17, 2019
Since it's more illustrations than text, keeping it as a semi short review.
I got this for the bf last year [and I got him #2 for v-day so expect that soon as well] and read this because I knew I was also going to be getting the second.
I played through Demons Souls in its heyday, and as much as I love the look/lore/dismal-ness of the Soulsborne series, the control scheme is really difficult for me to ever really get used to, so I've played about halfway through DS1 [that this book is for] but had to stop also because I no longer had a system to play it on. That being said, I've watched countless let's plays and have spent hours and hours reading into the [fascinating] lore of the series, have read the related comics, etc.
The design and general aesthetic of the Soulsborne games have always been a favorite of mine. So when I found out this book existed I was stoked. It's very high quality, both physically and the content within. It's so nice to be able to see art/diagrams of the many enemies in the games, since most of the time the game is so dark, and moves so fast, you don't get to see the detail that goes into the things you fight most of the time.
There's also random commentary on some of the design choices, and interviews within the book that were very interesting to read over.
That being said, I didn't give it a full 5 star because it seemed rather... incomplete? There's actually a ton of official art and detailed concepts that you can easily find online from the designers/official websites/etc that were left out of the book for some reason. That, and there are enemies [bosses in particular in this case] that are actually huge and detailed, and lots of important lore around them, and they only got a picture that's maybe a fourth of a page and tiny, whereas other common enemies get full pages. This includes some of the Lord Souls bosses too, which I thought was really backwards.
I'd definitely only really recommend it to Soulsborne fans who have played DS1 since it is pretty spoiler-y if you haven't/plan to; or if you at least highly appreciate DS1.
I got this for the bf last year [and I got him #2 for v-day so expect that soon as well] and read this because I knew I was also going to be getting the second.
I played through Demons Souls in its heyday, and as much as I love the look/lore/dismal-ness of the Soulsborne series, the control scheme is really difficult for me to ever really get used to, so I've played about halfway through DS1 [that this book is for] but had to stop also because I no longer had a system to play it on. That being said, I've watched countless let's plays and have spent hours and hours reading into the [fascinating] lore of the series, have read the related comics, etc.
The design and general aesthetic of the Soulsborne games have always been a favorite of mine. So when I found out this book existed I was stoked. It's very high quality, both physically and the content within. It's so nice to be able to see art/diagrams of the many enemies in the games, since most of the time the game is so dark, and moves so fast, you don't get to see the detail that goes into the things you fight most of the time.
There's also random commentary on some of the design choices, and interviews within the book that were very interesting to read over.
That being said, I didn't give it a full 5 star because it seemed rather... incomplete? There's actually a ton of official art and detailed concepts that you can easily find online from the designers/official websites/etc that were left out of the book for some reason. That, and there are enemies [bosses in particular in this case] that are actually huge and detailed, and lots of important lore around them, and they only got a picture that's maybe a fourth of a page and tiny, whereas other common enemies get full pages. This includes some of the Lord Souls bosses too, which I thought was really backwards.
I'd definitely only really recommend it to Soulsborne fans who have played DS1 since it is pretty spoiler-y if you haven't/plan to; or if you at least highly appreciate DS1.
Read
April 29, 2016Dark Souls grabbed a hold of me with a power that most other games seem to have forgotten. The game gets a wrap for being hard, & it is-- about as hard as old NES games were. The skills you need, the world you explore, the clever maps...all of that is built on a gorgeous & evocative foundation. This book is full of pretty pictures & insights into that macabre process. --MK
March 21, 2014
This is a brilliant showcase of all the hard work that went into the design of the amazing video game Dark Souls. As a huuuuuge fan of the series, i found this book highly fascinating, and to top it all off, there is a long interview at the back with the design team themselves, I learned a lot of new things about the lore of the series, and all in all, a must read for any fan of the games, or people who love art books in general.
April 12, 2024
Dark Souls es uno de los videojuegos más importantes de la historia, y un favorito mío. Es de esas obras que, a medida que las experimentas, simplemente parece diseñada específicamente para ti. Por eso siempre tuve muchas ganas de obtener esta recopilación de diseños para apreciar el arte y proceso de desarrollo.
El libro es tapa dura, es cosido, y tiene un diseño más largo, permitiendo apreciar mejor las ilustraciones. La calidad del papel y la impresión es buena, y tiene el detalle de llevar el título en relieve con una pintura plateada con un ligero reflejo. La calidad del libro en cuanto a los materiales y la sensación al sostenerlo es muy buena.
El contenido es excelente, aunque flaquea en algún apartado. Sí, tiene bastantes ilustraciones, desde arte conceptual y promocional hasta el de escudos y armas, pasando por el de enemigos, áreas, clases iniciales y demás. Entre todo esto hay material sin utilizar en el producto final (alguno usado en el DLC), y hay una sección totalmente dedicada a diseños que terminaron mutando o descartaron. A pesar de esto, falta ver el diseño de muchas áreas, como Ciudad Infestada, Tumba de los Gigantes o Lago de Ceniza, por mencionar algunos. También no está Sif entre los jefes.
Aun así, es excelente ver todo el trabajo requerido nada más en el diseño visual del juego, y aunque no hay muchas notas en las ilustraciones de los diseñadores, al final hay una entrevista con ellos y Hidetaka Miyazaki, el director del juego. Es una entrevista amena de leer, captura perfectamente las personalidades, la dinámica del equipo, anécdotas, las opiniones y proceso de cada uno. También permite indagar un poco en el razonamiento de Miyazaki a la hora de coordinarse con el equipo, transmitir sus ideas, su profundo amor por los juegos de rol y mesa clásicos, y su aprecio por la colaboración y gestación de ideas.
Una lectura que recomiendo profundamente a todos los fans de los trabajos de Miyazaki y su equipo.
(La edición que tengo es la novena impresión de Mayo del 2023 traducida y publicada al inglés por Udon Entertainment. La portada no es la misma a la de Goodreads.)
El libro es tapa dura, es cosido, y tiene un diseño más largo, permitiendo apreciar mejor las ilustraciones. La calidad del papel y la impresión es buena, y tiene el detalle de llevar el título en relieve con una pintura plateada con un ligero reflejo. La calidad del libro en cuanto a los materiales y la sensación al sostenerlo es muy buena.
El contenido es excelente, aunque flaquea en algún apartado. Sí, tiene bastantes ilustraciones, desde arte conceptual y promocional hasta el de escudos y armas, pasando por el de enemigos, áreas, clases iniciales y demás. Entre todo esto hay material sin utilizar en el producto final (alguno usado en el DLC), y hay una sección totalmente dedicada a diseños que terminaron mutando o descartaron. A pesar de esto, falta ver el diseño de muchas áreas, como Ciudad Infestada, Tumba de los Gigantes o Lago de Ceniza, por mencionar algunos. También no está Sif entre los jefes.
Aun así, es excelente ver todo el trabajo requerido nada más en el diseño visual del juego, y aunque no hay muchas notas en las ilustraciones de los diseñadores, al final hay una entrevista con ellos y Hidetaka Miyazaki, el director del juego. Es una entrevista amena de leer, captura perfectamente las personalidades, la dinámica del equipo, anécdotas, las opiniones y proceso de cada uno. También permite indagar un poco en el razonamiento de Miyazaki a la hora de coordinarse con el equipo, transmitir sus ideas, su profundo amor por los juegos de rol y mesa clásicos, y su aprecio por la colaboración y gestación de ideas.
Una lectura que recomiendo profundamente a todos los fans de los trabajos de Miyazaki y su equipo.
(La edición que tengo es la novena impresión de Mayo del 2023 traducida y publicada al inglés por Udon Entertainment. La portada no es la misma a la de Goodreads.)
April 24, 2025
Any Dark souls fan would love this book
I decided to get all of the design works books for all of the dark souls games and I decided to start of course with the first one. Now compared to the other two which I've not read yet, this first one is extremely short in comparison, however smaller doesn't necessarily mean bad.
The book is broken down into sections, concept art which is just a lot of random images of places from the game or random enemies or bosses across multiple pages with no real sense of order and no annotations describing what each piece was or is, plus for some reason the images or all different saves which in itself creates lots of empty spaces on the pages.
The next section covers NPC's and weapons, this section was great (bringing with it a sense of nostalgia for me personally) with great quality art. Each demonstrating all of our favourite characters and weapons. Standouts for me would be Siegward of Catarina, Big hat logan and my very first favourite sword in the game the drake sword.
The following section covered enemies and bosses and its here you can see the clear distinct art design and style that they were going for. Whether that be the daunting Titanite daemon, the indomitable black knights, the incredible gaping maw dragon or the terrifying Dark wraiths. For me the bone wheel skeleton is peak design and execution (I've still never seen anything like this enemy in any fantasy game).
The book finishes off with a lengthy 14 page interview with the core designers of the game as well as the infamous Hidetaka Miyazaki. This interview was super informative and really interesting to get into the headspace of the peak creators from back in the day.
Overall a great art book that felt like it needed a lot more content as a lot of areas from within the game were not represented here which is a real shame, however there is a lot to love and the interview at the end gave this art book a whole extra star rating for how interesting and informative it was.
I decided to get all of the design works books for all of the dark souls games and I decided to start of course with the first one. Now compared to the other two which I've not read yet, this first one is extremely short in comparison, however smaller doesn't necessarily mean bad.
The book is broken down into sections, concept art which is just a lot of random images of places from the game or random enemies or bosses across multiple pages with no real sense of order and no annotations describing what each piece was or is, plus for some reason the images or all different saves which in itself creates lots of empty spaces on the pages.
The next section covers NPC's and weapons, this section was great (bringing with it a sense of nostalgia for me personally) with great quality art. Each demonstrating all of our favourite characters and weapons. Standouts for me would be Siegward of Catarina, Big hat logan and my very first favourite sword in the game the drake sword.
The following section covered enemies and bosses and its here you can see the clear distinct art design and style that they were going for. Whether that be the daunting Titanite daemon, the indomitable black knights, the incredible gaping maw dragon or the terrifying Dark wraiths. For me the bone wheel skeleton is peak design and execution (I've still never seen anything like this enemy in any fantasy game).
The book finishes off with a lengthy 14 page interview with the core designers of the game as well as the infamous Hidetaka Miyazaki. This interview was super informative and really interesting to get into the headspace of the peak creators from back in the day.
Overall a great art book that felt like it needed a lot more content as a lot of areas from within the game were not represented here which is a real shame, however there is a lot to love and the interview at the end gave this art book a whole extra star rating for how interesting and informative it was.
January 12, 2023
weird grotesque
July 1, 2025
Very quick read this one as it is mainly full of concept art. It is really cool to see how different areas, NPCs and equipment were designed and altered. The interview section at the end with Miyazaki and his team about what they designed and had input on is a great conclusion. Overall an amazing insight into one of my favourite video games.
October 11, 2017
Wish there were more but still f'n genius.
April 28, 2020
Lo único malo de este libro es no tenerlo.
April 18, 2021
Awesome arts and interviews
February 8, 2024
The artistry shown in these pages gives truth to the dominance video games over the product being put out from Hollywood movies.
January 24, 2026
Only complaint is that I wish there was more
June 8, 2021
Экселька выпустила что-то типа артбука по Dark Souls. В оригинале книга называется Dark Souls: Design Works, и это сборник самых ранних концертов, ещё до DLC. У многих рисунков есть указания что добавить или изменить. Неплохая книга в качестве археологического исследования серии.
December 21, 2019
I don't have much time for playing video games these days, but I really enjoy reading about and looking at the art that goes into the development of them. This book has page after page of stunning, gorgeous artwork. It's an amazing example of beauty and horror tastefully combined. As a collection of visuals in the genre, I can't recommend it enough. I would have liked to see more text about the game's development, but that clearly wasn't an objective of the book's creators, and the visuals are strong enough to stand on their own.
September 23, 2015
I love Dark Souls and its in-game designs, but this art book is honestly very underwhelming. It doesn't feel like it is doing much justice to the games vast world and numerous enemies. There is too little of, well, everything basically. Not much environmental art, very little item art.
Not to mention, it was somewhat disappointing to note you can find far more comprehensive concept images of characters like Knight Artorias online than you may find inside this book, images that showcase the different parts of his outfit in their entirety rather than only the final, full look. Perhaps they figured it'd give the book a much cleaner look. Which I wasn't expecting, purchasing a book titled "Design Works". I expected concept art in its entire, sketchy, doodle-ish gorgeousness.
Someone already mentioned the book feels somewhat soulless. I can only concur. I feel it is largely due to the layout they chose to go for with this art book. Images are generally very small, and oftentimes quite a number has been crammed to fit within the same page. The more polished promotional art in the beginning of the book have been treated marginally better. I understand that these concept works are very sketchy in style, but it doesn't mean they wouldn't make beautiful full-page images. Seeing the artist's handy work is GREAT. Let it show, don't make them small scale just to blur the images into seemingly more polished pictures.
The interview at the end of the art book was a lovely addition, and pretty much saved this book for me. It was exceedingly interesting to learn how the director chose to work with the designers (every designer working on their respective stages with relative independence), and on the other hand, how the designers approached their works. Nakamura's philosophical approach was especially fascinating.
Don't get me wrong - I do like the images. I just loathe their chosen presentation. The only thing that really pleased me about the book's visual appearance was the cover. The matt finished silver felt sandy, and made a nice contrast with the glossy black centre.
Overall an ok art book. Great designs treated with less than what they truly deserved. Hopefully Dark Souls II will have a better design for its art book.
Not to mention, it was somewhat disappointing to note you can find far more comprehensive concept images of characters like Knight Artorias online than you may find inside this book, images that showcase the different parts of his outfit in their entirety rather than only the final, full look. Perhaps they figured it'd give the book a much cleaner look. Which I wasn't expecting, purchasing a book titled "Design Works". I expected concept art in its entire, sketchy, doodle-ish gorgeousness.
Someone already mentioned the book feels somewhat soulless. I can only concur. I feel it is largely due to the layout they chose to go for with this art book. Images are generally very small, and oftentimes quite a number has been crammed to fit within the same page. The more polished promotional art in the beginning of the book have been treated marginally better. I understand that these concept works are very sketchy in style, but it doesn't mean they wouldn't make beautiful full-page images. Seeing the artist's handy work is GREAT. Let it show, don't make them small scale just to blur the images into seemingly more polished pictures.
The interview at the end of the art book was a lovely addition, and pretty much saved this book for me. It was exceedingly interesting to learn how the director chose to work with the designers (every designer working on their respective stages with relative independence), and on the other hand, how the designers approached their works. Nakamura's philosophical approach was especially fascinating.
Don't get me wrong - I do like the images. I just loathe their chosen presentation. The only thing that really pleased me about the book's visual appearance was the cover. The matt finished silver felt sandy, and made a nice contrast with the glossy black centre.
Overall an ok art book. Great designs treated with less than what they truly deserved. Hopefully Dark Souls II will have a better design for its art book.
January 24, 2026
If you’re done with the game and can’t get enough.
October 27, 2023
The amount of knowledge I have for this game is unreal. This book definitely helps with that.
January 28, 2015
A gorgeous book, love the texture of the hardcover.
Definitely allows you to savour the concept art of various memorable (and non-memorable!) creatures you'll find in the game.
The book is a little .... soulless, though. There's not much insight provided into any of the design. There's an interview in the back, and it's definitely interesting, but I'd love to see something more in-depth.
If you're into art books, especially video games ones, you'll be happy. I'd be happy enough with a digital copy of this, whereas most art books have some quality about them which would be lost in the medium chance.
Definitely allows you to savour the concept art of various memorable (and non-memorable!) creatures you'll find in the game.
The book is a little .... soulless, though. There's not much insight provided into any of the design. There's an interview in the back, and it's definitely interesting, but I'd love to see something more in-depth.
If you're into art books, especially video games ones, you'll be happy. I'd be happy enough with a digital copy of this, whereas most art books have some quality about them which would be lost in the medium chance.
April 22, 2016
Not knowing this book was just showcasing the videogame artistry of Dark Souls, I put this book on hold anticipating a story. While the graphics of the game were indeed spectacular, I was mildly disappointed by the absence of narration. However, I will give the artists their due by saying they did an extraordinary job creating such a barbaric, foreboding world and populating it with the most vile demons I've ever seen.
February 6, 2014
I really need to play more Dark Souls. I've dabbled in it, but the game is pretty intimidating. This book has done a bit to get me interested again. The monster and boss designs in this game are just fantastic. They're great to look at, but also frightening and unsettling at the same time. Just what you want from monsters.
December 31, 2015
I really love the art direction in this world. However, I would liked to have seen even more of the rougher development sketches in this book too as I like seeing the design process and how the artist works.
July 5, 2014
I just love the design of this game. Whether it's locations (Anor Londo is my favourite) or bosses (Ornstein's armor!), everything is so detailed and beautiful.
September 9, 2014
Beautiful artwork and a very detailed and insightful interview with the creators of one of the best realised fantasy worlds in gaming.
October 10, 2014
Inspirational showcase. The interview at the end is a very nice addition. A must have for the fans of the franchise and dark fantasy / art as general.
October 1, 2016
It's an artbook filled with some of the beautiful concept art of the first incredible Dark Souls game.
What's not to love?
What's not to love?
June 17, 2013
Amazing Mimicry ahead.
Beautiful, looking forward to the English language version coming soon.
Beautiful, looking forward to the English language version coming soon.
Read
January 7, 2018Great art
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews