Highlights

  • The Soulslike genre has evolved to include unique games like Hollow Knight and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but there is one thing that Dark Souls still does better than the many games that followed.
  • Dark Souls' bonfire checkpoint remains iconic and emotionally significant for players.
  • Other games referencing Dark Souls' bonfires only add to the legacy of the mechanic, showcasing the classic checkpoint system's influence on pop culture.

The Soulslike genre has come a long way since Dark Souls essentially pioneered it back in 2011. From smaller Indie games like Dead Cells and Hollow Knight that put roguelike and Metroidvania twists on the genre, to larger-scale experiences like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor that attached huge IP to the genre, Soulslikes now come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, and each new addition often improves upon or adds its own unique set of features to the pile.

Generally speaking, the Soulslike genre is inherently better than it was when Dark Souls released all the way back in 2011, and while Dark Souls still stands the test of time in many ways, there's simply no denying the sheer number of quality-of-life improvements that have been made to the genre in the years since its release. That being said, Dark Souls remains one of the most beloved and iconic FromSoftware games out there, with one feature in particular that remains a gold standard of the Soulslike genre.

Dark Souls Elden Ring FromSoftware Genre
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Dark Souls' Bonfire Is Still the Most Iconic Soulslike Checkpoint

Few Soulslikes Have Truly Memorable Checkpoints

Checkpoints have been a staple of video games since the very beginning, denoting a place of rest and safety, where the player can take a quick breather among the chaos of the rest of the game. Nowhere has this been more true than with Dark Souls and its now-iconic bonfires. In a game where death can come so easily and is actively waiting around nearly every corner, a checkpoint holds a lot of emotional weight for the player, and Dark Souls' placement of bonfires is just another piece of masterful work on the developer's part, always coming at the perfect time to rescue players at the very last minute.

The joy of seeing a bonfire - a temporary haven in a world that's otherwise out to kill the player - is only heightened by the game's excellent presentation and the checkpoint's functionality. As players light a bonfire for the first time, they'll hear the sudden rush of flames, followed by the comforting crackle of the wood at its base. The orange glow of Dark Souls' bonfires is also warm and inviting, marking a stark contrast between this safe space and the rest of the game's dark and dingy areas. Dark Souls' bonfires don't just save the player's progress through the world, either, as they allow players to equip spells, level up, and replenish their precious healing items.

While it's far from the first checkpoint in video games, Dark Souls' bonfire has become one of the most iconic examples in recent history, and that iconicity has made it a staple of the wider Soulslike genre. However, while countless Soulslikes have tried to implement their own bonfire, none have ever managed to eclipse FromSoft's original trendsetter. Even Bloodborne's Lamps and Elden Ring's Sites of Grace aren't quite as recognizable as Dark Souls' bonfires.

Dark Souls' Bonfire Has Been Immortalized in Pop-Culture

Something that's kept Dark Souls' bonfires so memorable over the years is the frequency at which they've been referenced in other video games. Over the last decade and a bit, countless games have featured Dark Souls Easter eggs, and more often than not, those Easter eggs include some kind of nod to the game's bonfires. Borderlands 2, Just Cause 3, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and even Overwatch all have overt references to Dark Souls' iconic checkpointing system.