Footage featuring some of the original Dark Souls 3 multiplayer content has surfaced and it looks like a real departure for the series. The footage shows a handful of useful features that include using the monster to create bonfires and more. All the footage found was restored from the Dark Souls 3 Alpha Multiplayer system and was cut before the beta phase had even started.
The footage was shared by Lance McDonald, who shows off these features starting with something called a “Cult Death” for enemies.
McDonald explains that the feature activates randomly in the original code of the game, as enemies die as usual but drop what appears to be an item which rests on its head. Unfortunately, McDonald isn’t able to interact with the item but it does give way to the second cut feature, dragging enemies around.
That’s right, the game originally let you carry enemies around like a terrifying teddy bear. And what’s more, players would automatically drop the dead monster they’re carrying if they needed to attack something or if they were attacked in the game.
But there’s more to the Cult Deaths than simply being a terrifying accessory. As McDonald shows in the video, the multiplayer mode initially allowed you to drag the enemies around and then perform a ritual on their bodies, turning them into a bonfire. The chance to set up camp whenever the mood took you is a feature that a lot of Dark Souls fans would’ve killed for (well, they would have had to).
However, according to McDonald, there may have been other uses for these Cult Death monsters, as he notes that a menu could be found which invited players to choose from seven “cults” to use. These options included being able to absolve sin, summon a “White Phantom”, prevent invasions, and more.
As the video continues, McDonald uncovers an eighth use of the “Cult Death” bonfires, allowing players to invade another player’s game. The end result is pretty much the same that appeared in the final version of Dark Souls 3. But the original process would have seen players using a ceremonial sword to carve up a dead enemy, create a bonfire, and then invade a game by going through a door. Though the ritual itself is pretty dramatic, with an animation showing the player planting a sword into the monster before raising their arms to the sky as the game’s camera centres automatically in order to make things a bit more atmospheric. Plus, you get to see some lovely looking light effects, and who doesn’t enjoy those?
It’s an interesting look at what could have been for the Dark Souls 3 multiplayer and just why these features didn’t make it into the final game aren’t known. And if all of this “what could’ve been” chatter has got you wanting to jump into the game’s co-op mode, why not find out how to do it with one of our handy guides?
