Peter Serafinowicz, actor and comedian, shares his passion for Dark Souls III. Alt text: Peter Serafinowicz enthusiastically playing Dark Souls III in his studio, surrounded by gaming memorabilia.
For someone who declared just months prior that he was “totally done with the Souls series,” the presence of Dark Souls III on my PS4 was a significant event. My previous declaration of giving up on the notoriously challenging franchise had been met with mixed reactions, from online mockery to genuine sympathy. Yet, the allure of ‘gitting gud’ proved too strong to resist, drawing me back for a fourth attempt.
Bloodborne, FromSoftware’s gothic action RPG, served as a stepping stone back into the Souls-like world. Inspired by online personalities like Simon Miller, who documented his journey from Dark Souls skeptic to enthusiast, I tentatively explored Bloodborne. However, a true connection remained elusive, dimming my anticipation for Dark Souls III. Then, an unexpected invitation arrived – a challenge from a passionate advocate eager to convert me to the joys of dying repeatedly in Lothric. This advocate was none other than actor, comedian, writer, and devoted Dark Souls fan, Peter Serafinowicz.
Discovering Dark Souls with Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Serafinowicz, a name synonymous with British comedy and acting, invited me to his London studio for a Dark Souls III play session. It quickly became clear that Serafinowicz’s appreciation for the Souls series transcended mere fandom. His office was a shrine to FromSoftware, adorned with signed posters and various pieces of Dark Souls merchandise. Beyond collecting memorabilia, Peter Serafinowicz has an even deeper connection to the franchise: he voiced Mild-Mannered Pate in Dark Souls II, providing the iconic grunts and efforts sounds players hear as their characters dodge the myriad dangers of Drangleic.
Before our meeting, a phone call helped establish common ground. I was the skeptic to be converted; Peter Serafinowicz, the evangelist. We both shared similar gaming histories, but it wasn’t until we sat down together in his Kensington studio that a truly resonant connection emerged: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
“It’s easily in my top three games,” Peter Serafinowicz explained, his eyes lighting up. “Wind Waker was a game that my wife and I played together early in our relationship. She wasn’t a gamer at the time, but Wind Waker was like a cartoon you could control. It reminded me of Dragon’s Lair, the Don Bluth arcade game. As a kid, Dragon’s Lair looked like a playable cartoon, but it was just a series of video sequences triggered by joystick inputs – incredibly disappointing. Wind Waker achieved that interactive cartoon vision, it was staggering. We also loved Resident Evil 4. It’s the perfect Resident Evil game. My theory is that the Souls games are essentially Zelda crossed with Resident Evil 4.”
This resonated deeply. My own early gaming experiences included Alone in the Dark, a game where supernatural dread lurked around every corner. The constant sense of unease and vulnerability in Alone in the Dark and Resident Evil mirrored the appeal I was beginning to find in Dark Souls. In these worlds, safety is an illusion; a single misstep can be fatal. This ever-present danger creates a unique and compelling tension.
As Peter Serafinowicz guided me through the opening hours of Dark Souls III, controller in hand, I sought to understand his profound passion for the series. Countless online testimonials existed, but experiencing the game alongside a genuine enthusiast, receiving gentle guidance through its punishing landscapes, was transformative. Intimacy with the game bloomed quickly. We created my character, Viceroy, a knight favoring brute strength over sorcery. As the tutorial area unfolded, Peter Serafinowicz recounted his initial encounter with the series.
“I honestly can’t recall what prompted me to buy it. In the original Dark Souls, you start in this castle filled with weak, shambling zombies. You think, ‘Okay, dilapidated castle, standard fantasy setting.’ Then, suddenly, this colossal boss appears, fifty feet tall with a massive axe, and obliterates you instantly. I thought the game was impossibly difficult and abandoned it for a couple of months. Then, my friend Graham Linehan asked if I had played Dark Souls. I admitted my struggles with that first boss. He just said, ‘Oh, it’s really easy!’ He explained the ledge, the plunging attack that takes out a third of the boss’s health, and how to maneuver around him. Suddenly, it became manageable. And then, those creatures take you to Firelink Shrine, and that’s where Dark Souls truly begins.”
Before facing the first major boss of Dark Souls III, Iudex Gundyr, Peter Serafinowicz paused at a bonfire, affectionately calling it a “bonnie,” to replenish our Estus Flasks. Perched on a cliff, the view was breathtaking. A vast, mountainous vista stretched across the screen, dominated by a castle-like structure – our next destination, and the domain of Iudex Gundyr. This formidable foe would only awaken upon removing a sword from his prone form. In that moment, after years of struggling to connect with the Souls games, something clicked. Peter Serafinowicz, sensing my captivation, happily indulged my fascination with the game’s visual splendor.
A scenic view from a bonfire in Dark Souls III, showcasing the game’s vast and detailed world. Alt text: Expansive vista in Dark Souls III, overlooking distant castle from bonfire, emphasizing game’s environmental artistry.
“One of the things Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Dark Souls III, emphasizes is that if you can see something, like that castle, you can go there,” Peter Serafinowicz explained. “This was something that frustrated him as a child, the inability to reach visible locations in games. He’s heavily influenced by English fantasy literature. As a Japanese child learning rudimentary English, he was drawn to that medieval, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingston style of fantasy. It’s that English fantasy world, filtered through Japanese culture.”
I wholeheartedly agreed with Peter Serafinowicz. The game’s world, while often described as high fantasy, felt rooted in deeper traditions. Connections to Greek legends, pastoral elements reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings, and the visual beauty found in Studio Ghibli films all resonated within Dark Souls III. Despite the grim and challenging nature of the game, beauty persisted.
Turning back to the vista, I was struck by the world’s allure. It was inviting, mysterious, and undeniably beautiful. It evoked a powerful desire to explore, to lose oneself within its depths for countless hours.
Iudex Gundyr fell swiftly. We proceeded through the newly opened doors to Firelink Shrine, a location Peter Serafinowicz knew intimately. “I’ve said this before,” he confessed, “but when I can’t sleep, I imagine myself walking around Firelink Shrine.” We plunged the coiled sword, earned from Gundyr’s defeat, into the ground, creating a new bonfire. Using the 7,000 souls acquired, we leveled up. Then, a realization dawned on both of us. Despite Peter Serafinowicz offering guidance on dodging and attacking, I had yet to die. Not once.
Prior to meeting Peter Serafinowicz, I had watched videos of players defeating Iudex Gundyr by simply punching him. Speedrunners had already conquered the game in under two hours. Bloodborne experience aside, it became apparent that I was, surprisingly, adept at Dark Souls III – better than either of us anticipated. I inquired about the game’s reputation for difficulty and these astonishing completion times.
“I’m not a super amazing gamer, and certainly not a competitive one,” Peter Serafinowicz admitted. “I’m terrible at Call of Duty with friends, or with my brother who’s constantly chasing prestige. Just ridiculously bad. Speedrunning doesn’t interest me much beyond curiosity. I prefer to savor the game. The Dark Souls death mechanic, where you return to the last checkpoint and lose collected souls, is part of the experience. You can retrieve them, but sometimes, saves corrupt. When that happens, I might be momentarily disappointed, but then I just think, ‘Oh well, I’ll start again.’ It’s enjoyable enough to warrant restarting.”
Exploring Firelink Shrine, noticeably more intact than its Dark Souls predecessor, the rhythmic clang of a blacksmith’s hammer echoed through the area. There he was, the blacksmith, a familiar presence from my previous Dark Souls experiences. Peter Serafinowicz and I shared a laugh at this returning character. “I admit, I teared up a little when I saw he was back,” Peter Serafinowicz said. “He’s great, I love him.” Having voiced a character in Dark Souls II, Peter Serafinowicz offered insights into the series’ ambiguous characters. “I appreciate the cryptic dialogue. So much is left to interpretation. Even I don’t fully understand Pate’s true intentions.”
My attention drifted again to the scenery, this time a gnarled tree outside the Shrine. Peter Serafinowicz sensed my growing appreciation. As a writer, I remarked, such imagery sparked stories. The tree, however, was more than mere scenery.
“That tree,” Peter Serafinowicz pointed out, “it has a hollow face. It’s a Seed of a Tree of Giants. Sometimes it yields this thing, like a giant walnut. What does it mean? I don’t fully understand it even now, but I love the strangeness.”
“I’m friends with Alex Garland,” Peter Serafinowicz continued. “I’ve been a fan of his for years, and we became friends recently because of Dark Souls. It was a shared passion. We played Bloodborne together, admiring its Victorian aesthetic. But Alex noted that Bloodborne isn’t as strange as Dark Souls. In the original Dark Souls, after ringing the second bell and returning to Firelink Shrine, seeing the flooded, ruined acropolis… I looked into the water and heard this rumbling. Then, this giant serpent that looked like something out of Eraserhead emerged. You think, ‘What the hell is that?’ This familiar place, your home base in the game, suddenly reveals this bizarre entity. You try to attack it, but it’s this friendly being, sounding like Patrick Stewart. It was wonderful.”
We ventured onward to the High Wall of Lothric. Peter Serafinowicz continued sharing recollections of his early Dark Souls experiences, after defeating the Asylum Demon and reaching Firelink Shrine.
“After the Asylum Demon, I thought, ‘Great!’ I explored one path, a graveyard filled with skeletons that killed me instantly. ‘Shit, this game,’ I thought. Then there was another path, winding uphill, with zombie soldiers. Reasonably challenging. I decided this was the way to go, given my character’s strength. I hacked and slashed my way through, but it took me a week to realize I could lock onto enemies! I was playing with Benedict Wong, and I remember making that lock-on discovery with him. You progress, fight a few bosses, your character strengthens, and then you hit an impasse, like the ghosts. Then you reconsider the skeleton graveyard, and suddenly realize: ‘Wait! I can kill these now!’”
Perhaps overconfidence crept in, or maybe I simply overestimated my abilities. After 52 minutes of gameplay and conversation, a zombie transformed into something Peter Serafinowicz aptly described as “a big black dick with a mouth.” This creature marked my first death in Dark Souls III. But instead of frustration, disappointment, or anger, there was acceptance. It was my mistake. I respawned at the bonfire, vanquished the “dick,” retrieved my souls, and continued. Soon, a dragon loomed, its guttural roars captivating and terrifying. The sound design elevated the creature beyond typical fantasy tropes, surpassing even Game of Thrones in its visceral impact.
Peter Serafinowicz and I played for ninety minutes, a session easily extendable to an entire day. Looking at my notes, underlined and capitalized was my initial sentiment: “I WANT TO LIKE THIS.” And finally, I did. Peter Serafinowicz’s contagious enthusiasm had broken through my resistance. This wasn’t about online criticism or demands to “git gud.” It was personal, genuine encouragement, and it made all the difference.
Ninety minutes of Dark Souls III can feel like a marathon, but I was hooked. “The doors you should fear in this game are the open ones,” Peter Serafinowicz advised as we parted. It may have taken longer than some, but my door to Dark Souls was now wide open.
Dark Souls III was released on April 12th worldwide for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Thanks to Peter Serafinowicz for his time and infectious passion.
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