How King's Field Sparked Hidetaka Miyazaki's Souls Series at FromSoftware

This week marks a milestone in gaming history: the 30th anniversary of King's Field, a pioneering RPG released for the original PlayStation and developed by FromSoftware.

While King's Field may be less known in Western territories, its influence has proved monumental—not least as the creative spark behind Hidetaka Miyazaki's renowned Souls series. FromSoftware, founded in 1986 in Tokyo, initially focused on business applications before transitioning to video game development in the early 1990s.

King's Field debuted in Japan in December 1994, closely following the launch of Sony’s PlayStation.

As one of the first true 3D RPGs, King’s Field was groundbreaking for its atmospheric world, first-person perspective, and methodical gameplay, achieving commercial success in its home country.

Although the original title never officially saw an English-language release, its sequel, King's Field II, was localized for Western markets in 1995—dropping the numeral for release to avoid confusion—thus introducing global audiences to FromSoftware's somber, lore-rich design philosophy. King's Field’s reputation in international gaming circles grew through a mix of word of mouth and iconic imagery, such as a 1994 EGM magazine screenshot featuring skeleton enemies with the memorable caption, 'The PlayStation can produce mind-boggling effects.' The series would expand with King's Field III in 1996 (renamed King's Field II outside Japan), and later, King's Field IV—also known as King's Field: The Ancient City—on PlayStation 2 in 2001.

These early ventures not only cemented FromSoftware’s distinctive style but also laid the groundwork for future 3D RPGs including Shadow Tower, Eternal Ring, and Evergrace. The turning point came when Hidetaka Miyazaki joined FromSoftware in 2004, citing King's Field’s immersive mechanics and challenging design as direct inspiration for his creative direction.

In interviews, Miyazaki has credited King’s Field as fundamental to his development approach.

Under his guidance, FromSoftware released 2009’s Demon's Souls for PlayStation 3—a title heralded for its difficulty, depth, and atmospheric storytelling.

This marked the beginning of the Souls series, which would go on to global acclaim with multiple installments: Dark Souls (2011), Dark Souls II (2014), and Dark Souls III (2016).

FromSoftware’s momentum continued with original IPs such as Bloodborne (2015), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019), and the critically acclaimed Elden Ring (2022), while also maintaining its storied Armored Core franchise. King's Field may have started as a Japan-exclusive oddity, but its legacy echoes through the modern era of gaming.

Without the foundation established by FromSoftware's early RPGs—and the vision inspired in Miyazaki—many of today’s most influential titles simply would not exist.

For those eager to experience this pivotal piece of gaming history, community fan translations have made the original King's Field accessible to dedicated players around the globe.

PlayStation FromSoftware Hidetaka Miyazaki King's Field Souls series