The Dark Souls game Holy Grail series is noted for its high difficulty levels and the universe as dark. The game also implements a different font, which grabbed the attention of many fans. In this article, we’ll be looking at Dark Soul’s font more closely and discussing some of its most important particulars.
What is the Dark Souls Font?
Dark Souls extra letters the game’s world uses the Dark world view. Almost everywhere in the game’s text is ancient and weathered looking, which is fitting of the medieval tone and dark theme. The font most prominently used on the logo and titles of the game is called “Optimus Princeps”. Ever since the first game in the series, the font feels like classic gothic, which in reality is perfect for Dark Souls.
In-game text employs a different typography but is minimalistic. These fonts also help set the environment and heighten the experience of the game.
About the Font:
- Optimus Princeps is a serif type face font type meaning it has stroke lines on the ends of each letter. This makes it appear much more conventional and formal.
- The menus and dialogues are designed in a font that closely resembles Friz Quadrata which can also be found in a number of video games. Perhaps the reason can be the fact that such fonts offer a smooth and classic touch to the game.
Why is the Dark Souls Font So Popular?
There are many valid reasons behind the popularity of The Dark Souls font. The major reason is that it enhances the overall ambiance of the game beautifully. The font itself looks as if it belongs to the game, it has rough and torn edges which fits right in. Such utter detail in the font adds to the suspense that every Dark Souls fan, seeks.
It also goes without saying that such a font has immensely contributed to the brand image of Dark Souls. The moment one sees such a font one gets reminded of Dark Souls, it’s that strong of a brand image. It has been embedded into people’s minds just like the game has. Many fans use this font for memes, for example, or art, or any fan-made material, only because of the strong association with the game.
Dark Souls was launched in 2011, yet as of today, just over a decade later, fan projects still use the games’ fonts. Pretty remarkable if you ask me and just shows the strength of a well-chosen font.
What are the particular characteristics of Dark Souls font?
What makes the Dark Souls font distinct is that it has specific characteristics that differentiate it from other fonts. These traits include:
- Heavy angular strokes: Bold and angular describes the strokes of the Dark Souls font which gives a very strong harsh look.
- Available color: Black and white is the only color option of this particular font which further enhances the dark effect.
- Medieval: The Dark Souls font carries a medieval style which would fit in perfectly with a game focusing on dark gritty fantasy.
- It is a custom font: The Dark Souls font is a custom font and as such does not exist in any other font family.
How to Use the Dark Souls Font
If you enjoy Dark Souls and wish to incorporate its font into your work, now you can. The fonts used in Dark Souls have been released for public access and can be found on most font websites.
Step By Step Guide to Dark Souls Font:
- Locate the Font: A quick Google search of “Optimus Princeps” or “Friz Quadrata” on DaFont or FontSpace could Do the trick!
- Download: After locating the font, a simple click on the download button will do the trick. Expect the file to be in a .zip folder.
- Unzip: After heading into the .zip folder, find the font files and make a copy of them onto your PC.
- Installation Of Font: Simply double-click on the font file and press “install”. The font should now be active on Word, Photoshop, and numerous other applications.
- Begin Using: Using the font is as simple as selecting your preferred graphic application and searching the font from the list. Now you can re-enact your Dark Soul fantasies!
Quick Tip:
Make sure to incorporate the font into your designs without going overboard. It may scare your target audience if used in bulk. Such instances would include Titles, headers, or even logos.
Dark Souls Font in Fan Art and Memes
It’s no secret that the Dark Souls community is very creative in many different ways. From fan artwork to mods, the font has an immense influence on how certain people showcase their love for the game. Furthermore, the Dark Souls font has a prevalent utilization in memes. If you have even a slight look at a Dark Souls meme, I am sure you would have seen the font.
One of the most well-known quotes, “You Died”, is on this screen when a player does not succeed in a game. This text has become a basis for many social media jokes even fail memes.
Did You Know?
A 120% surge in a combination of Dark Souls memes surfaced on Reddit in 2015, and a good number of them used the Dark Souls font!
The Dark Souls font is great for fan art as well. It enhances the appearance of their creations into a true Dark Souls style. The font converts posters and wallpapers into a superb experience. A few fans have also produced their works in the Dark Souls style in a poster realized like the material of the game.
Dark Souls Font in Design Projects
If you have a work that is set in medieval or fantasy periods, then you can use the Dark Souls font too. It connects the view into past times filled with the unknown that awaits to be discovered. Many designers have used this font in book covers, game projects, and many others.
Examples of Where to Use the Font:
- Game Design: This font is well suited for fantasy and medieval game designs. It brings to the design an element of history.
- Book Covers: For example, in its fantasy novels, the writers tend to use the gothic font type Optimus Princeps.
- Posters: The font will complement Dark Souls’ posters, videos, and flyers with a cool and dramatic effect.
Fact:
Some indie game developers pick fonts like Optimus Princeps which provide their games with an antique touch. One such game is Salt and Sanctuary which similarly uses a gothic typeface in its branding.
Alternatives to the Dark Souls Font
The Dark Souls font is surely great, but it may not be appropriate for every project. The good thing is there are several fonts like this that can give you the feel of the font you are searching for.
Top 3 Alternatives:
- Trajan Pro: This font is closely related to the Optimus Princeps font and is applied in movie cover posters for the film Gladiator among other films.
- Garamond: A conventional font that fits under the old genre. It’s suitable for more professional documents and suits projects that consist of more text.
- Times New Roman: A font that is widely used but also has that serif style template design which is good in place of Dark Souls font in some of the projects.
Conclusion
It is true that Dark Souls is famed for its notorious difficulty and its rich storied background, however, the font is an unsung yet important feature in the game. Now that you are more aware of it, you can understand how integral part it is for the overall feeling of the game and you can use it in improving your designs.
