Nearly 25 Years Later, FromSoftware Should Revive Its Weirdest Series

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For over three decades, FromSoftware has perfected its style of fantasy games, creating hugely popular and influential series like Armored Core, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls. They’ve also tried out many other game ideas, some of which didn’t become major successes. One particularly unique game first appeared on the GameCube on April 25, 2002.

Lost Kingdom, a GameCube game published by Activision, was a standout title that cleverly combined fantasy adventure with card-collecting gameplay, creating a surprisingly captivating experience. While enjoyable for its time with its fast-paced action and fantasy setting, the card-collecting aspects could be improved with modern game design. FromSoftware, known for its current successes, should consider revisiting and revitalizing this often-overlooked classic.

The Game Mechanics Of Lost Kingdom Make For A Surprisingly Timeless Game

Before games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne really blew up, there was Lost Kingdoms, and honestly, it was something special. I remember playing as Katia, trying to save her kingdom from this really nasty evil. What made it stand out was the combat – it wasn’t just button mashing. You built a deck of cards during the fight, so you were dodging enemies and thinking about your strategy all at the same time. It made card battles way more intense and fast-paced. You really had to pay attention to where you were on the map and how you moved, because one wrong step could get you wrecked pretty quickly!

Players could personalize their decks with cards that dramatically changed how the game played, letting them tailor the experience to their preferred style. Upgrading cards felt satisfying, particularly as the game got harder. While the game was on the shorter side, its depth of customization made replayability worthwhile. It even included a unique feature reminiscent of games like Pokémon, allowing players to capture defeated enemies and turn them into cards for their decks. The game received good reviews when it first came out and was followed by a sequel a year later. Considering FromSoftware’s current direction and broader industry trends, now might be the perfect time to revisit Lost Kingdoms.

Lost Kingdom Could Embrace Modern Trends To Refine Its Gameplay

The game Lost Kingdom cleverly combines deck-building with the challenging fantasy style of games like those made by FromSoftware, and it’s worth revisiting. With FromSoftware’s huge success – especially with Dark Souls – there’s a real opportunity to bring Lost Kingdom back. Imagine a game with the grand scale of Elden Ring, combined with the satisfying challenge of collecting cards and building a powerful deck, similar to a Pokémon game – it would be incredibly captivating.

FromSoftware games have always prioritized skillful movement and avoiding damage – the Lost Kingdoms series perfectly illustrates this. In those games, you relied on quick maneuvering and smart strategy, using the environment to succeed. Interestingly, Lost Kingdoms’ card-based system feels like a precursor to many popular modern games. A new installment could build on this foundation by adding roguelike features, similar to those found in games like Slay the Spire or Baltaro, to create a fresh, updated experience.

The Modern FromSoftware Could Fully Reinvent Lost Kingdom

Compared to the complex stories and challenging enemies of games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Lost Kingdoms had a simpler story and a brighter, more colorful style. A future installment in the series could learn from these other FromSoftware games by exploring darker themes and developing more intricate characters. The card-collecting aspect could also be a great way for the developers to create a wide range of unique and terrifying monsters, building on the impressive creature designs they’re known for in their action games.

A new installment in the Lost Kingdoms series could really shine, building on the company’s growth and expanding the world of Argwyll into something as expansive as games like Elden Ring. The mature storytelling and darker atmosphere seen in recent Elden Ring games would be a great fit for a modern Lost Kingdoms. The worldbuilding talent behind Elden Ring could be showcased through new creatures and lore presented as cards, perfectly complementing the game’s card-based gameplay. Looking back, Lost Kingdoms was ahead of its time and influenced many popular fantasy-action games today. A Lost Kingdoms 3 would be a fantastic opportunity to combine the best elements of modern gaming into one experience and would be a highly anticipated return to the series.

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2026-04-25 19:11