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Dark Souls is a very well known franchise widely accepted as probably one of the most brutal video game franchises ever, famed for being punishingly difficult but fair. Like Marmite, you either love it or absolutely hate it – and this classic UK marketing slogan has presumably given Dark Souls publisher Bandi Namco the genius idea to market Dark Souls III to the UK public using another beloved although slightly less controversial foodstuff – chicken wings. Really spicy chicken wings, in fact. “Perfect!”, I thought when the notification popped up from my good friend and fellow Souls lover, Nick. I immediately think of chicken wings when I see my Dark Souls II collectors guide on my bookshelf at the bottom of the stairs. Every time I go near a KFC I think to myself how ashamed I am to be one or two trophies off the platinum for the original Dark Souls. The Zinger Tower burger always brings back fond but difficult memories of the famous Tower of Latria from Dark Souls predecessor Demon Souls, so the links to the franchise and chicken have almost been preordained.
But no, all sarcasm aside, Dark Souls III deserves better than this. I can only speculate as to how chicken wings relates to Dark Souls, perhaps the fact that their hot sauce is referred to as the “darkest ever”, “Dark”, that’s a word in the games title, or “Soul food” perhaps? No, they’re hot wings! Fire is hot, like the first flame. Could even be marketed at people who really hate chicken wings and find it really difficult to eat them.
This reminds me of the Uncharted Subway promotion in that all it did was make me cringe and actively avoid Subway for a bit, the opposite of the intended effect. Either way, if you eat a load of super hot of chicken wings really fast at a particular UK restaurant you could win a copy of the game, but it’s so spicy you need gloves apparently. I hate spicy food but if I’m out and about in Mayfair, which I’m often not, and encouragement is suitable I might actually give this a go. Damn, the marketing has worked. GENIUS.
Anyway, if anyone else wants to give this a try, the details are in the tweet below. Do let us know if you actually go. Just try not to get hot sauce all over your phone while you’re playing Slashy Souls and not drinking out of your solid, unfillable Estus Flask.
Bandai Namco UK & Sony Uk ‘Dark Souls Wings Challenge’ is a thing to promote the game – PR: https://t.co/thzpCZ0uq5 pic.twitter.com/dQV97m5VX3
— AllGamesDelta (@AllGamesDelta) March 21, 2016
