Ahead of its release, much of the discussion surrounding Jyamma Games’Enotria: The Last Songcentered around the title’s Mask system and hot-swappable builds; something relatively unheard of in the Soulslike genre. Beyond the new tweaks it brings to the established conventions of Soulslikes, though,Enotriais noteworthy for being an uncharacteristically bright game in a traditionally grimdark genre, and its story and setting only further serve to drive this point home. Taking inspiration from both Italian folklore and Italian history, the plot and atmosphere ofEnotriado a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to bringing the Renaissance to life.
Often referred to as the connective bridge between the Dark Ages and the Industrial Revolution that kicked off the modern era of human history, theRenaissanceis one of the most important political and cultural movements of the last millennium. The period itself is marked by an increased appreciation of the arts, the development of new technological advancements and artistic techniques, and the embracing of classical philosophy and culture that saw society stray further from the oppressive theocratic rule of the Dark Ages. In terms of both the vistas in which its story takes place and the general themes of said story,Enotriaembodies the ideas of the Renaissance in a way befitting its Italian heritage.
How Enotria: The Last Song’s Story Embodies the Ideas of the Renaissance
Before players can dive into the Soulslike gameplay ofEnotria: The Last Song, they are treated to a brief history of its world via an opening cutscene. Similar to the introduction tothe originalDark Souls, this vignette introduces both the world and the cast of villains that the player will be tracking down, which inEnotria’s case is a group of humans who seek to overthrow the gods. Interestingly enough, the villains' inspiration comes from a love for the arts and a desire to produce a world of neverending beauty, which happens to perfectly align with the view of the arts and culture held by many real-world Italians during the Renaissance.
In the world ofEnotria, it was the creation of the arts that ended a period of darkness, just like how the Renaissance ushered in an age of enlightenment following the especially brutal Dark Ages and medieval period.
One of the byproducts of the creation of music and other art forms inEnotria’s fictional historywas the creation and subsequent destruction of a group of benevolent gods, which is a not-so-subtle metaphor for the turn toward secular life experienced by Italians as a result of the Renaissance’s many world-changing innovations. WhileEnotriadoesn’t expand much on this general setup throughout the game’s runtime, it’s at least a nice tip of the hat to anyone with a love of history or Italian culture.
Enotria’s Setting is a Beautiful Rendition of Italy’s Amalfi Coast
IfEnotria’s plot referencing the Renaissance wasn’t enough to establish its real-world connections, then it’s the game’s setting that finishes the job. As an uncharacteristically bright and beautiful game in a genre populated with dark and brooding fantasy,Enotria’s environmentsstick out like a sore thumb in the best way. That these settings take obvious real-world inspiration from Italy’s infamous Amalfi Coast only serves to further emphasize both the natural beauty of the Italian coastline and the breathtaking quality ofEnotria’s biomes.
But more than just pretty set dressing,Enotria’s homage to one of Italy’s most renowned locationsalso serves to connect the game back to the Renaissance. While the Amalfi Coast is recognized today as one of the country’s most desirable vacation spots, the area was actually host to some of the most important innovations in navigation and trade during the Renaissance, connecting Italy to the rest of the world. And withEnotriaserving as most of the globe’s introduction to Jyamma Games, the spirit and real-world history of the area live on in the studio’s breakout title.
