A respawn point. In a Q&A with the PlayStation blog, Hidetaka Miyazaki, director of From Software’s spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls, titled Dark Souls, revealed that the most exciting new feature in the game to him is an area where players heal and respawn.
Obviously, there’s more to it than just respawning. Dubbed “Beacon Fires,” these recovery points can be used to heal yourself when your health drops too low, and also serve as a gathering place for players. Miyazaki says that Beacon Fires represent the few places of warmth in the cold, dark world of Dark Souls, and help him express the game’s dark fantasy setting.
Miyazaki hopes that players will use Beacon Fires to share experiences and communicate with each other, not through words, but emotionally. You can read the full Q&A with Miyazaki over at the PlayStation blog.