Japanese developer FromSoftware’s most ambitious title to date, Elden Ring was met with near-universal praise when it debuted in February, and, according to UK sales metrics, it’s one of the most successful non-Call of Duty or FIFA game launches since Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018. That said, according to a new interview in Famitsu magazine, director Hidetaka Miyazaki was nervous as ever for Elden Ring's debut.
First and foremost, Miyazaki, who assumed the role of President of FromSoftware in 2015, stated that game releases are often “unpleasant” for him regardless of the circumstance, though he was ultimately relieved by the result. He went on to commend his staff for their role in the development process and talked at length about fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin’s influence on the lore and story of Elden Ring in its earliest stages.
Though he wasn’t precisely clear on what Martin contributed, Miyazaki intimates that the writer helped to construct overarching ideas that eventually manifested in crucial plot points like the shattering of the Elden Ring and the presence of the Erdetree. While many plot elements such as a curse of undeath and an unbalanced world fallen to ruin were seen in previous FromSoftware efforts like Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, Elden Ring’s lore, much like its world, is sprawling, multifaceted, and the clear result of a collective effort. Martin had previously praised FromSoftware’s work on Elden Ring in a 2021 interview.
Miyazaki also commented on the experience of simultaneously directing Elden Ring and 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, revealing that, while the feedback regarding their previous effort wasn’t a major factor in Elden Ring’s development, the two were indeed developed in tandem, and inspiration from one eventually influenced the other. Be that a reference to the stealth mechanics added to Elden Ring's combat system or a reference to the Samurai starting class, there’s nevertheless an indelible connection between the two.
Hype surrounding Elden Ring began to build when the title was first revealed in 2019, and, after months upon months of ensuing silence from the developer, interest in details regarding the game reached a fever pitch. Miyazaki himself expressed a desire in 2016 to one day surpass the Souls series, further fueling anticipation for FromSoftware’s next genuine Souls-esque effort. Elden Ring certainly had some lofty expectations to live up to, and, despite the director’s unease, the game seems to have, in the minds of many players, delivered in every aspect.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Video Games Chronicle