It may seem like a natural fit for a fantasy writer to begin work on a fantasy video game, but George RR Martin claims that his work on Elden Ring was quite different from his work on Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. In a recent interview with WTTW News Chicago, Martin discussed his work on Elden Ring and the world he helped create.
In the interview, Martin states that while he has played video games before, he isn't much of a gamer, which may explain why he claims that Elden Ring is a sequel to Dark Souls. However, he also states that his work on Elden Ring concluded several years ago and that From Software wanted him to create a world to set the game in. He goes on to compare the importance of the setting in Elden Ring to that of Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age, and the Foundation universe of Isaac Asimov, which were his main inspirations.
Martin reports that he wrote up a detailed background for the developers to work with. From Software allowed Martin to create the history and myths of Elden Ring's world. He also helped to solidify some gameplay elements such as horseback riding, mounted combat, and the game's semi-open world approach. While Martin says that it's been several years since he's last seen the developers, they would come in periodically and show him some of the enemy designs or visual effects they were working on.
While Elden Ring may not be a direct sequel to the Dark Souls games as Martin claimed, the two games may still be connected. They appear to share a lot of themes and gameplay mechanics, which has led some to suspect that Elden Ring will make a Dark Souls 4 unnecessary. Whatever the case, Martin's influence on Elden Ring is clear to see in the intricate familial conflict between Queen Marika the Eternal's children and the game's apparent tone, which is far more fantastical than most of From Software's previous soulslikes. Elden Ring trailers have highlighted both monsters and literal knights in shining armor as enemies for the player to defeat.
While From Software is no stranger to making the player fight human or even heroic foes, Elden Ring's story details indicate that it's ready to take that concept even further with the worldbuilding surrounding the titular artifact. The Elden Ring once belonged to Queen Marika, but it has been shattered and her children are now battling over the pieces. A shard of the Elden Ring grants great power at the cost of driving its user mad with that power, which may explain why every knight the trailers have showcased talks so dismissively to the player.
Elden Ring will launch on January 21, 2022, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One with next-gen upgrades to follow.