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Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki’s masterpiece, is considered to be his most ambitious effort to date. Expanding upon the Soulsborne formula ofDemon’s Soulsfame, Miyazaki and his team created an open-world game with various gameplay options that brought him and FromSoftware universal acclaim.
When discussing Miyazaki’s success story, narratives inevitably shift towardDemon’s Souls, and rightly so. Taking the helm of a sinking ship and recreating it into a critically acclaimed game isn’t a common occurrence.Dark Soulstrilogy,Bloodborne, andSekiro: Shadows Die Twicehave all played integral roles in defining Hidetaka Miyazaki’s success as a game developer.
But, there is a common notion thatDemon’s Soulsis the most important chapter of Miyazaki’s career. We, however, beg to differ. We believeElden Ring, his newest release, is as responsible for his success asDemon’s Souls.
Demon’s Souls: The Miyazaki Miracle
When Hidetaka Miyazaki joined FromSoftware in 2004, we worked on theArmored Coreseries. But his dream was to head his own project. And the opportunity came to him in the form of the floundering project ofDemon’s Souls.
Miyazaki not only rose to the challenge and comprehensively completed the game, but also gained widespread critical acclaim. And that was the beginning. The Soulsborne formula that madeDemon’s Soulsa fan favorite was the cornerstone for theDark Soulstrilogy that brought FromSoftware much-needed financial gain.
BloodborneandSekiro: Shadows Die Twicefurther impressed Miyazaki’s game development prowess in the community. Which led him and his team to take on their most ambitious project –Elden Ring.
Two Masters Combine for Elden Ring
Elden Ringsaw Hidetaka Miyazaki teaming up with George R. R. Martin ofSong of Ice and Firefame. Martin oversaw the worldbuilding ofElden Ringwhich featured diverse environments filled with secrets waiting to be discovered.
Elden Ringfeatured unparalleled freedom of exploration along with the possibility of several emergent storylines. Miyazaki and his team created an immersive experience with subtle storytelling that encouraged the players to piece together the lore themselves from NPC interactions, item descriptions, and so on. The fact that the game was such a box-office success reinstated Miyazaki’s faith in the Soulsborne philosophy while catering to an even wider audience.
Miyazaki evolved from the narrow dungeons of the previous games from FromSoftware to the expansive open world to add more depth and adventure to the experience. The main storyline was penned by Miyazaki himself whileGeorge R. R. Martin was entrusted with creating the events that served as prequels to the primary narrative.
The attention to detail in the game is mind-boggling as Miyazaki admitted to creating the NPCs to be vastly more compelling than the ones from his early works. WithElden RingMiyazaki created an entire world and left the story obscured for the players to figure out. Everybody has their own interpretation of the story.
WhetherDemon’s Soulswas the best by Miyazaki or is itElden Ringis a debate that we do not wish to partake in. For starters, both of them play pivotal roles in the success story of Hidetaka Miyazaki. However, it would be unwise to considerDemon’s Soulsthe greatest contributor to the success story.
WhileDemon’s Soulswas the first game where the Soulsborne philosophy was introduced,Elden Ringwas the biggest project based on that philosophy. WithDemon’s SoulsMiyazaki proved his mettle and secured his legacy as one of the finest creators in the industry.
WithElden Ring,he enshrined his work as a cornerstone of the ever-evolving tapestry of modern video games.
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Arkaneel Khan
Articles Published :180
I travel. I game. I write. In no strict order.The single biggest lie told all around is, “It isn’t that simple.” It is simple, everything is. And that is what I emulate in my writing. No unnecessary jargons and no flamboyant flourish. Just what’s needed to get your imagination going. After all mind has no limit, unlike the written word.
