FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is a masterpiece, known for its immersive landscape and punishing yet rewarding gameplay. Hidetaka Miyazaki is the director and creative mind behind the game, who not only crafted the game’s intricate lore but also ensured it was in great condition before release.
Players have been facing formidable enemies and having a hard time defeating them; however, they are not alone, as Miyazaki also has his personal monsters to defeat. Recently, he shared a few details about his habits before and after the game’s release.
Elden Ring’s Hidetaka Miyazaki Shared His Unique Approach to Development
With the recent release of Elden Ring‘s first DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, the game has gained more bosses to defeat and even more popularity. With the game’s success, players have been wondering what the development process like before or after the release. In an interview, Hidetaka Miyazaki shared details about the process and how he played through the Elden Ring story to properly progress the story in the DLC.
Miyazaki also shared one of his rules which he always follows for any games he has worked on. He explained “Leading up to the release of any game, I’ll be very hands-on playing it and getting as much time on it as much as possible.” This shows his dedication to perfection and presenting players with the best experience possible. However, when the game is released, he doesn’t try the game in a true perfectionist fashion.
But after the release, I tend to not want to touch it, because I know I’m going to either find things that I left on the table or issues that will bug me. And once I become a player, I’m powerless to do anything significant to change it. So once a game is out in the wild, I tend to not play.
For Miyazaki, this is his way of preserving the game’s purity and his artistic intent, if he finds any bugs or mistakes, it will distract him until he spends time to fix them (if it is fixable). This shows that he is aware that once the game is released, his role as a creator is changed to the observer, and players now become innovators by finding hidden secrets or unintentional mechanics.
As a perfectionist, he knows his limitations and wants to avoid getting himself preoccupied with the in-game things that could have been more refined or the narrative threads that could have been more intricately woven.
Miyazaki’s Philosophy Towards Maintaining Artistic Integrity
In many ways, Miyazaki’s approach toward his games is the same as most players, a quest for mastery, discovery, and self-expression. His reluctance to revisit the games after release shows his deep emotional attachment to them and also his soft spot as it might hurt his feelings knowing he missed that one thing.
Elden Ring has now become a testament to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s commitment to delivering unique gaming experiences that not only resonate with players but also leave a lasting impression on everyone in the gaming industry.
In the end, his work continues to chart new territories and push the boundaries of interactive storytelling. While his approach may seem very unusual, his impact on the gaming industry is undeniable.
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