Around the time Bloodborne was released in 2015, the Soulslike genre was still finding its footing in the game industry, and there really wasn’t much like Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Dark Souls being offered by other studios. There is a lot that differentiates FromSoftware’s Soulsborne titles from the rest of the competition, and although most of the credit goes to the developer and the team behind them, the player base itself actually plays quite a significant role in shaping the overall experience.
Not only do they make the games better for themselves and the rest of the community, but they also end up surprising and impressing the creator, Miyazaki himself.
Miyazaki Is Impressed With What Players Have Been Able to Achieve With Bloodborne and Other Souls Games
During a conversation with GamesRadar, Hidetaka Miyazaki was asked about his feelings when he witnesses what the players are able to achieve with his Soulslike creations, to which the FromSoftware boss responded, “Indeed, I am left in awe.”
Soulsborne games are notoriously known to have relatively higher difficulties, and it definitely requires a certain level of skill to take on what the Bloodborne studio throws at the gamer, but Miyazaki stated that some of the challenges were never even conceived by the team, and it is because of the players that they “have gloriously surfaced, with equally glorious skill and determination put into beating them.”
Calling the community’s feats “truly exciting,” Miyazaki confirmed that the FromSoftware “side of things does not do a lot in terms of setting up these challenges and presenting them to the world,” as he was asked whether it was hard to come up with more fresh trials for the dedicated community.
In fact, according to the Bloodborne director, “most of these stunts are drummed up by the players themselves which is exactly why they are so significant,” giving the player base more credit than it would have previously thought it deserved. All Hidetaka Miyazaki and the FromSoftware team want to do “is lay the foundation by creating a game charged with the proper potential to enable such things.”
Hidetaka Miyazaki Believes His Games Are Collaborations With the Player Base
Miyazaki continued expressing his thoughts by calling his games “a type of collaboration” between his studio and the players, as they are the ones who overcome the challenges and keep the titles alive for years to come.
“If we build a world jam-packed with awesome hurdles,” said the Bloodborne director, “I’m confident the players will come up with all sorts of interesting ways to surmount them.”
The FromSoftware boss finds this approach to video game development “quite fun” and appreciates the fanbase’s never-ending dedication.
What is your absolute favorite Soulslike video game? Is it Bloodborne, any of the DS titles, or something else? Let us know in the comments!
