Dark Souls 3 was Hidetaka Miyazaki’s magnum opus of the franchise, and a fitting conclusion to the iconic series. If the base game wasn’t huge enough, it also received post-launch support in the form of two DLCs: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
Coming in at a combined 11–12 hours of gameplay, the DLCs were starkly different from each other in what they offered, and introduced compelling characters like Sister Friede and Slave Knight Gael. However, Miyazaki has some regrets about one of them.
FromSoftware Conceived The DLCs As A Combined Experience
In an interview with Famitsu, Dark Souls 3 director Hidetaka Miyazaki was asked about player feedback for the two DLCs. Many thought the second DLC, The Ringed City, packed a lot more exploration and combat encounters than Ashes of Ariandel, which seemed smaller, especially for those fresh off Bloodborne‘s DLC, The Old Hunters.
Miyazaki agreed with the fans’ concerns, saying:
That’s right. I honestly have some regrets about the volume of the first DLC. We tend to think of the combined volume of the 1st and 2nd DLC, and I think we were unable to convey the positioning and actual volume of the 1st DLC well, and the 1st DLC alone I think there were some areas where we didn’t give enough consideration to the volume of the game, or the sense of satisfaction of having done just one DLC. For example, this could be choosing a boss or powerful enemy, or choosing new weapons or magic.
The quote is big, but establishes crucial knowledge. The development team thinking of the two DLCs as one big story and gameplay experience could have made it harder for players to comprehend the intended scope of Ashes of Ariandel on its own.
Fan Satisfaction Is Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Top Priority
Miyazaki also talked about what they can do better next time. Ensuring players are satisfied with how the game feels is very important to him, and it seems like Ashes of Ariandel might not have been as fun for people who didn’t play The Ringed City.
Based off Miyazaki’s answers, the mixed feedback may have prompted a change in how FromSoftware makes DLCs, with the key differentiators being picking the right enemies and bosses and offering new weapons and magic attacks.
Miyazaki’s response proves his commitment to hear out fan opinions. He used them to accurately identify the missteps he took with Ashes of Ariandel, ensuring that future DLCs don’t repeat them. With all of this insight, Shadow of the Erdtree is looking to be a glorious experience.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree releases on 21 June 2024. It’s currently available to preorder for $39.99 on PS4/PS5, PC, and Xbox One/Series X/S.
