Hidetaka Miyazaki has been in the gaming industry for quite some time and ascended the ranks within FromSoftware to where he is now today. Miyazaki has made significant contributions to the Soulslike genre with his latest being the critically acclaimed Elden Ring.
Fragmented storytelling can be quite tricky to execute but Miyazaki’s style benefitted his creative vision. The director wanted the players to be in full control as they discover key story elements through gameplay and deliver an unforgettable experience.
Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Speaks About Elden Ring’s Story
In an interview with Famitsu, Miyazaki spoke about the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion and briefly discussed his unique approach to delivering a story and how fragmented storytelling is the way to go.
Miyazaki has three specific reasons for fragmented storytelling: to make gameplay the player’s experience, to encourage a player’s imagination, and to connect the dots themselves. This is also why he refused to add any difficulty options.
Other Soulslike games like Rise of the Ronin have offered to avoid having different experiences in terms of challenge and to not deviate from the core of the developers. Here’s what Miyazaki said:
There are several reasons that I have employed fragmented storytelling, including in Elden Ring.
He continued:
First, I want the gameplay experience to become the player’s story. For that, we don’t tell a rigid story in a verbose way.
Miyazaki was keen that fragmented storytelling would be essential in his Soulslike games because he trusted the players and their imagination. He said:
Additionally, we want to leave some of the story to the player’s imagination. This ties into making the gameplay experience the player’s story as mentioned earlier and becoming absorbed in filling in the margins with your own imagination is simply fun, I believe.
The director also finds joy and satisfaction if players can piece the lore of the game by themselves, which is a very bold change for the studio and went to legendary author George R. R. Martin.
Fragmented Storytelling Suits Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Elden Ring
Martin’s expertise in world-building was a drastic change from a game development standpoint that has proven beneficial. Miyazaki’s experience in game development combined with the talent of Martin is a potent mix.
There is also the enjoyment of collecting the fragments to understand. Like, “Ah, so that’s what it means. It all connects.”
Fragmented storytelling can elevate a story if a director knows when and where to place story beats. Miyazaki had no problem with that with his latest game and will probably not in the future.
There is a symbiotic relationship between the player and the gameplay throughout the experience. Miyazaki believed his game deserved a much more ambitious way of telling a story rather than spoon-feeding it to the gaming community directly, he made the players work for it.
Director Hidetaka Miyazaki has his reasons and knows better given his years of experience and adoration for the lore. Elden Ring is the pinnacle of Soulslike games and has now set the bar for a true Soulslike experience.
Are you a fan of the fragmented storytelling in Elden Ring? Let us know in the comments!
