Hidetaka Miyazaki gave the players Elden Ring in 2022 with the help of George R. R. Martin, who contributed to worldbuilding. Millions of players have delved deeper into the Lands Between and are waiting to enter the Land of Shadow, as was seen in the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer. The world that fans see isn’t simply a result of imagination but also of a fascination with fantasy.
A video game auteur, Miyazaki is known for the difficulty he incorporates in his games alongside the narratives that are largely presented via environmental cues and flavor texts. He wants the players to unfold the story as it suits them rather than following a pre-planned path every time, they begin the game after finishing up.
Elden Ring Would Never be Here if it Wasn’t for Miyazaki’s Obsession for Fantasy
Even before Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki got wider recognition with the Dark Souls franchise. However, games like The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild were among the fantasy games that led to his latest game for From Software.
Though he worked alongside fantasy writer George R. R. Martin, his fantasy inspiration came from elsewhere. “The roots of my fantasy ideas are in Sorcery, by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, the adventure game books,” he said in an interview with Gamespot when Dark Souls III was in its initial stage.
He was asked if he played games like Fallout, and to that, he said, “As a game, I found Fallout 3 to be very interesting, but I like fantasy. I tend to gravitate towards Oblivion more”. If there’s any game he would like to take over, it’s The Elder Scrolls, as he finds it “very inspiring.” Though he didn’t get that chance, he drew inspiration to give the world the Game of the Year 2022.
Fantasy Fits the Bill for Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Vision
Miyazaki doesn’t want his players to feel happy by finishing off a typical game with a campaign delivered to them. Rather, he likes to torture people in a nice way. The difficulty in his games is designed to give the players a sense of accomplishment by “overcoming tremendous odds,” he told American magazine WIRED.
Games give creators to develop a narrative independent of anything, even if it’s not something taken straight out of a true event. But the fantasy genre allows them to expand their wings to more horizons, and that’s what fits the bill for Hidetaka Miyazaki’s vision to place more elements that the players may find challenging.
As of now, FromSoftware hasn’t provided any updates for potential games they’ll be developing for future releases. Their only big commitment appears to be the Elden Ring expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree which is by far the biggest DLC they have ever released. The DLC will be available on June 20, 2024, and players can expect a challenging new world as they did in the base game.
What do you think of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s fascination with the fantasy genre? Let us know in the comments.
