Hidetaka Miyazaki’s taste for fantasy fiction has led FromSoftware in many creative directions. Twisted tales of humanity and a broken world’s history are just a few of the many narrative choices games like Bloodborne and Elden Ring have taken. Under the surface, these games have a lot in common.
The easiest aspect of these games is probably spotting the similarities. In doing so, you’ll likely notice that there’s a common theme to the hero’s journey and how these worlds drive the player into depths of insanity that explore the richness of finding solace in the darkness. On that note, how about a connected universe that goes above and beyond to explore that connection?
Different Stories, Similar Narratives
The worlds in Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are starkly different. There are different protagonists, distinct stories that shape these worlds, and respective motivations behind the protagonist’s quest to reach the endgame. However, there’s one thing in common: a broken world that begs to be explored.
Diehard fans might be able to make the connection between these games, but it’s not that simple. There’s a reason why these games feel so different and unique from one another, and it works. FromSoftware’s game design philosophy may stay similar for these adventures, but the experiences vary differently for each person. And there’s a good reason for that.
Environmental storytelling is perhaps FromSoftware’s strongest tool, and we’d like to see it used for an expanded universe. Something similar to how games from Remedy Entertainment find themselves connected in the ‘Remedy Connected Universe’. However, with FromSoftware’s games, perhaps we can have a spin-off that cleverly connects these worlds but tells a story of its own.
Looking at Elden Ring as an Experimental Attempt at a Connected Universe
In retrospect, it doesn’t feel like FromSoftware completely ignored this idea. Elden Ring might just be the prime example of this. You see, the popular school of thought relating to Gestalt psychology posits that we often perceive things as a whole rather than the sum of their parts. In Elden Ring, every piece of gameplay has been originally explored through different games. We’re looking at gameplay, NPC interactions, characters, and so on.
Being as subtle and clever as they could, the creative minds at FromSoftware made an attempt to bring all these aspects closer to each other to craft Elden Ring’s rich world.
Expanding upon this idea, we can be looking at a connected universe that brings together the epicness and brutality of all the different games from the studio into a single hub of the ultimate Soulslike experience. This way, we could officially have an experience that’s inspired by its own roots.
Furthermore, why just limit it to video games? Interactive experiences have come a long way, and we’re all for that. Think about an interactive movie or show, a graphic novel, an exhibition part, and so on, inspired by the events in FromSoftware games. Do you think something like this will be strong enough to build on the franchise’s legacy and draw in new gamers? Let us know in the comments below.
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