Elden Ring is the culmination of all the things Miyazaki has learned over the years through his other work. You’ll spot a little something of everything in past titles, aside from the very obvious comparisons.
However, Miyazaki’s own portfolio wasn’t the only inspiration. A huge fan of George R.R. Martin, Miyazaki had the opportunity to work with the Game of Thrones author for ER‘s lore, and there are some interesting notes to be made from this.
How George R.R. Martin Influenced Elden Ring
In a revealing interview at E3 2019, Hidetaka Miyazaki, the renowned game director behind FromSoftware’s critically acclaimed titles, shed light on his collaboration with George R.R. Martin for Elden Ring (which hadn’t been released at the time).
The star-studded collaboration for the game began with Miyazaki expressing his love for Martin’s books, with Fevre Dream being his favorite among them:
I personally see “Fevre Dream” as a masterpiece among vampire fantasy and had even previously recommended it to all new employees.
FromSoftware’s Executive Business Director, Eiichi Nakajima, approached the Game of Thrones author for ER with the expectation that he would turn them down. However, Martin surprisingly agreed to discuss the project. According to Miyazaki:
The actual collaboration itself begun with Mr. Martin ever so politely confirming what sorts of themes, ideas as well as many game-related aspects I had envisioned for the game.
The collaboration sparked creative conversations and inspired the development team. Martin’s mythos provided a foundation for building Elden Ring‘s world, while FromSoftware did the rest. The lore for the upcoming ER DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, also uses Martin’s work as its foundation.
What Are the Similarities Between Fevre Dream and Elden Ring?
Fevre Dream, a lesser-known work by Martin, tells the story of Abner Marsh, a steamboat captain in 19th-century America, who meets Joshua York, a refined and wealthy gentleman. They become partners, and York invests in a new, luxurious steamboat for Marsh.
However, Marsh and his passengers grow wary of York and his peculiar companions. As the story unfolds, it’s revealed that York is not a regular man but an immortal vampire, part of a group that feeds on humans.
One Redditor, Nihlus11, made a great, in-depth post that talks about the various similarities Joshua York has to ER‘s Miquella.
Miquella might have been inspired by another GRRM character
byu/Nihlus11 inEldenRingLoreTalk
This includes a lot of references to cut content from Miyazaki’s game, both characters’ goals, where they start and where they end up, and more.
Another Redditor brought up how a certain part of the book is very reminiscent of the story we see unfold in ER.
Comment
byu/CMSnake72 from discussion
inEldenRingLoreTalk
Thematic elements and visual aesthetics of Fevre Dream also may have impacted Miyazaki’s creative vision beyond ER.
Some fans speculate that the Gothic aesthetic of Bloodborne could have been inspired by the book.
Have you read Fevre Dream? Did you spot any similarities between the two works? Let us know in the comments below!
