FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki is one of the most sought-after game directors nowadays. He can easily stand aside legends like Hideo Kojima and Todd Howard without a doubt. Over time, he has developed numerous hits, and all of them have been near perfect. In fact, his latest game, Elden Ring, ended up being the most successful game for the developer.
One thing that only his most dedicated fans know is that he started his career as a game director with Demon Souls back in 2009. That game marked the beginning of the soulslike genre, and it became a surprise hit for publisher Sony. His first success was Demon Souls, and his largest success was Elden Ring, but surprisingly, none of them are his favorite games.
Director Hidetaka Miyazaki chooses the most surprising title as his favorite game!
Games in the soulslike genre are not so different gameplay-wise. Players would fight monsters, collect souls, or whatever a developer chooses to call them in their game. Then, after collecting a certain number of souls, they level up.
But in case they lose a fight and end up dying, those souls would be dropped right there, and players would have to retrieve them. If they die again, though, those souls would be lost forever. After numerous games, this formula remains as it is.
There are a bunch of developers who have come up with some interesting iterations of this formula. Dead Cells turns it into a fast-paced 2D action game. Salt and Sanctuary changed that formula into a straightforward 2D game with a Bloodborne-like look and Dark Souls-like gameplay mechanics.
Yet, besides keeping their gameplay consistently similar, FromSoftware managed to make a bunch of soulslike games that nevertheless felt fresh to play. To no one’s surprise, director Hidetaka Miyazaki has his own favorite among these titles.
It is none other than Bloodborne. He suggests that Bloodborne is the game that he keeps “closest to his heart.” In some ways, it makes sense too, in terms of setting, gameplay, character design, and everything else. Bloodborne is a very distinctive game.
It is set in a Victorian-era city called Yharnam and takes inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft’s horror creations for its story. The boss design is also very inspired by popular horror writers’ creations. It was a proper horror-soullike experience.
“If I [have to] say which one I keep in my heart, it’s Bloodborne. It’s the one that left [the biggest] mark on me. I would’ve improved the Chalice Dungeons and the Blood Gems, which I wish were more detailed.”
For those unaware, chalice dungeons in Bloodborne were a bunch of levels that players could access by performing various rituals. These rituals are usually performed using some items that players get during their usual playthrough, defeating some special enemies, bosses, and such.
While it could have used some extra polish, this game remains an incredible addition to his catalog nonetheless. For many players, Chalice Dungeons remain a source of near-unlimited content to this day.
Maybe a remake would make Hidetaka Miyazaki happy?
He has finally made it pretty clear that his favorite game is Bloodborne. He even suggested there are things in that game that he wishes he could have fixed. Maybe this chance will come when someone works on a remake of Bloodborne.
This remake or even a sequel has started to look more and more likely as new rumors keep dropping every now and then. The most probable thing would be that Bluepoint develops a remake, and maybe FromSoftware follows up with a sequel. But all this remains a fantasy until Sony itself decides to make an announcement.
