FromSoftware’s iconic game creator Hidetaka Miyazaki is certainly one of the best in the business. Having created a whole new genre and giving the world of gamers some of the best titles, Miyazaki has undoubtedly created a legacy for himself as well as for FromSoftware making it a household name.
Miyazaki has gone from not having money to buy books in school, and being an aimless youngster to switching a career at the age of 29 and becoming one of the best game creators that the world has witnessed. But what really inspired him to make the unconventional kind of games that he is known for?!
Why Hidetaka Miyazaki makes dark games?
Hidetaka Miyazaki is known for making pretty dark games. In fact, one of his most legendary works is titled ‘Dark Souls‘. During an interview with IGN back in 2019, Miyazaki revealed why he makes such dark games saying,
“Personally, a world that is happy and bright is something that just doesn’t feel realistic to me. It may sound like I have a trauma or something, but I believe that the world is generally a wasteland that is not kind to us. That’s just the way I see it.”
He explains how for him the meaning of dark and beautiful somewhat coincides. He said,
“Light looks more beautiful in darkness. When there is something beautiful in the middle of a wasteland, we are able to appreciate it more. One jewel doesn’t look like much when you have a pile of them, but if you find one jewel in the midst of mud, it is worth so much more.”
Miyazaki also emphasized how he always wanted to create beautiful worlds. And he does. The creator has given the world some stunning worlds that play out in dark, grim fantasy settings.
In spite of the gory, dark lores, one cannot neglect how beautiful and gothic the environments of his games look.
Miyazaki reveals how George R.R. Martin’s writing shaped Elden Ring
When Elden Ring was initially announced by FromSoftware, it made a lot of noise. But one of the biggest headline-making factors was the game’s collaboration with Game of Thrones author and creator George R.R. Martin. When asked about the same, Hidetaka Miyazaki confessed,
“It all started with me being a fan of Mr Martin’s works A Song of Ice and Fire and its drama adaptation Game of Thrones are both masterpieces. I am also very fond of Fevre Dream and Tuf Voyaging.”
Miyazaki also revealed the role of George R.R. Martin in the development of Elden Ring. According to Miyazaki, Martin wrote the “overarching mythos” which formed the basis or background for Elden Ring. However, the case was different when it came to the game’s story. This was because Miyazaki didn’t want to limit the author’s creative freedom.
He said,
“Storytelling in videogames—at least the way we do it at FromSoftware—comes with a lot of restrictions for the writer. I didn’t think it was a good idea to have Martin write within those restrictions. By having him write about a time the player isn’t directly involved in, he is free to unleash his creativity in the way he likes. Furthermore, as FromSoftware we didn’t want to create a more linear and story driven experience for Elden Ring. Both issues could be solved by having Martin write about the world’s history instead.”
As a result, players got to experience Martin’s mythology through exploration without a narrative-heavy story. Additionally, Elden Ring also did not have a fixed main character. Instead, it left it up to the player to determine the characteristics and personality of the character they wished to create.
