Hidetaka Miyazaki is the CEO of FromSoftware and has served as game director in several projects. Each title he has developed bears the same difficult nature that members of the gaming community find tedious but while some welcome the challenge. Adding difficulty settings is not an option for the Japanese studio but fellow soulslike Rise of the Ronin have deviated from the literal hard path.
The soulslike genre has been long pioneered by Miyazaki and FromSoftware, every game that they develop is a massive improvement from their previous projects. Rise of the Ronin has multiple difficulty settings to help invite casual gamers who do not possess the skills, temperament, and patience to invest in a soulslike game but Hidetaka Miyazaki is firm with their creative choices.
Hidetaka Miyazaki Elaborates On Why He Won’t Replicate Rise Of The Ronin’s Difficulty Settings
In an interview with Gamespot, Miyazaki explained why he remains true to the core of FromSoftware and justifies having a relatively hard native difficulty in their games.
“We want everyone to feel that sense of accomplishment. We want everyone to feel elated and to join that discussion on the same level. We feel if there’s different difficulties, that’s going to segment and fragment the user base. People will have different experiences based on that [differing difficulty level]. This is something we take to heart when we design games. It’s been the same way for previous titles and it’s very much the same with Sekiro.”
The difficult nature builds character and a sense of camaraderie with other players whenever the community engages in online discussions. Miyazaki intended the players to have a shared experience despite only being able to play solo. In the following years, Rise of the Ronin also managed to perfect the formula that Soulslike games are compatible with multiplayer which was also featured in Elden Ring.
Miyazaki does feel a bit of remorse for the torture his players had to endure but promises a greater feeling of accomplishment whenever a player is forced to grind, train, and exert the much-needed effort to defeat their foes. In the grander scheme of things, Miyazaki is helping players build confidence and improve their patience in combat.
Could Hidetaka Miyazaki Be Inspired To Add Difficulty Options After Rise Of The Ronin’s Initiative?
Miyazaki’s stance on the subject matter of having difficult options has changed throughout the years and at one point thought of including a feature in his future projects. The director has shown a great ability to adapt to the times from a development point of view during the production of Elden Ring which was a major departure from their formulaic and traditional methods.
Regardless of how each studio has chosen to proceed with their Soulslike games, FromSoftware has given Team Ninja the confidence and encouragement to deviate from the set path to bring in new sheep. Rise of the Ronin‘s difficulty settings make it stand out compared to the likes of Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring, and maybe it could encourage Miyazaki to change as well.
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