Miyazaki’s Masterpiece: A Deep Dive into the Creator’s Perspective on Elden Ring

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the enigmatic president of FromSoftware and the visionary behind the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, holds a unique perspective on his creations. When it comes to Elden Ring, his magnum opus, his feelings are multifaceted. While he avoids playing the game himself, he is undeniably happy with its sales and critical acclaim. He believes its success will allow FromSoftware to create future games that are even more authentic to their distinct style. He praises the game’s art as “groundbreaking” and “gorgeous,” and states that he believes Elden Ring “looks incredible.” This appreciation stems from his role in shaping the game’s core vision, lore, and design, rather than direct hands-on experience. His preference is to focus on the development process, ensuring that the games align with his artistic vision, even if he doesn’t personally experience them as a player. In essence, Miyazaki views Elden Ring as a significant achievement, one that validates his creative approach and opens doors for future innovation.

Unpacking Miyazaki’s Unique Relationship with Elden Ring

Miyazaki’s approach to game development is fascinating. He doesn’t engage with the finished product as a gamer would. Instead, he focuses on the foundational elements, crafting worlds, narratives, and gameplay mechanics that resonate with his creative sensibilities. This distance allows him to maintain objectivity and avoid being influenced by personal gameplay biases.

He emphasizes that development is a more of a business for him. This perspective allows him to maintain a healthy relationship between directing and gaming. It also allows him to constantly evolve his ideas without being bogged down by his own performance and attachment to the game.

The Allure of Radahn: Miyazaki’s Favorite Boss

When pressed about his favorite boss in Elden Ring, Miyazaki revealed his fondness for Starscourge Radahn. He finds Radahn fascinating as an individual character and appreciates the Radahn Festival as a pivotal moment in the game’s narrative. This choice highlights Miyazaki’s preference for characters with depth and lore significance, rather than simply focusing on challenging gameplay encounters. Radahn is tragic character. He is powerful, but is cursed with madness. Radahn, the warrior who loved learning magic to ride his tiny horse, is a complex character that is hard not to feel sorrow for when encountering him in the game.

Influences and Inspirations: Beyond the Obvious

While Elden Ring draws heavily from fantasy literature, including George R.R. Martin’s contributions to the lore, Miyazaki’s inspirations extend to other forms of media. Though not explicitly confirmed, the influence of Studio Ghibli can be felt in the game’s environmental design and sense of wonder. Furthermore, influences from anime, particularly Berserk, are evident in the game’s dark fantasy setting, character designs, and brutal combat. Miyazaki also drew inspiration from European architecture for game environments, such as the Milan Cathedral in Italy and Château de Chambord in France as inspiration for Anor Londo in Dark Souls.

Irish Mythology’s Undying Inspiration

Elden Ring’s lore has its origins in Irish myth and culture. This differs from open-world titles that get inspiration from English or Norse mythology. FromSoftware goes above and beyond when it comes to the world they build. They dig deep into real-world mythologies to create believable and comprehensive fantasy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Miyazaki and Elden Ring

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further explore Hidetaka Miyazaki’s thoughts and influences regarding Elden Ring:

1. Why won’t Miyazaki play Elden Ring? Miyazaki maintains a “personal policy” of not playing the games he directs. This is to maintain objectivity and avoid the influence of personal biases.

2. Is Elden Ring inspired by Studio Ghibli? While not explicitly stated, the game’s environmental design and sense of wonder suggest potential inspiration from Studio Ghibli’s works.

3. Is Elden Ring inspired by anime? Yes, particularly Berserk. The game’s dark fantasy setting, character designs, and combat mechanics bear strong similarities.

4. What culture inspired Elden Ring? Elden Ring’s lore finds much of its origins in Irish myth and culture.

5. Is Ranni based on Schierke? It is speculated that Ranni’s character was inspired by the young witch Schierke from Berserk.

6. Where did Miyazaki get the idea for Dark Souls? Miyazaki draws inspiration from architectural designs. Anor Londo in Dark Souls was modeled after the Milan Cathedral in Italy and Château de Chambord in France.

7. Has Miyazaki played Elden Ring? He doesn’t seem to have played it or seen it behind closed doors but recently praised the game.

8. What anime is like Elden Ring? Berserk is a clear predecessor to Elden Ring, while post-Berserk inheritors like Claymore might be considered Elden Ring’s siblings.

9. Is Hidetaka Miyazaki a masochist? While the Souls games are known for their difficulty, it’s not necessarily because Miyazaki is a masochist. The challenge is intended to create a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. The difficulty is a core design tenet for Miyazaki and his team.

10. Is Hidetaka Miyazaki a nice guy? Yes, despite creating challenging games, Miyazaki is generally regarded as a very nice person.

11. What is Miyazaki’s Favourite boss? Miyazaki has stated that Radahn is his favorite boss in Elden Ring.

12. Will I like Elden Ring if I hated Dark Souls? It’s possible. The open-world structure and influences from other FromSoftware games make it more approachable than Dark Souls.

13. Why does Miyazaki not play his games? He has stated it was his “personal policy” to not play games that he’s created.

14. Did Miyazaki work on Sekiro? Yes, Hidetaka Miyazaki is credited on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019).

15. Why did Miyazaki not work on ds2? Miyazaki was largely busy with Artorias of the Abyss and then Bloodborne while 2 was being developed, but he still had the role of supervisor on 2.

Miyazaki’s Lasting Legacy and the Future of FromSoftware

Elden Ring stands as a testament to Miyazaki’s creative vision and FromSoftware’s dedication to crafting challenging, immersive, and rewarding gaming experiences. His leadership has shaped the industry, influencing countless developers and captivating millions of players worldwide. The game’s success ensures that FromSoftware will continue to push boundaries and explore new creative avenues, further solidifying Miyazaki’s legacy as one of the most influential game developers of our time.

The success of games like Elden Ring provides valuable insights for educators interested in understanding the appeal and impact of video games. Resources and research on game-based learning can be found at the Games Learning Society website. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.

Whether or not he plays his own games, Miyazaki’s dedication to his craft and his unique perspective continue to drive innovation in the gaming world. Elden Ring is just one chapter in the ongoing story of a visionary leader and his talented team.