Developer of the ‘Elden Ring’ Says That Game Difficulty is Part Of Its Identity
FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki had much to say about Elden Ring. This didn’t necessarily mean that it was easier. It meant more classes and more paths for newcomers.
In an interview with New YorkerMiyazaki explained his views on the difficulty of his games and stated that they would continue to be difficult for the foreseeable future. This is a large part of reframing how players view death as a success and not a failure. “I’ve never been a very skilled player – I die a lot. In my work, I seek to answer the question: How can I make death enjoyable? How do I make death enjoyable?”
He continues to explain how he made this joy of death part of his games. “I feel sorry for anyone who thinks that there is too much to do in my games. I want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy the joy of overcoming hardship. Every day we face challenges. It is always satisfying to find solutions. You know that there aren’t many things in life that can give us these feelings easily.
His approach to creating his games and the experience he hopes to offer his players have made what a Soulsborne title is. It doesn’t work within the formula if it isn’t challenging. We are constantly striving to improve, but in our games, hardship is what gives life meaning. It’s something we are unwilling to give up at the moment. It is our identity.
Miyazaki wants players to experience what they cannot get in the real world. That is why constant death is so important to him. We want the cycle of death and rebirth to be fun. Death is an awful thing in life. It can also be something else in play.
It looks like we won’t soon switch to a more accessible mode.
