FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, its newest title developed with the involvement of A Song of Ice an Fire author George R.R. Martin, received its first trailer at the Xbox E3 2019 briefing. Though the project leaked before that, it couldn’t really prepare us for the striking visuals and strange happenings of this new world. Speaking to Xbox Wire, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki provided some much-needed answers.
Envisioned as a “more classic fantasy” game, Elden Ring began development after Dark Souls 3 DLC was wrapped. Over time, it evolved into a “dark fantasy action RPG”, and unlike Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there’s more focus on the role-playing elements. Nonetheless, you can expect “responsive melee-based combat”, as per Miyazaki, and some level of challenge.
“The importance we place on the joy the player experiences through overcoming challenges will be the same as it is in our other titles. I believe it will prove to be a very satisfying experience,” he said. There will be a “wide variety of weapons, magic, and ways to engage enemies”, thus allowing players to tackle the game’s challenges however they see fit. In fact, Miyazaki believes that, compared to Dark Souls, Elden Ring “will provide even more variety in the ways for players to overcome challenges and tweak their tactics when facing enemies.”
Elden Ring will also be an open world title with large multi-layered castles, though Miyazaki clarifies that he thinks of “open world” as a “large, open field to play in”. Still, it’s a significant change from previous FromSoftware games. “I would have to say the biggest difference is it being open world,” he said. “Due to this, the scale of the world and its narrative, as well as the depth and freedom of exploration have increased dramatically. It is without a doubt our biggest title yet in terms of sheer volume.”
You can also expect character customization elements and boss fights, with the latter being pretty varied. One of the bosses was even described as “horrifying”. Miyazaki also talks about being a “huge fan” of George R.R. Martin’s works, and didn’t expect him to agree to the project. Life truly is full of surprises.
Elden Ring doesn’t have a release date, but it is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment.