Video Games
[E3 2019] ‘Elden Ring’ Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Shares Details About Game
Fresh from Software’s reveal of Elden Ring at E3 2019, publisher Bandai Namco had a sit-down interview with the game’s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, to give a few more details about the game, as well as George R.R. Martin’s collaboration.
For starters, work began on Elden Ring “just after development for the Dark Souls 3 DLC had ended”, which if you’re keeping score, was around 2017. The game originally was planned to be “a more classic fantasy title compared to others that were either being considered” at the time, with the goal being to create a “dark fantasy RPG” with elements that From Software couldn’t do with Dark Souls 3.
Being that Elden Ring was being worked on at the same time as From Software’s recent hit, Sekiro, Miyazaki split time between both projects, taking on the various game design, art and musical aspects of the titles.
As far as the genre, Elden Ring is a third-person action RPG, with more focus on RPG elements than Sekiro‘s action-based elements. The title will include “a wide variety of weapons, magic, and ways to engage enemies, that make it possible to provide users with a style of gameplay and strategy that suits them.” The game will also have character customization elements.
Regarding Martin’s collaboration, the event came about mainly due to Miyazaki being a fan of Martin’s work. “I loved “A Song of Ice and Fire” as well as the “Tuf Voyaging” series, however if I had to pick a favorite I would probably say ‘Fevre Dream,'” says Miyazaki. Miyazaki’s appreciation of Martin resulted in From Software’s executive business director Eiichi Nakajima to reach out to Martin.
The result was Martin providing feedback on what sorts of themes, ideas and “many game-related aspects” Miyazaki had envisioned. “Elden Ring’s world was constructed using this mythos and stimulus as a base. Even I myself find it hard to contain my excitement from time to time. We hope that everyone else is looking forward to the world we have created.”
Check out the rest of the interview from the link above. Elden Ring is due out for Xbox One and PC.
Moon Studios dropped a new trailer during the Sony State of Play for their dark action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked, while also hinting at the long-awaited launch window for the full 1.0 release. The game, which has been in Early Access on Steam since April 2024, will be launching this October in full for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, while versions for the Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 will arrive at a later date.
As a token of appreciation for supporters new and old, Moon Studios is offering an exclusive Early Access Founder’s Pack, a free limited edition bundle available for anyone who purchases the game on Steam prior to July 10, with rewards unlocking when 1.0 officially launches. PlayStation 5 users can receive the Early Access Founder’s Pack by pre-ordering the game once available, any time before launch day.
The Founder’s Pack includes:
- A New Secret Hideout: Spirit Cavern – The legacy of Moon Studios now lives inside No Rest for the Wicked, exclusively for Founders. A hand-crafted home that bridges both worlds.
- Sayer’s Vow: An all new Sword in the stone reserved just for the founders that only early adopters can extract in the game world.
- A Custom Founders Tag ensures players are clearly identified as early adopters.
- As a Founder member, players will get access to an exclusive Public Beta Test Realm reserved just for them, even after the 1.0 game launch.
As for the full 1.0 release, it will be a massive expansion of the core experience, introducing a staggering 60+ hours of new content, a new horde mode, powerful new weapons, bosses and enemies, new areas and a completely reimagined class system.
In No Rest for the Wicked, players take on the role of a “Cerim,” a member of a holy order imbued with mysterious powers, tasked with destroying the Pestilence, an ancient plague that has begun to consume the island Isola Sacra, itself already the site of great political upheaval and death.