Elden Ring's Dev Wants to Create Classic Japanese RPG
FromSoftware enjoyed the success of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, but that doesn't mean the studio intends to rest on its laurels or lock itself into one genre. After all, Hidetaka Miyazaki would like to tackle a classic jRPG as well.
At FromSoftware headquarters, champagne must be flowing in streams. The studio invented a new genre when players and the media embraced being challenged by Dark Souls. Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree are receiving mixed reviews, including: due to the level of difficulty and optimization (on the one hand, we have our review, on the other - mixed opinions on Steam), the game sells in huge numbers (at its peak, over 750,000 people played Elden on Steam).
Hidetaka Miyazaki, CEO of the studio since 2014, however, isn't one to stand still. Each of his later projects, even within the same genre (Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3), varied from the previous one. No wonder the dev wants to go beyond the confines of one genre. Even if it is a genre that he himself helped create. Apart from soulslikes, Miyazaki would like to release classic (at least in his mind) JRPG.
The return of Hidetaki Miyazaki to his roots
In an interview with The Rolling Stone, Hidetaka Miyazaki said that he would also like to create something in a traditional JRPG convention. The studio should be able to cope with this genre, there are certainly a few employees in the company who remember the development of, for instance, Enchanted Arms (although the developer, Masato Miyazaki, who isn't related to Hidetaka, has long since joined Capcom).
Fans of classic FromSoftware titles from before the era of Souls might be a bit disappointed. Given that the father of Dark Souls is known for his strong authorial touch, and at the same time highly respects the connection of the creator with his work - it will most likely be some new world and title. In the article, we can read what Miyazaki thinks about all of this:
I think a lot of these games are so intertwined with the directors who almost invented that style of game. (...) I don't think there's a scenario where I myself would make a King's Field. The same can be said about Otogi and Enchanted Arms.
Although at the very beginning of his career, Miyazaki worked on titles that were invented by someone else - including Armored Core - but now, as studio head, he has full control over his career and ideas. The studio doesn't have to reach for old series if there is no need for it. He's not afraid of experiments either, because for example, in 2018 FromSoftware released his VR adventure game Decarine on PlayStation 5, something completely different.
Hidetaka Miyazaki and his gaming inspirations
It's important to remember that Miyazaki was influenced not only by Legend of Zelda, King’s Field, or Ico but also by Oblivion later on. He developed his design sensibility with the help of his favorite games, including the Dragon Quest series, particularly the older installments. These classic titles, often developed with the participation of the legendary Akira Toriyama, are the biggest direct competitor to the genre-leading Final Fantasy.
It's quite possible that if Miyazaki tackles a "classic" RPG, he will create something new and exceptional. Or epic and huge, like Shadow of the Erdtree, which was released on PC and consoles on Friday, June 21.
