"However we're also trying to ensure that the classes and the character you create at the very beginning are still important and having an impact on you at the end of gameplay, too - so those are the two things we're trying to balance, and the new weapon skill system adds to that."
"We're trying to keep it so that whatever type of character you create initially, it doesn't really matter in terms of what weapons you wish to use later on," he explains, then using the example of a fleet-footed thief using a gigantic longsword. Take, for instance, how Dark Souls has you pick a character class at the top of the game. That balance, he goes on to explain, is something he strives to find and instill not just in difficulty, but in all aspects of the game. So when I show concern to the development team members, that's why the term I use is unreasonable - basically, we don't want to go too far. "When you think about it, the difficulty in the Dark Souls franchise so far has been something that players have eventually been able to overcome. "But it's not necessarily that I say 'oh, this is too difficult,' but instead the term I usually use is 'unreasonable.' So, that's the term I tend to use when I have these conversations with the development team." "Well, there were of course several moments where I had to stop things and take a step back and consider the difficulty," he says with a smile. One area that requires his touch in particular, he reveals, is the series' infamous difficulty. While he's undoubtedly the man in charge, Miyazaki does follow that statement up by noting that he has a sizeable team working on the game, with much of his work being that of an overseer. "So, in terms of the world design, and other elements, my preference is to return to something structurally a little more like the first game, and Bloodborne, with the world a little more connected." "Dark Souls 2 was of course built and supervised by other people at From Software, and so it matched their preference," he explains. That, I suppose, is why Miyazaki looks so at home watching over this Souls event from above - this really is his baby. That speaks to Miyazaki's role as an auteur, too, in an age when games driven by one central, publicly visible figure seem to be less frequent. "All of Dark Souls 3's design is basically based on my own personal preference," he declares when I ask him about the difference between Dark Souls 3 and the previous two titles in the series.
#THE CHOSEN WELL OF SOULS DIFFICULTY DIFFERENCES SERIES#
I'm not entirely sure if Namco planned this imagery or not, but it's particularly potent nonetheless, especially as he goes on to detail his role as series overseer and how the one true canon for the series story is in his head only, and will remain there. People explore the first few areas of the game and are mauled by its enemies below, with Miyazaki watching from on high. I sit down with Miyzaki up in the rafters of a church which has been kitted out with the game and other Souls-style regalia for the press event. He's also hugely charming and humble, though - he apologetically tries to wrangle extra interview time off Namco PR when our slot runs a little short, and when I tell him I feel the Souls series' open-ended take on narrative is one of the most refreshing in games, he sheepishly smiles and says thank you several times over with a tiny bow. During a stage presentation to press he holds the room's attention, but also has a reticent but thoughtful presentation manner which suggests that when push comes to shove, he'd probably rather be back in Japan working on the game. He doesn't immediately strike you as the type who has had a hand in creating several of the most influential games of the last ten years.
The success of that title, and the four games and two series' that followed it, assured not only his position as company president but also as a visionary designer and director. Within a few short years Miyazaki was made president of the company having helmed a couple of solid Armored Core titles before finding what feels like his true calling in a game that'd later become Demon's Souls. What followed was a meteoric rise over little more than a decade. Inspired after playing Ico, he switched careers into games and quickly rose through the ranks of his chosen company, From Software.
While many prominent directors have been in the world of video games for what feels like forever, Hidetaka Miyazaki still feels like something of a fresh face. "My preference is to return to something structurally a little more like the first game, and Bloodborne, with the world a little more connected" - Miyazaki The Dark Souls creator talks storyline, challenge, character builds and more.
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