The release ofElden Ringis rumored for June 2020, much to the excitement ofSoulsfans everywhere. The game is said to be a step back to more traditional RPG elements after the action-adventure format ofSekiro. That alone would be enough to get fans hyped up, but the project is also said to be the studio’s largest game world yet, and is being made in conjunction with incredibly popular fantasy author George RR Martin, the man behind Game of Thrones. There are a few reasons that the collaboration is an exciting prospect, but they will be delved into in full down below.
George RR Martin’s involvement inElden Ringmight seem to just be a cursory partnership, but his contributions will likely be the most important factor in how unique the game ends up being. In most FromSoftware games, Miyazaki is the primary author of all of the lore, NPCs, and story notes that end up in the finished product. However, this time, Miyazaki consulted Martin about the overarching themes of the game, and Martin produced a mythos and lore record to guide the setting and story ofElden Ring. The minutiae of the in-game world will be up to Miyazaki and his team, but the fact that the deep lore of the setting was crafted by someone else is very important for a few key reasons.
RELATED:The Most Memorable Bosses From Dark Souls 2
Re-Used Lore in FromSoftware Games
Anyone who has played a few of theSoulsgames to come out of FromSoftware will be very familiar with the re-used characters and themes that pervade Miyazaki’s worlds. Miyazaki has an incredible talent for telling stories and building worlds through the medium of video games, but there are certain topics, themes, and character archetypes that rear their heads over and over again. The archetypes of Andre the Smith, Patches, and some form of the Firekeeper have appeared in practicallyeverySouls-Bornegameyear after year.
The re-use of lore is to be expected in theDarkSoulsgames. The trilogy and associated DLC paint a holistic picture of the origins and downfall of a single, sprawling dark fantasy setting. The themes of Gwyn’s sacrifice, the power of souls and flame, and the encroaching darkness of the age of man all tie together through three games to paint a picture of a complete setting. However, even in games that are ostensibly in separate settings, the same ideas tend to crop up, so much so that it is very possible forDemon’s Souls,Dark Souls 1-3,BloodBorne, andSekiroto all be in the same world, as someDark Soulsfan theoristscontend.
SekiroandBloodBornewere both attempts by FromSoftware at moving away from their dark fantasy roots, but even so, they share enough creative and thematic influence withDark Soulsthat they are very recognizably made by the same people. EvenSekiro, the biggest departure from their storytelling formula, has similar story beats and lore details to all their previous games. In some ways, playing through each of the games gives the player a sense that each successive game was another iteration that allowed Miyazaki and his team to get closer to one creative vision.
The early ideas ofDemon’s Soulswere crystallized inDark Souls, experimented with inDark Souls II, transplanted into a lovecraftian theme forBloodBorne, and finally culminated inDark Souls III, which felt like a final draft that incorporated all the best ideas of the previous games into one holistic presentation. In many ways,Sekiro’s lore feels less like a departure from Souls-Borne and more like a re-imagining of the same core concepts into a similar setting inspired by a different culture.
None of this is to say that the iterative storytelling in these games is bad. In fact, many fans still haven’t got their fill of the central themes found throughout FromSoftware’s games. The way that the stories of each game are up to the player’s exploration and interpretation make the recurring themes feel less stale, and more like familiar anchors to grab on to when trying to piece together each game’s setting. Even so,Elden Ring’s partnershipbetween some of the best storytellers in video games and a successful writer brought in to introduce some fresh new concepts is an exciting prospect.
New Ideas in Elden Ring
This is why Martin’s involvement inElden Ringis so promising. While he is not responsible for the main story, the NPCs, or the way the setting will be presented in-game, his contribution of the backbone of lore that players will be piecing together is exactly the right amount of influence to refresh FromSoftware’s storytelling. FromSoftware has had many deep, polished games to explore very complex, but similar themes and story notes. While many of the themes and characters may be reminiscent of previous titles, the injection of totally different lore from a very different writer will undoubtedly make a very palpable difference in the final product.
RELATED:Bloodborne 2 ‘Isn’t Up to Me’ Reveals Game Director
Elden Ring’sgameplay will take a different approachto level design and game mechanics, leaning into larger areas and an even greater focus on RPG elements thanDark Souls. However, the game remains in a dark fantasy setting, a genre that FromSoftware has already spent a great deal of creative energy on. The dark fantasy ofDark Soulsis one of the most unique takes on the familiar genre, with every mechanic stemming from some integral rule of the in-game universe. With such a deep, finely crafted setting under their belts, it makes sense that the developers would want to bring in some outside inspiration to help them escape the temptation of all the incredible ideas they already have in stock.
Bringing in Martin to collaborate will be the best of both worlds scenario for FromSoftware fans. It allows the developer to explore a setting archetype that they are masters of, while still differentiatingElden RingfromDark Soulswith new ideas and lore. Players will get the same depth of exploration and environmental storytelling but have the added excitement of genuinely new ideas to discover and interpret. Ultimately,Elden Ringwill almost certainly be the best kind ofSouls-like- one made by true masters of storytelling and focused design, with enough new ideas sprinkled in to be a totally new experience.
Elden Ringis in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
