Elden Ring director won’t stop making difficult games: ‘It’s our identity’

metro.co.uk:

The creator of Elden Ring says challenging games will remain a key part of FromSoftware’s identity for the foreseeable future.

When it comes to the discourse on video game difficulty, you will always find FromSoftware’s work at the very heart of it. The key selling point of games like Dark Souls and the recently released Elden Ring is that you will be severely tested in terms of perseverance and

Director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who is responsible for creating the Souls genre with 2009’s Demon’s Souls, has said that the studio is unlikely to stop making high difficult games any time soon, as it’s a key part of its identity.

Speaking with The New York Times, he said ‘We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So it’s not something we’re willing to abandon at the moment. It’s our identity.’

In case anyone thinks otherwise, Miyazaki admits that he’s not a particularly skilled gamer himself, saying ‘I die a lot. So, in my work, I want to answer the question: If death is to be more than a mark of failure, how do I give it meaning? How do I make death enjoyable?’

He also sees death in video games as an opportunity to create fun memories for players, ‘When I’m playing these games, I think, this is the way I’d want to die – in a way that is amusing or interesting, or that creates a story I can share.

‘Death and rebirth, trying and overcoming – we want that cycle to be enjoyable. In life, death is a horrible thing. In play, it can be something else.’

Miyazaki says he feels bad for those who end up overwhelmed by the challenge his games offer, adding: ‘I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games. I just want as many players