Shortly before E3, the rumor made the rounds that the game designers at From Software are making a new game in collaboration with novelist George R. R. Martin, who in turn is known for his work "A Song of Ice and Fire" - or at the very latest since the HBO TV adaptation Game of Thrones. Now Elden Ring is confirmed. As part of Microsoft's press conference at E3 2019, the announcement trailer was shown, and as usual from the developers at From Software, it's very mysterious. But after the trip into Japanese history with Sekiro, Elden Ring's trailer makes a very soulful impression.
So for the world of Elden Ring, George R. R. Martin and From mastermind Hidetaka Miyazaki have put their heads together. This will mostly please fans of Bloodborne and Dark Souls 1, after all Miyazaki is considered the mastermind behind the success of the Soulsborne action games. Microsoft's XBox blog even has an interview with Miyazaki talking about how work on Elden Ring began after the DLC for Dark Souls 3 was completed. "We wanted to make a dark fantasy action role-playing game, and do the things that aren't possible in the Dark Souls series." Compared to Sekiro, Elden Ring puts more emphasis on the role-playing elements, offering a wide range of weapons, magic skills, and different ways to fight enemies - Elden Ring is said to offer even more variety than Dark Souls in that regard.
The biggest difference from From Software's previous games, Miyazaki points out, is the open game world. "Because of that, the size of the world and its narrative, as well as the depth of the game and the freedom to explore, have increased tremendously," the game director is quoted as saying. For those who are put off by this, perhaps Miyazaki's following comment can take some of the doubt away: "There are many definitions of 'open world' and maybe I'm not expressing myself correctly. We have our own approach to a game with a big, open playground." You can read the full interview over at the official website for Microsoft's Xbox.
