From Software game director Hidetaka Miyazaki is well known for his dystopian vision, being the creator of the Dark Souls franchise, Bloodborne, and most recently Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. His next game, Elden Ring, is promised to be more of the same. Not even George R.R. Martin's realism-focused fantasy influence, being the writer of both Game of  Thrones and Elden Ring's mythology, can ground Miyazaki's dark creative vision. It begs the question, what's inspiring Miyazaki?

In an interview with IGN, Hidetaka Miyazaki offered a look into his thought process when it comes to world design. He explained how he strives to find beauty in darkness through his work and how he finds that more realistic. "A world that is happy and bright is something that just doesn't feel realistic to me," is how he describes it. "I believe that the world is generally a wasteland that is not kind to us. That's just the way I see it."

Miyazaki's views aren't uncommon, it seems. Yoko Taro, creator of Nier: Automata, has spoken quite a bit about his perception of the world and how it influences his work. Some examples include him saying that, "life is unfair," and that characters often suffer in his games because he, "wants to show reality," in order to build honest empathy.

There's no argument that Miyazaki's worlds are both brilliantly realized and utterly dark. And perhaps the reason Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro are all so popular is that they're made with such sincerity. They aren't just dark to be dark, they're dark with intent. The darkness enables Miyazaki to tell the stories that he wants to share.

Keep in mind that the direct quotes from Miyazaki have been translated from Japanese, so the exact wording may not be wholly accurate. The intent seems to be clear, however, in that Miyazaki may not have the highest of opinion for the world or humanity but colors it with hope. That may not come through to all of the people playing his games, or it may not matter, but there's no argument that it makes for some incredible games.

Elden Ring has no current release window but is confirmed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: IGN