From Software's hotly-anticipated upcoming open-world dark fantasy title Elden Ring has many hooks to draw in potential players, one of them being the involvement of George RR Martin, author of the dark fantasy blockbuster series A Song of Ice and Fire. However, while Martin was responsible for the world and background mythos of the game, it was recently revealed through an IGN interview that the one actually writing the in-game text of Elden Ring will be director Hidetaka Miyazaki.
Miyazaki is well-known for his approach to environmental storytelling, and if the most recent set of Elden Ring screenshots are anything to go by, there will be plenty of opportunities for environmental storytelling in this title. However, those who considered Martin's involvement to be one of the game's main appeals may require further convincing.
The fragmented storytelling approach that From Software games usually take is designed to be immersive and to encourage players to explore every inch of the game world, taking in sound cues and level design. For example, Bloodborne made the discovery of a young girl's hair ribbon in the sewer a horrifying experience. It has been confirmed that many of Elden Ring's game mechanics will be aimed at enhancing player freedom, so Miyazaki's approach to writing may fit better with the game's tone.
However, fans of Martin can take heart in the fact that his contributions have significantly influenced and even changed the scope of the game. According to Miyazaki, Martin's work led to Elden Ring being far more character-focused than previous From Software titles, and he brought things to the table that the Japanese giant would not have been able to do itself. Elden Ring is an incredibly ambitious game, and Martin's involvement has brought to it a sense of rich storytelling, strong characters, and drama, as expected from the man behind the series that would spawn Game of Thrones.
Martin's most famous work takes a sociological approach to storytelling, using multiple POV characters to interrogate the nature of power, the inherent flaws of a feudal government, and the way that different people interact with each other while struggling to achieve very different goals. Elden Ring already appears to draw on high fantasy elements, but if it also draws on Martin's notoriously complex and detailed character dynamics, this title could be something truly memorable. Whatever the case, Miyazaki's writing will have the task of bridging the gap between Martin's foundation and Elden Ring's item descriptions, dialogue, and cutscenes.
Elden Ring is set to release January 21, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: IGN