Game creator Hidetaka Miyazaki expresses the desire to make his next project better than his previous efforts and hopes it has the capacity to surpass the Souls series.
In a recent interview with Kotaku, Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Dark Souls 3 and the creator of the entire Souls franchise in which the title is rooted, discussed his legacy in relation to From Software's popular action-RPG series, and how he wishes to continue progressing with game creation. The discussion touches on Miyazaki's career with From Software and how he's changed as a developer, but it mostly centers around Dark Souls 3 and where he intends to go from there.
During the conversation, Miyazaki was asked if, 10 years from now, he would be okay with being primarily remembered for the game design model that From Software has used for Demon's Souls, the Dark Souls series, and Bloodborne, or if he wanted to be known for another project. Regarding the notion, Miyazaki responded with a content, yet detached statement, expressing that people's perception of him is beyond his interest and control, but even so, he is fine with fans viewing him in such a way, as his main imperative is evolving and besting all previous efforts, including the Souls series.
"To be honest, I’m really not interested on how I’m viewed as. The only thing I’m interested in is to keep creating something special. Whether that something is synonymous to me or not is really none of my concern. But, I can’t deny the fact that the Souls series is something special to me, so I am happy to know that people have that sort of image of me. Even if that image stays with me, I have no intention of ending in a way where I couldn’t create a game that surpasses the Souls series. That would be pretty sad, wouldn’t it?"
Back in April, the game director and Dark Souls creator declared work had begun on a new IP at From Software, but has yet to divulge any details regarding its development. Of course, on top of putting together the fresh property for the studio, Miyazaki is also in the process of creating post launch materials for Dark Souls 3, as its first DLC is scheduled for for release in autumn of 2016, and its second batch is primed for early 2017.
Not long ago, Miyazaki stated that he intends for Dark Souls 3 to be the end of the series, and he would pursue new ideas for subsequent projects. For those not keeping count, he and his studio are looking to branch out as much as possible with From Software having three new games in development, each of which Miyazaki undoubtedly hopes allow him to expand his creative parameters exponentially.
Although From Software is leaving the Souls series behind by ending with the third official chapter, it's hard to say that the franchise didn't close out on a high note. After all, Dark Souls 3 is easily one of the top games of 2016 so far, and with more time under it's belt, it will surely be remembered fondly for ages to come. Plus, Miyazaki's drive to make even better games to surpass the Souls series ought to not only provide him with creative satisfaction, but also should give fans of his work a lot to look forward to.
The Souls series' latest game is Dark Souls 3, and it's available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.