FromSoftware, the renowned game developer, is keeping its next project under wraps, but it plans to build on the success of Elden Ring by maintaining a blend of freedom and difficulty. This approach has been key to Elden Ring’s appeal, allowing it to reach a broader audience while staying true to the challenging gameplay that defines FromSoftware’s games.
The studio aims to continue this balance in its future projects, leveraging the open-world mechanics that made Elden Ring a mainstream success.
The developer’s previous titles—Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Sekiro, and Bloodborne—garnered a dedicated fanbase due to their challenging gameplay, intricate world-building, and enigmatic narratives.
Elden Ring, however, catapulted the studio into a new level of popularity, selling over 25 million copies. Its open-world design allowed players more freedom to explore and tackle challenges at their own pace, which made the traditionally punishing gameplay more approachable.
Director Hidetaka Miyazaki highlighted in a CNET interview that the studio’s games have always favored a steep difficulty curve, which can alienate some players. Elden Ring, however, managed to maintain this high difficulty while appealing to a wider audience, thanks to the freedom it offered players. This balance of accessibility and challenge was crucial in expanding the game’s reach.
Miyazaki further explained that it wasn’t merely the open-world aspect that contributed to Elden Ring’s success, but rather the degree of freedom provided to players.
This freedom allowed players to navigate the game’s difficulty in a way that suited their playstyle, making the experience more engaging for a diverse player base. This insight will guide FromSoftware’s future projects, ensuring they retain their challenging nature while also being more accessible.
As FromSoftware concludes Elden Ring with its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, the studio is focusing on how to incorporate the successful elements of freedom and difficulty into its next game.
While Miyazaki has expressed interest in reviving the Armored Core series, his ultimate dream of creating an “ideal fantasy RPG” remains unfulfilled. The specifics of FromSoftware’s next project remain a mystery, but fans can expect a continuation of the beloved formula that balances challenge and player freedom.
