Yet even Miyazaki recognizes that there’s a precarious balance to find when heavily depending on mystery to drive an experience. In an interview with EDGE magazine, Miyazaki addressed this topic with regards to his game Dark Souls specifically related to the upcoming release of its follow-up, Dark Souls III.
Hidetaka Miyazaki first is asked if there are any remaining items or large secrets to be discovered within Dark Souls, a game in which players are still searching for hints or clues. He, rather straightforwardly, states that no, “there aren’t any undiscovered items, or specific bits of gameplay.” It’s this thought that leads him to the idea of whether Dark Souls as a whole can be considered “completed” by its players.
It’s particularly interesting to see Miyazaki so openly discuss Dark Souls as an experience beyond his intent. It’s now rather well known that Dark Souls suffered a surprising amount of cut content, from bosses, weapons and NPCs to dozens of lines of unused dialogue.
Whether or not the content was cut for narrative purposes or development limitations is still unclear, but Miyazaki’s language certainly implies a mix. Yet those gaps left don’t just disappear; players continue to hunt them to this day.
Enter Dark Souls III, for while Dark Souls II is in many ways a continuation of the original game, it’s initial reveal did little to answer or expand on the questions fans are asking. Dark Souls III is the final game of the trilogy and is once again directed by Miyazaki, who directed Bloodborne while his colleagues worked on Dark Souls II. Dark Souls III is now the last opportunity for Miyazaki and From Software to answer those lasting questions from the original game – if they consider them worth answering.
It’s clear from the interview that Miyazaki is acutely aware of fans’ likes and dislikes from the original Dark Souls, and likely also their curiosity over the direction of Dark Souls III. Yet that won’t change how Miyazaki and From Software approach the world-building and storytelling of Dark Souls. Rather, it’s once again a challenge of balance for the team.
It’s admirable of Miyazaki to so forwardly apologize for the design choices of Dark Souls III, despite being so confident. This is simply how Miyazaki makes games. He recognizes Dark Souls III’s design can and will be frustrating or confusing to players, that inevitably there will be questions left unanswered, and apologizes for that. He’s empathetic with his players, but in Dark Souls fashion expect no pity. This is just the way things are.
The secrets of the Dark Soul and the First Flame remain enshrouded in fog. Dark Souls III launches on April 12 on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Source: EDGE, via Games Radar
