Miyazaki Doesn't Like the Term “Soulslike”
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will feature mechanics apparently heavily modeled on some solution from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It is possible that due to its similar elements FromSoftware studio head Hidetaka Miyazaki is not fond of the term „soulslike”.
Together with the first gameplay trailer of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for Elden Ring, three extensive interviews (IGN, Eurogamer, and Famitsu) with the director of both of these games, CEO of FromSoftware studio Hidetaka Miyazaki, appeared online. Although several days have passed since then, both fans and media are still meticulously analyzing the director's statements in search of interesting facts.
FromSoftware doesn't like the term "soulslike"
This is reflected in Miyazaki's words regarding the term "soulslike," which - due to the success and popularity of first Demon's Souls, and then subsequent installments of the Dark Souls series - is usually used when talking or writing about the subgenre of games resembling action RPGs by FromSoftware.
- In an interview with IGN, the developer suggested that he and his team didn't like this term.
- If anything, they prefer the term "souls-ish" - it can be translated as "resembling Souls," while "soulslike" is more "similar to Souls," as the name suggest.
- In general, they would rather have their games categorized as "dark fantasy third-person action games with a higher focus on melee combat and sense of accomplishment."
This isn't a very catchy phrase, is it? Despite Miyazaki's modesty, he didn't specify why FromSoftware studio avoids the term "soulslike." We might assume that the developers don't want their games to be seen as a series, despite the clear similarities between them. This is interesting because fans have been doing this for quite a while, and after the release of Bloodborne, the unofficial name of the series evolved into "Soulsborne."
New-old opponents in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Why might the devs from Japan not like this? They might be interested in replicating elements of their games, and then reusing them after making slight modifications. There are at least two oddly familiar enemies that can be observed in the aforementioned gameplay trailer of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (via Zullie the Witch).
- The first one resembles the Mimic, which ultimately didn't make it into Demon's Souls.
Mimik from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree? Source: From Software / Bandai Namco Entertainment.
- The second, however, is linked to the Armored Boar from the first Dark Souls (in this case, it is most likely justified by the game's lore, as the horns of this creature adorn Radahn's helmet, and the rider who mounts it uses gravitational magic, which is also a characteristic feature of the Starcourge).
The boar rider from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree using gravity magic. Source: From Software / Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Mechanics straight from Sekiro in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
The mechanic of scaling the player character's strength, which will be introduced in the expansion, isn't something new. In an interview for Famitsu, Miyazaki admitted that it is easiest to discuss it using the example of offensive power from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. At this moment, we don't have much information about this mechanic, but it appears certain that:
- it will allow you to increase the character's attack power regardless of his level and statistics based on the runes acquired;
- will only work in the Land of Shadow (the location from the DLC) and it won't affect the difficulty level of the "base game;"
- the enhancements it offers will only be accessible after overcoming the bosses, similar to how we used the memories of specific "bosses" in Sekiro after defeating them;
- the solution is most likely aimed at throwing a proper challenge to players who will join the expansion with powerful characters.
It seems clear that fans of FromSoftware games don't mind a bit of copying and pasting, even though we cannot be certain whether Miyazaki and the company dislike the term "soulslike" for this reason. Elden Ring has many elements familiar from previous games by the Japanese - they are impossible to miss upon first contact with the production - and still, it has proven to be a hit. Furthermore, they aren't the only ones accustomed to utilizing established resources and mechanics - many developers do so very skillfully, even on a larger scale (I have described other examples here).
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will be released on June 21, 2024 on PC, PS4, PS5, XOne, and XSX/S. So there are 114 days left until the premiere...
