Dark Souls and Bloodbornes creator considers conventional stories a challenge

Much like the Souls games that came before it, Bloodborne is all about subversion, such as the way you have to work to achieve its greatness and the way it readdresses the economy of death. Game director and creator Hidetaka Miyazaki has already discussed the origin of the game's plot, but in the latest issue of GamesMaster he discusses the balance of crafting stories that are both obtuse and engaging.

GamesMaster: Do you think you’ll ever tell a ‘straight’ (for want of a better word) story in a game? Do such stories in other games frustrate you?
Hidetaka Miyazaki: I never dislike a story that is conventional and easy to understand. Conventional stories are great. I respect any works that have managed to make the conventional stories appealing as it’s very difficult to achieve. I’d like to challenge myself to create one someday. But then people might say, ‘Is this story meant to be conventional?!’ (Laughs)

GM: You and the team obviously spend a lot of effort creating the stories behind the locations we visit in Bloodborne. Do you craft these expecting only a certain number of players to delve into them?
HM:
I didn’t think about the exact number of players [who would dig into the details more] but I felt that some would be, as we [at From Software], especially myself, are that kind of player! (Laughs) Creating a map is such a joy, as it’s the process to gather a thread of meaning to explore. If I had to choose one area in game development to work in, I’d choose it.

The latest issue of GamesMaster, with Deus Ex; Mankind Divided on the cover, is out now. Download it here or subscribe to future issues.

Dom has been a freelance journalist for many years, covering everything from video games to gaming peripherals. Dom has been playing games longer than he'd like to admit, but that hasn't stopped him amassing a small ego's worth of knowledge on all things Tekken, Yakuza and Assassin's Creed.