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In a rare interview, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki has all but apologised for the difficulty of his games.
He himself is an unskilled player, he claims, so can relate. “I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki told Simon Parkin for the New Yorker, holding his head in his hands before smiling. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.”
The central question of Miyazaki’s work is whether he can make death meaningful and enjoyable, he says: “We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So it’s not something we’re willing to abandon at the moment. It’s our identity.”
Miyazaki is particularly drawn to player deaths that are funny or lend themselves to anecdotes in some way. “Death and rebirth, trying and overcoming - we want that cycle to be enjoyable,” he says. “In life, death is a horrible thing. In play, it can be something else.”
But there is a boundary when it comes to difficulty, even for him: “Impossible challenges? That’s where I draw the line, and where I feel stressed out.” I’d recommend reading the entire interview, which is a typically insightful read courtesy of Mr Parkin.
Miyazaki does suggest, as many have, that Elden Ring’s open world makes its difficulty less brutal - allowing space for players to flee fights and attempt other routes. But in our Elden Ring review, our Joel says that extra wriggle room has its limits: “More accessible? Yeah, I'll give it that. Easier? Not so much.”
