Elden Ring creator says he tries to "make death enjoyable" but admits he dies "a lot" too

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"Hardship is what gives meaning to the experience"

Elden Ring coop multiplayer
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring creator Hidetaka Miyazaki says that while dying a lot in From Software games is now part of the studio's "identity", he is keen to "make death enjoyable".  

"I’ve never been a very skilled player,” Miyazaki told the New Yorker. “I die a lot. So, in my work, I want to answer the question: If death is to be more than a mark of failure, how do I give it meaning? How do I make death enjoyable?

"I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,” Miyazaki added. "I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship."

Consequently, Miyazaki has no plans to "abandon" the challenge level of From Software's games, as "hardship is what gives meaning to the experience".

"We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience," he added. "So it’s not something we’re willing to abandon at the moment. It’s our identity."

We gave the eagerly-anticipated action RPG a full five stars out of five in our Elden Ring review, stating: "When Elden Ring hits the rails, the momentum carries it forward and refuses to slow down.

At the time of writing, Elden Ring has received a "Mixed" review aggregate score from users on Steam, where many players are complaining of PC optimization issues.

Did you phone in sick yesterday because Elden Ring was released? The staff working for a Japanese games studio didn't have to, as the company gave its entire team the day off to celebrate its release, christening it an "Elden Holiday".

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Vikki Blake
Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, GamesRadar+

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.