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FromSoftware used the Xbox E3 2019 (opens in new tab) stage to reveal its latest project, a third-person action-RPG named Elden Ring. It’s already one of the biggest games out of E3 2019 (opens in new tab), and for good reason! Given that Elden Ring is from the studio that gave us Dark Souls (opens in new tab), Bloodborne (opens in new tab) and Sekiro (opens in new tab), you can probably already form a mental picture of what this looks like. This project has a little something special to it though: Game of Thrones writer George R. R. Martin, who collaborated with FromSoftware to write the “overarching mythos” of the world of Elden Ring.
Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki detailed what it was like collaborating with Martin in an interview with Xbox Wire (opens in new tab), noting that the pair have had plenty of “free and creative conversations regarding the game” which Martin used as a base to “write the overarching mythos for the game world itself.”
Explaining how the collaboration came to be, Miyazaki said that it started because he is a huge fan of Martin’s work, although it wasn’t necessarily Game of Thrones that pushed him to reach out to the writer. “I loved A Song of Ice and Fire as well as the Tuf Voyaging series, however if I had to pick a favorite I would probably say Fevre Dream,” Miyazaki said. “I personally see Fevre Dream as a masterpiece among vampire fantasy and had even previously recommended it to all new employees.”
Funnily enough, Miyazaki says that he believed Martin would turn down the opportunity to work with him. Boy, are we glad that he didn’t! “Me being such a known fan of Mr. Martin caused our executive business director Eiichi Nakajima to reach out to him with the expectation that we would get turned down.”
“However, we were then given the rare opportunity to talk one-on-one with Mr. Martin which was an incredibly fun and stimulating experience. It was then that I strongly felt that I wanted to work with Mr. Martin,” Miyazaki said, adding, “I am still unable to put into words how grateful I am to Mr. Martin for agreeing to our offer.”
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Check out the first Elden Ring E3 2019 trailer (opens in new tab) and confirmed gameplay details right here
Martin first began working with Miyazaki to establish the themes and ideas of the game before helping to flesh out the world and mythos that envelops it. “This mythos proved to be full of interesting characters and drama along with a plethora of mystical and mysterious elements as well. It was a wonderful source of stimulus for me and the development staff,” he said. “Elden Ring’s world was constructed using this mythos and stimulus as a base. Even I myself find it hard to contain my excitement from time to time. We hope that everyone else is looking forward to the world we have created.”
In the interview with Xbox Wire, Miyazaki also confirmed that Elden Ring has been in development since Dark Souls 3’s final piece of DLC was released. He said Elden Ring will be more RPG-focused than Sekiro – which was more action heavy – and described it as a dark fantasy action-RPG “full of things that we weren’t able to do in the Dark Souls series”.
Basically, we should expect something pretty ridiculous here from Miyazaki and Martin. FromSoftware is doing what it does best, creating a challenging RPG with punishing and expressive combat systems at the heart of it. What will undoubtedly set Elden Ring apart, of course, is that this game will have some absolutely incredible world building from the modern master himself. Bring it on, I say!
Don’t forget to check out all the other new games of 2019 (opens in new tab) on the way or all of the best e3 2019 games announced this week
