Recent information regarding the upcoming game Elden Ring suggests that the title will take a different approach to NPCs compared to FromSoftware's Dark Souls series. In Dark Souls, NPCs seldom provide insight into the story at large and are rarely connected to the overarching plot. Elden Ring, on the other hand, will focus much more on characters who will be more deeply tied to the story.
Dark Souls' NPCs have been featured with varying levels of prominence throughout the series. Some act as merchants who talk only about their wares; others, like Solaire of Astora, have questlines that players can engage with. Overall, only a select few NPCs will speak about what the player hopes to accomplish or the land in which they travel, forcing them to piece things together through item descriptions and subtle hints. By contrast, Elden Ring will attempt to create a clear story by using NPCs.
The story of Elden Ring follows the Tarnished, an individual who is returning to the Lands Between, the game's setting, after the shattering of the titular Elden Ring. In an interview with IGN, Elden Ring's creator Hidetaka Miyazaki elaborates on how the game's NPCs will bolster that story. According to Miyazaki, Elden Ring will feature other Tarnished who "will have their own adventures and motives" and whose presence will flesh out the world as a whole, giving more context to the story. Unlike Dark Souls NPCs, whose goals are often unrelated to the plot, the circumstances of these fellow Tarnished will presumably make up much of the plot of Elden Ring. When speaking about Elden Ring and its NPCs, Miyazaki states that "this is a game that's based around its characters," an idea which previous FromSoftware games have not made the primary focus.
Elden Ring Might Remove the Concept of Dark Souls' Hollowing For NPCs
One major aspect of Dark Souls is the concept of hollowing, which has impeded major character significance in the past. Those cursed to be Undead are doomed to eventually lose their minds and become violent husks called Hollows. Even characters who are initially friendly toward the player will become Hollows after their questlines have been completed. Because of this, few characters can remain relevant to the plot long before they ultimately become hostile. If Elden Ring purports to be a game centered around characters, it might remove the concept of Hollowing altogether, thereby allowing the other Tarnished characters to remain cognizant and sane for the duration of the game.
Additionally, it seems interacting with Elden Ring's other characters can benefit the Tarnished in ways unrelated to the story as well. One such benefit is their ability to teach the player magic abilities and spells. More information regarding the game's NPCs will likely be revealed prior to the game's release.
Source: IGN