In a recent interview, Hidetaka Miyazaki weighed in on the difficulty level of the highly anticipated Elden Ring and what tweaks have been made to the Soulsborne formula. Difficulty is among the first aspects fans think of when reflecting on the series, along with unique Gothic/Victorian era architecture, losing experience upon death, and deep lore told through characters and items descriptions rather than cutscenes. Elden Ring promises to retain all of these characteristics, and players can likely expect the lore to be among the game’s greatest highlights, since it is being written by George R. R. Martin.
In terms of difficulty, Miyazaki has often stated that his games are designed to be tough but fair in an effort to make players feel accomplished when achieving something. However, the series has come under fire by a vocal minority for being too difficult and not providing players with an easier difficulty option. The choice to omit an “Easy” mode is clearly a deliberate one on Miyazaki’s part, although the Soulsborne games have begun incorporating more gameplay elements in order to at least give the player more options. By doing so, the Soulsborne series have created an environment where there is no “right” way to surmount a challenge–although some approaches are undoubtedly more viable than others.
According to Famitsu, this idea is expanded upon for Elden Ring. In the interview (translated by theangryfurlong on Reddit), Miyazaki explains that there will be roughly 100 weapons in total, and each can have a skill assigned to it. “Also, completely separate from this,” he says, “it is possible to summon spirits. You can summon these to become allies and fight with you when in the correct place.” He goes on to explain that the spirits will essentially be ghostly versions of enemies the player has defeated; by defeating an enemy, their spirit can eventually be used in battle. As an example, an enemy with a shield can be deployed to protect a character from behind, or archers can be summoned to attack enemies from range. These spirits can also level up.
While using enemy skills is far from new to video games, it’s a first for From Software's Soulsborne games. The mechanic is most often seen in JRPGs, such as Gau’s “Rage” ability in Final Fantasy VI and the Enemy Skill materia in Final Fantasy VII. Elden Ring’s take on it, however, sounds most similar to Nioh 2’s Soul Core mechanic. In that game, players can briefly summon any enemy in the game to perform a powerful attack. In virtually every game this mechanic appears in, it’s always a fantastic option for players that grants them more avenues of approach. In Miyazaki’s words, “…you don’t have to rely on pure mechanical skill, but can use strategy to defeat your enemies. We are emphasizing a strategic approach to combat in this game.” He adds that the addition of this mechanic makes the game closest to Dark Souls 3 in terms of difficulty.
As the Soulsborne games progress, it’s interesting to reflect on the changes FromSoftware chooses to make with each installment. This was most noticeable with Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which were significant departures from the original Souls series. The unique feel of these games is what makes each stand apart from the others and has made them all staples of the ARPG genre. Elden Ring seems as though it is shaping up to be yet another great addition to Miyazaki’s catalogue, and considering how much lore it will likely contain, it may even be the first of a new series altogether.
Source: Famitsu, theangryfurlong/Reddit