With only weeks standing between the highly-anticipated Elden Ring and its ravenous fans, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki has opened up about the difficulty discourse that has long surrounded From Software’s games.

　　Discussions regarding difficulty in games aren’t anything new, of course. In recent years, a community push toward accessibility has brought about significant analyses of difficulty and how it can be tailored for inclusiveness. From Software frequently draws the ire of some gamers who feel its popular role-playing games, which include the beloved and demanding Dark Souls series, provide too steep a challenge and should include difficulty options.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　Firearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023

　　State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Tianyou Zhao Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Seonhee Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter

　　Now Playing: Elden Ring Hands On Preview

　　Some fans of the aptly-named Souls-like genre disagree with the assessment that such games need a difficulty setting, feeling strongly that the games benefit from their cryptic design choices and precise, punishing combat. From Software itself has long stood by this stance, too, imploring all gamers to embrace the challenge so that they can feel an equal sense of reward by overcoming it.

　　Despite this, speaking in an interview with PlayStation Blog, Miyazaki made it clear that he believes the conversation is still one worth having. “It’s a valid discussion,” he said. “I feel like our approach to these games, not just Elden Ring, is to design them to encourage the player to overcome adversity. We don’t try to force difficulty or make things hard for the sake of it. We want players to use their cunning, study the game, memorize what’s happening, and learn from their mistakes.”

　　Miyazaki went on to share that he believes the barrier of entry has been lowered in Elden Ring as well, due to design choices that now provide additional player agency. “In Elden Ring, we have not intentionally tried to lower the game’s difficulty,” he said. “But I think more players will finish it this time. As I mentioned, the player’s level of freedom to progress through the world or return to a challenge later are all elements that I feel will help people get through the game at a more leisurely pace.”

　　In addition to general design changes, Miyazaki states that he hopes “players embrace that idea of receiving help from others,” promising that the multiplayer function of the game has been streamlined to put an emphasis on working together to overcome Elden Ring’s toughest challenges. With this in mind, Miyazaki feels confident that Elden Ring will have the highest rate of completion in From Software’s Souls-like library.

　　Miyazaki’s interview also included confirmation that Elden Ring will feature a New Game Plus mode and multiple endings, two components that have become a core part of what makes From Software’s games endlessly replayable for die-hard fans.

　　Elden Ring launches February 25 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.