“We don’t like to feel pressured by what other studios are creating.”
Hidetaka Miyazakididn’t envision originating an entire genre.
Soulslikes are everywhere now.
From indie games utilising specific mechanics, to larger projects specificallytrying to out-do FromSoftwareat its own game.
“So of course when it first started cropping up… we were very surprised.
“We felt a little bit honoured, but also there was a lot of trepidation there.
We thought ‘is this really ok?
Is this really what we are making?
And is this really what we want to be known for?'”
It’s certainly what Miyazaki has become known for, whether he anticipated it or not.
And it inspired others to copy his homework.
“The term Souslike is, as I’m sure you understand, very vague,” says Miyazaki.
We simply want to continue to make games that we enjoy in our own way.”
“What we have seen is that players seem to enjoy our games,” he says.
“And so they’re giving us that chance to continue making what we enjoy and what we like.
And it helps us to not have that feeling of being trapped.
Throughout his work, overcoming challenge has been a key theme of gameplay.
It’s not simply a moment of frustration, but an opportunity to learn.
“I would say that difficulty is more of a means to an end.
For him personally, though, the notion of challenge is something unique to gaming.
And it’s something that carries with it inherent risk.
“In other media especially, it’s difficult to replicate that hardship and accomplishment.
I think that therein gives the appeal and the value of these games.
Pitching that ideal level of difficulty, though, is a challenge in itself.
“It’s important to distinguish that those hardships should be surmountable.
We’ve made a lot of games with this theme in mind.”
Of course, that level of challenge won’t be the same for everybody - particularly players with disabilities.
“However, this is not something I’m opposed to in the slightest,” he says.
That’s before diving in for just one more go.
Miyazaki even described himself in aprevious interviewas a kind of masochist.
I wonder, then, if he can see the humour in his own games.
A lot of it is not intentional.”
His games have become a “blank canvas” for players to take and transform and experience themselves.
Again, it’s a sort of blank canvas in that respect.
Personally I enjoy opportunities to fill in that blank canvas myself, filling it with knowledge.
Discovery is fun, it’s a fun part of the interaction.”
Perhaps, then, it’s this sense of ownership that differentiates Miyazaki’s work from imitators.
Soulslikes aren’t just about technical combat, difficult gameplay, or subtle, abstruse storytelling.
It’s the combination of these elements into a personal experience.
