- Elden Ring set a bar for open-world games that everyone is following.
- FromSoftware still says that it won’t force open worlds into all games.
- The team will continue to experiment with different styles of games, though more open-world experiences will still be part of the release cycle.
Nearly every FromSoftware release has been a huge hit. However, the studio attained a new bar that was hard to match in 2022. Elden Ring sold 25 million copies, won Game of the Year, and its expansion is now the industry’s best-rated DLC to date.
After such a massive success, it seems natural for the team to follow in Elden Ring’s footsteps. However, FromSoftware makes it clear that open worlds won’t be the new standard just because its latest release was such a huge hit.
Why it matters: Open worlds, in general, are the new trend that everyone is chasing. This has led to open-world fatigue in many cases, but FromSoftware is not known to follow common trends.
Elden Ring’s open world was considered a new bar for the genre. It prioritized player freedom above everything else, with exploration organically opening up the map as players ventured into new areas.
Fans might find it odd for the team to be interested in more linear environments after this success. However, in an interview, director Hideki Miyazaki explained how the studio will approach future games.
While the open-world formula worked so well, it won’t become the end-all-be-all of future FromSoftware games.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that open world is going to become the new base or foundation or standard of the company.
-FromSoftware
He also emphasized that this doesn’t mean open-world games are ruled out completely. Hidetaka Miyazaki emphasized that many designers and directors at the studio are still learning.
Therefore, the team will approach future projects with an open mind. Further evidence of this approach is found in Armored Core 6, a game that didn’t replicate the open-world formula after Elden Ring’s success.
In the end, the director highlighted that while the Elden Ring open world was not perfect, it contained themes that the studio is going to revisit in future games.
However, until then, Shadow of the Erdtree seems enough to keep gamers content. With over 40 hours of content and a massive map, this expansion seems to be FromSoftware’s best work on post-launch content.
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[News Reporter]
Bawal is an MBBS student by day and a gaming journalist by night. He has been gaming since childhood, growing fond of the creativity and innovation of the industry. His career as a gaming journalist started one year ago, and his journey has allowed him to write reviews, previews, and features for various sites. Bawal has also been cited in reputed websites such as Screenrant, PCGamesN, WCCFTech, GamesRadar, and more.
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