Summary
It feels likeFromSoftwareis just getting started, despite the fact that the famous studio has released hit after hit sinceDemon’s Soulsback in 2009. It’s true thatFromSoftware’s future is brightright now, with gaming audiences expecting nothing but greatness after the worldwide phenomenon that wasElden Ring. With that being said, the developer’s winning formula isn’t perfect, and a few tweaks could be made to ensure that future FromSoftware games are even better and more immersive.
Something that separatesFromSoftwarefrom other AAA developers is its unwavering, uncompromised dedication to its creative vision. While so many mainstream games are designed to be as frictionless as possible, FromSoftware doesn’t seem to mind if its players get a little (or extremely) frustrated from time to time, so long as the intended experience of each game remains unadulterated. While the clearest example of this design philosophy is the studio’s punishing gameplay and lack of difficulty settings, it’s also apparent in its approach to lore, worldbuilding, and plot delivery. This approach isn’t strictly good or bad, but it could be refined for future releases.
FromSoftware’s Obtuse Quest Design Ought To Be Reevaluated
Vagueness Works for FromSoftware Stories, Not So Much for Its Side Quests
FromSoftware seems to constantly improveacross so many vectors, but its style of storytelling has remained virtually unchanged sinceDemon’s Souls. This is because, while it’s not for everyone, the obscurity of each game’s lore is by design, forcing players to be active participants if they wish to fully understand what is happening inDark Souls,Bloodborne, orElden Ring.
At the same time, those who only care about gameplay can effectively ignore the broader story, as FromSoftware usually offers very little in the way of dialog and cutscenes. Of course, this means that it’s easy for players to miss key details or even finish one of these games without even understanding its narrative premise, but the information is always there, ready to be analyzed and interpreted.
The same cannot be said for side quests.Elden Ring’s side contentis often incredible, for instance, offering creative and emotional stories, all-new areas to explore, and major bosses. FromSoftware usually doesn’t make progression through these side quests clear, though, and this can lead to players missing out on many key moments.
Unlike lore, these side quests are often missable, becoming either canceled or fundamentally altered after certain main story events. Since the toe-holds of side quests are typically only vaguely communicated, players will often have to rely on wikis or guides to ensure that they access all in-game content, which is much more immersion-breaking than using such resources for lore or story context.
A good example of missable FromSoftware side content isElden Ring’s notorious Malenia boss fight, which can only be accessed by finding two halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion, which are unceremoniously tucked away in optional areas.
FromSoftware Should Update Its Quest Design, But Not Too Much
Making quests easier to follow, intuit, and track could greatly benefit the overall experience of future FromSoftware games, but it’s hard to deny that the current state of affairs, frustrating as it can be, doesn’t have its charm. Moreover, the vague nature of these side quests helps support immersion, as players have to figure everything out by themselves, without the help of commonplace features like waypoints, map markers, and quest journals. Implementing these quality-of-life features could diminishwhat makes FromSoftware’s genre design style special.
But scouring online guides and wikis just to complete all side quests can be lethal to immersion, turning side quest completion into an exercise in rote instruction-following. If FromSoftware can find a way to retain the identity of its quest design while making things easier to understand and harder to miss, then its future games could be all the better for it.
Elden Ring
WHERE TO PLAY
ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
