10 Years Ago Today, Dark Souls Creator Teased The Series Wasn't Done
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Over the last 15 years, it's hard to argue against the fact that Dark Souls has become one of the most iconic, most meaningful video game franchises. But while those games are worthy of that achievement on their own, it's the impact they've had on the wider gaming landscape that cements their place in history.
Not only has FromSoftware used the formula to create fantastic games like Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but others have taken inspiration of their own. Titles like Lies of P, Mortal Shell, and Nioh clearly draw from Dark Souls in the best possible way.
In 2016, though, Hidetaka Miyazaki, godfather of the series, confirmed he was moving on from Dark Souls to work on other new titles, which included the aforementioned Bloodborne and Sekiro, as well as Elden Ring.
However, while it may seem like the series is dead and buried, with the last entry coming in March 2016, TheGamer has stumbled across an old interview published ten years ago today, which gives hope that it may return, alongside Miyazaki's early thoughts on a Bloodborne remaster.
Miyazaki Was Thinking Of A Dark Souls Retirement Run Ten Years Ago
Ten years ago to the day, Miyazaki was interviewed by Japanese outlet 4Gamer. It came just shy of six months after the release of Dark Souls 3, and allowed the legendary designer to outline his plans for the future. He said (translated by TheGamer) that while he didn't have an issue with creating more sequels, "FromSoftware is a company that makes what it wants to make, so we thought it would be best to stay true to that feeling," citing a "desire to use the experience we gained from making Dark Souls to create a new title."
His statements seemed to spell the end for the Dark Souls series, but he quickly backtracked, giving hope to its loyal fans.
"I don't want to say that the series is completely over. I don't really like making statements that could shut down possibilities," he said. "At the moment, though, I'm not thinking about a sequel or a spin-off or anything like that, however, if in the future someone says, 'I want to make my own Dark Souls with new technology!' and it's sufficiently appealing, I wouldn't necessarily dismiss it, and even for myself, there's a non-zero possibility that in the future I might feel like 'I want to make one more as my retirement work...'"
There's a non-zero possibility that in the future I might feel like 'I want to make one more as my retirement work...
One of the most called-for remasters in video games is Bloodborne. We've seen countless times fans have begged for it to happen or gotten excited at the faintest whiff of hope. It's never transpired, though. Numerous reasons for the lack of a remaster have been cited, yet none have been concrete.
It turns out, ten years ago, this thought was already on Miyazaki's mind, as he told 4Gamer, "Demon's Souls and Bloodborne are the IP of Sony Interactive Entertainment. The decision of whether to remaster or develop other projects will be made by them," putting the ball firmly in Sony's court.