Even though E3 2018 came and went without the announcement of a new entry in the Souls series, FromSoftware did confirm at the show that the studio isn’t done with the series, but instead just taking a break.
Speaking to IGN about the upcoming Déraciné, FromSoftware President Hidetaka Miyazaki was asked about the distinct change in feel from Déraciné compared to a game like Bloodborne or the Dark Souls series. Miyazaki then revealed that the studio didn’t want to move away from the Souls series, but instead just take a break.
“It wasn’t necessarily that I wanted to … not moving away, but taking a break from the Souls series wasn’t the only strongest motivation to work on this game. As a result of now coming to the stage of being able to show what we have so far, it has really helped us, helped me, freshen things up. It’s not just about a different kind of game or a different format.” he said. “We’re learning things in VR, which is new technology. This game is actually also developed in Unreal. There’s been a lot of learnings already.” The second notable thing in Miyazaki’s quote was that the company is apparently learning how to use the Unreal Engine, which would be a big step forward if they were to ever develop future Souls titles.
Elsewhere in the interview, he once again reiterates that developing Déraciné and the upcoming Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will have a good influence on the studio and its ability to develop other games in the future. Towards the end of the talk, Miyazaki once again confirms the studio has no plans to stray away from “the more or less more mainstream games that we’re known for,” which should all that fans need to hear in terms of reassurance. No matter how you slice it, it seems like fans can rest easy knowing that the Souls series isn’t dead just yet. If anything, it’s just likely resting at a bonfire for the time being.
[Source: Fextralife, IGN]
