While it was rumored sometime ago that Dark Souls 3 would be the end of the Dark Souls series, that rumor was squashed. Or was it more than a rumor? In a recent Gamespot article, Hidetaka Miyazaki, the father of Dark Souls and head of FROMSOFTWARE, has discussed that perhaps Dark Souls 3 is in fact the end of the series after all.
Hidetaka Miyazaki says he’s ready to close the book on Dark Souls. In an industry where it’s commonplace to stretch the popularity of franchises across annual iterations, that may be hard to believe, but he thinks it’s critical to the future of his studio, From Software.
When asked if he felt that the release of multiple Dark Souls games, in addition of Bloodborne and now the eventual release of Dark Souls 3, would over-exposure gamers to the similar types of games in the franchise, Miyazaki replied that he isn’t sure but is considering Dark Souls 3 as being the end. To that regard it isn’t a definite but it would a decision that would ultimately shape the future for him and the future of FROMSOFTWARE.
It’d be a lie if I said I have no concerns about that. I don’t think it’d be the right choice to continue indefinitely creating Souls and Bloodborne games. I’m considering Dark Souls 3 to be the big closure on the series. That’s not just limited to me, but From Software and myself together want to aggressively make new things in the future. Dark Souls 3 will mark the last game where the development project began before I became president. The next title will be a game that was conceived while I was president. I believe that From Software has to create new things. There will be new types of games coming from us, and Dark Souls 3 is an important marker in the evolution of From Software.
As a huge fan of the Souls series, though at first I couldn’t stand Demon’s Souls after my countless death after death, I eventually learned to love the series. Sure there was the factor of memorization, but it was also the pacing of the game, the caution of not running head first into a situation without being prepared or the satisfaction of not dying or battling a boss, many of which seemed later than life. There’s a lot to love and learn from the Souls games, something that the fans enjoy and something that many companies have either tried to emulate, put their on spin or or model their entire game after. So while I can understand Miyakazi’s fears and concerns, I would hope that he’s also seen that play-style that the Soul games have flourish, a genre that had gone stale until Demon’s Souls came around, which is now the leader of the rogue-like genre. Just look at how many games promise to “Souls-like game-play”, if that doesn’t say much then I don’t know what does.
And while it would be a shame if the Dark Souls series would stop, i suppose it wouldn’t be so bad if FROMSOFTWARE would go back and revisit some of it’s other titles such as Armored Core, Otogi or some other new game, whatever the mind of Miyazaki can conjure up.
But if that does indeed happen and Dark Souls does finally ride off in the sunset horizon and the Soul series gets hung up for good, could we please get a Demon’s Souls 2 or a Demon’s Souls remake before you go? That is if you have it go.
How’s that sound Miyazaki.
Meanwhile Dark Souls 3 releases for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 26, 2016. Which system are you picking up, what may the last of the series, on?
Check out the full interview over at Gamespot.
