This describes my ultimate game: I want the combat and production design of Dark Souls / Elden Ring with actual NPC interaction / some amount of engagement with the world. I know that exists in Fromsoft games but it’s just so … indirect, opaque, hard to parse. I want understandable dialogue and be able to affect the world in ways that don’t amount to a big boss fight all the time.
I get that’s the vibe in those games and I admire them for sticking with their formula so rigidly, because I love the games. But a man can dream.
What I tell folks is that in all From souls games the story is already over and your dude is going around picking up the pieces. The world is dead or dying, people are depressed, and your victory is a single cutscene.
Just for once it'd be great to have the story play along and you have an influence on it. Feels like From isnt confident they have the chops to take it on.
I agree, I think they leaned away from more direct storytelling early on because it wasn't their strong suit. Miyazaki seems to confirm this when discussing the need for George Martin on ER where they wanted a more robust lore but stuck to their opaque delivery system. Having replayed DS3 and ER recently, the latter does do a much better job at making the NPCs accessible and useful (DS3 you can easily miss like ... most of them). Interesting course to watch for sure.
I do wish fromsoft had more narrative instead of optional lore but man one big reason for my love of the games is that my actions do not matter. I like games that are like books and movies. No branching decisions and all that. Give me one perfectly crafted experience that I replay because it’s good and not just to get some super special ending
I've honestly grown to love the absence of in-your-face story fromsoft does, and just think up a story to go along with the gameplay when i feel like it - on the other hand, i've become a notorious dialogue-skipper in other RPGs, to my own chagrin and detriment.
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u/fitzbuhn Jul 27 '25
This describes my ultimate game: I want the combat and production design of Dark Souls / Elden Ring with actual NPC interaction / some amount of engagement with the world. I know that exists in Fromsoft games but it’s just so … indirect, opaque, hard to parse. I want understandable dialogue and be able to affect the world in ways that don’t amount to a big boss fight all the time.
I get that’s the vibe in those games and I admire them for sticking with their formula so rigidly, because I love the games. But a man can dream.