Miyazaki insists Dark Souls II will “stay true to what fans expect”

Ben Maxwell:

Dark Souls II is the cover star of Edge 249, which hits UK newsagents on Thursday. In our ten-page feature, Hidetaka Miyazaki, director of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, insists that the latest entry will remain true to the spirit of its predecessors despite being under the stewardship of two new directors.

With Miyazaki taking a step back, and Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura – who both worked on Namco Bandai’s Japan-only mech series Another Century – now in the driving seat, many players have expressed fears that the characteristically singular vision of the Souls series may be lost as its publisher looks to widen the game’s audience. Not so, according to Miyazaki.

[JadedXGamer]

Typical PR tripe.

[cleft5]

Yeah this game is just a rent for me now, but I hope it is amazing and I end up buying it. I brought 2 copies of Dark Souls at $60 a piece day 1. I want Dark Souls 2 to be good, but when they start talking the "broaden the game audience" crude it worries me greatly.

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

They went through a lot of issues regarding Dark Souls. People were saying it would be extremely dumbed down and casual to appeal to a broader audience following the decision to make it multi-platform. End of the day the game didn't turn out bad. The debate on if DeS or DaS is harder is still open for discussion, but DaS was in no way significantly easier than DeS and the game did retain the overall feel.

I have full trust in this sequel. I have no reason to doubt them until I play the finished product. The hard part would be regaining my trust if the game did turn out casual AFTER I played it.

[IRON883]

I know this may sound like Im a wussy but i really would like to play this game but with like a easy mode cause i tried demon souls and it was way to hard for me

[Tdmd]

You're right. It DOES sounds like you're a wussy!

[NYC_Gamer]

It's sad that Namco pushed dude off his own creation

[jimbobwahey]

It really is, and it's a sorry situation. Sony funded the development of Demon's Souls and straight-up said to Miyazaki "We want a hard as nails RPG like the Kings Field games" and he delivered to them, kickstarting a hugely innovative new IP and providing a cult hit.

Then Namco hurries development of a sequel to Sony's idea and makes it multiplatform, giving them the finger. Now they've booted off the creative talent behind the game and given him the finger too.

It's really depressing when you think about, a brilliant and innovative idea is born and the two parties that kickstart it get brushed aside by greedy Namco executives.

This isn't whining about Dark Souls being multiplatform by the way, since I think it's great that more people get to experience the game, it's just tragic how badly the Namco execs seems to be treating the people that did all the hard work for them.

[metalgod88]

When I heard about Dark Souls II, i was jumping for joy. But the second I heard Miyazaki was being booted... I cringed at the single thought.

It may be a good thing however that Miyazaki will get to work on something new and much more inviting to the players. I'm sure he's gotten a little tired of the dark atmosphere that surrounds the Souls series. So at least we'll all have that to look forward to.

[miyamoto]

same thing happened to FF XIII, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil,

we need more Hideo Kojimas

[vitullo31]

don't they all just say that

[Tenkin]

They should have gotten the new director to say that in the interview

[cleft5]

I am worried.

[Dark11]

Fans will always find a thing to bitch about.
we haven't even seen a gameplay yet.

so hold up your bitching for now.

[NYC_Gamer]

Why shouldn't fans be worried?the original dude behind the franchise has been kicked out from production...Namco,with all of this trying to widen the Dark Souls audience bull crap...I think fans of the franchise have every right to voice their opinions about being worried.

[Conan-O-Brady]

My hopes for this game were lost when I read that Miyazaki had been pushed aside so the franchise could move forward in a more accessible manner.

Perhaps the fans need to petition for Miyazaki to be put back at the helm of the Soul series. Maybe a little public outcry or a threat of boycott will avert the casualization of the franchise... LOL

[GSpartan777]

There is this general stigma going on that if you have any concern or criticism towards a game that you have played and invested time in, you are automatically hating it for no reason. Fans have played previous games and if anything know better than those who have never touched or have been interested in the series before.

Fans have every reason to be concerned about the game when they start mentioning that they want to reach casual audience, because we all know how that has turned out in the past. It usually means stripping out certain mechanics, dumbing down a game so that a soccer mom can play, and even changing some design within a game. And contrary to what others say, it does affect the enjoyment of a game when developers do this. Because it's not just about taking less damage which a lot of idiot think it's all about. It's everything else that come with making a game more accessible. Dumber AI, easier puzzles, more basic level design and more noobie friendly mechanics.

Some games just are not meant to be easy or "casual" and forcing them to be always comes at the loss of something. The games' niche is what made it popular to begin with. But whatever, I am just going to keep on hating.

[Conan-O-Brady]

Should we let those who skipped the games because of the difficulty and their inability to follow the story be the only voices the developers hear?

Non-fans will always see it as bitching when the fans who helped cultivate and grow a series voice their concerns.

Sometimes the only recourse we fans have is "bitching".....

[Ness619]

“In terms of the characteristic of Dark Souls, it’s very clear what we did wrong and what we did right, thanks to the reviews from the media, the feedback from the fans,”

Oh, yeah, great...that's what you want to do. Listen to the MEDIA on how to make your next game better. Because all of these reviewers are so astute, right? Ugh....

[DragonKnight]

I agree. There is nothing wrong with Dark Souls except for the netcode. That's about it. Lag backstabs are the biggest problem with the game. Other than that, the idiot media would say the game is too hard, and if Namco is listening to the media then expect Dark Souls 2 to be easier.

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

Its very clear to that the media praised the games difficulty. Generally speaking reviewers said the difficulty was harsh and fair, you died because of your mistakes, not cheap and that it made the experience rewarding. The game in the medias eyes was praised for its difficulty. No top reviewer could say negative things about the difficulty because it was fair. So if Namco listened to the media then the game will remain difficult.

[DragonKnight]

I've seen some reviews saying the game was too difficult though, and plus lately there have been some sites advocating an easy mode for Dark Souls 2. Let's hope that Namco listened to those you spoke of. Still, I don't like what Shibuya says he wants to do with the game myself.

[Despair666]

Not if you are there Mr Miyazaki

[Der_Kommandant]

I don't care!, i want Demon's Souls 2

[DragonKnight]

Namco probably told him to say that. With everything Shibuya has said about what he wants to do with the game, with Namco forcing him out of the game, this just seems like Namco asking Miyazaki to appease the fans by giving his reassurances about Dark Souls 2. If they want to reassure us, get a gameplay video out A.S.A.P.

[DivineAssault]

ima wait until after E3 & see the gameplay & interviews before i assume anything

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Vell, all I can zay iz that theze directors vill only have one chance und if it criez foul conzider ze franchize dead.....

[Jaunty]

FCK YES! I have faith again

[izumo_lee]

I am so afraid that all this talk about making the game 'more accessible' is going to turn it into a more action oriented game in the same light as God of War or Bayonetta. Turning the game from a slow paced methodical thinking mans game to a generic hack & slash.

Also why 2 directors? isn't that just going to complicate things when you have 2 minds having ideas that often lead to disagreements. I know this isn't the first time that has happened but still i find it odd.

[CLOUD1983]

DaS2 is going to be the next victim of the casualization, more mainstream/increase of sales bullsh1t that eat whole franchises alive the past 10+ years, & the whole process always start with the change of the talented guy who came up with the idea & make it all possible, yep his reward for doing his job right is to get the middle finger & put his own creation under the supervision of some random guys.

I suggest to keep your expectations low about this one & also avoid to rush like sheep's to buy this day1 when it come out.

[isarai]

I'm actually pretty optimistic about this one. Why? well instead of jumping the gun like everyone else here did when they hear "More Accessible" i actually read the interviews where people asked for details.

Not once does he ever mention making it easier, in fact he never even says anything about messing with the difficulty at all. When people asked he states to make it more accessible what he's doing is a more in depth tutorial/intro sequence that will limit the players at first for the sake of really learning the controls, features, and mechanics well. Also he wants to bring the story to the forefront of the games focus by just making it more apparent in the world and keep you involved within the story. The only other thing he mentions is making features like the covenant system more apparent as not to become a feature barely anyone uses because they forget it's even there and/or don't even know what it is or how to use it.

[Plagasx]

Dammmmmmmaaaagggeeeeee Conttttrrrooollllllllllllll