Many players who have fought their way through Dark Souls, Bloodborne or Elden Ring have used various guides to help them on their adventures. Lead developer Hidetaka Miyazaki finds this completely legitimate, but at the same time he sees room for improvement in his own work.
What’s the deal with the guides? Anyone who has ever played a FromSoftware game knows that there is no great deal of help to be found from the developers.
You are thrown into strange worlds that explain little and, especially at the beginning, cause a lot of questions. At this point, players are divided into two camps: those who want to play the game completely blind and without help, and those who rely on guides from the Internet or solution books.
Countless guides on bosses, combat systems, items and, last but not least, the cryptically told lore help you keep track of things and get through the challenging games more easily. On MeinMMO you will find an overview of many practical tips for Elden Ring.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the lead developer of the games, has his own opinion on guides, which he explained in an interview with PC Gamer.
Elden Ring shows the DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” in the story trailer
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Guides are legitimate, but not the ideal
What does Miyazaki say? The creative mind behind the Soulsborne games is of course aware that fans of his works turn to guides.
Of course, players will consult guides, and there will be a wealth of information on the internet and in their communities where they can access the secrets and strategies. That’s what we expect.
Hidetaka Miyazaki via PC Gamer
Nevertheless, FromSoftware is not trying to counteract this trend and develop even more complicated games. On the contrary: According to Miyazaki, Elden Ring and Co. should be playable without guides.
“We don’t do or plan anything with that requirement. If anything, we try to cater to the player who is completely blind and wants to progress naturally.”
Hidetaka Miyazaki via PC Gamer
Ideally, it should be possible to play Elden Ring without guides. If you fail, it’s not your fault. If someone starts without help and doesn’t manage to complete the game, Miyazaki says there is “room for improvement on our part.” Blind players will be included even more in the future.
Do you need guides for the DLC? The upcoming expansion Shadow of the Erdtree will once again lead many fans to guides. After all, the DLC is aimed at players in the endgame.
But that’s exactly why Miyazaki trusts players to discover the new secrets themselves. The challenges of the DLC, which were already apparent in the form of tough bosses when playing the game, should also be able to be mastered without guides.
Anyone who has (inevitably) fought their way through the main game is well equipped and has enough experience to complete the expansion without help, says Miyazaki. Do you use guides yourself or do you play completely blind? To even enter the DLC, you have to defeat two bosses from the main game – but around 60% of all players have not yet defeated one of them.