E3 2019: George R.R Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki Team up for Elden Ring

One of the real treats of E3 is the reveals, and I have to admit, this E3 has been sufficiently marred by me thanks to all the leaks that preempted it. I mean, how great would it have been to have discovered, on the floor of the show, that two of the greatest creative minds of the planet, Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin, were collaborating on a brand-new fantasy game? I might have exploded with joy. But the leaks robbed me of that, and while the trailer is certainly… well… “on brand” for the former of the two men, it just fails to really grab me the way that it could have.


 

“Developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., ELDEN RING is a is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki – creator of the influential DARK SOULS video game series; and George R.R. Martin – author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. Within the world of ELDEN RING, danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to-date.”

Largest game to-date, eh? That’s quite the claim. Fortunately, it was followed up by a press release that had a few quotes from the two creatives, which I think are an absolute delight: enough to almost make up for the spoilers.

Dark Souls genius Miyazaki said this:
 

“Collaborating with George R.R. Martin to create the Elden Ring mythos has been a genuinely delightful experience and a source of wonderful inspiration. The team is working hard to ensure that the world of Elden Ring will be a fascinating place for players to explore, filled with peril and wonder from its furthest reaches to its lowest depths. This is a FromSoftware title through and through, rich in fantasy and RPG action. We sincerely hope you look forward to it.”

And surprisingly, George R.R. Martin was far less verbose.
 

“Building the world of Elden Ring with Miyazaki-san and his team was a treat! The graphics, mythos, and action-RPG gameplay will deliver an unforgettable experience. I can’t wait for people to see what Elden Ring has in store for them.”

I’m sure it’s excellent: the real question for most of George R.R. Martin fans will be asking, however, is if it was worth postponing the next “A Song of Ice and Fire” book. But the answer to that, I think, will literally always be no.

But I, at least, am still a little excited.