It may seem like a natural fit for a fantasy writer to begin work on a fantasy video game, but George RR Martin claims that his work onElden Ringwas quite different from his work onGame of ThronesorA Song of Ice and Fire. In a recent interview with WTTW News Chicago, Martin discussed his work onElden Ringand the world he helped create.
In the interview, Martin states that while he has played video games before, he isn’t much of a gamer, which may explain why he claims thatElden Ringis a sequel toDark Souls. However, he also states that his work onElden Ringconcluded several years ago and that From Software wanted him to create a world to set the game in. He goes on to compare the importance of the setting inElden Ringto that of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age, and the Foundation universe of Isaac Asimov, which were his main inspirations.
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Martin reports that he wrote up a detailed background for the developers to work with. From Software allowedMartin to create the history and myths ofElden Ring’s world. He also helped to solidify some gameplay elements such as horseback riding, mounted combat, and the game’s semi-open world approach. While Martin says that it’s been several years since he’s last seen the developers, they would come in periodically and show him some of the enemy designs or visual effects they were working on.
WhileElden Ringmay not be a direct sequel to theDark Soulsgames as Martin claimed, the two games may still be connected. They appear to share a lot of themes and gameplay mechanics, which has led some to suspect thatElden Ringwill make aDark Souls 4unnecessary. Whatever the case, Martin’s influence onElden Ringis clear to see in the intricate familial conflict between Queen Marika the Eternal’s children and the game’s apparent tone, which is far more fantastical than most of From Software’s previous soulslikes.Elden Ringtrailers have highlighted both monsters and literal knights in shining armor as enemies for the player to defeat.
While From Software is no stranger to making the player fight human or even heroic foes,Elden Ring’s story detailsindicate that it’s ready to take that concept even further with the worldbuilding surrounding the titular artifact. The Elden Ring once belonged to Queen Marika, but it has been shattered and her children are now battling over the pieces. A shard of the Elden Ring grants great power at the cost of driving its user mad with that power, which may explain why every knight the trailers have showcased talks so dismissively to the player.
Elden Ringwill launch on Aug 05, 2025, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One with next-gen upgrades to follow.
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