Elden Ring director Miyazaki is interested in making a traditional JRPG, but sorry nerds, that doesn't mean you're getting an Enchanted Arms sequel
I'm sure you're devastated that an ok game from 2006 isn't gonna suddenly be resurrected.
A whole bunch of folks are currently busy digging into Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion now that it's out, but if you love a good JRPG, it might be worth pausing your trip to the Land of Shadow to absorb what director Hidetaka Miyazaki recently said about digging the idea of him spearheading development on one.
Yup, in an interview with Rolling Stone, the developer touched on the fact that he'd like to make a traditional JRPG at some point in the future, but wouldn't feel comfortable reviving one of the IPs that make up FromSoft's previous flirtations with the genre. If you're not an expert on the studio's history, 2006's Enchanted Arms is the main game being alluded to, though a return to FromSoftware's first ever game was also ruled out.
"I don’t think there’s a scenario where I myself would make a King’s Field. The same can be said about Otogi and Enchanted Arms," Miyazaki said, explaining: "I think a lot of these games are so intertwined with the directors who almost invented that style of game."
As you might have gleaned from that last line, the main sticking point with a return to these series is that Miyazaki likes the idea of going in well-equipped to offer his own interpretation or reimagining - something that'd be tougher for him to do with IP he's not already had a hand in shaping.
He provided Armored Core as an example of a series that he did feel able to come in and give his own spin with the work he did on AC 6 alongside director Masaru Yamamura, explaining: "I worked on Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Answer. It enabled me to put my own interpretation on Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and develop that."
So, there you go. If you're cracking into Shadow of the Erdtree as half of the world seems to be at the moment, make sure to check out our huge array of helpful guides that'll aid you in your quest to start working out just what in the Roundtable Hold is up with Miquella.