Prior to the official reveal ofElden Ring,A Song of Ice and Firewriter George R. R. Martin revealed he was consulting on a video game out of Japan. This led to much speculation about the project, and for many, the truth may have exceeded expectation. As it turned out, Martin is consult on From Software’s upcoming Souls-like title, which itself would have been more than enough. From Software (and Hidetaka Miyazaki) has a reputation for its quality, and even without Martin’s name attached,Elden Ringwould like find itself in the same conversation asDark SoulsandSekiro: Shadow Dies Twice.
However, that’s the crux of why Martin is so important toElden Ring; combining two of the biggest names in dark fantasy for a collaboration sounds like the perfect recipe for success. And as many know by now, Martin put the work on the game’s mythos, or the greater mythology surrounding the game and the titular Elden Ring. It’s hard to believe, but that very fact builds even more hype for the game, as if Martin has a sub-specialty in this genre, it’s myth-building.
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The World of A Song of Ice and Fire
One only needs to look at the mythos behind the book series-turned-Netflix show to know thatGeorge R. R. Martinis a master at creating different cultures that are complex and varied. The deeper someones goes, the harder it is to get out. On the surface level, there’s Westeros and Essos. There’s the noble families and mercenary factions, countries that are relevant but used expertly only by name, and all the politics tied in-between those.
On the mythical level, there’s the Children of the Forest, the Three-Eyed Raven, the giants, the Others, the Night King, and more, complete with a full history detailing how these factions dealt with the emergence of man, dragons, and each other. As such, players should expect a complexmythos inElden Ring, distinct characteristically but no less executed when coming from both Martin and Miyazaki.
The Mythos of Elden Ring
There’s not much to go on for the established mythos so far, as From Software has kept its secrets close to its chest. There is one thing to note from the trailer, though, and that’s the following lines:
“That which commanded the stars, giving life its fullest brilliance: The Elden Ring. Oh, the Elden Ring. Shattered by someone or something. Don’t tell me you don’t see it. Look up at the sky. It burns.”
This seems to imply some lofty ambitions for the scale of the story, as the titular Elden Ring’s destruction will likely play a major role in the game, and so on. Nonetheless, withDark Souls’MiyazakiandGame of Thrones' Martin at the helm, it’s hard to go wrong.
Elden Ringis in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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