Every Hidetaka Miyazaki Game, Ranked

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Every Hidetaka Miyazaki Game, Ranked

If anyone is single-handedly saving the entire video game industry with breathtaking titles and peak storytelling, then it has to be Hidetaka Miyazaki from FromSoftware. Miyazaki’s knack for making his games extra difficult and presenting important narratives using flavour texts or environmental cues makes him one of the greatest video game creators of all time.

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| Image Credits: The Game Awards

Miyazaki has been in the industry for more than a decade now, and he has worked on several projects that he has taken inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft, European architecture, and old tabletop games like RuneQuest. All the games that he has directed or produced over the years are now considered masterpieces, and we have a ranked list of those games just for you.

The ranking includes all 11 titles from Hidetaka Miyazaki, from his first game, Armored Core: Last Raven, to his latest entry, Elden Ring. The rankings will be based on gameplay, visuals, and story, so please have a look at this list that we have prepared for you.

11 Déraciné

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Déraciné | Image Credits: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Déraciné is a virtual reality adventure game that was released back in 2018. The game is developed by FromSoftware with three directors, where Hidetaka Miyazaki is one of them, and the game is sort of weird, to say the least. The game was also developed with assistance from Japan Studio, and it was published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PS4 with the PlayStation VR peripheral.

In the game, the player takes the role of a fairy who is very conveniently called the Faerie, and your objective is to understand your own origin in the game. The whole narrative takes place in an orphanage where you help children and gain their trust; however, the game takes a dark turn when you learn about the orphanage’s twisted history.

Miyazaki’s goal for this game was to recreate the first-person adventure genre in VR, and in classic Miyazaki style, he wanted to explore the themes of “existence versus non-existence,” which he felt would only be possible via VR.

Although VR was kind of popular during 2018 and the gameplay concept was new, the title did not really take off. The game debuted at number thirteen in the Japanese charts during the first week of launch, but it did not last for long, and Déraciné also received mixed reviews.

9 Armored Core 4

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4 is the fourth entry in the Armored Core series | Image Credits: FromSoftware

Armored Core 4 is a 2006 mech-based action game developed by FromSoftware, and it is also notoriously famous for being the first standalone game that was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki himself. It is the fourth main entry in the Armored Core series, and the title serves as a reboot for the entire franchise.

Like all its predecessors, Armored Core 4 also retains that complicated customization and high difficulty missions that you need to complete in order to earn credits to customize more. The things that have changed in this installment are that the gameplay has been sped up more, and the controls have been more streamlined.

This is also the first entry outside of Japan to introduce a multiplayer mode, where players can play deathmatches with an additional seven players. The game also introduced Armored Core achievements when it was released for the Xbox.

While the game did introduce some new features that made it sort of easier to play than its predecessors, the mechanics remained the same, even after the game was released almost four years after its previous installment. Some people were also mad because of how repetitive the missions felt in the title. Even the multiplayer mode offered very little to be excited about.

9 Armored Core: Last Raven

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is the hardest game in the franchise | Image Credits: FromSoftware

Armored Core: Last Raven is considered the hardest Armored Core game that was created in the entire franchise. Although the gameplay was largely unchanged from the title’s predecessors, Last Raven still turned out to be the one-way street for a lot of gamer rage. The game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation Portable consoles, and the game is also notable for being the debut project of Hidetaka Miyazaki.

Armored Core: Last Raven is everything that is keeping you from steamrolling the entire franchise in one day. It is literally the swan song of the original gameplay style and is meant to be the ultimate challenge, where you have to figure out which Armored Cores to customize, what to use, and when, to even have a chance at beating the levels. It is literally the Soulsborne formula of learning and retrying.

This was the first game that Miyazaki was involved in, and he joined the team as a planner mid-way through the game’s development, which might explain the sudden shift in the difficulty from the game’s predecessors. While some AC fans hate Last Raven for its difficulty, some still consider it one of the greatest entries, considering the whole appeal of the game is just being hard.

8 Armored Core: For Answers

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was much more accessible to the players | Image Credits: FromSoftware

Where Armored Core 4 laid the foundation, Armored Core: For Answer erected a skyscraper so towering it completely eclipses the original. The game was released back in 2008, two years after AC 4 came out, and it’s like Miyazaki just sat down and thought of everything that was lacking in the previous game and just made the game better.

The title features major gameplay changes like the Armored Core customization page featuring a new interface, an auxiliary high-speed booster used for better traversal, and a new cooperative mode that allows players to complete missions together. But what really blew people away was the improvement to the story.

Armored Core: For Answers has a plot that has actually stuck with the players who have played it. While Armored Core 4 was just an out-of-proportion rivalry between big corporations and forcefields, equal to *******, For Answers‘ story literally makes you shut the game down and cry yourself to sleep.

From the intense gameplay to the jaw-dropping story, Armored Core: For Answers is just an improvement in every way possible. While Armored Core 4 features a tad bit better level design than its sequel, Armored Core: For Answers easily takes the lead for having a well-established structure that makes it easier for any new player. Overall, For Answers is just a better experience than Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: Last Raven.

7 Dark Souls 2

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2 had a different gameplay style than Dark Souls 1 | Image Credits: FromSoftware

Dark Souls 2 is the second installment in the Dark Souls series, and the game was released back in March 2014. While the game might feel like the direct sequel to Dark Souls, that is not the case, considering DS 2 has a completely different setting, character, presentation, and even gameplay. There are also some lore connections that are directly connected to the game’s predecessor.

Although the game is part of one of the finest video game franchises, it is unanimously hated in the Soulsborne community for a lot of reasons. The first and foremost being that the game is not directed by Miyazaki himself. While he was there to supervise the entire project, his not actually directing or designing the game made the gameplay feel clunky and not up to the standards we received in Dark Souls 1.

It’s not like Dark Souls 2 is not respected or seen as the sequel to its predecessors; it was just something we did not expect. Many thought that Dark Souls 2 would be like Dark Souls 1, except with more QoL (Quality of Life) changes and a few engine fixes, but from the combat to the level designs, it just straight up felt lazy.

6 ****** Souls

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| Image Credits: FromSoftware

****** Souls is an action RPG that was developed by FromSoftware and it was released back in February of 2009. While the game was first proposed and supported by another video game developer called Japan Studio, it was Hidetaka Miyazaki who brought the dying game back to life and relevancy.

****** Souls is the first action RPG soulslike game that was directed by Miyazaki, and he made the game insanely hard. Although the initial concept for ****** Souls came from the King’s Field series, the game was seen as a lost cause in the entire studio because of the team not having a coherent vision. That’s when Miyazaki stepped up and decided to take over the project, and since it’s a failing project, he could take it in any direction he wanted.

Miyzaki wanted to take gaming back to its basics and create a challenging gameplay-based experience, which was kind of dying out during that era. While the game was initially not received well in Japan because of its challenging nature, upon its release in the Western market, the game received critical acclaim with many reviewers finding the difficulty a positive aspect.

5 Dark Souls 1

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| Image Credits: FromSoftware

Dark Souls 1 is the inspiration for all the Soulsborne games that you see today. The game was created by Hidetaka Miyazaki back in 2011, and it is now considered one of the greatest video games of all time. While the game takes place in a completely different setting, it is still cited as the spiritual successor to ****** Souls because of the similarity in difficulty.

Dark Souls 1 is everything that a Soulsborne ever wanted from a video game. From intricate level designs to epic boss battles, the game is a masterpiece on its own. This is also the first game where Miyazaki used flavour text as a method to communicate the lore to his audience.

The game takes direct inspiration from earlier works of dark fantasy like the Berserk manga series, and the levels are also inspired by real-world locations like the Milan Cathedral and the Château de Chambord. By April 2013, the game had sold more than two million copies, and its success led to the development of two more sequels.

4 Dark Souls 3

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| Image Credits: FromSoftware

Dark Souls 3 is the third and final entry in the Dark Souls series, which is by many cited as the most fitting and worthy conclusion to the series. The game was released back in March of 2012, and within its first two months, the title sold more than ten million units worldwide.

The game’s development was carefully handled by Hidetaka Miyazaki, who at the time was also supervising for Dark Souls 2 as well as being in the initial stages of developing Bloodborne. Although Miyazaki thought that the entire Dark Souls series would not have this many installments, he later added that this game would not be the last in the series and in turn will serve as a turning point.

While Dark Souls 3 is the successor of Dark Souls 2, the difference between them is immensely noticeable, it is literally what we thought we would get from Dark Souls 2. From new combat features, weapons, skills, magic, and better tactical options, to some of the best level designs in the entire series, Dark Souls 3 takes the lead by a long shot.

3 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action-adventure game that was released back in 2019 with Hidetaka Miyazaki as its lead director. While the game might seem similar to Soulslike games without some of the RPG elements, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is actually much more similar to a Samurai-themed Rhythm Heaven Fever.

In the game, the players control Wolf, a shinobi who is on his quest to save his lord, and becomes much more involved in saving his fictional region known as Ashina.

While the gameplay is quite focused on stealth and exploration, Miyazaki takes a step back from the traditional combat and makes Wolf a deflecting god. Where, instead of attacking constantly and chipping away at health, players can deflect and chip away at posture, leading to an opening that allows the player to deliver a fatal blow.

Miyazaki started working on Sekiro right after he was done with Bloodborne DLC: The Old Hunters, and wanted to deliver something different that marked the departure from the Dark Souls series.

2 Bloodborne

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PC port | Image Credits: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Bloodborne is the dark, gothic game that took the world over when it was released back in 2015. The game is literally considered the magnum opus of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s life, and although the game is quite similar to the Dark Souls series in terms of combat and gameplay aspects, Bloodborne eclipses the others with its interconnected level design and Lovecraftian themes.

Bloodborne follows the story of a Hunter (the player) who arrives in the Victorian city of Yharnam in search of a mysterious condition known as “Paleblood”. The Hunter gets guided by cryptic messengers and terrifying monsters, and later discovers the dark secrets of the city and the cosmic influence that manipulates the nightmarish landscapes.

While the title is literally flawless in terms of storytelling, music design, gameplay, combat, and eerie atmospheres, the fact that there is still no remastered 60 FPS, 4K version or even a PC port of the game just makes it a huge disappointment.

1 Elden Ring

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| Image Credits: FromSoftware

Elden Ring is an action-adventure RPG that was released back in 2022. While the game was directed by Miyazaki himself, the worldbuilding was handled by the renowned writer George R. R. Martin, who created the epic fantasy novel A Song of Ice and Fire, which was later adapted into the Award-Winning TV show Game of Thrones.

Miyazaki admired Martin’s previous works and wanted to create a more accessible narrative than his earlier games, and hence, Martin was given unrestricted freedom to design the backstory, while Miyazaki was lead-writing the in-game narrative. This game also followed the flavor text style of storytelling, except this time, the scale was huge.

This was Miyazaki’s first Soulsborne game that featured a full-fledged open-world map that players could roam freely and go anywhere they wished. Although his other games followed a more linear path, Elden Ring gave players a grander scale of freedom and depth to exploration.

The game received critical acclaim after its release and then went on to receive multiple awards, including the Game of the Year award in 2022.

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