No, Dark Souls II Was Not Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki

Hidetaka Miyazaki, known for creating Demon‘s Souls and directing the critically acclaimed Dark Souls, did not actually serve as director for Dark Souls II. While Miyazaki supervised the project in an oversight role, the main directing duties fell to others.

What Was Miyazaki Working on at the Time?

So what occupied Miyazaki during Dark Souls II‘s development? As DS2 began production in 2012, Miyazaki was still busy wrapping up the Artorias of the Abyss DLC content for the first Dark Souls game.

Rather than juggle both projects at once, Miyazaki focused just on the DLC, leaving DS2 to new directors. This allowed Miyazaki to steer the DLC closer to his vision while letting fresh talent reimagine core aspects of Dark Souls II.

Development Challenges for Dark Souls II

Part of why Miyazaki stepped back was also to let DS2‘s team find their own creative footing. The project saw several director changes early on and lacked a consistent creative leader.

Bringing in new directors Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura stabilized development, but meant Miyazaki‘s singular vision was absent. As Miyazaki put it:

“I felt that if Dark Souls II was done in the exact same way, it could not offer a sense of freshness."

Miyazaki‘s Reduced Role

So how involved was Miyazaki? By his own admission, not very. In interviews after release, Miyazaki estimated he contributed only 20-30% of the input to DS2.

Instead, he reviewed builds and offered high-level feedback. This supervisory role still impacted the game, but Miyazaki clearly did not drive DS2 like he had the first Dark Souls.

Returning for Dark Souls III

After Bloodborne launched in 2015, Miyazaki came back to direct 2016‘s Dark Souls III. The game returned to Lordran and revisited themes from the first entry.

Reviews praised DS3‘s faster combat and interconnected world design – hallmarks of Miyazaki‘s signature style. Many felt the game captured the essence of what made Dark Souls great.

Miyazaki‘s Thoughts on Dark Souls II

Miyazaki has been careful when discussing Dark Souls II. He called it a "wonderful game" and praised the new directors. However, when asked about DS2‘s story connections, Miyazaki said:

“There is no direct connection in the story between Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2."

This hints that he saw DS2 as something of a spin-off that diverged from his narrative vision.

In another interview, Miyazaki said:

"I don‘t think it was a bad thing to have handed the torch to someone else – I really feel the potential and the new possibility for the Dark Souls series.”

So while respectful, he tacitly acknowledges DS2 as a departure from what he would have created.

Critical and Commercial Success

Despite Miyazaki‘s limited involvement, Dark Souls II reviewed well, earning strong praise for its replay value and RPG depth. However, critics argued it lost some of the first game‘s unique mystique. It remains the lowest-rated Souls game on Metacritic:

Commercially, DS2 sold over 2.5 million copies in its first year – nearly double the first Dark Souls game. While successful, fans debated if it lived up to Miyazaki‘s legacy.

Miyazaki‘s Design Philosophy and Legacy

So what defines a "Miyazaki" Souls game? Several core pillars underpin his design philosophy:

• Interconnected worlds – The levels smoothly link together to create a sense of a real, coherent place. Shortcuts reward exploration.

• Obscure lore – Vague item descriptions and minimal dialog shroud the world‘s history in mystery. Players must piece together the narrative.

• Meticulous combat – Every action has weight behind it. Battles are tough but fair. Stats and builds allow customization.

• Ambiguous storytelling – Characters‘ motivations and the ending remain ambiguous, letting players interpret events.

• Epic boss battles – Monumental showdowns punctuate progress. Boss movesets provide tense, cinematic combat.

These principles shaped Demon‘s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne and beyond. While Dark Souls II diverged in places, Hidetaka Miyazaki‘s fingerprints remain all over the Soulsborne genre. He helped pioneer a style of atmospheric action RPG that inspired a generation of games.