Miyazaki reassures mounted combat is optional in Elden Ring
"At no point do we want to enforce horse riding or mounted combat on the player."
FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki recently reassured fans that horse riding and mounted combat in Elden Ring will be optional. Rather than force players into mounted situations, they want to “build [scenarios] that may ask for mounted traversal or may suggest that mounted combat is a viable strategy.”
Elden Ring is likely the most anticipated game next year, with a release date of February 24th. As the next culmination of the Dark Souls formula, Miyazaki and his team hope to reinvent the wheel and blow expectations. Horseback riding is one of the additions to Elden Ring that shakes things up, providing effective traversal when engaged in combat or racing across mountain cliffs.
During an interview with EDGE magazine (issue 367), Miyazaki commented on map and enemy design and the usage of mounts:
“[Players] should never feel as though something is being forced upon them. In terms of map design and encounter design itself, due to the scale and structure of the world, it’s something that should encourage traversal using Torrent... And also the mounted combat will hopefully play into the players’ variety of choices and how they approach these various situations, with that level of freedom, as well.“
It’s reassuring to hear that Elden Ring doesn’t force players into mechanics but instead gives them tools for their success. Much of that philosophy is scathing to the “souls-like” design. And in a good way, it leaves room for specialized character builds or unique approaches to conflict in-game. What’s your opinion on the matter? Let’s hear it down below!
