Dark Souls 2 producer says multiplayer to remain lonely, indirect, also comforting

Several new comments have surfaced today from Dark Souls 2 producer Takeshi Miyazoe on the game's idiosyncratic approach to a multiplayer RPG. Miyazoe emphasizes how DS2 isn't going to try and compete with or copy other sorts of multiplayer approaches, but rather focus on keeping player interactions fleeting and powerful, according to an interview with Shack News .

Miyazoe said that several of the "core elements" of the first Dark Souls will also appear in the sequel, such as player summoning and Covenants, which were a type of faction mechanic that granted bonuses and perks to player characters. "Our dev team's goal is to enhance some of these elements even further, so that you still have that loose connection--how you interact with other players will be an enhanced experience, a new experience," Miyazoe said in the interview.

While it might seem counter-intuitive to advertise a game's multiplayer by pointing out how it restricts player interaction, this is still in the classic tradition of the first Dark Souls. What made both those games satisfying was their ability to make isolating and, indeed, brutally lonely experiences so compelling.

For more on Dark Souls 2, check out our E3 hands-on with the game.