Déraciné is Dark Souls studio’s exploration of VR, made to surprise fans

Best known for creating the “fantastically demented” action games Dark Souls and Bloodborne, From Software’s Hidetaka Miyazaki was motivated by a desire to learn about VR — and create something surprising for fans — which resulted in last week’s unexpected announcement of Déraciné for Sony’s PlayStation VR. The virtual reality adventure is a collaboration between From and Sony’s Japan Studio, and charmed us during a full hands-on session at E3.

As the PlayStation blog notes in an interview with Miyazaki, the developer wanted to experiment with a smaller team and concept after creating several big budget titles, ultimately forging a relaxed adventure that could still fit into From’s legacy. Trading the darkness and metallic themes of prior games for a sepia filter, Déraciné was meant to bring From “into the fold” as a developer of VR, where fast-paced action can sometimes lead to visual discomfort.