The Dark Souls games take a rather unique approach to storytelling, revealing much of their lore and narrative through scattered bits of dialogue and Easter eggs. Often, you finish a Dark Souls game and still aren’t quite sure what it was all about. Opinions on this approach are mixed – some enjoy the mystery, while others would prefer a little more clarity. Those in the latter camp will be happy to know that From Software’s next game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, presents a slightly more straightforward story. Here’s what Dark Souls and Sekiro director Hidetaka Miyazaki had to say about how his new game's narrative will be framed.

“There’s still going to be this kind of fragmented element to it. You’re still going to have to explore it to a find all the clues and depth for yourself. We feel like it’s not going to change too much in that sense. Our approach to storytelling has not changed. This time we do have the fixed protagonist. We feel like he creates the axes for the main core of the story. The characters, they revolve around him as well. This allows us to frame the story and the settings in a much simpler light than previously. So it’s going to be initially easier to understand and easier to relate to.”

Sekiro’s greater focus on stealth will also affect how players absorb the game’s story…

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“Stealth elements […] allow you to sneak undetected, to an extent. While you’re undetected, you can eavesdrop on enemies to get hints about other enemy weaknesses, strategic hints about how to approach the map and certain situations, or [learn] story details as well. This is a kind of a new element ... and it relates nicely to be the theme of the shinobi.”

Don’t worry though, Sekiro won’t completely toss out the From Software playbook – the game will still have “familiar” elements, like a New Game+ mode, which is currently “taking shape.”

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice hits PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on March 22, 2019.