Before becoming a household name in gaming circles, he cut his teeth working on the studio's long-running Armored Core series, serving as a planner on 2005's Armored Core: Last Raven and then as director on Armored Core IV and Armored Core: For Answer. Following the success of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, FromSoftware went on to release two more Armored Core games, though Miyazaki wasn't directly involved in those projects. Since then, the studio has been busy building on the Souls series, culminating with the runaway success of Elden Ring. Now, for the first time in nearly a decade, From is revisiting its mech franchise. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon also marks the directorial debut of one of the studio's most promising up-and-coming talents -- Masaru Yamamura the lead game designer on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and a designer on Bloodborne. Armored Core VI is not a Soulslike, but a lot of its best ideas feel informed by Sekiro and Bloodborne.

"Thymesia" is itself a mutant of sorts, infected by the contagious influence of From Software's games, whose cursed lands and opaque designs surge through its veins. Pull up "Thymesia's" bloody floorboards and you'll see Hidetaka Miyazaki's signature etched in the foundations. It exhibits all the classic symptoms of a Soulslike -- branching level designs that loop back on themselves, sparse rest points, currency that gets left behind when you die, teasing you to retrieve it -- while its setting and lore pull inspiration from the streets of "Bloodborne's" Yarnham. There's a gothic tint to "Thymesia's" medieval locales, a plot that similarly centers on experiments with blood, and the black-clad Corvus, adorned with feather cape and plague mask, could be the brother of "Bloodborne's" Eileen the Crow (the word "Corvus" refers to birds of the crow family).

You can attribute much of the PlayStation 4's amazing run of the last seven years to its exclusive titles. While Nintendo remains the most prolific producer of high quality exclusive console games, Sony amassed considerable might during the PlayStation 4′s run, acquiring acclaimed studios that would go on to produce titles that would sweep awards shows. It's why Microsoft has invested in its own studios, including last year's atomic announcement that Xbox now owns Bethesda Game Studios, the creators of the "Elder Scrolls" series. Gene Park: "Bloodborne" was a game so good, it helped me completely get over my last, serious and long-term relationship. It was early 2015, and there were going to be some big changes in our lives. I was looking to move out of Hawaii, while she wanted to expand her local business's footprint. Our relationship was already on the rocks before "Bloodborne" released, and we'd already had some legendary battles and arguments between us, you know, the kind that end in screaming matches and tearful apologies.

The PlayStation 4 has dominated the video game market since its release six years ago. Sure, Microsoft's Xbox One is more powerful than the PlayStation 4, but Sony's console spent this generation producing incredible games. Putting software above hardware has been a winning strategy for Sony and it's sold more than 100 million consoles since the PlayStation 4's release in 2013. With more than 2,300 games for the system, it can be hard to pick which game to play. But TIME has you covered.

Hidetaka Miyazaki, president and game director of FromSoftware, is one of the most renowned game designers of his generation. The director of "Demon's Souls" (2009), "Dark Souls" (2011) and "Bloodborne" (2015) recently took the time to answer some questions about "Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice," a game about a one-armed ninja, set for release on March 22. FromSoftware has a reputation for making challenging games. Has this reputation shaped the types of projects that the studio is willing to consider? How much flexibility is there to pursue more offbeat projects like the recent VR game "Déraciné"? Hidetaka Miyazaki: While I don't think it's fair to say there's zero influence, we as a studio don't tend to worry about such things.

It took me four tries to beat the first major enemy in our Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice ($60 preorder on Steam) demo. Just a slightly more powerful soldier than the mobs around him, a named Samurai General commanding nameless hordes. Time and time again I marched towards him though, having dispatched his troops, and was killed by the sweeping swings of his sword. As much as it's tempting to lump all of From Software's games into a "Souls-like" umbrella, the studio's proven skilled at reinventing what that term means--from Demon's Souls to Dark Souls, Dark Souls to Dark Souls III, and to the faster-paced fan favorite Bloodborne. Sekiro has plenty in common with its brethren, to say nothing of Team Ninja's Nioh, and yet it's also uniquely Sekiro, and that means going through the entire Souls learning process once again.

From Software could show as many as 3 different video games off at E3 this year. Dark Souls and Bloodborne developer From Software could show off as many as three different video games at E3 this year. That's a lot for a studio of that size, but there have been a number of teases and rumors and leaks and three seems like the right number (though it's possible some of the developer's upcoming games will be announced later in the year at the Tokyo Game Show or PlayStation Experience.) Now let's take a look at these potential From Software titles. Will Metal Wolf Chaos be at E3? Devolver had tweeted at From Software previously about the game, so it's no huge surprise to see this latest tease.

There's a big reason why the PlayStation 4 is the best-selling console: It has a smattering of games that you can't play anywhere else. Think: blockbusters like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Bloodborne. But even if Indiana Jones simulators and massive open worlds where you hunt down robo-dinosaurs aren't your thing, there are still plenty of exclusives to pick from. Whether it's the best baseball video game franchise, a choose-your-own-adventure horror or an engrossing social simulator/JRPG hybrid, there's a lot to play on Sony's latest console. And then there are games from massive third-party publishers like Activision and Ubisoft, along with quirky indie offerings to round out the selection.