Akira Yasuda, famously known as Akiman, a former art director and character designer at Capcom with an illustrious career spanning titles like Street Fighter II, Red Dead Revolver, and Mobile Suit Gundam, recently offered his expert perspective on the graphical design of Elden Ring.
His observations emerged during discussions contrasting Elden Ring with other contemporary games, such as Crimson Desert. Akiman noted that even with its perceived technical “aging,” FromSoftware’s creation manages to leave a far stronger impression than many visually more advanced titles.
“As detail increases, the viewer is left with less opportunity to complement what is seen with imagination. In Elden Ring, the level of detail is meticulously controlled at every step, ensuring the player’s imagination is constantly stimulated.”
He particularly highlighted Elden Ring‘s sophisticated use of atmospheric perspective, drawing parallels between its visual style and both traditional Japanese ukiyo-e prints and the evocative illustrations of artist Alan Lee.
“This is what it truly means to be a master of art.”
Developers from FromSoftware have themselves elaborated on their visual design philosophy. During a CEDEC presentation in 2025, Environment Art Director Hidenori Sato and Lighting and Environment Artist Reiji Katahira detailed how they rigorously adhered to fundamental rules of composition. They meticulously analyzed landscapes, architectural structures, shadows, and fog to deliberately eliminate monotonous areas and correct any potentially disjointed visual flow within the game world.