I will take literally any opportunity to trot out my favorite game design quote of all time. In a design book about the original Dark Souls, director Hidetaka Miyazaki is quoted as saying "a certain kind of refinement, elegance, and dignity are very important to me… My idea of dignity is something that I pursue with every project I work on and not just Dark Souls."
The clincher is in the follow-up from artist Masanori Waragai. "I remember when I was drawing the Undead Dragon, I submitted a design draft that depicted a dragon swarming with maggots and other gross things," he said. "Miyazaki handed it back to me saying, 'This isn't dignified. Don't rely on the gross factor to portray an undead dragon. Can't you instead try to convey the deep sorrow of a magnificent beast doomed to a slow and possibly endless descent into ruin?"
