The Elden Ring is everything fans of FromSoftware’s Soulsborne games have been waiting for. A fantasy world filled with mystery, wonder, and danger has been created by the developers. Since Skyrim, I haven’t had so much fun in an open world game. Soulsborne games have become a genre of their own with Breath of the Wild. It’s a must-buy and the game of the year for fans. Newbies will find Elden Ring the easiest of these games, which are notorious for their difficulty.
Some fans and pundits call Elden Ring “Big Dark Souls.” Fair enough. It’s the same formula from Soulsborne – drop your runes aka experience/money when you die, run back to collect them or lose them forever – but in an open world. Elden Ring’s open world makes it more accessible than previous Soulsborne games. You get a ghost horse that lets you outrun most enemies. Run in, snag a valuable piece of loot right under enemies’ noses, then run away. Before taking on the game’s first major boss, I upgraded my gear, especially the flasks that restore health and focus points. Additionally, certain gameplay tweaks keep it moving along.
There’s also multiplayer co-op for up to four players. Cross-gen support so you can play with others on a similar platform, e.g. PS4 and PS5, but not PS5 and PC. Also, you can summon spirits and NPCs to help. There are also some tweaks to the usual Soulsborne gameplay because of the open world. You can now collect resources to craft consumables. Fast travel and tweaks to make magic and ranged attacks more effective are included. FromSoftware has stuck with its guns when it comes to storytelling. There’s the same minimalist, environmental storytelling where you glean events from the game environs, item descriptions, and NPC hints. The story won’t be told by an omniscient narrator. There are no quest logs or markers. Eexcept the ones you make yourself on the gorgeous world map.
The cloak of mystery around the game world is enhanced by not spoon-feeding you everything. It’s always been FromSoftware’s forte to create breathtaking yet unsettling landscapes. The scenes look like they’re straight out of a concept art book. There were fallen giants, moving buildings like Howl’s Moving Castle, and a massive glowing tree in the middle. Unfortunately, there’s no photo mode. The enemies, though, give me the creeps. Many of the creepy bestiaries have oversized heads and run like T-Rexes, like giant dogs. Despite minor dungeon templates, everything feels organic and handcrafted. After thirty hours, I’m only 15% done with the main story, and I’ve only mapped 60% of the world. We even discovered a whole new underground world.
Elden Ring is the best Soulsborne game so far. While it’s easier to get into, it still has some quirks that may deter some people. Maybe Horizon Forbidden West is their cup of tea. Even though it’s still challenging, fans now have more options and tools if they get stuck.
