Developer From Software began life in 1986, and initially made a name for themselves with games such as the King’s Field series, the Armored Core series, Echo Night, Enchanted Arms, and Shadow Assault: Tenchu. In 2009, the game Demon’s Souls was released on the Playstation 3, and a new franchise and sub-genre of RPGs was born. The first Dark Souls game was released for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2011, with sequels following in 2014 and 2016. Bloodborne was released as a Playstation 4 exclusive in 2015, using much of the same mechanics of the Dark Souls trilogy but changing names of items and introducing a faster style of combat. In 2019, the developer altered the formula a bit more with the release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for the PS4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Now, in 2022, From Software is altering its formula even further by introducing the open world of Elden Ring.
There are some noticeable changes with Elden Ring that longtime fans of the Soulsborne games will pick up on right away. For one, there is now a dedicated “Jump” button, which allows for more mobility and the addition of some light platforming. It’s also an open world in the truest sense, as players can go in any direction they choose once they leave the tutorial dungeon. There’s also crafting, which allows players to collect materials from across the game world to make necessary supplies like bombs, potions, and arrows. Fast travel from the Sites of Grace (this game’s version of bonfires) is available from the outset, making travel around the Lands Between easier and quicker than before, and without needing a special item to do so. Plus you get a mount to aid in travel and combat. These quality of life improvements help to make Elden Ring the most accessible From Software game to date, but don’t mistake that for an easy mode. The combat and enemies well known to Soulsborne veterans is still very much present, and getting over-confident or careless will have you seeing the “You Died” screen often.
In Elden Ring you play as one of the Tarnished who must travel the Lands Between to find the shattered pieces of the Elden Ring and restore it. Players have ten starting classes to choose from: Vagabond, Hero, Bandit, Warrior, Samurai, Confessor, Prisoner, Astrologer, Prophet, and Wretch. The classes are nicely varied, so there’s one that should fit anyone’s play style. I went with a Samurai, as that class had high dexterity and could use both swords and bows. I added magic into the mix once I was able, so I’d have multiple options for both healing and ranged attacks. Stealth is a viable option, and works much the same way it did in Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice .
As in the other Soulsborne games, there are plenty of NPCs to interact with. Many fill you in on the lore and offer some sort of guidance or assistance. Melina levels you up once you have the requisite number of runes (the game’s equivalent to souls) and gives you your mount, Torrent. The witch Ranni grants you the ability to call shadows into combat to aid you, and you can find the special ashes used to call them across the world. They’re only able to be used in solo play, and can’t be used in conjunction with calling in other players for aid in the multiplayer, be it co-op or PVP. Their stories are worth listening to, and add to the lore nicely. Merchants too are worth seeking out, and different merchants will carry different wares. The different cookbooks you can buy from different merchants expands what items you can craft. Just don’t make the mistake of killing them, especially Kale, who carries the all important crafting kit among his wares.
Though it’s opened to almost universal praise from critics (many gave the game a perfect score of 10/10), Elden Ring did not launch problem free. PC owners had numerous technical issues, and PS5 players reported a bug that could delete saves. Xbox players could not initially play online, as a “Network Error” message kept appearing for the first two days. That issue became resolved as of February 27, and now those playing on Microsoft’s consoles can play the game as intended. Even with an initial patch, some visual glitches pop up here and there. Pop in is a common thing with vegetation, though it’s not so frequent as to become annoying. Occasionally glitches prove useful, as one particularly troublesome enemy for me got hung up phasing through a door and getting stuck there. I was able to back up to a safe distance and take him out easily with my bow. I’ve found ranged attacks can be exploited in multiple situations, though not with dealing with major bosses. There, observing patterns and not becoming too greedy with attacks can be beneficial. Trying to end things quickly often ends in getting dead quick, so patience is a definite virtue here as it’s been with previous From Software games.
The world in Elden Ring is beautifully rendered, with thick forests, swamps, and massive ruins. There are multiple tombs, caves, and dungeons to explore, and the world itself feels alive with a variety of wildlife. It doesn’t approach the scope of a Witcher III or a Skyrim with bustling villages, but it doesn’t feel barren and empty or desolate, being only filled with things that want to kill you, as in other Souls games. With crafting playing a major role, exploring the world and collecting materials becomes essential, and the open world makes things easy to get lost in. The freedom to tackle your tasks and how you proceed is a welcome addition, and it can have players receiving very different experiences from their friends. My daughter and I have enjoyed sharing our different travels, often causing the other to depart from their current task and pursue a different direction. There is a lot to see and do, and it should come as no surprise that you can play for a dozen hours and not advance any of the main quest. Wandering around exploring and collecting materials has actually proved to be quite relaxing, without the stress of worrying that anything you encounter will try to kill you.
Despite this, it’s unwise to fully let your guard down, as there is plenty in Elden Ring that will gladly take your life and runes. Enemies can come in all shapes and sizes, from large dragonflies and wild boar to soldiers and zealots to giants and dragons. Fortunately you have plenty of ways to defend yourself, by upgrading weapons, fighting from your mount, and calling in aid, whether they be shadows, in game cooperators, or other players. Putting down a sign to either have you called to another world or to call someone to yours works as it mainly has over the previous titles. Friends can ensure they play together through the use of a password entered in the multiplayer menu, or you can leave it up to chance and get a random helper. Of course, this means you can be open to invasions as well, and like the cooperators, there are scripted in-game invaders. Defeating these invaders can get you a special object, though I’ve yet to be successful in that task.
As I approach the thirty hour mark, I can safely say that Elden Ring has met my expectations, and then some. The gameplay has worked well, the lore is fun to hunt down, and the world is engaging. A few technical issues may ultimately hold it back from perfection for me, but it’s been an incredible experience so far. I hope to have a full review up over the next month with my final score, but for now those wanting to buy can feel good about doing so, as Elden Ring is easily shaping up to be a GOTY contender.
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