Developer: From Software
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Release date: February 25, 2022
Available on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S (reviewed), Xbox Series X
When developer From Software released Demon’s Souls on the PS3 in 2009, no one ever expected them to have created a sub-genre of role-playing games that would just grow with each new release. Dark Souls followed in 2011 as a spiritual successor as the games expand to the Xbox 360 and eventually the PC. Souls -like became a descriptor for RPGs that featured dark, cryptic worlds with challenging gameplay, spreading beyond From Software’s titles to other developers. In 2017, Nintendo released the open world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to both popular and critical acclaim, and that game was a milestone in reshaping how open world RPGs were viewed. From Software took note, and applied its successful Souls formula to the freedom of an open world, and thus, Elden Ring was born.
Adding to the mix of two successful game formulas was a richly written lore and story by Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin. And while the overall narrative of the Tarnished rising up to take back the Lands Between from the offspring of Queen Marika the Eternal and to make whole the Elden Ring of legend to become Elden Lord may feel a bit thin, Miyazaki and Martin have filled the gaps with an incredible amount of lore to be uncovered by the player, with plenty of side quests and mini- stories to pull you through an epic journey across the very large map. The game gives you freedom to head in whatever direction you choose once you complete the short tutorial dungeon, and that freedom is a breath of fresh air to the relatively linear From Software games that preceded Elden Ring.
A full disclosure here: I have not yet finished the game as I write this review. However, I’m currently at 115+ hours into the game, and it still has me hooked. Combat is challenging, but helping are both other players in the form of jolly cooperation and NPCs, as well as Spirit Ashes, beings you can use magic to call upon to aid you against your enemies in certain situations. Your character is more mobile with having a dedicated jump button, as well as a mount named Torrent. Being able to ride makes traveling across the vast game world easier, and in combat can give an edge by keeping you mobile and making a harder target to take out. Fast travel is available from the get go from the Sites of Grace (Elden Ring ‘s version of bonfires), which are fairly well spaced across the map. These improvements make Elden Ring the most accessible From Software game to date, but don’t mistake that for the game going soft. It’s still brutal when it counts, and it still hurts when you lose a pile of runes (this game’s version of souls) by being viciously cut down by a powerful foe.
As in previous Souls games, players have a variety of classes to choose from for their Tarnished character. The ten classes are a mix of the familiar and new. They include Vagabond, Hero, Bandit, Warrior, Samurai, Confessor, Astrologer, Prophet. Prisoner, and Wretch. There is a class that will fit just about any play style, and you can mold them into your build of choice. Players can focus on a particular type, or be well rounded and a Jack of all trades. It all depends on how much work you want to put into leveling up. Exploring and finding the best areas to exploit for farming is to your advantage, and the ease of both fast travel and the well placed sites of grace allow this to be a viable method of proceeding through the game. Talking to NPCs is most important here, especially Melina, who acts as your guide, levels you up, and provides you with your mount, Torrent. Other NPCs will teach you incantations or sorceries, provide you with the ability to summon Spirit Ashes, or even come to your aid in boss battles.
Among the most important NPCs you’ll come across are the Nomadic merchants. They’re located across the Lands Between, and are found sitting next to a fire with their pack laden donkey. The merchants can be a good source for supplying ammo for your bow or crossbow, and often have specialized cookbooks. These cookbooks are a must purchase, since crafting is a big mechanic in the game. Buying or finding the cookbooks will give you recipes to craft arrows, bombs, specialized foods that give you a boost, healing items like boluses that can cure things like poison or rot, and even make healing items for Torrent. It should go without saying that you should not kill these merchants, as they will be lost to you for the rest of the game.
The crafting mechanic is easy to use, and encourages exploration to find materials. Extra materials can always be sold to merchants for extra runes. Enemies also drop their share of loot, and in some cases killing enemies is the best way to get the best gear to outfit your character. Exploring dungeons and finding treasure chests also can help provide you with very useful items. Some of these are locked behind fog walls where you need a special key to unlock, and some are guarded by powerful enemies. Some chests will even teleport you to a new area on the map. Exploration is also key to uncovering the massive map, which is hidden until you find the map pieces. There is plenty to find as you explore, and From Software has done an excellent job at not only spacing out the sites of grace nicely, but by giving you hidden sites and secrets to uncover. Of course, having this much freedom can sometimes lead you into dangerous situations. I ran into my share of trouble while just exploring the map, be it suddenly being pursued by a dragon or encountering a mob of lethal enemies. As in the other Souls games, falling in battle causes you to drop any runes you’re carrying, though you will hold onto any items you’re equipped with and that are in your possession. You can also put things you don’t need right away in a storage chest, which is accessible at every site of grace. As in other games, you need to get back to where you fell to retrieve your runes, and failing to do so means they’re lost forever.
Fortunately, you have plenty of opportunity to make up any lost runes. Glowing skulls can be found littered across the world, and breaking them open nets you a nice bounty. Other enemies can drop runes when killed, and then there’s always the ability to collect and sell materials, weapons, and armor to any merchant you find, which is a nice change of pace from previous From Software titles where you needed to find a specific merchant to unload unwanted items. New to Elden Ring also is a day/night cycle, and in some cases certain enemies can only be hunted at night. Enemies in some cases can also be stronger in the dark, and it’s nice to have the freedom to choose whether to face them or not, similar to the way nighttime works in the Dying Light games. The weather also changes- one minute it’s bright sunshine, the next could find you moving through a howling storm. The day/night cycle and the weather changes make the Lands Between feel more like a real place, and the variety of animal life and the way other creatures and soldiers react with each other also contribute to the world feeling more vibrant and alive. Moments of calmly collecting materials without worrying about being killed every two seconds make for welcome respites. But even then, it’s unwise to grow too complacent, because a deadly surprise could be waiting around any corner.
While enemies can certainly be diverse, you will also encounter similar foes across the Lands Between, making the game world feel like a cohesive whole. Enemies can range from animals like boar, wolves and rams to sword wielding soldiers to massive giants and dragons to skeletons that will revive themselves if you don’t deliver a finishing blow. Bosses and mini-bosses are also varied, and as in previous games will not respawn once vanquished. The major bosses often allow you to both bring in an NPC helper as well as using spirit ashes, or you can choose to enter the multiplayer and summon a human player for some jolly cooperation. PvP remains where you can be invaded and/or invade someone else. You can choose to be summoned by outfitting a certain item, or you can choose to try the whole game solo offline. The game does contain scripted invasions as well as NPCs who will join you in combat. How you approach combat is entirely up to you, and it’s nice to have that freedom. That freedom of play can also lead to very different experiences between players. I have friends who’ve beaten far more bosses or finished the game with less hours in than myself. As a more cautious player, I love the freedom Elden Ring gives me to move at my own pace, and that it allows for me to go off onto something else if one area proves to be a sticking point. This feels more open than previous Souls games as well as more open than both Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. It’s that openness and freedom that gives Elden Ring the feeling of being far more accessible than prior From Software titles. It’s likely that feature has figured strongly into the game’s success. In three weeks after launch, Elden Ring has sold over 12 million copies, becoming one of their best selling titles to date.
Despite the massive sales and overwhelming positive response from both gamers and critics, Elden Ring did not launch issue free. Many problems have since been addressed through patches, but even so things like pop-in can occur and occasionally characters will get stuck in the environment (some of these glitches are actually helpful, since exploiting them can make for an easier time with some tough foes). At launch, all platforms experienced issues. PC players had multiple problems, PS5 owners had to contend with a save issue, and Xbox players were forced to play off-line for much of the opening weekend. Many of these issues have been fixed, and the few remaining glitches tend not to be detrimental to enjoying the game.
In all, Elden Ring is simply a masterpiece from From Software, and takes their Soulsborne franchise to the next logical step. The lore written by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin is both engaging and deep, and while the game will feel thin on the traditional narrative, there are plenty of character moments that make it well worth diving in. Quality of life improvements like a dedicated jump button, fast travel from the game’s beginning, the ease of getting into multiplayer, and the various additions like crafting, a day/night cycle, and changing weather help make Elden Ring the most accessible From Software title to date. The challenge is still there, though, and the freedom to explore an open world however you choose is a huge bonus in the game’s favor. Launch issues proved not to be overly detrimental, and most have been addressed as of this writing. Simply put, Elden Ring is a must play title, and an easy GOTY frontrunner for 2022. It reportedly plays well on all systems, so those with last gen consoles cn feel safe in making this purchase. It’s not only one of the best games of 2022; it’s one of the best games of all time. Don’t miss this one.
10/10 stars
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