Elden Ring
Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: Bandi Namco Entertainment
Platform: Steam
Welcome to the Lands Between
My introduction to FromSoftware and their work was Armored Core 2 on the PlayStation 2, and my first experience with the Souls series was with Demon’s Souls way back when on the PlayStation 3. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing the first time I popped Demon’s Souls into my PS3, and needless to say I didn’t get very far, but there was something about its dark fantasy and horror esthetic that caught by imagination. I have been a fan of the Souls games ever since, even if I have never finished one (which is something I definitely want to rectify), and I was really looking forward to jumping into Elden Ring. I know I am late to the party here, but I am glad I finally showed up and claimed the title of Elden Lord.
The Journey of the Tarnished
Elden Ring tells the story of you, a ‘tarnished’ as you’re known, and your quest to lay low the demigods of the Lands Between and become the new Elden Lord. Along with your trusty steed Torrent, you venture across a huge and interconnected world, fighting for your life against the countless monsters and horrors that want to see you dead. The story is also heavily influenced by Arthurian legends, but of course, it is not laid out before you aside from a few very obvious references .Like the rest of the Souls series, the story of Elden Ring is ‘told’ you in fragments by the peoples living in the Lands Between, and in the descriptions found on the game’s weapons, armours, and items. The environmental storytelling is also top notch, just like the rest of the series; the world is as much a character as you and the NPCs. If you pay attention to the world around you, you will be able to start piecing together what is going on here. You are either of fan of this style of storytelling or you’re not, and I can understand how some people would not like the not knowing what is going on, even if I am a huge fan of this way of delivering a story.
The Lands Between is as beautiful as it is large. The visual fidelity of the world is great, and more than a couple of times I was stopped in my tracks just to bask in the views. The intricate design of the world lends itself so well to exploration, and you are rewarded again and again for venturing off the beaten path to see what is around the bend, and over the next hill. You will be rewarded with new areas and places to explore and conquer as you explore the Lands Between, with these new areas helping you to become stronger with either equipment and items, or experience (runes in this game acting as the souls) to help you level up and get stronger. The interconnected nature of the map is wonderful, and while not as good as the original Dark Souls (which is because Elden Ring is so big), it is still great when you find a way forward that leads you back to a place you already been. The game’s sense of exploration is second to none.
There are many smaller dungeons and catacombs scattered about the world which reward your curiosity. Each of these dungeons have treasures (like weapons, armours, and magics) that will help you in your quest to become the Elden Lord, with those treasures being guarded by a miniboss. Here is where you will start seeing one of Elden Ring’s biggest issues: the reusing of bosses and assets. Over the course of the game’s lengthy adventure, you will be seeing the same bosses, monsters, and buildings over and over again, for better and worse. Depending on how you look at it, it can either feel like a lazy way to extend the run time, or as a way to reinforce the uniformity of the world. I enjoy that the catacombs and dungeons look like they’re all made by the same group of people, which adds to the sense of place the Lands Between has. On the other hand, I got tired of fighting the same minibosses over and over and over, especially when the variety comes from fighting a different number of them at times; it can, and does, get old after a bit.
To Battle
Combat is as tight and focused as ever. Like the Souls games that came before, you are rewarded by being methodical in your approach to the game’s encounters and punished for not paying attention. You can summon people to help you as usual (known as cooperators this time), and toward the end of the game, I was making liberal use of these cooperators to help me lay low the bosses. I never found any of the boss encounters to be overly difficult, and with enough time, practice, and patience, I was able to come out victorious. It should come as no surprise though that with a game of this length and nonlinear nature, the boss balance can be a little all over the place at times; it’s not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but it can be irritating at times.
I can’t say much more about Elden Rings’ combat systems, because I went with the classic sword and shield build. While I would like to try out other playstyles, I am in no rush to replay the game just yet; it is a long game, and I have other games I want to play and talk about. I will go back to Elden Ring one day, but that day is definitely not today.
Movement is smooth and snappy while still retaining that signature feeling of weight behind your footsteps, and it all comes together to make traversing the map a joy. As before, your movement is affected by your encumbrance, with the heavier equipment giving you more armour but restricting your movement and the length and speed of your dodge. With FromSoftware being on their A-game, there is not much more to say about the movement; just know that it feels awesome to play.
A Real Sense of Adventure
Elden Ring is something special. I haven’t felt such sense of adventure since I first played Dark Souls or Morrowind, and I will forever be grateful to Elden Ring for giving me that. One day I will give the game’s DLC a go, but for now I am content with my time in the Lands Between. If you are looking for a game with a real sense of adventure, and a solid challenge, check out Elden Ring right away. Don’t wait, go and play it right now!
