Elden Ringis perhaps the most hyped FromSoftware title to date. The gameboasted of an open-world Souls-like title, and for fans of many, it certainly did not disappoint upon release. There’s a lot to unpack inElden Ring, and upon first entry of the Lands Between, it can be overwhelming, yet there is a boundless joy to be had.
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FromSoftware outdid themselves once again, something they do with every new title. Each game sinceDemon’s Soulsfeels unique, similar, yet different.Elden Ringis no exception to the wonderful craft from the team at FromSoftware, and there are many things that the title does better than previous games.
10Dungeon Exploration
For the first time in FromSoftware’s portfolio of titles, they created a game that goes open-world. In Elden Ring, players are able toexplore each environmentin much greater detail and freedom than that of theDark Soulstrilogy. In that exploration, players will find statues and caves that lead them to dungeons.
These dungeons are filled with ghastly traps, enemies, and powerful statues that want nothing more than to stab you. Dungeons are a great way to test the players' skills in both combat and puzzle-solving, with an exciting reward waiting for them in the boss room. Dungeons are unique to FromSoftware’s other titles and act almost like side rooms to the open world.
9Torrent, The Trusty Steed
In an open-world space, it would take hours to get to the nearest castle or dungeon on two feet. Not only because the player is lugging around a heavy set of armor, and a weapon as big as their entire body, but because the map is sprawling with activity. Thankfully, the game brings forth Torrent, a great way to travel tofind legacy dungeons.
Torrent is the Spirit Steed that acts as the mount inElden Ring. Players can summon Torrent at any open space, and ride him across the great Lands Between. Other FromSoftware games just had the player running around, whereas now, they have a cute horse with horns to ride into battle and explore with.
8Collaboration With George R. R. Martin
As brilliant as many regardElden Ringthe amazing and interesting lore of its characters would not be entirely possible without the assistance of the collaborative efforts of George R. R. Martin. This marks the first time FromSoftware has collaborated with another writer, and one as famed as George R.R. Martin, creator of theGame of Thronesbooks, is sure to bring in many curious eyes.
What George R.R. Martin did for the game, was produce the backstory and lore, writing key parts of the world that FromSoftware went in to further develop, and change with a world now dying after the shattering of theElden Ring.
7Build Diversity
Like many other FromSoftware titles, the RPG mechanics return. Instead of souls, players will receive runes, which can be used to level up their character in the many different skills available to them. Health, stamina, strength, and other sorts remain largely the same, with minor upgrades and updates toElden Ring.
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What’s important about the builds this time around, is that there is such an abundance of runes to spend, that many players will find themselves over level 100 before nearing the end of the game. Thus, they are open to more diverse builds, whether that be strength, magic, or simply rolling with a pot on their head.
6Plethora Of Weapons
SomethingElden Ringdoes better than most is theabundance of weaponsavailable to the player. Weapons can be acquired through many different means. Whether it’s killing a boss andpurchasing their weaponfor runes, or simply finding it on a stray corpse. There’s a weapon for every type of player.
Players can find weapons that directly reference their favorite manga, like the Greatsword, which is modeled in homage to Guts’ sword fromBeserk, the manga created by Kentaro Miura, who tragically passed in 2021. Other weapons can be as simple as a spell, or as silly as a tool that looks like a baby’s rattle.
5Character Creation
Character creation is an important tool for many RPGs that involve the player having their character. The creativity of players is nigh on endless, and they will always strive to make celebrities, pop culture characters, or even just a cluster of random and ugly sliders.
Elden Ringtakes this feature to a higher level and allows players the utmost freedom in creating their character. The detail in the crafting is immense and allows fans tocreate characters like He-ManfromThe Masters of the Universe.
4Godly Bosses
It wouldn’t be a FromSoftware game without the abundance of bosses to make players throw their controllers, and test their patience. Bosses are a staple of FromSoftware, and they feature a great challenge, with a masterful move set that can threaten the players with a game over.
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Elden Ringhas no shortage of bosses, but the main bosses in the game have rich backstories, great detail in their design, and a terrifying and threatening presence in battle. Many fans throw in the towel at Malenia, Blade of Miquella, a boss who feels more like aSekiro: Shadows Die Twiceboss. This hasn’t stopped players like“Let Me Solo Her”from making her seem easy as pie.
3Roundtable Hold
HUB worlds are important for games likeElden Ring. They are locations safe to the player, where they can take a breather with no risk of threatening life, or invasive online players to try and kill them.Elden Ringfeatures the Roundtable Hold, the location of NPCs converse with, and upgrades their weapons.
There’s a great atmosphere at the Roundtable Hold, and it fits perfectly into the shattered world ofElden Ring. Occupants of the Roundtable Hold feel equally shattered, and torn down, almost as if they are defeated, with only the Tarnished to bring them hope. It’s a great area worth exploring, with many faces to raise eyebrows toward.
2Masterful Hitboxes
After the release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there was a revolution on what a true hitbox should be. It’s no secret that sometimes, players feel cheated when hit, and swear that they were out of reach from an attack.Elden Ringseeks to make sure that every death is the player’s fault, as any chance of a janky hitbox is left behind.
There will be countless times when a larger enemy swings a sword, only for it to skim the top of the player’s head and miss, or go underneath their arm. The precision in the crafting of player hitboxes is nothing short of legendary and shows the dedication that FromSoftware put into making a fair experience.
1Countless NPCs
WhatElden Ringlacks in Covenants, it certainly makes up for in characters.Elden Ringfeatures a great cast of characters, both around the Lands Between and at the Roundtable Hold. Players will be able tofind, and assist NPCsin many quests, and find plenty of lore and prizes along the way.
From returning characters, like Patches, to new ones like the Loathsome Dung Eater. Everyone has a story, and it is most often than not, entirely fascinating and well crafted. Some characters, like Rya, have spurred tons of fan art, and support for the character as “best girl”.
Elden Ringis available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.
