Elden Ring is From Software’s latest offering in a line of dark fantasy action-RPG fare that has been continually refined and reinvented since Demon’s Souls landed on the PS3 back in 2009. While previous worlds have been immersive and captivating to explore, Elden Ring represents a grandiose shift.
From Software brings everything it’s achieved in the last decade of releases into this singular, massive entity that brings the best bits of its previous creations into a vibrant open world. As always, From Software’s honed duality of challenge and triumph go hand in hand, and players will find themselves continually tested against brutal opponents and unforgiving environments. With perseverance, any opponent can be felled. However, with the vastness of a gigantic, multi-biome universe to explore, players can enjoy an experience where they won’t ever feel that taking on the next titanic enemy is the only course of action at any given time. There are always new secrets to discover and abilities to find.
In addition, From Software has added conveniences that don’t interfere with its signature style but take away some frustrations, like adding respawn locations near bosses to help get right back into the battle after death instead of running back under harassment. To me, these games have never been about the perceived difficulty. Instead, they are about the sense of unparalleled adventure through atmospheric environments and the rush of victory that comes with overcoming the impossible.
Join me on a journey that spans close to 10 hours of gameplay, taking me into Limgrave, Stormveil, and the exciting areas beyond. In this adventure, I battle a major boss, learn how traveling the open world makes this unlike any other From Software experience to date, and even get a bit of color from game director Hidetaka Miyazaki himself. Did you know that there are other rather large dungeons mixed in with the gargantuan legacy dungeons and mini caves, coves, and catacombs? Let’s explore and learn exactly how Elden Ring works from character creation all the way to the dazzling crystalline backdrop of the game’s “second” zone.