Elden Ring (2022)

The last update I wrote for Elden Ring was weeks ago, before I even got or played the game. Now I am finally nearing the end of my first playthrough (105 hours in) and there is so much I could unpack and talk about... Yet there is one feeling or thought in particular I'd like to share.

Elden Ring is too big for its own good.

While I have been enjoying the game, playing bosses and dungeons twice, on my own and coop with a friend. It's been a long journey and one I'd have preferred to be more condensed and streamlined like Bloodborne or Dark Souls.

The vista's and scope of this game are breathtaking. The verticality, the size of buildings, the world, things to do, some of the bosses, the quests, wow. There is A LOT TO LOVE but there is simply too much of it and the quality differs. Some bosses, enemies and dungeons are quite forgettable or poorly designed, whereas others are incredible, memorable moments of videogame cult-in-the-making.

So, 105 hours in I have not finished the game. I feel quite burnt out on the game and I have issues with the pacing/size of the game. Not to mention the structure of (sub)quests in this game being as vague as it used to be.

This is one of the most impressive videogames I have ever played. But it is NOT perfect.

I hope the next From Software game has parrying as a built in mechanic like Sekiro does. I hope magic will be less OP and obscure to find/collect. I hope movesets will be customizable like the Ash of War stuff allows you to, but not tied to the FP meter, more balanced, integrated differently. I hope enemies and bosses become less "permanently enraged" and I hope their next game will string together legacy dungeons again. Open-world has its uses, but I don't think the Souls' games needed this.

Also... controversial opinion, maybe? But I'd prefer the game to have only and maybe more (randomized) NPC invasions. PvP is a shitshow imho, rubber banding/lag is all over the place and while the concept is neat, execution feels like hit or miss.

/venting

New weapons, new outfit! For regular enemies I've been using a pair of claws I found with a nifty advancing charged R2, but for bosses the bonkers poise damage of dual-wielded colossal weapons is just unbeatable. And the bonus jump damage crow cape is pretty much always gonna stay on from here on out, thank goodness it looks cool.

I just obsessively spent the last hour and a half trying to beat the dark horsemen on the bridge in Limgrave. I was just introduced to horse combat and I came so painfully close to beating it twice. Needing to learn how to control panic attack spam is key.

Suddenly realized I also still need to finish Persona 5.

Too little time these days.

I have bounced off of other FromSoftware games, but man this game has sucked me in. I really dig this beautiful and terrifying open world as it gives me vibes of Breath of the Wild. The difference is that every place feels like Gannon’s castle in that you shouldn’t be there and the enemies will make you regret it.

The whole loop for me has been: wander into an area, get trounced, run away, gain 20 levels, journey back and feel empowered. I don’t say “overpowered” because if the enemies get their hands on me they will mess me up but that challenge is still fun.

However, I think the game still has some nuisances and a one big flaw. The nuisance is the lock on. It feels very harsh and even cheap sometimes. Many a dungeon features enemies ambushing you and despite knowing they are there I have to fight with the controls to get the lock on and block the attack.

The big flaw is the lack of a quest log. Outer Wilds have shown you can record notes to help the player without the “go to this point on the map and do this exact thing” that dominates most open world designs. Elden Ring could have done something in this regard that doesn’t involve me Googling to remember what I was doing.

I was able to find an hour to myself over the weekend. In it, Lingrave opened up its doors and I nervously stepped outside. My previous soulsborne experience made each step filled with mistrust and apprehension. Yet, after felling some birds and local zombiemen, I was joyous with a false sense of confidence. Maybe I can handle Elden Ring?

This thought process has happened before.

My confidence was tested in my first dungeon. Entering it, the old grip of FromSoft quickly returned to my neck. Tight corridors, surprise attacks and stomach turning tension.

Yet, I was pulled forward with curiosity and patience, expecting the type of bullshittery soulsborne games excel in. I beat the cat statue boss on the first attempt and was washed with a euphoric feeling and the hunger to be tested again.

Oh... this is why people love this.

I've been daydreaming about Elden Ring since.