Elden Ring (2022)

Continuing with my i-frames reflections, today I though of another reason why Elden Ring's dodge doesn't feel good: you cannot roll through enemies. In games like Hollow Knight and Nine Sols or Furry, you can not only dodge through attacks, but also through enemies and even environmental dangers. So when you roll you are consistently a ghost.

In Elden Ring, though, you can't. Enemies can and will corner you and you can't escape by dodging. So you've got this silly situation in which you can go through an enemy arm but only if they're attacking you. And it makes the whole thing feel weird and videogamey and arbitrary.

I've just killed the Godskin apostle. It was a tough fight but me and my minotaur got it after a few tries. Those claws are super fun to use and it's so satisfying to see the boss's health bar disintegrate when you get the bleed effect. (The trick is to survive long enough to get it to work).

It was tense fight because he could almost one-shot me and I had a bunch or runes. So each time I entered the arena, it was first priority to get them before getting hit.

I then went to level up and that fucker dropped almost 100k runes! That's literally 7 levels for me. That's insane. And there I was worrying about less than 5k.

Ok, last night I fought a walking tree which wasn't too bad. I still don't love the i-frames-reliant combat, but at least I'm not hating it once I adjusted my expectations.

The reward, however, was a couple of items that enhance something called "Flask of Wondrous Physick", which I don't have. So again... I don't know if it advanced my character one bit. But at least it was more fun than the same-y catacombs and caves I'd been rummaging around before; although I have a sinking feeling that this tree boss is going to be recycled a bunch.

I also found a walking bell/church. Cool concept and visuals that would've had more impact had I not seen it before in a loading screen. No gameplay reward from getting into it, though; just the promise that I can duplicate a type of item that I don't have.

I revisited Margit around 25 hours in and won in only two tries. So all the hours put into exploration and grind paid off there. Though I did utilize the summon that's waiting just before the mist door and brought out my most powerful spirit ash/summon to help. So maybe that cheapens it a bit but I figure a win is a win. I then went back and revisited the Tree Sentinel and took him out fairly easily too.

Prior to that I did try my way through Caelid and made it to the Divine tower and started getting absolutely owned by some black robed guys and the godskin boss in there, so that felt like a sign that I was there a bit too early (and those giant crows and rats around Caelid also felt a bit above my level). Now about 30 hours in, I'm working my way through Stormveil castle and really enjoying that experience.

12+ hours and I've yet to find a single fun or interesting area. Lots of copy-pasted dungeons with recycled minibosses. Lots of random buildings with random mobs that are not worth the trouble. I found a neat turtle shield in some random chest, but it's worse than my current one, stats-wise.

I feel that I've done nothing but run around collecting flowers. I swear that I could feel my eyelids closing as I almost fell asleep.

I'm still not clicking with this game. I went exploring and honestly... I didn't really find anything that interesting or useful. I found a talking pot, which is kind of cool, but that's about it. Fought a few minibosses and got a bunch of gear that I can't wear due to my stats or weapons that I don't like and Ashes that I cannot use because I don't have the bell.

I miss Sekiro's progression system. Kill a miniboss, get an item to improve your attributes. Simple and to the point and you knew that winning tough fights would always be worth it.

The combat also is not clicking at all. Parrying and blocking is essentially useless compared with dodging. Fights don't feel physical with my character using i-frames to clip through weapons and fists. Dodging also usually leaves me too far away for an attack, so I barely can get a few hits per enemy combo.

The nadir so far has been a giant troll with stupid AoE attacks. Seeing my character chipping at its ankles while phasing through a solid club but taking damage from the other side of the arena looks and feels terrible.

20 hours in and I still feel like I've barely begun. I still haven't given Margit a serious attempt since it was clearly a gatekeeper boss and I'm still exploring the opening areas. And every time I think I've covered it all I discover more. The areas are incredible, and Siofra blew me away after I stumbled on that.

There's someting a little off that I can't quite put my finger on, though. I feel like I'm exploring with no real purpose other than to explore. There's no real story or driving factor up to this point. So my main incentive being to level up and maybe get some cool shit and expand my crafting repertoire. So it feels a bit lacking in that regard, and a bit grindy due to leveling being my primary motivator for exploration.

I decided to give this a try since I liked Sekiro and all that. I have so say that it's abundantly clear now that FromSoft simply sucks at any sense of onboarding.

At first I was fucking around the starting area and going more or less where the literal arrows didn't point, but eventually I got kind of bored and though: no, the game is constantly talking about the Grace thing and it had a pretty gentle tutorial area, and people say this is the most approachable from soft game. Let's trust the game and follow the arrows. So I did and found my first boss encounter. This dude Margit. He' s kicking my ass as I learn the hard way that parrying is not really viable in this game.

Anyway, I log off and decide to google him before going to bed to see what people say about him... Well, apparently I am NOT supposed to get to him this early. I'm supposed to kill other easier bossed and explore the open world.

If I'm not supposed to be here, then why the fuck do you scream at me to follow the arrows that point me in this direction, game?! What the fuck?! It's fucking Chained Ogre all over again. I hate this.

Elden Ring – A Monumental Open-World Soulslike

Developer: FromSoftware

Release Date: February 25, 2022

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Overview

Elden Ring is more than just another Soulslike; it is the evolution of FromSoftware’s signature formula into something grander, deeper, and more expansive. Set in the hauntingly beautiful Lands Between, the game invites players into an open world teeming with cryptic lore, formidable foes, and secrets lurking in every shadow. As a Tarnished seeking the Elden Ring, you carve your own path through a shattered kingdom filled with mystery, brutality, and breathtaking sights. The game’s open-ended nature and relentless difficulty make for a unique experience that is both punishing and rewarding, proving why Elden Ring remains one of the greatest action RPGs ever crafted.

What Makes It Great?

✅ A Vast, Intricate Open World

The Lands Between is one of the most meticulously designed open worlds in gaming. Unlike traditional map markers and objective-based exploration, Elden Ring encourages organic discovery. Every location, from the misty swamps of Liurnia to the golden fields of Altus Plateau, tells its own story through environmental design. The game’s sense of scale is astonishing, constantly revealing new layers and hidden areas that reward curiosity.

✅ Deep, Challenging Combat

Elden Ring builds upon the tried-and-true combat mechanics of Dark Souls while adding greater flexibility. With a vast arsenal of weapons, magic, and Ashes of War, combat is more customizable than ever. Enemy encounters are intense, requiring patience, timing, and mastery. Boss fights are a highlight, featuring some of FromSoftware’s best designs, with each encounter pushing players to their limits.

✅ Rich Lore and Storytelling

True to FromSoftware’s style, Elden Ring presents its story through cryptic dialogue, item descriptions, and environmental storytelling. Co-written by George R.R. Martin, the game’s lore is deep and fascinating, with powerful figures like Queen Marika, Radagon, and Ranni shaping the game’s mythos. The narrative is never spoon-fed, rewarding players who piece together its mysteries through exploration and interpretation.

✅ Freedom of Playstyle

Unlike previous Souls games, Elden Ring offers unparalleled freedom in approach. Want to be a dexterous samurai wielding a katana? A powerful mage slinging sorceries? A brute with a colossal greatsword? The choice is yours. The game also allows non-linear progression, letting players tackle regions and bosses in different orders based on their preference.

✅ Breathtaking Graphics and Art Direction

Elden Ring boasts a stunning visual design that complements its vast, intricate world. The game’s landscapes are nothing short of beautiful, with majestic castles, rolling hills, misty swamps, and haunting dungeons all rendered in impressive detail. The art direction, crafted by FromSoftware and inspired by fantasy traditions, makes the Lands Between feel like a real, living world. Whether it's the dark, atmospheric ruins or the ethereal golden light over the plains, the graphics immerse players in every corner of the game.

✅ Incredible World Design and Secrets

The verticality of Elden Ring’s world is a game-changer. Hidden catacombs, underground cities, and even entire regions remain undiscovered for hours, creating a sense of awe and excitement rarely found in open-world games. There’s always something lurking beyond the horizon, and exploration is constantly rewarded.

✅ Unforgettable Bosses

From Margit’s aggressive attacks to Malenia’s infamous Waterfowl Dance, Elden Ring boasts some of the most exhilarating boss fights in FromSoftware’s history. Each boss demands a unique strategy, and overcoming them provides immense satisfaction. The sheer variety in their design—from grotesque horrors to towering demigods—makes every battle unforgettable.

✅ A Beautiful and Haunting Soundtrack

Elden Ring’s soundtrack enhances its grand scale, with orchestral pieces that shift from somber melancholy to epic intensity. The haunting melodies in places like Leyndell and the overwhelming crescendos of boss themes make for a truly immersive auditory experience.

✅ Expansions and Endgame Content

With expansions like Shadow of the Erdtree on the horizon, Elden Ring’s world continues to grow. The game also boasts multiple endings, New Game+ variations, and PvP invasions, ensuring replayability for those who wish to experience its challenges anew.

What Could Be Better?

❌ Inconsistent Difficulty Balancing

While difficulty is a hallmark of FromSoftware games, some bosses and enemies feel disproportionately challenging. Certain encounters, such as Malenia and Radagon, push even seasoned players to their limits, while others can be trivialized through specific builds. This can lead to an uneven sense of progression.

❌ Janky Mounted Combat

While the addition of horseback combat is a welcome evolution, it often feels clunky. Targeting enemies while riding Torrent can be imprecise, and some mounted encounters lack the polish of on-foot battles.

❌ Occasional Performance Issues

Even after updates, Elden Ring suffers from occasional frame drops and stuttering, particularly on PC. While not game-breaking, these issues can disrupt the immersion, especially during intense fights.

❌ Lack of Traditional Quest Tracking

While the game’s open-ended structure is a strength, the lack of a traditional quest log can be frustrating. Many NPC questlines are easy to miss, requiring players to rely on memory or external guides to track progress. While this fits the game’s philosophy, it may alienate players who prefer structured guidance.

❌ Repetitive Mini-Dungeons

While the game’s legacy dungeons are exceptional, many of its smaller caves, catacombs, and ruins begin to feel repetitive. Boss variety in these areas is lacking, with numerous encounters against reskinned enemies that lessen the thrill of discovery over time.

Final Verdict

⭐ 10/10 – A Landmark in Open-World RPG Design ⭐

Elden Ring is a triumph that redefines what an open-world RPG can be. Its breathtaking world, intricate lore, and deep combat make it one of the most immersive experiences in gaming. While it has minor flaws—some balancing issues, occasional performance problems, and repetitive content—its strengths far outweigh these drawbacks.

Few games offer such an unparalleled sense of adventure and discovery, making every playthrough feel fresh and exciting. Elden Ring stands as one of FromSoftware’s greatest achievements and remains an essential experience for any fan of challenging, rewarding gameplay. If you haven’t played it yet, there’s no better time to become Elden Lord and carve your own path through the Lands Between.

This game feels like the culmination of all of fromsoftwares previous games. They took a little of what worked/what was good about souls and sekiro and used the same medium on a larger, more dimensional canvas. The combat is so much fun, and you can feel how much time they spent to get everything to work just right. The interface is smooth, ui is easy to maneuver, everything just fits together nicely in Elden ring.

There are some downsides however, if you are new to the series especially, getting past the 10 hour jump is going to be hard. Your dropped into this massive world with hardly any guidance, it only vaguely tells you where to go, you don’t get quest markers, and it dosent tell you how to use the more advanced combat items like magic. There’s a lot that you just have to pick up on by putting time into the game and I can totally see that feeling like a big undertaking at the start. Once it starts to click, you will begin to savor every second. I did not want this game to ever end, and there are few games I can say that about. My only other complaint is that the world feels so empty, 99% of living creatures you come across want to kill you, and even the ones that appear nice, still may try to kill you. I wish the world felt more alive than dead. I think the barren wasteland feel worked well with the souls games because they were more linear always with a clear path forward. I just don’t think it works as well in an open world.

Honestly the pros heavily outweigh the cons. This is just one of those games you have to give a chance even if it seems off putting initially. I would rate it 9.7/10.

I've done more in this game the whole month of January + February than when I actually started it! I was so scared of it, you have no idea, like I was scared of being horrible playing it. But I decided, just get on with it, and actually enjoy it, and dang I did. I can keep saying the same I said in my last review (after 39 hours of this) this game is stressful has hell, but its so addictive, its amazing, I can't sleep because i'm thinking of my next session, It's like a damn drug. It also makes you think a lot while playing, what can I do to survive this, how can I attack them with this etc etc, its awesome. I have not yet gone to margit (LMAO I KNOW) I've just been exploring, defeating mini bosses in caves and catacombs, I can't explain it, but just going around limgrave, weeping peninsula and siofra river has been so fun?! The jump scares I got in siofra river tho because of those stupid ass blue bulls, like why?! And those fking dogs in Weeping peninsula?!? AND WHEN I WENT TO CAELID AGAIN BUT WENT AGAINST THAT DAMN NATACHA TARNISHED WHAT EVER!? A BTCH BTW.

Anyway. I love this game so much, I'm sad I can't play everyday (life as a 29 year old working adult, lol) so my sessions are mostly on my days off, but each session is a joy, I get to curse a lot, I get to laugh at myself a lot, and I get to actually beat bad guys and "get good" lol I also found out I like magic, so I'm doing my build as a strength + intelligence, lets see how it goes. I was going to do Strength and Dex but yea, changed my mind, I wanna beat them and also do some magic tricks, why not?!

Anyway, amazing game, best thing I bought in 2024.

This is my first Fromsoft game and it has become a pretty pivotal moment for me in terms of my experience of video games as a whole. It's totally changed the way I view the art form, my concept of its limitations.

My opinions and memories of this game are definitely going to shift and change as I explore the Fromsoft catalog. Bon voyage and wish me luck!

Well, this was my first Soulslike game. It was a weird and hard experience at first. I got scared a lot by the implications of the mechanics of dying and losing all of my progress, but that went away after a while.

Getting the hang of the game takes a while, although that mainly applies to combat, which means discovering how to deal with the different types of enemies and their peculiarities.

The story is very alluring and I believe most of it is due to its fragmentary design. That doesn't make it dull at all. In my opinion, it actually entices you to look for the pieces to put something (not all of it) together and creates space for the developer to expand the lore through continuations and DLCs, like it's already been done.

I am a very medium player regarding skill. I don't have enough hours in my daily routine to hone my skills like other people have. Because of this I came to appreciate the cooperative aspect of being able to summon other players and I managed to get through almost all of the later bosses with help from one or two players.

Having said all this, I enjoyed the game very much. It really gives you a good balance between challenges and achievements and most of the in-game rewards are good if you know how to handle them. Although I haven't played other Soulslike games, I know a bit about the older ones and their differences to Elden Ring, so I think Elden Ring it's a very good representative of the genre and serves as the best introduction.

I have played 22 hours of this. At first (like my last review explained) I didn't understand any of it, I was dying non stop, I didn't even know I had so many runes to evolve my stats so I ran around in level 9 while being wooped in the ass by the Tree sentinel. Without a horse lmao. Anyway.

I am no way near good at this yet, but i'm slowly lerning, and i have to say i am obsessed now. I went from scared shitless of being bad and dying and never get on with the game, to actually accomplish little stuff that made me a lot more confident.

Its like everyone says, you have to try and never give up. You have no idea how happy i was when i cleared caves/catacombs in one go, or when i finally cleared stormfront ruins, or when i cleared dragon burnt ruins and got myself into Caelid and ran for my life so fast screaming all the way to outside.

This game tests your patience, your anger and your curiosity, but its so addictive.. I go to sleep i think of elden ring "how will i go by X thing, should i use X thing? " I go to work, i cant wait to leave to play for a bit.

By the way, i'm still way behind, like i haven't even started on the main story. I Just got to the Roundtable hold and i was insanely happy about it.

I'm glad im progressing, even tho it's slowly. I still have stuff i want to clear completly in Limgrave before adventuring myself into the boss on the Stormveil Castle, i went into the tunnel, and found the place of grace, will come back when i feel im better at dodging 😂🙏next stop is bridge of sacrifices!

This game deserves all the praise it receives. The only reason I can't give this game 5 stars is due to a few reasons which I'll touch on later. I want to first focus on the positives of this game and what it does right.

The Lands Between First off, this game is truly beautiful. One of my favorite things about this game is the atmosphere and areas within The Lands Between. My God, every location in this game is breathtaking. From the first steps into Limgrave, to the reveal of Liurina of the Lakes, to the elevator ride down to Siofra River, I could go on an on about the locations and areas in this game. This is the best a FromSoft game and fantasy open world in general has ever looked. Elden Ring encompasses the fantasy setting perfectly and it is so easy to become immersed in. The world feels alive, and the unique aesthetic of the different regions add to the RPG elements of this game. I simply love the beauty (and horror) of the majority of the areas in this game. I'd say my least favorites are the Forgotten Lands, and Mountaintop areas. but even then I wouldn't say they're bad, just less interesting compared to the rest of the game's offerings. Legacy dungeons in this game are very well designed and fun to traverse through. I really enjoyed Stormveil Castle, Raya Lucaria, Caria Manor, Prison Town (Volcano Manor), and Leyndell (not sure if you'd count this as a dungeon type area, but I loved it regardless!). I think I've droned on long enough about the beauty of this game's world and how much I enjoyed going through it, lets discuss more positives.

Build Variety The build variety in this game is vast. I already have multiple future playthroughs planned trying out different builds just because there's so many to choose from. I chose to focus on an INT based build for my first playthrough, as I wanted to roleplay as a Carian Knight. I saw the types of sorceries in this game way before I played, and had my heart set on doing a spell-knight build from the beginning. I used Carian Slicer, Carian Greatsword, Night Comet, and Greatblade Phalanx as my main spells. All of these helped during my playthrough, and I never felt like I was "cheesing" my way through any part of the game. I had never done a sorcery build in a FromSoft game before, and I think the variety of spells Elden Ring offers was perfect for a first playthrough. I used the Carian Regal Scepter, with a straight sword in my right hand for when I needed melee damage (literally like one of the first straight swords you get in the game). This was a fun build, and I rocked it using Carian Knight Armor for the majority of the playthrough, though occasionally I mixed things up by throwing on robes and other head pieces. I think Elden Ring has some of the best build variety and armor sets in the series. I can't wait to try out future builds/cosplays.

Storytime and Lore I'll keep it short here. I went into this game pretty blind not knowing much about the lore and minimal spoilers. The game had already been out for more than a year before I played it so I'm pretty proud of myself for not being spoiled. I now have a better grasp of the lore and I have to say, it seems very interesting and deep. I compiled a whole playlist of YouTube videos to watch after I finished the game to learn more, and I've already began the task of watching them to learn more about the game and it's lore. From my own playthrough, I thought the story was pretty cool, though I do have my own qualms with it which I'll get to in another section.

Music: Honestly, I wasn't super impressed with the major OSTs here. Most of the OST is highly forgettable and unremarkable imo, but a few do stick out.

1. Godskin Apostles- Need I say more? Everyone loves this theme and it's easily the best boss theme in the entire game. It's funny how this isn't really even a "major" boss as it's not even a remembrance boss. Regardless, this song slaps and is my favorite in the game.
2. Malenia, Blade of Miquella- Maybe I like this song because I was forced to listen to it so much? I honestly think that's what it is, so maybe it doesn't deserve to be here? Listening to it as I write this review to make sure, and yeah it is good, especially when Goddess of Rot kicks in. Very fitting theme for Malenia.
3. Main Theme/The Final Battle- I'm grouping these two together because they're essentially the same. This is an epic main theme and fits Elden Ring perfectly. It feels a bit rushed towards the end and comes to an abrupt end, but I still enjoy it even though it's short.
4. Godrick the Grafted- Last theme I'll talk about here. The memorable change in music going into second phase is my favorite part. I do want to comment on how much I like the overworld themes in a lot of the areas. I'm glad FromSoft decided to add music into the open world and it adds to the atmosphere. I think all themes are very fitting and I enjoyed roaming while listening to these themes. I think Elden RIng has my least favorite OST in the series, and I wish more of the bosses had more remarkable and memorable themes.

Bosses Here's where my review talks about that missing star. Elden Ring has my least favorite lineup of FromSoft bosses. I'm writing this before the DLC releases, so that could change, but even then I find that to be hard. My only S tier boss in Elden RIng is of course Malekith, with Radhan, Morgott, Godfrey, Placidusax, and Rykard being A tier. That might sound like a lot, but I'm tiering based on bosses in the game compared to other bosses. I like bosses in other FromSoft games a lot more tbh. I really can;t put my finger on it, but something about the bosses in this game just don't make them stick out to me. Maybe it's because they haven't had time to simmer? Just when thinking about other FromSoft bosses these guys get lost in the choices. Majority of bosses in Elden Ring are Demiigods, so maybe that's what makes them seem like they blend all together in my eyes. I feel there's a lack of uniqueness in the bosses here. I know that's a wild statement, but a lot of them feel similar to one another. They're all "lords" or "warriors" or "queens", etc. I can't get too mad because I know that's the world they were designed in, I just didn't really connect with the bosses here as much as other FromSoft games. Malekith is easily my favorite boss though simply because he's fucking cool The line "Oh death, become my blade once more" is some of the rawest shit I have ever heard in a video game. I will now talk about Malenia. Yes, she's hard. I struggled. I spent three hours fighting her, and I did it using magic based attacks and summons (mainly night comet and Omenkiller Rollo). I was having literal IRL stress dreams about fighting Malenia, and the fight was as hard as they say and as hard as I expected. I didn't use OP spells like comet azur or broken summons like mimic tear, but I did use both of these mechanics and I don't care. I encourage anyone to use whatever they want/need to use to beat the game. I kind of linked summons into my characters lore. Since I'm a sorcerer, I kind of used the rationale that I could summon spirits of the dead to help me in battles. I usually stay away from NPC and Player summons in FromSoft games, but here I did like the use of spirit ashes to summon other enemies I've fought in the game. This goes back to build variety in the game, as there's so many different summons to use and I love this. Even though I didn't connect with a lot of the bosses in this game, I will straight up say that this is probably the hardest FromSoft game I've played. I explored almost every corner of the map and tried to find every cave and catacomb (got kind of bored of these by the endgame) and was on par or over the recommended level for each area. I still got my ass handed to me. The boss fights themselves I feel are well designed for the most part, but it seems like bosses have a lot more variety in their movesets compared to bosses in other FromSoft games. This made learning the boss fights much harder, and the timings of a lot of attacks seemed to change from try to try. Bosses would also sometimes juke me out. Sometimes I would recognize a combo/tell from a boss, prepare for a third strike or whatever, but then it just wouldn't come out. Or I would only be used to three attacks in a combo, and then out of no where a fourth attack comes out that I hadn't seen in a previous attempt. I think this is a cool idea as it keeps things fresh, though I will admit it did frustrate me a bit. Notable bosses that I had a hard time against include Margit, Godrick, the first few tree avatars and tree sentinels (fuck the one in the War-Dead Catacombs), Radahn, Astel, Mohg (both versions), Rykard, Malenia, and Radagon/Elden Beast. There were some tough fights in this game. I hope I'm not being too harsh with my dislike of the bosses in this game, and maybe some additional lore will help me appreciate them more. From a gameplay perspective, most bosses are solid, I mainly just have issues with their designs/lack of variety. I haven't even mentioned the reused bosses throughout The Land Between. They're fine I guess. I didn't really care that they reused bosses honestly, though it did get annoying and felt more like a chore fighting repeat bosses towards the end (looking at you dragons).

My Last Gripe with the Game The final part of my review that I'd like to touch on is unfortunately another negative. I do think that the boss lineup is still my least favorite part of the game, but there is another glaring issue at hand: replayability. I already recognize how much this game will suffer from a replay. I still do plan to replay this game many times with different builds, but I will not be as immersed or attentive to the world. That first playthrough will also be magical to me as I'm sure it is for others as well. My playthrough took me 102 hours to complete. I saw the majority of what the world had to offer, and did a lot of caves/catacombs. I don't plan on spending as much time exploring in future playthroughs. I will simply go to places I need to go to for items/gear I need, and try and fight major bosses within the game. I won't be wasting my time going down through catacombs and caves if they aren't necessary. I know this game won't hit the same on additional playthroughs as I won't be exploring as much which is part of the magic of Elden Ring. I will try to tackle areas in different orders to keep things fresh, but since I now know how things play out and where I need to go, it should streamline the future playthroughs. This does have it's positives though. This will free up time to play other games, and I won't have to make Elden Ring my main game anymore. It can be a simple side game I play when I feel I need to return to The Lands Between.

Well, that's it. I have now played every FromSoft game except Demon Souls. I started with Dark Souls 1 back in 2020, and now in 2023 I have completed the lineup. I want to go back and play the majority of these games with different builds at some point. I think I'm going to do another Bloodborne playthrough next, then Dark Souls 1 and 3, and then back to Elden Ring. This isn't cemented yet though, and I'm honestly not too concerned with the order I play them in now since I've done them all once. To end this review, I'd like to give my ranking off all Soulsbroneekiro Ring games I've played.

1. Bloodborne
2. Sekiro
3. Dark Souls
4. Elden Ring
5. Dark Souls 3
6. Dark Souls 2

This list could change as I replay these games in the years to come, but for now I'm happy with it. All of these games are amazing, and this is one of my favorite franchises of all time now.

Very minor side note as I write this review. I read all of Berserk during my Elden Ring playthrough and I just had to document that here. The references in these games from Berserk is uncanny. I love Berk.

Here's a few of many screenshots I took while adventuring through The Lands Between

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This is going to be my first review that I will be doing on Grouvee, so please bear with me as I am not a critic or a professional writer. Also, I have not finished Elden Ring yet, however I am almost 60 hours in and have experienced a lot over the course of those house (which are minimal compared to many who sink their teeth into Elden Ring). I will try my best to review my experience to the best of my ability. Here we go:

Firstly, Elden Ring is the first FromSoftware AND Soulsborne game I have ever attempted to master and what a great way to kick things off. If I may add, I have now purchased a Dark Souls Trilogy, and are giving Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice a real college try since I’ve been playing Elden Ring. I didn’t really know what quite to expect besides a punishing difficulty. I will let you guys on a little secret: even though the game is punishing, it is the most rewarding game I have ever played. I’ve found myself multiple times now screaming for joy at my tv after a wonderful boss fight, especially after the first main boss of the story, Goodrick the Grafted (which only took me two tries but still elevated my mood for the rest of the day).

Onto the combat. Elden Ring never ceases to amaze me when it comes to even the littlest enemy encounters. There is a steep learning curve for anyone new to FromSoftware however Elden Ring is the perfect game to ride out that curve. I never found myself stuck anywhere because if I couldn’t beat a boss or an enemy camp after a few tries, there was always something else to do in order to get some nice loot, runes (in-game currency), and level up, and then travel back to where I was stuck and clear it. The combat mechanics are laid out in the most sensible way that just works for these types of games. My two cents on the combat in this game is learn how to roll dodge at the perfect timing in order to negate damage, especially early in!

Next is the open world of Elden Ring. I have never played any other FromSoftware games, however I am an experienced game player when it comes to open worlds. Elden Ring does the open world concept BETTER THAN ANY GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. The map size is split up into a few different continents put together to be a slightly larger map than Skyrim. The thing that makes this open world never get boring is that every few steps you or your horse take, there’s something to explore, fight, loot etc. This world is literally filled with so many interesting places, easter eggs,and surprises that at 60 hours in I’m still only on the second continent (Liurnia)! I’m always discovering something new.

In conclusion, Elden Ring is a culmination of several different gaming aspects that are just done much better than their counterparts. Elden Ring gets 5 stars easily and it got 5 stars just 10 hours in, let alone 60. This game is well worth the $60 price tag, and if you’re on the fence about it, follow mine and many other’s suggestions and try it out. You’re in store for a once in a lifetime gaming experience.

This is the biggest game of this type I have ever played and I greatly enjoyed my time pointing myself towards one of the many enticing sightlines or castles on the horizon and exploring everything I could on the way. If I was to suggest a game for a friend new to 'SoulsRingBourne' games, I would suggest this one, but it's not my personal favourite. I didn't connect with the lore, story or vibe as much as I did with say Dark Souls 3 or even Bloodborne, and the length of a single playthrough - over 80 hours for my first run - has me a little scared to boot up another character, or jump into NG+ to take in everything I likely missed the first time around. With that being said, the very generous respec system would likely make that more of a breeze.

This was my first FromSoft game I played when it was fully in the zeitgeist and it definitely enhanced the experience. I feel like it was the easiest it has ever been to summon or be summoned and the messages left behind were plentiful.

I played this game largely in two three week sittings - one about this time last year and then one a couple months ago - where I put in roughly forty hours over each period. I'm saying this all because I wonder if I would have enjoyed the game more if I would have been able to power through and just play the whole game in those early weeks and months. We lost a family member quite suddenly in those early weeks of first jumping into the game and I was playing the game a lot to get through the period. At a certain point, what started as a salve to the pain or a welcome distraction was a catalyst for only thinking of that person, so I put it down until I could disassociate the game from them.

I'm glad I finally was able to come back to the game to see it in a better light and while the complaint of 'too much of a good thing' has always rung hollow to me, I found myself coming away with those words on my mind with regards to this one.

Excited to see what is next whether it be a ER 2 or something in one of their other franchises (Bloodborne or Sekiro 2, anyone..?) or something completely new

I'm not even close to finishing the game, but I've got a lot of thoughts. So far, I'm about 40 hours in and close to level 50. Here's my thoughts thus far:

• The Map: This thing is HUGE! I spent so much time in Limgrave and haven't even uncovered all of its secrets. I recently discovered the Lake of Limuria and Raya Lucaria Academy and I know there's stuff a bunch of stuff beyond that. I like that the world reveals to you very slowly and it takes time to get to know everything. It makes the quest of discovery feel endless.
• The Secrets: The best thing about open world games is exploration. This comes in two parts: size and density. As mentioned earlier, Elden Ring has more than enough size, but that would all be for naught if it was just vast emptiness. However, there are more secrets than I can count. Hell, I just found part of Stormveil Castle hidden and locked behind a Stonesword Key. (I discovered this section after reading about it online. It's not like I found it myself.) However, this small section had another easy to miss section I found by going right and up a ladder. Turns out there's a ton of difficult enemies and ANOTHER secret area that needs a Stonesword Key to access.
• The Grind: I'm not a fan of grinding in video games. Pokemon has taught me how utterly miserable that process can be. However, grinding here is addicting. In the beginning, the difficulty (oh we'll get to that in a bit) is so hard that I felt like I had to gather as many runes as possible to increase my health. Now, as I'm closer to level 50, I'm grinding away to increase my Faith to get some sick weapons and spells.
• Getting Your Runes Back: I don't like this mechanic, but it's also not that bad. This mechanic is arguably the worst thing about Hollow Knight and most definitely the most excruciating part of Valheim. However, it's not as bad here as it is with those other games. Still, I've lost maybe 15,000 runes so far upon death. Getting the runes back can be a pain, but losing them hurts even more. Having a large set of runes makes me unwilling to explore dangerous or unknown areas if I know I could possibly die and be unable to recover them. I usually try and level up before doing so. Like I said, it could be much worse, but it's still annoying when it happens.
• The Difficulty: I've stayed away from From Software games because of their immense difficulty. I felt like I'd easily give up and never complete the game. Even games like Hollow Knight are sometimes called Souls-like due to their difficulty. While the game can be frustrating, it's open world allows you to avoid the hard parts while you level up and explore. The brutality of the world makes it always feel like an uphill battle no matter where you go. This is exciting, but also daunting. I'll also say some of the bosses are an absolute nightmare. I beat Agheel Lake Dragon at about level 40 after exhausting every single potion I had. Godrick the Grafted was even worse. Even though I thought I learned his moves and spammed fire attacks at him, he still clapped me every single time. Of course, there are friendly summons and NPCs like Nepheli, but those end up making the boss feel almost too easy. There's no in-between.
• Getting New Gear: A personal point of frustration is that it seems hard to find new things that actually fit your character. I'm almost at level 50 and I'm still wearing Godrick's Knight armor and wielding the Lordsworn's Straight Sword. How much further do I have to go until I find something to replace my current items?

Thoughts after 100 hours and level 110:

• Co-Op: Honestly, this needs to be a thing that more games have. Going through Stormveil Castle with a friend when I was new and still very underpowered was a much-needed blessing. Even at higher levels, going through dungeons like War-Dead Catacombs really helped a lot. Plus, I like being summoned to help with boss battles in other worlds. It's the easiest way to farm runes (that doesn't break the spirit of the game) and you get to see other people's builds! I've seen a few different Guts along with stuff like Handsome Squidward and Leonardo.
• Too Much Stuff?: It's weird to complain that a game has too many items. I suppose my complaint could be that I can't use 90% of the things I pick up because they don't go with my builds. My main weapons - Winged Scythe and Blasphemous Blade - can't get an Ash of War equipped, though I don't think I'd want to replace those anyways. There's also just a lot of gear that's inferior to what I'm already using, so it just stays in my inventory. I suppose this all just serves as an incentive for me to go a New Game+ afterwards to try all those Arcane weapons.
• Larger Than Life: One thing that great video games do well is invoke a sense of awe. Elden Ring has that in spades. You'll take down four-winged dragons, trolls carrying carts, god-eating snakes, enormous tree spirits, and whatever the hell the Godskin Apostle is. You'll travel to underground starry cities (which somehow exist), volcanos, rot-infested swamps, and giant cities. They really make the most they can out of their open world environment.
• Boss Battles: Yeah, I don't think I've ever played a game with more boss battles. I knew this game was famous for them, but wow. I don't even mind that some are repeats. Some can be pretty tough, but even things like Draconic Tree Sentinel, Crucible Knight, and Godskin Apostle could be taken down solo after a lot of trial and error. It does feel satisfying to finally beat them even though the process felt more like hitting my head against the wall until something stuck rather than actually learning their movesets. (Also, for 2/3 I just had to switch from Blasephemous Blade to Winged Sycthe to inflict bleed.)

I've played this game for a while now. I'm still not completely finished, but I've gotten through enough of it now to be able to feel I can give an honest review to what is, in my own opinion, the greatest game since Breath of the Wild.

Some context: I have only played one Souls game before (Dark Souls for the Switch) and while I enjoyed it, the difficulty really got annoying in that game. I'm fine with trail and error, but with the limited time I have anymore to devote to gaming, I don't want to spend hours just trying things over and over again. At some point, I need to move on.

I feel that Elden Ring does a nice job of giving players the choice of what to do. Open world fatigue is a thing, and many people I know are beyond sick and tired of maps covered with icons, lists of tasks needing to be accomplished and lots of box checking. Elden Ring seems to streamline this concept. There are only a few icons on the map and you are never given a list of things to do. Now, obviously that ambiguity could be a turn off to some, as guessing what we are to do next in a game can be an exercise in futility, but the way Elden Ring does it is almost like leaving a trail of seeds, hints on where to go and what to do next, without hitting you over the head with it.

There are no villages with people to talk to, only some NPCs scattered at random spots along the journey. Decisions you make with them play crucial roles in what happens next. Kill someone, and that could unlock a new wrinkle to the quest that wasn't there before. Give them a specific item, and new locations might pop up. Each character has a purpose and each interaction can change the course of everything.

As the tarnished, you start off with little, but thanks to the open world, if you want to go find a very powerful weapon early on, you can do that. Heck, you can go fight some of the largest bosses in the game way in the beginning, but if you do, be ready to see "you died" A LOT. Points of grace gives the player a sense of fairness as you can save, refill energy, learn spells, spend experience points and more. Acting as points of "fast travel" make the game accessible and easy to dive right into for short or medium length gaming sessions, depending on how much time you have.

The dungeons/palaces are large labyrinths of numerous rooms, booby traps, locked doors, dead ends, treasure chests and loads of challenging enemies. Every one of them has hidden passageways and shortcuts that are fun to discover.

People like to compare this to Breath of the Wild as they are both open world epics. I don't think they feel similar at all. I love both games, but Breath of the Wild is much more of a puzzle solving game using the resources around you and the ones you find. Elden ring is much more combat focused. From the build you choose, to the weapons you focus on, to the shields you find, to the Ashes of War you give your character, it's about finding the best way to stay alive in this dangerous world full of deadly creatures. Learning strong strikes, dodging and parrying will save your bacon and take you further.

There are very few games where every time I turn it on, I'm amazed by something. Breath of the Wild was that way, and so too is Elden Ring. Every time I'm finding new elevators, new caves, new areas to explore, new weapons to try out, new spells to learn. It's just so much fun.

This game is on the cusp of entering my top 5 games of all time. Highly recommended.

I am a huge fan of FromSoftware games and the wait for this latest entry was worth it. Elden Ring blew my expectations out of the water. The combat is fun, really fun, and nail-biting. The enemy variety is incredible, boss designs are top-notch, and you have a large number of playstyles available. They really pushed the gameplay to a whole new level. While the combat was wonderful, what truly made this game a masterpiece was its rich world. It is innovative, diverse, and filled to the brim with content. Around every corner, there is something new to try out or you might run into an NPC in the most random spots to continue a quest. When I imagine a good open-world game from now on, Elden Ring will be my gold standard. I have nothing negative to say about this game, it is flawless to me.

I've always been an admirer of Fromsoft games, i actually have all of their Soulsborne games. I never played past 1/3 of their games previously though. I just could never put in the effort to git gud. So i watch let's plays of professional gamers in awe as they kill boss after boss.. usually with just a stick and no armor. It's crazy.

So when i heard that Elden Ring is made to be more accessible to gamers i got really excited. Finally, i can enjoy these games without the need to bang my head on the wall to git gud. And that's exactly what happened for 103 hours until i finished the game. I played the first half of the game pretty casually, just exploring the open world and killing the many minibosses with joy. In the second half i was more serious, since my other friends have already finished the game. My goal was to level up, collect the best gear, and kill the story bosses. And for most of them, i summoned other players. Purists would laugh at this probably but i dont care. I think its really fun teaming up with other players to kill bosses. I grew up on World of Warcraft and this reminded me of the many many dungeon runs and raids i played in. trying to complete dungeons and kill massive bosses. I loved the PvE multiplayer aspect of the game.

Elden ring is the Skyrim of the generation. Sure it's modeled after the open world of Zelda BoTW but in terms of scale and epicness. I'd say its closer to Skyrim and people will talk about this game in years to come. It is not perfect, i agree with some of the complaints people point it such as the game being front heavy with not much variation in content in the later game. But as a whole, the game does so many things right in such a fantastic way so i can understand and forgive its shortcomings.

Will i play the rumored DLC ? Probably not, because i think I've had my fill of these games for a while. But i thank FromSoft for making these games because noone else can and thank you for making it more accessible to players such as myself.

People seem to be confused about the definition of a masterpiece here. It is not perfection, it is simply the highest form art in a given genre. The label of a masterpiece is possible when critical and cultural consensus deems it so. I contribute to this label with my own classification.

Elden ring pushes the boundaries of game design and is a wake up call to a stagnated AAA industry.

1. Open world map design: the game is designed in a way that forces the player to learn environments and pay painstaking attention to detail - vertical level design makes traversal non linear. Hidden walls, tunnels, and a mildly inaccurate map reward diligence and attention.

2. Rewards: you do not need nor are supposed to collect or find everything. Realising this took time given the brainwashing of every other game, but Elden ring has so many possible solutions a player need not collect everything.

3. The most important lesson from this games tutorial is that a lack of attention can cause you to miss the very thing you need the most.

4. Build diversity: Elden ring lets the player chose their path, you can make the game easy or hard. Over time the games systems become clear and their uses apparent.

5. Depth: the game does not give you everything. You need to learn much of the game with time. You can look up guides about all the secrets, but the game will reward playing blind with shock and awe. And when you do seek help with the game. You will find that the mystery of the game has created a community around discovering its secrets.

6. Surprise, from cutscenes to landscapes to character design the game provides visual shock and emotional drama. In a muted triple-A space this is much welcome.

7. Artistic direction: the characters and aesthetics of the world are breath-taking.

8. Excitement: a hard game makes engaging in it's systems enjoyable. I have played many RPG's where optimised stats mean one shoting all the enemies. In Elden ring every increase of power is meaningful and an easy boss feels like a reward for sharp play and good use of the games systems.

9. Not for everyone: probably the most important thing. When a game is made for everyone it will lose specific power. This game is a love letter to fans of the series and you can feel the love in every aspect of the game.

10. AI: every boss in the game feels unique. Combat with any creature is engaging. A sword is good at kill what you would expect it would be good at killing. Ranged is good for killing in certain situations.

The one shortcoming of the game is soul balance, the souls you receive from dragons are paltry in comparison to the souls you get farming.

The hidden soft caps make levelling very annoying - though reward research.

I'm going to be reiterating myself but I have to say once again that I am astonished at the scope and ambition of this game. This is without a doubt in my mind the single best open world game I've experienced thus far and one of the best souls experience ever, only second to Bloodborne for me. I don't think this will qualify as a review, so much as a discussion of my opinions on very specific aspects of the game. However, I've come to realize that not many people will likely agree with my opinions on why I love this game as much as I do. Alot of the reasons for it all go back to Elden Ring not following modern open world game trends and having far more Dark Souls 2 DNA than DS1 and DS3 and I couldn't be happier about that. To me, it feels like Elden Ring is what Fromsoft wanted DS2 to be; a huge fantasy landscape disconnected from DS1's world whilst trying to recreate and improve upon the interconnected maps from DS1, though in Elden Ring's case it is now a huge open world with the freedom to pick a direction and go.

The first thing I want to talk about is in my opinion the best part of the game; the open world. This has been a topic of hot discussion from what I gathered in regards to UX and content littered across the open world such as landmarks, encounters, and bosses. Elden Ring does UX in a way that is not exactly friendly to what I believe is the younger generation and those who primarily play more modern open world games. Most open world games constantly hold your hand and litter you with menus and sub menus of "Main Story Tasks" and "Side Quests". All of which amount to countless markers on your huge open world map that boils down to basically a shopping list or checklist. Elden Ring only does the bare minimum and tells you the general direction of where to go if you want to move the "Main Story" along and nothing else. The rest of the world and it's side quests/npcs/bosses are all up to you to discover on your own. This I believe is what really makes a game feel like a game and not just some checklist simulator or a movie/novel disguised as a game. The feeling of discovery is unparalleled when you decide on your own to head in any direction for no particular reason and stumble upon gorgeous landscapes or unexpected boss encounters. Or maybe you see a point of interest on your map that looks like it could be something and so you decided to check it out. It could be nothing or it could be something incredible. I played most of this game with my best friend and I really can't explain the joy of both us simply picking a direction and dealing with whatever we may encounter along the way.

The next main thing I'd like to discuss is something that's been a bit of a controversy and hot topic for as long as video games and the souls series in particular have existed; difficulty. I don't think there's anything new to discuss in regards to this topic that hasn't already been said with each new souls release but I'd like to at least give my thoughts on the matter once. Especially since Elden Ring seems to be the most mainstream souls release so far. It's a bit hard for me to discuss this because I've come to accept that I will almost never see eye to eye with people on the matter of difficulty and as such I don't think my word should be completely taken at face value. The souls series, as we've come to know, is largely defined by its punishing difficulty and as such I believe that this should be a non-negotiable aspect of the series with each new game release. However, punishing difficulty does not necessarily mean that the player should constantly be at a disadvantage. Elden Ring in particular does a very good job of giving the player the tools necessary to facilitate their journey throughout the game. Whether it be playing coop with a friend, using the game's summoning ashes, or going a particular build, Elden Ring gives the player plenty of stuff to play with in order to make some of the game's bosses and encounters far more manageable. Outside of in game tools, Elden Ring also introduces new mechanics, such as jumping and guard counters, which are absolutely crucial to managing various aspects of the game. This might come off a bit crass but I believe the player should also be responsible for learning the game's mechanics before dismissing it as artificial difficulty or bad game design. Experimenting with what you can or can't do during difficult encounters and bosses is something the player needs to do and learn in order to progress. Obviously this kind of learning curve isn't for everyone but I don't think this is grounds for dismissing game design so much as realizing that this kind of game just isn't what you're looking for nor should you try to force yourself to like it. Regardless of the matter, you will die alot, you will lose alot, and you will get frustrated alot, but part of what makes this series so enjoyable is the accomplishment after defeating a difficult boss or getting through difficult encounters.

Finally, I want to talk a bit about this game's boss design. Obviously I can't judge and talk about every single enemy encounter or level design in the game, but I think bosses are something easily discussed. Many people believe that one of the shining factors of the Souls series is the bosses. To some extent I agree, but I also largely disagree with the notion that a majority of the bosses in each souls game are "good". Much like DS2, there is an opinion that Elden Ring has too many bosses, most of which are not particularly "good". But what exactly is "good"? When people think of the good bosses of the souls series names like Artorias, Nameless King, or Ludwig come up. However, these kinds of bosses are the minority in each game and Elden Ring isn't different at all when it comes to this. I don't think anyone is going to fondly remember the umpteenth dragon fight or something like the Ceaseless Discharge. I certainly hope no one believes that large scale boss fights are "good" because most of them crumble under their huge hitboxes or being able to easily bait attacks like foot stomps and breath attacks. While Elden Ring has an abundance of bosses, most of which are either slightly beefier normal enemies or fairly unremarkable encounters, it is absolutely no different from other souls game in regards to its good:bad or memorable:unremarkable ratio of bosses. People like to point out the double boss fights in Elden Ring as the biggest offender, but many of these are facilitated by either Ashes or a coop partner and they're also not unique to Elden Ring either. Soloing double boss fights isn't more or less annoying in this game than soloing double boss fights in any other souls game. It can even be argued that it's been the easiest its ever been thanks to the abundance of builds you can use and its new mechanics.

I didn't talk about the story and lore because I don't think it's for me to speak about in great detail. I enjoyed it and I think most of us interested will sit down and watch VaatiVidya's inevitable hours long lore videos. With all that said, I really love this game. At about 150 hours for my first playthrough, I can say I had an absolute blast and it has reminded of why I love the kinds of games I do. While my friend probably didn't have the exact same experience and is more excited to play the upcoming new Kirby game, he still came out of this very positive for it being his very first souls game. I hope Fromsoft continues to reach newer heights and I eagerly await their next endeavor.