Elden Ring
Table of Contents
Elden Ring is a soulsborne game made by From Software who defined the soulsborne genre. Soulsborne games are one of my favorite genres in video games. Elden Ring is a perfect addition to the genre.
ABOUT ELDEN RING
In Elden Ring, you awaken as a Tarnished, an exile called back to the shattered Lands Between to mend the Elden Ring and claim the title of Elden Lord. Explore a vast, open world teeming with beauty and peril, from sun-drenched plains to crumbling castles and oppressive swamps. Face fearsome demigods, each with their twisted ambitions, and uncover the mysteries of a fractured world steeped in rich lore. Choose your combat style, master diverse weaponry and magic, and forge your path through a challenging yet rewarding adventure, crafted by the minds of Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Remember, death is not an end, but a stepping stone on your journey to become Elden Lord.
PERFECTION
If you take Dark Souls + Bloodborne and add an open world, a jump button, and the option to make most boss encounters easier to handle, you have Elden Ring. The game is amazing in every aspect. I’ll even go as far as to say it is damn near perfect. I do have a biased opinion of Soulsbourne games because I love them so much. However, I feel like anyone who is into or is considering action-adventure RPGs can enjoy this game.
THE ATMOSPHERE
The Lands Between is a vast open world. The moment that you walk out of the tutorial area and into Limgrave, you immediately realize just how vast a world this is. However far as you can see, there is so much more to discover. You’ll spend a lot of time exploring and you’ll discover all sorts of regions and dungeons. There are many secrets to uncover.
I feel alone in this world. Even with Torrent (your horse), NPCs, and a place to call home, I feel alone when I am exploring. When the immersion kicks in, I feel even more alone. Despite feeling so alone, I feel confident in my explorations.
THE SOUNDTRACK
Limgrave is the first area you enter in the Lands Between. The soundtrack that plays in the background for Limgrave takes me far away. I can’t fully explain the feeling I get. It tingles, horrifies, saddens, instills hope, and completely shuts off the real world.
The soundtrack features various artists. Tracks range from a combination of ambiance and atmosphere to a grand-scale orchestra with vocal harmonies. If you are familiar with Dark Souls or Bloodborne, you will hear similarities. However, Elden Ring has an original tone. There are tones of dread and loneliness that help sell exactly how you feel in The Lands Between.
AS I SEE IT
Elden Ring takes elements from other games we love. However, it creates its unique world heavy on lore and vast in size. The Lands Between feels dreadful, lonely, and extremely dangerous. The combat does not disappoint and the addition of jumping works surprisingly well (coming from all of the other Soulsborne games where you couldn’t jump).
It’s damn near perfect. There is always room for improvement but there isn’t anything that I would change. I love the game as it is. I’m looking forward to DLC and anything else that From Software puts out in the future.
As I see it, everyone must play this game. I realize that is saying a lot but the game is beyond excellent. However, I do realize that this game won’t be for everyone but I still feel like you should give it a go.