![]() Elden Ring has a lot going on with it, and you can easily miss basic features. Unlike games such as Breath of the Wild, which have clear systems that you learn intuitively by playing, Elden Ring’s systems are obfuscated, and you learn them by either beating your head against a wall or researching them online. (I came across these special-edition Underland Field Notes memo books that feel like a perfect fit for the game.) Elden Ring is also happy not to tell you basic features of the game, and it’s completely possible to miss entire systems. It’s the type of game, like Myst, that works well paired with a good notebook filled with places you want to come back to. Be warned: Unlike almost every other game of this type made by other developers, there is no quest log of dangling tasks and obligations to return to in Elden Ring, and it’s easy to forget all the people you’ve talked to and the requests they’ve made. You will come across a lot of things that you probably won’t understand at first, but have an explanation buried somewhere in the game. Elden Ring is filled with weird people and strange secrets. It’s also about knowing when you’re outmatched, and knowing when to run away. Elden Ring is often about watching an enemy, learning its patterns, and then attacking when it’s safe, almost like a puzzle. You’re going to die a lot, but the trick is to rewire your brain to care less about death. There is truth to the idea that Soulslike games are hard, but I prefer to think of them as exercises in patience. Soulslike games have a reputation for difficulty that can be off-putting. Consider whether any of the following descriptions sound like you when you play video games: That said, compared with its predecessors, it’s still a better point of entry for people who’ve been curious about this genre. The game asks you to remember what you’re doing if you don’t want to die constantly, so it tends to be more enjoyable if you can stay tuned in, recall details or make notes about details, and keep track of your own progress. If you play video games to relax and zone out, or if you don’t have a lot of time to play and you tend to dip in and out of games, we feel pretty comfortable telling you to pass on Elden Ring. Over time these games coalesced into a subgenre called Soulslike (or Soulsborne), and Elden Ring is an evolution and continuation of those ideas. ![]() The approach of Elden Ring will be recognizable if you’ve played any games from the same developer, FromSoftware, including Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne. I’ve taken to describing Elden Ring to curious friends as a mashup between The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with its wide-open spaces and basic-in-theory combat, and the maddeningly obtuse logic of the ’90s CD-ROM game Myst. The first thing most people tell you about Elden Ring is that combat is difficult and the world is obtuse. The game leaves the decision to engage with its story up to you. This world is filled with strange animals and creatures that want to kill you, goofy non-player characters who drop enigmatic info about the fragments of the Elden Ring, and an abundance of cryptic secrets in the environment. It's hard to say what'll come next but we're hoping the first Elden Ring DLC isn't far off.Platforms: PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Price: $60 ESRB rating: MĮlden Ring is available on Steam for PC, but based on early reports of poor performance and a good number of bugs, PC players may want to hold off until additional patches are released.Įlden Ring drops you into a massive dark-fantasy world where you set out to explore-think The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, if you’ve played those, but drawn by Frank Frazetta or Zdzisław Beksiński. ![]() FromSoftware's just dropped Elden Ring patch 1.06, which nerfs one of the game’s most frustrating abilities, Bloodhound Stop, and we're also aware the developer's been secretly changing Elden Ring's map between updates. We're still seeing the occasional official updates, too. In May, Twitter user JesterPatches uncovered plans for a weapon and armor durability system, and there's likely plenty more to come. Back in June, YouTuber Sekiro Dubi discovered that Merchant Kalé once played a bigger role in Elden Ring, where he would've appeared in a late-game questline. We've seen it a few times in recent months. ![]() FromSoftware games are no exception to this rule and nearly half a year later, Elden Ring revelations are still plentiful. Sometimes a feature simply doesn't fit the team's current plans anymore, or maybe it's a necessary sacrifice for reigning in scope. It's a known fact that video games always cut content during development. ![]()
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