DEVELOPER: FromSoftware
PLAYED ON: Xbox Series X
Elden Ring is a game I didn’t expect to play as long as I have been. I had tried out developer FromSoftware’s original Dark Souls game a long time back, but after a couple of hours, gave up on it. I had figured those games just weren’t for me and despite mild curiosity for Elden Ring, I shrugged it off considering my prior history.
But because my brother got the game digitally and our libraries on my Xbox are connected, I decided to give this game a try in the hopes something about this game would actually click for me.
The first time I walked out into Elden Ring’s open world, I had to take a moment to admire how JAWDROPPING the graphics were. Looking at the flora and fauna and the landscapes around me were full of detail and color. Lush forests and blood-red hellish landscapes to gargantuan castles and special spots that show off wide views of the world and their landmarks off in the foggy distance.
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| What a view... |
Not to slack off talking about the various creatures and characters that populate this world, they look tremendous as well. Charismatic talking giant jars, knights decked out in extensively crafted armor, or hellhounds that look as if the devs forgot to turn big head mode off for them. It's clear they put a lot of time and design into all of ER’s world and population and I love being able to look at it whenever it gives me something to gawk at both in its beautiful and beastly forms.
And I’m only digging at the surface here! This game is HUGE and it kept surprising me just how much of its size and scope it was truly keeping behind the curtain. Starting out, the map is pretty big enough in its own right. Then just when you think you’ve gone through a pretty good amount of it, THE DAMN MAP DOUBLES IN SIZE! And that’s not going into what’s UNDERGROUND, but I’ll just leave it at that.
And the strongest element that has kept me playing Elden Ring comes from that FREEDOM to explore this world. Sure, one could simply walk in a straight line to go against the demigods if they’re skillful enough (or have a death wish), but will miss a lot of nuances and rewards others will find by going through it all with a thin toothed comb. There’s a lot to get up to, and the options for traversal are pretty useful. There is a fast travel system to return to any locations found previously and a magical horse you can call for those more shorter or unexplored ventures. There are a number of places that do reuse some level designs or even bosses (namely the amount of catacombs and caves), but given the sheer size of the game, I find that can be somewhat forgiven.
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| Yes, he is wearing a pot on his head. |
Storytelling shares in that sense of freedom too. They keep the premise simple- special macguffin is destroyed, remains go to a group of people who become corrupted by its power, shit goes south, you deal with it and become a god-smiting badass- but leave a lot for anyone wanting to learn more about what’s going on in the world. Details spill out in conversations with well voiced NPCs (I wonder why fantasy RPGs always have British voices?), looking more extensively into items in your inventory, or again, by simply exploring and stumbling upon landmarks with brief pieces of text.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, with how bleak, dilapidated and desolate Elden Ring’s world can be, there’s a strange sense of wonder and curiosity that makes me compelled to learn more about some of its secrets and people.
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| No, that's not creepy at all. |
Now, for anyone whose first time with any of these games is this one: In short- YOU WILL DIE. A LOT. From’s SoulsBorne titles are notorious for their tough difficulty and in Elden Ring, it’s no different here.
You’ll take small bits and pieces out of enemies while they hit back like Mack trucks and kill you in a few hits or less. If you plan on going in gung-ho, they WILL open up your asshole like it was in a porno (no lube either). Besides for a tutorial at the start to teach you the basics, this game DOES NOT hold your hand.
There have been times I have cried out ‘Bullshit!’ and times that the game likes to make trouble. Going into some caves or being sent to an unknown location by an unfortunate teleporter limits your fast travel abilities until you can find another Site of Grace (the game’s resting spots and the equivalent to DS’s bonfires) or find the exit to the surface. There are surprise traps the game sets up to tr0ll you and take you out with your pants down.
Some boss fights have you tackle TWO bosses at the SAME TIME, which they end up ganging up on you for easy kills, especially in tighter arenas. Hell, say the same with regular enemies when they get together in bigger numbers.
Then there are the seriously annoying enemies like the stone imps or those ogre looking things (I didn’t look up what they are called, sue me.) or the burly and ferocious as hell grizzly bears that just… WON’T… STOP.
Oh, and the crucible knights. FUCK THOSE KNIGHTS.
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| OH FUCK RIGHT OFF. |
This game can be rather cruel… but I don’t think it’s without mercy.
Elden Ring’s gameplay carries a lot of weight in how you level up, use and upgrade weapons, gather or buy materials and resources to make useful items, and how you learn from your enemies in combat. The crafting system is fundamentally simple and there’s a lot of material to find and notebooks to expand what you can make. Understanding what kind of build you want your character to have and leveling them up properly leads to better efficiency, your enemies dying more than you were. Shotgunning to various stats at random can only lead to slower progression and… more of a bad day.
In fact, FromSoft seems to encourage seeking other options and assistance in order to make things not as challenging as it could potentially be. Spirits can be found to become summons in battle to help even the odds or serve as a distraction. Invite a buddy online to help take out a boss that’s pissing you off. It’s not a bad idea either to leave a spot that’s causing you grief to grind and get stronger, which benefits the open world because there’s still so much to find and gain from. It does mean swallowing your pride and licking your wounds (I know, trust me), but sometimes it is better to fight another day. Finding that special weapon or item or growing a few levels higher, can serve to turn the tide.
Then when you do come back to that spot and get back at that tough boss; study their attacks and time your retaliation, then that moment when the boss is killed, when that health bar goes down to zero? When you feel that shudder in your breath, that cooling sense of relief after a long, tiring and heavy battle- THAT’S the true reward in a game like Elden Ring…
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| Now I AM the Crucible Knight! |
…though some of the in-game rewards after killing a boss or a tough enemy can suck. Or they go down like total bitches, which can also deflate some of those victories.
A few other observations; while for the most part the graphics are extremely good, I did notice a few odd graphical glitches. One example from an enemy’s shadow that was behind me that moved from side to side in a way that looked like they were stuck in slo-mo. The controls do suffer from some delayed input when hit, your character does the action you were trying to do prior to getting hit. Sometimes the AI wouldn’t react when I was attacking them or would behave in an odd manner.
When I started Elden Ring, I had set some low expectations for myself on how long I would’ve been playing this game. I gave myself a ten hour window to determine if I wanted to keep pressing onward or give up altogether.
Honestly, I’m glad I stuck with it! I’ve clocked in over 100 hours of game time and I’ve since gone out and gotten my own copy of the game. While it’s still a ballbuster like its older brothers and sisters, I find myself more willing to take on the challenge this time around in such a beautifully crafted and measured experience as Elden Ring. It’s probably FromSoftware’s greatest take on their own SoulsBorne titles and I find myself wanting to try and tackle Dark Souls again, with newfound knowledge and affection for the genre.
Which SHOULD make it easy to recommend Elden Ring immediately for the two or three others that haven’t gotten their hands on the game. However, after hearing of FromSoftware’s apparent poor working conditions (reports to which I have linked at the end of this review), I can only render picking up this game or not solely on the reader. Poor pay and miserable working conditions should not be something that should exist in this day and age.
Perhaps the tales of the SoulsBorne games can be representative of FromSoftware themselves. Bleak and probably soul crushing, all for that sigh of triumph and relief.
Only to delve back into the darkness once again…
Final Verdict: Think It Over First
Reasons: While Elden Ring is a fantastic game, with great graphics and tough but measured gameplay, FromSoft’s unsavory work ethics keep me from wholeheartedly recommending it to anyone who feels uncomfortable supporting these practices.
Pros: Gameplay gives you the tools to handle its harsh challenges.
That feeling of victory after defeating a tough boss.
Breathtaking graphics and design.
A massive open world that’s full of surprises.
Cons: Annoying enemies/surprise encounters
Some underwhelming rewards
Occasionally some repetitive level design
Links for FromSoft’s Miserable Work Conditions:
https://www.thegamer.com/fromsoftware-employees-report-poor-pay-and-working-conditions/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k76FYDlvX2I |
| Even the best of Tarnished needs to clean themselves...and their armor. |
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