Elden Ring – Review
Our Score: 10/10
Elden Ring is a one-of-a-kind experience that comes along only once in a lifetime. The Tarnished, those who were rejected by gold’s grace and forced to flee the Lands Between, will now have access to grace’s guidance. In the Lands Between, beyond the fog, the Elden Ring awaits those who have lost their grace and travel the way to the Lands Between.
Rise, Tarnished
A Song of Ice and Fire author Hidetaka Miyazaki and video game designer George R. R. Martin have collaborated on a new fantasy realm called the Lands Between. Which is also influenced by Miyazaki’s DARK SOULS video game series.
The Erdtree’s source, the Elden Ring, has been shattered in the Lands Between controlled by Queen Marika the Eternal. As a result of their newfound power, the Great Runes of the Elden Ring, which belong to Marika and her demigod descendants and are known as the Great Runes, caused war: The Shattering. A battle that signified the Greater Will had given upon us.
The Tarnished, those who were rejected by gold’s grace and forced to flee the Lands Between, will now have access to grace’s instruction. In the Lands Between, beyond the fog, the Elden Ring awaits those who have lost their grace and travel the way to the Lands Between.
The story of Elden Ring isn’t conveyed in an overt manner. Actually, you’re unlikely to learn anything new about the game if you don’t speak to anyone in it. The tale is packed with mystery, as in previous FromSoftware games, and uncovering it necessitates examining item descriptions and conversing with NPCs. Once you finish the game, you can always go to YouTube and view a video about it.
Don’t Give Up Skeleton
It’s always going to be a difficult title, much like its predecessors. FromSoftware games are all about timing your strikes and controlling your stamina, and Elden Ring is no exception. It’s what you do in between those attack patterns that really shakes things up. All of the studio’s hard work has finally paid off with Elden Ring, a combination of Dark Souls-style combat and stealth mechanics with fresh ideas. A collection of the greatest fighting games ever made by FromSoftware all in one place.
Boss confrontations will put your abilities with these weapons and magical powers to the test. Many of these encounters involve distinctive foes with their own distinct attack patterns, as is customary. In addition to the mainline combat, this is another component that excels its predecessors. It’s not uncommon for bosses to switch up their weaponry and even the arena they’re fighting in during phase changes in order to better suit their increased power.
In combat, which has been greatly broadened to accommodate practically any playstyle, comfort can be found. Magical powers are now more essential than ever before in the traditional sword and shield combination. From a distance, a broad variety of spells can be used to take out foes, and Ashes of War adds even more options. In order to unleash a new type of attack, you must first have enough FP juice (Focusing Points) to activate the weapon’s special skill. When used, these abilities can have a significant impact on the outcome of a battle, whether it’s a magical greatsword or wind strikes.
The Beauty of Elden Ring
Elden Ring in itself isn’t as photorealistic as the PS5 launch title Demon Souls. However, the art direction of the game is breathtaking. The game very frequently had me stop in awe while I just admired the vista in front of me. So many different regions, with so many different colours. To top it off, some of the more linear-dungeon areas of the game like Stormveil castle are brilliant. Both from a level design standpoint and from a visual perspective. The open-world is indeed open. Meanwhile, the dungeons are linear and looping with shortcuts. Not on the same level as Dark Souls 1 because nothing really is but it’s still so satisfying and fun.
Composer Yuka Kitamura’s orchestral score is uplifting. It understands when to enter and when to go, slipping in when the threat is serious and escaping when it isn’t. Just the primary Elden Ring theme has a certain something about it that makes me think of Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel music. After hearing, I was ready to take on the world.
Final Verdict
FromSoftware and Miyazaki have taken a genre that they essentially created and have now gone and expanded and improved it. Elden Ring truly is a one-of-a-kind game. Something that you won’t experience elsewhere. While the game does have its annoyances and performance-related issues, the sheer brilliance of everything else outshines it. This might also be the most forgiving of all the Soulsbourn games so far so it’s a great gateway for newcomers. Do yourself a favour and play this game.
