One of the most anticipated titles in recent memory for not only myself but millions of others, ELDEN RING has finally arrived! From humble beginnings, the crew at FromSoftware has grown into a powerhouse of global renown and for many, a love/hate relationship has blossomed from the Soulsborne genre where massive difficulty results in equally sizable payoffs and feelings of accomplishment. While ELDEN RING will most certainly feel familiar to said Soulsborne fans, moving to an open-world aspect and freedom to explore takes the title to a whole new level. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Story

The Story and lore have always been vague at best in most FromSoftware games and while ELDEN RING definitely does have a bit more dialogue, characters, and a solid storyboard style intro, it’s still a From game and I mean that with the highest praise. The game certainly doesn’t spoonfeed you a direct story outside the intro. Story bits come from everything inside this massive world. The landscape, the architecture, books left behind, shorts bits of dialogue, and especially in the weapons, armor, and trinkets you will find and collect. While we will avoid any massive spoilers in this review, I will say that each region of the game features a themed Lord and it’s your quest to hunt them down and become Elden Lord. How you do this and which sides you pick, well, I will say leave that for your own playthrough of the game as discovering the story is part of the fun. Lastly, even though there is a path of guidance in the form of golden light for the main quest, you can wander this huge world in search of additional lore and story bits you’d otherwise easily miss. I highly recommend exploring every square inch to truly enjoy the story at hand.

Gameplay

For newcomers starting their adventure in the Lands Between and this genre altogether, get ready for a massive challenge but also a huge sense of accomplishment when you beat enemies and scenarios that may at first, seem absolutely impossible. This is an open-world RPG of sorts focused on combat and exploration luckily, with a big focus on summons and multiplayer if you get stuck. It definitely is one of the more forgiving and welcoming games From has done but don’t mistake that for the game being easy. It WILL test you.

Anyone familiar with the Dark Souls series is going to feel right at home here in the gameplay department but with some stellar additions like horseback battles, freedom to choose playstyles, and an improved travel system. I would call this a super polished tour-de-force chock full of gameplay variety, depth, and satisfaction. Want to be a full-blown glintstone sorcerer? Have at it. How about a massive, axe-wielding barbarian? Done. A sneaking, magic-enhanced rogue? Done. The world of ELDEN RING is truly a stunning sandbox with a massive variety of ways to defeat enemies and achieve your goals. I chose an Astrologer that is basically a sorcerer and I have enhanced my character with a blood drawing dagger as well. While I have met plenty of very difficult challenges, I am absolutely loving the hybrid character I have created.

Audio and Visuals

The variety and sheer quality of audio present in ELDEN RING is nothing short of amazing. From the convincing voice acting to pounding sound effects to the subtle yet haunting orchestral score, the game is truly an audio feast. While some boss fights can be ear-splitting with axes and hammers pounding around you while the thunderous music assaults you, the truly magical moments are riding your horse through a rainstorm with strings of the ambient soundtrack humming in the background. Small droplets of water in caves, a haunting voice of a fallen maiden, and many other audio cues are not only extremely well done, but they are also an integral part of the game and experience.

1,040. That’s how many screenshots I have taken so far in the game and there are many more to come as I explore this humongous yet detailed world. We ran the game maxed out in 4K on our high-end PC gaming rig and couldn’t be more delighted with the graphical portion of the game as well. While some compromises had to be made to accommodate the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game, running the game at 4K @ 60 FPS in full quality is joy. Some character models and textures seem a bit muddy but overall the game is a stunning work of art both technically and aesthetically speaking. The variety of beaches, forests, caves, castles, and more are a near-perfect mix of Dark Souls III and Bloodborne which is a huge plus in my book.

Replayability

Ummm… yeah. This section is an absolute no-brainer as with most FromSoftware titles, there is so much replay value here, it’s almost ridiculous. Whether you are playing solo, with online strangers, or co-op with friends, the possibilities are almost endless with places to explore, duels to be had, helping one another in battle, a massive amount of secrets to be found, and that’s not even mentioning all the character build possibilities to try out. Luckily, you can find an item to reset your stats at certain points in the game so you aren’t stuck with bad stat allocation.

The fact that Bandai Namco is only retailing this game for $59.99 makes it one of the best values in gaming in a very long time. I have not 100% seen all this game or even close but I already want to play it again due to some of the weapons, armor, spells, and goodies that I can’t use with my Astrologer. ‘Nuff said.

What It Could Have Done Better

Picking apart one of your most anticipated games of all time is a very interesting exercise. Almost every bit of this section could be taken with a grain of salt as I have played through every FromSoftware games, some multiple times, so I felt very comfortable slipping into ELDEN RING yet that also made me be a bit more critical about some shortcomings that are present.

Right from the start, even though the character creator is much improved from past titles, it was still difficult to create a female character that didn’t look like Shrek. On the difficulty side of the house, even with the addition of summons and MP help, this game will still be too difficult for some starting out. Some boss battles are absolutely brutal, even for veterans. Also, not being able to use a large portion of armor and weapons you find, is equally frustrating. Even though you can make hybrid builds, once you go down a general path, you won’t be able to use a lot of spells and tools. Along with that, sometimes exploring will trigger guides our paths that don’t necessarily lead you to the main story resulting in a bit of lost feeling or a general lack of knowing what one should truly do to advance as the game progresses. Lastly, even though the map is serviceable, the low-res textures really hurt the experience of exploring and using it efficiently. Nothing about these issues is game-breaking but still, it could use some general improvements, and hopefully, some of these items will be addressed through patches.

Verdict

In the end, I have completely fallen in love with this game. The sights, sounds, combat, and overall sense of pure adventure are almost overwhelming. ELDEN RING is truly a modern masterpiece of game design not only with its stellar combat, stunning move into the open world, but it’s chock full of secrets and goodies that reward the truly inquisitive. I invite you to try just exploring the world and figuring things out on your own. Take your time and scour every inch of the land, experiment, and enjoy this beautifully crafted world. Feeling stuck? Throw down a summon sign and have someone help you beat a mini-boss or major boss. Feeling cocky? Initiate a duel with other players. The choice is yours. For veterans and newcomers alike, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this absolutely stunning game. Overall, ELDEN RING stands proudly among modern gaming giants, and although it’s early in the year, it’s already a solid GOTY contender, mark my words.