Welcome to our review of the closed network test of the upcoming open-world Souls game called Elden Ring, we played it and are left wondering for more but also have some more questions now.
The Golden Order has been broken. Rise, Tarnished, and be guided by grace to brandish the power of the Elden Ring and become an Elden Lord in the Lands Between. In the Lands Between ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal, the Elden Ring, the source of the Erdtree, has been shattered. Marika’s offspring, demigods all, claimed the shards of the Elden Ring known as the Great Runes, and the mad taint of their newfound strength triggered a war: The Shattering. A war that meant abandonment by the Greater Will.
And now the guidance of grace will be brought to the Tarnished who were spurned by the grace of gold and exiled from the Lands Between. Ye dead who yet live, your grace long lost, follow the path to the Lands Between beyond the foggy sea to stand before the Elden Ring. And become the Elden Lord.
Elden Ring was a complete mystery to me beforehand. I tend to dislike the Souls genre and while I was not supposed to play the closed network test, circumstances led to me having access and here we are now. I played the game, gasped at its gorgeous graphics for an open-world game, and had a few instances that were more than just frustrating. Let me start with the frustrations I had.
Keeping in mind these come mostly from being inexperienced in this genre and well, inexperienced but also unknowing on how to really engage in combat, so I enlisted a female friend to show me the ropes. The Souls games are her favorite franchise and she has mentioned playing them till the day she dies, which should show her dedication. The way she moved around and how she approached all the enemies, is a completely different way from my way.
I was mostly happy-go-lucky in the past, but with this newfound way to battle, I was actually starting to enjoy myself, even though there are times where you get ambushed. Heck, purely speaking out of frustration, I got stabbed consecutively in such a rhythmic fashion that I could not even try to get out of the straight flurry of attacks. I even had occasions of enemies being invisible or attacking me from the dark. All perfect examples of what represents this genre, but they can be frustrating.
But after all is said and done, I just remember the awesome graphics, the massive enemies that actually turned out possible to beat, instead of the previously unbeatable impression. I was able to wander off in this limited demo and from jumping down cliffs on purpose to drowning instead of swimming, I tried it all. I even got burnt to death by a massive dragon, visited a dungeon and so much more.
I may not be a fan of the genre, but Elden Ring sure left an impression. An impression that I may end up buying this game and actually try my luck at that dragon again…
