Elden Ring, one of the most anticipated games of 2022 finally released and fans of the Dark Souls franchise couldn’t be happier. We’ve already published our review of the PlayStation 5 version. A version we certainly loved but sadly most of the fun got overshadowed by the DualSense controller. We couldn’t enjoy the game to its fullest so we decided to give this one a second opinion. By testing and playing the Xbox version, we made sure we eliminated the issues we had with the PlayStation version to give Elden Ring a fresh new start. Is this the masterpiece we’ve all been dreaming of? Let’s jump in!
Rise, Ye Tarnished
Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s newest game and takes the studio further down the path they took with Dark Souls. At its core, Elden Ring still resembles the Dark Souls games a lot, although a lot of innovations have been added to make it a bit more accessible, don’t be mistaken. Elden Ring is far from a typical mainstream game and although some innovations do make it a bit easier, Elden Ring will never be a game for the faint of heart. If you’re looking for an action game that will constantly assist and guide you during your adventure, you better stay far away from this one. Elden Ring is all about deep lore and exploration and makes sure you understand this right from the start.
Before you can jump into the action, you’ll see a brief explanation of the story. The main gist is all about the disappearance of Queen Marika who vanished after the Elden Ring, the source of the great Erdtree, shattered into pieces. After the destruction of the Elden Ring, Marika’s offspring, demigods, claimed different shards of the Elden Ring, which are now known as Great Runes. Their newfound strength triggered the lands into a war called ‘The Shattering’. It’s your job, as a simple Tarnished, to reclaim the Great Runes and become the Elden Lord.
The main plot gets explained at the start of the game with some beautiful art guided by epic music. It’s not the most eye-catching way of telling a story but it certainly does a more than decent job. FromSoftware never was big on telling stories through epic scenes, if you want to learn the true story, you’ll need to search for it everywhere you go. The story of Elden Ring is scattered across the land and only by interaction with several characters, you’ll learn the true depths of this epic saga. Compared to other games, the story is a lot bigger, more complex, and even more epic thanks to the introduction of some cutscenes. It’s clear to see that no other than George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) helped with the lore and story.
A brave new world
But, like most Dark Souls fans, you won’t play Elden Ring just to enjoy the story, you want to get a taste of the gameplay too. It’s here where FromSoftware dares to innovate its own formula a lot. Where Dark Souls games often featured narrow and dark corridors where you’ll face countless enemies, Elden Ring offers an open world called ‘The Lands Between‘. This open world is the game’s main selling point and you’ll be setting foot in it mere minutes after you start playing. The feeling I got when I opened the big double doors into The Lands Between gave me the chills. Without any hesitation, I ventured into the vast open world, only to learn I didn’t know a single thing about it.
Just like other FromSoftware games, the team takes exploration seriously and it won’t assist you with marks or guides on the map as to where to go. There are small hints showing where you need to venture next but if you want to know where you truly need to go, you’ll need to explore the map. It’s amazing to see how well-created the open world is, including tons of visually striking points that will force you to explore them. From caves and camps to huge castles, the world and its different environments have something to offer for everyone. What I liked most about the open world is the fact that it relieves a lot of stress compared to the Dark Souls games.
I often stumbled upon a way too strong boss or a group of enemies I simply couldn’t take out. Where I would grind for hours in linear games, the open world of Elden Ring gave me the choice to explore the other segments of the map which could lead to better skills or better weapons. Finding the right balance between grinding and exploring for better gear is crucial if you want to truly enjoy your time in Elden Ring. If you want to play it the correct way, you better prepare for a lot of time in menus and a lot of exploration and even grinding before you truly master all the aspects of the game. Elden Ring still is a brutally hard game but FromSoftware did enhance the gameplay mechanics to make it a bit more balanced.
Solid gameplay
Besides the stellar open world, the gameplay mechanics of Elden Ring are very strong. During my first minutes with the game, it resembled the Dark Souls games a lot. I was still slashing my enemies using light and heavy attacks, just like I did in countless other games. After a while, however, I start noticing and appreciating the small additions to my skills. In Elden Ring, I was able to perform jump attacks (which worked perfectly well on the Xbox controller) and guard counters, which could inflict some devastating damage if I manage to time them just right. As a defensive player, I adore the addition of the guard counter as it gives me a fair shot at countering the move of my enemies while delivering some fast blows when they are confused for a second.
It doesn’t stop there though. FromSoftware also added some new features like the ability to call in the help of spirits to assist me in combat. Although they will never inflict a tremendous amount of damage, they have proven their strengths in boss battles multiple times. It also helps that you can now combine your weapons with more stats and special attacks so you have access to a wider variety of weapons and tools. All these innovations are made to make the game more accessible but never easy. Elden Ring still is an unforgiving game and if you want to defeat all of its bosses, you’ll better prepare to spend a lot of hours grinding and enhancing your skills.
You Died
Although a lot of veteran players were afraid that the level of difficulty would be too low in Elden Ring, several bosses prove otherwise. It’s true that you get a bit more options to make it a bit easier, but defeating a boss is never a walk in the park and very similar to what you had to face in Dark Souls. If you want to defeat the boss, you’ll need to learn the attack pattern and keep your eyes out for weak spots. If you get too thirsty and want to attack too much, this will often result in the ‘You Died’ screen, a screen you’ll see more than you would like.
Dying is part of Elden Ring and it’s nothing to really worry about since the game offers more than enough save points and locations where you’ll respawn. Most of them are located very close to the boss you’re facing so dying will never set you back for more than just a couple of minutes. After you died, you can give it another go in mere seconds and adapt your strategy in order to become victorious. When you finally were able to defeat the boss, you’ll have the best feeling the game can possibly give you. Boss fights are true adrenaline rushes and when it’s finally over, there’s simply no other game that can give you the same feeling of gratitude and pride. Beware, however, that the game throws overpowered bosses at you at the start of the game, those will remain unbeatable until you obtain your loyal horse or drastically increase your weapons and skills.
If it’s all a bit too difficult for you, other players can certainly help you out. When you switch on the online network in Elden Ring, other players can assist you with useful messages they leave behind, pointing out crucial upgrades or locations you need to explore. Although the messages are community curated, some might be trolls so always watch your steps as some can lure you into a deadly trap with no way to escape. Besides that, you can also invite another player to play the game in co-op. This was made a lot easier since the special item needed for this option is extremely easy to craft. When you’re playing in co-op, you lose the ability to use your powerful horse to keep things fair. It’s a fun addition for those who want to use it but personally, I liked exploring this mysterious dark world on my own.
Conclusion:
When you judge this game solely as a Dark Souls evolution, Elden Ring is without any doubt the perfect game and experience for the fans of the genre. I totally understand the tons of perfect scores for this one but in my opinion, it isn’t perfect or flawless. There simply are a bit too many bugs, long loading times, and performance issues, although none are game-breaking or prevent you from having fun, I do think it’s worth pointing them out. Of course, I still think the gameplay is way more important than graphics and performance, and when it comes to gameplay, Elden Ring ticks almost all boxes. It still is a Souls game pur sang and it’s far from the mainstream game some claim it is, but if you’re a fan of the genre, this one offers an unforgettable journey. Perfect, it is not, but unforgettable, it certainly is. Hence the high score and praise.
