FROMSOFT DOES IT AGAIN

Elden Ring is a title that doesn’t need any extraordinary introduction. I would go as far as to say that taking the time to contextualize the work done by FromSoftware would be a waste of time and an insult to the art because, if you are somewhat interested in video games, you already know what this new opus from the creators of Dark Souls (can’t forget to mention the touch added to the writing by A Song of Ice & Fire author George R. R. Martin) is all about. Elden Ring is a rare phenomenon that has taken by storm veterans and new players alike throughout a MASSIVE adventure taking place within The Lands Between; so MASSIVE that this review is a couple of weeks late now. As you may have guessed, it is not so easy playing through a game that requires 80 hours of playtime just to reach its end credits. Not only is FromSoft showcasing, once again, its superiority as a developer in the industry, it also illustrates its knowledge of the past thirteen years; with the introduction of its own vision of a super difficult Action-RPG through Demon’s Souls on the PS3. Elden Ring may not be a complete reinvention of the genre that allowed the studio to establish its legacy, but combines everything that made these past experiences so memorable through a new context and reinvigorating structure that prioritizes discovery with an unprecedented level of freedom.

Not only is Elden Ring the most content-rich title coming out of FromSoftware, but it is also the most well-realized of its kind. The Soulsborne games always had a set guideline filled with intense environments that evoke enormous details and where everything is trying to kill you; all of that crowned with legendary encounters against filthy creatures that can be a real challenge (for some). However, this concept was always limited to an essentially linear structure that, despite player experimentation, made the experiences very similar. Elden Ring breaks that barrier by offering a world that is completely open, right from its initial moments, allowing you to explore anywhere at any time; just like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild did back in 2017 -- a visible influence in Miyazaki and the studio’s direction with this project. The Lands Between’s open-world is so rich in details and secrets that it’s practically impossible to uncover all of its mysteries during your first playthrough. However, this enhances the discoverability within Elden Ring. To showcase all of this, you simply need to compare player experiences; you’ll quickly find out that nobody has the same approach when it comes to encountering what Elden Ring has to offer. This creates a sort of social meta that goes beyond the game itself and makes the conversation surrounding the title a lot more interesting. This is probably why, to this day, people are still talking about it despite its release a couple of months ago.

It’s also incredibly intimidating to approach a world with that much to see and to do that may not be required to complete the main quest, but definitely compliment Elden Ring’s entire package. Secrets dungeons, enemy camps filled with ambushes and bosses that appear depending on the time of day are only a few examples of the things that will keep you hooked to The Lands Between’s exploration. Despite this grandiosity in the different biomes of this brand-new world, there is a certain peacefulness in exploring these vast landscapes the way you want to discover them; without the constant hand-holding and abundance of objective markers covering the screen like in other similar experiences. If you were worried that Elden Ring would be receiving an open-world treatment à la Ubisoft, fret not because it keeps its esoteric and mysterious ambiance that has made FromSoft’s worlds so enjoyable to dissect. But the best part of all of this is that, despite its cryptic nature, Elden Ring is able to be the most accessible title that FromSoftware has ever put out.      

It’s not to say that Elden Ring is an easy game to play through -- the studio still has its reputation to preserve -- but there is a reason why this is not Dark Souls 4 even though it plays like any other Soulsborne title. There are obviously new mechanics such as the Spirit Ashes allowing you to summon allied spirits or even the Ashes of War that give certain powers to your weapons in order to help you on your adventure, but Elden Ring’s accessibility is determined by the level of freedom that it gives to its players. What I mean by this is that, no matter your quest’s progress, there is always something else that requires some attention which will help you build up your character and play style for the challenges to come. Stuck on Margit, the Fell Omen or Godrick, the Grafted in the first main region? No problem! The Lands Between are filled with additional activities that will allow you to explore new areas and acquire additional/better equipment/weapons/abilities for your character. This applies for the entire experience as well. Also, because the Fast Travel system is introduced as soon as you uncover the open-world, you can backtrack at any time to an area you have previously explored.

Obviously, there is still a lot of learning to be had when it comes to enemy and boss encounters (just like in any FromSoft title); some will even make you question your skills as a gamer no matter what you do. However, the fact remains that, if you maximize your exploration of The Lands Between, you’ll have a much more enjoyable experience when it comes to the difficulty. This is something that new players will definitely appreciate, but one that will surely disappoint some veterans/purists once they reach the later portions of the game. It’s not a blatant lack of difficulty, far from it, it’s just really easy to exploit and take advantage of this new structure and liberty of exploration to maximize your character’s stats in anticipation of the hurdles that await you further in the game. Once again, it’s designed in a way where, if you find something too difficult, there is always the possibility of coming back to it at a later time once you are even more prepared -- something that was pretty limited in other experiences coming from the Japanese developer. That’s the beauty of Elden Ring; the enormous liberty in its approach that compliments the game experience no matter how you tackle it.

Nevertheless, Elden Ring doesn’t change the typical Soulsborne formula more than it should, despite the big change in its overall structure -- not that it’s a bad thing. As mentioned previously, it plays like a natural evolution of previous FromSoft titles with a little more refinement in its mechanics. There is a bit of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the studio’s previous title that introduced some stealth elements, a bit of Bloodborne with the design of its characters/creatures and, of course, a whole lot of Dark Souls with the core Action-RPG design in Elden Ring. However, it is still able to stand on its own next to these previously-established universes because of the rich lore that accompanies this new setting. Elden Ring’s writing (and any other Soulsborne title as a matter of fact) maybe isn’t showcased in the most clear and obvious way through the many character dialogue and cinematics that fuel the game’s story, but there is still a deep and fleshed out narrative hidden behind all of its meticulously crafted equipment descriptions. Despite the abundance of activities and additional quests located in The Lands Between, each region has its own main dungeon in the form of Legacy Dungeons that evoke the magnificent and interconnected level design that FromSoftware has perfected over the years. Furthermore, they are designed in a way to take advantage and experiment with the newly-introduced mechanics that completely change the game’s exploration. The perfect example of this is showcased through the level of verticality added with the jumping ability present in Elden Ring that allows you to reach new heights (literally) throughout your exploration. There is also the possibility of summoning your mount, Torrent, at any given time in the open-world to speed up navigation or simply influence your approach for certain encounters. It’s ajustements like these, that can be insignificant at first glance, that accentuate the project’s quality in unexpected ways.

That being said, with a world as ambitious and vast as The Lands Between, it’s hard to continuously offer content without small fatigue settling in; and it's definitely something that you can feel in the closing portions of the experience. Elden Ring rehashes A LOT of its assets (even some from previous FromSoft games) to maximize the content offered throughout its dungeons, bosses and enemies resulting in a strong sense of déja vu in certain sections. It is, by far, my only true complaint regarding the experience as this lack of creativity could have been easily avoided with such a rich universe as the one of The Lands Between.

Regardless, this shapes up Elden Ring’s most fascinating element; despite the small missteps in its design or its narrative that can be too esoteric for some, it remains one of the most cohesive and complete experiences I have ever played. I was never bored or disappointed by these blunders listed above because I was simply too hooked to my screen. Elden Ring is an experience that is filled with moments that will blow you away; whether it be its chaotic encounters or the secrets hidden within its levels. Even after 80 hours of play (a novelty for me when it comes to play time), I still have a desire to further my exploration of The Lands Between to see what I missed during my adventure. This is FromSoftware's magnum opus across the board and is, without a doubt, the best project coming out of the studio.

VERDICT

Elden Ring is the best game of the year so far and the culmination of all of FromSoftware’s efforts as a video game developer. Thirteen years of experience with the Soulsbourne series shape up the most groundbreaking open-world experience since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that will surely influence the design of future titles for years to come. It’s crazy to see how big of an impact giving complete freedom right from the get-go in an experience can have on players. Though the developers at FromSoftware excel at their job; Elden Ring is a true masterpiece that we will cherish for a long long time.

Pros:

• Unprecedented Freedom of Exploration

• A Natural Evolution of the Soulsborne Genre

• Rich World Filed with Content and Detail

• Great Accessibility Adjustements

Cons:

• Rehashes Way Too Many Assets

Final Score: 10/10

Elden Ring is available on Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 & PC. This review was written with the PlayStation 5 version of the game.